The current leader of the British opposition and Eton alumnus David Cameron dreams of being 19th. Mayor of London since May 5 - Boris Johnson is an Eton graduate.

Eton College is located 30 km west of London, on the banks of the Thames, next to the Royal Windsor Castle. The official status of the school is a private boarding school for boys aged 13 - 18. The tuition fee is £24,490 or $50,000 per year. In total, 1300 students study at Eton, some do not pay a penny for education, being honorary royal scholarship holders.

College history

Eton College was founded in 1440 by order of King Henry VI of England. The mission of the college was to prepare future students for King's College, Cambridge University, also founded by Henry VI a year later.

Archival records from the middle of the 16th century contain information about the Spartan daily routine of students at Eton College. The young men got up at 5 am, read a prayer, and by six o'clock in the morning had to be in the classroom. Teaching in those days was conducted in Latin. At exactly 8 pm, the students returned to their rooms and after prayer went to bed. During the day, medieval students were fed only twice, and on Fridays there was a strict fast. The holidays were not easy either - 3 weeks at Christmas, during which the students stayed at the college, and three weeks in the summer, when they could finally go home.

Throughout the history of the college, its inextricable connection with the British royal house has been observed. This is due to the fact that, firstly, the college has always been under the special patronage of the royal family, and, secondly, the fact that the college is actually located a few steps from the royal palace of Windsor is important. King George III, who occupied the throne for 60 years from 1820 to 1820, lived in Windsor for almost his entire life. He often went to the college to "chat" with professors and students. The future British monarch Prince William, as well as his younger brother Prince Harry, are Eton graduates.

Eton in the 21st century

Despite its almost 600-year history, modern Eton College is equipped in the style of the XXI century. The faculties of physics, chemistry and biology will bypass many universities in terms of the quantity and quality of experimental facilities. Acting training is conducted on the basis of its own theater for 400 seats, with professional light and sound. At the Design and Technology Center, students design new models of racing cars. Young musicians have a unique opportunity to work in a professional recording studio. The faculties of foreign languages ​​amaze with the richness of choice: today 150 students study Chinese, 70 - Japanese, 50 - Arabic. European languages ​​are included in the compulsory school curriculum, there is also a faculty of Russian language and literature.

Eton main street leading from Windsor Bridge to Eton College

Eton is a full-fledged boarding school. College accommodation - in single rooms equipped with the Internet and a fiber optic computer network. Every college student has their own laptop.

All kinds of sports can be practiced at the school. However, the most popular are traditional football, rugby, cricket. According to the results of the A-levels final exams, Eton consistently takes first place in the British ranking tables. And this is not surprising: after all, the selection for admission to college is quite tough. Despite the fact that they enter the college at the age of 13, boys take their first entrance exams at the age of 10-11. Selected lucky ones must pass the “second round” at the age of 13, which includes exams not only in such traditional subjects as mathematics and physics, but also in history, geography, French, Latin, religions and exact sciences.

How to enter Eton for a foreign student

Eton College Schoolyard

Due to the complex and lengthy college admission process, it is not easy for an international student to get into Eton. In addition to practically fluency in English, it is also necessary to have the skills to pass exams and write tests, a good knowledge of English literature, the ability to “think” and “act” as is customary in English private schools. The only way to prepare a boy from another country to enter Eton is to bring him to England at the age of 7-9 years and place him in one of the preparatory (preparatory school) boarding schools, where he will study with English children who are being prepared for admission at Eton under a special program.

see also

• Private School Ranking 2007 (GCSE)
• Private School Ranking 2007 (A-Levels)

Links

• Official website of the British Council, Education section (Russian)
• Articles and information about private education in England (Russian)

Coordinates : 51°29′30″ s. sh. 0°36′31″ W d. /  51.491667° N sh. 0.608611° W d.(G)51.491667 , -0.608611

Wikimedia Foundation. 2010 .

Eton (Eton College) is one of the oldest and most famous private boarding schools for boys in the world, a symbol of classical British education, the forge of the English elite.
School "Kynge's College of Our Ladye of Eton beside Windesore" - that is its old official name - was founded in 1440 by King Henry VI and served as the original preparatory educational institution for the King's College, founded a year later, Cambridge University (King's College, Cambridge). The participants in the new royal "education project" were 70 boys from poor families who studied for free, and students from different parts of the kingdom who paid for college tuition and living. But Edward IV, who succeeded King Henry in 1461, abolished the financial privileges of the school.
The life of boys in the middle of the 16th century was quite harsh: Latin lessons began at 6 am and ended at 8 pm. But the hardships of studying at the college did not interfere with its growth: if from the very beginning there were not enough places for all students to live on the territory of the school and some were accommodated in the city, then by the beginning of the 18th century the number of “comers” had already grown so much that new buildings had to be built - to In 1766 there were thirteen.
King George III (reigned 1760-1820), who often visited Eton and arranged entertainment for boys right in the royal residence - Windsor Palace, paid much attention to the school. The birthday of George III, albeit unofficially, is celebrated every year at Eton to this day. In the middle of the 19th century, when educational reforms swept across Britain, modernization reached Eton: living conditions were brought into line with the standards of that time, the academic program was updated and expanded, and more qualified teachers were invited. Eton College grew in popularity, and by 1891 there were over 1,000 students. Education at Eton became prestigious, the most high-ranking families sent their sons here, up to the royal ones, many enrolled children in school immediately after their birth.
Since the 1970s, the number of pupils at Eton has remained at the level of 1300 pupils, all on a full board basis. The main goal of the school is to develop in students an integral character, independent thinking, the desire for knowledge and self-knowledge, tolerance and mutual respect.

Location and campus
The school is located on the left bank of the Thames in Eton - a small town, practically a suburb of Windsor. It is said that the royal residence - Windsor Palace - is so close that the shadow from it reaches the school. It is only 30 km from London and Heathrow Airport is 20 minutes away by car.
Numerous school buildings - Tudor, Victorian, Edwardian and modern buildings of glass and concrete, are scattered among picturesque gardens, fields and sports fields, in the area that goes directly to the Thames. Through the efforts of architects and landscape designers, they form a single ensemble.
The school has excellent educational equipment and several libraries with extensive collections of rare books and manuscripts. The oldest of them is the College Library, founded immediately after the opening of the school, where over 150 thousand rare books and manuscripts are stored, starting from the 9th century.
The school has its own theater - the Farrer Theatre, which constantly hosts student performances, 24 scientific laboratories located in the building of the department of natural sciences, a new center for innovative technologies and research in the field of education (The Tony Little Center for Innovation and Research In Learning) and many sports facilities.
There are 25 residences on campus. Each of them is home to about 50 boys aged 13 to 18 years (10 from each age level), each is provided with a separate room. The large school canteen accommodates only a part of the students, but the residential ones have their own dining rooms and their own chefs. The children's health is monitored by three school doctors and five qualified nurses.
Eton also owns the Casa Guidi estate in Florence, which was once owned by the English Victorian poet Elizabeth Barrett Browning.

Admission and training
For centuries, to get to Eton, boys were enrolled at the school from birth, and entry to outsiders was limited. Since 2002, the situation has changed - now Eton College is ready to accept "talented students, regardless of their background." The main criterion is the ability, character and attitude to life. All candidates go through two stages of selection. The application is submitted three years before the desired start of studies, at the age of ten: for example, for the 2021 academic year, the deadline for accepting questionnaires is June 30, 2018. If the application is accepted, the first qualifying online test is held in October-November of the same year - the child takes the exam Independent Schools Examination Board (ISEB) Common Pre-Test. In case of successful completion of ISEB, a full-time test at the school is arranged in a year. The Eton List Test, developed in collaboration with Cambridge, assesses a child's general level of knowledge and ability, as well as their potential. It consists of an interview, a group assignment with other candidates, and a computer-based logical thinking test. But that's not all: for the final enrollment in the school in the year preceding the start of studies, you must pass the general entrance exam Eton Entrance Exam. Candidates who have passed all stages of selection can apply for King's Scholarship scholarships, but only the most deserving ones get them. Financial assistance is also provided for young musicians and talented boys from low-income families.
The structure of the school includes five age groups, the so-called blocks, from 13 to 18 years. In the first three years of study (blocks F, E, D) classes consist of 20 people, in the final classes (Sixth Form, blocks C and B) classes are held in groups of 10 to 12 people.
All aspects of student life, in and out of the classroom, are considered part of the learning process at Eton. In addition to the lessons, the so-called extra work (Extra Works) is regularly organized to broaden the horizons of the boys and help them with their homework. Progress in studies is assessed twice a year with the help of internal examinations in all subjects studied - Trials.
In the first two years, a wide range of compulsory subjects is studied (English, mathematics, Latin, natural sciences, geography, history, music, visual arts, theater, physical education, information technology, design, basic religion) plus two foreign languages ​​​​to choose from (French , German, Spanish, Russian, Japanese and Chinese) and an elective in Greek.
The two-year GCSE program involves studying a minimum of 10 subjects in the first year and 9 in the second, for which state exams are taken at the end of the academic cycle. The program includes English language and literature, mathematics, two or three subjects of the natural science cycle (biology, physics, chemistry), a foreign language, one subject of a creative orientation and several disciplines of choice: ancient civilizations, the foundations of religions, geography, Greek, history, Latin, computer science, music.
At the age of 16, students move to the senior class, where they study either according to the traditional A-Level program, or according to the relatively new Cambridge Pre-U, which is distinguished by a deeper study of each subject and paying more attention to self-study. For exams, as a rule, four disciplines are selected from the list: English literature, theater arts, mathematics, mathematics plus higher mathematics, biology, chemistry, physics, Latin, Greek, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Spanish, Russian, Portuguese, Chinese, history, art history, geography, religion, economics, government and politics, art and design.
In 2017, on the A-Level exams, the percentage of grades A * and A ("five plus" and "five") was 42.1 and 37.5%, respectively. Over the past 30 years, between 60 and 100 students have been enrolled at Oxford and Cambridge every year. The most popular majors chosen by graduates are English, history, economics and management, modern languages, theology and philosophy.

Art as part of the educational process
The curriculum - first compulsory, then optional - includes all kinds of arts. For creative work, Eton College has excellent equipment - a design and technology center, a 400-seat theater, a professional recording studio, first-class equipment for drawing, drafting, printing, computer graphics and digital photography. In special workshops, you can practice painting, ceramics and sculpture made of wood, metal and plastic. Exhibitions of student work are regularly held.
The school theater, equipped with the latest stage technology, puts on more than 20 performances every year. The repertoire covers classics, musicals, contemporary plays. Small productions can also take place at additional theater venues - Caccia Studio with 100 seats and Empty Space with 60 seats.
Over the past few years, a major modernization program at the school has doubled the size of the Eton music department. The new building of the music school consists of a rehearsal room, a recording studio, a computer room with 12 workstations, an editing room, a rock studio, 12 classrooms and an electric guitar studio. The old building was rebuilt and now includes teaching and rehearsal rooms, a 250-seat concert hall, a library and an organ hall. The school has a symphony and chamber orchestras, brass bands for older and younger students, a trumpet ensemble, a string ensemble for younger students, several rock bands and choirs. Eton musicians often tour in different cities of Britain and other countries.

Sport
Sports activities are the most important part of the Eton program, here they believe that the ability to win and lose, lead and follow the rules, achieve goals independently and as part of a team are the most important character traits that are brought up by sports games. All sports activities are conducted by professional athletes, in total there are more than 40 teams in different sports at the school. Pupils regularly participate in competitions at the regional, national and international level. Compulsory sports vary depending on the time of year, with football and rugby in the autumn term. During the spring term, the main sports are hockey, rowing and the Field game, a form of football played only at Eton; in summer - athletics, cricket, rowing, tennis and additional sports from an extensive list. Optional activities include badminton, basketball, rowing, clay shooting, fencing, polo, squash, swimming, golf, tennis, gymnastics, martial arts, etc.

extracurricular activities
About 50 clubs, circles and communities are constantly functioning at the school. Their existence depends on the interest and desire of the participants: some quickly appear and just as quickly disappear, others work for many years. The clubs of archaeologists, architects, astronomers, artists, circles of design, geography and law, musical groups, technical and scientific clubs enjoy constant success. The school regularly implements volunteer programs aimed at helping local organizations and individuals. Etonians help elementary schools with classes, recreational activities and foreign language lessons, care for the sick and the elderly, and work in charity shops. Since 1860, the school has been operating the United Cadet Corps - a paramilitary children's organization that exists in many educational institutions in Britain.
A variety of trips are part of the school curriculum and at the same time extra-curricular life. Boys studying foreign languages ​​participate in exchange programs with schools in France, Germany, Spain and Russia. The school choir and orchestra give concerts in England and in foreign countries - Germany, India, Poland, the Czech Republic, Japan, China, the USA, South Africa. Over the past few years, sports teams have traveled to competitions in Australia, New Zealand, Hong Kong, African countries, and the USA. Clubs and communities organize trips of interest. Recent travels have included Greece, Italy, Kenya, Nepal and Tibet.

Famous Alumni
Probably the most popular Eton alumni today are the British princes William and Harry; but hardly any school in Great Britain has given the country so many outstanding personalities as Eton. From the walls of the school came 19 prime ministers, many other politicians, writers and scientists. Among them are writers and poets Henry Fielding, Thomas Gray, Horatio Walpole, Aldous Huxley, Percy Bysshe Shelley, Robert Brides, George Orwell (George Orwell), Ian Fleming (Ian Fleming); scientists Robert Boyle, John Maynard Smith, John Gurdon and others, several crowned persons from different countries, numerous actors, athletes and musicians. It is not surprising that many authors made their heroes exactly Eton graduates: even James Bond studied at this Alma Mater of his author, however, according to Fleming, he was expelled from school, although not for poor performance.

School characteristics

Eton College was founded in 1440 by Royal Charter of Henry VI. It was created as an educational institution that provides free education for 70 boys from poor families, who would later continue their education at King's College, Cambridge.
Today, Eton is not just a private boarding school for boys aged 13-18, selected on a competitive basis. This is one of the most famous educational institutions in the world, a real forge of personnel for the preparation of the country's political, cultural and scientific elite, the "cradle of leaders" and the best of the 9 oldest privileged schools in the UK. From the walls of Eton came 19 British Prime Ministers, including the first Prime Minister Robert Walpole; conqueror of Napoleon at Waterloo, Duke of Wellington; the owner of one of the oldest publishing houses in the world, Harold Macmillan and the current head of government, David Cameron.
Eton College has traditionally brought up generations of British and foreign aristocrats, including members of the royal families. The current heirs to the British throne - Princes William and Harry - also graduated from Eton.
College graduates were writers Henry Fielding, Aldous Huxley, Percy Bysshe Shelley, George Orwell; famous actors Jeremy Brett (Sherlock Holmes) and Hugh Laurie (Worster and Dr. House), famous scientists: physicist Robert Boyle, Nobel laureate in 2012, geneticist John Gurdon, founder of macroeconomics John Keynes and many others.
In the 21st century, the goal of the college is to give students a modern education while preserving the centuries-old traditions that have become an integral part of the legendary educational institution.

School location

The school is located in the small town of Eton on the left bank of the Thames, next to Windsor Castle, not far from Heathrow Airport, 30 kilometers from London.

Features of admission

Usually boys enter Eton at the age of 13. To do this, you must register before the student is 10.5 years of age and take a pre-test at 11 years of age. It includes an interview, an intelligence test and a testimonial from a previous place of study. Approximately a third of applicants offer a conditional place at Eton. It will need to be confirmed by passing a serious qualifying exam at the age of 13. A small number of boys who were not given a conditional place will be able to attend college if they win the competition for a royal or music scholarship.
A few boys can enter Eton at the age of 16 under a special program for scholarships from among students in British schools. Soon, this opportunity will be provided to several students on a paid basis. The old system, under which a future Etonian was enrolled at birth in a college, was abolished a few years ago.
It is extremely difficult for a foreign student to enter Eton: you need not only to be fluent in English, to know English literature well, but also to have a number of skills and mental skills developed in English schools. In Britain, there are educational institutions that conduct targeted preparation for entering Eton College from the age of 7-9. The only way to become a student of the legendary college is to take a preliminary course of preparation in such a boarding school.

Number and age of students

The school has about 1,300 students, all full board. The student-teacher ratio is 8:1. Age from 13 to 18 years.

According to the latest report from the Independent Schools Inspectorate, Eton provides an exceptional quality of education. College students achieve high academic standards through ambitious enquiries, stimulating learning, and first-class resources.
Surprisingly, the school is not engaged in drill and "training". The administration is convinced that the so-called "additional education" (electives, courses, sports, circles, social life, entertainment, etc.) is of great importance for the education of the future political and cultural elite, as it contributes to personal growth, the development of leadership qualities and acquiring critical skills. Therefore, the academic load in the college is less than in many other educational institutions (35 lessons per week of 40 minutes each), and academic performance is immeasurably higher. According to the schedule, the boys have 7 lessons on Monday, Wednesday and Friday, 5 lessons on Tuesday and Thursday and 4 lessons on Saturday. Between classes there are breaks for lunch, lunch, sports games and rest. The class size is from 10 to 25 people.
Director of Eton College Tom Little believes that two things make Eton unique: the unprecedented wide opportunities provided to students, and an individual approach to each student.
Although the college is a private school (tuition costs about 30,000 pounds a year), there is a developed system of scholarships that can be provided to gifted students. Every year, about 130 students become scholarship holders of various foundations. About 40 of them study absolutely free of charge, and some are even given financial assistance for the purchase of uniforms or out of pocket expenses. One of the many scholarships was founded by the Igor and Natalia Tsukanov Family Foundation for musically and academically gifted children from Russia and the former Soviet republics.
From the very moment of its foundation, Eton has been patronized by the royal family. Once a week, young men attend church (College Chapel), but students are accepted to school regardless of religion. The college values ​​​​its reputation, therefore, reserves the right to suppress any cases of violence, alcohol and drug use, and other facts of misbehavior - up to and including exclusion from the educational institution. Fellows can also be expelled from Eton if they do not live up to expectations placed on them or violate the rules of conduct established by the educational institution.
Eton is not just a school. This is a whole world, a real state within a state. Citizens of this state wear special costumes approved in the 19th century (black tailcoat, waistcoat, striped trousers and snow-white tie). They use in everyday communication a language full of words and expressions that only they can understand, and they play sports games that are not known anywhere else in the world. The college owns not only dozens of ancient and modern buildings. He even owns his own island - Queen's Eyot and his own lake - Eton Dorney.
Life at Eton is rich, varied, interesting, challenging, sometimes even exhausting, but above all extremely rewarding. It is hard to imagine a school that could offer great opportunities.

Academic preparation

Education at Eton is divided into 5 blocks, each lasting 1 year.

Year 9 subjects (Block F): English, English literature, mathematics, chemistry, physics, biology, at least two modern foreign languages ​​(optional: French, German, Japanese, Russian, Chinese, Spanish), Latin, theology, history, geography. Items of aesthetic and practical cycles are combined into a single block - MADPID. It includes music, art, design, physical education, ICT, drama. They are taught in double lessons three times a week in a rotation (alternation) mode. That is, students do not study all 6 subjects at the same time, but in a year they master the program for each of them. Some boys also study Greek at will from 1 to 3 years. In such a case, their MADPID cycle study program is halved. Students may choose to study Mandarin Chinese or Arabic outside of the main schedule. In addition, there is a class hour and random blocks of lectures every week. By the end of the year, students must decide on the subjects they will study for the GCSE exams.

Years 10-11 Subjects (Blocks E and D): students, along with the study of compulsory subjects (English, English literature and mathematics), must choose 8 other subjects (at least two natural sciences and at least one foreign language). Subjects to choose from: Biology, Chemistry, Physics, French, German, Japanese, Chinese, Russian, Spanish, Latin, Greek, Classical civilizations (either Roman or Greek), Theology, Geography, History, Art (painting, sculpture, ceramics), design and technology (materials science), music, drama. As a rule, Etonians study all three sciences and at least two foreign languages.

Years 12-13 subjects (Blocks C and B): in the first year of study, students choose 4 subjects, in the second year most students continue to master them, although this is not a mandatory requirement. Some disciplines are divided into 2 parts, the study of which ends with the AS and A2 exams (respectively, at the end of blocks C and B). For a number of subjects in the A-level program and in all disciplines of the Pre-U course, exams are expected only at the end of block B. Eton College offers the following subjects at the A-level: art, Latin, Greek, industrial design, English literature, economics, political science, ancient history, music technology, Portuguese, Arabic, Japanese, theater studies, geography, history (Middle Ages, Modern Times, Modern), mathematics, higher mathematics, chemistry, physics, theology.

Pre-U subjects: art history, Chinese, French, German, Italian, Russian, Spanish, music, biology,
Compulsory for all students of blocks C and B is the course "Perspectives", which includes issues of religion, philosophy, ethics.

School specialization

Eton offers a classical education based on the study of Latin, Greek, ancient history, modern foreign languages ​​and mathematics. The college also provides ample opportunities for mastering the subjects of the aesthetic cycle.
About 98% of graduates annually enter higher education institutions, of which about 30% go to Oxford and Cambridge. Eton graduates choose a wide range of majors. English, history, economics and management, foreign languages, theology, and philosophy are always popular.

Academic results

Eton continues to deliver outstanding student learning. Exam results in 2012 according to the college:
A-level - grades A *, A, B - 96%; A*, A - 82%; А* - 36% (2012 report data)
Pre-U (in languages ​​and music) - grade 1 (above A *) - 18%, grades 2 and above (between A and A *) - 52%, grades 3 and above (equivalent to A at A-level) - 83 %
GCSE - grades A * - 76%, grades A *, A - 96%, A *, A, B - 99%

School equipment and student leisure

School equipment. Eton College is one of the best equipped schools in the world. Its offices and laboratories are the envy of the world's best universities. The design department has a set of necessary machines, tools and materials for working with wood, metal, plastic and electronics. Modern computers are equipped with the latest image processing programs and computer-aided design systems.
There are two buildings of the music school in the college, in which, in addition to classrooms, rehearsal rooms, a concert hall, an organ room, there is also a recording studio, a computer class, a studio for rock bands, and an electric control room for learning to play the guitar.
About 20 theatrical productions are staged annually at Eton under the direction of a specially hired professional director. Performances are held in a full-fledged theater (The Farrer Theatre) with 400 seats, equipped with grate, an orchestra pit and a rotating proscenium. Behind the scenes is a rehearsal room, theater workshop, dressing room, dressing room and spacious locker rooms. The theater is equipped with a highly professional sound and light system, audio and video equipment. There are also two small venues for chamber events - Caccia Studio with 100 seats and Empty Space with 50-80 seats.
Several school libraries are well stocked with books, CDs, periodicals, electronic resources, computers and office equipment; they also have a collection of rare books and manuscripts. Hungry boys may be offered tea, coffee or hot chocolate.
Each student is required to have a laptop or tablet as they are an integral part of the learning process at Eton. The entire campus is equipped with high-speed internet; wireless access is available in every dorm room and in almost every classroom. In their activities, teachers and administration mainly use computers running Microsoft Windows, but there are also ultra-modern representatives of the Apple Macintosh family for teaching music technology, art and design.
For rowing and triathlon in 2006, an artificial reservoir was built on the territory of a 400-acre park - Dorney Lake - on which the world-famous rowing canal was equipped, which was used during the 2012 Olympics in London and was recognized as the best Olympic venue. Eaton spent £17 million on this project alone.
For athletics, students use the huge sports complex TVAC (Thames Valley Athletics Center). The center includes outdoor and indoor athletics tracks, sports and gyms, 4 international standard squash and racquetball courts, badminton, basketball, mini-football, netball, shot mate bowls, an indoor pool and much more.

Sport. At Eton College, all sports activities are divided into "major" and "minor" sports. Depending on the season, the former include: football, rugby, rowing, hockey, athletics, cricket, tennis. In addition, a wide range of other sports is offered: badminton, basketball, bridge, canoeing, chess, croquet, cross-country, dragon rowing, Eton Fives, triathlon, fencing, golf, martial arts, mountaineering , polo, rackets, sailing, shooting, skiing, squash, scuba diving, swimming, table tennis, volleyball, wakeboarding, walgame, water polo, gymnastics, windsurfing. Students choose their favorite sports in each of the two categories and play them from 1 to 3 hours daily, six times a week.

Mugs. Two orchestras, two wind bands, many chamber, jazz ensembles and rock groups, a church and concert choir, learning to play various musical instruments, including organs of the highest class (in total, about 800 schoolchildren study music at Eton). Boys can join one of the 50 societies and clubs in the college. Among them: astronomy, architecture, entrepreneurship, politics, photography, poetry, the UN model, medicine, publishing your own newspaper and many others.

Recreational activities. An evening of board games, excursions, concerts, trips to the bowling alley and paintball club, visits to theaters and exhibitions, music and singing competitions, sports competitions. The school participates in activities under the program of the Duke of Edinburgh. Since 1860, the United Corps of Cadets, better known as the Eaton Rifles, has been operating.

Accommodation and food conditions

Accommodation: residence. All boys entering Eton live on the school grounds. Each newcomer joins one of the 25 residence halls that are the center of college life. At the head of each "house" is an experienced senior educator, he is assisted by two more teachers, a housekeeper and a whole staff of attendants. About 50 boys live in each boarding house. Senior students participate in self-government by holding the positions of House Captain and Games Captain. Each child has a separate room, which he has the right to arrange according to his own taste. Students of the sixth form have their own kitchens.

Meals: full board. Half of the hostels eat three times a day in the school cafeteria - Bekynton. The second half of the houses have their own canteens with cooks. In both “houses”, children are also provided with light snacks in the morning, at lunchtime they can make their own sandwiches or something more serious.

Individual Attention: each student has a class teacher for a group of 6 people who is responsible for the academic success, education and comfortable living of the child. The teacher meets with a group of his wards once a week, as well as individually as needed. The mentor together with the student draws up a program of personal growth and development and monitors its implementation. He organizes students' leisure activities - from excursions and performances to games and intimate conversations. In the last two years of study, high school students are allowed to choose their own class teacher of their choice. For the safety of children, the Internet is filtered and turned off at night. A medical center with qualified personnel operates daily on the territory of the school, and there is a registered nurse in each hostel.

Trimester dates Trimester dates - academic year 2018-2019

Course fee Course fee per person - academic year 2018-2019 in pounds sterling

Additionally paid:

• Registration fee - £390
• Entry fee - £2,000
• Guardianship agency registration fee
• Guardianship
• Deposit in the amount of the cost of 1 trimester
• Testing - 20.000 rubles
• Services "Chancellor" for admission to school

Eton College may not be the most expensive school in the UK, and its graduates do not excel in exams, but it is where 19 British Prime Ministers have been educated, including

Eton

Eton alumni include David Cameron, leader of the modern Conservative Party, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom since 2010, and Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, who could be the next prime minister.

The ancient rituals and rules of the inner life of the college, the uniform of the Victorian era, give Eton the image of an institution frozen in the past. But according to Nick Frazier, author of The Value of Being an Etonian, the school's success lies in the extraordinary range of freedom it gives students. They are perfectly prepared for a life in politics, because all school societies, sports clubs, etc. are run by the students themselves.

Eton College buildings

“Boys choose leaders among their comrades based only on their own preference. Thus, from a very early age, those wishing to occupy a high social position in school have to acquire the knack of being charming and insinuating, getting votes. Of course, insinuation can ruin a potentially great political or business career, as can arrogance. A true Eton graduate has the ability to exude confidence without haughtiness or vanity.

Eton College buildings

On the official website of Eton College, photos of all famous alumni are posted. The UK is not a large country in terms of population, but it is still surprising how many famous and high-ranking individuals were educated at Eton. College graduates now active in various fields of public life include publishers (Jordy Greig, Nicholas Coleridge) and oppositionists (New Left Review veteran Perry Anderson); writers and television gurus (Bear Grylls and Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall); environmentalists (Jonathon Porritt) and their opponents (Matt Ridley); actors (Hugh Laurie, Dominic West, Damian Lewis) and princes (Harry and William); rising Tory MPs (Rory Stewart, Kwasi Kwarteng) and the people likely to interview them (BBC Deputy Political Editor James Landale).

With an annual fee of more than £32,000, more than the average British family's after-tax income, Eton is a 'luxury brand'. People educated here fall into the narrow circle of the British elite. The connections formed in college help in solving life and career problems. In fact, Eton is the most British formula for success.

The college is located in the small town of Eton, on the banks of the Thames, opposite. You won't find the big "Eton College" sign in the city, but small, hand-painted signs replace it. White lettering on a black field indicates that an increasing number of courtyards, paths and roads branching off from Main Street are private property.

Teaching buildings from the Tudor, Victorian, Edwardian eras and modern buildings of glass and steel are filled with neat and reserved teachers and uniformed students. Uniforms were standardized in the 19th century. Its wearing is mandatory. In addition, by its individual elements, one can understand the place of the student in the school hierarchy. The status and belonging of the student to a certain "house" is indicated by different colors of the vest, trousers or buttons. Students must wear a striped tie, those who have taken a more responsible position wear a white bow tie.

Old houses at Eton

“In many ways, Eton is a conservative institution with a lot of tiny rules,” said one former student from 2002-2007. In addition to the heirs of the British elite, less privileged boys study at the college.

Eton currently awards scholarships to approximately 20% of its students. Today, as always throughout its history, the college grants 14 Royal Fellowships each year, for a total of 70. The selection of fellows is based on the results of a competition open to boys aged 12 to 14 years. Royal Scholars receive scholarships covering between 10% and 100% of the annual fee. Boys selected by the competition get their own bedroom-study and join the "house" along with other students.

Eton College students celebrate June 4th

Most of the students, called "citizens", now about 1,200, are housed in boarding houses in the care of the owners of the houses. "Citizens" traditionally come from the wealthiest, aristocratic and prestigious families in England. Boys come to Eton at the age of 13 and study until they are ready to go to university.

Eton was founded in 1441 by order of Henry VI as "The King's College of Our Lady", next to his residence at Windsor Castle, to provide free education to 70 poor boys who could then go on to study at Cambridge . The construction and maintenance of the college was financed by the royal treasury. When Henry was deposed by Edward IV in 1461, the cash flow dried up. The construction of the chapel and educational buildings continued only through donations.

Eton Chapel and Library

The earliest accounts of school life from the early 16th century attest to the spartan lifestyle of the college. Teachers and students got up at five o'clock in the morning, prayed and started work at 6:00. All instruction was in Latin, and the lessons were supervised by "praepostor", senior students appointed by the director. Lessons ended at eight in the evening. During the year, classes were interrupted twice for vacations associated with holidays, lasting up to three weeks.

In the 18th century the school continued to grow and flourish, especially during the long reign of George III (1760-1820). The King spent most of his time at Windsor, frequenting the school and entertaining the boys at Windsor Castle. The school, in turn, made George's birthday, the fourth of June, their holiday. Although these celebrations do not fall on this day today, Eton's Fourth of June is still celebrated with ceremonial speeches, cricket, boat races, and picnics.

June 4th celebration at Eton

Eatonmania, as a symbol of timeless British tradition, began during the reign of Queen Victoria. The golden age of power and prestige began for the college in the 1960s and lasted for nearly a century. Then his influence plummeted. The activities of the Eton-filled administrations of Harold Macmillan and Alec Douglas-Home in 1964 led to the defeat of the Conservatives in the elections. Harold Wilson's Labor government came to power. The authorities were going to close private schools and incorporate them into the state system. Eton was doomed, and the college authorities considered moving him to Ireland or France. Fortunately, the Laborites were unable to put their intentions into practice. But the college administration thought about deepening the curriculum, bringing it closer to modern requirements and reducing the influence of rules and rituals on the life of the school.

Eddie Redmayne in the school play

The program has been amended. But Eton did not become an elite academic school. His students rarely reach the top of comparative examination tables. However, last year 91.5% of graduates achieved A and B grades. A recent Inspectorate of Schools report noted that Eton College provides an exceptionally good quality of education for all of its students. A range of intellectual, cultural and athletic programs help students develop into thoughtful, confident and responsible young adults. The college develops various societies whose interests range from astronomy to Scottish dance and stamp collecting. Nearby Lake Dorney is used to train teams for rowing, a popular sport among the English. Theater enthusiasts participate in productions on stage at the college's 400-seat theater.

Eton College students

Eton does not participate in the global educational market, it limits the number of foreign students. College slogan: "We are a British school that is cosmopolitan, not an international school."

Compared to most other boarding schools, Eton seems more eccentric and intense. Many Britons believe that this is how a good education should be.

Eton College - Eton College

Eton College is a private school in Eton, Berkshire, England. The school was founded in 1440 by Henry VI, King of England. The original college, which were begun in 1441 and completed for the most part about 80 years later, composed of two squares (1) containing the chapel (2), the upper school (for older students) and lower school (for younger), the apartments of officials, the library and the offices. Additions, started in 1846, 1889 and 1908, include the boys’ library, science schools, laboratories, an observatory and 25 boarding houses (3). The curriculum, almost purely classical until the middle of the 19th century, consists predominantly of modem subjects, although students continue to study the classics. Correspondingly, the college facilities have been modernized and include science laboratories, language laboratories, and closed-circuit television systems (4). Preparation is provided for King's guard examinations, and numerous scholarships (5) to universities are available, including six to King's College, at the University of Cambridge. The school has had many distinguished graduates (6), including the British statesman Robert Harley: Great Britain’s first prime minister (1721-1742), Robert Walpole, and his son, the English writer Horace Walpole; the British general and statesman Arthur Wellesley; the poets Thomas Gray and Percy Bysshe Shelley; and the British statesman William Ewart Gladstone. The British biologists John Burdon Sanderson Haldane and Sir Julian Sorell Huxley also attended Eton. The college foundation grants 3 music scholarships and 70 King's Scholarships to students; these students, called Collegers, live in the college. The rest of the students, including music scholars and holders of other bursaries, are called oppidans (Latin oppidanus, ‘dwelling in town’) and board with the housemasters in the town.

Eton College is a private school located in Eton, Berkshire, England. In 1440 King Henry IV of England founded this school. At first, the college buildings, which began to be built in 1441 and were completed in general (mostly) after 80 years, consisted of 2 quadrangular houses containing a chapel, a senior school (for older students) and a junior school (for younger children), rooms for workers, library and office. Subsequently, during restructuring in 1846, 1889 and 1908. a library for young men, study rooms, laboratories, an observatory and 25 houses for students were added. Until the middle of the XIX century. the curriculum was purely classical, now mainly containing modern disciplines, although students continue to study classical subjects. Of course, the educational base of the college has been modernized and contains scientific laboratories, language laboratories, and a video surveillance system. The college provides preparation for the examinations for the service in the Royal Guard, students have the opportunity to receive numerous scholarships, including six for admission to the King's College at Cambridge University. Many outstanding personalities graduated from this educational institution with a degree, including the statesman of Great Britain Robert Harley, the first Prime Minister of Great Britain (1721-1742 pp.) Robert Walpole; English writer Horatio Walpole; General and statesman of Great Britain Arthur Wellesley, poets Thomas Gray and Percy Bysshe Shelley; as well as the British statesman William Evwart Gladstone. British biologists John Bourdon Sanderson Halden and Julian Sorel Huxley also studied at Eton. The college provides 3 scholarships for those who study music and 70 royal scholarships for other students; they are called "Collegers" (Etonian Scholars) and live on campus. Other students who study music and a variety of fellows and grant holders are called "Oppidans" (Eton College students who rent an apartment) who live and eat in the city.

Vocabulary

1. quadrangle ["kwɔdræŋgl] - quadrangle
2. chapel ["ʧæp (ə) l] - chapel
3. boarding houses - boarding house (a house where rooms with meals are rented)
4. closed-circuit television systems - video surveillance system
5. scholarship - scholarship
6. distinguished graduates - outstanding graduates

Questions

1. What is Eton?
2. When was it founded?
3. Who founded Eton Collage?
4. What does the curriculum consist of?
5. Who were the most distinguished graduates from Eton?