abingdon school or teddies?

[foikjsb]

hello,

should i send my son to abingdon or teddies, he is average academically and is doing double science, very good at sports aswell

I don't know much about Abingdon so maybe shouldn't comment but I love Teddies as a great 'all rounders' school.

Very different schools. Potential change with Abingdon going co ed. Believe the majority of Abingdon boys are local. Teddy’s has a bus route with many also coming from London.

Abingdon is a day school with a few (mostly international) boarders. Upper side academically but not uber selective. Run as a day school basically.
Teddies is a boarding school with somewhat broader intake - agree is good for most except perhaps the very very academic

If you want a boarding school I would choose one that is majority boarding and has the set up of one.

Something to keep in mind is that Teddies has looong school days: finish at around 9PM.

I'd chose Abingdon every day of the week DS whos in Vth form attends and loves it. While we know a couple of boys at teddies who don't like the school and are moving to abingdon for sixth form. But then again if your DC is average I doubt he will even pass the entrance exam and pressure in the classes is also high. Pupils are incentivized to achieve high grades. Hence why some boys had been kicked out in previous years for poor end of year exams. In terms of campuses I'd actually put them at even. Though at glance it may seem teddies is superior ranging from fields to golf courses even a newly built theatre, one can argue that Abingdon in the last odd 15-10 years has doubled in size quite literally not in expansion but in terms of facilities. These range from the modern sports centre built in 2010, the new massive science building which houses 21 labs etc in 2015, beech court which opened a the new art department, library and sixth form centre in 2018, Faringdon lodge which created a new economics, computer science departments in 2020, 2 new modern boarding houses in 2023 while also finishing just recently the new dining pavilion in 2024. With future plans to expand the current sports centre and create 2nd sports hall more changing rooms for the girls with extra squash courts. Also a new netball pitch is planned with a rowing tank/cricket pavillion aimed to be built in the coming years. It is clear Abingdon has set a strong sense of development into its campuses hence why I believe their even.

Assume you are looking at day places for both?
There is not much in it, day-wise (for boarders it would be Teddies hands down).
Teddies does Saturday school, Abingdon does not (although Abingdon has Saturday afternoon matches which is irritating, as it means the weekend is not completely free).

However if I were choosing right now for 2025 or 2026 entry I would definitely go for Teddies because Abingdon is going to be carnage over the next few years while they introduce girls. Schools ALWAYS underestimate the general disruption and distraction of the transition to co-ed. Also, the period while girls are still a tiny minority (which can last for years) can be very damaging to girls and boys alike - it is extremely difficult to offer equal opportunities and to avoid "othering".

interesting

My DS in L6th at another school tells me there is currently a significant bullying issue at Teddies- from reported experiences of his prep school friends there, some of whom have left. I can't vouch for this, and I understand there will always be some level of bullying (which is why how it's tackled is so important). But might be worth kicking the tyres on this point when you visit.
That said, like @ZiegfeldI would also avoid a school in the throes of transition to co-ed. If you want a mixed boarding school I'd opt for one that is there already, like Oundle, Rugby or Marlborough- or indeed Teddies if you like it.

If your priority is strong pastoral support and a nurturing, student-centred environment, then in my personal experience Abingdon may not be the best fit. We currently have a son at the school, and while there are many committed teachers and the academic standards are undeniably high, we have found the pastoral provision to be limited and not as responsive or proactive as we had hoped.
Safeguarding procedures exist, but the culture does not always feel aligned with what many families expect today in terms of emotional wellbeing, communication, or holistic care. The school’s traditional ethos — can, in my view, make it difficult for students who need more nuanced support to feel fully heard or supported.
From my perspective, this same culture raises genuine questions about how well the school will adapt to becoming co-educational. I personally worry that the transition may be challenging, particularly around developing an environment where girls feel equally supported, understood, and protected. That shift will require significant cultural change and, in my opinion, may take time to embed.
In terms of extra-curricular activities, it is worth looking carefully beyond the marketing. While there are opportunities available, my experience has been that after-school supervision is not always as structured or closely monitored as one might assume. On several occasions I have noticed boys hanging around in town after school hours, with no obvious adult oversight. This may suit some families who prefer a more hands-off approach, but for others it may feel inconsistent with their expectations of pastoral care.
If your sole priority is academic results and a highly academic environment, the school may well suit your child. If you are looking for a school where emotional wellbeing, inclusive culture, and robust pastoral care are central, I would strongly recommend visiting, asking detailed questions, and forming your own judgement.

@Figs75
I don’t say this very often, but the transition is going to be a bin fire. Hopefully you haven’t got long to go there.

One concern I have about co-ed transition is suddenly everything is very female focused And that becomes the priority

totally changes the dynamics of the school

@MrsHLQ
Arguably it might go better if they DID make everything female focused.
What usually happens is that vast amounts of money and management time is spent on regulatory compliance but girls remain marginal and don’t get anywhere near the same opportunities and meanwhile everyone is distracted and nobody does any work.

Read the absolutely brilliant ISI report for Teddies. Too heavy on the tech at Abingdon so they are at a disadvantage in the exams which are written.

Yes agree, this was our experience when it happened at my sons’ school

May I ask @Larryfell which school was this?
We are considering a school which recently became co ed in the 6th form, it hasn’t gone well and some parents are happy from what I hear.

It’s not in the UK