Category Archives: education

St Edmunds Community Day

1 Reply

Thanks to Theresa for a report and pictures of St Edmunds Community Day …

There were over 30 adults (parents, grandparents, staff and parishioners) and 40 children in school on Saturday at St Edmunds School, Abingdon, to complete projects in the school grounds such as:

* Cleaning and planting pots with flowers and bulbs
St Edmunds Community Day
* Building a ball run and water wall for Foundation Stage
* Cutting back and cleaning the school pond area
St Edmunds Community Day
* Constructing vegetable patches and a bug house
* Sweeping and tidying the outside play areas
St Edmunds Community Day
* Painting stepping stones for the end of the field
* Digging up and replanting the borders at the front and the back of school
St Edmunds Community Day
* Painting a mural in Foundation Stage

Theresa said “It was a fantastic day and lots of fun! We recycled a lot of material donated by parents which would otherwise have gone to landfill. We are planning on holding another Community Day next year.”

Start of School Year 2014/15

11 Replies

Class of 2014 - 15
We are nearing the end of the 2014 season for The Abingdon Boat Centre.
Class of 2014 - 15
Another boat is guided back into position at the end of a fun day.

In another couple of week the boats will be stacked on the oil drums for the off season.
Class of 2014 - 15
Schools are back. On Monday, in Oxfordshire, there was an inset day for teachers. There is much to learn as the primary curriculum is having a radical shake up as the UK tries to emulate the world’s highest achieving schools. Details of the curriculum are on The School Run. Some quick headlines … Computing replaces ICT, with a greater focus on programming. Calculators will not be introduced until near the end of KS2, to encourage mental arithmetic. A language will become mandatory in KS2.

By today, Thursday 4th September, all the pupils had gone back for the year 2014/15.

New Science Centres

6 Replies

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

5 Replies

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.