Queen Elizabeth's School

In 1573 Elizabeth I issued a Charter “for the establishment of the Free Grammar School of Queen Elizabeth in Barnet for the education, bringing up and instruction of boys in Grammar and other learning and the same to continue for ever.” Today QE remains a non-denominational, non-fee-paying, selective School with a mission of producing confident, able and responsible young men and, as such, continues to reflect the essential tenets of our Tudor Charter. The School has a reputation for academic excellence and our expectations are high: QE boys excel at A Level and go on to places at leading universities, including Oxford and Cambridge.

To understand the factors behind our success, it is important to grasp two essential characteristics of the School. Firstly, QE is a meritocracy. We offer open access, welcoming boys on academic merit, irrespective of parental income, residential location or religious background. The resultant ability range and broad cultural mix of our pupils provide an optimum educational environment in which to prepare boys for life in the 21st Century.

Secondly, it should be clearly understood that, in line with our stated mission above, our aspirations at Queen Elizabeth’s School extend well beyond examination results. A broad range of enriching extra-curricular activities is offered in areas such as Sport, Music and Drama, and we expect all boys to participate in the corporate life of the School and to go on to make a serious contribution to society.

We purposely combine old and new in pursuit of delivering the best possible education for our boys. Our ambitious curriculum is progressive, yet does not lose sight of traditional academic values. And as an ancient School supported by foundation and charitable trusts, we are able to offer excellent, modern facilities on a superb 30-acre landscaped site. The School is situated a short distance from its original Tudor building and borders on Hertfordshire’s green belt. Excellent public and private transport links provide easy access to the School.