Yorkshire


<p>Dynamic, passionate and brimming with purpose, Fe Beadnell is the inspiring Head behind one of Yorkshire’s most exciting all-girls schools, Queen Mary’s, nestled between Ripon and Thirsk. An advocate for ambition, altruism and an unquenchable curiosity about life (and literature), Fe believes a great school should be far more than just teaching to the test. Her vision for Queen Mary’s? To create a thriving centre for female aspiration and opportunity. And that’s not just locally, but globally. Under Fe’s leadership, Queen Mary’s is evolving into a hub of excellence both academically and beyond the classroom.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1024" height="858" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/yorkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/27/2025/11/Fe-Beadnell-Queen-Marys-Head-from-2025-1024x858.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-6101" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/yorkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/27/2025/11/Fe-Beadnell-Queen-Marys-Head-from-2025-1024x858.jpg 1024w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/yorkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/27/2025/11/Fe-Beadnell-Queen-Marys-Head-from-2025-300x251.jpg 300w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/yorkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/27/2025/11/Fe-Beadnell-Queen-Marys-Head-from-2025-768x643.jpg 768w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/yorkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/27/2025/11/Fe-Beadnell-Queen-Marys-Head-from-2025-1536x1286.jpg 1536w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/yorkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/27/2025/11/Fe-Beadnell-Queen-Marys-Head-from-2025.jpg 1600w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></figure>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-your-30-second-elevator-pitch"><strong>Your 30 second elevator pitch:</strong></h2>



<p> I believe the Head and one’s school should always be aligned in ethos, so I like to think of myself as a true Queen Maryan! An optimism in a can-do, no-barriers approach, an enjoyment of every day, and wanting to give back. We are on this earth for a short time, and I would like to think I&#8217;ve always done my best to help others where I can.</p>



<p>Fresh air, curiosity in exploration, and altruistic ambition are at the heart of our community, and empowering every girl to turn interests into careers, to make a difference, and to be the next generation of role models is at the heart of Queen Mary’s. Our namesake was headstrong; it is serendipitous that we uphold adventure and self-confidence as our school’s character traits. From canoeing to Chemistry, riding to arithmetic, and walking across our famous balancing poles in the Great Hall, Queen Mary&#8217;s is a place where girls take on challenges, and find their strength of character through the experience.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-if-a-1-million-pound-donation-came-your-way"><strong>If a £1 million pound donation came your way&#8230;</strong></h2>



<p>We are lucky to be in a position to be investing in a bespoke Early Years Centre, a livery and showjumping arena extension, and with sights set on a multi-purpose Performing Arts and Technology Centre. If we had all of these in place and then such a gift of an additional £1 million pounds came our way, I would build a Georgian-style extension to our glorious Grade I Listed building so we could house more girls, as well as strengthen our bursary programme.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-your-own-childhood-school-days"><strong>Your own childhood school days:</strong></h2>



<p>Similar to many girls at Queen Mary&#8217;s, my parents gave everything to provide opportunities for my sister and I. We had the chance to try a lot of sport, to travel, and were always encouraged to love learning. Sitting at the family dinner table, we were often off to the Encyclopedia Britannicas! This joie de vivre at home was then mirrored in my schooling. Giving everything a go, doing one&#8217;s best, and having fun with it, was at the core of all endeavours, and my own all-girls&#8217; school ethos enabled a sense of comfort within an educational setting, whilst balanced with a confidence that anything could be achieved if you put your mind to it. There were no barriers&#8230; playing in hockey or tennis matches, competitive chess competitions, throwing a discus, entering Latin-speaking competitions, writing poetry, travelling to the Gambia and South Africa through school outreach programmes, volunteering to support reading schemes in local primaries back in Malvern. Life was diverse in opportunity. And yet, with my parents always involved in charity work, washing up and serving teas and coffees at the weekend for fundraisers allowed for people skills to constantly be at the forefront, as well as the importance of giving back. All in all, very happy memories of childhood school days.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-was-the-common-theme-of-your-school-report"><strong>What was the common theme of your school report</strong>?</h2>



<p>All-rounder for most of it. Works hard, commits fully, with always room for improvement of course! A Levels were a time of acceleration for me; I do remember my Head of Sixth Form commenting on how it looked like I had steam coming out of my ears in the lead up to the main A Level exams. I was quite determined!</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-how-would-life-look-if-headship-was-no-more"><strong>How would life look if Headship was no more</strong>?</h2>



<p>For as long as I can remember, I have wanted to work in schools. However, there was one &#8216;Sliding Doors&#8217; moment when my 16 year contract as an RAF Officer was 4 weeks away from starting and a (now acceptable) medical condition was diagnosed. At the time, it meant for a complete review of my career path. Having just completed a degree in Education though, a school classroom rather than military one awaited, although I later became Head of the RAF for a school Combined Cadet Force (CCF) and finally flew a military training aircraft!</p>



<p>As such, I would be in the RAF, or perhaps if retirement age had arrived, returning to my love of literature and running poetry workshops in the Tuscan hills&#8230;</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="667" height="1024" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/yorkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/27/2025/11/91TtQEoE1L._SL1500_-667x1024.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-6102" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/yorkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/27/2025/11/91TtQEoE1L._SL1500_-667x1024.jpg 667w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/yorkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/27/2025/11/91TtQEoE1L._SL1500_-195x300.jpg 195w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/yorkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/27/2025/11/91TtQEoE1L._SL1500_-768x1179.jpg 768w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/yorkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/27/2025/11/91TtQEoE1L._SL1500_-1000x1536.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/yorkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/27/2025/11/91TtQEoE1L._SL1500_-1334x2048.jpg 1334w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/yorkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/27/2025/11/91TtQEoE1L._SL1500_.jpg 1500w" sizes="(max-width: 667px) 100vw, 667px" /></figure>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-your-favourite-book"><strong>Your favourite book</strong></h2>



<p>I love historic travel fiction, with Elif Shafak being a favourite. ‘There are Rivers in the Sky’ is a beautiful, poignant and fascinating novel that has stayed with me ever since, and one which I would recommend to anyone.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-s-the-best-school-trip-childhood-or-current-you-ve-ever-been-on"><strong>What’s the best school trip (childhood or current) you’ve ever been on?</strong></h2>



<p>In childhood, I was fortunate enough to have the opportunity to go to The Gambia. Holding an orphan of 6 months in my arms will never leave me as a memory. Life felt so fragile, and mortality so tangible.</p>



<p>In recent years, I would have to say my best school trip was to New York and Washington last year, where I travelled with 55 students on a cultural tour. The Washington Smithsonians were staggering, the War Memorials heart-breaking, and seeing The Great Gatsby on Broadway was a soul-enriching highlight. More than these though, giving the students the chance to understand more of another culture through its history and cultural monuments was amazing. </p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1024" height="683" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/yorkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/27/2025/11/e-t-1024x683.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-6103" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/yorkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/27/2025/11/e-t-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/yorkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/27/2025/11/e-t-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/yorkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/27/2025/11/e-t-768x512.jpg 768w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/yorkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/27/2025/11/e-t.jpg 1500w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></figure>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-"></h2>



<p><strong>Play</strong> &#8211; I always remember seeing The Railway Children at Malvern. As a young girl, seeing the train burst through the set was incredible.</p>



<p><strong>Book</strong> &#8211; The Secret Garden. I was so engrossed on a childhood summer holiday that I nearly missed all the beautiful French countryside that was passing me by! Although I was also a Malory Towers fan, and then Nancy Drew. Nothing like headstrong female protagonists!</p>



<p><strong>Film</strong> &#8211; Undoubtedly ET. The mystery, the compassion, the friendship and faith. I first saw it at Christmas one year, and the magic of the unknown, the enormity of space, and the sense of the undiscovered was simply engrossing.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-advice-for-younger-self-and-current-students"><strong>Advice for younger self and current students</strong></h2>



<p><strong>Younger self &#8211;&nbsp;</strong>You are always enough.</p>



<p><strong>Current students &#8211;&nbsp;</strong>It is a cliche to say that the world is your oyster, but I do love this adventurous metaphor, particularly for young women, and although this famous line by Shakespeare was intended to suggest &#8216;with a sword (one can) open&#8217; with force, girls should have the confidence to know they can do anything they set their mind to. Use barriers as stepping stones, and every day counts.</p>



<p><em>Queen Mary’s School showcases academic excellence within a nurturing, all-girls environment in stunning North Yorkshire, where girls thrive in a supportive, close-knit community. Read our review <a href="https://yorkshire.muddystilettos.co.uk/kids/school-reviews/queen-marys-senior-school-topcliffe-north-yorkshire/">here</a>.</em></p>


Heads Up: Fe Beadnell of Queen Mary’s School, Thirsk

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