Academic Families works with more than 450 schools throughout the UK, and we have become experts at matching children to the right boarding school for them in order to ensure each student thrives.
We're delighted to present one of our partner schools:
Queen Ethelburga’s Collegiate and Chapter House Prep School in York, England.
"To be the best that you can, with the gifts that you have.”
In 2024, QE College students achieved 99% A*-B, 74* Distinction in BTECs and 87% Grades 9-7 in GCSEs. This meant that the school achieved the Times Top School in the North for Academic Excellence. It also currently ranks 9th for A Level results nationally. QE’s other school, The Faculty of Queen Ethelburga’s, specialises in a flexible curriculum that supports elite sport, pursuing the arts, and combining a mix of modern courses with traditional ones with over 30 BTEC and A Level options. QE Faculty achieved 85% A*-B and 70% Distinction in BTECs.
QE offer a super-curricular programme full of academic extra-curricular activities including seminars, workshops, societies, accredited qualifications and national competitions.
QE College offers an Early Applicant Programme for competitive university courses which provides students with extra training, information, careers and application guidance and a one-to-one specialist advisor. The school also offers specialist programmes for certain fields such as the Medics Programme which offers alumni and professional led workshops, suturing workshops and participation in the QE Medical Conference as well as assistance with MMI interviews, BMAT and UCAT exams, work experience, volunteering opportunities, visits and networking.
QE’s prep school, Chapter House (3 months to Year 5) is known for its superb facilities and clubs, its small class sizes and its individual learning plans which helps every student to achieve their very best. The kindergarten is a Days Nursery Top 20 Nursery and its EYFS provision was once again rated ‘outstanding’ by ISI in 2023. It holds top accreditation in many areas including science and the arts and transitions smoothly into King’s Magna Middle School (Years 6-9), forgoing Key Stage Two SATs for a more enriching curriculum with two options, an additional language, computing and a choice of over 100 enrichment activities.
King’s Magna is all about choice and discovering who you are and what you like and excel at. Students choose form over 100 extra-curricular activities and choose two options per term in Years 6-8 and four options per term in Year 9, which helps prepare students for GCSE and A Level. QE’s exceptional Study Toolkit programme begins in Year 6, with sessions teaching invaluable study, information retention, and revision skills alongside exam technique. This contributes massively to QE’s reputation for producing high-achieving individuals, no matter their ability or wherever their strengths lie.
Within QE’s offering of over 150 activities is a wide array of high-level, competitive and recreational sports. The ‘focus’ sports that have Performance Sport Pathways and scholarships are basketball, cricket, football, and netball. In addition, the school has specialist coaches in a variety of sports including rugby and swimming and perform well in both regional and national athletics competitions. Other popular sports include cheerleading, gymnastics, tennis, badminton, fencing and table tennis.
Using the dedicated Sports Village on campus, QE Faculty’s Performance Sport Pathways (PSPs) offer the opportunity to pursue sport at a high level alongside academic study. The programmes offer the latest tactical, technical, physical and mental training delivered by a team of expert coaches, many of whom are ex-professionals in their sport. The team create Individual Development Plans (IDPs) for each Pathway student, with age-based strength and conditioning programmes, use of video analysis tools appropriate to professional sport and ongoing nutritional guidance, to support each student to access their full athletic potential.
The school promotes physical health and participation for all abilities and ages and so we have a great uptake in sports that combine wellbeing and strength such as yoga. In addition, the new gym, ‘The Extra Mile’, which was named after, and opened by Kevin Sinfield in 2024, is highly popular with students and offers a variety of strength, conditioning and fitness training options.
QE is unique to the area in its diverse community of over 50 nationalities onsite. International boarders make up 60% of the student popular of approximately 1200 students. They mix seamlessly with British and Forces boarders as well as local day students. As stated in the 2023 ISI Report, “Pupils interact with each other in a positive way and enjoy finding out about the different backgrounds of the many nationalities represented in their community...Leaders foster positive relationships between pupils and staff and amongst pupils, characterised by mutual respect. Pupils feel they are part of a community.”
QE welcome boarding students from Year 3 to Year 13. At the heart of QE boarding there are three central characteristics; opportunity, individuality, and a caring community. Every boarding house is on-site, allowing students to roam the 220-acre site and access all the facilities safely. The campus is secluded with 24/7 security so parents can be confident their children are safely looked after.
The hustle and bustle around campus makes the school feel like a town. Students have access to an activity centre, which is home to a cinema, climbing wall, a weekend fast-food café and a selection of board games and game consoles. They can also access the on-site medical centre, gym, swimming pool, uniform and essentials shop, tuck shop, coffee shop, 312-seat theatre, and plenty of outdoor space. Boarders have access to school facilities outside of the normal school day including elite sport pitches, music practice rooms, dance studios and sports courts. There is plenty on offer at weekends too, including performing arts or creative arts academies, fixtures, timetabled activities and exciting trips to local cities, towns and activity centres. QE pride themselves on letting students choose what they do on Saturdays, choosing to forgo traditional Saturday school lessons.
Children are cared for by a team of supportive staff who are skilled at helping to make boarding feel like home, promote independence, and who are separate to academic staff. QE has won or been awarded finalist in a range of prestigious boarding awards including BSA Belonging and Inclusion (finalist, 2024), BSA Innovation in Boarding (won, 2022), TES Boarding School of the Year (finalist, 2022) and Muddy Stilettos’ Outstanding Pastoral Care (finalist, 2022).
QE is known for the quality of its modern accommodation and won both the BSA Best Boarding House Extension or Refurbishment and the COMM Landscaping Design Award in 2024. Students in Years 6 to 13 have ensuite bedrooms kitted out with TVs, phones, desks and storage. They all have access to a modern, well-equipped common room where they can socialise and enjoy downtime. Sixth form students also have items like game consoles, coffee machines, ovens, kettles and washing machines whereas younger students have specialised dorms and common rooms designed for little people. The younger boarders enjoy chill-out spaces, a wellness room and study pods in addition to the communal open plan kitchen dining lounge space. Every young boarder can also ask for a house parent to read them a bedtime story and tuck them in at night.
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