This has been a momentous year at Eaton House The Manor. On Tuesday 25 June the schools on the site, which include Eaton House The Manor Pre-Prep for boys, Eaton House The Manor Prep for boys, Eaton House The Manor Girls’ School and a co-educational Nursery, celebrated 30 years since the School’s foundation.
On that first day in 1993, there were 37 children in the Pre-Prep, 7 in the Prep and 6 in the Nursery. In this way, their founding pupils and parents began a new branch of Eaton House Schools, built on the sure foundation of its sister school in Belgravia, itself founded in 1897.
Fast forward thirty years to September 2023, the start of this academic year, and Eaton House The Manor opened the doors to 688 pupils on a site that has been extensively refurbished and improved over the years around the beautiful Georgian manor house that gives the site its name, from the addition of an Art Room in 2005, to the construction of a Wellbeing Hub in 2024.
The 1.5 acre site has been transformed, the ownership has changed, but what has remained as an absolute constant over the last thirty years is the commitment of staff, the camaraderie in the classrooms and the sense of fun, optimism, ambition and purposefulness that fills each and every day.
Mrs Sarah Segrave, the Headmistress of Eaton House The Manor Prep and Principal of Eaton House Schools said: ‘It has been a genuine joy and privilege to have been part of the journey at EHTM, having started here as a teacher on that very first day in September 1993.
‘We marked our 30th year with a celebration of music at St Luke’s Church on Ramsden Road. This came at the end of a year of fantastic exam results across the schools, exciting sporting meets, vibrant drama productions and exceptional art, music and DT endeavours. Not a moment has been wasted, and there have been so many memorable moments for the pupils to cherish – memories that will last a lifetime.’
The concert was an exceptional occasion, involving children from Nursery through to Year 8, with choirs, soloists and music groups performing, as well as the opportunity to sing our three school hymns. It proved to be a wonderful way to celebrate the day, with many parents attending, along with two former Eaton House The Manor Prep Heads – Mr Sebastian Hepher and Mr Jeremy Edwards.
After the Girls’ School hymn, the Prep School Orchestra delighted with ‘Symphony in G Major-Allegro’ by Le Chevalier de Saint-Georges. Other Prep School highlights included ‘Rondo, Sonata in C-Minor op 13’ and a duo from on clarinet and piano – ‘Allegro man non Troppo – Sonata No. 5.’ The Chamber Choir performed ‘Stronger with Time’ by C. Strommen’ and ‘Dynamite’ by J. Agombar and D. Stewart.
The Nursery treated parents to two energetic renditions of ‘He’s Got the Whole World in His Hands’ and ‘You are My Sunshine’, followed by the Pre-Prep Head and Deputy Head Boys, who read Dr Seuss’s poem ‘Happy Birthday to You!’ Another Pre-Prep boy then performed ‘Arabesque’ by J.F.F. Burgmuller beautifully and The Pre-Prep School Choir also performed ‘Singing a Thankful Song’ and ‘Today We Celebrate’ by M. and H. Johnson. Finally, a Year 3 Pre-Prep boy gave a nuanced solo piano performance of ‘La Chevaleresque’ by J.F.F. Burgmuller.
The Girls’ School String Ensemble delighted with ‘Jupiter from the Planets’ by G. Holst and ‘In the Hall of the Mountain King’ from the Peer Gynt Suite by E. Grieg. A Year 6 girl read a touching poem called ‘Eaton House’ and a Form 5 girl performed ‘Impromptu, Op.5 No. 5’ by J. Sibelius. Finally Bel Canto gave a rousing display of ‘Viva La Vida’ by Coldplay.
With a front cover programme illustration by a Year 7 boy and a Year 5 girl, the concert was truly a display of all the talents that Eaton House The Manor has to offer.
In addition to the concert, in order to commemorate the anniversary, each pupil was also presented with a special red and green 30-year enamel pin badge, and they were allowed to wear this on their blazer as a special memento.
Delicious celebratory 30th birthday cupcakes were also served to the children – because everyone needs cake on their birthday!
To find out more about Eaton House Schools in Clapham and Belgravia please contact Miss Sam Feilding, Head of Admissions on 0203 917 5050.
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