Queen Mary's Grammar School

Queen Mary’s Grammar School is an invigorating and rewarding place to work: the pupils are intelligent and committed to study; the staff are friendly and forward looking. It is more than just a place of work – it is a thriving community, proud of its past and confident of its future. In March 2023, it was recognised as ‘Outstanding’ in all areas by Ofsted.

There are currently almost 1400 pupils on roll, including over 450 in the Sixth Form. The School has an outstanding academic record and regularly features at the upper end of the national league tables. In 2023, 69% of GCSE grades were 7-9 (A*/A) and 64% of A Level grades were A*, A or B. We are especially proud of our value-added scores, which regularly place us among the top schools in the country for progress. We do not rest on our laurels, but encourage all our pupils to realise their full potential.

In June 2011, the School converted to Academy status and we have undertaken a series of exciting building projects since then, including a new Sixth Form Centre, science labs and a humanities wing, music and PE refurbishments, extensions to existing English and maths classrooms, as well as a new dining room and reception. We were a founding member of the Mercian Multi Academy Trust (along with five other schools) in January 2018.  Over the past few years, we completed projects to add additional capacity through the building of extra science rooms, a humanities block and a sixth form study annexe.

The School encourages an enterprising and international outlook: trips, expeditions and exchanges have gone all over the world in recent years, as well as a wide range of vibrant and formative educational visits and experiences closer to home such as theatre visits, visiting speakers and the mental health ambassadors programme. We are proud to appear in Ross Morrison McGill’s recent book Just Great Teaching, showcasing our mental health work.

We want our pupils to lead happy and fulfilled lives. Learning here is not just about passing exams, but about enjoying the life of the mind. We also encourage all our pupils to take part in a wide range of enrichment activities in music, sport, the Combined Cadet Force and at our Field Centre on the Afon Mawddach in Southern Snowdonia.  We have been named in the Top 100 cricket schools by the Cricketer Magazine for the second year in succession.

Our pupils come from diverse backgrounds, but they all thrive on the sense of support, encouragement and care that characterises Queen Mary’s.