On Wednesday 10^th November we held our first ever SEND coffee morning.  During this event we invited some of our pupils in KS3 and their parents to take part in some presentations from Coventry and DeMontfort University, local college groups such as North Warwickshire and South Leicestershire College and local and national employers such as SCOPE who all shared the opportunities and paths open to our pupils in their future careers. There was also the chance for pupils and their families to discuss options with the presenters, introduce them to our wonderful Sixth Form and catch up over a cup of coffee and some cake.

We are especially proud to have been able to welcome back Richard Bishop who shared with us his inspirational journey since leaving Etone to becoming an entrepreneur, which was well received by all in attendance and really intrigued our pupils.  We are really looking forward to making this an annual event along with follow up sessions and events for students and parents in the future.

Thank you to all of the organisation, parents and pupils who attended and see you next year.

Last week our Theme the Week was ‘Remembrance Around the World’ and during assemblies, form time and Learning for Life lessons pupils had the opportunity to explore how different communities around the world pay their respects to those who have sacrificed for everyone else’s liberty.

At Etone pupils were able to understand how important remembering those who have fallen are when considering their fight to protect our own Fundamental British Values such as Democracy, Tolerance, Mutual Respect and again Liberty. Jake in year 7 felt very strongly about the duty we all have to keep the memory of those lost going “If they gave us their life to make sure we have a future, we defiantly should respect them and remember what they have done. We can’t take it for granted.” This was an excellent example, form many across the week, of our own Etone Values our pupils hold as an Etone Learner. 

For Remembrance Day this year we will, as a school be reflecting during the national 2 minutes of silence on Thursday 11^th November at 11:00am. The eleventh hour, of the eleventh day, of the eleventh month when the Armistice was signed. Additionally our Cadet squadron will be representing the school by laying a wreath with other organisations in town.

This week at Etone sees the launch of Anti Bullying Week. In line with our Theme of the week our pupils will have the opportunity in assemblies, form time and Learning for Life lessons to explore how as a community we can protect against bullying and support those who find themselves victims. 

This year the theme for Anti Bullying is ‘One Kind Word’, which as a theme is very apt as we head into the season of goodwill. With that we are asking our pupils to be especially complimentary for the next fortnight and provide a kind word or compliment to friends, family and those people you may not usually speak to often. If we all get behind the campaign as a school, we can have a significant impact on our community and ensure that people do not suffer in silence.

In the lead up to Saturday 13^th November’s World Kindness Day. Following this we will be asking pupils to take part in random acts of kindness across the week be it; holding the door open for someone, making a gesture or spontaneous, reaching out to old friends or acquaintances and providing help to others. So whatever your act might be make sure you show off the values of the Etone Learner and support your peers.

Remember to Tweet your acts of kindness.

On Thursday 25^th November 2021 Etone College Sixth Form will be welcoming prospective sixth form students to our Open Evening event. 

This year we are thrilled to be able to welcome you back on site for the evening where, whilst following guidance to keep you safe, we will have the opportunity to showcase our amazing provision for Sixth Form students and detailing why Etone is the perfect place to prepare for your next steps be that University, Apprenticeships or the world of work.

Come and find out how we continue to build on the Employability Skills our pupils develop at KS4 to make the transition to next steps much easier. For example you can explore Communication within Marketing in Business Studies or how about Problem Solving in Maths, take a trip to the Sport department to discover how Resilience is built or how Organisation is used in creative subjects such as Art. 

There will also be opportunities to meet with current students, staff and leadership and discuss how Etone College could be the perfect fit for you. 

So let us welcome you on: Thursday 25^th November 2021 – 5:30pm – 7:30pm.

This week our year 11 pupils have been busy developing their Employability Skills in conjunction with revision techniques. Following a series of assemblies in the build up to mock exams they are building their skill set to ensure they are exam ready. 

Across this week they have begun to create a revision timetable, taking in all of the advice to revise in small blocks of time, choose specific topics and consider the measures of success.

We have also looked at the various strategies they can use to revise such as: flash cards, mind maps, revision websites to name just a few. Remember when revising it is important to consider what works best for you and consider the advice such as:

• Music is not always conducive to a revising environment.
• Take short breaks where you give your mind a rest.
• Exercise in between revision sessions is a great way to keep positive mental health.
• Stay hydrated and have a snack on hand as hunger will impact your memory ability.

From the activities pupils are now invited to complete revision tasks at home and will be rewarded when these are shown to their form teacher - So get earning those House Points towards Prom!

If you would like to delve more into how best to support yourself revising, or are a parent/carer who would like to help your child revise please visit our revision pages by following this link: https://bit.ly/3CFLqVu.

On Thursday 23^rd our newly appointed prefects completed the final part of their training with a visit to work on their Team building and Communication skills at Cliff Lakes Water Park. Whilst an undeniably fun day was had by the deserving cohort, there was a clear purpose to helping the team build their confidence in preparation for the challenges they will face in the oncoming year. 

Across the day the groups were tasked with overcoming the obstacles they faced, making it through each one as a unit and coming out the other side in record times. Head of Phoenix Mr Baggot was particularly impressed “The determination and initiative showed from the year 11’s is truly inspiring and I can’t wait for Team Phoenix and the rest of the houses to work with this amazing group of pupils to help ensure all pupils at Etone progress no matter what.”

Matrix Academy Trust can proudly announce that we have been successful in two bids for the new Turing Scheme. We will therefore be able to offer experiences across all five Matrix secondary schools for 100 pupils to go abroad to experience life in Spain or Germany in 2022. The Turing Scheme replaces the Erasmus project, which, for many years, has supported pupils to travel, learn and study internationally.

We will shortly be opening applications for 10 Year 8 pupils to apply to go on the Turing Germany project and a further 10 Year 9 pupils to apply to go on the Turing Spain project. Our projects are planned to take place in Fulda near Frankfurt in Germany and the Costa Del Sol in Spain.

For the successful applicants this will be a life-changing opportunity: the chance to travel internationally, working alongside other pupils from the Matrix Academy Trust schools and meeting German or Spanish pupils. Pupils taking part will also take part in pre-mobility work between schools to learn about the host countries culture, language, food, schools and ways of life.