Chapter 7: Eton College
working very hard to develop our links and attract the kind of kids that we feel we can make a genuine difference to. We have made four films which demystify Eton life, and make the idea of boarding more accessible to children who might never have considered it. We have also worked with lots of regional newspapers to spread the word: it is incredibly effective when potential Etonians read articles in the local press, in Hartlepool, Sunderland or wherever, telling the story of a boy who has gone from their community to Eton on a free place. We have also become much clearer about stating who we want: we have said that boys in care or on the edge of care or boys on pupil premium should definitely think about applying. We received 147 applicants this year for our sixth form award, called the Orwell Award: this means that the boys we have been able to admit are those who we think will make the absolute most of the opportunity, and for whom other opportunities are limited. It’s got to be a coherent approach. We take boys for whom we can be a transformative educational environment; we throw all we can in their direction to make it a success, to the age of 18 and beyond; and then we use a strong narrative of impact, established through partnerships across the country, to convince other boys that this is an opportunity for them. We can’t just tell the story in newspapers: we have to continue with films and online mechanisms. Instagram is particularly effective in reaching boys of that age: we have to get smarter here too. JC: In order for people to give you money, you need to have candidates who are going to thrive and take full advantage. TA: An award of two intensive years at a high-performing boarding school can make up for previously having limited opportunities. We can take a student from any background and make them Oxbridge-ready, as happened last year with one of the boys. He came from a former pit village just outside Sunderland and he has gone to Balliol to do PPE. We do not call this a scholarship, as it is not conventionally academically selective: we are looking for potential rather than performance, and we might easily choose a boy with 7s and 8s at GCSE over a boy with 9s at GCSE. That’s why we call it the Orwell Award. So, there’s that first element, the transformational 16+, narrowly focussed, clear message, simple for donors and you can find pupils who will do well. They are choosing Eton, we know their abilities, success rate will be high and there will be some really big success stories. Few will struggle and most will thrive. JC: What about taking in more vulnerable students than you are used to? Won’t it be difficult for the school to accommodate children in care or on the edge of care? TA: If we are going to demonstrate the social utility and importance of schools like Eton, then we have to be doing the difficult things, not just the easy things. We are the educational partner of Holyport College, a state boarding school six miles away. Etonians and Holyportians jointly participate in a whole range of activities, from societies to CCF, from rowing to Eton Fives.
81