Queen's College

[Dustylaw]

I would be grateful for any comments or information about Queen's College in Harley Street. We went to see it and we were impressed by the feel and ethos and particularly liked the new head. Our daughter is bright but interested in all sorts of things and we would like it to stay that way so primarily want a school which can do all the academics very well but without a relentless exams focus. Thank you.

[Vickybeat]

Forgot to say that during my time, the music teacher had an affair with a pupil, as did the english teacher. Mrs Fierz was headmistress who taught us maths on occassions, a complete eccentric and lovely lady. A real character. My older sister also went to queens and she enjoyed it too, it gave us both an inner confidence , and an individuality, that lacks nowadays I feel. If Iwas living in London and could have afforded it, I would have sent my daughter. Yes, tempting to have the shops but novelty wears off, the cafe was always a hit!

[poppetis123]

Hi - would love to know any more news on current Queens College, Francis Holland Sloane Square and also in Regents Street. What is the difference in these last two schools? Thanks v much

[mummyandme2]

[KittyVonCatsington]

Another ex Queen's girl here! Sorry, don't know much about the current situation as I left in 1999. Very sad to hear they are introducing a uniform though, loved not wearing one. It's making me laugh reading about the staff 'shenanigans'-we too, then, had a History teacher dating lots of girls and doing things with them in classrooms that even made the news back then!

The building is great though and I loved all of the quirky classrooms up top -a lot of the teachers were fab though and a wonderful Mrs Shaw helped me get a grade B Maths GCSE, despite being bottom set and being tested with Dyscalculia. I then went onto to study Computer Science at university and coped well with the Maths.
Memories!

[mummyandme2]

In same position as you - northlondoncat . I was so impressed with Head - Dr Ramsey and loved the atmosphere . Think it must be on the way up academically but still with a quirkiness that was missing in other schools we saw . DD has offer from Channing and waiting list place from Francis Holland - but think we will go for Queens . These old queens reminiscences are great but need to hear from parents of present pupils .

[NWgirls]

Yes, where are those current Queen's parents hiding?

We are very, very happy to have fresh offer from Queen's College, which we plan to accept (unless a waiting list place comes through), as QCL seems clearly preferable to DD's other offer.

Here are som specific questions from me to (hopefully) get you started:

1. Fees are quoted before lunches, books and (compulsory) school trips. In your experience, roughly how much should we expect these compulsory extras to add in a typical year?

1. Any evidence that steps are being taken to improve A-level performance? (Queen's is doing OK at GCSEs but less well at A-level.) And why is it so? Is it ONLY due to less-selective cohorts some years ago? Or do they lose some high-performing girls before 6th form? Or are there teaching shortcomings or attitude issues?

1. What words would best describe the atmosphere? Is the fun gone with the relatively new (impressive) HT? How friendly vs. formal is the tone? Feeling of pressure? Relationships / frictions between girls?

1. Any comparisons with (a) Francis Holland NW1 or (b) Notting Hill & Ealing from parents with direct experience of QCL and either of these?

[NWgirls]

Please? (bump - no need to read the very old posts, see 2014 activity)

[aghteens]

Can't help on current Queens I'm afraid but I do know of Dr Ramsey from her previous job and I can tell you that she is extremely serious about academic standards. A friend of mine with a daughter already at Queens was rather horrified as she liked the previous more laid back attitude, but I know others who are considering the school far more seriously due to Dr Ramsey's influence.

[NWgirls]

I spoke with a current Queen's mum - she was very, very positive about the school, including academic improvement, her DD's enjoyment, pastoral care, art etc. Girls get quite a lot of homework, often 1.5 hour per day or so. She expects QCL to climb the rankings based on likely improving exam performance. So it was highly recommended by her, which helped reassure me.

Anyone else?

[Malonal]

A bit of a strange school. I recently applied for a post but heard that the application process had been closed before the application deadline... so I had wasted my time.
Just to say that the process of hiring teachers seemed to be based on who you know at the school, which cannot be a good sign when hiring academic staff! No other school would do such a thing.

[squeaver]

I know two lovely, well-rounded, happy, bright Queens College girls. One left for Uni last summer, the other is in year 8. Both sets of parents are extremely happy with the school.

[queengirl]

ooh i couldn't resist writing here about my old days at Queen's college, harley street, because there is such little info about the history of it on the net.. i went there in the 80's and this thread brings back such memories! I remember all those teachers; Mrs Fierz was head, and Mr Hutchinson was still there teaching us the Odyssey; Mrs Wright taught us Shakespeare brilliantly, and Madame Langevin the french mistress and wasn't she just! Mr T Bagg who used to chat to us about his girlfriend's sexual preferences when he should have been teaching Chaucer; and Mr Angadai the marxist who put on the Genet french plays with all his favourite girls dressed up as french tarts; the creepy chemistry teacher Mr Watson with his down and out clothes who used to stay the night in the lab and leer at all the girls; at the time i was so young i kind of thought all this was normal..can you imagine all that going on today...! It was truly eccentric..I didn't fit in at the time and i was unhappy there for 3 years.. the girls in my year were all exotic and some modelling for Vogue, yes really in their school holidays...but i'd have loved it today! - found it so creepy at the time - the dusty classrooms and winding back staircases leading to more little rooms with old pianos in them.. now looking back its the stuff of novels.. But, i have to say the education was mostly brilliant and it did teach you how to think for yourself; I went on to get 2 degrees and intellectually at least i will always be my own person, partly in thanks to the teachers there. I'm sure its modernised now; but then it was like no other school i'd ever come across!

[queengirl]

the thoughts of the school came back to me because i was reading that Peaches Geldof was a pupil there. she had her own column at 16. RIP

[Butterymoon2006]

Any current parents at QCL? What is it really like?

[Butterymoon]

Anyone's daughter starting QCL in September 2017?

[mymummylove]

The pre-prep can't even get it's own girls into the senior school...