Queen Ethelburga's College

We welcome girls and boys from 3 months and support them through our four schools - Chapter House (3 months to Year 5), King’s Magna (Year 6 to 9), The College and Faculty (both Year 10 to 13) – to become resilient, confident and independent young adults who are well prepared for their future.

QE is known locally, nationally and internationally as a place that promotes the highest standards in all that it does. Our reputation has grown considerably over recent years, and we believe this is due to our drive to ensure that our outcomes for QE students, across all areas of their endeavour and aspiration, match those of the world’s best schools.

The Independent Schools Inspectorate (ISI) awarded the Collegiate the top grading of Excellent across all schools and areas, following an inspection in February this year, praising the pupils’ outstanding academic achievements and personal development.

Our exam results speak for themselves, consistently ranking us amongst the top 10 day and boarding schools in the UK, with students benefiting from wonderful study, boarding and leisure facilities as part of campus life.

Set in more than 220 acres of beautiful North Yorkshire countryside, Queen Ethelburga’s has provided students with a vibrant and supportive school community since 1912.

Steeped in history, Thorpe Underwood Estate supported a stewpond that fed monks on their way to and from Fountains Abbey. The site was also home to literary great, Anne Bronte.

The present Thorpe Underwood Hall, which sits at the heart of the campus, was built by renowned York architect Walter Henry Brierley as ‘a fine modern mansion of Elizabethan design’.

QE began its life in 1912 in Harrogate and moved to its present site in 1991, bringing with it a number of fun traditions. These have remained firm favourites of QE students, such as the annual School Ghost Production, celebrating QE’s birthday, battling it out in the annual School Quiz and singing carols round the huge Christmas tree outside Thorpe Underwood Hall before sitting down for Christmas dinner. QE traditions bring students together from the four schools and from one generation to the next, uniting them in a common heritage and shared memories.

Blending these traditions and family values with modern facilities and a global outlook is central to the QE approach, we welcome girls and boys from 3 months and support them through four schools - Chapter House, King’s Magna, The College and The Faculty – to become successful independent adults who are well prepared for the future.

College students are expected to be strongly self-motivated and have a pro-active approach to their studies. They take responsibility for their learning and have the academic ability to succeed on the traditional GCSE or A Level curriculum, following a demanding study programme.

Our students are highly aspirational, aiming for the highest grades in all their subjects, and challenging themselves to apply to the best universities. All students at QE benefit from a well-resourced and experienced Careers Department who can offer advice and guidance at all stages of a student’s education. Students in the College are well supported in their university applications and enjoy great success in achieving places at prestigious universities in the UK and beyond, such as Oxford, Cambridge, Imperial College London and those in the Russell Group.

Life in the College is demanding, yet exceptionally rewarding, for those students who are determined to rise to the challenge. Enrichment options allow students to broaden and deepen their knowledge in areas of interest and give a challenging and stimulating experience. Some of these lead to additional qualifications such as the Extended Project Qualification, highly prized by universities and helping to build on students’ independence and research skills. Students in Years 12 and 13 can benefit from super-curricular courses in subjects such as medicine and law, to extend them beyond the curriculum and develop a greater knowledge of, and interest in, fascinating and rewarding subject areas.

Benefiting from excellent teaching and facilities, students are able to achieve outstanding results, whilst taking full advantage of all the opportunities that you would expect in a day and boarding school, including a huge range of music, drama, sporting and co-curricular activities. Students also have many opportunities to develop and demonstrate leadership skills and contribute to the community, with roles as Prefects, Peer Mentors and as members of the various school councils.

The College is a diverse community made up of students from all walks of life. It is fully representative of the world today and helps to create a stimulating, enjoyable and caring community in which they can thrive.

Queen Ethelburga’s is known locally, nationally and internationally as a Collegiate of four schools that promotes the highest standards in all that it does.

Our mission is for all members of the QE community to aspire to the Hill Standard:‘To be the best that we can with the gifts that we have’.

We have a vision to be recognised, consistently, as one of the strongest educational institutions worldwide in all aspects of our endeavour.

Our broadly Christian ethos, welcoming all faiths and none, instils the virtues of mutual respect and support, tolerance and compassion.

We aim to:

• Nurture, educate and equip our students to become considerate, self-assured, independent and resilient adults, respecting and celebrating cultural diversity and ready to take their place in the society in which their future lies.
• Create a safe, happy and caring community in which students take pride in their endeavour and thrive, both mentally and physically.
• Promote the highest academic standards for all, by providing a challenging, stimulating and varied curriculum, which fosters confidence, enthusiasm and curiosity.
• Provide an enrichment programme that complements the academic curriculum, building resilience, responsibility, self-belief and skills, and promotes a sense of fulfilment and achievement in its widest sense.