Eton College

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51°29′30″N 0°36′34″W / 51.49167°N 0.60944°W / 51.49167; -0.60944 Coordinates: Extra unexpected parameters

King's College of Our Lady of Eton
Address
Map
Eton

Windsor
,
Berkshire

EnglandEngland
Information
TypePublic School
MottoFloreat Etona
(May Eton Flourish)
Religious affiliation(s)Anglican
Established1440
FounderHenry VI
ProvostSir Eric Anderson KT
Head MasterAnthony Little MA
Staff135 (approx.)
GenderBoys
Age13 to 18
Enrollment1306
Houses25
Colour(s)Eton Blue
PublicationThe Chronicle, The Oppidan
Former pupilsOld Etonians
Websitehttp://www.etoncollege.com/

The King's College of Our Lady of Eton beside Windsor, commonly known as Eton College or just Eton, is a public school (privately funded and independent) for boys, founded in 1440 by King Henry VI.

It is located in Eton, near Windsor in England, north of Windsor Castle, and is one of the original nine English public schools as defined by the Public Schools Act 1868.

The school's Head Master, Anthony Little MA, is a member of the Headmasters' and Headmistresses' Conference and the school is a member of the Eton Group of independent schools in the United Kingdom. It has a very long list of distinguished former pupils, including nineteen former British Prime Ministers. Traditionally, Eton has been referred to as "the chief nurse of England's statesmen"[weasel words], and is often described as the most famous public school in the world.[1]

Overview

Eton College boards approximately 1,306 boys (15 per cent from overseas) between the ages of 13 and 18 (roughly 250 in each year) at a charge of £26,490 (approximately US$53,000 or €39000) per year.[2]

The school is headed by a Provost and Board of Governors, who appoint the Head Master. It contains 25 boys' houses, each headed by a housemaster, selected from the more senior members among the teaching staff, who number approximately 130.

Almost all of the school's leavers go on to universities, about a third to Oxford or Cambridge[3].

History

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School Yard, Eton College
Eton College Chapel

Eton College was founded in 1440 by Henry VI as a charity school to provide free education to seventy poor boys who would then go on to King's College, Cambridge, a constituent college of the University of Cambridge, which he also founded in 1441. Henry VI took half the scholars and the headmaster from William of Wykeham's Winchester College (founded 1382). Eton is modelled on Winchester College, and became popular in the 17th century.

When Henry VI founded the school he granted it a huge number of endowments, including much valuable land, a plan for formidable buildings (Henry intended the nave of the College Chapel to be the longest nave in Europe) and several religious relics, supposedly including a part of the True Cross and the Crown of Thorns. He even persuaded the then Pope, Eugene IV, to grant a privilege unparalleled anywhere in England: the right to grant Indulgences to penitents on the Feast of the Assumption.

However, when Henry was deposed by Edward IV in 1461, the new king annulled all grants to the school and removed most of its assets and treasures to St George's Chapel, Windsor, on the other side of the River Thames. Legend has it that Edward's mistress, Jane Shore, intervened on the school's behalf and was able to save much of the school, although the royal bequest and the number of staff were much reduced. Construction of the Chapel, originally intended to be slightly over twice as long, with eighteen - or possibly seventeen - bays (there are eight today) was stopped when Henry VI was deposed, with only the Quire of the intended building ever completed. Provost William Waynflete, previously Head Master of Winchester College, built the ante-chapel that finishes the Chapel today.

As the school suffered reduced income at a stage when much of it was still under construction, the completion and further development of the school has ever since depended on the generosity of wealthy benefactors. Many of these benefactors are honoured with school buildings in their name, such as the Bishop William Waynflete or Roger Lupton, whose name is borne by the central tower which is perhaps the most famous image of the school.

In the 19th century the architect John Shaw Jr (1803–70) became surveyor to Eton and designed new parts of the college which helped provide better pupil accommodation. [1]

The Duke of Wellington is often quoted as saying that "The Battle of Waterloo was won on the playing-fields of Eton", but this has been challenged. Wellington briefly attended Eton – for which he had no great love – in the late 18th century, when the school had no playing fields and no organised team sports, and the statement was first recorded three years after his death. The Duke was, however, wildly popular at Eton, visiting many times in his later life.

A nuclear bunker was constructed under the college in 1959 to house the College's Provost and Fellows, and is now used for storage. [4]

School terms

There are three school terms in the year, collectively known as Halves (a historical throwback to when there were only two terms).

  • The Michaelmas Half, from early September to mid December. New boys are now only admitted at the start of the Michaelmas Half.
  • The Lent Half, from mid January to late March.
  • The Summer Half, from late April to early July.

Boys' houses

King's Scholars

Main article: King's Scholarship

One boarding house, College is reserved for seventy King's Scholars, who attend Eton on scholarships provided for by the original foundation and awarded by examination each year; they pay up to 90 per cent of full fees, depending on their means. Of the other pupils, up to a third receive some kind of bursary or scholarship. The name "King's Scholars" derives from the fact that the school was founded by King Henry VI in 1440 and was, therefore, granted royal favour. The original school consisted of only seventy scholars, half of whom had previously been educated at Winchester College, and all of these boys were educated at the king's expense.

King's Scholars are entitled to use the letters "KS" after their name and they can be identified by a black gown worn over the top of their tailcoats, for which they used to be referred to as tugs (Latin: togati, wearers of gowns), and occasionally a surplice in Chapel.

Oppidans

As the school grew, more students were allowed to attend provided that they paid their own fees and lived in the town, outside the college's original buildings. These students became known as Oppidans, from the Latin word oppidum, meaning town. The Houses developed over time as a means of organising the Oppidans in a more congenial manner, and typically contain about fifty boys. Although classes are organised on a school basis, most boys spend a large proportion of their time in their House. Each House has a formal name, mainly used for post and people outside the Eton community, but is generally known by the boys as the initials or surname of the House Master, the teacher who lives in the house and manages the pupils in it.

Not all boys who pass the King's Scholars' examination choose to become King's Scholars. If they choose to belong to one of the 24 Oppidan Houses, they are known as Oppidan Scholars. Oppidan Scholarships may also be awarded for consistently performing with distinction in school and external examinations. An Oppidan Scholar is entitled to use the letters OS after his name.

House structure

In addition to the housemaster, each house has a House Captain and a Games Captain. House prefects were once elected from the oldest year, but this no longer happens. The old term, Library, survives in the name of the room set aside for the house prefects use, and they often have a kitchen. The situation is similar with the junior prefects of the year below, once known as Debate.

There are entire house gatherings every evening, usually at 8.15 p.m. These are known as Prayers, due to their original nature. The housemaster and boys have an opportunity to make announcements, and sometimes light entertainment is provided by boys.

There are many inter-house competitions, mostly in the field of sport.

For much of Eton's history, junior boys had to act as fags, or servants, to older boys. Their duties included cleaning, cooking and running errands. A Library member was entitled to yell at any time and without notice "Boy, Up!" or "Boy, Queue!", and all first year boys had to come running. The last boy to arrive was given the task. These practices, known as fagging, were phased out of most houses in the 1970s and completely abolished in the 1980s, although first year boys are still given some tasks by the Captains of House and Games.

School uniform

The school is famous for the traditions it maintains, including a uniform of black tailcoat (or morning coat) and waistcoat, false-collar and pinstriped trousers. All students wear a white tie that is effectively a strip of cloth folded over into the collar. There are some variations in the school dress worn by boys in authority, see School Prefects and King's scholars sections.

The long-standing tradition that the present uniform was first worn as mourning for the death of George III is unfounded, as "Eton dress" has undergone significant changes since its standardisation in the 19th century. Originally (along with a top-hat and walking-cane) merely Etonian dress for formal occasions, it is still worn today for classes, which are referred to as "schools". Members of the teaching staff (known as Beaks) are also required to wear a form of school dress when teaching.

Tutors and teaching

The boy to teacher ratio is 10:1, which is low by general school standards. Class sizes start at around twenty to twenty-five in the first year and are often below ten by the final year.

The traditional emphasis was on Classical studies, which tended to be dominated by Latin and Ancient History, and, for boys with sufficient ability, Classical Greek. But in recent times this has radically changed; boys are now more likely to be studying Microsoft Access and Chinese. In the 1970s there was just one school computer, in a small room attached to the science buildings, which used rolls of paper with punch-holes to store programs. Today, all boys have computers with internet access.

The primary responsibility for a boy's studies lies with his housemaster, but he is often assisted by an additional director of studies, known as a tutor. Classes, which are colloquially known as "divs" (divisions), are organised on a school basis; the classrooms are separate from the houses. New school buildings have been erected in recent times, but despite the introduction of modern technology, the external appearance and locations of many of the classrooms has remained unchanged for a long time.

Every evening, about an hour, known as Quiet Hour, is set aside, during which boys are expected to study or prepare work for their teachers if not otherwise engaged.

The Independent Schools Inspectorate's latest report says "Eton College provides an exceptionally good quality of education for all its pupils. They achieve high academic standards as a result of stimulating teaching, challenging expectations and first-class resources."[3]

Incentives and sanctions

Eton has a well established system for encouraging boys to produce a high standard of work. An excellent piece of work may be rewarded with a ShowUp, to be shown to the boy's tutors as evidence of progress. If, in any particular term, a pupil makes a particularly good effort in any subject, he may be Commended for Good Effort to the Head Master. The very best pupils in any subject may be Sent Up for Good; a sample of their outstanding work, after being passed by the Head of Department, is signed by the Head Master and permanently lodged in College Library.

The opposite of a ShowUp is a Rip. This is for sub-standard work, which is torn over and must be submitted to the boy's housemaster for signature. Boys who accumulate rips are liable to be given a White Ticket, which must be signed by all his teachers and may be accompanied by other punishments, usually involving withdrawal of exeat permission. In recent times, a milder form of the rip, known as the info, which must also be signed, has been introduced.

Internal examinations are held at the end of the Michaelmas (Autumn) term for all pupils, and in the Summer term for those in the first year, who have no public exams, and those in the second year, who take two or three GCSEs early and then take the exams in all other subjects they are studying. These internal examinations are called Trials.

A boy who is late for any division or other appointment may be required to sign the Tardy Book, a register kept in the School Office, between 7.35am and 7.45am, every morning for the duration of his sentence (typically three days).

For more serious misdeeds, a boy is summoned from his lessons to talk to the Head Master personally about his misdeeds. This is known as the Bill.

The most serious misdeeds may result in expulsion, or rustication (suspension). The term derives from the Latin word 'rus', countryside, to indicate that a boy has been sent back to his family in the country, and is also traditionally used at Oxford and Cambridge.

A traditional form of punishment took the form of being made to copy, by hand, Latin hexameters. Miscreants were frequently set 100 hexameters by library members, or, for more serious offences, Georgics (more than 500 hexameters) by their housemasters or the headmaster[5]. These are no longer in common use.

School prefects

In addition to the masters, the following three categories of senior boys are entitled to exercise school discipline. Boys who belong to any of these categories, in addition to a limited number of other boy office holders, are entitled to wear winged collars with bow ties.

  • Pop:, also known as the Eton Society. Over the years their power and privileges have grown. Pop is the oldest self-electing society at Eton, although the rules were altered in 1987 and modified again in 2005 so that the new intake are not now elected solely by the existing year. Members of Pop are entitled to wear checked spongebag trousers, and a waistcoat of their own choosing or design. Historically, only members of Pop are entitled to furl their umbrellas or sit on a special wall. They also perform roles at many of the routine events of the school year including School Plays, Parents' evenings and other official events. Notable ex-members of Pop include Prince William of Wales, and Boris Johnson.
  • Sixth Form Select: an academically selected prefectorial group consisting, by custom, of the 10 senior King's Scholars and the 10 senior Oppidan Scholars. Members of Sixth Form Select are entitled to wear silver buttons on their waistcoats. They are responsible for Praeposting. This takes the form of ceremonially entering classrooms and asking "Is (surname) in this division?" followed by "He's to see the Head Master at (time)" (the Bill, see above) or the delivery of a Tardy Book ticket (see above) which he must get signed by his housemaster. Members of Sixth Form Select also maintain dress codes, and perform "Speeches", a formal event which is held twice a year.
  • House Captains: The captains of each of the 25 boys' houses (see above) also have disciplinary powers at school level. House Captains are entitled to wear a mottled grey waistcoat.

Sport

Sport is a major feature of life at Eton. There is an expansive network of playing fields. Names given to these include Agar's Plough, Dutchman's, Upper Club, Lower Club, Sixpenny/The Field, and Mesopotamia (situated between two streams and often shortened to "Mespots").

  • During the Michaelmas Half, the sport curriculum is dominated by football (called Association) and rugby.
  • During the Lent Half it is dominated by the Field Game, but this is unique to Eton and cannot be played against other schools. Aided by AstroTurf facilities on Masters' field, Field Hockey has become a major Lent Half sport. Elite rowing also exists.
  • During the Summer Half, there is a division between wet bobs, who row on the River Thames, and dry bobs, who play cricket.

The annual cricket match against Harrow at Lord's is the oldest fixture of the cricketing calendar, having been played there since 1805. In 1914, its importance was such that over 38,000 people attended the two days' play, and in 1910 the match made national headlines[6][7]. But interest has since declined considerably, and the match is now a one day limited overs contest.

Tennis and Athletics are also popular.

There is a high quality running track; there is also an annual steeplechase.

The Eton Wall Game is still played, and was given national publicity when it was taken up by Prince Harry.

Notable among the many other sports played at Eton is Eton Fives.

School magazines

The Chronicle is the official school magazine, and is also the longest running school publication.[citation needed] It is edited by boys at the school and thus, although liable to censorship, has a tradition of satirising and even attacking school policies, as well as documenting recent events. While "The Oppidan" is published once a Half and covers all sport in Eton and a some professional events as well.

Other school magazines include The Ephemeral and The Arts Review, which are geared more towards the boys and are less constrained by official interference.

Fees and charitable status

The fee for the academic year 2007-8 is £26,490 (approximately US$53,000 or €39000) per year.[2] Like most public schools, Eton (as a non profit educational body) is a registered charity, and as such benefits from substantial tax breaks. It was calculated by David Jewell, master of Haileybury, that in 1992 such tax breaks save the school about £1,945 per pupil per year. This subsidy has declined after the 2001 abolition of State-funded scholarships (formerly known as "assisted places") to independent schools by the Labour government. However, no child attended Eton on this scheme, meaning that the actual level of state assistance to the school has always been lower. Eton's headmaster, Tony Little, has claimed that the benefits that Eton provides to the local community free of charge (use of its facilities etc.) have a higher value than the tax breaks it receives as a result of its charitable status. It is estimated that the UK's 1,300 independent schools[8] continue to benefit from their tax free charitable status to the tune of £100M.

In September 2005, Eton was one of the leading British schools which were considered by the Office of Fair Trading to be operating a fee-fixing cartel in breach of the Competition Act 1998. All of the schools were ordered to abandon this practice.[9]

Eton runs a number of courses to students from the maintained sector, the majority of which occur during the longer summer holidays which run from July through to the end of August. The Universities Summer School was first established in 1982 and is an intensive residential course which is open to boys and girls who attend maintained schools throughout the UK and who are at the end of their first year in the Sixth Form and about to begin their final year of schooling. The Brent-Eton Summer School, which started in 1994, offers 40–50 young people from Brent a one-week programme, free of charge, designed to bridge the gap between GCSE and A-level. The school also runs a number of choral courses during the summer months.

Old Etonians

Past students of Eton College are Old Etonians. The school is popular with the British Royal Family; Princes William and Harry are Old Etonians. Eton has also produced nineteen British Prime Ministers. A rising number of students come to Eton from overseas, including members of royal families from Africa and Asia, some of whom have been sending their sons to Eton for generations. One of them, King Prajadhipok or Rama VII (1893 - 1941) of Thailand, then Siam, donated a garden to Eton.[10]

Many fictional characters have been described as Old Etonians. These include Bertie Wooster and Ronald Eustace Psmith from the books by P. G. Wodehouse, the pirate who used the pseudonym Captain Hook, the detective Lord Peter Wimsey, the secret agent James Bond, and Sebastian Flyte in Brideshead Revisited.

The mediaevalist and ghost story writer M. R. James was provost of Eton from 1918 until his death in 1936.

The following are more complete lists of notable Old Etonians:

See also Category:Old Etonians.

See also

Partner schools

Southern Railway Schools Class

The School lent its name to Engine 900, the first steam locomotive in the Southern Railway's Class V, of which there were forty in all. This Class was also known as the Schools Class because all forty engines of the class were named after English public schools. The locomotive bearing the School's name, Eton, was one of the first ten in the class, all built in 1930. It was withdrawn in the early 1960s.

In popular culture

References

  1. ^ Eton waits for verdict in Harry 'cheating' case in The Observer, June 26, 2005
  2. ^ a b Eton College FAQ Fees for 2007-2008 academic year at etoncollege.com (not including "extras")
  3. ^ a b What is it like at Eton College? at bbc.co.uk (accessed 22 October 2007)
  4. ^ Eton College Site Visit Report, 28 October 2000 at subbrit.org.uk (accessed 22 October 2007)
  5. ^ Cameron defiant over drug claims BBC News article dated 11 February 2007 at bbc.co.uk (accessed 22 October 2007)
  6. ^ Fowler's match, 1910 at cricinfo.com
  7. ^ Eton & Harrow match scorecard 1910 at cricinfo.com
  8. ^ ISC official web site (accessed 22 October 2007)
  9. ^ Top 50 independent schools found guilty of price-fixing by Matthew Taylor, Rob Evans and Rebecca Smithers in The Guardian, 10 November 2005
  10. ^ http://www.rspg-burladingen.bl.schule-bw.de/PG/England2000/EtonCard.htm "King of Siam's Garden"
  11. ^ Locations Matching "Eton" at wheredidtheyfilmthat.co.uk (accessed 22 October 2007)
  12. ^ Flickr images tagged Eton College at flickr.com (accessed 22 October 2007)

External links

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