Aseach new cohort of pupils joins us in September, there is a huge sense of anticipation about what the year will bring. The excitement of the first few weeks has remained constant, with a steady stream of events and activities to keep levels of energy and interest high. Similarly in lessons, every day someone will learn something that sparks a passion which can change her direction and outlook completely. It has been a pleasure to introduce the new Head’s Commendations this year for outstanding pieces of work, alongside our system of regular commendations for very good work.
Another notable development has been the relaunch of the Dove Award for LIVs. Based on the School’s Five Academic Qualities: Risk Taking, Resourcefulness, Determination, Reflection and Development, the award encourages girls to work on a range of tasks both
independently and collaboratively. Each girl has chosen an area for development, which could be a personal goal, such as learning a new tennis technique and applying it, or designing and creating a birdbox, through to academic research on topics such as The James Webb Space Telescope or the Development of Hymns. The culmination of the award was a special celebration evening for the whole LIV year group.
A new focus is the rapid development of Artificial Intelligence and we have started to explore the effects, both positive and negative, which this may have on teaching and learning. You will hear a lot more about this over the coming year. For your amusement, following this introduction I have added the response from ChatGPT to my request for it to produce a 250 word introduction to the Wycombe Abbey Academic Report. I will not ask you to tell me which version you prefer!
I am grateful to academic staff across the School for their work throughout this year and to the heads of Department for summarising the successes and achievements of the girls in the Academic Reports which follow.
Miss Emily Boswell Deputy Head (Academic)
Welcometo the Wycombe Abbey Academic Report Booklet, a comprehensive overview of the exceptional educational journey and achievements of our students during the academic year. This booklet serves as a testament to the commitment to excellence that permeates every aspect of our institution and showcases the remarkable growth and accomplishments of our students.
At Wycombe Abbey, we firmly believe that education is a transformative force, empowering young minds to reach their full potential and make a positive impact in the world. As a leading educational institution, we have nurtured a learning environment that fosters intellectual curiosity, critical thinking, and a lifelong passion for learning. This booklet encapsulates the essence of our commitment to providing a holistic and outstanding education.
Within these pages, you will find a wealth of information, including a comprehensive evaluation of academic performance, insights into our rigorous and engaging curriculum, and highlights of our students’ accomplishments across various subjects. From the sciences to the humanities, from the arts to sports, our students have excelled in diverse disciplines, pushing the boundaries of knowledge and embracing new challenges with enthusiasm.
In addition to academic achievements, this booklet also celebrates the broader aspects of education, emphasizing the importance of extracurricular activities, leadership roles, and the development of character and social responsibility. It shines a light on the vibrant and inclusive community that thrives within the walls of Wycombe Abbey, where students are encouraged to explore their passions, embrace diversity, and make a positive difference in the world around them.
We are immensely proud of our students and the dedicated faculty members who have guided and inspired them throughout their educational journey. Their commitment to academic excellence, resilience, and personal growth is evident in the remarkable achievements documented within this booklet.
We invite you to explore the Wycombe Abbey Academic Report Booklet, celebrating the remarkable achievements of our students and showcasing the vibrant educational environment that makes Wycombe Abbey a beacon of excellence. Together, let us continue to empower young minds, shape leaders, and inspire a lifelong love of learning.
Yours sincerely,
written by ChatGPTWe have continued to encourage the use of short assignments in Lower School using a wide variety of materials and staff specialisms to develop the girls’ skills. Evening and weekend sessions have seen all year groups popping in to pursue their own work and to continue examination pieces. Practical workshops in glass, ceramics and painting are always popular and this year the GCSE group were able to work with a tufting artist to create wool rugs which some pupils have developed for their GCSE portfolios.
Printmaking is always a highlight of all years, particularly etching, collographs and monoprinting. Creative textiles creates confident use of the sewing machine, applique and dyeing of fabrics. Lower School enjoyed themes of African mud cloths, Greek and Roman Classical sculpture and Cubist-style portraiture.
L IV portraiture was developed from tonal drawing to painting with Expressionist colours and we delight in displaying the work in all areas of the School. Ceramics is becoming more popular with modelling of human forms, textured porcelain and incised tiles. Textured glass is created at examination level through plaster casting on sculpted clay.
Dark room photography is explored by GCSE as well as Sixth Form pupils for recreational as well as examination use involving studio shoots, solarisation, photograms and digital editing. The scope of digital photography is increasing and the competition of “Light and Shade” produced a range of interesting lighting and strong compositions.
We continue to celebrate achievement through the online collaborative art exhibition between ourselves and the four Wycombe Abbey International schools. We use an online site which allows the viewer to walk through the various rooms to see work from the current year and examination pieces from last year.
Our examination grades continue to be high and we are extremely pleased to see that there is a developing interest in set design, gaming design and animation which has led Sixth Formers to choose more focused Art degree courses and some have opted to study Art courses during their gap year.
Miss Kay Williams Head of Art and Cookery
We were delighted to welcome back Mrs Wright in September 2022. Her refreshing yet familiar presence has allowed her to transition back into the department seamlessly, and the pupils (and staff!) are incredibly lucky to have her with us. The examination cohorts celebrated amazing results last summer, producing the highest percentage of level 9 and A* grades seen in the current qualifications.
We recently bid a fond farewell to our current UVI cohort with a biologically themed afternoon tea; the gingerbread men decorating competition was a special moment! Mrs Wallace has worked with the estates team to design the new layout for Laboratory B1, which will be completely refitted over the holidays. There will be seating for larger classes, with new demonstration areas and zoned lighting. The pupils have helped with feedback, and we are excited to have more flexibility for timetabling.
Across the curriculum our technicians have helped us include more practical work, and the department has been busy with growing plants, bubbling solutions and living creatures (as the LVI prepared to view locusts to learn about gas exchange). UVI were offered the opportunity to complete a whole-mammal dissection, and B2 was filled with excitement and awe as they learned about the anatomy of the rat. Many of our university applicants discussed this in their interviews and were able to stand out, as this is rarely offered in other schools.
The department has also been busy hosting societies, including Neurodivergence, Identity, Genetics, Neurobiology, Medical Society and Young Scientist Journal. These meetings take place during break and tea and provide pupils with the opportunity to extend their love of Biology beyond the curriculum. Offering the chance to extend and challenge, we love to open the department widely and it has been encouraging to see so many more UV and UVI pupils using the spaces for revision. Pupils know they are welcome in Biology at any point, whether to speak to their teacher one-to-one, or use the
rooms and resources. The latest attraction has been the introduction of the now rather infamous, Biology Jigsaws. We have loved seeing so many pupils across all year groups collaborating on some very challenging 1000-piece puzzles and enjoying some screen-free time.
During Junior and Senior science activities, UIII were able to grow grass heads, make bird feeders and studied butterfly specimens to transfer to 3D wooden models, and LVI have been able to extract DNA from onions as well as finding out how the ELISA test works. These sessions offer biologists the opportunity to carry out practical work beyond the confines of the specification. The Sixth Form were offered the chance to sit the British Biology Olympiad during Science Week (in March) and LV completed the British Biology Challenge before the start of their summer exams.
Mr Whiteley led another extremely successful trip to Peru over Easter, and it has been amazing to hear from the pupils about the extraordinary experiences they had on the Amazon. UIV braved inclement weather to spend time at Cotswold Wildlife Park in March, and UIII and LIV were treated to a wide variety of experiences (including massive bubbles and huge birds of prey) at Giant Science in June, as well as acting as tour guides for local primary schools.
British Science Week was another highlight for our younger classes. We used the theme of connection to discuss the perfect environment for growing seedlings, and the laboratories were quickly filled with hundreds of plastic cups (recycled from 2022) and plants in various stages of growth. Pupils needed to organise a watering schedule and the sight of UIII wielding watering cans quickly became commonplace. Evidence of the wide variety of practical work and other lesson activities from the 2022-2023 academic year can be found on our Wycombe Biology Instagram page.
Ms Lizzi Wallace Head of Biology UIII samplingThere is a phenomenal level of energy within the Chemistry Department and there is always something going on – be it the buzz associated with the wonder and scare of lighting a Bunsen burner for the first time by an UIII, or the delicious aromas being produced when classes make esters in their Organic Chemistry topics.
This year for the first time ever, we have been asked to support a LV pupil in her quest to give Chemistry help to younger individuals as part of her DofE accreditation – this has been appreciated by all. In addition, there is now a pupil-led LVI Chemistry Society which is working with UIII, and introducing them to experiments such as making cold packs in the laboratory. The enthusiasm for Chemistry is palpable and word is spreading!
Once again, the exam results for both A level and GCSE were outstanding and each pupil should be commended for her diligence in, and commitment to, performing her best. The Cambridge Chemistry Challenge 2022 resulted in high numbers of Gold, Silver and Bronze awards, as did the January RSC Chemistry Olympiad with 38 entries. This Olympiad is usually run as an UVI competition but this year many LVI rose to the challenge, working through practice papers in their own time, showing initiative and determination. Four UVI pupils have offers to read Pure Chemistry with a further eight being offered places for Biochemistry, Biomedical Sciences or Natural Sciences.
In the Autumn Term we underwent a Departmental Review which was an incredibly valuable experience for all. Observations of lessons, analysis of Schemes of Work and lesson content as well as an extensive work scrutiny and an evaluation of Health and Safety and Risk Assessments, ensured that we were well and truly “inspected”. This
experience has initiated great discussions within the department as we constantly look to improve and not rest on our laurels. Peer observations both within and out of the departments are popular ways in which best practice can be shared and this has been seized upon with enthusiasm by all staff in the department.
The Chemistry Department was instrumental in the successful running of the STEM Giant Science event run over two days in June for our UIII and LIV year groups as well as for the School’s Partnership primary schools. Fun demonstrations and hands-on activities were designed and presented along with other science contributions. It is testament to the enthusiasm and ability of the staff and technicians to make things work that ensured that this event was such a big hit.
As an initiative for next year, we have already looked at the function of prep and how activities can be designed to be more innovation based. A recent LV activity that involved the design and making of a board game as a revision exercise on Qualitative Tests was successfully carried out by one class and then trialled by another. Everyone learned. Just wait for the singing and recording of the Periodic Table rap……
Mrs Zoe Edwards Head of Chemistry UIII Distillation of inkIt has been another fun-filled and academically successful year in the Classics Department. We continue to look on with pride as pupils tackle the complexities of the ancient world in their myriad guises, whether it be UIII cracking the Greek alphabet for the first time, or the Sixth Formers tackling difficult unseens and exploring ancient political landscapes. There really is something for everyone, and the girls must be commended for throwing themselves into our lessons with genuine interest and enthusiasm. Whilst the study of Classics may focus on the world as it was over 2000 years ago, it remains hugely relevant today, both in terms of the content but also in the skills developed. A Wycombe Abbey Classicist approaches everything with the determination to succeed, to embrace intellectual risk, and to develop their own understanding and reasoning; in short, they strive for, and invariably achieve, excellence.
UIII have produced a wide range of projects on Pompeii and gladiatorial shows as part of the curriculum this year, and we were very impressed with their creativity: the final pieces included podcasts, Playmobil reconstructions, dance routines, and even a full menu for a Roman gladiator! In the inaugural Declamations Competition, in conjunction with the MFL and English Departments, each LIV pupil learned a section from Ovid’s Metamorphoses in Latin, and there were some stellar performances in class and in the Grand Final. The Upper School have continued to relish the challenges put before them, with the UIV producing fascinating research projects on a range of unsung women from the ancient world, and the LV embracing the study of literature with gusto and intellectual curiosity. Our revamped University Preparation Lessons in the Autumn Term were a great success, particularly those focusing on ancient graffiti and elitism within the study of Classics. We have been impressed by our senior classes’ approach to language work: they have fully embraced the challenges of prose composition and been proactive in their independent consolidation and practice. A shoutout must go to our LVI Hellenists, the best group we have had for recognising an obscure principal part – no easy feat with Classical Greek!
Normal service has resumed post-Covid regarding theatre trips, and older pupils have really enjoyed thought-provoking productions of Sophocles’ Antigone and Euripides’ Medea Not only has it been great to see the uptake for these trips, but there has been additional buzz afterwards, with pupils discussing what they have seen and writing articles for the School’s EDI newsletter on both productions. We were also thrilled to welcome a large number of pupils from many year groups to listen to two fascinating speakers at our Classics Careers Spotlight in January: Kathryn Westmore and Simon
Johns spoke about how their Classics degrees have supported their future pathways, ranging from financial fraud, accountancy and further law qualifications, to TV production, writing, and teaching. Classics Book Club continues to meet termly, and there have been interesting discussions on Pandora’s Jar by Natalie Haynes, The Giant Dark by Sarvat Hasin, and The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller. Our latest venture, a Classical Literature discussion group with Eton College, has seen our LVI pupils debating Plato’s Republic and Ovid’s Amores: it has been great experience for our pupils and we look forward to future sessions. We have been incredibly impressed by our two UVI Classics Society officers, who have run excellent weekly sessions on a wide range of topics pertaining to the ancient world. Attendance is open to all, and every year group has been represented.
Reflecting upon my nine year tenure as Head of Classics here at Wycombe Abbey, I remain incredibly proud of my colleagues who are fantastic role models, both as Classicists and as people; we have developed and embedded a Classical curriculum that flourishes whilst the national picture is not as rosy. It has been a joy to work with our pupils: they are the best ambassadors for a Classical education, and to have played a part in keeping the subjects alive through their passion and further study has been a great privilege. ave atque vale!
Mrs Jacky Tidbury Head of Classics
UV – UVI Theatre Trip to ‘Medea’ in London (February 2023)
Our academic results were excellent last year. Our largest group of nine A level pupils did exceptionally well and a record number went on to study Computer Science at various universities: including Cambridge, California Institute of Technology, Cornell and Queen’s Belfast. Computer Science proves to be a popular option and our pupils prove that it can sit alongside Humanities subjects such as History as well as more traditional options, such as mathematics and science.
We continue to enter the very popular BEBRAS (computational thinking) Computing Challenge and this year we encouraged many of the high scoring pupils to enter the second round, the Oxford University Computing Challenge. One pupil has been invited to the prize-winning presentation in Cambridge. Our new member of staff, Mr Wong has been developing the Perse coding challenge (a team programming competition) and the pupils have enjoyed working with him to develop their coding skills.
We are always developing our Lower School curriculum and looking for links with other subjects. Sometimes the less obvious are the most interesting, such as our link with RS and ethics, or with English and whether a computer can generate good poetry.
We are pleased to be able to bring some trips back into the curriculum after Covid. LIV visited Bletchley Park to study the history of code-breaking and the birth of the modern computer. GCSE and A level pupils have visited the National Computer Museum, where they enjoyed playing with
AI chat bots and discussing the practicalities and ethical considerations that are developing around these new tools.
The Computer Science Society (CSS) has flourished this year with our enthusiastic LVI taking charge and producing a magazine of articles written by interested pupils across the School. They have also organised a Hackathon with Harrow School and a guest speaker to talk about Artificial Intelligence. The new developments in AI will be a theme for the department for the future. It is integral to our teaching from the Lower School up and the pupils are encouraged to think about the challenges and possibilities of this new technology. Topics in emerging technology such as AI, robotics and cryptocurrency are all features of the new edition of our IGCSE course. One of our pupils in the Fifth Form won first prize in the INTEL for AI Competition and also led an online presentation for the INTEL team about her system for capturing lost energy. They were very impressed by her presentation, and she won a gaming laptop for her efforts!
We shall be sorry to say goodbye to Mr Howells who is moving on to teach at Oporto British School in Portugal. He has been with the department since 2017 and has helped enormously with the growth of the GCSE and A level as well as developing our Lower School programme and links with RS and debating. We shall miss him greatly.
Mr Adrian Porter Head of Computer Science Sixth Form Computer Science A pupil wins the AI INTEL prize and gives an online presentation to the INTEL staff.
The eight-week practical carousel for Lower School continues to be successful with scope for developing knife skills and a focus on recipes which are tasty and nutritious. Recipes from lessons and the popular evening and weekend Cookery Clubs featuring delicious elements for family meals are always loaded onto MS Teams.
The Leiths Cookery Course continues to flourish and the visiting assessors from Leiths praise the determination and level of expertise of our girls. Our Sixth Formers are always interested and enjoy the practical atmosphere as a contrast to their intensive studies. The course is busy but very rewarding and is taught by professional chefs with a passion for their subject.
Our new state of the art facilities continue to create perfect presentation of dishes, and to enlighten our Leiths pupils further Mrs Bonnefoy arranged a morning visit to the Waterside Inn at Bray to look at the preparation in the kitchen. Alain Roux himself, guided us around all areas of his establishment, explained the service routines, introduced his staff in all areas of hospitality and allowed us to venture into his hallowed wine cellar. He also treated us to freshly baked croissant and pain au chocolat – the quality and layers of the buttery pastry was incredible!
Miss Kay Williams Head of Art and Cookery Ratatouille - LIV Prawn Tom Yum - Cookery Club
Following on from last year’s excellent Design and Technology IGCSE and A level results the department has continued to grow and develop as increasing numbers of pupils opt for a subject that combines both practical and academic excellence. Pupils have really engaged with the exciting opportunities that the coursework elements provide. IGCSE and A level pupils are able to select their own client, generate design ideas creatively and model and iterate their own ideas using all the workshop facilities and new digital designing CAD/CAM software and machinery.
The Design and Technology Department has had a successful year with Lower School pupils designing and making a range of creative and innovative outcomes including pewter pendants, wooden joinery storage boxes, birdhouses and plenty of other personal projects too. UIII pupils have been
immersed in using the pewter casting furnace, use of CAD/CAM and have been introduced to the vacuum former and line bending in order to package and brand their products. LIV pupils have been developing their practical wooden joinery skills and have also had the chance to use the laser cutter, 2D Techsoft Design and CAD 3D modelling software Sketchup to design their birdhouses.
Pupils in Upper School have been undertaking more sustained project work including a biomimicry inspired lighting project and using a range of workshop and digital processes, including the pilar drill, milling machine, wood turning lathe, 3D Printing and CAD software in the form of Fusion 360 to create their own desk organiser. IGCSE pupils had a range of exciting projects including modular storage for sewing yarn, a fully adjustable and collapsible table lamp and laptop carry case that is also a laptop stand for a commuter amongst others. A level pupils have created amazingly well-crafted and professional final products from their projects including a sun lounger, self-assembled lumbar support chair and a concrete lamp.
The Greenpower team has had a busy year with a race meeting at Dunsfold and the finals at Goodwood. On Society Sunday UIII pupils had their first chance to drive Sprocket Rocket and Phoenix on the tennis court race track. At the Dunsfold race meeting the team was successful in winning the F24+ best Kit Car and with more races next year the team is busy designing and making their new car for future races. The Design and Technology Department has also supported pupils with a range of exciting extra-curricular endeavours including the Arkwright Scholarship, the STEM Alliance Intel Competition and Tycoon Enterprise Competition.
The Design and Technology workshop has been full of pupils creating their own personal projects in the evenings and at weekends. It has seen pupils create some highly imaginative and creative projects including a cantilevered sewing box, marquetry tray and an infinite calendar to name but a few. IGCSE pupils in LV will visit the Design Museum to take part in a workshop on sustainable materials to inspire the designers, engineers and architects of the future. Pupils will have the opportunity to learn and interact with cutting edge new and smart materials including Gum-Tek and hydrochromic materials.
Mr Richard Simonot Head of Design and Technology IGCSE modular yarn storage
Phoenix at Goodwood
The 2022-2023 academic year has been one of the busiest on record for the Drama Department, with a huge number of productions, trips and workshops taking place and more pupils than ever (approximately 170) taking LAMDA exams in March and June.
We have run a record number of academic workshops this year for GCSE and A level pupils in order to broaden their knowledge of the companies and practitioners they study as part of the syllabus. This has included sessions with the internationally renowned director Katie Mitchell and theatre companies ‘The Paper Birds’ and ‘Splendid’. The influence of all these have been apparent in both the girls’ practical and written work this year and have helped to provide pupils with an insight into how theatre professionals work and how they might employ their rehearsal and performance techniques in their own practice. To further supplement their studies, pupils have also been to see a wide range of productions at The National Theatre, Oxford Playhouse and The Lyric Hammersmith, including A Servant Of Two Masters , Othello and Dancing At Lughnasa
One of the objectives for the department is to stage a wide range of productions every year that allow pupils from all year groups to take to the stage. This year saw a huge variety of performances that have involved over 150 pupils as cast members.
The Autumn Term began with the Edinburgh Fringe production of DNA by Dennis Kelly being performed for the first time to the Wycombe Abbey community after a critically acclaimed run at the festival in August. The play was directed and performed by a group of 13 Clarence pupils, and it was fantastic to be able to share their success with the pupils, parents and staff who had not been able to make the Edinburgh run.
This was quickly followed by a superb production of Much Ado About Nothing, with a cast of 14 LV pupils, who performed at The Wilde Theatre, Bracknell, Cressex Community School and in LAC Theatre. The cast performed wonderfully as an ensemble and received well-deserved plaudits from the Year 7 audience at Cressex and the paying public who attended the performance in Bracknell.
The Upper School Play, The Government Inspector by Gogol, took place in January and was a hugely fun, yet surprisingly complex and thought-provoking show, where the cast displayed great comic timing and played a number of challenging, ‘larger than life’ characters with great aplomb.
The Summer Term has also included a wonderfully weird Fourth Form Production of The Ash Girl by Timberlake Wertenbaker, as well as the UIII production, a whistle-stop tour of Greek mythology, which involved more than 70 pupils from the year group.
Next year promises to be just as busy, with two groups of GCSE Drama in both LV and UV planned, as well as two A level cohorts in LVI and Clarence. We are also anticipating even larger numbers taking LAMDA as an extra in various disciplines including Acting, Public Speaking, Musical Theatre, and Verse and Prose. One especially notable achievement this year, is that five Clarence pupils completed the challenging PCERT LAMDA certificate, which is a postGrade 8 qualification.
Mr James Harrington Head of DramaMuch Ado About Nothing - Shakespeare
Schools Production
The 2022-2023 academic year has seen three groups in both LVI and UVI with record numbers studying Economics, perhaps reflecting pupils’ desire to better understand the economic impact and response to issues such as the global pandemic, war in Ukraine and cost of living crisis. We have enjoyed many debates in class on topics as diverse as whether the Covid vaccine should have been compulsory, or whether protecting domestic output from foreign competition is ultimately in an economy’s best interests. It is pleasing that several pupils have engaged with external essay competitions; we have been impressed by the depth and variety of research that they have completed and their academic ambition. Many pupils are researching economics-related topics for their Extended Project Qualification or University Preparation Project and we look forward to reading their final essays.
Last year’s cohort enjoyed a strong set of results with 70% at A*, enabling them to take up offers for a range of competitive courses including Economics; Politics, Philosophy and Economics; Economics and Geography; Philosophy and Economics; and Management. We were joined by recent Seniors studying at Oxford, Cambridge, LSE and Durham for a Q&A session with our current LVI; their advice and insight into what the transition from school to university is really like is invaluable.
Combined honours courses continue to be popular choices. This year’s cohort holds offers for courses such as Economics and Management at Oxford, Economics and Geography at UCL, Economics and Industrial Management at Warwick, and Economics and Politics at Bristol, Durham and LSE.
A small department of two staff, we continue to work hard to develop opportunities for extra-curricular activities in both Economics and Enterprise. Our weekly book club is primarily pupil-led, with girls meeting to discuss suggested texts such as Tim Harford’s The Undercover Economist and David Dharshini’s The Almighty Dollar. Business Tea has continued meeting regularly, with a growing number of UV pupils engaging with this. Pupils organised a talk from Dr Juan Castaneda on why he believed the policy responses to Covid-19 would be inflationary. We continue to encourage girls to take the lead in planning enrichment events and so it is pleasing that some LVI pupils have started The Breakfast Brief for younger pupils in the Main School Dining Room on Tuesday mornings.
At the beginning of this academic year, all teams that took part in the Tycoon Enterprise Competition in 2021-2022 were awarded a special Buckinghamshire Award for Enterprise
and invited to Peter Jones’ annual charity fundraising event to showcase their achievements. Following on from their success, this year a further seven companies submitted their business plan and elevator pitch videos to the Peter Jones Foundation and all were successful in securing start-up capital. Products range from pyjamas and sleep masks to personalised tote bags, jewellery, and water bottles. Most teams have been able to donate significant funds to charity. Teams have been supported by a mentor, a Wycombe Abbey Senior, who has both guided and challenged them through the process. We wish them luck in the competition.
We also we celebrated entrepreneurial spirit across the School with pupils entering The Atherton Award, a prize given by entrepreneur Amber Atherton. I would like to share her words, recognising all the amazing entries this year:
‘Not being afraid to ask for help is a key skill to cultivate as a young entrepreneur. Don’t be afraid to reach out cold to those who could mentor you. Remember people will always be impressed that you took a risk and believed in yourself to start something.
Congratulations to everyone who entered. From social enterprises eradicating period poverty to coding websites for tutoring, Wycombe Abbey girls have entrepreneurial spirit in bucket loads and I can’t wait to watch, and maybe one day invest, in the incredible businesses you might build!’
We look forward to what the 2023-2024 academic year will bring.
Mrs Alison Kiln Head of Economics & Enterprise‘Hello, and welcome to LitBit: improving your literary fitness!’ So begins each episode of the English Department’s latest venture: a podcast proclaiming the beauty of literature, promoting a love of reading and providing a window to a world of discovery. While we have savoured the opportunity to share our passion for literature in this way, it is in the day-to-day experience of English lessons, chats in corridors and involvement in enrichment opportunities that we most prominently continue to nurture a love for reading, writing and discussion.
Following the outstanding success of our 2022 A level cohort, with all pupils achieving A or A*, it has been a joy to see our numbers increase to three classes, as more embark on the final part of their English journey. The American Literature component remains hugely popular and we have continued to revise our approach to widen opportunities for engagement with an increasingly diverse diet of excellent writers. The pupil-led Literary Society has played a vital role in expanding horizons and encouraging creativity, complementing the analytical focus of the course with inspirational poetry evenings celebrating the talent in our midst.
We were equally thrilled with the outstanding IGCSE results that marked the successful completion of the revised syllabus. In a significant change, pupils tackled the unseen prose and poetry paper rather than studying an additional drama text, which opened up the opportunity to introduce them to a much wider range of literature and nurture their intellectual confidence to explore unfamiliar writing. With our enrichment lectures conventionally targeted to A level pupils now being opened up to eager Fifth Formers, we are successfully spreading beyond the syllabus and encouraging scholarly attitudes and aspirations.
Improving the literary fitness of our pupils – to borrow the podcast’s strapline – is at the forefront of our minds and intentions as we continue to refine the Key Stage 3 curriculum. With well-established, well-loved texts such as Blood Brothers, An Inspector Calls, Copper Sun and The Wheel of Surya being duly complemented by Mr Shakespeare’s finest works, our pupils engage enthusiastically with poetry, prose and drama from different eras and cultures, while reading challenges and extension tasks open their eyes to further possibilities. A brilliant new booklet of prose extracts has lit up the Summer Term for the UIII, while Philip Pullman’s script of Frankenstein has provided some much-needed post-exam jollity!
The desire to direct pupils to discover new literature shaped our plans for World Book Day, with a treasure hunt of clues being posted around the school site. Anyone successfully
collecting each letter recorded on the clues found that they spelled out the phrase that adorns the door to our corridor: ‘It’s a good day to read a book!’ As the phrase suggests, we believe every day is a good day to read and it is a joy for us to share and nurture this passion in others. Encouraging regular reading of a wide range of literature remains central to our ethos and we are so grateful for the incredible transformation of Junior Library that so powerfully supports this vision.
Trips to see Blood Brothers and Othello helped bring classroom study to life, while successful visits to Strawberry Hill and Milton’s Cottage brought pupils face-to-face with hubs of literary activity and inspiration. With our weekly poetry club, writing competitions, poetry declamations –this time culminating in a ‘best of the best’ final with representatives from English, Languages and Classics –and visiting lecturers, authors and booksellers ensuring that enrichment opportunities are never too far away, the department is a hive of activity both within and beyond the classroom. In fact, you might say that it is quite hard to avoid improving your literary fitness with all that’s going on!
Mr Sam Lenton Head of EnglishGeographers at Wycombe Abbey have been highly engaged, and the department has had many successes over the year. Last year’s GCSE cohort performed exceptionally well, with 98% of pupils achieving grades 9-7 – a fantastic achievement. Our A level pupils performed well too, with 100% A*/A performance and many being accepted to prestigious universities for geography-related subjects.
UIIIs have enjoyed an in-depth analysis and understanding of the physical and human geography of China, including the creation of physical models to represent population density and distribution around the country. They moved onto a deeper study of the tropical rainforests, before finishing the year with a focus on the role and impact of tourism around the world. LIV started the year with a study on the Arctic, including a debating project on the future development of the Arctic – a particularly divisive topic given recent global developments in Alaska. Later they explored the future of food, before finishing the year with a microclimates study. They enjoyed creating an enquiry that examined the varying climates around the school and seeing how both physical and human geography impact climate on a local scale.
UIV studied the changes in population around the world, before using this knowledge to inform them of the impacts of fast fashion on world economics, societies and the environment. They also explored sustainability and climate change. We are delighted that 53 pupils from this group have chosen the subject for their GCSEs.
Our GCSE cohorts have progressed well with their studies, studying key geographical knowledge such as hazardous environments, rivers and urban environments in LV, and
economic activity and energy, along with development dynamics in UV. Additionally, whilst weather conditions proved challenging, both year groups completed fieldwork at the FSC in Preston Montford, learning key analytical and fieldwork skills for their exams and beyond.
A level geographers enjoyed multiple field trips, exploring the rebranding of Stratford as well as conducting fieldwork for multiple days in Nettlecombe, Somerset. Our NEAs (coursework projects) from this year have been incredibly strong, and we look forward to similar results from our LVI next year. They have also enjoyed their studies of the OCR specification, exploring topics such as Earth Life Support Systems, Migration and Disease Dynamics.
Finally, we enjoyed a trip to Iceland in October 2022, exploring physical geography locations Thingvelllir National Park, the Solheimajokull Glacier and hot springs. The department also provided pupils with special geography activities for Reading Week, having UIII enjoy a treasure hunt around campus and UVI discussing books such as Africa is not a Country. We also hosted a careers spotlight for pupils from UIV to UVI, inviting speakers to talk about careers related to Geography.
We have thoroughly enjoyed our teaching and learning this academic year, and we look forward to providing new opportunities for our pupils through the launch of the Young Geographer of the Year competition, along with ever-changing case studies and real-world events to teach the girls.
Mr Simon Bannister Head of Geography
LVI-UVI Geography trip to Iceland
Careers talk
One of the highlights of this year was hearing how, on a ski trip to America, the LV were very excited to find themselves standing in Boston Harbour, full of tales of the Tea Party, taxes, and Revolution, topics they had studied in UIV History. This story is illustrative of the kind of excitement and enthusiasm which sets Wycombe Abbey historians apart and stands testament to the love of learning we try to foster in our pupils.
In August, we achieved our highest A level results in the last ten years, with our Politics class achieving a clean sweep of A*s. With such strong results behind them, six girls went to read History, six to read Law, and six to read Politics at a range of top universities. Our GCSE results were similarly impressive – our best since 2014. Beyond hard work at exam time, this owes much to our pupils’ readiness to take up every opportunity to stretch and challenge themselves.
We champion reading, and this year were happy to open our very own History library, a space well used for everything from coursework conversations to revision. Not only is it well-stocked with books covering all of our courses, such as Stuart Britain and Stalinist Russia, but a range of other topics such as the Arab-Israeli conflict, Mao’s China, and the French Revolution. To help pupils find relevant material, we launched a digital reading list which pupils can filter according to their interests.
This was a year for competitions; we received the highest number of entries we have ever had for the Phoenix Essay Prize, a Fifth Form History competition run across the Eton Group, with one of our UV coming second for her postcolonial analysis of the Enlightenment. To complement this, Dr Lorimer launched the Dove Essay Prize, a Politics competition running across the same group of schools which was won by a Wycombe Abbey entrant who analysed voting patterns since the Second World War. Entries to a myriad of other prestigious competitions ranging from historical fiction in UIII and legal reasoning in LVI show that our pupils have a voracious appetite for going above and beyond.
This was particularly noticeable this year on the return of our Trenches trip. We led 102 UV pupils and staff to the First World War battlefields of Belgium and France. The largest trip of its kind at Wycombe Abbey, our ex-military guides brought the past to life by recounting their own experiences of war. Wowed by our girls’ questions, our guides said with the utmost sincerity that this was one of the best cohorts they had ever taken on tour.
A key feature of the History and Politics Department is that teachers are encouraged to explore their own interests. As a result of this, we launched new courses on the Crusades, the Hundred Years’ War, and the Arab-Israeli Conflict. To better represent what historians do, these modules were all built around source analysis, with pupils constructing their own accounts of the past and more confidently engaging with the accounts of others. The importance of this skill suddenly became very relevant with the emergence of ChatGPT and similar technologies. History and Politics have very much led from the front, showing pupils how to use these technologies responsibly and critically. UIV in particular have enjoyed wielding their red pens to mark essays written by ChatGPT, quickly coming to terms with its limitations. This is an area which we are excited to explore further in the coming year.
Head of History, Government and Politics Mr Neill GeorgeThe academic year started with the excellent results of the 2022 A levels in the first year back to external exams post-Covid, with all pupils achieving A*- B and 55% achieving A*. Since then, we have enjoyed a year of lively art historical debate and the return of international trips.
The Autumn Term got off to an enriching start with the LVI beginning the A level course by developing their visual analysis skills in painting and sculpture, in addition to amassing a new vocabulary of architectural terminology. The syllabus continued with an in-depth study of the Italian Renaissance, comparing the painting, sculpture, and architecture produced in Florence, Rome, and Venice.
More recently, the LVI have embarked on their Nature course, exploring how concepts of nature have changed across cultures and over time through works such as Katsushika Hokusai’s Under the Wave off Kanagawa and Damien Hirst’s The Physical Impossibility of Death in the Mind of Someone Living. Particular highlights in LVI lessons and preps this year have included debating whether Frank Lloyd Wright’s Guggenheim Museum is an effective gallery space and a creative task where pupils designed their own chess sets based on the stylistic principles of Barbara Hepworth’s sculpture.
The UVI began the year with their Identities module, which considers how artists as diverse as Jan van Eyck, Francis Bacon, and Frida Kahlo represent divine, ethnic, and gender identities. In the Spring Term, the UVI began their study of Baroque Europe, delving into the dramatic works of Caravaggio, Bernini, and Rubens. Highlights in UVI lessons across the year have included passionate debates about the restitution of the Benin Bronzes and meticulous analysis of the symbolism in the paintings of Jan van Eyck.
Many pupils have expanded their art historical engagement far beyond the A level syllabus, applying their visual analysis skills to films, the paintings of Jenny Saville, and the sculptures of Louise Bourgeois. Several pupils have used their independent research to enter national History of Art competitions, such as ARTiculation, the SPoKE documentary competition, and Write on Art. A pupil in LVI achieved first place in the SPoKE Poetry competition, where she combined her interests in art and literature to produce her film on The Munich Mannequins by Sylvia Plath. Art historical interests have also been directed to projects within school, with a LVI pupil founding the School’s first Asian Art magazine. We have had success with UVI university applications, with pupils receiving offers from Durham, the Courtauld Institute, and Edinburgh universities amongst others.
Trips have continued this year, with a visit to the After Impressionism exhibition at London’s National Gallery, where pupils made links with their study of Monet and van Gogh in the Nature course. The Renaissance course was also enriched by a LVI bespoke tour, given by the pupils themselves, with highlights including Raphael’s iconic Portrait of Julius II. We also enjoyed our much-anticipated return to Italy in the spring, with a trip to Florence and Rome led by Ms Weatherby, Dr Tsaknaki, and Ms Franks. Our rich timetable included a trail around Michelangelo’s Florence, a morning in the splendid Baroque Palace, the Villa Borghese, and a private tour of the Vatican Museums before opening time, where we experienced a tranquil Sistine Chapel before breakfast. In between museum visits, we sampled the gelaterias and pizzerias, and admired the magnificent ancient and modern architecture that the cities have to offer.
The department also congratulates Head of Department, Ms Emma Bowen, on the birth of her baby.
Ms Emma Bowen Ms Fania Weatherby Head of History of Art Head of History of Art (Maternity leave) (Maternity cover)Mathematics continues to be an extremely popular subject with our numbers at A level continuing to be extremely high for both Mathematics and Further Mathematics. At A level, for Mathematics we saw 64% at A* and 85% at A* for Further Mathematics. At IGCSE 73% of grades were awarded a 9. For the younger years we structure our curriculum to enable more problemsolving opportunities within lessons as these skills are important in their later studies.
In the Autumn Term, Professor Nira Chamberlain spoke to all of LIV and UIV on the topic What is the Point of Mathematics? He is the outgoing president of the IMA and the incoming president of the Mathematics Association. He is regarded as one of the top Mathematical modellers in the country, and his entertaining talk covered projects conducted for the Royal Navy and the Government during the Covid pandemic. The LVI and UVI were treated to a lecture on Brain Imaging by Numbers , from Dr Yolanda Oherne. She described how she used mathematics and computer programming to help with the detection of Alzheimer’s disease. She spoke about how Mathematics opens up options across a range of careers in STEM.
Mathematics Society has had an active year. Wing Lam Wong, a former pupil who is now studying Mathematics at Cambridge gave invaluable advice about university admissions and the importance of starting preparations early. In the Autumn Term we were joined by girls on the Girls In Mathematical Sciences Program (GMSP) in Ghana. These are gifted and talented high school students who have been invited onto a Master Class Programme at the African Institute of Mathematics in Accra. Mr Vaccaro ran a three-week lecture programme on Probability Theory and the GMSP pupils attended the run through of the British Mathematical Olympiad (BMO) Round 1 paper in November.
The Society also helped launch a new quizzing website called Conundrum, which has proved popular both with Wycombe Abbey pupils and with pupils from across the country and internationally. Mathematics Society members, especially a pupil in LV, have helped write problems for the quizzes. We have seen two enjoyable team mathematics challenge events involving Eton College and our partner schools from London. Eton hosted a senior event and over 80 pupils competed in an intermediate event hosted in the new Big School, the largest team mathematics challenge we have ever hosted.
The department forged strong cross-curricular links with English during the Spring Term where a number of pupils
were challenged to write a 100-word story on the theme of Integer. A number of Wycombe Abbey pupils have received certificates of achievement and their stories will be published.
Participation in the UK Mathematics Trust (UKMT) competitions continues to be strong. In the Mathematics Olympiad for Girls, 12 pupils were awarded a certificate of merit and 11 a distinction. One pupil from UV was granted direct entry to the British Mathematics Olympiad. In the Senior Mathematics Challenge a particular mention must go to the LV pupil who scored very highly, qualifying for the Olympiad and the UIII pupil who achieved a gold certificate and qualified for the Kangaroo. Strong performances were seen in the Senior Kangaroo and in the BMO where one merit and three distinctions were achieved. Our top performing pupil was not only invited to take part in BMO Round 2, but also to the UKMT British training camp. Excellent performances were also seen in the Intermediate Mathematics Challenge from our UIV to UV pupils, with a few of our younger Mathematicians rising to the challenge and scoring highly. Similarly in the Summer Term our highest ever number of UIII and LIV pupils qualified for the Junior Kangaroo and Olympiad.
Dr Iain Wallwork Head of MathematicsModern Languages at Wycombe Abbey continue to thrive, and the reintroduction of trips abroad has been most welcome for a department that thrives on the benefits of communicating in other languages, of being immersed in different cultures, and of forging new friendships. A language immersion course in Salamanca and a cultural trip to Paris provided Sixth Formers with valuable experiences and consolidation of the years of hard work in the classroom. We are delighted that we shall be extending the trip provision to the Lower School next year with a trip to Normandy.
The European Day of Languages in September is a useful marker to remind the whole community of the value of learning languages, and we marked it this year with a Careers Spotlight event, at which two Wycombe Abbey Seniors spoke passionately about the impact of their language-learning journey in their professional lives.
GCSE changes planned for summer 2026 might seem a long way off, but the work has already begun in adapting schemes of work to the new focus on phonics and dictation. As Chinese becomes firmly embedded within the curriculum from UIII onwards, new pupils are free to choose which two languages they study when they arrive, with the option in UIV to try out new languages following the taster sessions in the spring. The national picture of decline in languages is thankfully not reflected at Wycombe Abbey, where
numbers remain healthy and many girls opt to study into the Sixth Form.
Weekly Grammar Clinics in all languages, News Clubs for Sixth Formers, and termly book clubs consolidate the work done in curriculum lessons, providing opportunities for pupils to deepen their knowledge, and to debate and discuss current affairs and literature. In addition, pupils studying German GCSE and A level were delighted to welcome Professor Mark Burrows in the Spring Term to listen to his memorable talk on Rilke’s poetry, and the UIV Chinese classes were treated to a fascinating translation workshop explaining the importance of research, context and nuance.
In our determination to enable girls to grow in confidence and fluency, the provision of conversation lessons was extended to LV for the first time this year and has been so successful that this will now form an integral part of the curriculum.
The benefits of this provision are clear, and the work of the Visiting Teachers invaluable. As we seek to find ways to encourage confidence in oracy, the LIV Poetry Declamation competition, which took place for the first time this year, proved to be a wonderful event, culminating in a joint final with the Classics and English Departments. It was a proud moment when first and second prizes were awarded to the Modern Linguists. The Joutes Oratoires in November once
again provided an opportunity for French debating skills to be exercised, and we were delighted that our LVI team successfully debated their way through to the semi-final.
As we develop the extension and academic enrichment within lessons, opportunities arise for pupils to use their languages in creative ways, be it through declamation, writing, translation, or music. Song is used in many classrooms to engage, enthuse and explain, providing cultural reference points and grammatical considerations. Pupils are always keen to participate in external competitions, and it was an outstanding achievement on the part of two LV pupils to be awarded silver medals in the Linguistics Olympiad this year; prizes normally awarded to Sixth Formers. High aspirations were rewarded too for a LVI pupil who won the international Lancaster University Essay Prize for her essay in French on the value of learning languages, a UIV pupil who won the English Jueju Poetry competition, and three winners of the Anthea Bell Translation prize for their translations from Mandarin into English in UIII and UV.
Languages infiltrate all departments, and keen to celebrate this, the Modern Languages and Music Societies organised a Languages in Harmony soirée in the autumn, an event which will surely become an annual fixture in the calendar.
Ms Lucy Nott Head of Modern Languages and French
Poetry declamations finalists
Professor Mark Burrows
We have seen an exciting and varied year of musical activities both inside and outside of the classroom. This year we have had 33 pupils across the Fifth Form studying IGCSE Music and 10 pupils studying A level music, building on a strong set of examinations results over the summer. Currently 58% of pupils have one musical instrument or singing lesson in school and almost a quarter of the school have two or more individual music lessons per week.
The UIII, as well as studying the elements of music, have met for their weekly singing lessons and have performed at the UIII Carol Service, the House Singing Competition and Dove Day. They have also had the opportunity to develop their practical and listening skills in optional weekend music activities organised by our Graduate Musician, Mr Pattenden. LIV have focused on the History of Western Classical Music with some classes collaborating with the History Department in a special project exploring the Tudors through study of the musical, Six. UIV have continued to develop their composing skills and use of Music Technology exploring Minimalism, Film Music, Incidental music and creating Podcasts on Classical Composers who have also composed for the cinema.
Our IGCSE classes have explored music from around the world alongside the Western Classical tradition. Creative compositions have included songs in the style of a musical as well as pieces for jazz ensemble, string quartets and for solo piano. The Sunday afternoon composition workshops have proved a useful time to develop ideas outside of the pressure of the school week. Our Graduate Musician has also given one-to-one coaching for our GCSE pupils to assist them in their performance preparations.
With five pupils in each of the Upper and Lower Sixth classes, we are encouraged to see the popularity of the subject bucking the national trend. The Lower Sixth class enriched their programme of studies with a visit to the Wigmore Hall to hear the wonderful pianist, Mitsuko Uchida perform along with Ema Niklolvska, Sean Shibe, Itaman Zorman and the Quatuor Ébène
As well as our usual programme of co-curricular activities, we have seen some exciting new developments. We collaborated for the first time with the Modern Languages Department to produce a Languages in Harmony Concert. Organised by the pupils, we were treated to performances in Italian, French, Mandarin, Hindi and German. The Music Officers curated a Music Publication, collating articles from pupils and staff which covered a wide range of topics including the History of Bollywood Music, an analysis of Berlioz’s Symphonie
Fantastique and a beginner’s listening guide to Jazz. One of our LVI A level pupils shared her enthusiasm for Schubert’s song-cycle, Winterreise, in an illustrated talk to pupils and staff exploring the themes of the Lieder and the composer’s musical responses to the texts.
With the appointment of a Graduate Musician, we have been able to offer greater support to younger pupils in their individual practice alongside additional coaching in aural tests for pupils preparing for higher grade individual music examinations. We had over 190 pupils take individual practical and theory examinations this term, including 11 diploma candidates.
There have been some notable successes in competitions this year. The Sixth Form Piano Trio were the first Wycombe Abbey Chamber Ensemble to be awarded the Senior Prize in the South East Chamber Music Competition for Schools. Three of our Rock Bands were awarded places in the Finals Concert of Bucks Battle of the Bands. A LV pupil was awarded the Junior Prize in the prestigious London Organ Competition.
It has been a busy and fulfilling year for Wycombe Abbey Music and we are looking forward to further exciting developments and projects in the coming year.
Mr Stefan Reid Director of Music
Chamber Music
Provision of the highest quality learning experiences for pupils, with a strong focus on accessibility, challenge and enjoyment, continue to be motivating factors for the Physics Department, teachers and technicians alike. The staff are great role models for the pupils with their energetic pursuit of new innovations and initiatives, demonstrating intellectual risk taking in action. Public exam results were exceptional and, combined with an impressive set of Olympiad results at both junior and senior level, gave much cause for celebration.
In UIII lessons, the unlikely concept of the paper pan provides a fabulous investigative challenge, with surprisingly effective results. Pupils can let their imaginations run riot, following the engineering design cycle for multiple prototypes as they work their way towards the best design for the job. Dr Dawber continues to combine her passion for physics with her fascination for the natural world and its preservation, leading the UIII trip to Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust in Jersey, where the UIII girls carried out animal behaviour studies as well as a range of cultural visits, including to the War Tunnels. She is also heading to Japan in the summer with some LVI girls to participate in the UK-Japan Young Scientists Workshop.
A topic which is not to be found at GCSE or A level is that of fluid flow and flight, but what could be more relevant and useful than some understanding of how aircraft fly? The LIV enjoy a whole raft of intriguing practical demonstrations and experiments in search of evidence to answer this question, which cannot fail to fascinate and challenge pupils’ natural intuition.
The concept of Energy underpins Physics at all levels and is the first IGCSE topic studied in UIV. The ideas of energy stores and transfers are introduced with a wealth of practical, real-life examples together with equations which link and explain this fundamental area of Physics. The highly relevant and topical issue of energy resources, past, present and future, is examined and debated in a role play with
interesting global and ethical links. Teams of pupils act as energy consultants weighing up the pros and cons of generating electricity from different energy resources for a remote island, taking into account its natural terrain, environment and resources. The debate can get quite heated and there have been some surprising winners!
In the Fifth Form, the Edexcel IGCSE course continues to promote useful, relevant knowledge and understanding of the modern world together with a secure grounding for those wishing to go on to A level. The LV theatre trip to GCSE Science Live! gave pupils plenty of food for thought and exposure to eminent, inspirational speakers such as Dr Kate Lancaster and Lord Robert Winston.
At A level, Particle Physics continues to inspire pupils and a trip to the Diamond Light Source Synchrotron at Harwell was a huge treat for those lucky enough to get places to visit this hugely oversubscribed facility. CERN continues to be in our sights for a trip in 2024 and Mr Welch sets the scene with his twilight sessions, introducing the principles of particle accelerators and detectors.
In Carrington Award lessons, LVI pupils have embraced the challenges of creating demonstrations for the Giant Science event at the end of term, showing great imagination and creativity in their human sundial and perspective photography exhibits, incorporating innovative, sustainable seating made entirely from cardboard. The Gold Industrial Cadets team enjoyed site visits and a two-day workshop at UCL, producing a really exciting project, which extracts and recycles heat from waste shower water.
Already planning for the next academic year, we can’t wait to move into the refurbished Physics lab, which promises to be an uplifting space which will enhance the impact of lessons.
Mrs Sue Buxton Director of Science and STEM, Head of Physics
A level trip to the Diamond Light Source Synchrotron at Harwell
It has been another memorable year for the Psychology Department, with many outstanding moments in the academic calendar. We were delighted to welcome Mrs Coen to the department, and with record numbers of pupils taking A level Psychology this year, there was great anticipation for the year ahead. An impressive 90% of pupils were awarded A*-A in the 2022 examination series and there was much to be celebrated as we started the Autumn Term.
The LVI Psychologists delved straight into the delights of Social Influence, exploring some of the most fascinating social experiments of our time. Pupils were excited to learn about the shocking results of Milgram’s research into destructive obedience, and left stunned by the outcome of Zimbardo’s infamous Stanford Prison Experiment. Pupils relished the opportunity to attend an evening lecture with guest speaker Philip Zimbardo himself and they heard him talk first-hand about his involvement in running one of the most influential experiments of our time.
Meanwhile, the UVI launched back into psychopathologies, with an in-depth study of Schizophrenia. This challenging topic demands that pupils scrutinise the disorder from several different perspectives, drawing on their thorough understanding of the biological explanations, socialpsychological explanations and the intricate interactions of both nature and nurture involved in the condition.
Pupils have seized every opportunity to undertake practical research and love testing the theories they have been studying in the classroom. The psychologists have undertaken these challenges with gusto, and have developed their Research Methods skills by designing and running their own experiments and observations which they have tested on their Housemates.
In December, all psychologists were thrilled to hear from Professor Tanya Byron in the Headmistress’ Lecture Series, speaking of her experiences as a clinical psychologist. The UVI were able to test their Biopsychology skills during the talk, and plunged deeper into the complex connections between neural networks implicated in ADHD and anxiety.
Many pupils have immersed themselves in their wider reading, and the Psychology Library continues to expand. Pupils have loved working creatively, and we were hugely impressed by the Long Leave Psychology Challenge results, where pupils were free to create a resource to depict any key study from the syllabus. One pupil left us amazed by using her Computer Science skills to code her own game
which allowed the player to take on the perspective of the researcher, and explore other potential outcomes of the Stanford Prison Experiment.
The LVI finished the Summer Term with the fascinating annual ‘Brain Day’ with Dr Guy Sutton, a leading professor in the field of Cognitive Neuroscience. Pupils enjoyed lecture sessions on various recent developments in Psychology and Neuroscience, and a rare chance to observe a brain dissection. Pupils also collaborated on workshop projects with peers from Royal Grammar School and Holmer Green School, and found the event incredibly inspiring.
UVI have worked hard in preparation for their A level examinations and have undertaken Essay Masterclass workshops to refine their exam technique. We have been impressed by the pupils’ dedication to their learning and wish them the very best of luck in their future plans.
Miss Lauren Monteil Head of Psychology
It has been another successful year for the Religious Studies Department at Wycombe Abbey with many impressive academic achievements and enrichment opportunities. We welcomed Kam Puwar to the department and he has quickly established himself as a respected and well-liked addition to the team. Record numbers of pupils are studying the subject in the Sixth Form, bucking the national trend and we have investigated the theme of reconciliation with a LV trip to Coventry Cathedral and the Chapel of Unity.
Results at both GCSE and A level remain strong and a significant number of pupils continue to apply to study philosophy, theology and related disciplines at university. We were thrilled by the success of two of our UVI pupils in their applications to read PPL and PPE at Oxford. The current LVI are equally dedicated and have thrown themselves wholeheartedly into essay competitions and EPQ projects galore. A Northeastern University entrant’s essay exploring whether it can ever be morally acceptable to sacrifice an innocent life for the greater good scooped first prize and another pupil completed a powerful piece on whether theologians can justify claims to know an unknowable God for the Keble College prize. The pupil-led Philosophy and Theology Society has also had a fantastic year. Every Thursday break, a gaggle of committed LIV to UVI philosophers pack into T4 to debate topics ranging from ‘Laziness’ to ‘Justice and Gender’. The year was rounded off with a celebratory pizza evening hosted in Clarence Common Room and we are exceptionally grateful to the dedicated UVI partnership that have enthused great swathes of the pupil population. We look forward to another successful year ahead.
The highlight of the GCSE course has undoubtedly been the trip to Coventry Cathedral. Our intrepid LV classes battled through the March snow to enjoy a space that is synonymous with reconciliation. They were amazed by the ‘secret’ stained glass as they walked towards the altar and were delighted by Mr Wildgoose’s golf ball trick at the centre of the Chapel of Unity. A workshop yielded some impressive artwork with the only disappointment being that the unseasonal icy conditions prevented them from climbing the tower. Next time!
Within the department, we have been exploring ways of embedding the academic qualities with an additional focus on creativity in the curriculum. To this end we have included new projects within our teaching across all key stages and the UIV ‘Buddhism TV’ has yielded some innovative final programmes whilst putting the skills learned during the LIV
Film School to good use. The LVI have been developing their pitch for an alternative to ‘The Good Place’ as part of their study of Death and the Afterlife and we intend to review our UIII schemes of work for the coming academic year with a unit on thought experiments. We have also been exploring the implications of AI for education. Pupils have used ChatGTP to devise plans and sample essays which have then been critically assessed in line with the A level assessment criteria. The opportunities to use this tool as an aid to revision are immense, but, it was encouraging to discover that prior knowledge is required to refine the parameters of the request and check the accuracy of what is returned. Having worked hard to develop essay writing skills with Sixth Form classes in particular, it was good to see that they spotted gaps in analysis in the automated work and could clearly identify elements that they would seek to improve.
Finally, as we approach the end of the academic year, we are saying goodbye to Mr Alec Howells who is leaving Wycombe Abbey to gain experience of the IB in an international school in Portugal. Having joined as an NQT, he has made incredible progress in his teaching career and he will be greatly missed.
Mrs Amelia Khan Head of Religious StudiesIt has been a wonderful year for the Libraries, and for reading. Two of the new staff members of our expanded team began in September and the Libraries have gone from strength to strength ever since!
In September, we launched our new Junior Library, with new furniture and decorations. The space has been frequently commented on and it exudes a wonderfully positive and welcoming atmosphere. We ran inductions for all UIII and LIV pupils to ensure that they understand how the different libraries work and know where to find different types of books. This was a great start to the term and it was lovely to see pupils actively seeking out books to read for pleasure.
One of our biggest events of the year, Reading Week, took place in November. The week began with a captivating talk from Joseph Elliott, author of the Shadow Skye series. Kate Weston, author of Diary of a Confused Feminist , also came to visit, giving a thought-provoking talk on feminism to the LV. There were lots of events that ran for the whole school as well, including a popular Harry Potter quiz, literary bunting workshops and a poetry evening with published poet Tabby Hayward. Tabby introduced pupils to kennings and initiated insightful discussions about language choices in poetry. On the Friday of Reading Week, we held our first ever Cosy Day in Fisher Library, with hot chocolate and bean bags available for pupils to come and snuggle up with a good book. This new initiative was a roaring success and it was lovely to see pupils using the space to enjoy a good read.
In March we had a week-long celebration for World Book Day, which, of course, involved the whole school dressing up! The costumes were wonderful and really showed the variety of reading preferences across the School. We even had some ensemble costumes, such as the UV who dressed up as characters from Louis Sacher’s Holes and the Modern Foreign Languages Department who dressed up as characters from Hergé ’s Tintin series.
Our locked box activity with LIV had them racing around Junior Library in the hope of being the first to find edible prizes. The Book Fair book swap, which was stationed in the Courtyard Café and outside MSDR, was a success and our initially plentiful stock of books to browse and take were all gone by the end of Wednesday! We were so glad to be able to give these pre-loved books to a new home. The Scholastic Book Fair was back for the second year in a row and its popularity meant we made over £2000 in commission. All of this will be given to a local primary school so that they can buy books for their school library.
Cosy Day returned for the second time in a year and was again enjoyed by many. As part of our World Book Day celebrations, we also ran a number of competitions, including a genre poster competition, a creative writing competition, a dress-up competition and an art competition. We had many wonderful entries for all of these competitions and it is lovely to be able to display many of these in Junior Library.
Before the Easter holidays began, we delivered sets of the seven books on the Carnegie Award shortlist to very excited pupils. Our shadowing scheme began in earnest at the beginning of the Summer Term with weekly meetings to discuss pupils’ thoughts on the books. The scheme finished with a vote to decide on the Wycombe Abbey winner of the Carnegie Award 2023.
As well as all of this, we have been busy adding hundreds of new books to our collection, helping pupils with book recommendations every day, and ensuring that all of our libraries look as engaging and inviting as possible. We’ve just appointed our new School Librarians and we can’t wait to see all that they do to promote the value of reading even further over the next year!
Mrs Hannah Rogers-Green Head of LibrariesThis has been another busy year for the Careers Department, beginning with UV taking the Morrisby Profile on the first day of the academic year. This online assessment offers personalised career suggestions matching pupils’ aptitudes and interests and giving links to the most recent advice and guidance. A welcome antidote to these assessments was a workshop focusing on communication skills and how to make a positive first impression. The pupils found this session both enjoyable and useful, all of them gaining confidence in making introductions, a vital life skill. During the Autumn Term, the whole year group enjoyed one-to-one meetings with an independent careers adviser to follow up any questions they had.
The Careers Seminar is a highlight of our calendar, and we were delighted to hold this annual event in person this year for the first time since 2019. We welcomed Seniors, parents and local professionals to share their career journeys with pupils in UV-UVI, both the highs and the lows! A diverse range of careers were represented, with speakers from the UK Space Agency, entrepreneurs, diplomats, investment bankers, medics, architects to name but a few. In addition to the Careers Seminar, we have enjoyed hosting regular Career Spotlight events, open to the whole school. Our first focused on Modern Languages to tie in with the European Day of Languages in September. On other occasions, we heard from speakers who had studied Classics and Geography at university, highlighting where studying a particular subject might take you.
We have developed a number of links with local organisations to facilitate regular work experience opportunities for pupils who plan to study Medicine. This year, we were able successfully to match 13 pupils with regular work experience during term time, providing them with valuable insight into a career in Medicine. Placements included care homes, a special needs playgroup, a hospice and a local nursery school. We have very much enjoyed the opportunity to give back to some of these organisations; School has donated a piano to one of the care homes, LVI pupils have led an art workshop at the nursery and we have also organised musical performances at two different care homes. Lara, in LVI, writes ‘I’ve had a very positive experience volunteering at the Shelburne care home. It’s always a highlight of my week speaking to the residents and interacting with them. It’s very fulfilling knowing that us talking to them brings some change to their week, sometimes something to look forward in their repetitive routines. It also gives me a different perspective on life talking to people with so much more experience and knowledge of life.’
We have continued to work with Seniors and parents to organise individual work experience placements and have also made the most of opportunities such as the Women of the Future Ambassadors’ Reception in London, sending some LVI pupils to network with inspiring women and gain advice on their CVs during a workshop. In addition to these in-person events and activities, we regularly post a range of virtual opportunities on our Careers page on My Wycombe. It has been pleasing to see pupils taking up these opportunities and participating in live online career challenges with organisations such as Digdata and Morgan Stanley.
As the year draws to a close, we look forward to our Careers and Employability Day with the LIV in the final week of term. Young Enterprise will be supporting this day, with a number of business mentors joining us to encourage and help pupils as they work through a series of challenges.
Mrs Alison Kiln Head of Careers
Careers Seminar
Classics Career Spotlight
Overall, both GCSE PE cohorts, are showing excellent progress with the support of their teachers and the resources available to them, we are confident that they will achieve great success in their exams and assessments this year. The UV cohort achieved some excellent Mock results in November and as part of the non-examined assessment, they have completed their written coursework and practical moderation, both of which have stood them in good stead for their written examinations. We are looking forward to having pupils take the A level PE course again next academic year.
We are currently reviewing our KS3 curriculum to include exciting new units of work focused around Inclusion Sport and Supporting Female Athletes.
This year we hosted the Senior Sports Awards; an opportunity to recognise publicly the accomplishments of our LV-UVI pupils in categories such as ‘all-round contribution’, ‘outstanding performance’, ‘sportsmanship’, ‘unsung heroes’ and the ‘lifetime achievement award’. The evening was a great success with Maggie Alphonso appearing as the guest speaker. We also hosted our first ever ‘Junior Celebration of Sport’ in June.
Over the past academic year, the PE Department has run several very successful trips. Pupils currently in LV and UV travelled to Maryland, USA on a Lacrosse Tour to watch the Lacrosse Women’s World Cup and play in the Women’s World Festival. We competed in The Independent Schools’ First Snow Ski Championships and the British School Girls’ Ski Races, both taking place in France. Over the Easter break
we took a group of girls to Jay Peak Ski Resort and Boston, USA, as well as a group of keen Tennis players to a pre-season camp in Portugal.
Wycombe Abbey has enjoyed considerable sporting success this academic year. Below are some highlights.
At Lacrosse’s major event of the year, the National Schools Championships, we had some mixed results, but all pupils showed incredible resilience to achieve excellent results on Day 2. Both our 1st and U13A teams finished as Division 1 Champions. Our 2nd team finished as Division 2 Runners up and our U15A team played amazingly well to qualify for Championship division. We were also one of very few teams to have four competitive senior teams this year, something we are very proud of and are aiming to replicate next year.
This year we were also crowned County Champions at U19, U15A, U14A, U13A&B and U12A
Finally, three pupils gained their international caps recently, representing U21 Wales, U18 Wales and U18 Scotland in the Home Internationals.
The U19 and U14 Netball team progressed through to the National Schools Regional Tournament, after winning the County Tournament and the U16 narrowly missed out on Regionals, being placed second.
This year we were crowned District champions at U19, U15A&B, U14B and U12B.
U15 LacrosseOur senior Swim team competed at the London Aquatic Centre in the Bath and Otter Cup relay competition. The girls swam incredibly well to gain a place in both the Freestyle relay and Medley relay finals. In both finals they shaved seconds off their qualifying times, and they brought home bronze medals in the Medley Relay National Final.
The U14, U16 and U19 Squash teams performed outstandingly over the season finishing with the National Schools Finals in March where the U14 were placed second in the plate competition.
Both our Junior and Inter Track and Field Cup teams qualified for the Regional ‘A’ final after yet again being placed first in the County Round.
Two pupils in LV were selected for the Bucks Indoor Athletics Team competing in the Regional Finals. This team have done exceptionally well and progressed to National Finals for the first time ever for the Bucks Team.
In Cross Country, two UIII pupils qualified for the National Schools Finals being placed 10th and 13th respectively at the County competition.
The growth of Cricket has continued, and we are seeing much more uptake, consistency and success. This year we were excited to introduce the Cricket Captains’ Challenge tournament as well as the Cricket Captains’ Cup, staff vs senior pupils match, both aimed at further increasing the status of Cricket in the School.
Our LTA Senior Pupils Team Tennis Squad were placed third in the Southeast Region after competing throughout the winter.
This year we were thrilled to host again ‘Highlights’, an eclectic mix of dance styles, musical theatre and gymnastics. The show was a huge success with over 200 girls taking part.
Our Equestrian team won the Royal Windsor Qualifier at Eland Lodge, qualifying for the Royal Windsor Horse Show for the first time, where they were placed an impressive fifth place nationally. Two riders in LV also qualified for the Hickstead Championship, Elite Championships and the National Championships.
Two pupils recently competed in the OptiOrange Valencia sailing regatta. There were 450 boats from 25 different countries racing over four days. 25 of the top GBR sailors took part and Wycombe Abbey pupils finished fourth and sixth out of the GBR girls. A LV pupil has also qualified for the European Championships representing Great Britain in Greece this July.
Mrs Sophie Bryett-Windle Director of Sport
Senior Sports Awards
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