The Abbey School, Reading
| Motto |
In ædificationem corporis Christi (Building up the body of Christ) |
|---|---|
| Established | 1887 |
| Type | Independent day school |
| Religion | Church of England |
| Headmistress | Mrs Rachel Dent |
| Chair of Governors | Dr Debby Reynolds |
| Location |
Kendrick Road Reading Berkshire RG1 5DZ England Coordinates: 51°26′54″N 0°57′47″W / 51.448333°N 0.963056°W |
| DfE URN | 110165 Tables |
| Students | 1,067 (2011) |
| Gender | Girls |
| Ages | 3–18 |
| Website | www |
The Abbey School is an independent selective day school for girls, in Reading, Berkshire, England. The school has Church of England traditions, although it accepts girls of all faiths. The Abbey School offers education for girls aged 3 to 18. The school became an International Baccalaureate World School in 2008.
Founded in 1887, the school moved to its present site in 1905 under the leadership of headmistress Helen Musson.
Notable alumnæ include the novelist and social activist Brigid Brophy, the novelist Elizabeth Taylor and the educationalist .
Around one hundred years before the school was founded in 1887, the novelist Jane Austen briefly attended Reading Ladies' Boarding School within the Abbey Gateway, which is commemorated by, and incorporated into, the Abbey School's crest.
The school was founded in 1887, named Reading High School, replacing the privately owned Blenheim House Ladies' School. It was at London Road (in the building which became the Gladstone Club). The Church Schools Company, instrumental in founding the school, felt that Reading, with its growing population reaching 60,000, was in need of a new school. The school aimed to provide high quality education with a Christian ethos at an affordable price. When founded, the school had an enrollment of 40 girls, which steadily increased to 120 by 1902, when Miss Helen Musson MA, the new headmistress, was appointed.
In 1905, the school moved to its current Kendrick Road site. On 16 March 1905 William Methuen Gordon Ducat, the Archdeacon of Berkshire, laid the foundation stone of the school, which featured the inscription, "In aedificationem corporis Christi". This motto, taken from Ephesians IV:12, can still be seen on the school's crest. The new site was a vast improvement on the old site: there were six classrooms, a hall and space for playing fields.
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