Forces Boarding at Queen Ethelburga’s Collegiate (QE)
QE has been welcoming military children for over 100 years and currently has over 300 Forces students living on its campus of 1300 students. As Principal, Dan Machin, states, “As military children represent a quarter of the student population, it is incredibly important that our school offers enriching experiences and supportive services that help our campus to feel like a home away from home, one that truly benefits our Forces students as a whole.”
A CEA-accredited school set within 220 acres of North Yorkshire countryside between Harrogate and York, it welcomes students from 3 months to 19 years and boarders from Year 3. Military families are entitled to discounts for CEA, non-CEA, and ex-forces applications.
All boarders are cared for by specialist staff outside of school hours. QE has won or been a finalist in several prestigious boarding awards including the BSA Best Extension or Refurbishment (won, 2024), 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).
The hustle around campus makes the school feel like a town. Students have access to an activity centre with a home cinema, climbing wall, weekend fast-food café and a selection of board games and consoles. The campus also has a medical centre, gym, swimming pool, uniform and essentials shop, tuck shop, coffee shop, 312-seat theatre, and plenty of outdoor space for recreational activities.
Students can seek academic support during homework sessions and can participate in over 100 extra-curricular activities onsite including the Forces Club, Combined Cadet Force and the Duke of Edinburgh Award. There is plenty on offer at weekends too, including performing arts and creative arts academies, timetabled activities, and exciting trips offsite.
QE prides itself on its accommodation. Years 6 to 13 have ensuite bedrooms with TVs, phones, desks and storage and benefit from a modern, well-equipped common room. Younger students have a boarding house designed for little people, with chill-out spaces, a wellness room, study pods, baths and an open plan kitchen dining space.
To learn more, visit qe.org/forces-families, email admissions@qe.org, or attend an open morning.
It is a privilege to be able to extend a warm welcome as Principal to Queen Ethelburga’s Collegiate, known locally, nationally, and internationally for our outstanding pastoral care, our high-quality boarding provision, and our exceptional academic outcomes; all supported by our fantastic facilities. Most importantly, QE is a happy and fulfilling place where our students and staff thrive.
Having joined as a Teacher of Business Studies and ICT in September 2005, I have been fortunate to be able to carry out a number of interesting and varied roles in the past fifteen years, including Head of Sixth Form, Head of College, and latterly as Vice Principal. This means that I fully understand the needs, aspirations and exceptional abilities of all of our QE students, and I have used this knowledge to work alongside our skilled and dedicated staff in developing what we offer, so that the school today is at the forefront of educational innovation and expertise. In particular, our Strategic, Senior Leadership, and Estate Management teams benefit from experience, skill, initiative, and strong team-work, which leads to a single-minded focus on ensuring that we provide the very best for our QE Community.
The Collegiate is uniquely made up of four smaller schools, each with its own Head, Deputy Head, and management team. This ensures a nurturing, family atmosphere where the staff know their students thoroughly and form outstanding student-teacher relationships based on mutual respect and unwavering support for each other.
We have established ourselves amongst the top schools worldwide, demonstrated by our outstanding academic results and impressive list of top university destinations. We recognise that the quality of teaching in the classroom is the most critical component in achieving academic excellence, hence our investment in continuing professional development. This ensures our teachers remain at the top of their profession, and our students are equipped with the skills they will need to become successful adults. We also understand the importance of developing the whole student by presenting opportunities to learn beyond the classroom through our extensive enrichment and super-curricular programmes, designed to recognise and celebrate the skills and aspirations of each individual.
We promote a culture of self-awareness; encouraging and developing individual potential and personal qualities, such as those of leadership, critical thinking, and responsibility. We believe in placing each student at the centre of their own development and that learning is a life-long process. Our students leave us as resilient, independent, confident and self-aware young adults, proud to have been members of the Collegiate, and ready to take their place in the wider community.
Thank you for your interest in our school. I look forward to speaking to you about how we can help your son or daughter to be the best that they can with the gifts that they have.
Dan Machin, Principal
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