Students from the Black Country have returned home after completing a life-changing five-day residential programme at Eton College, made possible through growing partnerships with schools across the region.
The students were among almost 60 Year 10 pupils from state schools across England selected to take part in the Eton Connect Summer School; a free residential programme designed to build confidence, leadership skills and aspirations.
This year's Black Country cohort included students from Invictus Education Trust and Summerhill School in the West Midlands, alongside pupils from schools in Stourbridge, Halesowen, Sandwell and South Staffordshire.
Hosted entirely free of charge at Eton College, the programme combines the College's acclaimed Skills for Success course with a packed programme of extracurricular activities, including boarding in Eton houses, team challenges, excursions, talent evenings and social events.
Throughout the week, students developed their communication skills, resilience, teamwork, leadership and creative problem-solving while experiencing life in one of the world's most historic educational settings.
The significant participation from the Black Country follows extensive engagement with schools across the region through the Eton Star Dudley project. This has helped establish strong relationships with local education leaders and created opportunities for more young people to access Eton's wider outreach programmes.
Eton Star Dudley will be a new state-funded sixth form college being developed through a partnership between Eton College and Star Academies. The college will serve talented young people from disadvantaged backgrounds across the region, providing an academically ambitious education alongside extensive university preparation, mentoring and enrichment opportunities.
The College and Star Academies continue to work with schools, communities and stakeholders across Dudley borough and the Black Country, as plans for the Eton Star Dudley sixth form college progress.
Tom Arbuthnott, Deputy Head (Partnerships) at Eton College, said: "The Eton Connect Summer School is about opening doors, building confidence and showing young people that there should be no limits on their ambitions.
“It has been a genuine pleasure to spend time with this year's students and to see first-hand their enthusiasm, curiosity and willingness to embrace every opportunity the week has offered. Meeting so many talented young people from the Black Country has been fantastic.
"Our growing relationships with schools across the region have enabled more young people to benefit from opportunities like this. We hope every student leaves with greater confidence in themselves, new friendships and the belief that they can achieve exceptional things."
Nikki Clifton, Director of Secondary Education at Invictus Education Trust, added: This has been an incredible opportunity for students from across our six secondary schools.
"Spending time away from home, meeting new people and taking part in enriching educational activities has helped build their confidence and encouraged them to think differently about what they can achieve.
"They have returned with even greater ambition, stronger self-belief and a renewed sense of positivity about the future.”
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