QUEEN’S TODAY
2023 – 2024
FOREWORD
Welcome to the 2023-24 edition of Queen’s Today. As you will see, the year has been packed with events and excitement at both QCPS and QCL, with pupils excelling in all areas of school life. Particular highlights for you to explore are our outstanding success in Cheer, where we are now firmly established as one of the top schools in London, and the wonder that was our November production of ‘Annie’. With over 150 pupils involved from both schools, it was a true West End show, not just in location but in quality.
The Independent sector is facing a challenging period following the change of government, but Queen’s is approaching it in strong shape and in high spirits. Thank you, as always, to all of you for your ongoing support, and to the staff and pupils who have made this another very happy and successful year.
RICHARD TILLETT PRINCIPAL
DANCE
Written by Miss Rait-McDonald and Ms Edwards, Teachers of Dance
DANCE SHOW PHOTO CREDITS: PERRY GRAHAM
IT HAS BEEN ANOTHER BUSY YEAR FOR DANCE AT QUEEN’S, PARTICULARLY WITH TWO MAJOR PRODUCTIONS INVOLVING OVER 250 PUPILS ACROSS ALL YEAR GROUPS.
Choreographing for ‘Annie’ on the West End was a particular highlight, and seeing Queen’s pupils performing on such a prestigious stage was incredibly exciting. As expected, the rehearsal schedule leading up to the show was very demanding, but the cast were true professionals, and we can confidently say that their hard work really paid off.
The Dance Show was held at St Mary’s, Marylebone for the second time, after a such a successful 175 last year. This venue has allowed us to think bigger and bolder, generating even more exciting choreography for larger performance groups. Some performances from the show were submitted to perform in The Great Big Dance Off competition in Swindon, most notably, The Dance Company who came third overall!
The
Alongside this, pupils across the School and Junior College have also enjoyed various workshops and events throughout the year, including The Coronet Theatre to see Company MEK, Contemporary and Commercial workshops at BASE Dance Studios, Waacking with Bagsy, and the Art and Dance workshop with Lauren Bouche.
We are now looking forward to our first ever Dance and Music tour to St Lucia in October, where we will be exploring different genres of dance from the Caribbean!
SPORT
Written by Ms Croker, Director of Sport
SPORTS DAY PHOTOS CREDITS: LIZ ISLES
IN THE SPORTS DEPARTMENT, WE HAVE HAD ANOTHER YEAR OF PROGRESS TOWARDS OUR GOAL OF BUILDING OUR SPORTING PROFILE AND IMPROVING ALL THE OPPORTUNITIES WE OFFER HERE AT QUEEN’S. AS A DEPARTMENT WE ARE CONTINUALLY WORKING HARD TO INCREASE THE RANGE OF SPORTS AND ACTIVITIES THAT THE PUPILS ARE OFFERED, AND THIS YEAR WE ADDED BOULDERING AND ICE SKATING TO THE ALREADY IMPRESSIVE LIST OF PHYSICAL ACTIVITIES AVAILABLE TO THEM.
Fixtures
We started the year off with our first trip to the Senior Netball GSA Weekend in Shropshire. The weekend offered a mixture of outdoor adventurous activities, a Q and A with England Netball player Ella Bowen who shared insight into the world of professional sport, a series of masterclasses led by England co and players and was finished off with two netball matches at the end of each day. Despite a very long and physically challenging weekend, the girls played some brilliant netball, gaining invaluable coaching points to take back with them. It was an amazing weekend and great preparation for the season ahead.
Netball player Ella Bowen who shared insight into the world of coaches next year. In addition to our half termly interhouse competitions, and our the GSA U12
This was a springboard into an extremely busy year of almost 100 fixtures, across all seven year groups, involving over one-third of our pupils. We added block fixtures for a couple of year groups during their Games afternoons to allow all pupils to be involved in competitive matches. We hope to be able to offer this opportunity to all year groups next year. In addition to our half termly interhouse competitions, and our weekly fixtures against local schools, we have also participated in several football and netball tournaments. This included returning to th football tournament where we took a mixed team from the Prep and the College and came away with a bronze medal.
London Pulse Trip
As a reward for the commitment and e ort our new Queen’s Netball Academy have shown this year, including a weekly 7am morning start, we took them to watch a Netball Superleague match between London Pulse and Surrey Storm at the Copper Box Arena. It was a very close match, showcasing some of the best netballers in the country. The pupils then had the opportunity to meet some of the players at the end of the match to get their signatures and take some selfies with them. It was a thoroughly enjoyable experience for all involved and hopefully it has inspired the pupils to aim high in their sporting careers.
Westminster Athletics Championships where we took a strong team of over 45 pupils
Our Cheerleading success has continued this year with a clean sweep of victories in the three major competitions of the year: the Pyramid Off at the end of the Michaelmas Term, the Spring Competition, and the Summer Competition in the final weekend of the school year. This leaves us unquestionably the top school in London at this fantastic, collaborative sport. We are also part of Active Westminster and as such we attend several competitions throughout the year including the Westminster Cross Championships and the more recent Westminster Athletics Championships where we took a strong team of over 45 pupils (the biggest team in the competition). They qualified for 17 out of the 20 track finals and won 14 medals between them – an amazing achievement with only a handful of field events taking place due to the heavy rain.
Sports Day
Sports Day was the perfect way to cap o a fantastic year of sports at Queen’s. The sun was shining at Finsbury Park, setting the stage for a fun-filled day of athletics for all the pupils. The event kicked o with an opening ceremony that featured flag bearers for the now six houses and impressive stunts from each house’s Cheer squad. Throughout the day, pupils competed with enthusiasm in running, jumping, and throwing events to earn points for their house and medals for the top three finishers. Congratulations to all the pupils who participated, especially to Seacole, the overall winning house, and to those who set new records: in Class 1, Talia broke the record for the 100m and high jump: in I Juniors, Tise set new records for the 100m and long jump, while Cameron and Coco achieved new records in the 1500m and high jump. A special thanks to the QCPA for providing delicious refreshments, including the very popular ice cream!
DRAMA
Written by Ms Mills, Director of Drama
ANNIE PHOTO CREDITS: TOM BOWLES
TELLING THE STORY OF LITTLE ORPHAN ANNIE WHO CHARMS EVERYONE’S HEARTS DESPITE A NEXTTO-NOTHING START IN 1930S NEW YORK CITY, THE COLLEGE MUSICAL WAS PERFORMED AT THE SHAFTESBURY THEATRE IN LONDON’S WEST END ON 29 TH NOVEMBER 2023. ‘ANNIE’ WAS AN ENORMOUS UNDERTAKING, INVOLVING CLOSE TO 100 PUPILS FROM ALL SEVEN YEAR GROUPS EITHER ON STAGE, IN THE BAND OR BACKSTAGE, PLUS SCORES MORE FROM QCPS.
The production was directed by Ms Beckie Mills, with Musical Direction from Mr Kieran Hughes and Dance from Miss Kiarnah RaitMcDonald and Ms Rebecca Edwards.
Mr Tillett wrote:
‘Well over a year of planning – securing the theatre hire and the licence to perform alone took months. Weeks of working out the stage directions, the choreography and the music before even the casting took place. Days of intensive rehearsals in the lead-up to the event itself.’
“Performing the role of Miss Hannigan at the Sha esbury Theatre, one of the West End’s most iconic stages, was undoubtedly one of the most exhilarating experiences of my life. The opportunity to bring such a vibrant character to life is something I’ll cherish forever, and I’m so grateful to have been a part of this incredible production.” –MARINA (IIS)
‘It was utterly sensational. All of us in the audience were simply awestruck by the quality of the performances on show. Patricia Hodge, sitting next to me, described it as, ‘stunning: they did not put a foot wrong’– and she knows what she is talking about. One former member of staff, a keen theatre goer, told me it was the best thing she had seen in the West End this year – and she meant it. There was apparently a heated debate in the stalls in the interval about why we included a professional in the cast – we didn’t.
As Daisy in Class 2 put it, ‘I honestly will never forget it. It was a massive success’.
It’s the maturity of the performances that was so astonishing. Take the three leads, for example, one from each of the School, the Junior College and the Senior College. Frederica, as Annie, managed to balance the character’s innocence and rebelliousness beautifully, and even showcased her extraordinary gymnastic skills alongside her acting and singing prowess; Esha, as Warbucks, gave a moving, powerful performance that made it hard to believe she is only in Year 10; Marina, who hopes to tread the boards of Broadway professionally and surely is destined to do so, brought the house down as Miss Hannigan.
It was a simply epic way to round off our 175th Anniversary Bursary Appeal, which we launched in 2019 with a similarly ambitious event at the Cadogan Hall, but this, I think, trumped even that. Yes, it was the best thing in my six years of headship so far, not just for the quality, but for the participation, the teamwork, the sheer joy on the faces of both the performers and the audience cheering them on.’ a in in the stalls in the interval about why we included a in the Take
Junior managed to balance the character’s innocence and rebelliousness beautifully, and even gymnastic Warbucks, moving, made it hard believe she is only in Year 10; Marina, who the Broadway professionally and surely is destined to It Appeal, which we launched in 2019 with similarly event the Cadogan Hall, but this, I think, Yes, best in headship so far, not just for the quality, for participation,
ART
Written by Ms Thomson, Head of Art
THE ART DEPARTMENT HAS HAD A FANTASTIC AND ENERGISING YEAR THANKS TO ALL THE MAGNIFICENT PUPILS WHO HAVE CREATED WORK WITH SUCH
CREATIVE FLAIR. the trip to Margate. a picnic and drawing morning in Regent’s Park for textiles Place structure surrounding
Trips and Workshops
There have been lots of enriching trips and visits to galleries including the C1 trip to the National Portrait Gallery, the IJ trip to the Henry Moore Studios & Gardens and the IS trip to Margate.
When it started getting warmer, pupils in The School started enjoying outdoor art lessons! C3 had a wonderful picnic and drawing morning in Regent’s Park studying the flowers on display as inspiration for their textiles project, while C2 spent lessons in Harley Place investigating the texture and structure of the surrounding architecture.
At the end of the Summer term, we C2 of
At the end of the Summer term, we were lucky to welcome back artist Lauren Bouche who inspired all of the C2 pupils in a Dance and Art collaboration. Pupils learned about a range of different artists who used their bodies to make work and choreographed their own movement pieces to create some dynamic artworks.
GCSE and A-Level Art Exhibitions
The highlight of the creative year was the Summer GCSE and A-level exhibitions. The work on display was truly stunning. Pupils have worked hard over the last two years of their respective courses and these displays highlighted the outstanding endeavour that each pupil displayed. As ever, there was sculpture, drawing, painting and textiles all investigating a rich range of themes and ideas including some thought-provoking topics like identity, relationships and the environment. The A-level exhibition was a particular highlight with many comments about how the work could easily be seen in any contemporary gallery. The work is now displayed around the College for everyone to enjoy. Congratulations to all who exhibited!
The Senior College artists have been visiting local galleries to help inspire their personal projects including the Allison Jacques Gallery to see some monumental textiles pieces by Sheila Hicks, the White Cube to see Anthony Gormley’s powerful iron constructions and a thought-provoking group show at The Drawing Room. Embedding the use of Edtech into Art lessons, the pupils created flip videos of their experience and reflections on all the great work that they saw.
The highlight of our Art Scholars programme was a trip to the Unravel Exhibition at the Barbican. After viewing the exhibition, they participated in an artist workshop where they explored the textile technique of macrame.
“I loved learning how to express my creativity through using the new macrame techniques. I was really inspired by Olivia Black’s work as she used macrame to create incredible dresses and bags. Also, I learned how to blend di erent knots together to make a more organic and interesting design.”
SOFIA, IJ
MUSIC
Written by Mr Hughes, Director of Music
ANNIE PHOTO CREDITS: TOM BOWLES
SUMMER CONCERT
PHOTO CREDITS: DAVID CLIFF
IT HAS BEEN ANOTHER BUSY AND EXCITING YEAR IN THE QUEEN’S MUSIC DEPARTMENT. FROM THE A-LEVEL MUSIC TRIP TO SEE THE CHINEKE ! ORCHESTRA PERFORM AT THE BBC PROMS ON 1 ST SEPTEMBER TO OUR MUSIC TOUR TO THE NETHERLANDS AND BELGIUM THIS JULY, OUR TALENTED PUPILS HAVE BEEN IMMERSED IN THE VAST RANGE OF MUSICAL OPPORTUNITIES ON OFFER THROUGHOUT THE YEAR.
Class 3 Tea Party
In September, we welcomed another cohort of budding young musicians with the arrival of our new Class 3 pupils. We celebrated their first half term of hard work in music lessons with the Tea Party at which the audience were treated to the whole year group singing ‘Build Me Up Buttercup’ and Bruno Mars’ ‘Count on Me’, alongside instrumental solos from Class 3 Music Scholars Ada and Sophia, and a highly entertaining rendition of ‘I’m the Greatest Star’ from Marina, our outstanding II Senior Performing Arts Scholar. Since then, it has been wonderful to see the pupils heavily involved in the department with many of them taking up a new orchestral instrument and joining our choirs and instrumental ensembles.
Annie
Arts heavily
A special mention must go to our pupils in the band of our 175th Anniversary production of ‘Annie’ at the Sha esbury Theatre who played so brilliantly alongside the professional musicians. Countless members of the audience raved about the standard of the orchestra, especially the highly accomplished students involved. A huge well done to Eva, Fauve and Zakira in the reeds section, Monica on cello, Bea on trumpet, and Tilly on percussion.
Masterclasses
Our well-established masterclass series continued this academic year, beginning with a woodwind masterclass in September, led by clarinettist Oliver Pashley, a founding member of contemporary quartet The Hermes Experiment who regularly plays in Britain’s top orchestras and chamber groups. In the Lent Term, Janneke Brits – who is heavily in demand across Europe and the US for her chamber performances and coaching – returned to work with our pianists, and award-winning lead trumpeter Ryan Quigley spent a day coaching our brass players. In the Summer Term, it was the turn of our string players who spent a fascinating day with Jessica O’Leary, a highly acclaimed performer, teacher, examiner, adjudicator and music editor. We also had a highly successful Music and Performing Arts Scholars’ Day in January, with each pupil presenting a piece they had been working on, workshopping ideas together and then performing in a captivating concert at the end of the day.
Summer Concert
an range
The tremendous work of our pupils and sta throughout the year culminated in the fabulous Summer Concert at the start of July. Following the success of the 175th Anniversary Concert in 2023, we returned to Regent Hall, a stunning venue perfect for showcasing our numerous choirs and ensembles. The evening began with an electrifying rendition of ‘Joyful, Joyful’ from Performing Arts Club, directed by Marina (II Senior). The audience was then treated to an eclectic range of excellent performances, from the resplendent brass sets – including our superb new ensembles Symphonic Brass and Brass Quintet – to the choir’s joyful rendition of ‘Mr Blue Sky’ and the first public performance from the Queen’s Band who dazzled us with their beautiful arrangement of Coldplay’s ‘Yellow’. A special mention must go to Mr Tucker who dressed up especially for the occasion in an inflatable dinosaur outfit for Top Winds’ arrangement of the main theme from ‘Jurassic Park’. We even had the audience sing along for the final Orchestra and Choir number, Pharrell Williams’ ‘Happy’! Interspersed throughout the evening, we also heard fantastic solos from Sophia (Class 3), Florence (Class 2), Demi (I Senior) and two of our Leavers, Eva and Marina. A huge congratulations to everyone involved in this spectacular occasion!
Brass at Queen’s
As ever, brass playing continues to thrive at the College, thanks to the inspiration of our brass team. The second Brass Ensemble tour took place during October half term, this time to Northern Italy where the pupils enjoyed a full itinerary including a boat tour of the islands in the Venetian Lagoon alongside a busy concert schedule. One of the highlights of the tour was the concert at the Treviso Basilica, a beautiful venue with a very appreciative audience of about 300 people. Upon their return to the UK, they put on a magnificent ‘Brass Blowout’ featuring highlights from their tour programme for everyone back home to enjoy.
Come and Sing
Farewells
This year’s charity ‘Come and Sing’ event was, as always, a major highlight of the Music calendar. The theme ‘A Disney Extravaganza’ celebrated a vast range of Disney favourites with music from The Lion King and Toy Story to Moana and Tangled to name a few! It was a joy to see so many pupils, staff, parents and alumnae working together to achieve something truly remarkable on the day, and we raised a record £7594 which was shared equally between Great Ormond Street Hospital and our own Music Bursary Fund. The latter has already been invaluable for supporting pupils who would not otherwise be able to access the same musical opportunities, and we are immensely grateful to everyone in the community who was able to support this event so generously.
see so many pupils, staff, parents and alumnae working together to achieve truly for who otherwise be immensely to support this event so generously.
With each passing academic year, we inevitably have to say goodbye to cherished individuals within the department. Magdalina Vutova’s contributions to Music at Queen’s were immeasurable, with her profound commitment to the development and progress of her pupils, her vast string expertise and passion for music-making in all its forms. We were very sad to see her leave at Easter to return to Bulgaria, but we sincerely hope to welcome her back for a visit one day, perhaps to lead another strings masterclass! This summer, we also say farewell to our II Senior musicians who have been an exceptional cohort of talented individuals. We wish all the best of luck to Marina, Eva, Monica, Hadassah, Maddy, Carmen and Ella as they embark on their next exciting steps, and thank them wholeheartedly for their leadership within the department.
We are very much looking forward to an abundance of exciting events next term; from a trip for pianists to see Jeneba Kanneh-Mason’s lunchtime recital at Wigmore Hall and the Brass Ensemble tour to St Lucia, to Chamber Choir singing for a joint evensong at St John’s Church, Hyde Park and a woodwind masterclass with Amy Yule (principal flute of the Hallé Orchestra), there will be plenty more fantastic opportunities for our talented young musicians at Queen’s in the forthcoming academic year.
ACADEMIC FESTIVAL
Written by Ms Hanger, Director of Academic Excellence
PHOTO CREDIT: LIZ ISLES
This year the Academic Festival was on the theme of India and pupils enjoyed a day of workshops and activities linked to the amazing subcontinent. The day started with a talk on the Indian Media Circus by Bachi Karkaria, a former editor of the Times of India. The rest of the morning was spent in workshops run by staff and external speakers on a whole range of subjects and linked to a specific time period in Indian history such as Ancient India or The Golden Age. Over the extended lunch break pupils all participated in a practical workshop with options such as singing, dance, yoga, and charity work. There was also a chance to apply some temporary henna tattoos and to try on saris kindly provided by the QCPA and Saloni Badiani Shah. The afternoon saw pupils working on presentations in their houses with the final session of the day showcasing the winning presentation from C3 and C2, a video created during the day by Miranda in IS and a live dhol performance bringing together modern music with traditional instruments. A huge thank you to everyone who helped with the day: as well as staff and guest specialists, it was great to have parents and pupils running sessions and helping in the set up and running of the day.
ACADEMIC
INTERVIEW WITH STEPHEN BAILEY (DEPUTY HEAD – ACADEMIC)
Written by Xifei, I Seniors
CAN YOU TELL ME A BIT ABOUT YOUR CAREER SO FAR?
Originally, I studied law as my first degree then later discerned that my real interest in law was through its philosophical and theological foundations. This led to further study in the fields of philosophy and theology where I was also working in a school with a non-teaching role, focusing on supporting pupil wellbeing and welfare. I then went on to qualify as a teacher; I taught for a year in a large comprehensive school before moving to Westminster School, where I stayed for nearly 10 years doing various roles before becoming the Head of Theology and Philosophy. A er this long period of time, I was ready for di erent challenge, di erent context and was very excited to take on the academic role here at Queen’s.
● QUEEN’S TODAY
ASIDE FROM TEACHING, DID YOU CONSIDER ANY OTHER CAREER PATHS?
I always loved sport, I played football to a decent level but was never going to become a professional! I did think about the army for quite a long time, I was in the Cadet Force at school and at the time I really liked the structure, rigour and outdoor life that came with it. Ultimately, I didn’t think it would be an environment where I would thrive. I also thought about doing a role in a church context, working more pastorally. For me, Education is a great world, there are lots of di erent elements and it’s also about paying it forward, helping to shape the next generation.
WHAT WERE YOUR FIRST IMPRESSIONS OF QUEEN’S?
I think it was the hallmarks of warmth, openness and friendless that struck me from the first time I came into the College. The diversity as well, there are some really interesting people here from all sorts of varying backgrounds.
WHAT’S BEEN THE HIGHLIGHT SO FAR IN YOUR TIME AT QUEEN’S?
It’s probably quite easy to say, partly because of how extraordinary a thing it is, but the end of term entertainments. In particular, Mr Wheeler’s live performance at the end of the Michaelmas Term! That told me a lot about the characteristics of the college, the humour, the fact that people can take themselves not too seriously as well.
CAN YOU TELL ME MORE ABOUT RESILIENT READY, THE INITIATIVE YOU AND DR DAVIES STARTED?
Interestingly, this came up during my interview at Queen’s. It was clear that there had been a lot of thinking about how to grow and develop more resilient learners. This was something that I have spent a lot of time thinking about, in the context of where resilience in the education sector comes from. Along with Dr Davies, I approached this through quite a philosophical angle whilst he approached it through a scientific domain. We both have a background in educational research and thinking, so we’re trying to tailor that thinking to the life of the College – to do in a way that is e ective, not just tokenistic.
WHAT DO YOU ENJOY DOING OUTSIDE OF SCHOOL?
Lots of time with my family, I have a 3 and 8 year old. I try to support them with their activities while also trying to develop their interest in football (something that I loved growing up). When time allows, I like to be as active as possible mostly through cycling and triathlons. I also like watching football, keeping up with world a airs and going to the theatre.
ACADEMIC FOCUS
RESILIENT READY, WRITTEN BY MR BAILEY,
DEPUTY HEAD – ACADEMIC
At Queen’s we are pushing on ‘Resilient Ready’, which is a culture and attitude towards teaching and learning across the College. We are aiming to help the classroom be robust and rigorous, where principles of not opting out, of being willing to try and not quite get it right, to be asked to reframe a question, are all normal practices – to help build strength of character and confidence in an environment of safety and collegiality. The supportive environment of the College in which mistakes can take place, helps to our pupils for the demands of study, work and industry outside of school.
Coupled with our approach here, we have launched a Teaching and Learning Podcast, Talking T&L, to engage members of the community in their thoughts and experiences related to resilience, and how we can more fully build such a culture. In the Summer term every pupil was given a ‘Resilient Ready’ bounce back ball – a small symbol to remind us of the reshaping that takes place a er challenging experiences. We have been delighted to launch our ‘Back to School’ sessions where parents have been invited to reflect upon their life as a pupil and think about the reality of contemporary school life.
We continue to seek new ways to augment and expand our core academic curriculum. New innovations this year include work with the Jimmy Choo Academy, preparing for an exciting launch of a Writerin-Residence (more to follow!) and further embedding our work with the Royal Astronomy Society who support the teaching of Astronomy to a small pocket of pupils. We are keen develop the language of literary as we press into the new academic year, so look out for further discussion of our Digital Literacy agenda to supplement the place of Computer Science in the College.
QCPS
THANK YOU MS LAMONT, WRITTEN BY MR TILLETT
It was obvious from the first interview stage that Laura was the right person to take QCPS forward as its third Headmistress. Calm, personable, visionary and funny, she seemed to have all the attributes.
Four years later, we have been proved right, and are so very sorry that Laura is heading south to take over the leadership of Ardingly College’s prep school. Laura now has a beautiful baby girl, Imogen, and this move is absolutely the right one for her family at this time.
She has achieved so much during her tenure. To start with, she took over in the midst of a pandemic, when the rules for running a school felt like they changed daily. With that safely negotiated, she set about the changes she had envisioned during the interview: a new creative curriculum, ensuring subjects are studied through focus on a common theme; an innovative outdoor education programme; a house structure to match that of the College; a refurbished dining area, Lilibet’s; the embedding of digital technology; a new scholars’ programme; the establishment and consolidation of the five core values of Courage, Collaboration, Curiosity, Creativity and Compassion; and so much else besides. More than this, she has been a fantastically supportive and caring leader, embodying those very values daily to staff
else besides. More than this, she has been a and pupils alike.
Thank you, Laura, and how we will miss you.
ENRICHMENT DAY, WRITTEN BY
MRS MOORE
In May, we held our inaugural Enrichment Day around the theme of The Olympics, it was a fun filled event with an exciting range of learning opportunities to develop and enhance our academic provision. We had a variety of age-appropriate specialised workshops, art and cultural activities and seminars designed to broaden and expand the knowledge, skills, and abilities of our pupils beyond the typical learning environment. We started the day with an inspiring assembly led by Abi Burton, an English Rugby Union player who represented England at the 2000 Olympic Games. After a period of ill health, Abi explained how she had to learn to walk again and returned to training for the 2024 Olympics. Enrichment Day was a collaborative event between QCL and QCPS with masterclasses led by our specialist teachers including; a science lesson on how muscles and joints work, the important food groups and the diet of a healthy athlete presented by our Chartwells nutritionist, Olympics past and present and choreographing cultural dances for the Olympic opening ceremonies. A wonderful day enjoyed by all, and we are looking forward to making this an annual collaborative event.
MINI MARATHON, WRITTEN BY MS CROKER
This year, QCPS held the highly anticipated London Mini Marathon, involving all pupils from the school in a celebration of fitness and community spirit. Pre-Prep students ran 1.3 miles, a huge achievement for them all, especially the Reception classes, while the Prep students tackled a more challenging course of 2.6 miles. Every student exceeded expectations, completing their respective distances with determination and enthusiasm. The atmosphere was electric with lots of smiling faces, and the joy of the accomplishment was obvious for all to see, as each pupil proudly received a medal at the finish line, marking their hard work and success in this memorable event.
QUEEN’S COLOURS, WRITTEN BY MRS MOORE
In November, we launched Queen’s Colours, our new in-house talent programme, designed to encourage effort and recognise achievement in the skills and interests of our pupils. Pupils from Form I to Form VI are invited to try for a Queen’s Colour in a variety of subjects: Art & Design, Computer Science, Dance, Drama, Languages, Music, and Sports. There are specific age-appropriate criteria to be met and assessed and all work towards a Queen’s Colour is independent, albeit with the guidance and support of our specialist teachers.
Assessment week saw 3D models of castles, bridges, chairs, playgrounds, Computer Safety posters, dancers practising their routines, musicians practising their songs, and athletes practising their warmups to name just a few. The Queen’s Colours badges were awarded to the successful candidates at a special assembly.
KINDNESS WEEK, WRITTEN BY MISS COLQUHOUN
Our Form V and VI girls took part in a Kindness Challenge Week that saw them write letters to a family member they appreciate and post them all around the world as part of us celebrating gratitude for those who have influenced us in our lives. They were also tasked with creating over 300 acts of kindness over the course of a week which they achieved alongside the staff. All acts of kindness were posted into Kindness Boxes all around the school, and the challenge was continued at home as part of their Kindness Challenge Homework. The girls showed much creativity and thoughtfulness throughout the challenge. It was a joy to read about all the different acts of kindness that our school showed over the course of this collaborative endeavour to spread the message of kindness amongst our school community. We also celebrate kindness throughout the year with our termly ‘Queen’s Club’ that celebrates girls who have been particularly kind and compassionate to their teachers and friends. Languages, and and towards of
The awarded the special who also staff. were posted the continued at Kindness Challenge Homework. The girls showed much creativity and thoughtfulness throughout joy the school course collaborative
This year, Form VI girls stepped into the enchanted world of Beauty and the Beast! The girls dazzled with their beautiful singing and exceptional Form V ensemble provided spectacular support with their singing The wonderful backstage team worked tirelessly to bring this am to life. We were delighted to welcome audiences to enjoy this tale as old as time for two separate performances at the Somerville Hall over at ‘Big Queen’s’!
MUSIC ROUND UP, WRITTEN BY DR ZACHARIAS
acting skills and the and dancing. amazing production
Our Music Department had an exceedingly successful and busy year. Our 45-strong QCPS Orchestra – spanning Forms II to VI – joined forces with the QCL Senior Orchestra for an amazing Joint Concert. This was the first time a combined orchestra of this size (70 pupils) appeared in either school. The result was astounding, rivalling the absolute best of the senior school and college orchestras in London.
The baton was then passed on to the annual Prep School Proms. All girls from Forms III, IV, V, and VI respectively delivered four incredible concerts, showcasing their immense musical talents and huge progress throughout the year. Apart from operatic and dramatic singing, the instruments on stage included pianos, violins, violas, cellos, clarinets, flutes, recorders and – notably – a French horn. This was also the first time, when two separate groups of Marimbas, our QCPS Quartet and QCPS Septet made their Proms debuts (Form VI).
Warmest congratulations to all our budding musicians for taking our music department up to this extraordinary level. To many more!
BEAUTY AND THE BEAST, WRITTEN BY MRS DE GUISE
RESIDENTIAL TRIPS,
WRITTEN BY MRS FORBER
A trip to The Hive in the Forest for Form IV, Normandy in France for Form VI and Norfolk for Form V were excellent opportunities for the girls to develop their intellectual curiosity outside the classroom. In Normandy, they enjoyed painting in the sunshine and showing off their linguistic skills at a French market. From exploring French culture to British towns, Form V travelled around Norfolk, investigating rockpool habitats, trudging through marshes and navigating through the woods to avoid the ‘monsters’ armed with water guns! Form IV spent most of their time in the forest testing out the camping lifestyle in pods. They enjoyed getting up close to the different woodland species, including invertebrates and reptiles, showcasing their collaborative skills in team games and toasting marshmallows around a campfire. Each and every pupil had a fantastic time and thrived as independent and determined learners!
ARNOLD HOUSE,
WRITTEN BY MRS FORBER
We have had an amazing time collaborating with Arnold House this year. Their Form V pupils visited us for a morning of relaxation and tranquillity during Wellbeing Week. They had the opportunity to try yoga with an instructor from Big Queen’s, a positivity workshop with our school councillor and animal handling, including some giant eight-legged crawly creatures, with ZooLab. Our Form IV pupils were excited to visit them during Science Week for a forensic science workshop, including identifying fingerprints, dusting boot prints and examining evidence to solve a murder mystery. In the summer, we hosted our annual Sports Day at their grounds, where Form VI pupils later in the term enjoyed a team building day in the sunshine during Outdoor Learning Week. We are so proud of how our girls have represented the school during these exciting opportunities and are looking forward to continuing collaborating with Arnold House in the future.
LEAVERS’ DINNER
PHOTO CREDIT: LEILA BARBARO
This year’s departing II Seniors enjoyed a very special Leavers’ Dinner at the end of term! It was a wonderful event that celebrated their time at Queen’s. There were speeches from Monica, our departing Senior Student, from Mr Tillett and the Senior College team. We are enormously proud of this cohort’s determination and growth over the last two years. They bought a real sense of joy to the Senior College and will be missed. We expect great things in the future from the Queen’s Class of 2024! to the Senior College and will be
FROM THE ARCHIVES
FOUNDER’S DAY
The first Founder’s Day was held in 1928 to celebrate the founding of the College by F.D. Maurice in 1848. It seems to have been the suggestion of Mrs Allport, a Lady Visitor, Council member, alumna and parent, who was devoted to the College, as a way of raising money for the Hall Appeal Fund. The first five Founder’s Day services were held in Westminster Abbey, where special stalls had always been reserved for Queen’s boarders. From 1993, the services were then held in St Peter’s, Vere Street (where F.D. Maurice was Vicar from 1860 until 1869) in March of each year. Due to the College’s growth, the services are now held in another local church that has the capacity to accommodate the whole College community.
ANNUAL GATHERING
ROOMS
At Queen’s we have several rooms named a er prominent women in our community including five labs (Bovell-Sturge, Jex-Blake, Kynaston, Truman and Merz) and our Drama space, the New Floyd Room.
EMILY BOVELL-STURGE , a Scottish physician and member of the Edinburgh Seven, taught mathematics and lectured on physiology and hygiene at Queen’s. Educated in Edinburgh and Paris, she and her husband, William Allen Sturge, established a clinic on Wimpole Street. He proposed the Bovell-Sturge lab at Queen’s in her honour.
SOPHIA JEX-BLAKE , an English physician and feminist, studied at Queen’s and later taught mathematics. As part of the Edinburgh Seven, she fought societal objections to study medicine at Edinburgh, becoming Scotland’s first female doctor. She founded the Edinburgh School of Medicine for Women and the Bruntsfield Hospital, practicing for 16 years.
Established in 1854, College students gathered in white dresses adorned with flowers appropriate to their status in the College on a specified day in May to hear a visiting speaker. From 1896 until recently, the speaker was the Visitor, the Bishop of London. The Visitor traditionally shook the hand of each student before proceeding to the Pfei er (now Somerville) Hall to address students, parents and sta . The Annual Gathering of 1926 was widely reported in the press. Nowadays, pupils don’t wear white but still wear di erent flowers depending on their year group and the Visitor meets a selection of pupils and gives a short address at the service, which take places at a local church, not at school. While there hasn’t been any press on this new modernday version of Annual Gathering, we are still delighted to keep part of this century long tradition as part of our school life.
MARY KYNASTON was acting Principal of Queen’s for only two years, during WWII. An inspirational English teacher and disciplined leader, Kynaston laid the foundations for the academic success of the College without losing the individuality of Queen’s.
ETHEL TRUMAN , a science teacher during WWII guided many Queen’s pupils to take science at University. She was the first woman to receive a First in Physics at London University.
PAULINE MERZ was Senior Student in 1933, and started the prefect system and instituted the voting procedure for electing them. The Merz lab was named in her memory a er she was killed in an air raid.
MABEL FLOYD served Queen’s throughout the Second World War as a piano teacher. She was well-known in the musical world and devoted to her pupils, with several of them going on to further study at the London Colleges of Music. The room was named a er her as it housed the piano which she had le to Queen’s. The music room was moved within the College, which is why it is known as the ‘New Floyd Room’.
ALUMNAE NEWS
MICHAELA’S SPACE
Dedicated to Michaela Bergman (1962-2023), Michaela’s Space serves as a tranquil retreat for all who need it at Queen’s. Michaela, an esteemed social anthropologist, championed women’s empowerment, equality, and social justice, leaving an indelible mark on our community.
Opened in January 2024, this newly renovated space honours Michaela, a spirited alumna from the class of 1980. Known for her bright and rebellious spark, she made significant contributions to social development, notably through her work with the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank, promoting gender equality in infrastructure.
Michaela’s generous bequest to the College, revealed a er her passing, funded the transformation of the old Caretaker’s Flat into a sanctuary for students. This thoughtfully designed haven, influenced by student input, o ers a peaceful area for reflection and relaxation. Michaela’s legacy will continue to inspire future generations of Old Queens to create meaningful change in the world.
INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S DAY; IN CONVERSATION WITH EMMA FREUD
As part of the celebration of International Women’s Day 2024, alumnae, along with current pupils, parents and sta gathered at the College for an ‘In Conversation’ with media industry powerhouse Emma Freud OBE (OQ 1980). Emma’s humour and quick wit filled the hall with laughter and giggles, but the highlight of the evening was hearing her talk about her own biggest inspiration – her daughter Scarlett Curtis. Listening to the story of Scarlett overcoming personal and professional challenges really brought home how important events like International Women’s Day still are. Emma’s moving advice for the next generation of women leaders was ‘be more Scarlett’ and be more kind.
ARTS & MEDIA INDUSTRY NETWORKING LUNCH
Queen’s was thrilled to host BAFTA Award winning costume designer PC Williams (OQ 2004) and Emmy and BAFTA Award winning director MJ Delaney (OQ 2004) for an industry networking lunch with students from the Senior College. Pupils heard how Williams and Delaney had made their way from school into their respective careers in TV, film & entertainment, and had the opportunity to ask questions and gain advice on how best to pursue their own goals and aspirations. It is fantastic to see Old Queens leading in their industry and inspiring the next generation of creatives.
DEVELOPMENT
175th Anniversary Bursary Appeal
To mark the milestone anniversary of the founding of Queen’s, the College set out with an ambitious goal of increasing our bursary provision to 10% of all College pupils. As a charity Queen’s endeavours to increase access to the leading education and pastoral care that we offer. To achieve this goal, we launched a four-year appeal to increase our philanthropically funded bursary support. Kick started with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra in 2019 we were thrilled to book-end the campaign with the production of ‘Annie’ at the Shaftesbury Theatre in November 2023.
Over the course of the four years, we reached our goal. Opening a Queen’s education to a wide range of students is hugely beneficial for our community. It is part of the ethos of Queen’s to prepare students to work with others from different backgrounds from their own, and we believe this is crucial for success later in life. The Queen’s community has been extraordinarily generous, and even though our campaign is officially over, we aim to maintain 10% of students with bursaries for the foreseeable future.
Thrive Centre
Total raised over 4 years:
£1.2m
In 2023, Queen’s embarked on a redevelopment project of our old Caretaker’s Flat located on the northeast corner of our premises. Taking on this transformation added over 1,100 square feet to the College and has become a hugely valuable hub for student life. Now the home of the Thrive Centre the area consists of a mixed-use meeting space that can be used for group meetings, 1-1 teaching, quiet lunch and studying, as well as new office space for our Student Support team, and Michaela’s Space a welcoming ‘zen’ area for students to step away from busy College life. In addition, a dilapidated courtyard has been made available for students to utilise outside space during the school day.
This investment into our students was made possible in part from the generosity of our community. Wherever possible Queen’s seeks to continue to update our facilities to ensure a positive experience for our students. These continuous updates are part of our long-term vision for our historic home on Harley Street.
