This Saturday was the Matrix Mini Rast where teams from various schools in the Trust took part in several military skills tests. 

I am super proud of the Cadets that we took to the competition and our contingent as a whole. The team efforts were fabulous and this was endorsed by the fact that we took home the trophy for the shooting element!

Next year I will be looking to field two ten men teams and see if we can win the overall competition!

I would like to thank all the cadets that took part and the adults that supported the event.

We are excited to launch our brand-new Careers Guidance Pupil Website. 

Pupils need to be prepared for the evolving working world and so, at the heart of our Careers Programme, is a focus on building up essential lifelong employability skills.

Visit our new website to access a wealth of careers guidance, designed to support both pupils and parents.

With our brand-new resources, you can…

• Choose a subject you love and see where it might lead
• Explore your options for when you leave school
• Gain valuable advice on applying to university, apprenticeships and jobs
• Practice your interview skills
• Discover alternative options like gap years or starting your own business

Visit https://matrixcareersguide.co.uk/

On Thursday 11^th April our Year 11 pupils were treated to a visit by former 400m World Champion Daniel Caines. This visit formed part of the strategy to support our Class of 24 pupils as they near the summer exam series. With the build up underway to the first exam on the 2^nd May, there is a buzz of focus on revision and dedication.

Daniel was bale to develop this with his insightful and inspiring life story. There are striking similarities between the journey of Dan and those our Year 11 are taking towards the summer and it was really appreciated by our pupils to get to understand, it doesn’t matter who you are – We can all be successful.

Initially Daniel was not a natural born winner in athletics, like most pupils not every subject would be a strength

After successive disappointments Daniel wasn’t interested in pursuing his dream further, perhaps in a mock or an assessment the grade achieved wasn’t what we had hoped for.

It was at this intersection that Daniel took it upon himself to make the difference. Listening to the wise words of support around him from his friends, family and teachers, he made the changes to his life required and focused. Put in the ‘time and effort’ and developed his technique with determination and precision.

By the tender age of 21 Daniel was a World Champion who had represented his country at the 2001 Olympics in Sydney, despite being ranked 81 out of 82 he made it through the heats to the final gaining 5^th place at his first Olympics. Despite speed bumps along the way, the dedication to succeed is what eventually led to his success.

Perhaps the most important moment of the discussion for our pupils came as Daniel drove home the impact of a positive attitude. It would be easy to give in and say ‘never going to happen’ but success is something we could decide to achieve from within. Essentially it is up to our pupils how they see their future now. Whatever the current position, they can all improve and focus on ‘marginal gains’ as they see their way through to the exam season.

Overall the points Daniel made were extremely relevant and encouraging to our pupils, who universally applauded his appearance and message. A big thankyou to Daniel for coming, we can’t wait to have him back soon.

Don’t forget you can check the summer exam series timetable here: https://www.etonecollege.co.uk/exams/

This week our Year 11’s had a bumper celebration. After the highlight of Daniel Caine’s visiting Etone College, our pupils were cheering on their own as the next group of Success of the Week winners were announced.

These pupils have shown resilience and the very core of what it means to be an Etone Learner in their lessons and as such have been successful in them. As a small reward these are entered into prize draws with this weeks winners taking home some tasty treats.

Along with our weekly successes our pupils have been striving to show how our Class of 24, are ready to stand out above the crowd. With some excellent mock results and some interesting destinations (including a jockey!) it has never been more enjoyable to watch on as staff and see the fruits of our pupils labour. 

To support with our pupils following mocks, each on will be having a post mock discussion with a member of senior leadership to discuss success and next steps. This is an important part of the strategy moving forward as we look to drive towards the exam season.

For a large number of our cohort the progress they are making is overwhelmingly positive. So much so that we have been able to present our brand new ‘Celebrating Success’ badges to our highest performing pupils. With our first three given our, we are eager to distribute more to our pupils who are really showing what it means to have self belief.

Stay tuned as we provide more updates on our pupils successes as we go towards the exam series. For revision support and guidance don’t forget to checkout our webpage here: https://www.etonecollege.co.uk/help-your-child-revise/

This year April is Stress Awareness Month, the theme for this year is #LittleByLittle which highlights the transformative impact of consistent, small positive actions on over-all wellbeing. April is an important month for so many of our students as it is the lead into May which brings with it the start of the exam season. With this in mind, we want to highlight the importance of stress awareness, and how, even at your most pressured and busiest times, it is important to take time for yourself and to reflect which can be done through even the smallest steps. The poster below and attached leaflet offer tips and ideas for making manageable adjustments to your daily routine which can have a significant impact on your well-being. If you would like further ideas, there are some great tips, ideas and videos on the site linked – Stress Awareness Month 2024 – The Stress Management Society

Last week we celebrated wellbeing week with a number of activities, starting with Brew Monday, pupils had time to talk with friends and relax while enjoying hot chocolate and biscuits, they also produced some fantastic designs in lego, pom poms and colouring. Throughout the rest of the week pupils took more time to relax with mindful colouring gave back by giving their small change to house charities. The week finished with time to relax with yoga and crystals.

On 20th March, 30 year 9 students took part in a 2 hour drama workshop with Jacob Whitehorn from Dauntless Revolution. They took part in a broad range of exercises contributing their ideas for a new show due to be performed at The Abbey Theatre in September which they will be attending.  Jacob led them in exercises to build up a physical theatre sequence which they performed with theatrical lighting and music.  All are to be commended on their participation, creativity and focus!

On Thursday 20th March our Etone Holocaust Ambassadors took the annual trip to Auschwitz Concentration Camp Oświęcim, Poland. This event is held each year by the Holocaust Educational Trust and over the course of their time has seen 32,000 young people become ambassadors and visit the camp.

As a Young Holocaust Ambassador, these students are entrusted with upholding the core values of the organisation and support their peers in the education of the horrific events and why they must never happen again.

Our ambassadors started early with a flight from Birmingham Airport at 3:00am in the morning. Arriving in Poland bleary eyed, they travelled to the camp along with the other ambassadors for this years visit. 

Whilst they were there, it was an opportunity to experience the horrendous conditions the inhabitants of the camp were subjected to, reflect on the years of hurt caused and ultimate impact upon the modern world. 

Of course, we are proud with how our ambassadors uphold themselves and Etone Values for a trip that is uniquely remarkable yet thought provoking. Whilst a sombre atmosphere our students have come away with a very careful consideration for what the Holocaust has meant for society. We are thankful to the Trust for their involvement.

We will not forget them!

At Etone College, we recognise the importance of positive mental health and wellbeing and make this a priority for our school. Whether this be through lessons or whole school activities, we regularly promote our five top tips for wellbeing. However, we also recognise that sometimes boys are less confident to discuss their wellbeing and we have actively being trying to address this during the Spring Term. We have held events and also asked our male teachers for top tips about how they look after their mental health so that we can start some conversations about mental health and let all members of our community know it is OK to talk.  Please find following a link to a booklet with some top tips from our staff.

Mental Health Booklet