The Abbey School
Encyclopedia
The Abbey School is an independent
selective day school for girls, in Reading
, Berkshire
, England. The school has Church of England traditions, although it accepts girls of all faiths. The Abbey School offers education for girls aged 3 to 18.
Founded in 1887, the school moved to its present site in 1905 under the leadership of headmistress
Miss Helen Musson.
Notable alumnæ include the novelist and feminist Brigid Brophy
, the novelist Elizabeth Taylor
and the headmistress Baroness Brigstocke
.
Around one hundred years before the school was founded in 1887, the novelist Jane Austen
attended Reading Ladies' Boarding School within the Abbey Gateway circa 1785, which is commemorated by, and incorporated into, the Abbey School's crest.
In 1905, the school moved to its current Kendrick Road site. On 16 March 1905 William Methuen Gordon Ducat, the Archdeacon of Berkshire, 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 space for playing fields.
The school changed its name to The Abbey School in 1913, after parting from 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, included Jane Austen
among its pupils. The Abbey is now a day school, after ceasing to accept boarding pupils in 1946. The headmistress is Mrs Barbara Stanley.
, BBC television presenter.
Junior school uniform consists of a green and white striped shirt with a green pinafore. In summer a green and white summer dress is worn. The Early Years Centre has a uniform of a green tracksuit.
do not perform inspections of the school. However, Ofsted have inspected the Early Years Centre. The Independent Schools Inspectorate performed an inspection on the whole school in 2002. The Good Schools Guide produced a report on the Abbey in 2005.
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.
Staff promote good behaviour and show good understanding of individual needs with excellent opportunities for parental involvement.
The report can be accessed here
Independent school
An independent school is a school that is independent in its finances and governance; it is not dependent upon national or local government for financing its operations, nor reliant on taxpayer contributions, and is instead funded by a combination of tuition charges, gifts, and in some cases the...
selective day school for girls, in Reading
Reading, Berkshire
Reading is a large town and unitary authority area in England. It is located in the Thames Valley at the confluence of the River Thames and River Kennet, and on both the Great Western Main Line railway and the M4 motorway, some west of London....
, Berkshire
Berkshire
Berkshire is a historic county in the South of England. It is also often referred to as the Royal County of Berkshire because of the presence of the royal residence of Windsor Castle in the county; this usage, which dates to the 19th century at least, was recognised by the Queen in 1957, and...
, England. The school has Church of England traditions, although it accepts girls of all faiths. The Abbey School offers education for girls aged 3 to 18.
Founded in 1887, the school moved to its present site in 1905 under the leadership of headmistress
Head teacher
A head teacher or school principal is the most senior teacher, leader and manager of a school....
Miss Helen Musson.
Notable alumnæ include the novelist and feminist Brigid Brophy
Brigid Brophy
Brigid Antonia Brophy, Lady Levey was an English writer. In the Dictionary of Literary Biography: British Novelists since 1960, S. J...
, the novelist Elizabeth Taylor
Elizabeth Taylor (novelist)
Elizabeth Taylor was a British novelist and short story writer.-Life and writings:...
and the headmistress Baroness Brigstocke
Heather Brigstocke, Baroness Brigstocke
Heather Brigstocke, Baroness Brigstocke, CBE was a British schoolteacher, academic and Conservative Life Peer....
.
Around one hundred years before the school was founded in 1887, the novelist Jane Austen
Jane Austen
Jane Austen was an English novelist whose works of romantic fiction, set among the landed gentry, earned her a place as one of the most widely read writers in English literature, her realism and biting social commentary cementing her historical importance among scholars and critics.Austen lived...
attended Reading Ladies' Boarding School within the Abbey Gateway circa 1785, which is commemorated by, and incorporated into, the Abbey School's crest.
History
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 at an affordable price. When founded, the school had an enrollment of 40 girls, which steadily increased to 120 by 1902, when Miss Helen Musson MA, the new headmistress, was appointed.In 1905, the school moved to its current Kendrick Road site. On 16 March 1905 William Methuen Gordon Ducat, the Archdeacon of Berkshire, 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 space for playing fields.
The school changed its name to The Abbey School in 1913, after parting from 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, included Jane Austen
Jane Austen
Jane Austen was an English novelist whose works of romantic fiction, set among the landed gentry, earned her a place as one of the most widely read writers in English literature, her realism and biting social commentary cementing her historical importance among scholars and critics.Austen lived...
among its pupils. The Abbey is now a day school, after ceasing to accept boarding pupils in 1946. The headmistress is Mrs Barbara Stanley.
Academic performance
The school has established a reputation for academic excellence. According to the Good Schools Guide, the school typically achieves "88 per cent A/B, [and] 97 per cent A/C" at A Level, "Sciences [are] very strong" and "100 per cent [of students go] into higher education."Senior School
Entrance to the Senior School is through assessment examinations in mathematics, English and verbal reasoning, and an interview in January. Roughly 45% of entrants in the Upper Third (year 7) come from the Junior School. Also, many students from other schools all around Berkshire come here, but The Abbey competes with other leading schools, like Kendrick, for example.Houses
On entering the school, every girl is put into a house: Carrington, Ducat, Kensington or Paget. Houses are named after people who have been important to the school. In these houses, girls can earn points by doing well, and lose points as well. House competitions include reading and music, The Music Competition (for solo players), The Baroness Brigstocke Memorial Public Speaking Competition (plus the Young Brigstocke for younger students), House sports competitions (such as swimming, rounders and hockey) and Sports Day. At the end of each term, and each year, a cup is awarded to the house with the most points.Junior School and Early Years Centre
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. Somerleaze House was opened by alumna Sally TaylorSally Taylor (TV presenter)
Sally Taylor MBE is an English journalist and presenter, best known for anchoring BBC South Today.She attended The Abbey School, an independent school, in Reading....
, BBC television presenter.
Uniform
The senior school uniform comprises a green jumper and skirt with a green and white striped blouse. The fifth form may wear black jumpers and black tights; the sixth form has no uniform but a dress code for formal occasions.Junior school uniform consists of a green and white striped shirt with a green pinafore. In summer a green and white summer dress is worn. The Early Years Centre has a uniform of a green tracksuit.
Reports
As an independent school, OfstedOfsted
The Office for Standards in Education, Children's Services and Skills is the non-ministerial government department of Her Majesty's Chief Inspector of Schools In England ....
do not perform inspections of the school. However, Ofsted have inspected the Early Years Centre. The Independent Schools Inspectorate performed an inspection on the whole school in 2002. The Good Schools Guide produced a report on the Abbey in 2005.
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.
Ofsted Early Years Report 2004
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
Good Schools Guide 2005
This review noted the academic excellence of the school as well as other outstanding details. The conclusive summary reads:Notable former pupils
- Baroness BrigstockeHeather Brigstocke, Baroness BrigstockeHeather Brigstocke, Baroness Brigstocke, CBE was a British schoolteacher, academic and Conservative Life Peer....
, High Mistress of St Paul's Girls' SchoolSt Paul's Girls' SchoolSt Paul's Girls' School is a senior independent school, located in Brook Green, Hammersmith, in West London, England.-History:In 1904 a new day school for girls was established by the trustees of the Dean Colet Foundation , which had run St Paul's School for boys since the sixteenth century... - Brigid BrophyBrigid BrophyBrigid Antonia Brophy, Lady Levey was an English writer. In the Dictionary of Literary Biography: British Novelists since 1960, S. J...
, novelist, essayist, feminist - Jenni FalconerJenni FalconerJennifer 'Jenni' Falconer is a British television presenter.-Early life:After her family relocated to the South of England when she was seven, Falconer moved to Leeds in 1994 to study Spanish and Italian. Whilst studying at university, she also launched her television career...
, television presenter - Kate HumbleKate HumbleKatherine 'Kate' Humble is an English television presenter, mainly for the BBC, specialising in wildlife and science programmes...
, television presenter - Miranda KrestovnikoffMiranda KrestovnikoffMiranda Jane Krestovnikoff is a British television presenter specialising in natural history and archaeological programmes. She is also a qualified diver which has led to co-presenting opportunities in programmes with an underwater element.Miranda went to The Abbey School in Reading before taking...
, presenter of BBC TV 'Coast' - Krissi MurisonKrissi MurisonKrissi Murison is a British music journalist and the current editor of the NME.Murison attended The Abbey School in Reading from 1993-2000, going on to study English Literature at Bristol University, where she edited the music pages of student newspaper Epigram. Murison joined the NME in 2003 as a...
, editor of the New Musical Express - NMENMEThe New Musical Express is a popular music publication in the United Kingdom, published weekly since March 1952. It started as a music newspaper, and gradually moved toward a magazine format during the 1980s, changing from newsprint in 1998. It was the first British paper to include a singles... - Claire TaylorClaire TaylorSamantha Claire Taylor MBE is a former English cricketer and retired member of the England women's team. A determined batsman, with almost 3,500 runs in over a hundred One Day International appearances, she was the top ranked female ODI batsman in the world going into the 2009 Women's World Cup...
, cricketer - Elizabeth TaylorElizabeth Taylor (novelist)Elizabeth Taylor was a British novelist and short story writer.-Life and writings:...
, author - Sally TaylorSally Taylor (TV presenter)Sally Taylor MBE is an English journalist and presenter, best known for anchoring BBC South Today.She attended The Abbey School, an independent school, in Reading....
, television presenter (BBC South Today) - Minette WaltersMinette WaltersMinette Walters is an English crime writer.- Life and work :After her birth in Bishop’s Stortford to a serving army officer, Capt Samuel Jebb and his wife Colleen, the first 10 years of Minette’s life were spent moving between army bases in the north and south of England...
, novelist