SEND
Support for Additional Learning Needs at The Abbey
At The Abbey, we are dedicated to supporting students with a range of additional learning needs. We understand that effective teaching is inclusive teaching, which is why we’ve adopted the ethos: “teaching for SEND, is teaching for all.”
Our entire team is committed to this inclusive vision. All staff are trained in Quality First Teaching (QFT), which helps us ensure every student is supported in the most inclusive and equitable way right in the classroom.
Our staff are also continuously supported through further professional development throughout the academic year. This ensures they have the latest knowledge and opportunities to extend their interests, providing the best possible support for every student.
Empowering Students with Pupil Passports
We use individualised Pupil Passports as a dynamic working document that actively follows the student throughout their academic career. These Passports are a tool that equips all teachers with the techniques and strategies needed to ensure every student can access the curriculum and achieve their full potential.
A core principle of our support is empowering our students. The Passports place a strong focus on the student voice, encouraging them to take ownership of their support and learning journey, a skill that becomes particularly crucial as they transition into the Senior School.
Our Graduated Approach
The Pupil Passports are structured around the Graduated Approach of ‘Assess, Plan, Do, Review’. This systematic process ensures that all student interventions and support are regularly reviewed, updated, and remain highly relevant.
This approach is extremely vital to The Abbey’s commitment to personalised support, guaranteeing that our strategies are always up-to-date and have an ongoing, measurable impact on both social and academic abilities. The passports are written and updated every term in partnership with the form tutors, SENDCo, Assistant Directors/Heads of Departments, parents, and, most importantly, the students.
Current Forms of Support
While the Pupil Passport guides individualised support, our provisions also include:
- Small group or 1:1 reading with specialist staff across the school.
- Pre-teaching sessions with maths specialists prior to upcoming learning to reduce anxiety and build foundational confidence.
- Short, sharp precision teaching designed to develop specific skills and reduce misconceptions quickly.
Further information regarding the support for students with additional needs can be found in The Abbey’s comprehensive SEND policy and the accessibility policy, both available on the website here.
Additionally, our SENDCo is always happy to discuss any specific questions or needs you may have. Please feel free to reach out via e-mail.
Safeguarding
At the Abbey, the safety and wellbeing of our girls, both in school and beyond, is our number one priority. We are thoroughly committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of all young people who learn with or visit us.
All staff and governors at The Abbey share this commitment, but please feel free to contact any of our Designated Safeguarding Team should you have any concerns about a young person in our community:
Nursery
Mrs Laura Milligan
Nursery Manager and DSL
Miss Mel Allard
Deputy Nursery Manager and DDSL
Junior School
Senior School
Dr Sarah Tullis
Head and DDSL
If you have any concerns regarding a staff member please contact Dr Tullis
Police:
101 (or 999 if in immediate danger)
NSPCC:
help@nspcc.org.uk
0808 800 5000
Other useful contacts
Mrs Elizabeth Harrison
If you have concerns regarding the Headteacher (Dr Sarah Tullis) and Mrs Beccy Newton please contact Mrs Elizabeth Harrison (Chair of Governors) via the School Office. Tel: 0118 987 2256 – Email: harrisonel@theabbey.co.uk
Mrs Elisabeth West
School Safeguarding Governor
westel@theabbey.co.uk
Our school works closely with local partners in Reading, Berkshire and beyond to adopt a contextual safeguarding approach, considering the harm that our girls may face beyond the school gates. This allows us to work with families to help ensure that their daughters are safe at home, in their neighbourhoods and online.
If you would like to read more about our determination to protect every child, our Safeguarding and Child Protection Policy can be found here.
Facility hire
Conveniently located in Reading with excellent Rail and Road links, The Abbey boasts indoor and outdoor facilities to cater for a variety of events.
We are home to many regular hirers serving both the local and wider community from performing arts schools, language schools, as well as sporting and drama activities for all ages.
Sporting venues include an all-weather astro pitch suitable for hockey and football, as well as lacrosse nets, and a 25m x 10m indoor swimming pool with diving boards and a depth of 1.2-3.5m.
For individually tailored indoor events, we have a 180-seater, fully equipped lecture theatre, and suitable rooms for breakout groups, as well as a discrete conference room suitable for meetings of up to 20. The Richards Hall and Hardcastle Hall, with capacity of between 100 and 500, are tailored for a range of uses from parties to concerts and performances. Our well-equipped spaces come with the support of our AV Team who are happy to help you plan, make use of our technology, and even support your event.
Our fabulous Catering Team are on hand to meet any needs you may have from the provision of light refreshments, to full function catering.
We are proud to collaborate with our community partners and regular and one-off hirers.
To enquire about facilities hire please email your requirements to aceltd@theabbey.co.uk
“RABBLE Theatre loves working with The Abbey School. The staff are welcoming, the facilities are excellent, and our partnership always makes for a very successful and positive experience for our team, students and audiences.”
“We could not have found a better organisation to partner with. Nothing is too much trouble, everyone is so helpful and the facilities are superb.”
“At Swim Now we provide private swimming lessons. We have found Abbey School to be the perfect setting for our swimmers. The pool is ideal, the changing facilities are clean/tidy and the service is available to us on a consistent weekly basis. I would recommend Abbey school to anyone who is looking to hire superb facilities for private use.”
“We have had the pleasure of working in partnership with The Abbey for over eight years, running SuperCamps during every school holiday as well as using their facilities at weekends throughout term time for staff training. The team at the school are always helpful, accommodating, and supportive, which makes organising and delivering our camps smooth and enjoyable. The facilities are excellent, well-suited for both our camps and training needs, and have played a big part in helping us provide high-quality experiences for children and staff alike. We are grateful for the continued partnership and look forward to building on this relationship in the years ahead.”
“The booking process is always efficient and friendly, and the facilities team are consistently supportive. We’re grateful for the relationship we enjoy with The Abbey, who genuinely want to work with and support their local community and have made us feel part of the family.”
“The Abbey school pool is a superb facility that we use routinely – the entire process from making a booking to accessing the venue always runs smoothly with welcoming and efficient staff. The pool is always clean and well maintained.”
“We have been hiring the pool at the Abbey for over 14 years and its become a huge part of our swim school. Loved by our swimmers and our staff. The staff members have always been helpful and on hand to help if needed. We look forward to another 14 years+ of business together.”
“We are pleased with our experience using The Abbey School Pool for our Learn 2 Swim programme. The pool is well-maintained, the staff are professional and supportive, and the facilities provide an ideal environment for children to learn while parents watch with confidence. We look forward to continuing this successful partnership.”
“I would describe our experience of hiring at The Abbey School as follows: Fantastic facilities, Fast communication, Friendly community”
“We have been hiring facilities at the Abbey School for our Annual Tango Festival and weekly classes since 2018. The facilities are fantastic – beautiful halls – and the staff at the Abbey have always been so helpful and responsive. The festival is major event and I don’t think we would find a better venue. 5 star.”
EAL Programme
At The Abbey, we provide a supportive and tailored learning environment for our pupils who speak English as an additional language (EAL). Our purpose is to help them achieve fluency and academic success, building their confidence and fostering a joy for learning English.
The Importance of EAL Provision
Our comprehensive and systematic EAL provision is vital for several reasons. It ensures pupils can fully access the curriculum, build strong social connections with peers, and reach their full academic potential. Without targeted support, EAL pupils can fall behind, not because of a lack of ability, but due to a language barrier. Our provision is designed to bridge this gap effectively. We approach this through short, sharp interventions rather than teaching English as a second language over a long period. The goal is to provide short-term, high-impact support to enable pupils to integrate into mainstream lessons quickly.
Our Approach to EAL Provision
We use continuous formative assessments to gauge each pupil’s English proficiency. This allows us to create personalised learning paths and tailor lessons to teach crucial vocabulary and develop their understanding of English grammar.
Every lesson provides opportunities to practise the four key language skills: listening, speaking, reading, and writing. This holistic approach ensures pupils develop all the necessary skills for effective communication in and out of the classroom.
For pupils aged nine to thirteen who require additional support, we use the Fresh Start phonics intervention to improve their reading and phonics acquisition quickly and effectively. The provision is used across both our Junior and Senior sites, which helps to ensure continuity and a consistent approach to supporting our pupils. This program is a key part of our commitment to ensuring all pupils have the foundational skills they need to succeed.
Fees and Bursaries
School Fees for Academic Year 2026-2027
Termly tuition fees for the academic year beginning September 2026 are set out below. Fees are inclusive text books, classroom materials and personal accident insurance. Fees for entrance into public examinations for the Senior School (Year 11 and Year 13) are not included. In the Junior School all curricular extras and trips, other than residential ones, are included in the fee.
Early Years (see note below) | |
Nursery (age 3+ years) 16 weeks holiday provision | £2,650 £4,000 per annum |
Reception (age 4+ years) | £5,435* |
Junior School | |
Lower Preparatory (Year 1) | £6,290* |
Upper Preparatory (Year 2) | £6,755* |
Lower I - Lower III (Years 3 to 6) | £7,280* |
Senior School | |
Upper III - Lower IV (Years 7 to 8) | £8,775* |
Lower IV - Upper VI (Years 9 to 13) | £9,050* |
*Fees are inclusive of VAT. *plus compulsory lunch, £395 | |
Nursery
Nursery fees include lunch and are exempt from VAT.
Nursery hours are 08:15 – 15:45, Before and After School Care is available in nursery.
Early years funding is available:
- 15 hours: £1,149 per term (universal)
- 30 hours: £2,298 per term (subject to eligibility)
Childcare Vouchers
Childcare vouchers are accepted for payment of qualifying charges, i.e. school fees up to the age of 5 and activities that take place on school premises and outside school hours. Please contact the Finance Department on feesbilling@theabbey.co.uk for further information on the use of childcare vouchers.
Junior School – Before and After School Care
Before and After School Care is available for all Junior School years at a supplementary cost on either an ad hoc daily basis or termly rate.
Digital Device
A digital device scheme operates in the Senior School, and currently applies to students in UIII – LV (years 7- 10).
The termly digital device fee is £190 (VAT inclusive).
Individual Music Lessons
Music lessons are available from Upper Prep (Yr2) and tuition is available in a variety of musical instruments and singing.
Individual Music Lesson: £375 per term (VAT inclusive)
Sibling discount
We offer a discount for the eldest child when three or more students attend The Abbey at the same time.
EAL and Learning Support
At The Abbey there is a foundation of strong Quality First Teaching and high expectations set within The Abbey’s classroom standards. In addition, specialist paid-for EAL or SEN tuition may be recommended through a dedicated referral process. This bespoke provision is intentionally designed to extend beyond typical classroom support and charges are set depending on the individual programme.
Loyalty Discount
As an all through school we offer a loyalty discount in Upper III (Yr7) for students transitioning from The Abbey Junior School. The value of the discount varies depending on the student’s year of entry to The Abbey.
Fees Refund Insurance
We offer a fees refund scheme that provides a proportionate refund of fees in certain circumstances if your child is absent from school for a qualifying period due to illness or injury. The charge, which varies according to the cover sought, is under 1% of the termly fee.
Further information can be found here or from the Finance Department.
Direct Debit
Please note: all fees are payable by Direct Debit in advance on or before the first day of each term. In order to offer parents further flexibility, a monthly payment option is available through School Fees Plan. Details can be found here.
Government Early Years Funding Entitlement (EYFE)
We offer a pre-reception nursery school year, for 3-4 year olds, based on a full-time Monday to Friday offering.
Our 4-5 year olds join one of our Reception classes.
All children aged 3 and 4 are entitled to access Universal Free Entitlement: 15 hours a week for up to 38 weeks of the year. Your child qualifies for this from the academic term following their third birthday until the end of the term of your child’s fifth birthday.
The Universal Free Entitlement hours at The Abbey are offered between 12.30pm – 15.30pm within a package of in-school education, and are subject to availability. This is offered over the full school week, Monday to Friday inclusive, over our academic year of 34 weeks.
In addition, you may be entitled for Extended Entitlement for an additional 15 hours free childcare per week over the academic year of 34 weeks. HMRC determine eligibility for the scheme. To find out if you are eligible and can apply for your eligibility code on the Government website here.
The EYFE is shown on termly fee invoices. Any additional optional services (eg After School Care) are charged in addition and are invoiced separately. There are a variety of EY providers locally offering EYFE. Some may offer the funded entitlement only, without access to any additional services; others offer it over more or fewer hours of the week. Parents are advised to choose a service provider that best meets their needs. We offer term time sessions only over a 34 week academic year.
Bursaries (assistance with fees)
We offer assistance with fees for Senior School students who would benefit significantly from an education at The Abbey, which their parents could not otherwise afford to access. This assistance is in the form of bursaries, or fee discounts. These are means-tested: parental assets and income are assessed to determine eligibility for an award.
Every case will be taken on its individual merits but, among those who qualify financially, the academic potential of the candidate will be the overriding factor.
All bursaries are reviewed on an annual basis. Bursaries are not available at the Junior School.
Further information about Bursaries can be found in our Admission Policy found here. Parents should indicate to The Head of Finance and Resources that a bursary may be needed by emailing bursaries@theabbey.co.uk.
All bursary applications should be received by Friday 30 October in relation to a place for the following September.
Results and destinations
Outcomes matter, and the outcome that matters most is personal development. Wherever students go on to learn next, are they going with hope and optimism, ready to make the absolute most of everything that is on offer?
That’s what motivates us. High achievement on its own is not enough. We are here to support our students, find the right path for them and to walk it with joy in their hearts.
Junior School
We are always thinking about how to support our pupils with the right next step for them. We share data scores with parents from Upper I (Year 4), to help make informed decisions. Preparation for the 11+ is available for free throughout Upper I and Upper II (Years 4 and 5) for those who want it. Throughout Upper II and into Lower III (Year 6) we meet every family to talk through the best choice for their daughter.
The majority of students choose The Abbey Senior School. There is a bespoke process for assessment into the Senior School, which takes place in Upper II. This allows those families who know their preferred option to avoid the stress of assessments in Year 6 altogether.
Some students do aim for the most competitive boarding or grammar school places, and our programme of preparation helps them to achieve at the highest level. Many of those who secure a range of offers simply want to have the broadest choice, and opt to continue with us. Others leave at the end of Year 6 with our warm support and wishes for what will be brilliant secondary school careers. Our job is to help each family make the best decision for each child.
The greatest endorsement of our education every year is the range of scholarships achieved. Junior School candidates compete for Senior School scholarships in academics, art, drama, music and sport on an equal basis, and in their academic assessments all papers are anonymised. The Junior School success rate is staggering, and those going elsewhere at this stage often do so with one or more scholarships as a testament to their learning journey with us.
Senior School
Students routinely take places in the most competitive UK and world universities. However, their interests are broad. Some students every year access the highest-level degree apprenticeships. Others go on to art foundation, drama school and other creative pathways.
We’re proud of our track record, but what we care about, and what brings every teacher so much reward, is each individual outcome. Whatever you want to do next, we are here to back you every step of the way.
The true test of outcomes are alumnae events. Each one is full of deeply impressive, genuine, warm and passionate adults working in hugely diverse fields. And each alumna has access to a lifelong network of support. An Abbey education supports outcomes far beyond tertiary choices.
Meet the Junior School Head
“Every single girl will feel cared for, seen as an individual and well prepared for what’s coming next”
Beccy Newton is counting down the days to taking over as Headteacher at The Abbey Junior School after Easter:
“It’s such a wonderful school, the more I get to know about it, the more incredibly excited I am, and I am really ready to get going”.
She brings with her a vast passion for creative curriculum and a strong belief in seeing each student as an individual, who should have a voice and reach their full potential.
Beccy’s passion for innovative, creative and impactful learning is infectious and inspiring. You can hear the conviction in her voice as she says “I want children to adore learning”. Developing an exciting curriculum is at the core of Beccy’s priorities for The Abbey Junior School. What does she want to be held accountable for in five years? “Curriculum”. When you delve deeper into why she’s so passionate about it, you realise what an exciting time lies ahead for students.
“My vision is to have an absolutely outstanding curriculum that goes well above and beyond what other schools are doing and what other people might expect”. She wants The Abbey Junior School to be known for being at the forefront of creative learning. There is a determination in Beccy that leaves you in no doubt that she will achieve this.
This drive for academic excellence is beautifully balanced with a desire to deliver an excellent school experience that nurtures confident, happy, young girls who are being set up with skills for life. Beccy wants students to be “absolutely prepared” for the future.
“They need to be resilient,” she says. “They need to embrace change, and they need to be able to be adaptable.” This includes the transition in their development to the Senior School. Beccy plans to work “seamlessly with the senior school and really help strengthen the connections”.
You can see the joy that being around students brings Beccy – her eyes light up as she watches students walk into the dining room, with a natural openness and a reassuring warm smile as she says hello. Beccy is looking forward to getting to know each of the students and embracing the all-girls environment. She reflects that “I think the spectrum of personalities that can come out when girls don’t have the distraction of boys allows them to be freer. I think they then have more confidence to grow to be themselves and not to conform to stereotypes that shouldn’t exist”.
How does Beccy want to be known as a headteacher? “As really fun, very capable and ambitious, a safe pair of hands. I want to work in a school where children get excellent academic results but they do that as a by-product of an excellent curriculum and excellent school experience”.
Entering her third headship at The Abbey, Beccy’s ‘safe hands’ come from years of experience. She is a mentor to new headteachers and is trained to deliver best practice courses for new heads. Observing Beccy with staff and students, there is a graceful, calm confidence in her interactions and The Abbey Junior School now gets to benefit from her inclusive leadership style.
Beccy has always had a passion for teaching and, as a little girl growing up in Winchester, she used to “put all my teddies and toys out and have a register”. Beccy stayed in Winchester to attend University and gain her teaching qualifications. She really fell in love with the profession at her first placement. At a school in East London she thrived with the scope to “do things differently, it was really forward thinking and outward looking and they were open to trying anything.
That’s where my love of curriculum development started”. Quickly rising in her career with such dynamism and a strong work ethic, she discovered “the joy and happiness I felt from leading and my impact being felt beyond my classroom”. The role of headteacher was a natural fit.
What does Beccy see as the core role of being head? “Being visible and a point of contact for staff, children and parents every day. Being the calm that runs through the school but also a real driver of excitement and passion and ambition, while also making sure that your school doesn’t stand still, that everybody’s got that same drive and your values are really embedded”.
Beccy epitomises the school value of joy and she is a wonderful role model leading an active and adventurous life both in and outside of school. She loves the outdoors, from walking to swimming, windsurfing to netball. She has even been shark cage diving and jumped out of an aeroplane!
Her top priorities – as well as curriculum – are “that our school values are lived out every day and to make sure that every single girl feels valued, cared for, seen as an individual and are well prepared for what’s coming next and that staff have the support, training and the environment they need to be excellent teachers”.
Beccy wants students and their families to know how much she cares and is “going to work incredibly hard to make sure they feel seen as individuals, they feel that their voices have been heard, they feel really proud of their school and achieve their very best”. You cannot help but be struck by Beccy’s drive and impressive record of delivering on ambitious objectives. Combined with her welcoming warmth and love of teaching, The Abbey Junior School is about to embark on an exciting, innovative, new chapter.
Our Site
We love our city centre location: it gives us the buzz, energy and diversity that drives our community, and helps our students develop the independent and real-world smarts they need to thrive.
But we all need space to breathe and play. The Abbey is like a TARDIS: it is bigger on the inside than the outside – or at least, much bigger than you would think if you drive past!
We supplement our beautiful outdoor space with the best activities and facilities from across the town.
Throughout the academic year, our school makes great use of wonderful local areas such as Palmer Park, the River, and the beautiful Chilterns.
Palmer Park Stadium
The River Thames
Chiltern Hills
