WHAT? WHERE?

The stunning 220 acre site is set within the glorious North Yorkshire countryside, just a 35-minute drive to York city centre. Once home to novelist and poet Anne Brontë, QE is built around the historic Thorpe Underwood Estate with the Elizabethan Thorpe Underwood Hall right at its centre.

The school spent most of its history in Harrogate but moved to the estate in 1991. Now fully established just outside of the city of York, QE combines its heritage with some swanky modern facilities including a full-scale professional theatre and a Sports Village that the pros frequent (more on that later). 

It’s a co-ed day and boarding all-through school taking kids from three months to 19 years old, with boarding starting from as young as seven (Year 3). The school is currently home to around 1,600 students, half of whom are international from over 60 different countries (the school has a Commission on English Language Program Accreditation (CEA) for its specialist support provision. There are no specific religious ties, but QE is a popular school for the British Forces, with over 300 Forces students currently boarding whose parents are actively serving. 

In order to make the massive site feel a bit less daunting, QE is broken up into four smaller schools on-site – Chapter House (3 months to Year 5), King’s Magna (Year 6 to 9), The College and The Faculty (both Year 10 to 13). Each has it’s own Head and Management Team.

For prospective students, there’s an entry assessment to contend with (though this is pitched as a way to identify specific talents and areas of support) and you’ll need a recent report from a current school and a meeting with the academic team at QE.

FACILITIES

/SPORT

Where to begin? QE takes sport really seriously. Over 30 acres of grass and 3G artificial pitches are maintained to top-spec FA standards – which is why Luton Town Football Club and Newcastle United regularly use the school’s facilities. QE hosted the New Zealand International Rugby Squad last year, with students gaining access to the professional training that came with this.

These pitches are just one part of QE’s sparkling Sports Village, which all students can use inside and outside of school time. Also on the spec sheet: a 25-metre swimming pool, triple court sports hall, fitness suite and free weights centre, and a four-lane running track. For kids with specialist interests, QE has studios for martial arts, wrestling, dance, gymnastics, table tennis, cycling, archery, fencing and boxing. Plus an eight-metre climbing wall in the student activity space, and an impressive Sports Science and Treatment Centre. I’m exhausted just writing it.

In Years 6 to 9, pupils get two games lesson and one PE lesson a week. In addition to this, they can choose sport in their two Enrichment lessons, adding up to five hours of timetabled sport per week. Expect all the traditional sports – rugby, hockey, cricket, swimming, basketball, rounders, tennis etc – with football a top pick for the boys (unsurprisingly, with facilities this good) and netball popular with the girls.

All girls also play football and cricket as part of the sports curriculum (touch rugby is only offered as an extracurricular activity), and the school competes at national levels in all girls’ sports. On an individual level, ex-pupil Amy Braithwaite has just signed as a professional for Leeds Rhinos netball team. Two boys have also signed for professional football clubs in the last two years: Jay McGrath for Coventry City and Heath Richardson for Bradford City.

Obviously, sports is a key aspect of life and learning here, but along with day-to-day teaching and A and B Teams across each age group competing in fixtures, the school also has a performance sports programme where students can get higher coaching and professional-level training. This includes athletics, basketball, cricket, football, hockey, netball, rugby and swimming. If your child has a talent in one of these fields, they can enrol in The Faculty from Year 10 upwards which allows the curriculum to flex around the programme. 

/CREATIVE ARTS

Music is taught in a lovely open-plan space with soundproof pods for students to use all day. These spaces are really well-equipped and not just with your standard keys and percussion. I spotted Pearl drum kits, a baby grand piano, fancy music software and a fully equipped recording studio. Plus I gate-crashed a few rock bands rehearsing during lunch hours – punk lives on! All of your expected private lessons are in place (singing, piano, cello etc), but students are also taught digital skills such as mixing and mastering. There are two orchestras (junior and senior), various wind ensembles and mixed-age choirs too. Currently 175 pupils (around 15%) receive chargeable instrumental and vocal tuition, and there are optional activities every Saturday from 10am to 3pm for both day and boarding pupils, including bands, workshops and singing groups.

QE offers a BTEC First Award in Music in key stage 4 (think music technology and music production, plus performing skills, as well as GCSE and A Level in Music. Sixth Form students can choose the Level 3, BTEC Foundation Diploma and Extended Diploma with options in both Music and Music Technology. 

You’ll find the Music faculty above The King’s Theatre – an impressive full scale venue with 330 seats, and professional sound equipment and lighting rig. It hosts school and touring performances for the general public. Understandably the music and drama departments work very closely together. Drama students are involved in two or three productions a year, and while I wandered around the theatre, lots of excited students were prepping for their end of year performance of Robin Hood in the site’s Secret Garden.

Like sport, there’s a Performing Arts pathway in the Faculty for those with a clear talent in the subject. Pupils can allocate an extra five hours a week on their timetable to work with industry-experienced staff and train in the likes of stage combat and classical acting, as well as audition preparation and drama school applications. Previous pupils have gone on to receive offers of training at Central School of Speech and Drama, American Academy of Acting (AADA), ICT Manchester, Bird College, Emil Dale Academy and short courses at LAMDA and RADA so it seems to be working!

In terms of other creative arts, QE has a few standout subjects and facilities along with a traditional offering. There’s a full photography suite and darkroom, fashion studio and 3D craft space, and there are weekend classes for students to develop any arty hobbies. Dance is also popular, with students able to learn street, tap, jazz and more, plus choreography.

/SCHOOL 

In the centre of the campus is Thorpe Underwood Hall which now houses a library, some classrooms and the head’s office (lucky!). Flanked by giant horse sculptures and a fountain, a nod to QE’s equestrian past, it really is a beautiful site – staff live on the grounds so they’re professionally maintained all year round. This is the traditional section of the school. Head a little deeper in and you’ll find more modern touches.

Opened in 2016, the Atrium is the sixth formers’ impressive dining and social space – it’s currently housing an 8m high transformer (lovingly named ‘Bumblebee’), a chopped up Mini Cooper and totally ‘grammable rainbow walkway. And with all the mod cons a teen could wish for, Muggle Activity Centre is the hangout hub for younger teens and boarders. It’s packed with films, a pool table, gaming zone and loads more.

Just off the car park, is the newly reopened Woodlands Building housing the new reception space, School Uniform Shop and a coffee shop for parents, which sits amongst the school’s outdoor sculpture yard.

LITTLIES

Chapter House is the on-site junior school which is split into learning and development levels: Queen’s Kindergarten (3 months to 3 years), Nursery & Reception (4-5 years), Pre-preparatory (Years 1-2) and Preparatory for Juniors (Years 3-5). The 2019 ISI report ranked Chapter House as ‘Outstanding’ across all areas.

There are a few lovely outdoor play / learning zones – lessons are often adapted to be outside when the weather is good – and the Early Years’ rooms had a redesign in 2017 to improve the general look and feel. Having a chat with some younger students, it’s clear that kids are taught to be confident with their thoughts and opinions from a young age (a seven-year-old comfortably schooled me in her favourite animals of the Galapagos in front of her classmates.) 

A few other standout mentions. Nursery and reception use a method they call ‘Magic Moments’ to help little ones focus on key parts of the curriculum – short bursts of planned activities around play. This is paired with a model called ‘Planning in the Moment’, which allows staff to adapt lessons based on a child’s current interests. Parents are encouraged to feed into this through the online platform Tapestry, which you can use to track your child’s experience and development. 

Mandarin and Spanish are taught from Year 1, along with specific music tuition and sports in the school’s facilities. 

SIXTH FORM

For A-Level studies, there are two routes that QE offers. The College senior school, where students pick the traditional four A-Levels from over 20 options, or the Faculty route, which allows students to combine both academic and vocational options. A few interesting courses to pull out: QE has a BTEC Level 3 Award in E-Sports on offer and a Level 3 BTEC in Sport for those looking to go into the industry.

ACADEMICS

2023 results are strong – an impressive 80% of pupils, across College and Faculty, gaining A*/A grades at A level and 76.2% gaining BTEC distinctions.

Focusing on GCSEs, students can take up to 12 subjects, including four options. These are broken up into two during Year 10, then a further two should the student achieve grades 7 or above.

There are some interesting GCSE options on offer including 3D Design, Textiles, Photography and Psychology. Students also choose a ‘super-curricular’ option at GCSE age. This allows them to develop further than the curriculum suggests and practically prepares them for a career in that subject, such as industry support for medicine or law students, or specific industry staffing to develop creative or sporting skills to a professional level.

In terms of A-Levels, traditional options are paired with ten vocational BTECs including Applied Law and Creative Media Practice. 

PASTORAL CARE

Robust, compassionate and water-tight pastoral care is front and centre of QE’s priorities. You’ll find a dedicated Wellbeing Centre with a rounded programme of activities open seven days a week, with staff available 24 hours a day. Students can drop in whenever they need to or get involved with some sessions designed around student wellbeing. There are more relaxed sessions like the ‘Knit and Natter’ group or specific classes around identity and managing emotions.  One-to-one sessions are also available for students who need it, and there’s a very successful peer support network which works across all year groups. As well as Pastoral Care Team, which is always available to pupils, there is also an Independent Listener and School Counsellor.

Importantly, given the school’s links to the Forces, there are specialist sessions for these students where staff can help them to contact parents abroad or talk through specific issues associated with conflict. Tied with this, boarders have direct phone lines in their rooms to make it easier to chat with deployed parents. 

The 2019 ISI reflects the above, with the Wellbeing programme highlighted as one of the reasons students have excellent personal development, moral understanding and social awareness.

BOARDING

Given the number of international and Forces students, it’s no surprise that around 70% of QE’s pupils board. Boys and girls are in twelve boarding houses across the site split into years 3-5, 6-7, 8-9, 10-11 and 12 and 13. For the little ones, it tends to be two or three in a room, but they can fit up to four. For older students, it’s also two or three to a room, but students get some cracking shared common room spaces. With mini football tables, PlayStations, clever lighting and swanky interior design, the common spaces invite socialising, and students have their beloved ‘Toast Time’ every evening – plenty of jam, butter and chat.

There’s a big focus on developing life skills for boarders so older kids are expected to keep their rooms clean and tidy (or face sanctions, gulp) and little ones will be shown how to change their bedding with help from staff. The rooms have a lovely finish with en suite bathrooms and air con, and students are encouraged to bring their own bedding to help them personalise the space.

Students can leave the site at the weekend with a parent or guardian, but you have to confirm with the school by Wednesday to do so. So what is there to do during your free time at QE? Little ones benefit from a super-organised routine with loads of activities such as basketball, baking, football, crafts, movie nights and swimming. Older kids get the same activities but with more freedom over things like electronics and use of the gym. 

MOBILE PHONE POLICY 

QE is strict with electronic devices for younger year groups. Those younger boarders won’t have theirs during the school week until a short window in the evening. Over the weekend, it’s from 12pm, with a hand-in when the bedtime routine starts. Year 9s have slightly more freedom, but must hand them in at 9pm.

THE HEAD

Having spent nearly 17 years at the school – from business teacher to head of college, then on to principal in 2021 – Daniel Machin has seen QE through plenty of changes. Prior to his time in the hot seat, Jeff Smith only held the position for a year, taking over from Steven Jandrell who led the Collegiate for fourteen years.

Machin strikes me as a man who isn’t afraid to be honest. A calm demeanour, he’s proud of the role the school played at the height of the pandemic (the DT department created PPE for the area and housed many students who couldn’t get home) and is keen for those strong bonds with the community to flourish. Under his tenure, nearby schools are coming to use the facilities on a regular basis and its outreach programme is growing to include more SEND groups. 

QE obviously has some incredible facilities but with a site so vast, refurbishing is clearly a constant job. Machin recognises this but he’s ambitious in other areas, citing smart staffing decisions and a constant priority on pastoral care as priorities over the coming year.

QUIRKS 

A school with over 100 years of history is bound to have a few weird traditions – so let’s talk about QE’s Ghost Night Production. Inspired by the history of its founder Queen Ethelburga, the yearly performance brings the ‘ghosts’ of the school to life. In recent years, this has taken the form of an escape room, immersive theatre and a short horror film. Nothing like battling those nightmares head-on.

There’s a big focus on identity at QE and with so many foreign students, it seems like the school is constantly celebrating a religious holiday or tradition. This means that QE kids naturally get exposure to many different types of ‘normal’, and a global outlook from within a 220 acre rural campus ‘bubble’.  

And not so much a quirk as a bonus, given its links to the Forces, QE also has its own Combined Cadet Force which brings together an Army and RAF Section. Students can volunteer from Year 9.

WRAP AROUND CARE

Early drop off is available for little ones at Chapter House and there are after school clubs for all age groups. 

As well as after-school clubs and activities, one super-flexible option for working parents is the option to sign up day students for dinner – you only have to let the school know by mid-morning, which is an incredibly useful addition to the wrap-around care offering. Temporary boarding is also available for £55 a night inclusive of supper and breakfast, and if your child is attending an event, it’s £33.

SEND

The school currently has 53 SEND students, with the most common learning need being dyslexia. Pupils are either supported in class with TAs, or in one-to-one or small group sessions by Teachers of Learning Development out of the classroom, or mixture of both.

ISI REPORT
‘Excellent’ was given across the board for the last ISI report in 2019. In particular, Chapter House was noted for being ‘Outstanding’ – you can read the full report here.  

TRANSPORT
Part of QE’s appeal is that it’s set out in the stunning countryside of North Yorkshire. That does mean driving is a must. For day students, the school has one of the most comprehensive bus services in the area, covering in excess of 1,300 square miles around local villages, towns and Cattal station. More information about travel links are here. 

FEES

Considering how much you get for your money, the fees are good value, particularly when it comes to the day school. For Chapter House (Reception to Year 5), day school fees are £4,100 per term, while boarders pay £11,150 per term. In King’s Magna (Years 6 to 9), day school costs £5,995 per term, while boarding costs £11,600 per term. Both The College and Faculty for Years 10 and 11 cost £6,550 per term for day pupils and £12,150 for boarders. Up at pre A-Level, Years 12 and 13 in both The College and Faculty cost £6,950 for day pupils and £12,600 for boarders.

WORD ON THE GROUND

Walking around the site during break time, the atmosphere was electric with chatter (I counted three different languages) and games. Little ones were confident enough to speak to me and give me a wave, and when I distracted some A-Level students from their studies, they told me that they felt well looked after by the staff. Particularly, their termly socials in the Atrium were a highlight – there’s often a DJ and a fancy dress code.

Parents are largely attracted to the fact that extra curricular activities are so central to QE – the academics don’t hinder either. 

THE MUDDY VERDICT 

Good for: The additional learning development and jaw-dropping facilities mean there are loads of options for kids to explore their interests away from traditional learning whilst still acing their exams. Sporty children will be in their element. Parents will love the ease of a single ‘through school’ from nursery to A levels. 

Not for: Despite the luscious rolling fields, QE is in its own bubble and the out-of-town location might make some of the older kids long for something a bit more vibey. With over 60 nationalities at the school it’s either a global pot of gold or a potential issue depending on your outlook

Dare to disagree?! Go and take a look for yourself. To request a private tour head to the school’s site, or you can take a look at the 360 tour.

Queen Ethelburga’s Collegiate, Thorpe Underwood Estate, York, YO26 9SS, Tel: 01423 333333