Queen’s College Preparatory School

This academic year has been a veritable whirlwind of activity over on Portland Place! Here are just some of the many highlights from this year at QCPS.

Opening of Lilibet’s

Our long-anticipated new kitchen and dining room were opened in September to improve our lunch experience, both aesthetically and gastronomically! For the first time, all food is being freshly prepared on site, overseen by our own Head Chef, Keith Cresswell. The girls voted for their favourite name for our refurbished restaurant with the overwhelming majority choosing “Lilibet’s”. Lilibet, of course, was the childhood nickname of our Patron Queen Elizabeth II, and naming the dining rooms after her is, we hope, a fitting way for our pupils to remember her and pay tribute to her legacy.

Scholars’ Programme

This year we launched the Queen’s Scholars’ Programme! Our Queen’s Scholars have so far enjoyed several Masterclasses with specialist teachers at “Big Queen’s” to stretch and challenge their understanding and skills, as well as unlock deeper thinking by exploring a range of topics in more depth. The girls attended a masterclass in Politics: ‘How should we choose our leader?’ with Mr Tillett, and ‘Exploring Mathematics’ with Ms McKercher, to name just a couple. We also enjoyed a trip to The Houses of Parliament in June to round off a remarkably successful first year of Queen’s Scholars.

Ski Trip

Last February, girls and four members of staff packed their snow boots, ski goggles and thermals for an adventure of a lifetime! Staying in the picturesque and quaint town of Altenmarkt im Pongau, the girls were lucky enough to have seven days of brilliant snow and skiing in Zauchensee! The wonderful Snow Style instructors made sure all of the girls had fabulous days on the slopes which included many hot chocolates, chicken schnitzels and strudels. Not to mention Black runs, Blue runs, jumps and even daring to go off piste! The girls were also lucky enough to learn Austrian curling and particularly enjoyed snow tubing and shopping in the evenings.

Nativity

Parents and teachers were all very proud of Pre-Prep’s vibrant nativity production, ‘The Big Little Nativity’! Form II wowed us all with their joyful re-telling of the nativity story, with amazing singing, acting and dance moves. We also loved Reception’s role as joyful singing camels and Form I’s clear singing as shepherds! It was particularly special when all the Pre-Prep girls invited the audience to sing the encore of the final song ‘Sing the Good News’. Well done to the Pre-Prep team for their hard work and thank you for all the parents who came to support.

Spring Concert

This year Dr Zacharias introduced a Spring Concert to our music performance programme. In its inaugural year, the concert featured all of Forms IV, V and VI, along with the QCPS Orchestra and Choir. The girls built on the progress and successes attained in the Harvest, Marylebone Lights and Carol concerts of the Michaelmas term introducing challenging Grade 5 repertoire in all genres. Form IV even formed their own ensemble, which included pianists, lyre, recorders, clarinet and xylophones. It was an immensely successful and thoroughly entertaining afternoon, with a varied programme, stretching from Baroque to contemporary pop. The Spring Concert certainly showcased the breadth and level of musical talent at QCPS.

Dance and Drama Display

Just before the Easter holidays, we held our annual Dance and Drama Display over at “Big Queen’s”. The girls showcased their exceptional talent with various amazing performances! Form IV’s fantastic rendition of ‘Ease on Down the Road’ was particularly impressive. The success of the production was a testament to the choreography team, who had been painstakingly preparing for the performance since January!

Swimming Gala

In April, we held our first-ever House Swimming Gala! The event was held at Porchester Hall which boasts a beautiful 30m pool in a picturesque building. It was a brilliant celebration of each individual swimmer’s tenacity and growing athleticism, but it was also a celebration of our increased focus on collaboration, teamwork, and healthy competition.

Residentials

To develop their outdoor education, Form IV and Form V sailed to the Isle of Wight and Form VI ventured to Normandy, France. These were excellent opportunities for the girls to develop their independence and embrace the world without their parents or guardians. The girls in Form IV spent most of the week in wetsuits, kayaking, sailing, raft building and leaping into the ocean. Form V enjoyed teambuilding activities inland yet ended up just as wet after crawling through muddy obstacle courses! Each and every girl demonstrated resilience and determination, which is a true reflection of the QCPS spirit.

Dr Zacharias Performs at the Coronation

We were very excited that our very own Head of Music, Dr George Zacharias, performed during the coronation ceremony of King Charles III in Westminster Abbey! Dr Zacharias sang as part of a small, specialist ensemble who performed a hymn originating from the early 15th century Byzantine Empire. Dr Zacharias was invited as one of the UK’s foremost specialists in Byzantine music, due to the King’s wish to include music in the coronation service which reflected the Greek origins of his late father, Prince Philip.

Diversity Week

This year, our theme of “Inside Out” focused on Neurodiversity. Form groups and teachers participated in workshops that continued conversations initially started last year about how our brains are all different and how we learn differently. Girls also had the opportunity to listen to our guest author, J.T. Williams, who shared insights into her recently published books, ‘The Lizzie and Belle Mysteries’. The books are a thrilling mystery series, set in eighteenth-century London, inspired by real black British historical figures. We look forward to continuing these discussions in our everyday learning and creating a space where everyone is celebrated.

Lion King

The Form VI girls of Portland Place recently found their Pride Rock in Harley Street! When QCPS performed ‘The Lion King’ at the Somerville Hall over at “Big Queen’s” they brought the animation of the West End with them. With a cast too large to mention any names – some 76 of them – they were all masters of teamwork and enthusiasm. The singing was superb, the instrumentation stirring, the sets and costumes captivating. Here was the circle of life; seamless from the Form V ensemble to the top cats of the musical food chain!

Outdoor Learning Week

To begin the Summer Term, QCPS enjoyed their first ever Outdoor Learning Week! We sailed into the week with a whole school seaside visit where the girls enjoyed picnicking in the sand and paddling in the water. Over the rest of the week, there were plenty of opportunities to explore, discover and learn outdoors. Usual lessons took place in our local gardens and parks, each form group visited forest school, and everyone enjoyed a Lilibet’s experience by making their own school packed lunch for a teddy bears’ picnic. It was a fabulous week and has inspired us all to do more learning outside the classroom in the future!

Sports Day

The QCPS Sports Day this year was a complete and utter triumph! Not only did it showcase the girls’ brilliant sporting abilities, but also demonstrated how great they are at supporting each other. It was especially pleasing to witness so many parents at the event cheering their daughters on from the sidelines and then taking part with such competitive gusto in the inaugural parent races. As always, the entire QCPS community did not disappoint and, together with bright blue skies and beautiful sunshine, it made for another wonderful school event. Well done to all the girls, but a special congratulations to the winning House on the day, which was Franklin!