The excitement of opening the results envelope is the culmination of years of learning for your son or daughter. When they were just starting out on the road to education you, as parents, made a choice of school for them that you hoped would match his or her abilities, needs and personality in an environment in which he or she could flourish and achieve their potential.

At Our Lady’s Abingdon we make the choice easier by offering education from the nursery right through to the sixth form. We view each pupil at OLA as a unique individual with his or her own special gifts and talents. It is our challenge to help them discover and realise them.

By offering opportunities to enjoy success in a variety of different areas we help to broaden horizons and develop self-confidence.

Not only do our pupils achieve excellent academic results — “Pupils make exceptional progress in their academic studies in relation to their ability profile ” (ISI Inspection Report 2010) but they leave us as well-rounded and independent individuals.

“Pupils achieve excellent results in a range of extra-curricular activities, especially in sport.” (ISI) — with a sound moral and spiritual basis for the next stage of their lives .

“Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is excellent . . .” (ISI).

But why stop at GCSE? Why not go on to A-Level, after which they can spread their wings, go on to university, take a gap year, or join the business world — the choice is theirs. At OLA we are pleased to be able to offer places in the sixth form, subject to GCSE results, to take them on to A-Level.

The newly-refurbished sixth form centre offers excellent facilities for work, careers advice, socialising and hosting events. Sixth form scholarships and bursaries are available. Students are also able to find an expression for creative talents and discover that education is not a process solely confined to the classroom. There is a strong commitment to local community schemes and an impressive record in the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award Scheme and Young Enterprise. OLA’s international links have been firmly established through partnership with Maryhill High School in Uganda and this has been recognised by OLA receiving the DCSF International School Award for “outstanding work done by the staff and pupils at OLA to bring the wider world into the classroom and take the ‘classroom’ to the wider world”. As a Catholic school our ethos is based on the principles of love, forgiveness, community and empowerment and the pastoral system is a major strength of the school.

“In providing the context for this development, the school is fulfilling its aim to educate pupils in a manner sympathetic to the ethos of the Catholic Church. Pupils have a clear understanding of goodness and truth.” (ISI) One upper sixth leaver said: “Our Lady’s has a strong sense of community supported by excellent facilities. Being here has allowed me to develop my passion for music and I have enjoyed many unforgettable experiences. “I have had seven years of enjoyable learning, a feeling of belonging and the confidence to pursue my dreams and ambitions.”

If you feel your son or daughter would enjoy the experience of OLA please do contact us to arrange a visit, or come along to our open morning on Saturday, October 16, 10am-1pm. For more information contact Felicity Russell on 01235 524658.