The Abbey received another wonderful acknowledgement last week: School of the Year at the Pride of Reading Awards 2023.
We are particularly proud of the focus of this most recent award, which recognises the community work we do via ARCH, our initiative to bring schools together to share benefit and opportunity across the lives of all young people in Reading. As the Pride of Reading team said on the day: “The Abbey has been transforming the lives of young women in Reading for over 130 years. They’ve now launched a ground-breaking new way to improve life chances for all.”
Along with our recent national award for sporting achievement, it provides recognition and appreciation of what we are seeking to provide for all our students, and to share with young people across our community.
The Abbey is one of the leading schools in the country and we want to keep developing and improving – and awards show us that we are on the right path. They are never goals in themselves: but they do reflect the quality of experience we seek, that we hope brings benefit to our students now and throughout the rest of their lives.
We believe this is central to our mission as a school: because it is the most powerful way to develop leadership and real-world experience for our own students, and because it helps to bring our core aim, to equip young people to live with confidence, purpose and joy, to the widest possible audience.
Will le Fleming, Head
Pictured L-R: Marianne Clarke, Director of Engagement & Development; Will le Fleming, Head; Chris Tarrant, Broadcaster and Pride of Reading Award Host; Julie Bushrod, Alumnae, Engagement & Development Officer; Elan McGowan, Qwerty (award sponsor)
