Last Friday saw two coaches full of students headed across the channel for the world-famous Lille Christmas Markets, a couple of hours north of Paris, which were nothing short of spectacular again! Fortunately, the weather was kind to us in the end, and although it was cold it was nothing that delicious hot chocolate couldn’t fix. In fact, we were spoiled for choice in terms of food and drink offerings, with students (and staff!) indulging in crepes, waffles, macarons, and traditional French cheeses!

The trip gave pupils the opportunity to explore how Christmas is celebrated in France and to use their French language skills in a native environment. Another wonderful day was had by all and it really kick-started the festivities for us!

Four students from Etone College in Nuneaton have been selected to take
part in a life-changing mentoring scheme with a world-class athlete mentor. The students have been chosen for the AQA Unlocking Potential programme, run by the exam board and education charity AQA and the Dame Kelly Holmes Trust.

The young people will be mentored by former Paralympic Skiier, Anna Turney. Etone is one of 20 schools selected to take part in this year’s programme AQA Unlocking Potential provides mentoring for young people aged 11 to 19 who have faced personal challenges or disadvantages.

Students are paired with specially trained mentors who have competed at world-class sporting events – including the Olympics and Paralympics – and have overcome their own significant personal challenges. Anna Turney will provide personal mentoring for the students over eight months to help unlock hidden attitudes and skills. They’ll also help the students to deliver a social action project towards the end of the programme.

Our latest half-price book fair has been a record-breaking success with cash sales of over £500! Grabbing bargain books priced as low as £1.50, students also took advantage of half-priced stationery, posters, diaries, note-books and photo frames. New books were on offer from Ransom Riggs, Anthony Horowitz, Andy McNab, Malorie Blackman, Michael Morpurgo as well as new celebrity authors such as Alesha Dixon and Roman Kemp!

Also popular were the latest 2020 gaming and football books, Disney Twisted Tales, and books associated with TV and Netflix shows such as Riverdale and the Chilling Adventures of Sabrina. Classic literature was also popular from authors such as Charles Dickens, Shakespeare, Oscar Wilde, Arthur Conan Doyle and Arthur C Clarke and Robert Louis Stevenson.

As usual, each book fair comes with the opportunity for students to win a free book by entering a competition. All year 7 and 8 students were given a library lesson to complete this and thoroughly enjoyed re-writing the song The Twelve Days Of Christmas. There were some very worthy entries with popular themes including fast food, politics, gaming and the latest gadgets! Congratulations to the following pupils who won a free book: Dylan 7C1, Jamie 7C1, Harrison 7G1 and Eve 7D1. Additionally: Tara 8P2, Mohammed 8P2, Yasin 8G1, Hishaam 8P2, Isa 8D1, Uzair 8D1, Tony 8C2, Roman 8P1, Mariam 8P2 and  Evie 8D1.

Our next fair will run in the beginning of March; corresponding with World Book Day week, with more new books on offer! Don’t miss it!

On Friday 15th November Etone held a fundraising event to support BBC Children in Need. All students were given the option to wear non-school uniform along with the staff. A cake sale was held in the hall and students were asked for a donation depending on the size of the cake, the doughnuts were by far the most popular. A massive thank you to all students, parents and carers who donated cakes, the cake sale was very popular with staff and students alike.

One of our year 11 Sazia showed off her creative and artistic skills with her
Henna designs, this was very popular with our female students and some beautiful designs were created! Mrs Dyde on reception supported Children in Need by running the duck race for staff and the winning duck was Beakwell Tart, closely followed Breadie Mercury; congratulations to Miss Dalal & Mr Gardiner. Etone College are proud to announce that we raised a grand total of £1,097.19 for BBC Children in Need; thank you once again for all your support.

Students have been respectfully engaged in Remembrance Day activities in the library. All pupils had the opportunity to look at a wall display of local areas affected by the Blitz and were stunned to discover they lived near affected areas and still recognised them. Students read the Blitz Remembrance booklet and recognised streets and roads that were a part of their daily lives. This brought home to them the tragedy of entire families lost during the bombings of Nuneaton, Bedworth and Coventry. Some pupils also consulted with family members to verify that they were linked to some names and were relatives. Furthermore, they were humbled by the Nuneaton Book of Remembrance which lists all fallen Nuneaton soldiers of World War One. Pupils respectfully researched the documents and also

read replica copies of World War Two newspapers. Wall displays around the library also featured cross-curricular information and posters relating to both World Wars including subjects such as science, food technology, maths, history, geography and life-long learning. Of particular interest was a typical week’s ration for a family and also well-known brands advertised during the war; such as Cadburys, Coca Cola, Birds and Kelloggs, which are still available today.

On 11 October 2019, our Sixth Form had the opportunity to host our Nuneaton and Bedworth MP Mr Marcus Jones. As part of our Life Skills Program and commitment to British Values, the theme across our main school and sixth form for the week was “Individual Liberty and the Freedom to Vote”. It was such an opportunity for our students to finish the week being able to discuss both individual and national concerns with our own representative in the Houses of Parliament.

After a brief tour of the Sixth Form, Mr Jones gave a short presentation followed by a question and answer session with our students. The questions were wide-ranging from, “What made you interested in politics to whether he supported a hard stance on Brexit. Many of the Sixth Form will be eligible to vote in the next election and this time was important for them to start the process of engaging with the political process and exercising their democratic right to be part of it

Daniel Dewar, Head Boy said: “My family recently made the decision to leave South Africa and relocate to the UK. I had grown up there but my parents who are of British origin wanted us to come to Britain. It is days like today that make me feel that I can have a voice and will be listened to. I now feel more confident in being able to speak out about issues that are important to young people.”

What really impressed the students was the fact that Mr Jones grew up in Nuneaton and attended local schools. Apart from the ‘political discussion’ the fact that someone from this area can be part of the country’s decision-makers and have a successful career is important to them. It gives the strong message that ambitions and aspirations are achievable with hard work and dedication. Etone College thanks to our MP sincerely for his time and efforts with our students. It has left a lasting impression and above all that their views and opinions matter.

On Friday 28th June 2019, around 80 of our Year 11 pupils enjoyed a night to remember at their end of year prom, which was held at the prestigious Coombe Abbey Hotel in Coventry. Family, friends and staff eagerly awaited the arrival of our guests, who turned up in a variety of vehicles, from retro camper-vans to top of the range supercars.

Once the sun had gone down, our newly announced Prom King and Queen were responsible for setting off the firework display. A great night was had by all and we would like to thank our Year 11 guests for their impeccable behaviour on the night.

A highlights reel and photos from the evening can be found below.

As I sat watching these young people all dancing together on the dance floor it strongly came to my mind that this was the end of a chapter in their lives and the start of a new one. Many of them had been with us from Year Seven and like the caterpillar, could almost be overlooked in the array of lots of them, with too big blazers and shiny new shoes.  Looking at the glitz, the sparkle, the glamour of our young ladies and the smart suave assurance of our young men they truly looked ready to spread their wings and fly to their next adventures.  Destinations were varying, universities the length and breadth of the country, apprenticeships and jobs in many different sectors. The transitions for them at times scary but also exciting.  Without a doubt, each of them is ready for the steps into their places in shaping the future of us all.   As staff we looked on and felt renewed and revitalised to see them ‘ready willing and able’ to face new challenges. Each confident face knowing for certain that through their hard work, perseverance and commitment that aspirations can be achieved.

This was also a poignant time for us in the Sixth Form as it was Mr Mitchell’s last Prom. The staff and students thank him for his hard work, dedication and vision and wish him the very best for his next position. There is no doubt fancy dress will be a prominent feature of that College! To him and our departing students, we look forward to hearing of their successes and have every confidence that they will be assets to their next establishments.  One final thought, to them and as a reminder to us all, ‘ You must be the change you wish to see in the world.‘  Dr King

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.