| Established | 1901 |
|---|---|
| Headmaster | Dr Paul Silverwood |
| Founder | Miss Agnes Body |
| Location | Escrick Park York North Yorkshire YO19 6EU England |
| Ages | 11–18 |
| Website | Queen Margaret's, York |
Queen Margaret's, York is an independent day and boarding school for girls age 11–18 in Escrick Park near York. The school was named after Queen Margaret the Queen of Scotland from c.1070–1093.
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Queen Margaret's celebrated 60 years on its current site in Escrick Park in September 2009, but between its foundation in 1901 and the move to Escrick in 1949, the school has had three different homes.
QM was established in Scarborough by the Woodard Foundation, an organisation committed to the establishment of boarding schools where teaching would be firmly based on the Christian religion. Following evacution to Pitlochry during the First World War and Castle Howard in the Second World War, QM finally came to Escrick Park, six miles south of York in 1949.[1]
In September 2009, Dr Paul Silverwood took over the headship and stated "I'm delighted to be joining Queen Margaret's School and look forward to the challenge of making sure the planning and personal development here is irresistible, and that students have the support and facilities to make the most of their education so that they feel able to achieve anything when they leave."[2]
Tatler Schools Guide 2011 stated: "QM is one of those all-girls country boarding schools that is quietly doing great things. Girls are playing lacrosse for the England under-19s, representing Great Britain at skiing, getting ace grades at A-level, performing for the National Youth Theatre and winning places at the London Contemporary Dance School. Head Dr Paul Silverwood has just completed his first year and key to his approach has been modernisation (though he is keen to maintain traditional values too). There’s been a reshuffle of the scholarships, with new awards in sport, dance and drama. This September will see the introduction of a programme of ‘academic extension’ to bring more focus to current affairs and greater political awareness. Dr Silverwood’s philosophy is for the pupils to be ‘happy and challenged’, and we think he’s succeeded." [3]
Public examination results in 2010 put QM among the top schools in the country with 93% of entries achieving grades A*-B at A Level and 99% of entries achieving A*-C at GCSE. The School offers a full range of academic subjects at GCSE, AS- and A-level. GCSEs are chosen from twenty four subjects and girls must study English Language, English Literature, Mathematics, Science and a Modern Foreign Language. In addition, most girls opt to study four other subjects. In the Sixth Form, twenty seven subjects are offered at AS and A2 level. At AS level, most girls opt to study four or five subjects, reducing to three or four at A2 level.
The school offers individual and group lessons in Ballet, Tap and Modern dance, all these disciplines can be studied to examination level. Ballet follows the Royal Academy of Dance (RADA) and/or the Cecchetti Society examination boards and Tap and Modern Dance follow the Imperial Society of Teachers of Dancing board (ISTD). Hip-Hop and Contemporary Dance are non- examination classes. We have introduced Dance Scholarships because we feel
Girls from QM are regularly accepted into the National Youth Theatre and four QM girls were placed in the ‘top ten candidates’ for GCSE Drama in the whole country.There is a whole school production at the end of each Autumn term. Entry is by competitive audition, open to all girls in the school. The production normally runs for three or four nights and is open to members of the public.
Past productions have included West Side Story (2010), Wizard of Oz (2010), Saint Joan (2009), Anything Goes (2008), A Christmas Carol (2007), The Threepenny Opera (2006), A Midsummer Night's Dream (2005) She Stoops to Conquer (2004), Les Misérables (2003), As You Like It (2002), and Kiss Me Kate (2001).
The school undertakes to guide students’ musical development in a variety of ways. QM encourages ambitious musicians to view their musical commitments seriously but also as a source of recreation, enjoyment and personal fulfilment. Girls play individually and in ensembles from beginner to advanced level.
Many QM girls are selected for regional and national sports teams. Sports facilities including an Astroturf, a sports hall, a competition swimming pool, all-weather tennis courts, squash courts, a nine-hole golf course and a riding school adjacent to the main School campus. Main winter activities include: lacrosse, cross country, hockey and netball. Summer sports include:athletics and rounders. Badminton, tennis and squash are also played at all levels.