Queen Margaret's School, York

Established in 1901, Queen Margaret's (QM) is an independent boarding and day school for girls aged 11–18 set in 75 acres of parkland, six miles south of York.

History

Queen Margaret's was established in 1901 in Scarborough mainly by Jane Leeke Latham of the Woodard Foundation.^[2] Woodard are an organisation committed to the establishment of boarding schools where teaching would be firmly based on the Christian religion. The founding head was Agnes Body who arrived from Lincoln with some of her former staff. In 1913, when ill health made her retire, it was said that QM was known as "Miss Body's School".

Rosalind Fowler became the second Head and she supervised the evacuation of the School to the Atholl Palace Hotel, Pitlochry during the First World War.^[3] Following another evacuation to Castle Howard in the Second World War, QM finally came to Escrick Park, six miles south of York, in 1949,^[4] where it remains today. Ms Nicola Dudley commenced her headship in September 2024, taking over from the previous Head Mrs Sue Baillie.

Today

Queen Margaret's School for Girls Logo

Exam Results

The pass rate at A Level in 2021 was 100% and 47% of all grades were at A*, with 78% at A*-A (nationally that figure was 44%).

The pass rate at GCSE in 2021 was 100%. One third (33%) of all GCSE results were at grade 9 and two thirds (67%) were at grades 9–7.^[5]

Inspection

A 2019 inspection by the Independent Schools Inspectorate awarded Queen Margaret's its highest 'Excellent' rating across all categories inspected.^[6]

Dance

The School offers individual and group lessons in ballet, tap, hip-hop, contemporary and modern dance.

Music

Music plays an important role in life at QM with 45% of girls learning at least one instrument and over a quarter of those girls learning more than one instrument.

Sport

Sports facilities include an all-weather Astroturf, a sports hall, a competition-standard indoor swimming pool and a recreational outdoor pool, all-weather tennis courts, indoor squash courts, and a riding school adjacent to the main school campus. Main winter activities include: lacrosse, cross country, hockey, and netball. Summer sports include: athletics, cricket and rounders. Badminton, tennis, and squash are played at all levels.

Houses

Queen Margaret's has horizontal boarding houses for boarding, and vertical houses across all ages.

There are six vertical houses: Garry, Pitlochry, Duncan, QM Hall, School and St Aidan's. Each pupil and teacher is assigned to one of the houses and each house is run by a teacher as Head of House; two Upper Sixth girls are chosen to be House Captain and Deputy House Captain, and two or three Fourth Year (Year 10) girls are chosen as House Monitors. Inter-house competitions include those for sport, cookery and music.

Boarding

Around 80% of pupils are boarders. They are assigned to a boarding house based on year group and age. Each boarding house is supervised by a housemaster or housemistress who is assisted by the Head of Year.^[7]

Warwick House (Years 7–9, QM's Years I-III)
Winifred Holtby House, also known as "Winnie's" (Years 10-11, QM's Year IV-V)
Cloisters (Year 12, QM's LVI Lower Sixth)
The Cottages (Year 13, QM's UVI Upper Sixth)

Notable former pupils

Druie Bowett, artist
Sarah Connolly, opera Singer
Winifred Holtby, novelist and journalist
Joan Hall, politician
Ann Jellicoe, actor, theatre director and playwright
Katharine, Duchess of Kent
Dame Eleanor King, High Court Judge
Matilda Lowther, fashion model
Lady Alice Manners, fashion columnist
Lady Eliza Manners, socialite
Lady Violet Manners, fashion model
Suraya Marshall, Air Officer Commanding of No. 2 Group RAF
Elizabeth Poston, Composer
Amanda Staveley, businesswoman

Heads

The Heads of Queen Margaret's are as follows:

Agnes Body (1901–1913)^[3]
Rosalind Fowler (1913–1928)
Mildred Burella-Taylor (1928–1934)
Lily Parsons (1934–1938)
Joyce Brown (1938–1960)
Barbara Snape (1960–1980)
Pat Valentine (1980–1983)
Colin McGarrigle (1983–1992)
Geoffrey Chapman (1993–2009)
Paul Silverwood (2009–2014)
Carole Cameron, Acting Head (2014–2015)
Jessica Miles (2015–2019)
Sue Baillie (2019–2024)
Nicola Dudley (2024- )

Arms

References

^ Independent Schools Yearbook 2011-2012. The 'Bible' for information on Independent Schools
^ Matthew, H. C. G.; Harrison, B., eds. (23 September 2004). "The Oxford Dictionary of National Biography". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (online ed.). Oxford: Oxford University Press. pp. ref:odnb/51785. doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/51785. Retrieved 5 November 2022. (Subscription or UK public library membership required.)
^ a b Margaret A. E. Hammer, ‘Body, (Mary) Agnes (1866–1952)’, Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, 2004 accessed 23 January 2017
^ J.P.G. Taylor Queen Margaret's School 1901–2001 Originally printed 2001, reprinted with additions 2006
^ "2021 Academic Results". Queen Margaret's School for Girls.
^ "Independent Schools Inspectorate - Queen Margaret's School".
^ Boarding
^ "Queen Margaret's School". Heraldry of the World. Retrieved 2 February 2021.

External links

Profile on the ISC website
ISI Inspection Report (PDF)