Category Archives: education

New Science Centres

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Good Teachers
One of the big differences between Independent Schools and State Schools is the amount of money that the Independents can invest in their schools.

Abingdon School are currently building a Science Centre – thanks to the generosity of corporate sponsors, parents, and former pupils, and the leadership of their Head and governors.
Good Teachers
Work has begun.
Good Teachers
Nearby at St Helen and St Katherine – another Independent School in Abingdon, the new Science Centre should be up and ready after the summer holidays.

European School in Culham, May Fair and Art Exhibition

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May Fair and Art Exhibition
At the European School in Culham, yesterday, there was a May Fair run by the Parents Association, with the added attraction of a Primary School Art Exhibition in the chapel.

The sun shone all day, and there were some excellent bands playing while people were served with BBQ food, and candy floss. There was also the chance to try out things like pottery and circus skills.
May Fair and Art Exhibition
Even a chance to try some other languages. The second hand book stall had boxes divided into English, French, German, Dutch and Italian, and the parent selling the books spoke French and English and German interchangeably.
May Fair and Art Exhibition
The art exhibiton had some interesting and lively art. I was interested to see that Uffington is spelt with an H in French, as in Huffington Post.
May Fair and Art Exhibition
There was a stage with spoon puppets, surrounded by programmes – designed by the children for different shows.
May Fair and Art Exhibition
Portraits cut out and stuck on bright pieces of paper worked very well as did a lot of the projects.
May Fair and Art Exhibition
My favorite project had to be Quasimodo with all his parts described with appropriate adjectives: les pieds déformés , la bouche malodorante …

P.S. The European Elections are on Thursday 22 May 2014 with polling stations opening between 7am and 10pm.

Two Good Primary Schools in South Abingdon

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Thameside
Thameside Primary School in South Abingdon had been judged to be a Good School during an inspection by Ofsted on 6th March 2014. This is the best judgement they have received for over a decade, and means both South Abingdon schools, Thameside and Caldecott, are judged to be giving a good education to pupils.

Traditionally some parents living in the south have sent their children to schools in the north of Abingdon. I would guess this adds to the peak time traffic problems out of South Abingdon. But now both South Abingdon schools are judged to be good, it could improve the traffic situation in a more sustainable way than pedestrian traffic light tinkering.

Every Day To Be Happy and Inspired Learning Together

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Passing Larkmead School at the weekend I was impressed by their logo and motto.

The schools in Abingdon have the following mottos (taken from their web sites):

Caldecott Primary School – Happy Learners, Aiming High.
Carswell Community Primary School – Happy Together, learning for Life.
Dunmore Primary School – Great to be Inspired, Inspired to be Great.
Fitzharrys School – Together Everyone Achieves.
John Mason School – Excellence Through Creativity.
Larkmead School – One Community, Individual Minds, Creating Futures.
Our Lady’s Abingdon – Altogether a better education.
St Edmund’s Catholic Pimary School – In our school every day we learn, love and pray.
St Nicholas CofE Primary School – Learning Excellence.
Thameside Primary School – Every Child, Every Chance, Every Day.

Taking the frequently used words, and putting them together, I get the motto “Every Day To Be Happy and Inspired Learning Together.”