Queen Ethelburga's Collegiate

Set in more than 220 acres of beautiful North Yorkshire countryside, Queen Ethelburga’s has provided students with a vibrant and supportive school community since 1912.

Queen Ethelburga’s Collegiate has a long-standing relationship with the British Forces, welcoming students from Forces families for over 100 years. As the preferred school for military families in the UK, we currently have over 300 Forces students boarding with us.

We welcome boarders from Year 3 onwards and pride ourselves on our wrap-around specialist support for our Forces students and their families. We are CEA accredited and in recognition of our commitment to the British Forces, we offer a significant reduction in fees. Across the Collegiate there is an understanding of the importance of providing a secure and supportive home from home for students whose parents may need to travel or live abroad for work. Staff strive to create the right learning and living environment in which every one of the students at QE can thrive. QE also has two specialist Forces Liaison Officers, a keeping in touch club for students and support clinics. In these sessions, staff help students to contact parents who may be deployed abroad, chat about issues that are important to them and anything else that they might need help and support with. The school also runs a ‘buddy’ system between students and have Peer Mentors in the Sixth Form, who are very happy to chat to younger students and offer their support.

All students have access to an excellent pastoral team who run the THRIVE@QE programme, ensuring that student’s mental health and resilience is a priority. The team is available for students at any time of day or night. There is a dedicated area in the school where THRIVE activities take place and students can go for help and support. 

QE is also proud of its excellent sports facilities with a large Sports Hall, 25 metre indoor heated swimming pool, Spa pool and sauna, state of the art 108 station Fitness Centre, grass and AstroTurf sport pitches and newly surfaced tennis courts. Students can participate in a variety of sports including football, rugby, basketball, cricket, hockey, tennis, athletics, swimming and gymnastics.

Our Collegiate motto which is known as the Hill Standard, “To be the best that I can with the gifts that I have” lies at the heart of everything that we try to achieve at QE. Our belief is that there are many ways to be successful in life and our aim is to help each individual find the way that will work best for them.