Queen’s College London

Overview of Queen’s College London and 11 Plus information

Queen’s College London – Overview

Queen’s College London is an independent day school for girls aged from four to eighteen. Established in 1848 on its present site in Harley Street, it was the first institution in the country to provide academic qualifications for girls, receiving a royal charter from Queen Victoria in 1853. The school is a registered charity, administered by a governing council.

The senior school occupies four adjacent buildings, which have been substantially extended and altered over the years. The preparatory school opened in 2002 in nearby Portland Place. The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) is an integral part of the preparatory school and accepts children in the year in which they become five. This represents a change from the previous inspection, when the school accepted pupils from the age of three.

The senior and preparatory schools operate independently on a day-to-day basis. Their shared aims include the pursuit of academic excellence, measured by the success of a pupil’s individual progress, teaching that inspires intellectual curiosity and the development of self-reliance, discipline and courage in pupils. On leaving the preparatory school, pupils transfer to a wide range of day and boarding schools, with approximately half joining the senior school. At the end of Year 11, the majority of pupils move into the sixth form and a number of pupils new to the school are accepted. Some transfer to maintained or independent senior schools. Following this, pupils proceed to a wide range of universities, with a small number choosing to take a gap year.