Eton College

Eton College
Arms of Eton College: Sable, three lily-flowers argent on a chief per pale azure and gules in the dexter a fleur-de-lys in the sinister a lion passant guardant.
Aerial view of Eton College from the north
Location
Map
Eton, Berkshire, England
,
SL4 6DW
Coordinates51°29′31″N 0°36′29″W / 51.492°N 0.608°W / 51.492; -0.608
Information
TypeBoys Public school
Independent boarding school
MottoLatin: Floreat Etona
(May Eton Flourish)
Religious affiliation(s)Church of England
Established1440; 584 years ago (1440)
FounderHenry VI
Local authorityWindsor and Maidenhead
Department for Education URN110158 Tables
ProvostSir Nicholas Coleridge
Head MasterSimon Henderson
GenderBoys
Age range13–18
Enrolment1,341 (2024)[1]
Capacity1,390[1]
Student to teacher ratio8:1
Area1600 acres (647 hectares)
Houses25
Colour(s)Eton blue  
SongCarmen Etonense
PublicationThe Chronicle
School fees£52,749 per year[2]
US$66,730 per year
AlumniOld Etonians
WebsiteEton College
"Eton College, registered charity no. 1139086". Charity Commission for England and Wales.

Eton College (/ˈiːtən/ ⓘ EE-tən)[3] is a 13–18 public fee-charging and boarding secondary school for boys in Eton, Berkshire, England. It is noted for having educated prime ministers, world leaders, Nobel laureates, Academy Award and BAFTA award-winning actors, and generations of the aristocracy, having been referred to as "the nurse of England's statesmen".[4] The school is the largest boarding school in England ahead of Millfield and Oundle.[5] Eton charges up to £52,749 per year (£17,583 per term, with three terms per academic year, for 2023/24).[6] Eton was noted as being the sixth most expensive HMC boarding school in the UK in 2013–14.[7]

It was founded in 1440 by Henry VI as Kynge's College of Our Ladye of Eton besyde Windesore,[8][9] making it the 18th-oldest school in the Headmasters' and Headmistresses' Conference (HMC). Originally intended as a sister institution to King's College, Cambridge, Eton is known for its history, wealth, and notable alumni, known as Old Etonians.[10]

Eton is one of four public schools, along with Harrow (1572), Sherborne (705) and Radley (1847), to have retained the boys-only, boarding-only tradition, which means that its boys live at the school seven days a week during term time. The remainder of them, including Charterhouse in 1971, Westminster in 1973,[11] Rugby in 1976, Shrewsbury in 2015, and Winchester in 2022,[12] have since become co-educational.

  1. ^ a b "Eton College". Get information about schools. GOV.UK. Retrieved 15 April 2020.
  2. ^ "Current Fees". Eton College. Retrieved 5 November 2018.
  3. ^ Wells, John C. (2008), Longman Pronunciation Dictionary (3rd ed.), Longman, ISBN 978-1-4058-8118-0
  4. ^ "Eton – the establishment's choice". BBC News. 2 September 1998. Retrieved 4 July 2015.
  5. ^ "Schools Guide 2011 – Tatler". Guides.tatler.co.uk. Archived from the original on 15 July 2012. Retrieved 7 August 2011.
  6. ^ "Current Fees". Eton College.
  7. ^ "Private school fees". Archived from the original on 10 October 2016. Retrieved 4 July 2015.
  8. ^ "Welcome to the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead". Visit Windsor. Retrieved 19 March 2021.
  9. ^ Nevill, p. 3 ff.
  10. ^ Gillett, Francesca (31 October 2017). "Nine UK schools produce country's 'most powerful people'". Evening Standard. London. Retrieved 19 March 2021.
  11. ^ Rae, John (18 April 2009). "The Old Boys' Network". The Spectator. London. Archived from the original on 5 June 2011. Retrieved 30 August 2011.
  12. ^ "Winchester College in the 21st Century". Winchester College. Retrieved 9 February 2021.