On the early hours of 8th July, 31 students gathered at Etone College to set off for three days packed with culture, history and experiences that we definitely won’t forget. After six long and exhausting hours, we safely arrived in Berlin, dropped off our bags and were ready to start the day of exploring the city. We were soon navigating the streets and the complicated transport systems, mainly thanks to Mr Hope, our own personal tour guide.

Our first stop was Checkpoint Charlie, a significant part of Berlin’s history as it acted as a secure passing during the division of the city following the start of the Cold War. After a short break for lunch, we guided our way past the glorious Berlin Cathedral, we made our way to the DDR Museum which painted a clear image of life in East Berlin under Soviet control. We were shocked to discover the appalling quality of life of the citizens, their lack of freedom and the power that Soviet’s had over them, which amplified our understanding of the tensions during the 1960s. We finished our day with a thrilling trip to the iconic TV Tower, from which the views of the city stretched before us, we were able to locate popular landmarks from the Reichstag Dome to the Brandenburg Gate – some were even able to find an infamous Soviet Spy base which had a peculiar shape.

After a well-earned rest, we were able to start our next day, first stop: the Berlin Wall. We were given a thorough tour of the remains of the wall, our guide detailed the devastating events that happened after the wall was built in 1961 and how lives were impacted by the tensions that occurred between the East and West. We were told the tragic stories of people who were directly impacted as they tried to escape the terrors of East Berlin, and the news that the youngest victim of this horror was just six years old was horrifying to us. We continued by visiting the Topography of Terror and were intrigued by the reality of Nazi control and the measures they took to protect their ideology.

We finished sightseeing on a lighter note, by visiting the Olympiastadion, an important part of Germany’s history as it was used as propaganda for Nazi Germany but also how in recent years the stadium hasn’t been used to fuel an ideology but instead has become a vital part of Germany’s society. After a short stop at the hotel, we set out for bowling, which was a compelling and rewarding finish to the day.

After days of sightseeing, socialising and tasting the most popular dishes of
Germany – including the currywurst which was highly recommended by Mr Hope. Moreover, we were eager to spot all the different colourful bears dotted around Berlin, which totalled to fourteen bears! We also gathered bags full plastic bottles as we learnt about the eco-friendly approach to recycling in Berlin and we earnt over €7! Early Thursday morning we set off back for England, a calm and quiet journey as 31students were ready to return to the comfort of their own homes.

Although we were exhausted, this experience has been an enriching and memorable experience and we’re all very thankful for this opportunity.

We were honoured to welcome an ex Etone pupil, Lecturer at Birmingham City University, Dr Shannon Ludgate, as the keynote speaker at this year’s Progress Praise Awards on the 4th July. She was truly an inspiration to those pupils in the audience who understand the meaning of effort and resilience in achieving and even surpassing, expectations of themselves. We would like to thank Dr Ludgate once again for her time and inspiring words.

This was an evening to celebrate success: pupils from Years 7-10, who have made excellent progress and have achieved outstanding attainment over the course of the academic year, were celebrated in front of their parents and carers as well as in front of a sparkling backdrop on our beautifully decorated Main Hall stage.

The effort and hard work of these pupils were rewarded with personalised individual trophies which they will be able to cherish forever.

As well as progress and attainment, trophies and prizes were also awarded for Outstanding Contribution Toward House; Outstanding Behaviour for Learning and 100% Attendance. We also celebrated our most recent Duke of Edinburgh Awards.

The theme of the night was clear from the speech given by our newly elected Head Girl as she praised the hard work and effort that all nominees had displayed in order to achieve nominations for these awards. All pupils who attended will benefit from their hard work, not just tonight, but into their future lives and careers.

A number of our students recently took part in the PE Netball trip to Boreatton Park PGL Centre in Shropshire on Friday 10th May to Sunday 12th May 2019.

We would like to say a big well done to all of the pupils for their excellent behaviour and for giving it their all. A special congratulations, however, must go to our Year 10 and Year 8 teams who won medals for placing 3rd.

On Wednesday 13^th March 2019 a group of six Year 8 students took part in a public speaking competition held at Blenheim Palace. The group were challenged to create their own speech about a topic they felt strongly about but had to make sure that there was a link to the values and ideas of Sir Winston Churchill. Our team chose to discuss global warming and worked collaboratively to research the topic. Global warming was not a world issue during the lifetime of Churchill and our students showed a high level of skill to be able to interpret and incorporate Churchill’s views into their own ideas.

After an early start on the day of the trip (7 am) our team competed against many other schools. Whilst not being placed in the top three, they all spoke clearly and were able to argue their case with confidence. The team came away with a collection of books on public speaking for the school library.

We already have a number of Year 7 students who took part in the preliminaries in school during February who will form next year’s team. Our experts from this year will be able to work with them in order to share the tips received from the judges. In the meantime, any students who are keen to develop their public speaking skills should practise giving reasons to support their views, using expression and tone to engage their listeners and projecting their voice clearly.

This year the prestigious Matrix Academy Trust performing arts show was held at Etone College. Ranging from all Key Stages with a mixture of both dance and drama performances. All academies came together to showcase their performances from after school clubs and exam pieces. The collaborative show gives pupils the opportunity to gain inspiration from their peers.

The Dance pieces crossed all genres of dance from Ballet to Body Locking. There were solo’s, duets and group pieces bringing different dimensions to the showcase. The Drama touched on sensitive issues but also brought humour to the proceedings. The audience gave such support to all performers which added to the brilliant atmosphere.

As always it was a pleasure to see all our schools from within the trust sharing their talents with one another and celebrating their successes. A huge well done to everyone involved.

On Friday 1st March Sylvia Deakin (nee Sidwell) paid a visit to Etone College. Sylvia is an ex-pupil of what was formerly Nuneaton High School for Girls, and came back to visit her old school on her 85th birthday,  67 years after she left to begin University life in Sheffield.

Sylvia had attended the preparatory school on the same site, after she and her family were evacuated to Nuneaton from Coventry, following a lucky escape during the Blitz, when an unexploded bomb landed in the street outside their home in Beresford Avenue.

When the 11 Plus was introduced in 1944 she passed the exam in 1945 and became a pupil of the High School. She remained a pupil until the Sixth Form when she left to go to University in Sheffield in 1952. Following her graduation in 1955 she returned to the school as a teacher.

Sylvia was delighted with her visit and surprised to see and recognise so much of her old school still being used from the dining room, which used to be the school hall where she played piano for assembly, to the Headteacher’s house at the top of the drive and the current Headteacher’s office which used to be a study room where they would sit by a large open fire.

She remembers many of the teachers were women whose husbands or ‘sweethearts’ had died in either the 1st or 2nd World War. Every Friday, one teacher would get the girls to kick their legs and sing along to ‘All the Nice Girls love a Sailor’.  She loved school and felt it was her duty to work hard because she wanted to say thank you to her parents Thomas and Hilda.

She married  Marcus Deakin in 1955, at Salem Baptist Chapel in Longford, Coventry. They had four children and ran a small-holding in Inkberrow, Worcestershire for many years, where she still lives.  She continued to teach until she retired in 1992.

Sylvia thoroughly enjoyed her visit to Etone College, along with her daughter Jane and son-in-law Philip, and was well looked after by Mrs Emery. It was a trip down memory lane and a real birthday treat.

Mrs Emery said ‘it was a pleasure to tour the school with Sylvia and her family and to hear the many stories of the goings on at Nuneaton High School for Girls all those years ago as well as hearing first hand, how the school had changed over the years’