As part of stress awareness month we have handed out over 150 sunflower seeds for students to take home and grow. Gardening is a great way to help with stress and links with Etones’ 5 top tips Connect, Be Active, Take Notice, Give and Keep Learning.

Connect – The sunflower project allows students to connect and have a healthy competition between themselves

Be Active – By spending time in the garden caring for your sunflower you are looking after your physical and mental health

Take notice – Take a minute to appreciate nature and watch how your seed grows into a beautiful sunflower, you may notice yours is not yellow as sunflowers can also be red and purple!!

Give – by taking part in The Big Grow Sunflower challenge you are supporting the local community

Keep Learning – Learning about gardens and nature can be a wonderful personal journey for someone to go on.

The seeds, pots and compost were kindly donated by The Makery – Guardians of the grow charity who have arranged the Sunflower competition for all schools, nurseries and other community organisations in Nuneaton to take part in. Etone College have also arranged their own competition and invite all students and staff to share their sunflower photos by the 1^st July. There will be prizes award for the biggest sunflower.

Embarking on a journey beyond borders can be a transformative experience for students, offering them a unique opportunity to immerse themselves in different cultures, languages, and traditions. Recently, a group of 35 adventurous pupils from across Matrix Academy Trust had the incredible opportunity to explore the city of Stockholm, Sweden through the Turing Scheme. This government-funded scheme enables pupils to experience other cultures. 

Our first activity was a visit to the Paradox Musuem, which offers an engaging exploration of optical illusions. Visitors are invited to pose for some great pictures as part of these illusions, before walking to the Avicii Experience, where our pupils enjoyed DJing alongside the groundbreaking DJ and producer, experiencing his music in a unique and immersive setting. 

Later that afternoon, our students had the opportunity to visit Gamla Stan, Stockholm’s charming Old Town, exploring landmarks such as the Royal Armouries. They also delved into the world of Nobel laureates at the Nobel Prize Museum, learning about the importance of science, literature, and peace in shaping our world.  

On our second day, we visited the Vasa Museum in Stockholm. As you step into the museum, you’re greeted by the Vasa ship, a preserved warship that sank on its maiden voyage in 1628 and was salvaged centuries later. Our pupils also enjoyed exploring Lego versions of the world’s most famous shipwrecks. 

Following this, our students had the pleasure of exploring the iconic music of Sweden. At the ABBA museum, they were immersed in ABBA’s iconic costumes and memorabilia, exploring interactive exhibits and singing and dancing along to timeless hits.  

On day three, we paid a visit to the Tekniska Museum of science, technology, and innovation. Here the pupils enjoyed interactive exhibits, followed by lunch at Max Burgers – Sweden’s (significantly better) answer to McDonalds.  

In the afternoon, we took a scenic boat tour around Stockholm’s archipelago, where we got to see the city’s iconic landmarks from a unique perspective. And in the afternoon, the competitive natures of staff and pupils kicked in with an outdoor escape room adventure around the historic town. Divided into teams, pupils navigated their teams and their teacher through the narrow cobblestone streets, solving clues and unravelling mysteries, where only one of our groups solved the clues to find the final code! 

On day four, our pupils had the opportunity to visit Töjnaskolan, a Swedish school located in the suburbs of Stockholm. Stepping into the classrooms of Töjnaskolan, our pupils were struck by the differences between British and Swedish educational systems. Aside from being instant celebrities, they noticed smaller class sizes, a longer lunchtime and no school uniform. The visit sparked discussions between both sets of pupils about the different educational models, encouraging our students to reflect on their own learning experiences and cultural perspectives. 

On day 5 was a visit to Skansen, the world’s first open-air museum, showcasing Swedish life from centuries past to the present day. Our students were delighted to explore the native animals of Sweden, with the highlight of the visit being the opportunity to hand-feed some of the friendly birds that call Skansen home. 

On our final day, our pupils experienced an adrenaline rush at Skypark Vaxholm, an exhilarating outdoor adventure park. They navigated treetop obstacle courses, zip-lined across forests, and conquered thrilling challenges, pushing their limits and building confidence. 

As our pupils bid farewell to Stockholm and boarded their flight back to London Heathrow, they carried with them memories that will last a lifetime. The trip embodied Matrix Academy Trust’s ethos of Education without Exception. Through experiences like the Stockholm trip, we empower our students to open their minds to endless possibilities and shape them into compassionate, informed global citizens. 

In March, pupils across Matrix were invited to enter a Maths competition to celebrate Pi Day. Pupils were asked to use their imagination to bring Pi to life and to illustrate a real life example of Pi. We received entries from Smestow Academy, Etone College and Turves Green Boys School. M Harris from Smestow was our overall winner and has received a £30 Amazon voucher. C Bettison from Etone College and E Keegan from Turves Green Boys’ School received a £10 Amazon voucher for runner up prizes.

Huge congratulations to all three pupils!

The UK Mathematics Trust (UKMT) are an organisation that Coordinates national and international mathematics challenge every year. These challenges are designed to provide young people an opportunity to demonstrate their fantastic understanding of complex and obscure mathematical based problems. On 25^th April, a group of 60 students across year 7 and year 8 who have demonstrated outstanding assessment results throughout the academic year were given the opportunity to compete in the 2024 Junior Mathematics challenge. This is a great opportunity, that is thoroughly enriching and gives the students a chance to demonstrate their excellent numeracy skills. All students demonstrated fantastic maturity when completing the challenge, giving the challenge their best effort, despite being their first time competing for the majority of students. When a small group of year 7 students were asked about their experience completing the challenge, they responded that they were “nervous before it started, but found it really fun” and that given the opportunity next year would love to compete again. We now await students results from the challenge… Well done all involved!

On Monday this week, Year 7 students attended a session run by Warwickshire Police about the impact of hate crime on all of its facets.  This formed a part of our Learning for Life provision.  During the session, students examined a case study where hate crime had taken place merely due to the clothing that a young girl had chosen to wear.   Sessions such as this are an invaluable part of the pupils’ wider education and we wish to thank the police for working with us to deliver such  helpful and informative sessions. 

As pupils reflected on the session, they were able to discuss the definition of a hate crime and how it differs from other types of crimes. They were able to relate it to the Protected Characteristics and how physical or verbal abuse based on such characteristics falls into this type of hate crime.  To find out more about our personal development curriculum, do visit our website.

Nestled in the heart of our extracurricular offerings lies the After-School Arts Club, a vibrant haven where students unlock their imaginations, explore artistic techniques, and forge friendships through the shared love of creativity.

Led by passionate teachers and fueled by the enthusiasm of our students at Etone College, the After-School Arts Club is a melting pot of diverse talents and interests. From painting to p[aper clay pottery there’s something for every budding artist to explore.

One of the recent highlights of the club has been the mesmerizing art of pouring painting. Using a unique technique that involves pouring acrylic paint onto canvas, students have been able to create stunning abstract artworks that captivate the eye and stir the soul. Each piece is a testament to the individuality and creativity of its creator, showcasing a kaleidoscope of colors and emotions.

Through hands-on experimentation and guided instruction, students have not only honed their technical skills but have also learned the value of perseverance and self-expression. The process of pouring paint may seem simple at first glance, but it requires patience, precision, and a willingness to embrace the unpredictable.

The After-School Arts Club isn’t just about creating art; it’s about fostering a sense of community and collaboration. Students work side by side with their teachers, offering encouragement and feedback as they embark on their artistic journeys together. Bonds are formed, ideas are shared, and each member is empowered to explore their creativity in a supportive environment.

We invite the entire  Etone school community to marvel at their talent and dedication. Stay tuned to our school news for updates on upcoming showcases when young minds are set free to create.

Rehearsals for ‘Etone’s Got Talent’ are in full swing.  Our musicians, comedians and impressionists can’t wait to share their performances with you on 4^th July in the Hall.  More details to follow, watch this space …

We are pleased to be working with Active in Mind Athlete Mentor Programme again this year. This programme is a student-led intervention, designed to make use of physical activity as a proactive solution to mental health and wellbeing issues present within schools. The project is ran by 5 Young Mental Health Champions from Year 12, who will plan and deliver a ‘10 week’ intervention for 15 young people in year 7-9. The programme supports Etone’s Mental Health top tips; Connect; Be Active; Take Notice; Give and Keep Learning.

On Wednesday 24^th April Etones’ Active in Mind programme got underway with the Sixth Form Mental Health Champions working with our professional athlete mentor, Yasmin Clark.  Yasmin is a former professional tennis player who competed at Junior Wimbledon in 2005/2006. She now coaches tennis to people of all ages and abilities in Derbyshire.

The Mental Health Champions took part in a number of tasks throughout the morning including learning all about what it takes to become a mentor and planning activities ready to deliver to our year 7 – 9 students. During the afternoon the sixth formers worked alongside Yasmin to teach the lower school pupils the importance of good physical health and maintaining a healthy lifestyle to support positive mental wellbeing.

Our sixth formers are looking forward to continuing this programme and leading a series of sessions with our pupils, aiming to give them lots of knowledge about keeping active and leading healthy lifestyles.

Within the CCF we deliver a progressive syllabus, enabling cadets to learn and improve their skills in many areas from drill to shooting to personal development skills like; communication, leadership, team-building and other key employability skills, which are also delivered across the curriculum here at Etone.

Last weekend, six of our cadets spent the day at Barr Beacon School on a Bronze Leadership course. Cadets had to of already achieved the Blue leadership qualification to be able to attend this weekend.

The day started with some classroom-based lectures on areas like; management styles, communication skills and how to be an effective leader. 

Once this was completed the cadets were then split into groups of six and started a carousel of different leadership activities where each team member lead the group in turn to complete one of six tasks. 

These tasks are known as command task. The task starts with the team leader firstly being briefed on a scenario, what they need achieve, the time scale and what restrictions apply to the task. The team leader, using the SMEAC process (Situation, Mission, Execution, Any questions and Check understanding), will then brief their team with the information they were given, delegate certain roles to members of the team, discuss the task and how the team will complete it, then attempt to complete the task.

Each team leader is then assessed during the task from the initial delivery to their team to the discussion and finally the execution of the task. Each leader is marked against a set of criteria and given a score out of thirty. If they achieve the number of points required, they will pass the task and the course and achieve their Bronze Leadership.

We are very pleased to confirm that all our cadets that attended the course passed and achieved their Bronze Leadership badge and certificate.

As part of our mental health strategy, we have held a Stress Awareness Fortnight from 15^th – 26^th April.

During this time, the following activities took place for pupils: self-Reiki and meditation at break time, a positive pineapple treasure hunt around school for Years 7 and 8 ; a drop in every Wednesday at the Success Centre for Year 11 & 13 during the build up to exams and a “Grow your own Sunshine” project for pupils and staff. Pupils have taken  a sunflower seed and  will grow this over the next few weeks with prizes awarded at the start of July. We have also sent out information to all pupils on how to manage stress and have information available on our website to support the preparation for exams.  This has been a very successful event and we look forward to seeing all the sunflower pictures in July which will be shared on our website.