Term 1 Newsletter 2026/2027

 

 

Welcome, Willkommen! QEGS Hosts Albertus Magnus Gymnasium Exchange

Welcome, Willkommen! QEGS Hosts Albertus Magnus Gymnasium Exchange. The atmosphere at Queen Elizabeth’s Grammar School was buzzing as we welcomed students and staff from our partner school, Albertus Magnus Gymnasium in Cologne, for the first leg of this year’s German Exchange. Blessed with unusually warm and sunny weather throughout their stay, our guests experienced a fantastic mix of local history, coastal beauty, and typical school life in Faversham.

The action-packed itinerary kicked off with a cultural trip to historic Canterbury, where students explored the famed Canterbury Tales museum to immerse themselves in medieval Kentish lore and classic stories. The glorious autumn sunshine made our outdoor adventures particularly memorable, none more so than the scenic coastal walk from Herne Bay to Whitstable. Students soaked in the seaside views before rounding off the trip with some lively, competitive fun at the bowling alley.

Back on campus, our German partners spent a full day fully integrated into school life at QEGS. Visiting pupils shadowed their hosts through lessons, gained a firsthand look at the English school system, and shared plenty of laughs comparing everyday life in Cologne and Faversham.

Beyond the sights and activities, the true highlight of the week was watching deep friendships form between the students. Hosts and guests bonded quickly, making the final farewells heartfelt—though thankfully short-lived! We are already counting down the weeks until November, when QEGS pupils make the return journey to Cologne for the second leg of what is shaping up to be an unforgettable exchange experience.

Axiom Maths Update

We have had a great term in Axiom Maths with circles continuing in Year 8 and Year 9. On 7th October, both year groups headed off to London to enjoy a trip to MathsWorld. Having been rescheduled from the heatwave in the summer, it did of course rain for most of the day. The students were absolute troopers dealing with the rain while exploring the Bankside Maths trail which culminated in a visit to Borough Market. The afternoon was then spent at MathsWorld, where students participated in a workshop building Leonardo domes and exploring the vast amounts of interactive exhibits and the Maths gift shop. Students had an excellent day, and their fantastic conduct while travelling to and from London was pointed out to the accompanying teachers multiple times by centre staff and members of the public.

A massive congratulations to Dexter C in Year 8, who has been selected to take part in an Axiom Maths Coaching pilot aimed at the most able young mathematicians in the country. Selection was based on having an impressive result in the Junior Maths Challenge and attending a selection day with the programme. Only 80 places were offered to the whole of England and Wales. We are incredibly proud of Dexter, and look forward to hearing how he is getting on in the programme this year.

A big thank you to our wonderful Year 13 Junior Mentors who supported the programme last year and have now handed over to the new Year 12 mentors. Our new mentors are already doing a fantastic job and have been supporting Year 7 tasters sessions in lessons over the past two weeks. Applications will open after half term for Year 7 students who would like to join the Axiom programme this year (there is a limited number of places). They will be able to apply for a place via google classroom, and those who are successful will be informed in the following weeks, with the first Year 7 session starting after school on Wednesday 18th November.

Black History Month


Once again, the History department has been inspired by BHM to provide students and staff with articles, puzzles, timelines, videos and much more via a dedicated GC. We have seen over one hundred souls join the group and appear to have triggered plenty of curiosity and engagement.

The Great History Debate

This knock out competition, that launched last November, moved into its Quarter and Semi Final Rounds when we returned to school after the summer holiday. Eva and Thomas knocked out Ron and Thomas by arguing that Richard III had murdered his nephews but then fell to Kaden in a debate over the Battle of Britain. Jack dismissed Stan by claiming that Ancient Athens deserves to be viewed as the first democracy and he then reached the Grand Final by unpicking Isabella and Elodie's hypothesis that Henry VII wasn't the most successful Tudor ruler. That defeated pairing had earlier in the term conquered Clementine and Matilda during a debate surrounding Stonehenge. The other Finalist will be Seth who triumphantly disputed Felix's belief, that the Vikings have been misrepresented, before knocking out Kaden in a tussle over the mysterious death of William Rufus in the New Forest.

Anyone across Years 7-9 who are interested in watching the Grand Final you are warmly invited to attend the clash between Seth and Jack in the Theatre at lunch on October 28th.

Equally, any pupils in Year 7, 8 or 9 who are interested in competing in Season IV are encouraged to complete the sign up form that will be added to History GCs once the final of Season III is settled.

As always, I would like to thank Katy (and now Maddy too!) for their assistance in judging our debates. It is beyond awesome to have some sixth formers getting involved in this way. Mr Piotrowski has been by my side, as Chief Judge, for the vast majority of the 52 debates that we've had this Season and I am extremely grateful for that. I also tip my hat to the other staff-members who have come to watch and assist in judging as well as the pupils who have come along (sometimes every week - twice a week!) to support the debaters and pose questions.

The Great History Model Make


This academic year sees the launching of History's fourth annual competition. Students from across the school are invited to toast the anniversary of William the Conqueror's birth by making a medieval castle. The deadline for entries is December 1st and all further details have been posted on History GCs. Why not get building over the half term holiday?!

National Youth Musical Theatre

Year 9 students were delighted to take part in the NYMT workshop at The Malthouse. Working with other schools, the students learnt how to develop their own choreography alongside developing their acting skills. They thoroughly enjoyed working together with the new challenges, and were thrilled to be working with professional performers on a song from 'Great British Bake Off: The Musical'.

National Theatre - The Bacchae

Year 11 GCSE Drama students enjoyed experiencing the first performance of the National Theatre's schools tour of 'The Bacchae'. The new adaptation of the tragedy held true to all of the elements of Ancient Greek, whilst being engagingly updated for a modern and younger audience. They were thankful the cannibalism was represented with strawberry laces and jelly squares!

 

Celebrating Design & Technology Departmental Excellence at QE

Congratulations to the entire Design and Technology department at Queen Elizabeth’s Grammar School for winning The Cenata Excellence Award for Outstanding Departmental Team at the D&TA Excellence Awards 2026! This prestigious national award recognises the team's exceptional dedication, creativity and collaborative passion for inspiring students in Design and Technology. Huge well done to all the teachers, technicians and staff involved - this well-deserved achievement is a fantastic reflection of your hard work and high standards!

 

QE Water Polo News

It's been a busy year for our water polo players. Off the back of the summer successes our players are training for the English Schools' season. What better news than to have Eric (Year 9) selected for the Talent centre. Without repeating what now seems to be a regular achievement for QE players, it is the top players in the region given specific coaching and practice as part of the pathway to the GB teams. Eric joins Barnaby (Year 9), Paloma (Year 10) and Flora (Year 8) on the talent program and there are others in the school to watch for next year's trials.

Several of our u13 English schools' cadet cup winners represented Kent at the weekend for the u14 inter-counties competitiion, which they won! So 1/4 of the Kent team was from QE, an amazing achievement. Well done to Flora and Leo (Year 8) and George (Year 9) - see picture below.

Barnaby and Flora have both been selected for the u16 boys/open team for that age group's inter-counties. Flora has also been selected to play for South East region in the upcoming inter-regional water polo championships. Congratulations to both of them!

We are training our u15 boys/open and u15 girls for their first round of the English School's national competition which will happen after Christmas. So any good swimmers keen to try water polo, please contact Dr Perkins as there's still space in our teams!

 

KS3 Crochet Club


​This term’s lunchtime KS3 Crochet Club has been a calm and creative escape from the hustle and bustle of the school day. Gathering in the MFL department every Wednesday lunchtime, crocheters of all levels - from absolute beginners trying out their very first stitches to those who have already mastered some very complex stitches - come together to unwind and create.
​Each week students share skills, ideas, and lots of enthusiasm with one another. Mrs Parker really enjoys helping those new to crochet and loves seeing the amazing finished projects that students bring in.

Whether students want to pick up a crochet hook for the first time or need help with a trickier pattern, there is always someone who is ready to help.
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View the photo gallery to see some of the wonderful creations crocheted by our KS3 students this term (along with a few from Mrs Parker!).

STEM Club, Term 1

This term we introduced the start of a KS4 STEM club for Year 9 students who have started the year with a project in computing. Students have been brought into the world of micro:bits and explored lots of features that they would not have seen when they were introduced to micro:bits in year 7. They have been challenged to work in groups on their own multiplayer games using communication between 2 or more micro:bits, in which they have so far been sucessful and will continue in term 2.
The Year 8 Junior Stem students have taken part in the return of the rocket project, where they must work in teams to design a rocket, produce an advertising campaign including viral game, packaging and instruction manual and stick to a budget. Next term they will be pitching to investors, heading to DT to produce a prototype for their packaging and be presenting their projects in a final presentation for the judges (a team of Year 12 and 13 QuEST students).

In Year 7 students have been participating in a new project in the DT Department, getting creative while learning about sustainability and the importance of supporting wildlife. The students have been recycling and repurposing everyday items to design and make their own bug and wildlife homes and feeders. They have enjoyed experimenting with different materials, thinking carefully about how their designs could provide food, shelter and/or safe spaces for insects and other wildlife. It has been fantastic to see their creativity, teamwork and problem solving skills develop as they turned unwanted materials into useful products.

So far this year in QuEST, we’ve been busy welcoming all the new Year 12 students who are eager to join existing groups or start their own research projects. We’ve also been lucky enough to take some of our Year 13 Physics students on a school trip to CERN, a particle physics laboratory based in Geneva. The trip took place over two days, during which the students got to visit the United Nations building, spend time exploring the area, and have a guided tour around several CERN buildings including the Antimatter factory. This was a great opportunity to see real experiments in action, and get to observe some incredible equipment such as particle accelerators and antimatter traps.


We have also had a visit from QE Alumni Daniel Hampton, who came back in to give a talk on his work in Marine Biology since leaving school. Daniel is currently working with Adonis Blue Environmental Consultants on their Sharks of Kent project, for which he is helping to monitor and tag sharks around Kent, aiding research into how these ecosystems are developing over time.


Zeno B. QuEST President

 

 

 

This term, SpaceQuEST have been working towards finalising our idea for the ASGARD project. This is a STEM program which allows us to design, build, test and launch our own scientific experiment into the atmosphere of earth, that emulates the atmosphere on Mars. Our current idea is to investigate solar radiation at atmospheric heights up to 30 km. Through this project we are aiming to improve our electronics and networking skills, as well as our understanding of atmospheric conditions. If we are accepted onto the ASGARD project our 6 members will have the chance to travel to Belgium to carry out our experiment and present our results at a conference.


Freya S. and Isla B. SpaceQuEST Members

In MotorQuEST, we have recruited some very keen new Y12’s to APE Engineering as we potentially begin our first point scoring season. Since our first on-track experience at Mallory Park testing, we have been sending off a continual stream of sponsorship emails, and collected over £500 of funding in the process - thank you to those who have suppoted us so far.

We have relocated from A10 to the hall stage, both to give us a testing area and to free up space for other QuESTies. Our car development has continued too, for example: we are currently planning to upgrade from cable actuated disc brakes to a fully hydraulic system. We are also updating our sponsorship system along with a new livery to make funding more proportional to brand visibility.


Jake P. MotorQuEST Member

In PollutionQuEST we’ve been rebuilding and connecting some of the old pollution sensors - spending far too long hunting for the right cables! We’re collaborating with SpaceQuEST to place a stripped down air pollution sensor on their gondola which will be sent to space on the ASGARD trip in May. We’re also planning to map out pollution across Faversham and the surrounding areas. In order to do this, we will develop the sensors further to connect with a phone, and upload data remotely. We’ll also be reducing the size of the sensors.


Daisy A. and Océane A. PollutionQuEST Members

We, MedQuEST (Capt. Lily, Alex, Mischa, Adesh, Charles, Keeley, Adrianna), are a group of students who are investigating knowledge in the field of medical science, through an experimental research project focused on stem cell regeneration in Planarian flatworms. The purpose of our work is to find out how various chemicals and environmental substances influence the worms' ability to regenerate,  enabling us to gain a better understanding of the correlation between exposure to harmful substances and both cell growth and regeneration. Through this, we hope to improve our knowledge of the possible applications of stem cell research.


Mischa C. MedQuEST Member

For the new year of RoboQuEST, there is a whole new project being done! With physics teacher, Mr Perks, as the 'Client', RoboQuEST is working on a robotic demonstration of circular motion for him to use with his A-Level Classes. This is being done using an Arduino hooked up to a motor board and an Accelerometer. This new project has been very exciting to look into and work on, and using an arduino is a new experience for me that has been interesting to learn so far. There has been an issue with ordering the accelerometer, so the programming has been very focused on getting the motors working, which has been going good so far.


As well as this, Robotics club has an all new team of year 9s! They are working on their own project, and have been working very well as a team, with their only goal being to "get onto local news” with what they create, which is certainly an ambitious goal, but it can be done.


The old project has been scrapped. The idea of the project was interesting at first, but as the project developed further it became apparent that the project was never going to help anyone, which I believe is what every project we do should be about: helping people. We have decided to reuse the old motorboards for the new project, however, and some of the year 9 Robotics students are reusing the parts from the old car!


Joseph M. Head of RoboQuEST

Hello Yellow Day

On Friday 9th October, our school came together to celebrate Hello Yellow Day in support of YoungMinds, the UK charity dedicated to supporting young people’s mental health.

Throughout the day, students took part in a range of fun form-time activities, helping to raise awareness of mental health and the importance of looking after our own wellbeing and supporting others. Mrs Longhurst also delivered information assemblies, sharing important messages about mental health and the support available to young people.

Students and staff wore their own clothes in exchange for a donation to this important cause. To add some extra fun to the day, we also held a whole-school duck hunt! Our fantastic Year 9 Wellbeing Ambassadors hid ducks around the school for students to find, bringing plenty of excitement and smiles throughout the day.

Thanks to the generosity and enthusiasm of our school community, we are delighted to announce that we raised an incredible £770 for YoungMinds!

A huge thank you to everyone who donated, took part in the activities and helped make the day such a success. It was wonderful to see our school community come together to raise awareness of mental health, encourage positive conversations and show our support for young people everywhere.

The Big Mental Health Conversation

On 7th October, some of our Year 10 Wellbeing Ambassadors had the opportunity to attend The Big Mental Health Conversation in Maidstone.

The students took part in a range of informative and engaging workshops, exploring different aspects of mental health and wellbeing. They also had the opportunity to meet representatives from a variety of organisations and learn more about the support and services available across Kent for people who may be struggling with their mental health.

It was a valuable opportunity for our Wellbeing Ambassadors to broaden their understanding, develop their knowledge and discover the many ways in which young people and adults can access support.

We hope they will be able to share what they have learned with the wider school community and help to continue promoting positive conversations around mental health and wellbeing.

 

 

 

Welcome Student Librarians

Welcome back to another exciting school year, especially to our wonderful student librarians!

Whether they are returning experienced student librarians who know the library inside and out or enthusiastic new additions to the team, our student librarians play a vital role in keeping our library vibrant, organised, and welcoming for everyone.

Our library is more than just a room full of books, it’s a hub for curiosity, study and collaboration. Our student librarians work hard behind the scenes and keep things running smoothly, checking out books and returning items to their proper place on the shelves and organising displays, their efforts keep the space welcoming.

Next time you drop by to return a book, work on an assignment, or browse the shelves, be sure to give our student librarians a quick thank-you for all their hard work!



The Complete Destinations and Online Careers Platform


In keeping with our commitment to providing students with outstanding careers guidance and tailored support when choosing their next step after school, we are using Unifrog; an award-winning, online careers platform. All students in Years 7-13 have access to this excellent website.

The Unifrog platform is designed to support learners in making the most informed decisions about their futures and has a range of tools that are suitable for all year groups. Each student has their own personal account that provides a wide range of information related to their interests and aspirations. Key features of the platform include:

Exploring Pathways – personality quizzes, career and subject profiles, MOOCs and webinars

Recording – self-reflection about extracurricular activities and key employability skills

Opportunities – search tools showing live vacancies/courses/placements for apprenticeships, universities (in the UK and abroad), further education, virtual work experience and much more

Applications – tools to help students build applications for a range of pathways (e.g. CVs, Personal Statements, Common App Essays).

Students may login to Unifrog using their email address and password and they can do so from any computer, tablet or smartphone. We would encourage you to use the platform with your child so you can support them through the process of deciding their next step.

For more information, go to www.unifrog.org.

Unifrog Assembly 

On 20th October, Year 10 students had an assembly regarding the Unifrog careers platform and how it can help to support them for their work experience placements in July 2027 and with making informed decisions about their futures. 

Careers Assemblies

Year 10 received an assembly on 15th September from the East Kent Colleges Group about different post 16 pathways, specifically technical and vocational qualifications. 

Year 11 students received an assembly on 25th September to inform them of the vocational and technical pathways that local colleges offer. 

Year 11 Trip to Queens' College, Cambridge 

On Thursday 22nd October, a group of Year 11 students visited Queens’ College, Cambridge, for an insightful day exploring higher education.

Their itinerary included an introduction to university life, a campus tour led by student ambassadors, a workshop on post-16 choices and a visit to a local museum.  

Year 13 Oxbridge and Early Entrants - Interview session with Lauren Dolby from Escalate Education 

On Wednesday 16th September we welcomed former QE student and founder of Escalate Education, Lauren Dolby, back to QE to come in to give a preparation session for students applying to Oxbridge and other early entry courses.

Lauren gave invaluable, expert advice to our students through a presentation, discussion and a very useful Q&A session.  

Careers Advice and Guidance at Queen Elizabeth's

Year 12 students have been attending an initial careers meeting with Miss Butterly - the sessions will continue into Term 2. 

In addition, if any Year 12 or Year 13 student would like further advice and guidance about their next step, or if they need to discuss any aspect of the pathway they are considering, please email Miss Butterly, a Level 6 Careers Guidance Adviser who is based in the Sixth Form Office, via hsb@queenelizabeths.kent.sch.uk. 

Please visit the Careers section of our school website for further information about how we support, advise and guide students in their step or with any aspect of their careers research: www.queenelizabeths.kent.sch.uk/learning/careers-guidance. 

Future Dates for the diary

Year 12 students will be taking part in work experience on Monday 1st and Tuesday 2nd February 2027. A letter will be issued just after the Term 1 half term break. We will be holding an assembly for Year 12 after half term to brief the students on the work placement period and how to find support. 

The Post-18 Options Evening for students, parents and carers will be taking place on Thursday 18th March from 6-7pm. Further information to follow. 

 

SEND @ QE


Hello and welcome back - what a fantastic start to Term 1!

It's been a busy and dynamic start to the new school year! As we settle into Term 1, we wanted to update you on our ongoing commitment to improving our SEND provision at school.

Here is a link to our new and improved SEND Support & Wellbeing Intervention offer at school! You can access this via our SEND Information padlet on our school website. If you would like your child to access an intervention then please contact your child’s Head of Year.

We value our partnership with parents! We will be sharing details throughout the year in our school bulletin and newsletter about a range of external workshops and courses focused on SEND information and parental support that you may find valuable.


Here is a list of organisations and services that may be of interest to our families:

  • For a wealth of support and information, you can access the KCC Parent Support Group and Services page here. This page is a fantastic resource, providing links to the Kent Resilience Hub, Multi-agency Specialist Hubs (MASH), Early Help and Families Hub.
  • Here is the link to the Educational Psychologist Parent Consultation Line - LINK. 
    The Parent Consultation Line is for parents to access a free 30 minute telephone consultation. The aim of this service is to support parents and carers in finding ways forward and possible solutions through a joint problem solving conversation.


Topics or areas that parents and carers may wish to discuss might include:

  • Social and emotional issues
  • Concerns about learning
  • Family relationships
  • Concerns about behaviour
  • Daily routines including sleep

Also, Mrs Percy will be holding our first ever “SEND Drop-in” sessions for parents and carers on Friday 23rd October. If you did not manage to book a slot this time then please do not worry, more slots will be advertised each term. These can also be held online as well as face to face. More details will follow next term. 

#teammiles charity roller hockey tournament

Over the summer, Maxim, in Year 12, alongside his hockey team took part in the #TeamMiles Charity Roller Hockey Tournament 2026. They played alongside 5 other U23s strong teams where they were by far, the youngest team in this age range with most players between 15 and 16 years old. Expectations of the day were that they would get to play hockey and enjoy themselves, but instead they managed to finish 3rd in the tournament, bringing the bronze medals home!

This tournament is organised to raise funds for Bone Cancer Research Trust in memory of Miles, a fanatic roller hockey player who sadly passed away 4 years ago. Max took part in this competition in all the 3 editions. The first tournament was organised to raise funds to help Miles and his family with the necessary prosthetics. Last year, they raised over £6,000. This year in the region of £2,000. 

What a fantastic way to support such a worthwhile cause. Well done to Maxim and his teammates, you should be so proud!

  

New Staff

We are delighted to welcome our new staff to Queen Elizabeth's this Term: Mrs. Harris (English), Dr. Dike (Mathematics), Mrs. Thornhill (Religious Studies and Art), Mrs. Fernandez-Perez (Spanish), Miss. Stairs (KS3 Learning Support) and Mr. Maccarielo-Knight (Mathematics Support Tutor). 

Staff Farewell 

This term, we also say a fond farewell to Mrs. Thomas, our Cover Supervisor, who is retiring, and Mr. Davison, our Head of Finance. We thank them both for their hard work and dedication and wish them the very best in their next chapters.

Baby news!

We would like to send a huge congratulations to Miss. Davidson and Mr. Cowlam on the arrival of their beautiful baby girl, Nora over the summer. 

Mr McDermott is running the London Marathon!!!

As many of you will be aware this past March we, as a school, were devastated by the loss of Juliette, one of our year 13 students, who had tragically lost her life after an unprecedented Meningitis outbreak erupted in the Canterbury area. Juliette had been at QE since year 7 and she embodied everything that we want our students to be, she was kind, friendly, had a great sense of fun and was full of life. She was also creative and an incredibly talented young printmaker whose work still features around the school and Art department.


This has led me to take on the challenge of running the London Marathon in April, raising money for the Meningitis Research Foundation. I am really running this in memory of Juliette and one particular memory of her badgering me about the ballot for the marathon closing a couple of years ago. This was then followed by a complete look of “I told you so” when I revealed to her that I had missed it. I am confident that she would be supporting me in this, asking questions about my training and comparing it to what her dad is or isn’t doing in his own training, or just generally laughing at the monumental task in front of me. Training for, and running, a marathon is tough but knowing that it may help take us towards a world where no one has to lose someone they love to this awful disease is worth it and every run gives me a little opportunity to remember Juliette and her badgering me about my ballot entry.

Look out for fundraising events throughout the year and if you would are able to contribute to my fundraising efforts please use the QR link below, every little helps and is very much appreciated. 


Thank you - Mr. McDermott