On Thursday 2^nd March Etone celebrated World Book Day. As is tradition the day started with the greeting of a wonderful selection of characters from the staff including Dr Suess’s Thing 1 and 2, Wednesday from the Adam’s Family, and of course our very own BFG. 

Following this our pupils were then challenged to take part in some investigative work as they looked to identify the secret readers behind the books. Check them out here and see if you can name which members of staff are enjoying each book.

With the return of our ‘Guess the Book Shelf’ competition and the chance to use their World Book Day voucher it has been wonderful to share the joys of reading with our pupils and promote the importance of reading for fun.

Alongside World Book Day, each tutor group in KS3 has been challenged to see how many texts they can read from around the world. They will be travelling around the world through a variety of texts; from America, Asia, Europe, England and Australia. This will hopefully give pupils a wider understanding of different countries. They can do this through a variety of texts (and audio books!).

This year we are excepted to be holding our Comic Relief fund raising events on Friday 24th March. This is to ensure that all of our pupils get the chance to be involved in some of the great events we are holding.

Since September 2021 we have raised over £5,000 for good causes, £2000 since September 2022. With the current climate being what it is, the donations we can make are even more important. That is why we are asking, if you are able to, support these initiatives in any way possible:

– Non-uniform day, the theme for the day is Bright Colours and the more red the better. We are suggesting a donation of £1, whatever you can afford to give would be greatly appreciated. Donations will be collected on the gate upon entry to school.

– Bake Sale, at break time in the Hall a selection of Kiplings, Cadburys and others will be on sale for donations to be made by pupils, all funds going to the cause.

– Staff vs Students Basket Ball, with the record 2-0 the Sixth Form are looking to avenge their previous efforts and get on the score board. We invite all pupils to donate and join us on Friday 24th in the Sports Hall at 3pm.

In addition to the event we will be raising awareness, sharing some Red Nose Recipes and giving pupils the chance to engage in challenges and activities across the day.

All support is greatly received.

Once again we were humbled to be featured in a recent edition of the Nuneaton News in an article relating to Etone’s efforts in remembering those who have lost their lives and been impacted by the Holocaust as part of Holocaust Memorial Week. It is extremely important to remember the atrocities that occurred during the Second World War as we work together to ensure these events never happen again.

We are therefore proud to be featured with our pupils showing how Etone plays its part in recognising the importance of remembering and educating ourselves in the experiences those who were involved would have suffered through. Keep your eyes out for future news stories in the Nuneaton News and if you want to find out more about our efforts to support National Holocaust Memorial Week read here: https://www.etonecollege.co.uk/holocaust-memorial-week/

Do you have a special talent you wish to showcase at our next big live event.

You will have the chance to perform on stage in front of a live audience in Birmingham at Millennium Point in their state-of-the-art theatre on Thursday 20^th April 2022.  Whether it be singing, dancing, juggling, stand-up comedy or anything and everything in between, we want to see all your wonderful talents.

How to enter:

• Have one of your performing arts teachers record your performance (or film it yourself and email to your teacher). 
• A snippet of your performance can be submitted, please do not worry about submitting a performance in its entirety. 
• Your teacher will be able to submit your performance video to the Matrix judging panel.
• Finalists will have the opportunity to perform at our next big trust event and some school events this year. 
• Solo entries and group entries are welcome. 
• Submit your entry by 4pm on Wednesday 15^th March.  

During the final week of term Etone was a hive of activity. With parent sessions, Options Evening and of course Valentines Day there was no quiet end to term. However, perhaps the most important event was our Love Attendance Week. The challenge issued was for each Form Group to achieve the highest weekly attendance in each key stage. As part of the week our pupils reflected on why it is so important to make sure we are attending school and making the most of our opportunities.

Today we are please to be able to announce the winners of the competition, mid-year update of attendance and most importantly who stands to achieve glory at the end of the year.

Across the week the form with the highest overall attendance was 11P1 with Mr Randall and Mr Griffiths. Across the week the group had excellent attendance and delivered a blow to Griffin’s 11G1 who had held the top spot for the past 6 weeks. Taking the whole school and KS4 title meant that in second place for KS3 was 8P1, led by Mr Bishop. Similarly 8P1 turned the tied on the Griffin KS3 champions (7G1) and maintained Phoenix’s dominance at the top.

However, bucking the trend of the burning red bird was the Sixth Form, whose 12G1 led by Miss Taylor took the ultimate prize at KS5 to ensure some success was bestowed upon Griffin.

As we go to the ‘half time’ mark, Phoenix are leading the way with attendance with an impressive lead, one which has been closed down in recent weeks by Griffin. It is also worth noting that Centaur and Dragon continue to increase their percentages, setting up true battle royale for the ultimate glory. We look forward to reporting on our many more successes upon return but for now enjoy a well earned rest.

On Thursday 16^th February it was once again an important night for Etone as we welcomed out Year 9 pupils and parents for the first face-to-face options evening in over 3 years. As the night began our guests were welcomed by our prefects with refreshments before our official introduction from Deputy Headteacher Mr Chauhan. At Etone, our vision is for a broad curriculum and to underline that we have an extensive range of subjects for our pupils to choose going into their KS4 journey. Whilst we support our pupils to ensure they are on the most suitable course for them, it is important that as parents and learners you all have an opportunity to explore the subjects and talk to the experts in those areas.

As the night progressed this year our format allowed for the visitors to choose which talks to visit, whilst having the opportunity to talk to experts in the main hall to ensure that when leaving the night our Year 9’s and their families have all of the information they need to make the right choice. Options are incredibly important as they will define the next two years of your life and could potentially be the route into your future career.

We would like to thank all who attended for an fantastic event and look forward to seeing our Year 9’s in their options as Year 10’s next year.

On Wednesday 13^th February we were delighted to host our next Parent Support Session on Supporting Your Child with Literacy and Numeracy Skills at KS3. 

In this modern world, the need for strong literacy skills and a good diet of numeracy has never been more important. With the reading gap (the difference between those who do ready form an early age and those who don’t), being a barrier to pupils progressions in next steps and recent research that suggests over 40% of the population struggle with numerical skills to support financial management in later life, we make sure that at Etone College our pupils are given the opportunity to develop their knowledge and skills both in school and at home.

The session was once again well attended and an opportunity to share the strategies and models we have in place that build strong skills in both numeracy and literacy. Whilst the range is extensive below are just some examples of what we do to support include:

• Drop Everything and Read
• Word of the Week
• Numeracy Ninjas
• Freya models for unpicking meanings of words
• Form numeracy
• Maths challenge

In addition to support in school, it was an opportunity to share some strategies and resources that can be used at home to support with your child’s development at home. We want to say a big thank you to Miss Darling and Mr Mckenna for hosting the event and for all of those in attendance. We look forward to seeing you in the session on supporting with Mental Health in March.

For the recording and resources of this session and past sessions please click here: https://www.etonecollege.co.uk/parent-carer-support-workshops/

For information our Literacy and Reading website click here: https://www.etonecollege.co.uk/reading/

To read more about our support of this years World Book Day event: https://www.etonecollege.co.uk/world-book-day-2/

Music students at Etone College have been working hard with Caius Lee and Richard Hughes on behalf of the Armonico Consort in preparation for our upcoming concert with the Grammy award winning King’s Singers at St Mary’s Church Warwick on Thursday 16^th March as part of the King’s Singers current global tour.

They have been helping our students learn a number of pieces including the acapella piece Suitcase Full of Songs, written to raise awareness of the challenges facing refugees. Through the five week project Etone students (and staff) will develop their skills for this upcoming concert with the aim to participate in future National concerts arranged by the Warwickshire group.

The King’s Singers, currently on tour in North America, sent a message to our students “Looking good guys!” and we can’t wait to meet them at the concert!