Eton College: Structure and Teaching. Eton College in England (Eton College) Eton College

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 buildings, which were begun in 1441 and completed for the most part about 80 years later, consisted of two quadrangles (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, made 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 foundation college 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 (mostly) 80 years later, consisted of 2 houses of a quadrangular shape containing a chapel, a high 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, classrooms, laboratories, an observatory and 25 houses for students to live were added. Until the middle of the 19th century. the curriculum was purely classical, now mainly contains modern disciplines, although students continue to study classical subjects. Of course, the college’s educational facilities have been modernized and contain scientific laboratories, language laboratories, and a video surveillance system. The College provides preparation for the Queen's Guard examination and students have the opportunity to receive numerous scholarships, including six to King's College at the University of Cambridge. Many outstanding personalities graduated from this educational institution with an academic degree, including the British statesman Robert Harley, the first Prime Minister of Great Britain (1721-1742 pp.) Robert Walpole; English writer Horatio Walpole; British general and statesman Arthur Wellesley, poets Thomas Gray and Percy Bysshe Shelley; as well as the British statesman William Euwarth Gladstone. British biologists John Burdon Sanderson Halden and Julian Sorel Huxley also studied at Eton. The college provides 3 scholarships for those studying music and 70 royal scholarships for other students; they are called "Collegers" (Eton Fellows) and live on the college grounds. Other music students and various fellows and grant holders are called "Oppidans" (Eton boarders) who live and eat in the city.

Vocabulary

1. quadrangle ["kwɔdræŋgl] - quadrangle
2. chapel ["ʧæp(ə)l] - chapel
3. boarding houses - boarding house (house where rooms are rented with meals)
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?

Eton is a college that has the status of the most prestigious secondary educational institution in Britain. Boys aged 13 to 18 years old are accepted for training here. According to the rules of the educational institution, all students are required to live in a boarding house, which is located in a fenced area. On average, about 1,300 students stay here throughout the year.

Eton (college) and its history

A specialized school for boys was founded back in 1440 by special decree of King Henry VI. Initially, the purpose of opening an educational institution was to prepare boys from noble families to study at Cambridge University.

During the medieval period, the college was known as a place where Spartan educational methods were practiced. Students were required to adhere to the strictest rules of conduct. Currently, the attitude towards students here has softened significantly. However, maintaining self-discipline is still considered an essential trait that a true gentleman possesses.

Eton College in England is famous for its famous alumni. At one time, numerous offspring of royal families, nobility, public and government figures successfully graduated from the educational institution. In particular, over the entire history of the institution, 20 future British prime ministers emerged from it, including the most recent, David Cameron. Other famous people who studied at the college include writers Aldous Huxley and George Orwell, famous actor, composer Thomas Arne, and naturalist and explorer Lawrence Oates.

Eton (college): where is it located?

The educational institution is located in Berkshire, 30 kilometers from the center of London. The main buildings are located near the banks of the Thames River. Windsor Castle is located nearby the college.

Equipment

Today, the British College Eton is equipped to the latest standards. There are high-quality laboratories of chemistry, physics, and biology. Works in an educational institution development center innovative technologies. The establishment has a design center and a recording studio. On the territory of the institution there is a theater whose hall can accommodate about 400 people.

Eton is a college where all conditions for sports are created. Students have access to numerous playgrounds, green fields, a large indoor swimming pool, as well as a whole host of specialized equipment. Docks are concentrated close to the Thames, where students come to row and canoe.

Accommodation

As noted above, Eton is an exclusively male college. For them, accommodation is organized in a boarding house format. In other words, students are not allowed to be accommodated outside the college.

There are more than 20 residential buildings on the territory of the educational institution. Each student receives a separate room. At the same time, the guys are accommodated according to age categories. The behavior of students and living conditions in residential buildings are constantly monitored by the so-called housemaster.

Admission conditions

What are the conditions for admission to Eton (college)? Admission here is possible when the applicant reaches 13 years of age. Until the middle of the last century, parents registered their children in educational institutions from birth. Today this option has been cancelled. This made it possible to give everyone a chance to go to college.

Eton is a college that is known for being quite competitive. There are on average 3-4 applicants per place here.

The procedure for entering the college differs from other educational institutions in the country. First of all, the application, in which the student expresses a desire to be here in the future, is submitted at the age of 11. After 2 years, if the request is approved by the management of the institution, the guys undergo an interview, after which they pass the entrance exam. Moreover, boys who apply for a place in the college are required to present to the rector positive characterization from a previous educational institution.

Only a third of the total number of applicants manage to get into Eton College. Receipt may occur with some delay. Thus, the best applicants who did not pass the competition end up on the waiting list. Subject to the availability of a place, such applicants receive a corresponding mail notification of an invitation to the college.

Extracurricular activities

The college pays increased attention to organizing exciting and useful leisure time for students. Applies to each student individual approach, aimed at developing inclinations and talents. From the widest list of various circles, clubs and sections, guys have the opportunity to choose an activity to their liking.

Thus, Eton College in England offers students the following clubs:

archeology;
astronomy;
singing;
cooking;
chess;
computer science and electronics;
business;
foreign languages;
applied arts;
oratory skill.

Among the available sports sections, it is worth noting athletics, basketball, football, volleyball, tennis, badminton, martial arts, horse riding, rowing, rock climbing, swimming, fencing.

Tuition fees

The annual tuition fee here is $55,600, which equates to 35,700 British pounds. Eton also has enough students who don't pay a penny for their education. All of them are holders of a royal scholarship.

Upon admission to an educational institution, students may be charged an additional fee, which goes towards registration and confirmation of a place in the building for accommodation. Separate amounts can be paid by parents of students for additional lessons, organization of excursions and entertainment events, appointment of a guardian, and medical insurance.

Scholarship

You can get into Eton, the college whose photos are presented in the material, on a music or royal scholarship. In both cases, there is serious competition between applicants.

Students who wish to receive a Royal Scholarship are required to obtain highest marks in mathematics and English exams, and also have good scores in science. In particular, in order to be enrolled in free training, applicants must take history, theology, geography, and Latin. If a young person successfully passes all these tests, he is exempt from the general admission examination.

As for the music scholarship, applicants who have extraordinary talent can receive it. The student's academic achievements are also taken into account.

Structure of the educational institution

How is Eton (college) organized? The structure of the institution is based on a special coefficient, in which there should be one teacher for every 8 students. In the first year, there can be up to 25 students in one class. By the last course, their number is reduced to 10 or even less. The remaining students drop out due to non-compliance with the requirements of the institution, poor discipline, and unsatisfactory learning results.

The college is managed by its head. Assistants to senior management are tutors who contact students directly and report on progress and any incidents.

Uniform

What kind of clothes are you allowed to wear to Eton (college)? The institution's uniform consists of a formal vest, over which a black jacket is worn. In addition, every student is required to wear pinstripe trousers. This suit is complemented by a white tie. An alternative to the latter is a white butterfly. However, only senior students have the right to use it in combination with the uniform.

Incentives and sanctions for students

Eton College is known for its well-established student reward system. Work done perfectly is noted by the tutor. High performance in a particular subject is awarded a special diploma by the head of the college.

If a student has presented an outstanding work to the teacher, the latter, by decision of the supreme council, can be sent to the archives of the institution. This way, new Eton students can familiarize themselves with it in the future. This form of rewarding success has been in effect here since the beginning of the 18th century. However, works submitted to teachers are extremely rarely recognized as outstanding. In order for the work to be awarded and sent to the archive, teachers must obtain an appropriate decree from the college administration.

Guys who come to class late must sign the register. Given the systematic nature of such violations of discipline, students are subject to certain sanctions at the discretion of the tutors. In case of serious misconduct, students are removed from classes and summoned for a personal conversation with the head of the college.

However, the requirement to attend classes on time applies not only to students, but also to teachers. For example, if the teacher is late for 15 minutes, those present in the class are free to go about their business for the duration of the lesson.

Corporal punishment

From the very beginning of its existence, Eton was known for using corporal sanctions on students, both for specific offenses and for no objective reason. For example, in the Middle Ages, teachers organized random beatings of students in order to intimidate them and maintain discipline. Such events were traditionally organized on the Friday before the weekend and were known as "flogging day."

Practiced for Eton students until the 80s of the last century. Previously, rods were used for this purpose, which were used to beat students on their bare buttocks. Former head of education Anthony Trench, who ran the college between 1964 and 1970, decided to replace the canes with canes. From that time on, punishments were carried out not in front of the audience, but in the teachers' offices. The last demonstrative beating of a college student with a cane dates back to January 1984.

How realistic is it for a student from another country to get into Eton?

Due to the numerous requirements placed on the applicant and the length of the enrollment procedure, this is not so easy for a foreigner to do. An applicant for a place at a college from another country must be fluent in English as in colloquial speech, and when writing tests. The same goes for knowledge of British history and literature.

The only real chance for a foreigner to enter Eton is to move to live in England no later than he reaches the age of nine. To learn to think like a Briton, the boy will have to undergo training at one of the local boarding schools. In this case, you will need to study according to special program aimed at getting into college.

One of the most famous and prestigious schools in the world is called Eton College, but this is not a university, but a secondary educational institution, which members trust with the education of their children royal family.

Story

The school was founded by order of King Henry VI as an educational institution that would train future students of King's College, Cambridge University. In the Middle Ages, the school was famous for its Spartan education and strict daily routine. By the 21st century, the rules have relaxed, but discipline is still considered mandatory for raising a true gentleman.

Eton is also known for his close connection with the British royal family. The school, located next to Windsor Castle, has always enjoyed the patronage of royalty, and among its graduates were the heirs to the throne, including Prince William and Prince Harry.

Famous alumni: the scions of many royal houses of Europe and the children of the British nobility, future military leaders and statesmen, including 20 British prime ministers, poet Percy Bysshe Shelley, writers Aldous Huxley, George Orwell and Ian Fleming, businessman and politician Sir James Goldsmith, studied at Eton. Antarctic explorer Lawrence Oates, politician Alan Clarke, composers Thomas Arne and Hubert Parry and actor Hugh Laurie, known for his role as Dr. House.

Peculiarities

Eton is often called the “incubator lord” and the “gentleman’s factory”. Indeed, children predominate among the students powerful of the world this, and a tight parental wallet is not enough for admission to Eton - offspring from noble families are taken here who will show excellent results in the entrance exams. Previously, there were even so-called. “house lists”, where children of Eton graduates were recorded immediately after birth. Today there are no such lists, but often among students you can find those whose fathers and children were also Etonians.

An Etonian is not just wealth and title, excellent education and manners, a formal suit and even a special accent by which graduates of a prestigious school recognize each other. This is a special philosophy of life and a certain snobbery, to which, however, Etonians have every right.

Eton is made up of 25 colleges. One of them is attended by King's Scholars, who pay no more than 10% of the tuition fee or study completely free of charge. Students from the remaining 24 colleges are called Oppidans, and they, or rather their parents, pay tuition out of their own pockets. There are usually no more than 70 Royal Fellows at Eton, and there are a further 50 in each undergraduate college. Classes are not as small as you might expect from an elite private school: 20-25 people. However, by graduation there are no more than ten people left in each class: studying at Eton is not easy.

Eton is also famous for its theaters, in which students stage several plays a year. It is believed that the study of dramatic art is as essential a component of a gentleman's education as history and cricket.

Language of instruction: English, about ten foreign languages are also studied

Training program: British educational program

Subjects studied

Literature, foreign languages, history, physics, chemistry, mathematics, natural sciences, music, painting, martial arts and sports. Eton offers a large selection (about 50) of additional subjects.

Student age: 13-18 years old

Admission conditions

Not all Britons, let alone foreigners, can get into Eton. It is not enough to have an excellent command of the English language, knowledge of English literature and history - those who meet the school’s idea of a real gentleman are accepted into Eton. It is very difficult to get into Eton straight away from another country, so if you want a brilliant future for your child, then it is better to prepare for the assault on Eton in advance and enroll the boy in a preparatory boarding school in the UK at the age of 7.

You can study at Eton from the age of 13, but already at the age of 11 (the application must be submitted no later than the date when the applicant turns 10 years and 6 months), those wishing to get into the elite school must undergo a preliminary selection. It consists of an interview, a test critical thinking(reasoning test) and a transcript of grades received at school. Boys who pass this stage and gain a conditional place at Eton must take the entrance exams.

Typically, one third of applicants who apply at age 11 are invited to sit the exam two years later. The rest are placed on a waiting list and can gain access to the exam if someone changes their mind about going to Eton and withdraws their candidacy.

Parents of boys admitted to the entrance examination must pay a fee of £1,600, with £1,100 of this amount being a deposit which will be returned when the pupils turn 18.

Eaton will provide registration forms for application upon request.

Tuition fee: 30 thousand pounds per year

Scholarships

There is a chance to get into Eton thanks to the King's Scholarship or Music Scholarship. The competition in both cases is serious.

Applicants for the Queen's Scholarship must pass four compulsory examinations (English, mathematics, science and general exam) and three exams in elective subjects (history, geography, theology, French, Greek, Latin, advanced mathematics). If a child was pre-selected at age 11 and was admitted to the entrance exam and passed the Royal Scholarship exams with flying colors, he or she may be exempt from the general entrance exam, but not in all cases.

There are others in addition to the traditional Queen's and Music Scholarships, but please note that these may not be awarded consistently and may be based on additional requirements (eg country of origin) beyond academic and musical achievement. For applicants with Russian roots, there is a scholarship from the Tsukanov Family Charitable Foundation (Tsukanov Foundation), which is awarded to two or three students annually.

Eton College is one of the oldest and most famous private boarding schools for boys in the world, a symbol of classical British education, a forge of the English elite.
The school “Kynge’s College of Our Ladye of Eton beside Windesore” - this is its ancient official name - was founded in 1440 by King Henry VI and initially served as a preparatory school for King’s College, Cambridge University, founded a year later. Participants of the new royal " educational project"there were 70 boys from poor families who studied for free, and students from different parts kingdoms paying for college tuition and living expenses. But Edward IV, who succeeded King Henry on the throne in 1461, abolished the school's financial privileges.
Life for boys in the mid-16th century was quite harsh: Latin lessons began at 6 am and ended at 8 pm. But the hardships of studying in college did not interfere with its growth: if from the very beginning there were not enough places on the school grounds for all the students to live and some were accommodated in the city, then early XVIII century, the number of “coming” had already grown so much that new buildings had to be built - by 1766 there were thirteen of them.
King George III (reigned 1760-1820) paid great attention to the school, often visiting Eton and organizing entertainment for boys right at the royal residence - Windsor Palace. George III's birthday, albeit unofficially, is still celebrated at Eton every year. In the mid-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 became increasingly popular, and by 1891 there were already more than 1,000 students. Studying at Eton became prestigious, the highest-ranking families, including the royal ones, sent their sons here, many enrolled their children in school immediately after their birth.
Since the 1970s, the number of students at Eton has remained at 1,300 students, all on full board. The main goal of the school is to develop students' integrity, independent thinking, 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, almost a suburb of Windsor. They say that the royal residence - Windsor Palace - is so close that its shadow reaches the school. It is just 30 km from London and 20 minutes from Heathrow Airport by car.
Numerous school buildings - Tudor, Victorian, Edwardian and modern glass and concrete structures - are scattered among picturesque gardens, fields and sports fields, in an area directly overlooking 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, which houses over 150 thousand rare books and manuscripts dating back to the 9th century.
The school has its own theater - the Farrer Theater, which constantly hosts student performances, 24 scientific laboratories located in the science building, a new center for innovative technologies and research in learning (The Tony Little Center for Innovation and Research in Learning) and many sports facilities.
There are 25 residences on campus. Each of them houses about 50 boys aged 13 to 18 years (10 from each age level), each with a separate room. The large school canteen can only accommodate some of the students, but the residential ones have their own dining halls and their own chefs. Three school doctors and five qualified nurses monitor the children's health.
Eaton also owns the Casa Guidi estate in Florence, which was once owned by the English poetess victorian era Elizabeth Barrett Browning.

Admission and training
For centuries, boys were enrolled at Eton from birth and outsiders were restricted from entering. Since 2002, the situation has changed - now Eton College is ready to accept “talented students, regardless of their background.” The main criterion is abilities, 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: so, for 2021 academic year The deadline for accepting applications is June 30, 2018. If the application is accepted, the first online qualifying test is held in October-November of the same year - the child takes the Independent Schools Examination Board (ISEB) Common Pre-Test exam. If you successfully pass the ISEB, a year later, in-person testing is arranged at school. The Eton List Test, developed in conjunction with Cambridge, assesses a child's overall knowledge, ability and potential. It consists of an interview, a group assignment with other candidates and a computer-based test. logical thinking. But that’s not all: to be admitted to school in the year preceding the start of your studies, you must pass the Eton Entrance Exam. Candidates who pass all stages of selection can apply for King's Scholarships, but they are awarded only to the most deserving. Financial assistance is also provided for young musicians and talented boys from low-income families.
The school structure includes five age groups, so-called blocks, from 13 to 18 years old. 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 students' lives, in and out of the classroom, are considered part of Eton's educational process. In addition to lessons, so-called Extra Works are regularly organized to broaden the boys' horizons and help them prepare their homework. Academic progress is assessed twice a year using internal exams for all subjects studied - Trials.
In the first two years, a wide range of compulsory subjects are studied (English, mathematics, Latin, natural sciences, geography, history, music, fine arts, theater arts, physical education, information Technology, design, basics of 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, which are taken at the end of the academic cycle state exams. The program includes English language and literature, mathematics, two or three natural science subjects (biology, physics, chemistry), a foreign language, one creative subject and several elective disciplines: ancient civilizations, foundations of religions, geography, Greek, history, Latin, computer science, music.
At the age of 16, students move to the final year, where they study either the traditional A-Level program or the relatively new Cambridge Pre-U, which is distinguished by a more in-depth study of each subject and pays more attention to independent study. To take exams, as a rule, four disciplines are selected from the list: English literature, performing 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, in 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 each 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
IN curriculum- first compulsory, then optional - includes all kinds of art. For creative activities, Eton College has excellent equipment - a design and technology center, a 400-seat theater, a professional recording studio, first-class equipment for drawing, drawing, 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.
IN school theater, equipped with the latest stage technology, more than 20 performances are staged annually. The repertoire includes classics, musicals, and modern plays. Small productions can also take place in 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 Eton's music department. The new building of the music school consists of a rehearsal hall, a recording studio, a computer lab 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 room. The school has a symphony and chamber orchestras, brass bands for seniors and junior schoolchildren, a trumpet ensemble, a string ensemble for primary schoolchildren, several rock bands and choirs. Eton musicians often tour in different cities in Britain and other countries.

Sport
Sports activities are a vital part of the Eton program, where they believe that the ability to win and lose, to lead and follow the rules, to achieve goals independently and as part of a team is the most important features character, which are brought up by sports games. All sports activities are conducted by professional athletes; in total, the school has more than 40 teams different types sports Students regularly participate in competitions at regional, national and international levels. Compulsory sports vary depending on the time of year: in the autumn term they are football and rugby. In the spring term the main sports are hockey, rowing and Field game - a form of football played only at Eton; in the summer - athletics, cricket, rowing, tennis and additional sports from an extensive list. Optional sports include badminton, basketball, rowing, skeet 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 disappear just as quickly, others work for many years. Clubs of archaeologists, architects, astronomers, artists, design, geography and law clubs, musical groups, technical and scientific clubs enjoy constant success. The school regularly runs volunteer programs aimed at helping local organizations and individuals. Etonians help junior schools in conducting classes, entertainment events and foreign language lessons, caring for the sick and elderly, working in charity shops. Since 1860, the school has had a United cadet corps- a paramilitary children's organization that exists in many educational institutions Britain.
Various trips are part of the school program and at the same time extracurricular 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 foreign countries– Germany, India, Poland, Czech Republic, Japan, China, 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 based on interests. Recent travels have included Greece, Italy, Kenya, Nepal and Tibet.

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

The current leader of the British opposition and Eton graduate David Cameron dreams of becoming the 19th. Mayor of London since May 5 - Boris Johnson - 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 13 - 18 years old. Tuition costs £24,490 or $50,000 per year. In total, 1,300 students study at Eton, some of whom do not pay a penny for tuition, being honorary Royal Scholars.

College history

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

Archival records from the mid-16th century preserve information about the Spartan daily routine of students at Eton College. The young men got up at 5 am, said a prayer and had to be in class by 6 am. Teaching in those days was conducted in Latin. Exactly at 8 o'clock in the evening, 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 strict fasting. The holidays were also difficult - 3 weeks at Christmas, during which students remained at college, and three weeks in the summer, when they could finally go home.

Throughout the history of the college, there has been an inextricable connection with the British royal house. This is due to the fact that, firstly, the college has always been under the special patronage of the royal family, and, secondly, the important fact is that the college is located just a few steps from the Royal Palace of Windsor. King George III, who occupied the throne for 60 years from 1820 to 1820, lived almost his entire life in Windsor. He often stopped by 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 21st century style. The faculties of physics, chemistry and biology will surpass many universities in terms of the number and quality of experimental facilities. Acting training is carried out on the basis of its own theater with 400 seats, with professional lighting and sound. At the Design and Technology Center, students design new racing cars. Young musicians have a unique opportunity to work in a professional recording studio. The departments of foreign languages amaze with the wealth of choice: today 150 students study Chinese, 70 - Japanese, 50 - Arabic languages. European languages are included in the mandatory school curriculum, there is also a faculty of Russian language and literature.

The main street of Eton, leading from Windsor Bridge to Eton College

Eton is a full boarding school. Accommodation in college - in single rooms equipped with Internet and fiber optics computer network. Every college student has his own laptop.

At school you can play all possible sports. However, the most popular are traditional football, rugby, and cricket. Based on the results of A-levels final exams, Eton consistently ranks first in the British league tables. And this is not surprising: after all, the selection for admission to college is quite tough. Despite the fact that they enter college at the age of 13, boys take their first entrance exams at the age of 10-11. The 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 as a foreign student

Eton College Schoolyard

Due to the complex and lengthy college admission process foreign student It's not easy to get into Eton. In addition to being practically fluent in English, you also need to have the skills of passing exams and writing tests, a good knowledge 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 for admission to Eton is to bring him to England at the age of 7-9 and place him in one of the preparatory boarding schools, where he will study together with English children who are being prepared for admission. to Eton on a special program.