The new Sixth Form Centre was formally opened on Thursday 22 February as a celebration of The Abbey lifelong community. Every Student Celebrated was the theme of the ceremony, hosted by students and alumnae, and which also recognised the important role that The Abbey Sixth Form plays as a gateway to the future. Special guest, Clare Balding CBE, joined in the activities delivering a keynote talk entitled Dare to be Different and taking part in a recording of Podcast with Cake, featuring a very special cake!

Clare, who is one of the UK’s leading broadcasters and an advocate for gender equality, praised The Abbey for being ‘a great pioneer of the power of women’. She encouraged students to see in other people ‘what makes them special’ and spoke about the importance of kindness and working collegiately to understand different perspectives.

To mark this historic moment in our history and the significant role The Abbey has played in the Reading community for 137 years, we were delighted to formally open the Sixth Form Centre as a community celebration, bringing together hundreds of students, parents, alumnae, current and former staff and members of the Reading Community including the High Sheriff of Berkshire and Deputy Lieutenant. Students from our partner schools joined later for Clare’s Dare to be Different talk, offered as part of our ARCH programme arch.theabbey.co.uk.

As we formally mark the opening of this state-of-the-art facility, which will cater for the evolving needs of education into the future, we are also proud to be announcing four trailblazing initiatives. These will celebrate the joy and outcomes of all-girls education, and
support our mission is to ensure girls and young women have access to opportunity in every part of their lives – not just students of The Abbey, but peers across our community.

Launching Two Community Art Commissions for the Sixth Form Centre
The first creative piece is called The Abbey Line and will celebrate the people and values of our community, presented in one continuous line, from the youngest member of nursery to alumnae who left over sixty years ago. The second work, called Ǵenh – Genesis – Kindness will be a bold, figurative piece that speaks to the essence of The Abbey experience. It will be led by The Abbey’s Artists in Residence and the words of students will be inscribed into the art work. Students and alumnae will be getting involved over the coming weeks and the final pieces will be unveiled later this year.

Launching the extension of Two Community Funds
We are delighted to announce a new scholarship, offered through our ARCH programme, and funded through the generosity of donations. Annual study grants will be open to girls across Reading as a contribution towards their further education. This is in addition to the similar Scholars Award already available to applications from every member of the Abbey community. We are also confirming funding for our award-winning social enterprise scheme, offered in partnership with Henley Business School. Teams of students from The Abbey and partner schools will be able to bid for funding to deliver schemes that make a positive contribution to their local communities.

Speaking at the opening event, Head, Will le Fleming said, “Schools are not buildings, they are people: the people who make and shape The Abbey every day. When we were planning the Sixth Form Centre, that’s what we thought about. Not: what will it look like. But: how will it make people feel? What will the atmosphere be like? How will it support the stories of every student who experiences it? At Sixth Form level that is more important than ever, because it is here that you choose the path into your futures”.

Students and alumnae were among the many speakers on the day. Head Girl, Lily, and former Head Girl, Kate, shared their stories with the audience. You can read both of their contributions below.

Lily: For me Sixth Form has felt like a bridge between school and future steps. The difference between being in the main body of the school is the opportunity to work with and alongside subject teachers. Beyond the classroom, Sixth Form comes with self-expression such as wearing your own clothes and new learning experiences. For my EPQ project qualification, I took myself off to
the British Library to explore the archives and find my own answers to the questions I had. Sixth Form also comes with leadership opportunities – which I’ve felt ready to take on. A stand out experience as Head Girl has been ensuring free sanitary products remain, for the whole school, where we most need them – in the bathrooms – something I feel passionately about.

This example, among many, inspires the value I will take out into the world when I leave: Conviction. Having the confidence in myself to notice, to act and to address injustice.

Kate: I’d like to say a massive thank you for inviting me back to celebrate this occasion. I was one of the Head Girls from 2021 – 2022 alongside my dear friend Bhaavya who will be joining us later.

Since leaving the Abbey nearly 2 years ago, I like to think I have learned a lot. I currently attend the University of Nottingham studying Environmental Biology, a degree which I love and feel will set me in good stead for my future. My main career goal is to make a difference with the work I do in tackling the climate crisis.

However, I think some of my most significant life lessons were learnt during my time at The Abbey. The Abbey is a place of immense joy and hard work, and I know that my time here is the foundation upon which my successes are built. Sixth Form was a brilliant experience because of the independence and fun; there’s a new relationship with both peers and teachers which is something I still treasure. The leadership roles offered allow you to bloom, and I learned many invaluable lessons during my time as a Head Girl.

The value I have taken out into the world with me is caring; caring about everyone around me, the impact I make, the effort I put into all my endeavours. I believe that caring is what can change little actions into big changes, and the Abbey taught me just how important caring is.