The UK has a well-deserved reputation worldwide for providing high quality and well-respected higher education. For many international students, the ideal choice of a college is often determined by academic ranking and whether it could enhance their chances of getting into a top university. In this respect, Queen Ethelburga’s Collegiate deserves mention as a reputable institution that could help realize their aspirations.

Located in the beautiful Yorkshire countryside, Queen Ethelburga Collegiate is a family of boarding schools nestled in a 200-acre campus that has over the past years attracted students for a number of reasons, including its outstanding academic track-record, wide range of courses and excellent facilities.

Sterling academic record

“Queen Ethelburga Collegiate was ranked as the 4^th best school in the country by the Daily Telegraph, for A*/A A-Level Results, in their 2016 UK Independent School League Tables. The Faculty of Queen Ethelburga’s was ranked as the 8^th best school in the country in the same League Table. On top of our academic provision, we offer over 150 co-curricular activities every week. 95% of our students leave QE to go on to study at a top university,” said Mr. Jeremy Dean, Director of Student Recruitment at the collegiate.

The collegiate’s curriculum is extremely comprehensive, offering a vast array of standard academic subjects, from mathematics to English, science, physical education, art, personal development, drama, design technology and modern languages, depending on the students’ year of study. In the sixth form, they can choose from an extensive programme of traditional A Level and BTEC programmes. 

Higher education prospects

Nearly all its students enroll in a university either immediately after Year 13 or after a gap year. Some, however, choose internships with national companies.  

“The majority of our students leave us and move on to their first-choice universities around the world with most starting degree courses in the UK. London universities such as University College London, the London School of Economics, King’s College and City University are very popular choices of our students but we also have a high success rate with Oxford and Cambridge too. Strong links have also been established with instructions which offer Hospitality courses in Switzerland and we also send students to other countries such as America, Australia and the University of Hong Kong,” added Mr. Dean.    

Diverse student mix

Another attraction of the collegiate is its rich mix of students. Over half of its student population is British but the collegiate also has a thriving community of students from 60 different nationalities. Presently, the Queen Ethelburga Collegiate has approximately 1,600 students and in the past six years, invested over € 100m in new facilities and resources, including a new sports village, new boarding houses and new classrooms.

To facilitate their integration, a wide range of events and activities such as International Weeks are organized at the collegiate.  Queen Ethelburga Collegiate also organizes overseas trips to provide students with opportunities to see the world and such exposure will prepare them for the future. Students are also given opportunities to work as prefects, mentors and buddies so they can support each other and develop mutual understanding. 

“We celebrate diversity and encourage students to mix and learn about each other’s cultures as often as we can,” said Mr. Dean.

Given this cosmopolitan student profile, the collegiate is staffed with Liaison Officers working in each school and in the pastoral team, to assist with the personal issues facing students. If it is necessary to communicate with their homes, it also has multilingual staff to contact parents and speak in their relevant mother-tongues.

Helping international students settle in

Upon their first arrival at Queen Ethelburga Collegiate, students will find themselves in a caring and supportive environment, where a dedicated pastoral team is responsible for looking after them. Employing a holistic approach, the collegiate’s two pastoral centres focus on behavior and welfare, ensuring that the students are well supported at all times.

As students come from diverse backgrounds with varying levels of English proficiency, the collegiate will firstly assess their communication abilities in English, then support to their language needs accordingly. Intensive English lessons are offered so they can learn all aspects of the language, including grammar, listening, reading and writing.

Mr. Dean explained: “Firstly, we have a number of courses that aim to prepare students with weaker English to study in our academic environment. These students will have EAL featuring strongly on their timetables, with fewer subject-specific options. These Foundation and Preparation courses are designed to ensure that the students studying them have a good enough level of English to succeed in their chosen academic pathways.”

Promoting an all-rounded education

Beyond academic and language concerns, it is the Queen Ethelburga Collegiate’s underlying mission to see that its students benefit from a well-rounded education. Mr. Dean commented: “We take a holistic view of education and our students are taught a range of skills. Personal development is taught throughout the school with a strong focus on the spiritual, moral, social and cultural development of our students. We encourage them to develop initiative, accept responsibility for their own behavior and show respect for other people. The skills and values learned at Queen Ethelburga’s are designed to help them become successful in the future.”