2 Abingdon Prep • April 2024 As I write, it is lovely to see the daffodils and crocuses in full bloom outside my office window. Spring is such a lovely time of year with the slowly returning sunshine and expectancy of the summer to come. The creative arts were very much on show this term with a brilliant Year 3 and 4 musical, ‘Alex in Wonderland’, and two spring concerts where all children were involved, performing a range of songs alongside a series of talented soloists and ensembles. What I enjoy most about these events is the excitement with which the children approach them and give so much energy when they are up on stage performing to their friends and family. Many of our Year 8 pupils have been undertaking scholarship assessments this term across the full range of academic and wider curriculum subjects. This year has been a very successful one with 9 scholarships awarded to Abingdon School and 1 to OLA. On the football pitch it has been perhaps our most impressive season ever, with our Under 11A, Under 12A and U13A all remaining unbeaten, and our U12As creating a school record, scoring 75 goals and not conceding any! There have been more hockey matches than ever before, and every child in Years 3 to 8 has represented the school in matches again. Young Art Oxford saw 24 of our children having their work, on the theme of ‘Time’, being selected for the exhibition in May at The Ashmolean and it has been wonderful to see so many children really enjoying using the pottery wheel for the first time too. Trips have taken place to a wide variety of venues with historic Tudor houses, story museums, farm parks, author talks and geography quizzes to name but a few. Our Year 8s thoroughly enjoyed a ceilidh with their counterparts at Headington and our Year 2s got to know new faces in a hockey skills morning working together with other pupils from local primary schools. Science week saw a host of workshops and shows for Years 3 to 8, and Year 8R worked with Pre-Prep. Earlier in the term pupils in Year 6 used their detective skills to work out who had kidnapped me from a conference, using chromatography to identify the kidnapper’s pen. All our year groups finished the term with a brilliant Easter Egg hunt and our youngest pupils may even have caught sight of the Easter Bunny. Our parents association kindly supported us with that but also ran a hugely enjoyable Scalextric evening and a quiz night, with the staff team just about securing top spot after a recent run of poor performances! Best wishes Craig FROM THE HEAD The Head, Craig Williams, reflects on a short but incredibly busy term at Abingdon Prep. NEWS OBITUARY TONY FAULKES This term we said a very sad farewell to Tony, one of our stalwart minibus drivers, who has been with Abingdon Prep for many years. Tony unexpectedly passed away at half term. Tony was a vibrant character who loved being with children more than anything else. He has numerous grandchildren and was always talking about them when sitting on the bench next to where he would Christening our Eco-Club Compost Bins World Book Day Year 6 solve a ‘whodunnit’ with chromatography meticulously park his bus whilst waiting for his passengers to arrive. A plaque will be affixed to his bench. Tony was rarely seen without a Costa in his hand and could always be relied upon to go the extra mile, both literally and metaphorically, to help someone out. He will be greatly missed by everyone in the Abingdon Prep community.
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