Friday 21st was a time for the Community School of the Year to swing into action. With a busy day Etone College raised funds once again for Comic Relief. Building up to this day our pupils had the chance to understand the importance of the charity through our annual assembly. This year delivered by Mr Bowley and the Community Champions the focus of the assembly was sharing how small actions can have big impacts. 

For example for just £100 this can fully train a mentor in Africa who can support young children in keeping them safe. An interesting question to think “how much is our safety worth?” with all Houses agreeing much more than £100.

On the day itself it was fantastic to see the efforts of the Etone Community Champions as they descended onto the school gates to help collect for our Non-uniform day. With the vast majority of pupils showing their giving side the buckets were already heaving.

At lunch time the festivities continued as pupils had the chance to take part in specially designed activities at lunch including the: ‘Tell us a Joke’, ‘Design a Red Nose’ competitions or the Big Comic Relief quiz. So far we have raised over £800 with the final total being announce later this week. Well done Etone!!

Join us on March 17^th for our upcoming Themed Menu Day – Celebrating St. Patricks Day. With the luck of the Irish on our side you can indulge in the classic ‘Irish Fry’ complete with bread and butter, enjoy trialling our Irish Stew with traditional Colcannon. Before finished off with a delicious cupcake surprise. See you on the 17^th – And may the luck of the Irish be with you!

A big congratulations to Luka who took part in November in the IFT World Championships in Uzbekistan competing in Taekwon-do.  Luka achieved bronze and has been selected again to represent GB in April / May 2025 competing in the category of 1^st Degree Patterns in the European ITF Taekwon-do Championships in Tallin, Estonia 2025. We wish him the best of luck!!!

On International Women's Day, our Year 7 science students had the unique opportunity to engage with three inspiring scientists, one of whom has worked on NASA projects. The event was a resounding success, as the students were captivated by the live feedback and discussions about careers in STEM, particularly for women.

The scientists shared their personal journeys, highlighting the challenges women often face in the STEM workplace, including discrimination and stereotypes. However, they also emphasized the numerous opportunities available in this field and encouraged the students to pursue their interests without hesitation. The message was clear: Science is open to everyone, and girls should feel empowered to explore and excel in STEM careers.

The talk was not only informative but also motivational, as the scientists spoke about their experiences and the rewards of working in STEM. The students were highly engaged, asking thoughtful questions and participating in lively discussions. This event was a fantastic way to celebrate both science and the contributions of women in science, inspiring our students to consider a future in these exciting fields.

The feedback from the students was overwhelmingly positive, with many expressing their gratitude for the opportunity to learn from such accomplished role models. This event reinforced the importance of promoting diversity and inclusion in STEM education, encouraging our students to break down barriers and pursue their passions with confidence. We are grateful to the scientists who shared their time and expertise with us, and we look forward to continuing to inspire our students to explore the vast possibilities in STEM

In February, History students across KS3 took part in researching the lives of six LGBTQ+ figures. Students delved into their work and accomplishments, analysing their impact on our world today. Alan Turing, Oscar Wilde, Edith Windsor, Lady Phyll, Justin Fashanu and Elton John may be names you are familiar with. Our KS3 students could certainly tell you about their contributions.

Notable Figures

On Thursday 27^th February two groups of Year 9 pupils attended the morning and afternoon sessions of the Teen Tech Festival at MIRA Technology Institute in Nuneaton. The purpose of the event is for some of the leading industry experts to engage with the younger generation and share with them some of the up to date movements in technology. Across the day at The MIRA Technology Institute our pupils had the chance to take part in some truly exciting challenges and hands-on activities including coming up with some innovative technologies.

One group was particularly impressive in the skills and understanding shown during their presentation with many pupils and groups going on to win awards. In the second half of the event pupils had the chance to  network with potential employers who gave feedback on their project ideas. The day was a real success with many pupils now looking to enter the national competition with their ideas. Wish us luck.

Once again we were overwhelmed by the support and positivity of our most recent ‘Parental Support Workshop’. The event was scheduled to provide some dedicated time to give parents a walkthrough of our communication and technology usage and advice with utilising this in school.

Following the presentation element there was an opportunity for parents to share their ideas on how we can continue to enhance our programme with all ideas warmly appreciated.

Please keep your eyes out for the next parent support session.

Parent/Carer Wokrshops

Over the last three weeks our Year 13 pupils have had a Money workshop which has taught them essential like skills such as budgeting and how to make your money last longer. The sessions were tailored to support all pupils including those going to apprenticeships and university. Each session gave pupils an insight into how loans and student finance worked, how much you are paid on average during an apprenticeship and some top tips for saving. Pupils were highly engaged and positive about the sessions and participated in a variety of activities, including being given a budget and justifying how you would spend your money each month. 

On Saturday 25th January, members of the Etone choir once again had the incredible opportunity to perform alongside Armonico Consort, directed by Christopher Monks.

Students performed a premiere of the work Supersize Polyphony 2 by Hollywood composer David Buckley as well as the incredible Spem in Alium by Thomas Tallis. Spem in Alium has a staggering 40 different vocal parts so singers need to be very good to perform these different lines simultaneously.

Students were able to listen to professional performances as well as getting to perform alongside the amazing professional singers. We were treated to a diverse programme of vocal works in full surround sound (16th century style) which even included music by the composer Hildegard Von Bingen (11th century).

What an incredible evening and thank you very much for inviting us to have such an incredible opportunity.

This week we have celebrated the achievements of pupils at Etone through our Progress Praise year group assemblies. Our expectation is that everyone in our school gives 100% all day, every day. Therefore, the categories for outstanding achievement include most progress in each subject, highest attainment in each subject, outstanding attendance (100%) and outstanding behaviour (100% positive behaviour ratio).

Pupils have also been issued certificates and badges for reaching house point milestones and demonstrating our employability characteristics.

Pupils who have been issued certificates and have been nominated for awards are demonstrating our Etone values which are fundamental traits to prepare pupils for society and their working adult life.

All winners in each year group have been placed into a draw. Three winners have been picked per year group. The prizes are:

1^st Prize - £50 Amazon voucher for the pupil and a £50 Just Eat voucher for their family to have a celebratory meal.

2^nd Prize - £50 Amazon voucher for the pupil and a £25 Just Eat voucher for their family to have a celebratory meal.

3^rd Prize - £50 Amazon voucher for the pupil

Well done to everyone nominated.