Queen Elizabeth's School, Barnet

Updated on Dec 08, 2023

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Established 1573 Chairman of the Governors Mr B R Martin Phone +44 20 8441 4646 Number of students 1,137		Type Grammar school Academy DfE number 302/5401 Founded 1573

Headmaster Mr Neil Enright MA (Oxon) Location Queen's Road Barnet Greater London England EN5 4DQ United Kingdom Address Queens Rd, Barnet EN5 4DQ, UK

Queen Elizabeth's School, Barnet is a boys' grammar school in Barnet, North London, which was founded in 1573 by Robert Dudley, 1st Earl of Leicester and others, in the name of Queen Elizabeth I.

It is constantly ranked as one of the most academically successful secondary schools in England, having topped A Level league tables for grammar schools for five consecutive years, as of 2016, and was chosen by the Sunday Times as "State School of the Year" in 2007. The school was the subject of some controversy in the 1990s, but an Ofsted report published in January 2008 stated: "It is held in very high regard by the vast majority of students and their parents, and rightly so." It has also been a Training School since April 2009 and used to have a specialism in Music. In the past, the school has been subject to criticism from pupils, parents and the media, for valuing public examination grades over the welfare and interests of the students.

Foundation and location

The school was founded in 1572 by Queen Elizabeth I, petitioned by Robert Dudley, Earl of Leicester, and assisted by local alderman Edward Underne. Elizabeth I's charter of 1573 describes the school's purpose thus:

"bringing up and instruction of boys and youth, to be brought up in grammar and other learning, and the same to continue for ever, and the said School for one Master and one Usher for ever to continue and remain and that there shall be for ever four-and-twenty discreet, honest governors"

The original Tudor building, known as Tudor Hall, was erected in 1577 opposite the Church of St John the Baptist on Wood Street, with money raised by the first governors of the school and by collections in London churches. It was repaired in 1597 and again in 1637. During the 17th century, further extensive repairs were carried out, in spite of a poor financial situation following the Civil War. Financial conditions became progressively more comfortable during the 18th century.

The trustees of Elizabeth Allen’s Charity, which had been established by her will dated 10 February 1725, gave financial assistance to save it from a state "very ruinous and unfit for habitation". It then became a private boarding school. It was closed in 1872 and restored in 1874 with many additions. In 1885 a governor, H E Chetwynd Stapleton, bought a plot of land behind the Jesus Hospital, a building in Wood Street dating back to 1679; today the Stapylton field stands in front of the main School building and is used for rugby and cricket. As the number of pupils outgrew the capacity of Tudor Hall, so the school was transferred in 1932 to a new site in Queen’s Road, which backed on to the Stapylton field. It was administered by the South Herts Division of Hertfordshire County Council, until 1965 when it became part of the borough of Barnet. In the 1960s, there were around 550 boys with 150 in the sixth form. Tudor Hall was completely restored in 1968 by the London Borough of Barnet, and is now part of Barnet College.

Two plaques are located on the walls of the original school building, Tudor Hall. Inscribed on the stone plaque is:

"This is to commemorate the original school founded here by Queen Elizabeth and built in 1573. The school was removed in 1932 to new building in Queens Road, Barnet. This plaque was erected by the Visitors of Jesus Hospital Charity, the present owners in 1952."

A more recent blue plaque was erected by the London borough of Barnet which dictates:

"This Tudor Hall housed the free grammar school of Queen Elizabeth I who granted its charter in 1573."

Grammar school reinstatement

It returned to its previous selective grammar school status in August 1994, having opted out of the London borough and become a grant-maintained school in 1989. Other schools in London (outer London) did this, and many became partially selective (up to 50%) at this time. In the 1990s it went on to become England's top state school for A-Levels. The girls' school remained a comprehensive.

Since 1999, the Headmaster has been Dr John Marincowitz, who commissioned the new Martin swimming pool, opened in 2006, Shearly Hall, opened in 2009, and a digital library. In 2011, Neil Enright became the 40th Headmaster, and the completion and use of the digital library took place.

Culture and sports

Queen Elizabeth's School is divided into six houses, named after famous old boys, patrons and former teachers. They are Broughton, Harrison, Leicester, Pearce, Stapylton and Underne. There are many inter-house competitions, from rugby to creative writing. The inter-house debating tournaments, for all years, take place at the end of the year and are probably the most fiercely contested non-physical inter-house competition.

Rugby union, played during the winter and spring terms, is compulsory for boys in their first four years at the school, as are cross-country running and most other school sports, which include orienteering, swimming, basketball, tennis, cricket, Eton Fives and athletics. QE is well known for not practising football in lessons or playing football competitively against other schools. A particularly boggy part of the cross-country route, suitably nicknamed the 'Elephant Dip', owing to its depth, links Barnet Rugby Club and the north-west gate of the bottom fields.

There is much competition in the summer term when frequent competitions between houses are held before the summer examinations begin in June, including the QE Sevens Tournament which takes place in the school for the U14's and U16's it is normally held at the end of the Spring Term.

Sixth form

Boys usually choose four subjects which will be studied for both AS and A-level. These subjects can, liable to some controversy, only be chosen after receiving offers of study, commonly referred to as 'recommendations', in those particular subjects. Given the large number of boys who achieve straight A* grades at GCSE, achieving an A* in a given subject at GCSE level is not deemed sufficient to warrant an offer of study in that subject as such. Rather, boys must achieve a certain percentage in the notoriously difficult 'essential skills' tests, throughout lower and upper fifth, which aim to select students of only the very highest potential for A Level excellence, above that which the said A* grade at GCSE can indicate.

One of the main focuses of sixth form is preparation for entry into higher education. As a result, the school focuses on career advice, the UCAS application process, personal statements, finance and other things related to university entry. The school also encourages that students partake in a wide range of extra curricular actives both outside of and during school time.

Founder's Day Fête

The Founder's Day Fête, and the preceding service of celebration at St John the Baptist's Church, Barnet, is the largest cultural event in the school calendar. Steeped in tradition, it is held every year, regardless of weather, on the third Saturday in June, and celebrates the founding of the school in 1573.

All Year 7 boys must attend the church service. The governors also attend, as do most teachers, in academic dress with gowns. Teachers wearing gowns with white fur went to Cambridge University. The head boys, past and present, are readers at the service, and the school choir sings. The hymns sung are: All people that on earth do dwell, For all the saints, Jerusalem and Now thank we all our God. God Save the Queen is always sung at the end of the service. The boys then walk back to the school along Wood Street and prepare for the roll call on Staplyton Field. This is again compulsory for all of Year 7, with five boys from each house attending from all other senior years. In the past, this was compulsory for the whole school. The boys troop in from the two wings of the main building and form three lines stretching across the School Field. The boys of each house sit together, although traditionally they had to stand.

The School Chronicle is read out each year at Founder's Day during the Roll Call, with minor additions as necessary. It was originally prepared in 1930 by Ernest H. Jenkins, the headmaster, Cecil Tripp, Secretary of the Old Elizabethan Association and a Governor of the school for twenty-four years. The most up to date school chronicle is listed on the school website and was read out during the Roll Call at Founder's Day 2013.

Kerala partnership

QE Boys has formed a long-term partnership with a school in Kerala called the Sri Sathya Sai School, funded by the 'Sathya Sai Appeal'. In addition, the school has strong links with charities through the house system, and each house holds at least one event a year to generate funds for its associated charity.

Traditions

The name of every head boy of the school is written on two boards in the school's main hall.

Each house has its own colour, represented by colored stripes for the corresponding house on ties. The colours used to be on the boys' caps, but these are no longer worn. Red denotes Broughton, brown for Harrisons', yellow for Leicester, purple for Pearce, blue for Stapylton and green for Underne.

In the Lower School, subjects which aren't divided into ability based sets are set either in forms, or in two halves of the year – Broughton, Harrisons' and Leicester, and Pearce, Stapylton and Underne.

Different ties are used denote achievement or position, e.g. school prefects can be identified with their ties which are patterned with thick light-blue stripes.

House System

The foundation and naming of the seven houses is listed below:

Broughton — Named in memory of William Grant Broughton, an Old Elizabethan, who was appointed Archdeacon of New South Wales in 1828 and subsequently became the first Bishop of Australia.

Harrisons' — The only House to honour two people, Harrisons' was established in 1954. It was named after a senior master, G W N Harrison, who had taught at the school for 41 years until 1929, and E W Harrison (no relation), another long-serving and dedicated Schoolmaster who retired in 1950.

Leicester — A continuing reminder of the School’s beginnings: Robert Dudley, Earl of Leicester made the request to Queen Elizabeth for a charter for the School in 1573.

Pearce — John Pearce began his teaching career at the School in 1932, aged 23. In 1950 he became Senior Master, a post he held until he retired in 1971. The sixth House was named after him on its creation in 1971 when the School became comprehensive and expanded.

Stapylton — Named after former Chairman of Governors H E Chetwynd-Stapylton, who in 1885 bought the Stapylton field for the school, which is still very much in use today.

Underne — Once Queen Elizabeth had granted the Charter for the school, funds were needed to finance it. Edward Underne, Rector of Chipping Barnet Church, was responsible for raising the money for the original building of the School in the 1570s.

Academic Excellence

In 2007, QE came first in the A-Level league table for state schools, and twelfth in the GCSE league table for state schools. In 2008 QE again topped the league table in A-level results and a record number of 37 pupils gained a place in Oxbridge Universities. In 2009 QE topped the league table in A-level results for the third consecutive year. Students are only allowed to progress to the Sixth Form if subject teachers feel they will be capable of obtaining the highest grades, regardless of performance in other subjects or participation in the extracurricular life of the school. This has led to the accusation that the school has been putting their position in league tables above the interests of pupils.

In January 2014, it was announced that Barrie Martin, Chairman of the QE Governing Body and the Friends of Queen Elizabeth's was awarded an MBE for 'Services to Education'. Headmaster Neil Enright described Martin as: 'an asset to QE in so many ways, combining a tireless work ethic with tremendous focus and an utterly reliable good nature' -->

In 2016, QE came first in the A-Level league tables for selective state (grammar) schools for the 5th year in a row, also coming sixth in the GCSE league tables for grammar schools. 2016 would make the eighth year, in the past decade, that the school have achieved the top spot in the A Level league tables, solidifying their position at the forefront of the modern British educational scene.

Notable former pupils

Henry William Engleheart VC

Allastair McReady-Diarmid VC

Vice Admiral Sir Roy Newman KCB, President from 1996 to 2001 of the Royal Naval Association

James Lyall Sharp, Ambassador to Kazakhstan from 2002–5

Sir Reginald Hibbert, GCMG, Chargé d'Affaires in Ulan Bator, Mongolia, 1964–66; Minister at Bonn 1972–75; Assistant Under-Secretary of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office 1975–76; Deputy Under-Secretary of State 1976–79; Ambassador to France 1979–82. Appointed CMG in 1966 and knighted KCMG in 1979 and GCMG in 1982

Sir Leslie Fielding, Vice-Chancellor from 1987 to 1992 of the University of Sussex

Lucian Grainge, Chairman and Chief Executive since 2005 of Universal Music Group International, and of Universal Music UK from 2001–5

Kenneth Cooper CB, Chief Executive from 1984 to 1991 of the British Library

Tom Aggar, Paralympic gold medallist for rowing

Aaron Liffchak, rugby union player

Richard Aylard, former private secretary to the Prince of Wales

Tim Bell, advisor to Margaret Thatcher

Sir Michael Neubert, (briefly) Conservative MP from 1974 to 1997 for Romford

Brian Coleman, Conservative local AM for Barnet and Camden since 2000, and Mayor of Barnet from 2009 to 2010

John Biggs, Labour AM for the City and East since 2000

Kelvin Hopkins, Labour MP for Luton North since 1997

Cameron McVey, record producer, married to Neneh Cherry

Peter Sanders CBE, Chief Executive from 1988 to 1993 of the Commission for Racial Equality (became the Equality and Human Rights Commission in 2007)

Sir Alker Tripp CBE, Assistant Police Commissioner 'B' of the Metropolitan Police 1932–47. In 1942, published Town Planning and Road Traffic which looked ahead to postwar reconstruction and pioneered the idea of motorways in Britain. In 1942, the Royal Academy invited him to join its Planning Committee working on London's post-war architectural reconstruction. Also a well-known artist and yachtsman.

John Rhodes, Director-General from 1988 to 1992 of West Yorkshire Passenger Transport Executive

Richard Turner OBE, Chief Executive from 2001–7 of the Freight Transport Association

Robert Smith CBE, Vice-Chancellor from 1982 to 1997 of Kingston University

Prof Roland Dobbs, Professor of Physics from 1973 to 1990 at the University of London, and President from 1976 to 1978 of the Institute of Acoustics

Prof Bryan Hibbard, Professor of Obstetrics and Gynaecology from 1973 to 1991 at the University of Wales College of Medicine

Prof P. J. Rhodes, Professor of Ancient History from 1983 to 2005 at Durham University

Richard A. Brealey, Professor of Finance from 1974 to 1998 at the London Business School

Prof Nick Hewitt, Professor of Atmospheric Chemistry since 1993 at Lancaster University

Prof Christopher J. O. Baker, Professor of Computer Science since 2012 at University of New Brunswick

Prof John Sessions Professor of Economics Brunel University

Harry Creswick, university librarian

Miles Tripp 1923–2000, author of some 37 published novels, mostly in the crime/thriller genre, under the pen-name Michael Brett

Jonathan Watts, Guardian journalist

Mark Jordan, C4 journalist

Benjamin Cohen, journalist and presenter of Channel 4 News

Wilfred De'ath, writer and broadcaster

Edward Blishen, writer

Darren Foreman, better known as 'Beardyman', UK beatboxing champion

George Mpanga, poet and musician previously called 'Shawalin', and now known as 'George the Poet'

Michael Sullivan, broadcaster

Simon Salter, Founder of Salter Brothers Entertainment and manager/promoter of boxing champion David Haye.

Robert Rinder, barrister best known for his role on the reality courtroom series Judge Rinder

During the Second World War the athletics coach Franz Stampfl taught physical education at the school until his internment in 1940 as an enemy alien. The future headmaster of Eton, John Lewis, briefly taught Latin in the early 1970s.

Admissions Procedure

Admission to the school is strictly by academic selection, and boys may apply to join the school for Year 7. Most years, roughly 3,600 applicants compete in a series of examinations to be awarded one of the 180 places offered annually, making places at the grammar school some of the most sought after and oversubscribed in the country.

Parents of boys not admitted to the school have protested and appealed against the school's selective admissions policy. Sometimes this has been because the prospective boy's parents have moved to the area assuming a place will be guaranteed, when this is not the case. The school was also on a list of schools breaching admissions laws in England. The Barnet education authority asked for an investigation by Her Majesty's Inspectorate.

Contribution requests

In 2014 it was reported that the school, despite not being of independent school status, was making regular forcible requests to parents for 'voluntary donations' in order to provide the facilities pupils needed, with parents contributing monthly, usually around £60. The school justified these requests by saying that state funding was not sufficient to provide a sound education and "the polish for boys to go on to the best universities".

References

Queen Elizabeth's School, Barnet Wikipedia

(Text) CC BY-SA

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