Information AboutEton College |
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OVERVIEW Eton College Boards approximately 1,290 boys (15% from overseas) between the ages of 13 and 18 (roughly 250 in each year) at a cost of about £ 23,688 a year. A small number of the pupils – approximately 14 in each year – attend Eton on scholarships provided for by the original bequest and awarded by examination each year; they are known as ''King's Scholars'' and live in the College itself, paying up to 75 per cent of full fees. 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 only of the 14 Scholars in each year, totalling only 70 students, and all of these boys were educated at the king's expense. As the school grew, more students were allowed to attend provided that they paid their own fees and lived outside the college's original buildings in the town. These students were known as Oppidans, from the Latin word '' Oppidum '', meaning town: i.e. those who lived in the town as opposed to the college. The Houses developed over time as a means of organising the Oppidans in a more congenial manner. Most pupils spend a large proportion of their time outside classes in their House. Each House is named after the initials or surname of the House Master, the teacher who lives in the house and manages the pupils in it. The school is famous for its Alumni (known as Old Etonians) and 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, apart from those appointed to positions of responsibility, who wear a white Bow Tie and a wing collar. Their positions are also often indicated by variations in the colour of waistcoat, trousers or waistcoat buttons. Those in Sixth Form Select, who are the most academic students at the top of the school, have silver waistcoat buttons, while those in the Eton Society (known as ''Pop'') are allowed to wear waistcoats of whatever colour or design they wish, with grey "spongebag" trousers. King's Scholars are also required to wear a black gown over the top of their tailcoats. 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 "divisions" or "divs". Members of the teaching staff (known as ''Beaks'') are also required to wear a form of school dress when teaching. Other idiosyncrasies include the Eton Field Game , the Eton Wall Game , and the remnants of a unique Eton slang for almost everything involved with the school. HISTORY Eton College was founded in 1440 by Henry VI as a charity school to provide free education to seventy poor students 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 and several religious to Penitents on the Feast Of The Assumption . However, when Henry was deposed by Edward IV in 1461 the successor 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. As a result of the reduced income suffered at a stage when much of the school was still under construction, much of the completion and further development of the school ever since has 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 Junior (1803–70) became surveyor to Eton and designed new parts of the college which helped provide better accommodation for the pupils. {Link without Title} It is often suggested that the , when the school had no playing fields or organised team sports, and the phrase was first recorded three years after the Duke's death. The Duke was, however, wildly popular at Eton, visiting many times later in his life. There is a long history of japes and pranks being committed on the eve (or day) of the Fourth of June, a ceremony marking the start of an exeat for Etonians, at which parents are frequently in attendance. Included in this list are such endeavours as filling the river with inflatable ducks as the Eton boats process down stream, hiding in the water wearing SCUBA gear, and turning the boats over as they pass, and more recently in 2004, a daring night-time ascent of the college tower, in which a cut-out phallus was attached to a hand of the school clock. TERMINOLOGY AND SLANG Much of Eton slang is the same as other public school slang (for example, calling the elder brother ''Major'' and the younger brother ''Minor''). However, there are numerous Eton-specific phrases, including:
OLD ETONIANS Past students of Eton College are referred to as Old Etonians. The school is popular with the British Royal Family – although Prince s William and Harry of Wales are the only children of a future British Monarch ever to have attended – and has also produced nineteen British Prime Ministers . There are many Old Etonians in the Special Air Service (SAS) and several who went on to become famous scientists, writers or sportsmen. A rising number of students also 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. Numerous Fictional Character s have been described as Old Etonians. These include Ronald Eustace Psmith from the books by P. G. Wodehouse , the pirate who used the pseudonym Captain Hook , Lord Peter Wimsey , and the secret agent James Bond . The following are more complete lists of well-known Old Etonians:
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