Queen Ethelburga's Collegiate
Catchment Area, Reviews and Key Information

Join us to get an in-depth, insight into Queen Ethelburga’s and our community, which welcomes children from 3 months old to Year 13. 

Queen Ethelburga’s Collegiate is proud to announce that this year nine student have received offers for Oxford and Cambridge Universities. This is our highest ever numbre of offers. We are very proud of all nine students who have successfully navigated a rigorous and challenging application process to gain offers across a range of subjects.

The focus and drive required to succeed, especially in the challenging conditions of the last year, by these students is very impressive. Since September, they have studied hard to gain the highest scores in admissions tests whilst remaining focused on their challenging schoolwork, and were then faced with the experience of online university interviews, given their inability to visit Oxford or Cambridge in person.

Kevin Oldershaw, Head of Queen Ethelburga’s College, said “We are incredibly pleased for each of them, as we are for all of our students when they receive offers and go onto take up places at their chosen universities. This success is testament to their academic abilities and the comprehensive programme of support on offer. The combination of our experienced subject teachers and Sixth Form tutor team, alongside the dedicated Careers Department, means that students are helped to identify their strengths and interests, inspired and encouraged to follow their ambitions, and then supported to achieve them.

Students with high aspirations, aiming for the top universities, can also take advantage of QE-appointed admissions consultants, gaining access to additional online and in-person tuition from subject-specific Cambridge and Oxford tutors. This also helps with admission test preparation and small-group meetings to really stretch and challenge the most able.

We celebrated Mental Health Awareness Week this year by connecting with nature around our beautiful Noth Yorkshire campus. The theme chosen by organisers Mental Health Foundation this year was nature. 

Our Preparatory School students took to the outdoors for a range of activities including outdoor dancing sessions, mathematics and storytelling of some traditional tales. Our Kindergarten enjoyed a morning stroll spotting pretty flowers which sparked lots of conversation about colours and smells.

The Secret Garden was the setting of a Year 6 poetry performance and 'Tea and Talk' Thrive sessions. This award-winning pastoral scheme offers a huge range of activities to support positive mental health and wellbeing. Students had the opportunity to talk about life after lockdown and what the future holds.

Care is the most important element within the QE community; every member of the Collegiate, staff and student, is responsible for the pastoral care and happiness of the site. There is focus on developing  students’ skills and resilience, whilst nurturing their wellbeing.

QE has a dedicated team of trained staff on call 24 hours a day to offer support and guidance to all students within a specialist welfare area. As well as the pastoral staff, QE also has a team of students who are on hand  to help around the school and in the boarding houses.

The dedicated [email protected] programme offers all QE students a huge range of activities to support positive mental health and wellbeing. This includes activities and support such as; building self-esteem, strategies to help with exam stress, adjusting to change, home sickness, coping with a loss or bereavement, staying safe online, bounce back, and Forces and international support. Everything possible is done to prepare students for the many experiences they will encounter as they move through their educational journey and future life.

Students in Year 8 recently look part in the UKMT Junior Mathematics Challenge. This is a national competition that is designed to promote a love of problem solving. We enter our students into the challenge annually as part of their mathematics lessons and enrichment. 

The multiple choice competition encourages mathematical reasoning, precision of thought, and fluency in using basic mathematical techniques to solve interesting problems.  Problems are designed to make students think. Most are accessible, yet still challenge those with more experience. 

Well done to all of the students who took part. They all scored brilliantly. Special congratulations to students who scored over 73 marks and recieved a Gold Award. They will go on to the next round of the competition; the Junior Kangaroo.