Our focus is you 2 3 I am delighted that you are considering Queenswood For more th an 125 years, Queenswood has delivered a truly progressive education in the most idyllic of environments. Our community is large enough that we are able to offer outstanding opportunities, yet small enough that g irls like your daughter are known personally to teaching and ssupport taff alike. Their individuality, unique potential and special qualities are nurtured and realised. Queenswoodians achieve extraordinary academic results in a positive and happy environment. I do believe that happy girls are successful girls. Their curiosity is never constrained by the limits of the curriculum and they flourish in all that they set out to do both inside and outside the classroom. From day one your daughter will find herself as part of a community of independent and creative thinkers. We will encourage her self-assurance so that she grasps them any opportunities on offer at Queenswood and in the world beyond school. She will feel confident t o make good life decisions based on sound values and a desire to giveb ack to her community. In short, shew ill aspire to be the best that she can be. Our 120-acre parkland estate, just a few minutes from all that London has to offer, and our personalised learning approach, make a Queenswood education a truly exceptional experience. If you would like to add your daughter’s name to the list of girls wishing to join the School, please complete the registration form enclosed, and return it to the Admissions Office with the registration fee. This prospectus offers a flavour of life at Queenswood; if you would like to find out a little more from me, then please view our school video here. I hope that you will join us at a future open event or for a personal tour, to see for yourself what makes this such a remarkable school. Mrs Joanna Cameron Principal Feed your curiosity Step into Queenswood, aff ectionately known as “Q”, and you will enter a world of opportunities. Surrounded by encouragement and support, we will feed your curiosity about life, the world and your future. You will be expected to work hard but equally you will be supported by specialist subject teachers who will help you achieve the best you can. Our personalised learning approach means that you will receive support tailored to your preferred learning style, needs and strengths. Our impressive grounds aff ord opportunities ranging from conducting fi eldwork on site to trying new sports and clubs. We regularly welcome into school experts such as world- renowned scientists and visiting artists. If you love languages, you will take part in cultural visits; if you love Maths, you will be encouraged to enter Olympiads. If humanities is your thing, you might experience live theatre at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe or try your hand at debating at the Model United Nations. Our job is to help you identify your passions, explore career paths and prepare you for your future. Become resourceful Your time at Queenswood will enable you to become an independent learner, ready for the challenges that life and work will present. You will, without a doubt, learn the best study skills to prepare you for any academic assessment you will face, but beyond that you will learn to lead and fulfi l your personal potential. We encourage girls to be proactive, take the initiative and think on their feet. Beyond embarking on a journey of academic discovery, you will be taught to become a truly resourceful thinker. Discover your creative passions When you join Queenswood, you will be given boundless opportunities to express your creativity: you might attempt six instruments before you fi nd the one you love, audition for plays, take up dance, try your hand at DJing or join a choir. You might fi nd your niche sketching in the art room, designing sets for the stage or recording an album. Wherever your strengths lie, at Queenswood we will encourage you to discover what you love and will help you fl ourish while expressing yourself in your own uniquely personal way. We can’t wait to see what you will achieve. Grow your resilience You may not succeed at everything you do, but participating and trying your best, then trying again, is the key. One of life’s most important lessons is learning from failures and bouncing back. At Queenswood, you can take part in a huge range of competitive sports, learn new skills as part of the Duke of Edinburgh Award, enter debating competitions and perform. All the while you will be testing yourself to the maximum and engaging in healthy competition through our House system. Life will always throw challenges and curve balls at you. When the time comes to face them, you’ll be prepared. Learn to refl ect At Queenswood, we believe that taking control of your personal learning is key to success. You will be taught to evaluate your own progress to enable you to be a successful lifelong learner. Refl ection is integral to improvement. Whatever task you undertake, within or beyond the classroom, the ability to assess your own achievements with honesty is paramount. You will be encouraged to embrace this ethos and carry it through your personal endeavours, allowing you to grow into a confi dent young woman. A personalised programme of learning You will be given your own unique learning programme when you come to Queenswood. Our teachers specialise in tailoring the curriculum to each class member and they will give you individual help, precisely when you need it. Specially trained personalised learning teachers are on hand to stretch and support you in class and – if required – through additional one-to-one sessions. Our Personalised Learning Centre lies at the heart of the School. It is a unique and airy space that is conducive to learning. This central hub is one of the places you can come to for advice from our expert staff . Senior scholars meet here for one to one and group sessions, to explore options for stretch and challenge and to discuss current aff airs. Girls also use it as a drop-in centre to seek advice on planning study and revision schedules and it is used as an additional quiet space in which to study. You will have the best access to the tools and strategies you need to study eff ectively throughout your time at school, not just for exams, but for daily and life-long learning too. Be courageous What some girls fi nd easy, others may struggle with. Trying takes courage and we are proud that our girls work hard to inspire each other, across the year groups, to achieve the best they can. Queenswood will teach you to embrace sporting challenges, and take you out of your comfort zone by conversing in another language abroad or speaking in public. As your confi dence grows you will feel able to challenge ideas and concepts presented to you within the classroom and beyond. By testing yourself you will discover your true potential. Your journey as a Queenswood girl As you grow as a Queenswood girl, so will your needs. We are here to adapt with you. We will help you embrace new challenges and present you with opportunities you may not have encountered before. As you progress through the School, you will be given an increasing amount of responsibility. That might involve co-ordinating House events or even starting a new club. You will also work more independently and have time for extended study in preparation for life in the Sixth Form and beyond. As you progress to the Upper Sixth, you may aspire to become one of our Senior Prefects, taking on additional responsibilities right across the School; or you may have your sights set on becoming Head Girl. We have a dedicated careers team who will ensure that you make the right choices as you progress on your academic journey. You may be determined to secure your place at a top university – if so, we will ensure you have all the help you need to write a personal statement and prepare for the variety of interviews you will undertake. Alternatively, you may choose a vocational path in which case the same level of support will be available to you. We deliver the right guidance to ensure a happy and successful future, whatever decision you make. Boarding If you choose to board at Queenswood, you will discover a world full of fun and friendship. More than half of our pupils are boarders, either boarding full-time or more fl exibly. In fact, we off er one-, two- and three-night fl exible boarding options. Both boarders and day girls share Houses and you will make friends with others across year groups. No doubt, the friends you make will be friends for life. Our grounds will allow you space to spread your wings but also enable you to feel relaxed and at home wherever you are. Boarders’ days are structured, but you are still given choices about how you spend your free time, what activities you will take part in and how to balance your free time with work. You will have much more independence than you may be used to at home, but you will also be expected to be responsible for your actions. You will of course be supported by an extended family of friends, teachers and boarding staff along the way. Each of the four boarding Houses (Stamp for Years 7 and 8, Centre for Years 9-11, Trew for the Lower Sixth and Senior for the Upper Sixth) have Houseparents and Boarding Assistants who live in the boarding Houses and create a school family for girls.