Queenswood School
Queenswood School
Org 1: HMC
Org 2: GSA
Shepherd’s Way, Brookmans Park, Hatfield, Hertfordshire AL9 6NS
Telephone: 01707 602500
Motto: In Hortis Reginæ – In the Queen’s Gardens
Age Range: Senior to 18
Day or Boarding: Day, Weekly Boarding, Full Boarding, Flexi/Occasional Boarding
Gender: Girls
Exams offered: A Level, Extended Project Qualification (EPQ), GCSE, IGCSE
Scholarships Tick: Academic, Art, Dance, Drama, Music, Sport
Scholarships Other Types: Tennis
Bursaries and discounts: New entrant bursary
Scholarships and bursaries – further details
Queenswood Scholarships are awarded in recognition of outstanding achievement or promise in a particular sphere.
The majority of our Scholarships are honorary and do not attract financial support; however, a small number of awards with fee remission are available for candidates applying for a music Scholarship who demonstrate excellence coupled with exceptional potential.
Scholarships are offered at Queenswood at 11+, 13+ and 16+ in the following areas:
•Academic
•Art
•Dance
•Drama
•Music
•Sports
•Tennis
The majority of our Scholarships are honorary and do not attract financial support; however, a small number of awards with fee remission are available for candidates applying for an Academic or Music Scholarship who demonstrate excellence coupled with exceptional potential.
Dates of entrance examinations and scholarship examinations:
All Scholarship examinations are held in the November prior to entry.
Non-Scholarship entrance examinations take place in the November prior to entry.
11+ applicants are automatically considered for an Academic Scholarship based on their performance in the November entrance examinations, their entrance interview and a reference from their primary/prep school.
Further information can be obtained from Miss Caroline Noone, Head of UK Admissions, Queenswood School, Shepherd’s Way, Brookmans Park, Hatfield, Hertfordshire, AL9 6NS. Tel: 01707 602500; Email: admissions@queenswood.org.
Queenswood is a progressive boarding and day school for around 490 girls, aged between 11 and 18, where boarders make up around half of the School. The School was founded in 1894 in Clapham Park and moved to its current site in Hertfordshire in 1925. An all-round education focuses on equipping the girls with all the life skills required of women in the 21st century. Within a caring and supportive framework, the girls enjoy a dynamic academic curriculum, supported by a diverse and exciting co-curricular programme.
Queenswood has exceptional value-added results, with our pupils always performing beyond their predicted grades, particularly at GCSE. We believe that every girl should follow her own individual learning journey, so we set development targets that suit her learning style and potential. The Personalised Learning Team works with our teaching staff to integrate this bespoke approach into lessons, while simultaneously providing 1:1 support for girls with a high standard of academic achievement and for those who need a little more assistance in certain subjects.
It is a warm and friendly community where everybody knows each other. Girls thrive within a nurturing House structure tailored to meet their needs as they progress from the Lower School, through the Middle School, and on into the Sixth Form. Day girls are fully integrated within the Houses, are able to enjoy all the facilities and opportunities available to the boarders, but choose to go home at night after a packed school day. There is a flexible approach to boarding to meet the varying needs of individual families; girls may choose to flexi board for 1, 2 or 3 nights, weekly board or be full boarders.
Here at Queenswood, we know that happy girls are successful girls and so we place paramount importance on pastoral care. The Good Schools Guide states that 'Queenswood is all about kindness and support and it shows in every nuance of school life'. Queenswood parents enthuse about the proactive approach to mental health, highlighting our mentoring programme. On entrance to the school, Year 7 girls are mentored by a fellow pupil in Year 8 and Year 13, with these girls going above and beyond to help one another. This peer-support complements our fantastic pastoral staff, such as our boarding assistants and resident full-time counsellor, who ensure that someone is always looking out for your daughter.
Queenswood is proud to be an international community with an outward-looking approach; overseas girls make up around 20% of the pupils. We welcome girls of all faiths and none, recognise and support an individual’s adherence to her own faith, but expect all girls to embrace the School’s broad spiritual ethos.
The girls are ambitious high achievers, winning places at the top universities both at home and abroad prior to embarking upon a range of exciting careers. Individual talent also flourishes in sport and the creative and performing arts. The extensive co-curricular programme helps develop the girls’ soft skills in a wide variety of ways and significantly contributes to their excellent academic results. As important as individual achievement is the development of a sense of responsibility for each other and the world in which they live. Queenswood girls are thoughtful young people with a secure set of values and self-confidence.
The beautiful Queenswood estate provides the perfect educational environment. Being just 20 minutes from central London, it also has the advantage of easy access to the cultural richness of the capital. At the same time, its proximity to major international airports provides ease of travel for both our overseas girls and for those participating in the School’s foreign exchange and visit programmes.
Curriculum. With over 25 subjects in the curriculum and more than 150 co-curricular activities available, girls have every opportunity to discover their strengths and to become exceptional learners and leaders. We offer a holistic educational experience which supports and encourages intellectual, physical, moral and spiritual development.
Life. Queenswood encourages intellectual curiosity, of which the spiritual dimension is an important part. Girls are therefore welcome to discuss their thoughts, feelings and faith in an open and supportive context. Since true education is holistic, it includes spiritual and moral development. All pupils of the School, whatever their religion, are encouraged to explore and develop their own faith in an atmosphere of tolerance. We accept girls of all faiths and none.
Boarding. We strongly believe that fun and friendship should be the foundation of our boarding community. So, we invite you to enter a world where your daughter will be able to embrace diversity, firmly establish her independence while still fostering a sense of care and concern for the community, sample more to achieve more and certainly make friends for life.
Lower School. Our ultimate aim in the Lower School is to help girls to become independent students with enthusiasm for learning and the ambition to develop their skills and qualities to their fullest extent. Beyond the classroom, there is a wealth of opportunities for younger girls to enrich their education. These include a wide range of co-curricular clubs and activities and a diverse programme of House outings and excursions.
Entry. Entrance to Queenswood is by examination (Common Entrance Exam or Queenswood’s papers), interview and a report from the pupil’s current Headteacher.
Scholarships. Queenswood Scholarships are awarded in recognition of outstanding achievement or promise in a particular sphere. The majority of our Scholarships are honorary and do not attract financial support; however, a small number of awards with fee remissions may be available for candidates applying for a music Scholarship who demonstrate exceptional potential.
Fees per term exclusive of VAT (2024-2025). Day: Year 7 £8,120, Year 8 £8,445, Years 9–13 £9,840. Boarders: Year 7–8 Flexi boarding (1–3 nights) £8,400–£9,195, Weekly boarding £9,530–£9,585, Full boarding £11,260. Years 9–13 Flexi boarding (1–3 nights) £10,620–£11,895, Weekly boarding £12,760, Full boarding £15,345.
Old Queenswoodians’ Association. The OQA has 4,000+ members and an active young membership that supports current Queenswoodians after their time at School has come to an end.
Charitable status. Queenswood School Limited is a Registered Charity, number 311060, which exists to provide high-quality education for girls.
Governors & Staff:
Governors:
Mr H J de Sausmarez, BA, FCIS (Chair)
Mr T C Garnham, BSc (Vice Chair)
Mrs K Belshaw, LLB Hons, PGDip, LLM, AKC
Mrs A Bringans, OBE, BA, MSc
The Reverend Dr D M Chapman, BSc, MA, MPhil, PhD
Ms J Fenn, MA, PGCE, FCCT
Mr R Garwood, BA Hons, Dip MRS
Dr O McGuinness, BSc, MBBS, FRCP, DCH, DRCOG
Mrs C Norman, BSc, CIMA
Mr J Phelan, MA Ed, BA Hons, PGCE
Mr M Simpson
Lord Stamp, BA, CA
Mrs P M Wrinch
Principal: Mrs J Cameron, BSc Hons Surrey, PGCE
Bursar and Clerk to the Governors: Mr I Williams, BEng Hons, RMCS Shrivenham, CEng
Director of Communications and Marketing: Mrs A Nicoll
Deputy Head Academic: Mr I Sheldon, MChem Oxon, PGCE, MRSC
Deputy Head Pastoral: Mrs C Stokes, BEd Hons
Assistant Head, Pupil Data, Teaching and Learning: Mr S Daughton, BA Hons, PGCE, MRHS, MA London
Assistant Head, Boarding: Mrs V Ludwick, BA Hons, PGCE
Head of Sixth Form: Mr C Fox, BA Hons Sheffield, MA Warwick, MSc Oxon
Assistant Head Digital Strategy: Mr S Lovell, BSc Hons Southampton, PGCE
Chaplain: The Reverend K Douglas, MBA
Head of PR, Digital and Print: Mr N Kelley, BA Hons Oxon
Admissions Team:
Head of UK Admissions: Miss C Noone
Head of International Admissions: Ms A George
Admissions and Marketing Assistant: Mrs V Leigh
External Relations Administrator: Miss S Lawrence