WHAT? WHERE?

Queen’s Gate School in South Kensington educates girls from 4-18 across five inter-connected white stuccoed Victorian villas in an enviable location, literally around the corner from the Natural History Museum with the Royal Albert Hall and Hyde Park also a mere hop-and-a-skip away. The School’s exterior looks peaceful and elegant but once inside girls are on the move up and down the stairs to their various classes in a school that feels lived in and homely (the two pet tortoises outside the Junior School Reception help). Outdoor space is accessed directly across the road at the private Stanhope Gardens.

Queen’s Gate boasts a 130-year history, having been founded by Eleanor Beatrice Wyatt, its first headmistress, in 1891 at the age of 24 (she later went on to found Heathfield School in Ascot). Now Queen’s Gate teaches 496 girls in total, with a large international contingent, with 50% of Junior School pupils moving up to the Senior school. Average class sizes of 13 in both Senior and Junior classes ensures a strong eye on the academics, as you’d expect from this affluent, competitive district.

FACILITIES

/SPORTS

Its central location precludes acres of private grounds, but for sport Fulham Pools, Kensington Leisure Centre, Battersea Park Millennium Arena, Imperial College Pools and Hyde Park are all used regularly. There’s a small basement gym at the school, and the multi-use hall has a regular run out for fencing and gymnastics. The Director of Sport is an ex- England hockey international so getting girls out playing and competing at sport is very much at the fore –fencing is particularly strong at Queen’s Gate Senior school with gold and bronze award winners in fencing at The British Youth Championship and pupils competing internationally in athletics and volleyball.

/CREATIVE ARTS

Art is the creative ace at Queen’s Gate Senior school, with both Fine Art and Graphic Communication on offer for A level. Printing, painting, lino cutting, 3D, graphic design and photography are all on the cards here.

How many schools do you know that hire their costumes from the National Theatre? Well, now you know at least one! In terms of drama, there’s a dedicated studio at the school for the purpose, plus the main hall can be used for rehearsals and smaller performances (it has its own lighting rig). For bigger shows, RADA Studios and Chelsea Theatre are used for performances, most recently Guys & Dolls. By the time they get to A levels, usually at least one girl per year follows the bright lights to RADA which is pretty awesome going for a small school. In total 121 girls from both Junior and Senior School (approximately 50% for each School) took LAMDA exams – 96 distinctions and 13 merits in 2023.

Musically, singing is the strongest suit at Queen’s Gate Senior School with four choirs, but the school also has a Senior Sinfonietta with one current member currently also in the National Youth Orchestra playing bassoon (and also in receipt of 1st Prize at the 10th Stockholm International Music Competition – not a bad player then!). There’s also a string quartet, flute group, a rock band and a song-writing club who meet in the dedicated music room.

/GENERAL

There are two libraries, three individual science labs, and an elegant, medium-sized hall for school assemblies and other uses.

SIXTH FORM

From three classes per year lower down the school, Sixth Form becomes a two-class per year group system. Sixth Formers can expect privileges such as use of the kitchen and common room, exit from school at break times (with parental permission), and more freedom with no uniform – though don’t get too excited, there’s a long list of banned looks. There are 28 A level courses here, including some unusual options such as Graphic Design, Product Design, Sociology (having a real resurgence amongst teens now), Italian and Classical Greek. Girls usually take between 3-4 A levels with an EPQ. Exercise is compulsory in Sixth Form and scheduled into the timetable – very sensible.

ACADEMICS

Not a problem here. The GSCE results for 2023 saw over 44% of all grades at 8 or 9 (A*), while 64% were at 7-9 (A/A*). This was down on 2022 which was 66% but, hey, we’re back in the real world now – no Covid-friendly marking. A level results for 2023 were 44% A Grades, including a girl who obtained all A*/A grades with 95.5% achieving A* – C, 9 – 4 There are plenty of competitions won (Senior Physics Challenge silver and two bronzes; nine pupils published in The Integer following submissions for a Short Story competitions) but a long list of activities beyond or complementing studies – gardening, debating, coffee club, picnic club, book club, creative writing, even drone engineering. Busy? Yes. Bored? I doubt it.

PASTORAL CARE

Queen’s Gate is a small, family-oriented school, both in physical size and numbers and it’s naturally easier to give care and attention to girls in this environment. Aside from the usual scaffolding of form teacher and Director of Pastoral Care, there’s also a new Assistant Director of Pastoral Care starting in Sept 23 to create another layer of support. Queen’s Gate offers pupils the likes of yoga, mindfulness clubs, and termly Wellbeing Workshops (which parents can also attend). Sixth Form prefects read to the pupils at the Junior school, offering the younger girls an unofficial channel for support but also benefiting themselves too. There are two school counsellors who work across both Junior and Senior schools.

THE HEAD

Amy Wallace has been the Principal at Queen’s Gate since Sept 2022 in her first headship role, having previously been Senior Deputy Head at St. Catherine’s School in Twickenham. She’s lost no time in making her mark on Queen’s Gate, a school she could see had become quietly traditional and in need of new energy. One year in and already there’s a new school crest, the “institutional yellow” walls are going, there’s an interiors and decluttering programme so the school feels more modern and attractive which includes redecorating the ‘Black Dining Room’ (the funereal shade has been in place since 1910). She describes her approach as “bottom up”, empowering the staff to come forward with ideas and to lead change and it’s the same approach with the girls – she’s promised to increase the student voice. Wallace is very winning and persuasive with the drive to make things happen so watch this space.

QUIRKS

The biggest quirk at Queen’s Gate is that there’s no uniform, though with some caveats (no jeans, ripped clothing or crop tops for example). I’m liking the sound of the annual staff and Sixth Form Christmas panto – I bet that’s a blast. Also, this is a school where children will get fit by stealth – all those stairs!

WRAP AROUND CARE

Queen’s Gate opens at 8am and closes at 4 although some sports clubs continue after that.

SEND PROVISION

There are roughly 25% of pupils needing SEND provision, mostly commonly for dyslexia, dyspraxia, ADHD and autism. The Head of Learning Enhancement is a fully qualified SENDCO with the National Award for SEN Coordination, an MA in Special Education and also a Specialist Dyslexia Teacher and Assessor.  Occasionally one-to-one teaching is offered for those who are struggling, but generally the SENDCO team works with the Head of Departments to put in strategies to support the children in their classes, so that all pupils are in all their lessons with the specialist subject teachers. 

ISI REPORT

The latest ISI report is from 2021 with all criteria met.

MOBILE PHONE POLICY

All pupils up to the end of Year 10 must secure their mobile phone in a magnetic Yondr case from which it is then released at the end of the school day. Sixth Formers are able to access phones, ipads and other devices in the common room only.

TRANSPORT

Hello, South Ken tube! It’s tube, bus and walk to Queen’s Gate, anything else is madness.

FEES

Average for this part of town. Senior School and Sixth Form fees are £9075, rising from £8190 for juniors (including lunch for R-Y3; Y4 onwards it’s £490 for school lunch).

WORD ON THE GROUND

The pastoral care and lack of hot housing is the big draw here, with most parents content to overlook the lack of immediate outdoor space. For a small school Queen’s Gate is seen as offering a broad range of unusual, interesting subject choices for GSCE and A level. The new head teacher Amy Wallace is a hit with parents and pupils and seems to be shaking things up in a good way.

THE MUDDY VERDICT

GOOD FOR: Parents looking for strong academics but without the ‘sharp-elbowed’ approach of some other schools. There’s an all-rounder ethos here with equal energy put into sport music and drama. The location is a dream for making the most of some of London’s best museums and outdoor spaces and the international cohort makes for a 21^st century outlook.

NOT FOR: The interiors are being spruced, but some might find the school a bit scruffy in places. The lack of integrated outdoor space will put off some, though in fairness the garden access is just seconds away.

SEE FOR YOURSELF! Contact the Director of Admissions on admissions@queensgate.org.uk, register here or book a private visit.

Queen’s Gate School, 133 Queen’s Gate, Kensington, London, SW7 5LE. queensgate.org.uk Tel: 0207 5893587.