Abingdon school - how hard to get into now?

[amateurschoolhunter]

Hi is there any recent feedback on how hard Abingdon School is to get into these days? My 10 year old DS is upper end of average but super sporty and I love the look of the school.

And is there any evidence of a COVID flight from London to Oxfordshire - just wondering if the good day schools outside of London will become even harder to get into if people start leaving the capital due to greater flexibility on working location?

Views on ratios of applicants to places tend to vary depending on who you talk to. My son is coming to the end of his time there but I recall that the ratio tends to get talked up somewhat. If you think it’s right just have a go. That’s what we did and it has been brilliant for our son. Can’t comment on the exodus issue.

There have been some not particularly nice stories about the school since it was mentioned numerous times by girls on the Everyone's Invited site recently. And then this story today. However it still has a good academic reputation if that is what you are after.

www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-9490383/Schoolboy-15-expelled-44-000-year-Abingdon-School.html

I know the Head from a previous school. He is really excellent. Firm but compassionate. Believes in all-round education not just academic hothousing, but encourages individualised support for both the most able and those struggling to make progress. Definitely worth considering.

Not particularly hard to get into based on cohort from our prep for 2020 y9 start. A fair few were on wait lists to begin with but I think nearly all those got in eventually. Lots of people hold a boarding and a day place, with Abingdon being the day place and the lists seem to move right up to about May/June.

Not that hard, at ds’ prep they seem to siphon off the highly academic to magdalen college then unless parents have other specific schools (eg boarding) in mind, the rest go to Abingdon. Including various boys we know who sound v similar to your ds.

I heard that Abingdon is chosen by those who could not get a place in MCS, therefore, having an academic reputation is in a sense a tradition for such schools, there is no merit of teachers here, so if the child does not work additionally, then Abingdon will not be able to help. especially with such a strange narcissistic Head who seems to have no idea what the children need and is absolutely not shy about the lack of professionalism. There is no smoke without fire.

ruby bird - the problem is that this thread has degenerated into just bashing the school. Hundreds of schools got a beating in the wake of the Everyone's Invited testmonies and it suited the tabloids to have a go a few prominent schools to pick on. That's no basis for decision-making. Competition is vicious in Oxfordshire and you also get the "hothouse" and "eating disorder" comments about certain good girls' schools, usually without any evidence of any one school being worse than others. I'm pretty sure some of the comments on past threads have had their origins in the online marketing departments of weaker local schools. The comparisons with MCS are uninformed. I know a good many boys in my son's year who had offers from MCS and who picked Abingdon for better balance, wider curriculum options or in some cases the outstanding music department. The orchestra is amazing and does movements from concertos and symphonies, and recently went on tour to the Far East. I won't pretend for a moment we have not had issues from time to time but it really is an excellent school. Stories about an expulsion come up once in a while. The most recent one was rather looked on as a parenting failure to be honest. I've interacted with the head on several occasions, and dealt with many very narcissist leaders elsewhere, and that comment makes no sense to me either.

I am interested in Abingdon for DS for yr 7-2022. He goes to a state primary and quite academic (top 2% national) and he’s loves cricket. How hard is it to get into Abingdon? Could you share how you prepared your DS for the exam and then for the interview? we currently do RSL books etc. at home. Also on another thing, we are of South Asian origin and I wonder how receptive the school is for ethnic minorities? I don’t know much about the recent petition, but appreciate your views, if it is some thing to worry about in our case? TIA

The petition was set up by the mother of the child who has been expelled for rape jokes and anti-Semitic jokes just in case that colours your perspective.

Personally I commend a school that comes down like a ton of bricks on that sort of behaviour.

I know nothing else about the school

@CharmJ

I am interested in Abingdon for DS for yr 7-2022. He goes to a state primary and quite academic (top 2% national) and he’s loves cricket. How hard is it to get into Abingdon? Could you share how you prepared your DS for the exam and then for the interview? we currently do RSL books etc. at home. Also on another thing, we are of South Asian origin and I wonder how receptive the school is for ethnic minorities? I don’t know much about the recent petition, but appreciate your views, if it is some thing to worry about in our case? TIA

No direct knowledge of Abingdon as my boys are at state secondaries but they went to a state primary that sends a lot of boys to Abingdon. Thinking back to my sons classes of 30 kids. So 30 boys between the 2 classes, 8 of them applied to my knowledge and 7 were offered places. Of these 7 some were very academic and some above average albeit at a high achieving school in a very middle class area. In comparison they all sat the 11+ for Reading school and none of them got in. If your son is in the top 2% he should be fine.

It seemed to me that the petition was not against the school, but against the HM.
Every parent has the right to their opinion, and it should be respected, even if it is negative. The challenge for every school is to make students happy and intelligent, isn't it?! I read the petition, and I think that if you would be that parent, you wouldn’t be happy too.
Then the adult acted anti-pedagogical and much more politically wrong than the expelled boy, newspapers wrote about that, the headmaster musn't blame the students of the school. He should not shift his responsibility for school problems onto the students. The public lashing of a child, it wasn't just disgusting; it was a terrible mistake and a shame for the teacher, from my point of view.
Just imagine if your child does something wrong if you would like him or her to be publicly punished, if so then you may understand the policy of Abingdon School.
I personally had a negative experience specifically on the topic of disrespect and indifference, and as a person working with children, I made a conclusion for myself about the low quality of child care, and so sorry but the petition that arose only confirmed my thoughts.

Have a look at the past papers of other's schools for preparation, not sure if you need to prepare for the interview, he needs to be confident. I think that you will probably get some recommendation from the school about an interview, but in general, you will need to please whoever your son is interviewing with. Abingdon school is quite sporty, many parents of other schools note the rather brutal games of the Abingdonites. I am still concerned about their care of the children, it has always been important, but now it should be the most important.
Know nothing about ethnic minorities there, hope you will not have any problems there, but who can tell you that you will not have problems there, there is no smoke without fire, if there is someone who is so dissatisfied so much with the school, then something is wrong there. I cannot exclude this topic from the problems of the school, it seems to me.I didn't notice the friendliness there too.I'm not sure that friendship and respect is a value there, but even more if they teach there to enjoy learning.

mumsnet petition abingdon school

@allforkids Thank you. Could I know where your experience about Abingdon comes from, such as did/do you have DS there?

@Barwell76 that sounds encouraging. Thank you. I wonder if the grammar you mentioned is RGS in Guildford just out of curiosity?

Wonder if anyone who’s got DS in Abingdon could spare some insights about the yr7 admission?

Also what would be my other options for a good Indi in Oxford/Oxfordshire? I’d prefer a boys’ but don’t mind a good co-ed with good results (by that my idea is GCSE over 60% A/A*) and good facilities for sports and music. Thanks.

[quote CharmJ]@allforkids Thank you. Could I know where your experience about Abingdon comes from, such as did/do you have DS there?

@Barwell76 that sounds encouraging. Thank you. I wonder if the grammar you mentioned is RGS in Guildford just out of curiosity?

Wonder if anyone who’s got DS in Abingdon could spare some insights about the yr7 admission?

Also what would be my other options for a good Indi in Oxford/Oxfordshire? I’d prefer a boys’ but don’t mind a good co-ed with good results (by that my idea is GCSE over 60% A/A*) and good facilities for sports and music. Thanks.[/quote]
No the grammar I mentioned is Reading School. Which is a highly selective state grammar school in Reading.

@CharmJ sorry for the silence, my son went to that school.my recommendation to you, make sure that you do not have the slightest doubt when you send your child to school, and take a very close look at the attitude towards your child, and not just good advertising

Just look into the eyes of the teachers in Abingdon school and you will read in them: “we don’t care”

One Abingdon thread has been deleted because of sock puppets but it seems they never learn..