The Abbey School
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| "In aedificationem corporis Christi" (building up the body of Christ) | |
| Established | 1887 |
|---|---|
| School type | Independent |
| Principal | Barbara Stanley |
| Students | 973 (as of October 2002)[1] |
| Chairman of Governors | Mr J Kerevan[1] |
| Age Range | 3 to 18 |
| Location | Kendrick Road Reading, RG1 5DZ |
| Information | (0118) 987 2256 |
| Website | www.theabbey.co.uk (skip introduction) |
The Abbey School is an independent selective school for girls, located in Reading, Berkshire, England [2] . The school has Church of England traditions [3] , although it accepts girls of all faiths [4] . The Abbey School offers education for academically able girls from ages 3 to 18[3].
Founded in 1887 [5] , the school moved to its present site in 1905[5] under the leadership of headmistress Miss Helen Musson.
Notable alumni include the novelist Elizabeth Taylor [6] and the headmistress Baroness Brigstocke [7] . Before the school was founded, the novelist Jane Austen[8][9]attended Reading Ladies boarding school within the Abbey gatehouse, which is incorporated into the Abbey School's crest.
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[edit] History
The school was founded in 1887, named Reading High School, replacing the privately-owned Blenheim House Ladies' School. It was located at Reading Abbey; its gateway is part of the crest to this day. 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 Mutton, the new headmistress, was appointed.[5]
In 1905, the school moved to its current Kendrick Road site [10] . 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 6 classrooms, a hall and room for playing fields[5].
The school changed names to The Abbey School in 1913[10], after splitting with the Church Schools' Company. The name was chosen to commemorate a Reading school from the 18th century, named The Abbey School, which had Jane Austen [9] [8] and Mrs Sherwood [11] among its pupils.
The school is featured prominently in the Abbey Girls series of novels[citation needed].
The Abbey is now a day school, after ceasing to accept boarding pupils in 1946[5].
[edit] Senior School
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[12].
[edit] Sixth Form
[edit] Junior School and Early Years Centre
The junior school is located 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.
[edit] Uniform
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; the sixth form have no uniform but a dress code of white and black for formal occasions.
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 Earley Years Centre has a uniform of a bottle green tracksuit. [13]
[edit] Alumni
The most well-known alumnus of the school would be Jane Austen[9][8]; however she attended a school of the same name which shut down years before the Abbey school of today was founded. Famous names which attended the school include:
- Baroness Brigstocke, High Mistress of St Paul's Girls' School.[7]
- Sally Taylor, television presenter (BBC South Today).[14]
- Elizabeth Taylor, author.[6]
[edit] Public Examinations
The school has had a 100% 5 A* to Cs at GCSE for a number of years now. [15]There has been 100% pass rate (A to E) for A levels for several years.[citation needed]
[edit] 2005 performance
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.[16] [17]
In terms of league tables, for 2005 results, the Abbey was placed second in the LEA of Reading for GCSE results [18], third for AS/A level [19], and second for "value added" [20].
The Abbey School was put at 22 in the list of best performing schools nationally for having more than 5 GCSE results at A* to C, including English and maths. [21] The Abbey was 148th nationally for A level results. [22]
[edit] 2006 performance
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. [23] [24]
The school was the 6th best independent school in the country for GCSE results.[25]
More detailed information about the 2006 results is available from the Abbey for both GCSEs (here) and A levels (here).
[edit] Reports
As an independent school, Ofsted do not perform inspections of the school [26] [27] . However, Ofsted have inspected the Early Years Centre [28] . The Independent Schools Inspectorate performed an inspection on the whole school in 2002 [1] . The Good Schools guide produced a report on the Abbey in 2005 [12] [29].
[edit] ISI 2002
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.
[edit] Ofsted Early Years Report 2004
Ofsted inspected the Early Years Centre only, that is, from ages 3 to 5. Judgements 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 "very good" opportunities for parents involvement. Improvements suggested by Ofsted included allowing more lime for children to complete their activities and developing profiles of the children.
The report can be accessed here
[edit] Good Schools Guide 2005
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[edit] References
- ^ a b c Independent Schools Inspectorate. Inspection Report on the Abbey School, Reading. Retrieved on 2006-09-05.
- ^ 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 Dr Tony Corley. Jane Austen's Schooldays 1875-6. Retrieved on 2006-09-04.
- ^ a b c 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.
- ^ The Abbey School. Abbey Old Girls. Retrieved on 2006-09-05.
- ^ 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.
- ^ 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.
[edit] External links
