Queen's College

The spirit and heart of this very special community ensures the inclusion of every pupil across all ages and ability. Commitment to fulfilling the potential of each individual can be found deeply rooted in every member of staff, all of whom share a joined-up approach to each child’s personal educational journey.

With shared values and educational expertise, the family at Queen’s ensures the individuals entrusted into the care of the College are nurtured to be the best they can be. Mutual respect and positive attitudes allow children to take informed risks, make mistakes and learn how to learn in a supportive and empowered way.

We aim to make Queen’s a centre of excellence for thinking and creativity which provides a bespoke, individualised education, designed to meet the needs of every member of the community, irrespective of pastoral or learning needs.

We strive to develop thoughtful, confident, resilient young people who are able to take their place as leaders of society in the future, with the spiritual and moral fibre needed to do the right thing and the flexibility of mind and problem solving skills to be adaptable.

We are proud that, when students leave Queen’s, they are well rounded and fulfilled young adults, ready to take on the challenges of life with a truly global outlook.

Queen’s College, originally named the West of England Wesleyan Proprietary Grammar School, was founded in 1843 and adopted its present name in 1887 to commemorate Queen Victoria’s Golden Jubilee.

The location of the school has also changed. Although situated on Trull Road since 1846, the school was first sited in Castle House within the grounds of the Castle.

The school owes its foundation to leading local Methodists who were dissatisfied by the educational opportunities available to non-conformists. Their ambition was in line with that of the University of London, with which the school became closely associated, to provide "a regular and liberal course of education."

Despite the huge changes to the education system during the long history of the school, Queen’s College continues to hold true to this inaugural aspiration.

The cost of doing so is now more than the fees of nine guineas charged to the youngest of the initial intake of 34 pupils. However, the fact that the school roll is currently 700 suggests that many parents continue to believe that Queen’s College provides value for money.

It counts among its alumni a Nobel Prize winner, a Lord Chief Justice, Cabinet ministers, captains of industry, sports champions and many others who have excelled in various fields in keeping with the school motto that pupils should be prepared not for study but for life:"non scholae sed vitae discimus."

This has only been possible over the decades because of the dedication of the School’s staff and the effective leadership of a distinguished line of fine Headmasters. These stretch from Mr Thomas Sibly, who served the school for its first 40 years to the present incumbent.

Each has ensured adherence to the principles of the School’s founders whilst adapting to the circumstances and demands of the time. This is most obvious in the expansion and modernisation of the campus with the acquisition of the old Civil Service playing fields and development of a new Sixth Form Centre as the most recent examples of this development.

Originally the School was comprised overwhelmingly of boarders until the last quarter of the 20th Century whereas today, day pupils form 60% of the population, ranging from babies to 18 years of age. Similarly, from being a School exclusively for boys, girls now make up half the School body since their admittance 40 years ago. Queen’s College can claim to be truly co-educational with all the benefits that ensue for its pupils, socially and academically, and in the performing arts and sport.

But the school exists to serve more than its own. This was most vividly demonstrated during World War I and World War II when 99 former pupils and staff of the School were killed on active service. When Queen’s College stood in relative geographical isolation, reinforced by the nature of boarding education, its links with the town were limited.

However, as the town has grown around the school so Queen’s has embraced the local community. Its facilities are increasingly used by clubs and societies based in Taunton and its pupils are more engaged with local society through charity work, activities associated with the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award scheme (adopted since the inception of the scheme) and various links with local schools.

As an institution, Queen’s College is clearly an important part of the history of the town but it is also proud to play an integral role in the life of contemporary Taunton.