Queenswood School

Queenswood School is a girls-only private school located near Hatfield in the English county of Hertfordshire. It offers admission at ages 11, 13 or 16 (for sixth form).

The current headmistress is Pauline Edgar.

History

Queenswood was founded in 1894 by two Methodist ministers and its first headmistress was Ethel Mary Trew. Originally, the school was located in Clapham, London, but it was moved to Hertfordshire in 1925. Because it was originally located in Clapham there are now two houses called Clapham North and Clapham South

Uniform

The predominant colours of the school uniform are purple and grey.

chool houses

Queenswood has five houses. The year 7s and 8s are in Trew House. In year 9 they are split up to their attached houses, and in 6th form Upper 6th and Lower 6th:
* Hartley: Housemistress: Miss S Hardie
* Clapham North: Housemistress: Mrs J Brown-Hovelt
* Clapham South: Housemistress: Ms. E Maassen (leaving)
* Waller: Housemistress: Mrs M Adcock (leaving)
* Trew: Housemistress: Mrs V Castle
* Upper 6th: Housemistress: Mrs G M Dawson
* Lower 6th:Housemistress: Miss S Dee

Buildings

There are many parts of the school, as it stretchesacross a large area containing woodland and open fields.
* Trew: Boarding houses (Lower Trew, Upper Trew), dining room, living quarters for headmistress
* Centre: Boarding houses (Waller, Hartley, Clapham North, Clapham South, Eaves), study bases (carrells)
* Theatre: Helen McCrory Studio
* Stamp: Drama rooms, boarding house
* Chapel
* Bridge (boarding house)
* Senior (boarding house)
* Leech (PE): Changing rooms, tennis department, gym (workout), aerobics room
* Gym
* Old Pool Hall
* Swimming Pool
* Art Block
* Music Block
* Science Block: Science, DT
* ABC (main classrooms): Subjects taught here include Maths, English, Languages etc.. (also computer rooms)
* Library
* Belling: Boarding house, computer room
* Pizza Hut (sixth form centre)
* Medical Centre
* Palestra (sports hall)
* Pavilion: Astro Hockey Pitch (Transforms to 9 tennis courts in Summer), 4 Astro Tennis courts, 12 Clay Tennis Courts

The school also has a full size grass athletics pitch, which transforms into 3 hockey pitches in Winter. There is also an adventure playground. The center of the school is considered as the Monstros, which is a stone monument, between Trew House and Centre.

Notable Subjects and Sports

Queenswood is known for being consistent in many subjects, earning honours for many.

Tennis

The school specialises in tennis, offering scholarships and boasts 27 tennis courts, including, 12 Clay, 9 Temporary Astro, 4 Permanent Astro and 2 Indoor Acrylic. It has a collection of qualified tennis coaches. The school teams have also won many national tournaments all over the country, including the Abedare Cup, and BSTA Schools Tennis. Queenswood was the school of British Tennis player Naomi Cavaday.

Hockey

Queenswood also specialises in hockey, and has had many England players pass through the school. Queenswood is also the county training centre for hockey.

chool Day Structure

* 7.00 - Morning Bell (Boarders)
* 7.25 - Breakfast (Boarders)
* 8.00 - Housemeeting
* 8.20 - Chapel
* 8.45-9.45 - Periods 1+2
* 9.45-10.45 - Periods 3+4
* 10.45-11.05 - Break
* 11.05-12.05 - Periods 5+6
* 12.05-1.05 - Periods 7+8
* 1.05-2.20 - Lunch
* 2.20-3.20 - Periods 9+10
* 3.20-4.20 - Periods 11+12 (Study for Yr7)
* 4.20 - Tea Check
* 4.45-5.45 - Activities
* 5.45 - Yr7 day girls may leave
* 5.45-6.45 - Study
* 6.45 - Diner/Day girls may leave-Boarders Only-
* 7.00 - Sign In
* 8.30 - Yr7+8 Housemeeting
* 9.00 - Housemeetings/ Yr7 Lights Out
* 9.15 - Yr8 Lights Out
* 9.45 - Yr9+10 Lights Out
* 10.15 - Yr11 Lights Out
* 11.00 - L6+U6 In Rooms

Note: The school does not have Saturday School. Structure totally different on weekends.

chool song

The lyrics of the School Song are taken from Robert Browning's poem "Rabbi Ben Ezra", set to a stirring Victorian tune.

:All that is, at all:Lasts ever, past recall;:Earth changes, but thy soul and God stand sure;:What entered into thee,:That was, is and shall be::Time's wheel runs back or stops: Potter and clay endure.

:Grow old along with me!:The best is yet to be,:The last of life for which the first was made::Our times are in His hand:Who saith 'A whole I planned::Youth shows but half: trust God: see all, nor be afraid!'

Notable Alumnae

* Helen McCrory, actress
* Natalie Pinkham, television and radio presenter
* Carol Thatcher, journalist and daughter of one-time UK prime-minister Margaret Thatcher
* Georgie Thompson, Sky Sports presenter
* Naomi Cavaday, British tennis Player

During the 1980s, actor Paul Bettany stayed at the school regularly as his father, Thane Bettany was the resident head of drama teaching. [citeweb|url=http://www.vnchannel.net/other-archive/news/section-9-entertainment/2760-tragedy-drugs-and-a-dad-who-wanted-to-have-a-sex-change-op-da-vinci-code-week-paul-bettanys-ama.html|title=Tragedy, Drugs and a Dad Who Wanted to Have a Sex Change Op|publisher=Daily Mirror|author=Julie McCaffery|date=May 16, 2006|accessdate=2008-01-14]

References

External links

* [http://www.queenswood.herts.sch.uk Official School Site]