Faversham Elizabethans - Association of Former Pupils and Staff
The Faversham Elizabethans is an association for all former students and staff of Queen Elizabeth's Grammar School and its predecessors – The Faversham Grammar School for Boys and The William Gibbs School for Girls.
2026 marks 450 years since the school was founded. There had been an earlier education setting in town and at Faversham Abbey, however this ceased when it was dissolved by King Henry VIII: This situation was obviously considered unsatisfactory by leading townsmen for in 1573 the Mayor and Corporation petitioned Queen Elizabeth I to re-establish the grammar school and to return its endowments. They were successful in their request, for in 1576 a charter was sealed by her, dated 14th July 1576, which agreed to the establishing of, "the free grammar school of Elizabeth, Queen of England, in Faversham in the county of Kent for the education, bringing up, and instruction of boys and youths in grammar, to remain in all future ages."
We occasionally hold school reunions: the last one was held in April 2024 for all former students and staff to celebrate the expansion of the school to six forms of entry. Guests had the opportunity to visit the new sports hall, dining room and theatre and see the new landscaping at the front of the school. It was a very successful event and provided a great opportunity for fellow students and staff to meet and share memories about their time at the school.
September 2027 will mark 60 years since the current school opened as a co-educational school.
Badminton sessions are held on Thursday evenings in the new improved Sports Hall, which all our members are welcome to attend (see photo below taken in Sports Hall October 2023).
One of the association's aims is to support the school financially. In the past we helped with funding towards the Sports Hall and the Elizabeth Quinn Theatre and with prizes for Senior Prizegiving.
We always welcome new members who want to support the school and celebrate the fantastic achievements of our alumni. By growing our membership community, we hope to expand our network and host an even wider range of exciting events in the future.
If you would like further information about joining the Faversham Elizabethans, please contact the Secretary, Yvonne Wills (née Martin), via email: ygloriaw@btinternet.com
Talk: Queen Elizabeth Charter 450 Years On
To commemorate 450th anniversary a talk was arranged jointly by the school, its former students association Faversham Elizabethans and Faversham Charters on Monday 13th July in Queen Elizabeths’ School assembly hall where the charter is housed.
The talk was given by Dr. Sheila Sweetingburgh special associate lecturer in Mediaeval and Early Modern Studies at Kent University. She talked about the importance of the Charter and its impact over the last 450 years. The original Elizabethan Grammar School building was open to visitors to the school fete in July.
On 14th July the actual 450th anniversary St Mary of Charity church bells rang a quarter peal to celebrate. The bell ringers all had links to QE school.
Faversham Elizabethans - Annual Luncheon
Our other premier event of the year is the Faversham Elizabethans Annual Luncheon, held this autumn on Saturday 17th October 2026. By kind permission of the Freemasons, this year's luncheon will take place within the historic walls of the original Queen Elizabeth Grammar School building.
The afternoon will begin at 12:00 noon with an exclusive tour of the building, followed by lunch served in the downstairs refectory at 13:00.
Please note that this is an invitation-only event. For further details, please contact our Secretary, Yvonne Wills.
Alumni Spotlight
One of the highlights of life at Queen Elizabeth’s is seeing our students flourish long after they leave us. We love catching up with our alumni and celebrating the incredible, varied marks they are making on the world.
These journeys prove that the lessons learned here resonate for a lifetime. We frequently invite former students back to school to share their experiences, providing invaluable inspiration for our current pupils. We want every student to know that their interests can take them anywhere.
Read below to hear from our former students and discover where their journeys have taken them.
Are you a former student? We would love to hear from you! If you would like to get in touch with the school to share your journey, please contact us via email: office@queenelizabeths.kent.sch.uk