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Results Day 2008
Well staff and students thought 2007 had been a good year (see below) but 2008 has proven to be even better with 47% at grade A
and 72% at grades AB. Particularly outstanding were the results for chemistry (77% AB), biology (68% AB) psychology (71% AB) and mathematics (77% AB).
Term Dates 2008/09
The Colleges term dates for 2008/09 are:
Autumn Term
Start of term: Thursday 4th September
Induction for Lower VI (two-year) students 9.30 a.m. – 12.30 p.m. Thursday 4th September
Induction for OY (One Year) students 9.30 a.m. – 12.30 p.m. Friday 5th September
Induction for Upper VI (returning students) 2.00 p.m. – 3.30 p.m. Friday 5th September
Monday 8th September – teaching starts for all classes
Half term: Monday 27th – Friday 31st October
End of term: Friday 19th December
Spring Term
Start of term: Monday 5th January
Half term: Monday 16th February – Friday 20th February
End of term: Friday 3rd April
Summer Term
Start of term: Monday 20th April
Half term: Monday 25th May – Friday 29th May
End of term: Wednesday 1st July
BIOLOGY OLYMPIAD – July 2008
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Abbey College students Mehrad Jaberi, Harikrishna Patel and Maryja Morrison recently collected their medals following success in the Thirteenth British Biology Olympiad (BBO). The BBO, which regularly attracts about 1500 entrants, is an annual competition for post-16 students and is part of the International Biology Olympiad (IBO).
The BBO tries to challenge and stimulate gifted students with an interest in Biology to expand and extend their talents. In offering a wider syllabus than A-level, it allows gifted students to demonstrate their knowledge and to be suitably rewarded and publicly recognised by the award of medals, certificates and other prizes. It is hoped that competing in the Olympiad will encourage students already interested in this valuable, wide-ranging and rewarding subject to continue their study beyond A-level.
The medals (gold for Mehrad and Bronze for Hari and Maryja) were presented by the BBO President Professor Colin Blakemore at the annual awards ceremony in London. Past Presidents have included Lord Robert Winston and Baroness Susan Greenfield.
For more information about the BBO visit www.biology-olympiad.org.uk |
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Mike Fairbank
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An excellent academic year for mathematics teacher Mike Fairbank, who helped six of the College’s A-level mathematicians achieve Gold awards in the UK Senior Maths Challenge (one of whom went on to achieve a top 10 score in the British Maths Olympiad Round 2), was rounded off wonderfully in June by his visit to the National Science Foundation (NSF) in Washington D.C. in America. Mike, who has been teaching at the College for five years, is also an active researcher in Artificial Intelligence.
Following his highly regarded contribution to the NSF symposium in December 2007, he was invited to the NSF in Washington D.C. to be a panellist on a board allocating funding for U.S. cybernetics research. Mike’s expertise was put to good use as he, along with fellow panel members considered submissions including robotics, neuroscience and artificial intelligence.
Mike is pictured (left) with NSF director Paul Werbos (who was one of the original pioneers of neural networks)
and pictured (right) hard at work in the classroom inspiring future mathematicians.
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Marathon Man
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Rupert Browett (pictured left) arrived breathless at the College on Monday morning having completed the Flora London Marathon in
an impressive time of 4 hours, 12 minutes and 11 seconds.
After many months of training and preparation; encouragement and support from his students and fellow members of staff
he succeeded in fulfilling what had been a long held ambition. |
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Not to be outdone by Rupert Browett Abbey students Nguyen Hoang Viet, Michael Myint,
Harikrishnan Patel, Mehrad Jaberi, and Lam Tang-Yu recently ran the10 Km fund-raising marathon
for the British Heart Foundation. |
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Dentistry Mini-Conference
On 1st November the College hosted a mini-conference on the theme of ‘Careers in Dentistry’. The following speakers gave presentations on current areas of interest to potential dentists.
Dr Nazli Imtiaz, Honorary Secretary Metropolitan Branch of the British Dental Association.
Dr Andrew Gould, lecturer in paediatric dentistry, King’s College London.
Arif Rashid Dental Student; 5th Year Dentistry student at King’s College London.
Topics covered by the speakers included becoming a dentist; university entry requirements; work experience; university life from a dental student’s perspective and the fundamental importance of professionalism and ethical practice was emphasised. The expanding role of the other members of the healthcare team including dental nurses, hygienists, therapists, technicians and practice managers was discussed together with vocational training, general professional training and general dental practice.
The session provided an excellent opportunity for applicants to discuss areas of interest with a particular view to preparing for university interviews in this field. The event proved to be a great success and gave students much to think about.
Dr Kate Barrie - University of Glasgow
On 2nd November Dr Kate Barrie, UK Student Recruitment Officer from the University of Glasgow addressed students about the range of courses available together with future career options. In addition to specific information about Glasgow. Dr Barrie also provided more general guidance on a range of topics relating to universities in the UK. This interactive sessions helped students to think about the range of avenues open to them. Towards the end of the session Dr Barrie spent time on an individual basis with students from Abbey who have applied to read dentistry at Glasgow to discuss areas such as the interview process. This event provided our students with a rich source of information.
Biology Field Trip
The College’s many biologists have recently returned from a two-day fieldtrip to the Epping Forest Field centre in Loughton Essex. Andrea Munro, head of biology at the College commented, “The staff at the centre were excellent and the students relished the opportunity to put into practice what they have learned in the classroom. The students achieved that wonderful combination in education; learning a lot whilst enjoying themselves enormously. We will be going back to the centre in the spring term and hope to have an equally enjoyable and productive time with the added bonus of a warmer time of the year!”
Freud Museum Visit
For the third year running Psychology students at Abbey London were given the opportunity to visit the Freud Museum in Hampstead accompanied by the assistant principal Lee Roberts and Psychology tutor Tony Dugdale.
The visit provided the chance to learn about the biographical details of the man and to encounter the famous couch upon which his patients were psychoanalysed, including most controversially his own daughter. The visit proved to be an excellent means of stimulating discussion about the revolutionary thinker.
Students certainly had much to talk about on their return to college
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Results Day
The College’s 2007 cohort of students have added to the College’s long history of outstanding A-level results with 44% being grade A, 64% being grades AB and 80% being grades ABC.
Amongst the success stories of the 50 students going on to university are 25 students who have gone on to study medicine, dentistry or pharmacy at places such as Imperial College, Queen Mary, Leeds, King’s College. The comment from one student summed up the feelings of many:
“Coming to Abbey has been a totally new learning curve for me. I have learnt so much in the time I have been there and I laugh to myself that at one point I wasn't going to attend. I imagine the greatest reward of the teaching profession is seeing your students prosper and I think it’s fair to say I have prospered under the tutelage of all of you. I have achieved 2A's in my recent summer examinations for both Chemistry and Biology. As a result, my grades are sufficient for me to enter university to read medicine. I am very grateful for the support I received from everyone at Abbey. I am lost for words.”
Of the other 25 students going on to university, for subjects other than medicine, dentistry and pharmacy, a large number have been celebrating admission to universities such as LSE, UCL and Imperial College for subjects including economics, management, psychology, law and engineering.
Whilst getting their results students were interviewed by both Virgin Radio and Sunrise radio and some of their stories will appear in the ‘Asian Times’, ‘Belgravia’ newspaper and ‘The Independent on Sunday’.
College Principal, Mark Love, commented “Results day is the time of year when all of the hard work of students and teachers here at Abbey College reaches fruition. Even after seventeen years of working with A-level students it still gives me enormous pleasure on each and every A-level results day to see these hardworking and determined students fulfil their potential and go on to study the degree course they have been aiming at for years.”
Houses of Parliament Visit
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Economics students from both the upper and lower sixth visited the Houses of Parliament accompanied by Lee Roberts (Assistant Principal) and David Calder (Head of Economics).
An excellent interactive presentation was given by the publicity team at Westminster and a guided tour was provided. |
Students were awarded prizes for their correct answers to questions on various aspects of the UK political system.
Students were able to see the Prime Minister speak in the House of Commons and also saw many familiar faces including David Cameron, Margaret Beckett, Boris Johnson and Shirley Williams.
Students were also able to witness a live debate in the House of Lords, where reform of the second chamber was being discussed.
The afternoon proved immensely enjoyable and much was learned and experienced by all.
Lee Roberts
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Tung Ba Khanh Le arrived at Abbey College from Vietnam in September 2002. Already a gifted student in his own country,
Tung made outstanding academic progress at Abbey, leaving with four A-levels, all grade A, in Mathematics, Chemistry,
Biology and Physics.
Furthermore, Tung's many personal qualities endeared him to all who taught him. He was
awarded a scholarship to read Biochemistry at Birmingham University in 2004 and has been top of his class for
two years running. Now, in the final year of his Honours BSc, he has already secured a PhD studentship at the John
Innes Centre, Norwich, a leading research establishment in plant science.
This is a significant achievement as
places are strongly contested and the interviews are intense and gruelling.
Well done, Tung! You are an inspiration to all our students.
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Some of the UK’s most exceptional students, including Abbey College's Ying Ge Xing, have been presented with scholarships worth *£4,000 from the Institution of Mechanical Engineers’ (IMechE) today for their outstanding academic achievements.
Click here to download the press release. |
March 2006
The Inspection Summary stated:
Abbey College was first accredited by the British Accreditation Council for Independent Further and Higher Education (BAC) in 1995.
It was most recently re-inspected in March 2006.
BAC’s inspectors reported on a good or excellent level of provision in all of the areas assessed during the inspection. The College had recently relocated to new premises, offering a high level of well equipped teaching space in an excellent location. The College was led by an experienced and skilful senior management team, supported by a well qualified and, in many cases, highly experienced group of teachers. Examination results and the record of entry to competitive programmes in higher education reflected the high level of individual support given to students, as well as excellent classroom practice.
Specific comments in the report include:
The academic staff represent a very valuable strength to the College. All of the teachers are graduates and the majority have teaching qualifications.
Many have extensive teaching experience and some members of the science staff have research experience. Science and Mathematics classes were marked by the excellent ability to integrate theory and practice, and to focus upon the exact requirements of the examinations.
Support and advice on applications for university entrance was excellent. Overall, the inspectors considered the quality of the staffing and administration to be of a very high standard. Students were fulsome in their praise of the willingness of staff to give additional time to them.
The inspectors considered the Management of Quality and Student Welfare provision to be excellent.
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