Queen Elizabeth's Grammar School for Boys

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For the girls school that is also located in Barnet, see Queen Elizabeth's school for girls.

Queen Elizabeth's School is a very academically successful boys' grammar school in Barnet, North London, founded in 1573 by Queen Elizabeth I, petitioned by Robert Dudley, Earl of Leicester, and assisted by local alderman Edward Underne. Officially, it is known as Queen Elizabeth's Grammar School for Boys and its name is often shortened to QE Boys.

1 History
2 A-Level
3 Senior Stafflist
4 Culture & Sports
5 Controversy
6 Additional Information
7 Trivia
8 Old Boys
9 External links

[edit] History

In 1573, QE Boys was granted a charter from Elizabeth I, "for the establishment of the Free Grammar School of Queen Elizabeth in Barnet for the education, bringing up and instruction of boys in Grammar and other learning and the same to continue for ever." The original Tudor building (situated close to St. John the Baptist Anglican Church and now part of Barnet College) was vacated during the late 1800s from the current, larger, red brick building. There was a legend that its headmaster in the 1640s was beheaded by the Roundheads due to his support for the Royalists. However, there is little factual evidence for this claim. During the 1960s, QE Boys became a [comprehensive]], and remained so until 1994. Eamonn Harris reverted it to its previous Grammar School status again in 1994, going on to be the top state school for 'A-Levels' in the 90s. The school became selective during the 90s, although original comprehensive students were also achieving the record results. Since 1999 the Headmaster has been Dr. John Marincowitz who commissioned a new swimming pool, completed 15th September, 2006.Dookie stinks

[edit] A-Level

Boys select four subjects which will be studied for both AS and A-level, although provision can be made for five to be taken. These subjects can only be picked after receiving recommendations from that subject teacher. Failure to achieve sufficient recommmendations means a failure to progress to the 6th form. 2006 Year 12 numbers are 147 compared to 120 last year. Occasionally, an offer is made on a basis of a contract where a student will drop the course if insufficient progress is achieved.

[edit] Senior Stafflist

Headmaster- Dr. J. Marincowitz

Second Masters- Mr. E. Houston, Mr. C. Price

Senior Master- Mr. J. Dhondy

Head of Year 7- Ms. Kay-Russell

Head of Year 8- Mr. N Enright (20/2/07-??/7/07)

Head of Year 9- Mr. M. Lewis

Head of Year 10- Mr. I. Benjafield

Head of Year 11- Mr. T. Bennett

Head of Year 12- Mr. D. Ryan

Head of Year 13- Mr. L. Hargadon

[edit] Culture & Sports

Queen Elizabeth's School is divided into six houses, named after famous old boys and school governors. They are Broughton, Harrisons, Leicester, Pearce, Stapylton and Underne. There are many interhouse competitions, from rugby to creative writing, but interest in these has fallen over the past few years, and there has recently been a drive to boost participation, particularly in years 7 to 10. 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 interhouse competition.

Rugby is compulsory for the first four years at the school, as are cross-country runs and most other sports that the school participates in, which include but are not limited to: orienteering, basketball, tennis, cricket, Eton fives and athletics. There is much competitivity during the summer term (winter and spring for rugby), when frequent competitions between houses are held before the summer examinations begin in June. There has been some unpopularity amongst students with a particularly boggy part of the cross-country route, adequately named the "Elephant Dip", due to its depth, which links Barnet Rugby Club and the northwest gate of the bottom fields. When it has been raining, this area can become extremely muddy and sticky, and many people have slipped into the mud (even with studded rugby boots) and/or lost a shoe within it.

The Founders Day Fete, and preceding celebratory service held in the large St. John the Baptist Anglican Church at the top of Barnet Hill, is probably the largest cultural event in the school calendar. It is held every year, regardless of weather, on the 3rd Saturday in June. It celebrates the founding of the school and is steeped in tradition. At the church, all Year 7 boys must attend unless they have a very good reason. The governors attend, as do most teachers. They wear academic dress. The head boys, past and present, read at the service, and the choir sings. The boys then troop back to the school along Wood Street, and back into the school. They then prepare for the roll call. The roll call itself is again compulsory for all of Year 7, with five boys from each house attending from all subsequent senior years. (It used to include the entire school). The boys troop in from the two wings of the distinctive main building, and form three lines stretching across the school field. Each house sits together, although they used to stand. The Fete itself is attended by approximately 3,000 people every year, and is one important source of fund raising for the school. More than £17,000 was raised in 2006. A large amount was raised by a new RAF climbing frame.

There are more than 50 clubs and societies which students may join during their time at the school. Most commonly joined societies are the sporting teams, music bands, and the Science Club, the latter two being extremely popular among years 7 and 8. Boys are more than welcome to set up their own society, provided that it is approved by a senior master and is supervised by a teacher. There have been some complaints among more senior boys that even though there is strong demand for such a society, there is no debating club run by boys or a Politics/EU/ model UN society, ideally for Year 10 boys upwards.

The clubs have been criticised for giving the impression that they are strong and vibrant, while the reality is that most of the clubs are no more than a gathering of a few boys. This criticism has been noted by year 7 parents who have been lured in by the vibrant variety of clubs. To increase participitation in extra-curricular activities, a lot of students are forced to attend something in order to keep the schools reputation up.

QE Boys has formed a long-term successful partnership with a school in Kerala, funded by the "India Appeal". There has been some criticism that Queen Elizabeth's is far more involved with the Indian school than its local "sister", Queen Elizabeth's School for Girls. Despite the girls' school having the same name, they are not linked.

In addition to this, the school has some strong links with charities through the House system, whereby each house holds one event per year so to generate funds for its associated charity.

[edit] Controversy

There is much loathing among pupils towards the school, due to the very high level of discipline and grade grinding. The school's discipline system has been criticised much over the years for being too heavy on minor offenders. One may receive very large punishment for the most minor of things, such as wearing a coat inside the school building or littering (even if accidental). Many regard the system as too old fashioned and severe, even vindictive, although the school argues back that the "high standard of discipline restricts jack-the-lads from disrupting other pupil's study and therefore enhances the level of performance we can expect back from our students."

In addition to this, many students and parents have been concerned by the school's somewhat extreme actions in order to keep grades up, and thus their position on the league tables. Although the school is academic, many feel that some of its rules push students too far, and rather than helping them to excel, they can actually be detrimental to the student's psyche and well-being. Students unable to keep their grades up to the schools high standards may face expulsion or be excluded from the oppurtunity to enter into the 6th form, regardless of if they have participated well in the extra-curricular life of the school. The school is notorious amongst pupils and parents alike for only allowing students into the 6th form who are expected to get an A grade, something which the school keeps very quiet about.

Aswell as this, the school does not respond well to students who have special needs educationally or personally, preferring to focus on those who will maintain the schools academic standing on paper. The school had no disabled facilities up until recently, when a disabled lift was installed in the swimming bloc and a disabled toilet installed in the main building. For at least a year prior to the installation of this disabled toilet, the room was a storage room for videos, even though the door was very boldly marked as a disabled facility. Many teachers, mainly in the physical education department, turn a blind eye to bullying and even encourages an atmosphere of brutality, especially in rugby, although this may actually help the student in the long run as they would have to learn to stand up for themself.

One of the most controversial things about the school is how it pressurises parents and students to contribute to school funds, via compulsory raffles and "volountary" monthly donations. Raffle tickets are distributed at Christmas and Summer and pupils are required to sell them or visit their head of year and explain why.

[edit] Additional Information

There have also been incidents in which parents of children who did not receive admission into the school have protested against the school's policy of merit-based admission, however these cases are rare and most of them come about because the prospective boy's family have moved to the area assuming a place will therefore be guaranteed, and when this is not the case, they appeal.

[edit] Trivia

The name of every head boy the school has ever had is engraved on two boards in the school's main hall.

Each house has its own colour, shown on the school uniform ties which the pupils wear. (It used to be on their caps.) Red denotes Broughton, Brown for Harrison, Yellow for Leicester, Purple for Pearce, Blue for Stapylton, Green for Underne.

The new swimming pool was opened on 15th of September, but was first used on 12th of September.

The cheats for the QE game are "jackthelad" for infinite health, infinite ammo and all guns, "yessir" to reach the second half and "letsdance" for the QE song.