The Faculty of Queen Ethelburga’s, one of the two senior schools from Year 10-13 at Queen Ethelburga’s Collegiate, has been awarded the prestigious title of Independent Schools Association - Senior School of the Year. The ISA Awards are held annually, celebrating success in independent education and they recognise the breadth and quality of provision within the sector. 

QE Faculty combines academic excellence with the opportunity to also pursue a more vocational and creative approach to studies and aspirations. QE Faculty offers both A Levels and BTECs giving a diverse and flexible curriculum.  

Speaking of the awards, the ISA judge’s comments were as follows: 

“QE Faculty wins this award because its application shows the clear cause and effect between a range of innovatory strategies and the intended outcomes in two areas of the Faculty’s work. The flexibility of a twin A level and BTEC qualification offer, the provision of structured opportunities for developing excellence in sport and dramatic arts, and the innovatory Esports BTEC provide excellent opportunities for students with diverse backgrounds.....to excel. The use of several student profiles to showcase the effectiveness of QE’s approach was highly effective.” 

This flexibility within the QE Faculty curriculum allows students the time and the opportunity to pursue community action, or to invest increased time in an area of particular talent. A specific example is allowing our A Level students performing to a high level in sport to have time built into the curriculum, which provides them with structured opportunities to dedicate time to their sport by accessing the incredible Performance Sport Pathway.

The impact of this decision, which gives students in Year 12 an additional five hours a week for their sporting development alongside four AS levels, means they have a high level of aspiring athletes within the QE Faculty student cohort. The importance of providing each student in QE Faculty with a curriculum that suits their interests and talents leads to strong outcomes for the students academically.

QE Faculty supports the aspirations and ambitions of all of its students from Oxbridge applications, to professional sport, to entrepreneurship, to performing on the stage. QE Faculty aims to get the best from students by finding an academic pathway that brings out the best in them, in whatever area that may be. 

In 2023, within QE Faculty, the BTEC Esports course was launched to Year 10 and Year 12 students as part of QE’s commitment to offering modern subjects for industries of the future and to support the diversity of talents within our school.  

Sport and new subject innovations are only two examples of how QE Faculty creates space for passion in the curriculum. There is also the Academy of Dramatic Arts (ADA) pathway, supporting students with auditions and improving skills in acting, musical theatre, comedy, stage combat, and a variety of dance styles with extra time dedicated in the school day to do so. Students have continued studying performing arts at the BIMM Institute, Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama and Regent’s University London. 

Students can perform in school productions held in the onsite professional 312-seat theatre, outdoor theatre shows and annual events including the QE Gym and Dance Display, the QE Dance and Drama Festival, the Verse-Us Choir Competition and the QE Speech Day. In addition, students can participate in a variety of co-curricular activities including dance, drama and music clubs and ensembles. 

Creative Arts is also another strand of the QE Faculty curriculum and in 2023 received a Gold Artsmark Award, awarded by Arts Council England.  The Artsmark assessor commended QE on its rich range of offer in the arts, within and beyond the timetabled curriculum. 

ISA senior schools are among the best in the country. To be the ISA Senior School of the Year, applicants had to demonstrate how the school makes a positive difference to the outcomes of the pupils in its care. The QE Faculty philosophy has a fixed focus on academic excellence and preparation for the future but with an emphasis on maintaining a sense of creativity and fun – and gives more options to students, their individual talents and how they want to shape their personal development during their time at QE. 

The award comes hot on the heels of Queen Ethelburga’s College, the second QE Senior School, taking sixth place in The Telegraph Best Private Schools in the UK by A Level Results 2024 and The Times Independent School Exam Results.  

To find out more about QE or to book on an Open Day, visit www.qe.org.