Just days into the new academic year we received news that the school’s application to the children’s charity Variety for a new minibus had been successful! Mr D Jackson, accompanied by  students, attended a star-studded presentation at West Hill Golf Club on Tuesday for the handover of the keys.

The extensive life skills programme that students benefit from at The Abbey involves many off-site activities.

Every week there are groups who go to Farnham Sports Centre for swimming lessons including some of our wheelchair users … every Thursday all year 10s go to Alton College and all Year 11s go to FCOT to prepare them for Further Education in mainstream settings … PE groups go to Alice Holt for cycling to help with their gross motor skills …  D of E students do voluntary work in the community … Media students go into the countryside for photography lessons … sports teams visit other schools for matches … in Life Skills lessons students go out shopping, to the Post Office …

We are hugely grateful to Variety for this fantastic donation to the school transport fleet.  Maintaining and replacing the school minibuses and cars, which are in increasing demand as the number of students grows, requires investment in excess of the school budget allocation so fund raising is on-going. We are also very fortunate to have annual support from local charity The Hedgehogs to help with insuring the vehicles (as well as supporting other opportunities for our students such as residential trips and equipment).