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The Abbey School
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| The Abbey School | |
| Motto | In aedificationem corporis Christi (Building up the body of Christ) |
| Established | 1887 |
| Type | Independent |
| Headmistress | Barbara Stanley |
| Chairman of Governors | Mr P. Smith [1] |
| Location | Kendrick Road Reading Berkshire RG1 5DZ  England |
| Students | 973 (as of October 2002)[2] |
| Ages | 3 to 18 |
| Website | www.theabbey.co.uk |
The Abbey School is an independent selective school for girls, in Reading, Berkshire, England.[3] The school has Church of England traditions,[4] although it accepts girls of all faiths.[5] The Abbey School offers education for academically able girls from ages 3 to 18.[4] It has very high standards and is considered by some to be very strict.
Founded in 1887,[6] the school moved to its present site in 1905[6] under the leadership of headmistress Miss Helen Musson.
Notable alumnae include the novelist Elizabeth Taylor[7] and the headmistress Baroness Brigstocke.[8]
Around one hundred years before the school was founded in 1887, the novelist Jane Austen attended Reading Ladies' boarding school within the Abbey gatehouse circa 1785 [9] [10][11], which is commemorated by, and incorporated into, the Abbey School's crest.
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The school was founded in 1887, named Reading High School, replacing the privately owned Blenheim House Ladies' School. It was at London Road (in the building which became the Gladstone Club). The Church Schools Company, instrumental in founding the school, felt that Reading, with its growing population reaching 60,000, was in need of a new school. The school aimed to provide high quality education, with a Christian ethos, without charging extortionate fees. When founded, the school had an enrollment of 40 girls, which steadily increased to 120 by 1902, when Miss Helen Musson, the new headmistress, was appointed.[6]
In 1905, the school moved to its current Kendrick Road site.[12] On 16 March 1905, Archdeacon Ducat laid the foundation stone of the school, which featured the inscription, "In aedificationem corporis Christi". This motto, taken from Ephesians IV:12, can still be seen on the school's crest. The new site was a vast improvement on the old site: there were six classrooms, a hall and room for playing fields.[6]
The school changed names to The Abbey School in 1913,[12] after splitting with the Church Schools' Company. The name was chosen to commemorate a former Reading school dating from 1835, which was based in the Abbey gateway. A previous school in the Abbey gateway operating in the 18th century, named Reading Ladies Boarding School [9], had Jane Austen among its pupils [9].[11] [10] and Mrs Sherwood [13]
The Abbey is now a day school, after ceasing to accept boarding pupils in 1946.[6] The current headmistress is Mrs Barbara Stanley.
Entrance to the Senior School is through assessment examinations in mathematics, English and verbal reasoning, and an interview in January[citation needed]. Roughly 45% of entrants in the Upper Third (year 7) come from the Junior School.[14]
The Abbey sixth form is one of the best in the area. With the new head of sixth form, Mrs Dent, joining in 2006, it has become one of the best places to study A-levels, with a wide range of subjects being offered and high grades being achieved. The school has a re-vamped dedicated sixth form block. The Abbey sixth form no longer requires girls to wear a uniform. The previous sixth form uniform was a blue/green kilt and white shirt with dark blue sweater.
Despite the provision of a generally lenient dress code, in October 2007, the head of the Abbey School sixth form imposed a ban on denim skirts. This was met with great sadness and, on coming to terms with this ban, many girls' wardrobes suddenly seemed far more barren than they would otherwise have been. It was a shock to the system to have the denim skirt, the cornerstone of a successful wardrobe, practically erased from day-to-day wear and the girls were understandably very upset by it. It remains to be seen whether or not this ban will be lifted, and such a subject is surely in the prayers of many teenage Abbey girls.
The junior school is at Kensington House, a building 400 metres away from the senior school. Also situated here is the Early Years Centre, a unit opened in 2003.
The senior school uniform comprises a bottle green jumper and kilt with a green and white striped blouse. The fifth form may wear black jumpers and also have the privilege of wearing black tights; the sixth form have no uniform but a dress code of white and black for formal occasions. Currently additions to the uniform are being discussed with regard to introducing black blazers to the fifth form, and the current U4 and L5 are being consulted.
Junior school uniform consists of a green and white striped shirt with a bottle green pinafore. In summer a green and white summer dress is worn. The Early Years Centre has a uniform of a bottle green tracksuit.[15]
The Abbey Girls are often referred to as Jammy Dodgers... as they are hard on the outside, and soft in the inside. They are not like any ordinary biscuits - they have a heart at the centre of them. It is a school motto used after an assembly on Abbey Girls by the current Headmistress, and is often raised up, although mockingly by some Old Girls who view it as a joke and lowering the credibility of the school.
The school has had a 100% 5 A* to Cs at GCSE for a number of years now. [16]There has been 100% pass rate (A to E) for A levels for several years.[citation needed]
Detailed information about the 2005 results is available from the Abbey for GCSEs and A levels.
At A level, the school had a 100% pass rate and 86.9% A or B grades. At GCSE there was a 99.9% A* to C pass rate with 73% A* and A grades.[17] [18]
In terms of league tables, for 2005 results, the Abbey was placed second in the LEA of Reading for GCSE results.[19], third for AS/A level [20], and second for "value added" [21]
The Abbey School was put at 22 in the list of best performing schools nationally for having more than five GCSE results at A* to C, including English and maths.[22] The Abbey was 148th nationally for A level results. [23]
The Abbey School was placed 54th for GCSE and 88th for A level in The Times newspaper rankings. These rankings included both state and independent schools across England.[24] [25]
The school was the 6th best independent school in the country for GCSE results.[26]
More detailed information about the 2006 results is available from the Abbey for both GCSEs (here) and A levels (here).
The Abbey School came 21st for GCSE[27] and 61st for A Level[28] in the Times Online School Exam Results Table.
As an independent school, Ofsted do not perform inspections of the school. [29] [30] . However, Ofsted have inspected the Early Years Centre [31] . The Independent Schools Inspectorate performed an inspection on the whole school in 2002 [2] . The Good Schools guide produced a report on the Abbey in 2005. [14] [32]
The inspection took place in October 2002 and produced, on the whole, a positive report. The report praised the "good quality" teaching and "high quality pastoral care", with "dedicated" and "committed" teachers. It noted the "high achievement" in GCSE and A level exams and the "rich programme" of extra curricular activities. In the junior school, the accommodation and resources were praised.
There was criticism of the school's lack of management system and development plan. Inconsistency in assessment of pupils work was noted. The accommodation for year 6 was "poorly appointed" and there were "some teaching weaknesses" in this year group.
The full report can be seen here.
Ofsted inspected the Early Years Centre only, that is, from ages 3 to 5. Judgments of the children's development were all classified as "very good" - the highest category attainable. "Very good progress" had been made since the 2002 ISI report and there were no significant weaknesses to report.
Staff promote good behaviour and show good understanding of individual needs with excellent opportunities for parental involvement.
The report can be accessed here
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This short section requires expansion. |
- Baroness Brigstocke, High Mistress of St Paul's Girls' School.[8]
- Jenni Falconer, television presenter
- Kate Humble, television presnter
- Miranda Krestovnikoff, presenter of BBC TV 'Coast'
- Debby Reynolds, Director General for Animal Health & Welfare and UK Chief Veterinary Officer for DEFRA.
- Elizabeth Taylor, author.[7]
- Sally Taylor, television presenter (BBC South Today).[33]
- ^ http://www.theabbey.co.uk
- ^ Cite error 8; No text given.
- ^ The Abbey School. Retrieved on 2006-09-04.
- ^ a b The Abbey School. Ethos. Retrieved on 2006-09-04.
- ^ ISI Inspection October 2002 6, section 3.1. Retrieved on 2006-09-04.
- ^ a b c d e Laverack, Barbara; Barbara Sheldon. A History of The Abbey School, Reading 1887 - 2001. Retrieved on 2006-09-04.
- ^ a b "Elizabeth Taylor's relentless Englishness", Times Online, June 7, 2006.
- ^ a b "Lady Brigstocke", The Daily Telegraph, 2004-05-06.
- ^ a b c Reading Museum's local information on Jane Austen's school
- ^ a b Dr Tony Corley. Jane Austen's Schooldays 1785-6. Retrieved on 2006-09-04.
- ^ a b JASA. Jane Austen biography. Retrieved on 2006-09-04.
- ^ a b The Abbey School. 2005 Site Centenary Celebration and ASROGA Reunion. Retrieved on 2006-09-04.
- ^ CTS. Mary Martha Sherwood, The History of Theophilus and Sophia. Retrieved on 2006-09-04.
- ^ a b The Good Schools Guide. Guide to The Abbey School, Reading. Retrieved on 2006-09-05.
- ^ The Abbey School. Uniforms. Retrieved on 2006-09-04.
- ^ BBC. Performance at GCSE and A level. Retrieved on 2006-09-05.
- ^ The Abbey School. A level results 2005. Retrieved on 2006-09-05.
- ^ The Abbey School. GCSE results 2005. Retrieved on 2006-09-05.
- ^ BBC. Schools in Reading. Retrieved on 2006-09-05.
- ^ BBC. Schools in Reading. Retrieved on 2006-09-05.
- ^ BBC. Schools in Reading. Retrieved on 2006-09-05.
- ^ BBC. Best English and maths results. Retrieved on 2006-09-05.
- ^ BBC. Top A-level results. Retrieved on 2006-09-05.
- ^ "The Times top schools for GCSE", The Times, 2006-08-28.
- ^ "The Times top schools for A level", The Times, 2006-08-28.
- ^ "Private schools seek recognition for tougher GCSE exam", The Guardian, 2006-09-02.
- ^ School GCSE Results Table. The Times Online.
- ^ School A Level Results Table. The Times Online.
- ^ Ofsted. Reports for the Abbey School, Reading. Retrieved on 2006-09-05.
- ^ Ofsted. Why is there no report for the independent school I am interested in?. Retrieved on 2006-09-05.
- ^ Ofsted. Nursery Inspection Report. Retrieved on 2006-09-05.
- ^ The Good Schools Guide. Guide to The Abbey Junior School. Retrieved on 2006-09-05.
- ^ The Abbey School. Abbey Old Girls. Retrieved on 2006-09-05.
Categories: All articles with unsourced statements | Articles with unsourced statements since February 2007 | Articles with sections needing expansion | Educational institutions established in 1887 | Buildings and structures in Reading, Berkshire | Independent schools in Berkshire | Girls schools in England