Prestigious college on the Thames crossword puzzle. Eton College Nursery of the British Elite

Eton, maybe not the most expensive school in the UK, and its graduates do not show the most top scores in examinations, however, it was here that 19 British Prime Ministers were 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.

Ancient rituals and rules of the inner life of the college, uniform 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, with very early age wishing to take a high social status in school you have to learn how to be 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. 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. Among those currently working in various fields public life College graduates include publishers (Jordy Greig, Nicholas Coleridge) and oppositionists (New Left Review veteran Perry Anderson); writers and television gurus (Bear Grylls and Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall); defenders environment(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 thirty-two thousand pounds, exceeding average income British family, after-tax, Eton represents, "luxury brand." People who have received education 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 small town 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 big amount 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, totaling total reaches 70. The selection of scholarship holders is based on the results of a competition open to boys aged 12-14. 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 70 poor boys who can 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 reports of school life the early 16th century testify to the Spartan way of life in 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 the eternal British traditions 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 turn them into 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 modern requirements and reducing the impact of rules and rituals on school life.

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. good quality education for all his 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 the present a good education it should be exactly like that.

One of the most famous and prestigious schools in the world is called Eton College, but this is not a university, but a secondary school. educational institution trusted by the members of the royal family.

Story

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

Eton is also known for its close relationship 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.

Notable Alumni: scions of many royal houses of Europe and 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, entrepreneur and politician Sir James Goldsmith, Antarctic explorer Lawrence Oates, politician Alan Clarke, composers Thomas Arne and Hubert Parry and actor Hugh Lori, best known for playing Dr. House.

Peculiarities

Eton is often referred to as the "incubator lord" and the "gentleman's factory". Indeed, the majority of students are children. the mighty of the world this, and a tight parental wallet for admission to Eton is not enough - they take offspring from noble families who will show excellent results in entrance exams. Previously, there were even so-called. “house lists”, where the children of Eton graduates were recorded immediately after birth. Today there are no such lists, but it is not uncommon for students to meet those whose fathers and children were also Etonians.

An Etonian is not just wealth and a 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 some 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 tuition no more than 10% of the cost or study completely free of charge. The students of the remaining 24 colleges are called Oppidans, and they, more precisely, their parents, pay for education out of their own pocket. There are usually no more than 70 Royal Scholars at Eton, and there are 50 more at each Oppidan College. Classes are not as small as you might expect from an elite private school: 20-25 people. However, no more than ten people remain in each class by graduation: studying at Eton is not easy.

Eton is also known for its theaters, in which students put on several plays a year. It is believed that the study of dramatic art is the same mandatory component of the training of a gentleman, like history and cricket.

Teaching language: English, also studied at about ten foreign languages

Training program: British educational program

Subjects studied

Literature, foreign languages, history, physics, chemistry, mathematics, natural Sciences, music, painting, martial arts and sports. Eton offers big choice(about 50) additional items.

Age of students: 13-18 years old

Admission conditions

Not all Britons can enter Eton, let alone foreigners. Little excellent to own English language, to know English literature and history - those who meet the school's idea of a real gentleman are taken to Eton. It is very difficult to get to Eton right away from another country, so if you want a bright future for your child, it is better to prepare for the storming of 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 old), those who want to get into an elite school must pass a preliminary selection. It consists of an interview, a critical thinking test (reasoning test) and a transcript of grades received at school. Boys who pass this stage and receive a conditional place at Eton, at the age of 13, must pass the entrance exams.

As a rule, one third of applicants who apply at the age of 11 receive an invitation to take the exam in two years. The rest are put on a waiting list and can get access to the exam in case someone changes their mind about entering Eton and withdraws their candidacy.

Parents of boys admitted to the entrance examination must pay a fee of £1,600, of which £1,100 is a deposit that will be refunded when students reach 18 years of age.

Eaton sends registration forms for applying on request.

Cost of education: 30 thousand pounds per year

Scholarships

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

Applicants for the Royal Scholarship must pass four compulsory examinations (English, mathematics, science and general examination) and three examinations in elective subjects (history, geography, theology, French, Greek, Latin, advanced mathematics). If a child has passed the pre-selection at 11 years of age and has been admitted to the entrance examination, has passed the exams for the Royal Scholarship with excellent marks, then he can be exempted from the general entrance examination, but not in all cases.

There are others besides the traditional Royal and Musical Scholarships, however please note that they may not be awarded permanently and on the basis of additional requirements(for example, the applicant's country of origin), in addition to academic and musical achievements. For applicants with Russian roots, there is a scholarship charitable foundation Tsukanov family (Tsukanov Foundation), which is allocated annually to two or three students.

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 strict post. 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 royal palace Windsor. 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. Education acting skills is held 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 unique opportunity 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 mandatory 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.

Everything can be done at school possible types sports. However, the most popular are traditional football, rugby, cricket. According to the results of the final exams A-levels, Eton consistently takes first place in the British rating 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. 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 identify him in one of the preparatory (preparatory school) boarding schools, where he will study with English children who are preparing to enter Eton under a special program.