News Abingdon One thing we are inordinately proud of at Abingdon is the strong parental support which we enjoy. I’d like to acknowledge the hard work and dedication of all our parent associations - from the Hockey Griffens, the Rugby Touchliners, the rowing FASBC, the football Boot Room, the Music Society and formerly ASPA. The events they arrange for the mutual benefit of parents and students is greatly appreciated by the School and the summer term is, of course, an especially busy one for them all. It is a special time of the year, a time of endings and beginnings. The Upper Sixth brought their time at Abingdon to an end following their A Levels Message from the Head with the Leavers’ Ceremony and Service when we marked their collective contribution to the School with moving speeches as the departing Heads of School reflected upon their experiences and we enjoyed some wonderful music from a very talented year group. The Griffen Ball allowed students and parents to celebrate in style as they turn the pages to a fresh chapter in their lives. At the same time, we welcomed our new pupils for induction events so that they could begin to navigate their way around the school site and get to know one another. Their sense of excitement about starting at Abingdon was palpable and I look forward to welcoming them to the School in September. This term has marked another important new beginning for the School with our announcement that we will be welcoming girls into the First Year and Lower Sixth from September 2026. Our preparations for this exciting new chapter in Abingdon’s long history are well underway while we continue to focus on ensuring that our current pupils can benefit from an outstanding education. Exciting times lie ahead. 3 abingdon.org.uk Going for Gold Five teams completed a gruelling Gold Duke of Edinburgh practice expedition in the final weekend of the Easter holidays. The teams coped well with the foul weather and very high winds. One team even managed to cross the Carneddau mountain range including Carnedd Uchaf at 925m. The teams then went on to successfully complete their Gold assessed expedition to the Rhinog mountains in June. They remained in good spirits as they navigated through this remote and challenging part of the Snowdonia national park. Congratulations to them all. In June, some of our Lower Sixth Chemistry A Level students enjoyed a visit to the University of Southampton. They worked in the undergraduate teaching labs, where they used a rotary evaporator and successfully isolated some triglyceride, extracting it from nutmeg. This was confirmed by thin layer chromatography and by using melting point analysis. They were also shown around the chemical engineering lab, where they saw a bioreactor - a device which provides a controlled environment to cultivate products from plants, animals and bacteria. An informative day. Chemical reactions
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