Today, our new Year 7 Careers Ambassadors took part in an exciting training session, supported by our experienced, older Careers Ambassadors.

The session gave our new ambassadors the opportunity to find out more about their important role in helping fellow students explore the wide range of careers and opportunities available to them. Together, they looked at the key skills needed to be an effective Careers Ambassador, including communication, teamwork, confidence and being a positive role model.

They also explored how to navigate the careers website, discovering where to find useful information about different jobs, career pathways, qualifications and future opportunities. This will help them support and peer mentor other students, encouraging everyone to think about their futures and discover careers they may not have considered before.

It was fantastic to see our older ambassadors sharing their knowledge, experience and advice with the next generation of student leaders. A big thank you to everyone involved!

What's coming up next?

There is plenty to look forward to in our careers programme! Our next big event will be the Careers Fair in January, giving students the chance to meet employers, discover different industries and find out more about the world of work.

We are also looking forward to our Staff Careers Quiz, where students will get the chance to put their knowledge to the test and discover some surprising facts about the careers and experiences of our very own staff!

November is a busy month in the Personal Development Calendar. This week we have been focusing on Remembrance in preparation for Remembrance Day on 11^th November. Our CCF Cadets will be representing the school in both local and Trust parades and we look forward to sharing images of these in the upcoming weeks. In English lessons, the work on Remembrance has continued as pupils reflect through starter activities.

Anti-Bullying Weeks take place each year between 16^th -20^th November. Pupils will be receiving key messages through assemblies and form time activities that week supported by our amazing Anti-Bullying Ambassadors who will be supporting assemblies and delivering key messages through form group visits.  Pupils can also show their support of Anti-Bullying by wearing their odd socks on Monday 16^th November in support of this week. The theme this year is Break the Silence. Etone is a telling school, and we encourage our pupils to always speak up and speak out if they have any concerns.

We are also proud to be celebrating faith festivals throughout the year, and pupils have been learning about the festivals of Diwali and Navaratri in November and we are grateful to staff and pupils who have led assemblies to share reflections about their faith. Finally, November is also Stress Awareness Month and information will be provided to both pupils and parents to manage and support stress. We have a great range of activities on including Just Dance in the Hall every Tuesday and Friday and pop up stands in the Hall and Cafe at break where pupils can come and talk about their wellbeing and top tips to support them.

On Monday 14th November, Etone College will be stepping out in style as we invite all pupils and staff to take part in Odd Socks Day, supporting the Anti-Bullying Alliance and marking the start of our wider Anti-Bullying Week celebrations!

Odd Socks Day is a fun and colourful opportunity to celebrate what makes each of us unique, reminding everyone that our differences should be respected, valued and celebrated. Pupils are encouraged to wear their brightest, boldest and most mismatched socks to show their support for kindness, inclusion and standing together against bullying.

There will also be opportunities for tutor groups to show off their colourful combinations with a form group photograph, capturing everyone getting involved in the spirit of the day!

Not wanting to miss out on the fun, staff will also be putting their best feet forward with a special 'Guess the Feet' competition. Can pupils work out which pair of odd socks belongs to which member of staff?

As part of our wider Anti-Bullying Week activities, Odd Socks Day is a fantastic way to reinforce our Etone Values and celebrate the powerful sense of community that makes our school special.

So dig out those odd socks, embrace what makes you different and help us take a stand against bullying – one colorful step at a time!

We were delighted to welcome Lewis Hall, a representative from the OddBalls Foundation, to Etone College to receive an incredible £5,011 raised by our pupils through their Snowdon fundraising challenge, which took place in the Summer Term last year.

During his visit, Lewis spoke about the important work of the OddBalls Foundation in raising awareness of testicular cancer and encouraging conversations around men's health.

Following this, Lewis was presented with a cheque by some of the pupils who took part in the challenge, alongside Mr Smith.

We would like to extend a huge thank you to Lewis and the OddBalls Foundation for visiting us, and to everyone who took part, donated or supported the fundraiser. We are incredibly proud of our pupils for demonstrating the Etone Values and making such a fantastic contribution to an important cause!

One of our Year 13 sixth form students, Prisha and Miss Sandilands have been working together to deliver two assemblies celebrating different religious festivals. The first assembly focused on Navratri, a Hindu festival which was delivered to Year 7 this week, with a second assembly on Diwali being delivered to Year 8 next Monday.

Please see the attached summary write-ups for further information about both festivals. These assemblies form part of a wider programme being delivered across the school to celebrate and raise awareness of different religions, faiths and cultural traditions.

We are pleased to announce the update of our extracurricular offer for Autumn 2. Please follow the link to show the full range of clubs that pupils can attend before school, at break and after school. HERE

Extracurricular clubs offer pupils the opportunity to make new friends and learn new skills and we would really appreciate your support in encouraging pupils to attend at least one of our exciting range of clubs each week.  Pupils are also rewarded for attendance at clubs.

The spotlight this week is on MFL - please take a look at the fantastic offer that is provided for pupils by our Languages Team

The festive season is nearly upon us, and at Etone College we are getting ready to spread some Christmas cheer with our annual Christmas Jumper Day on Thursday 10th December 2026!

As part of our celebrations, we are inviting all pupils to get into the festive spirit by wearing their favourite Christmas jumper and making a £1 donation to charity. Whether it is covered in reindeer, snowflakes, Christmas trees or something a little more unusual, we cannot wait to see a fantastic display of festive fashion across the College!

On the day, pupils wearing a Christmas jumper will not be required to wear their school blazer. All other school uniform expectations will remain in place, ensuring that we can enjoy the celebrations whilst maintaining our usual high standards.

Christmas Jumper Day is a wonderful opportunity to come together as a school community, demonstrate our Etone Values and support a worthwhile cause during the season of goodwill.

There is no need to purchase a new jumper especially for the occasion. We encourage pupils to reuse a jumper they already own, borrow one or even get creative with some festive decorations!

With the incredible generosity our pupils and families continue to demonstrate, we hope to raise a fantastic amount whilst enjoying a little festive fun along the way.

We look forward to seeing Etone filled with Christmas colour, creativity and plenty of festive spirit, all whilst making a positive difference to others!

At Etone College, we believe that being part of a community means looking out for one another. As we enter the season of goodwill, we are once again encouraging our pupils and families to make a difference by supporting our Nuneaton Foodbank Christmas Appeal.

Nuneaton Foodbank provides an invaluable service to individuals and families experiencing hardship across our local area, collecting and distributing essential food and household items to those who need them most.

With Christmas approaching, we are hoping that the Etone community can come together to help ensure that local families have access to some of the essentials that many of us take for granted.

We are particularly grateful for donations of:

• Tinned goods: Tomatoes, vegetables, potatoes and fruit.
• Cupboard essentials: Instant mash, long-life milk, squash and small jars of coffee.
• Toiletries and household items: Deodorant, shower gel, toilet rolls, washing powder and washing-up liquid.
• Baby essentials: Size 5 and 6 nappies.
• Festive treats: Christmas goodies with a long shelf life.

All food donations must be new, unopened and within their use-by or best-before dates.

Donations can be brought to Main Reception on Thursday 26 and Friday 27 November 2026.

We appreciate that Christmas can be an expensive time for everyone, and there is no expectation that families must contribute. However, for those who are able to donate, even one item could make a meaningful difference to someone in our community.

This initiative provides another fantastic opportunity for Etone pupils to demonstrate active citizenship and our shared commitment to kindness, generosity and supporting others. After all, the people we help could be our neighbours, friends or even members of our own families.

A huge thank you to our Etone community for your continued generosity and support. Together, we can help make Christmas a little brighter for those who need it most.

As the festive season approaches, Etone College is once again delighted to support the Salvation Army's Nuneaton Toy Drive, helping to spread a little Christmas magic to children and young people across our local community.

Christmas is a time for kindness, generosity and thinking of others. However, for some families, the festive period can bring additional challenges. Through this fantastic initiative, we hope to make a difference by providing gifts for children aged 0–16 years who might otherwise go without.

We are inviting pupils, parents and carers who are able to support the appeal to donate new toys, games or gifts. All donations should be new, boxed or packaged and undamaged, although immaculate, nearly new books are also welcome. New toiletry gift sets are particularly appreciated for older teenagers.

Donations can be brought to D1-1 on Thursday 26 and Friday 27 November 2026.

There is absolutely no expectation for families to contribute, but every donation, no matter how small, could help bring a smile to a young person's face this Christmas.

At Etone, we are incredibly proud of the generosity and community spirit shown by our pupils and families. By supporting this appeal, our pupils have another opportunity to demonstrate the importance of active citizenship, compassion and making a positive contribution to the world around them.

Thank you for helping us spread some Christmas joy across Nuneaton!