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Year 11 pupils maintained the superb record of Queen Elizabeth’s School with another very strong set of GCSE results.

More than three-fifths of the examinations taken (61.4%) at the School were awarded the highest possible grade, level 9, while 95.4% received grades 7–9.

The 192-strong year group’s performance was strong across the board. Underpinned by truly exceptional results for Mathematics and the sciences, QE also has the top scorer nationally in GCSE English Language this year.

Headmaster Neil Enright said: “This is a very good set of outcomes indeed, reflecting the talent and hard work of our pupils, the expertise and commitment of QE staff, and the support of their families.

“My sincere congratulations go to Year 11, and we look forward to the boys beginning their A-levels in September, joining our largest-ever Sixth Form.

“Today’s results build on the excellent A-level outcomes last week, which saw QE placed as the top secondary school (state or independent) in The Times.”

The GCSE results show that:

• 85.5% of GCSEs taken were awarded grades 9–8 (both equivalent to the old A* grade);
• All 171 boys taking GCSE Chemistry achieved either a 9 (159 candidates) or 8 (12) grade;
• 50 boys sat Latin GCSE this year, well over twice as many as in 2024; 33 of them achieved grade 9.

Mr Enright added: “What is truly remarkable about these results is that they were achieved by boys who make time alongside their academic studies to take part in a huge range of co-curricular activities through our QE Flourish programme.

“It is the breadth of the whole QE experience which enables us to fulfil our mission ‘to produce young men who are confident, able and responsible’.”

Year 13 pupils have maintained a formidable record of consistent A-level excellence, with the proportion of grades at A*–B hitting 98% – the 20th consecutive year this benchmark figure has been above 95%.

As in other recent years, leavers shone at the very highest levels: once again, over half of all grades (51%) were A*– up 4% on even the best pre-pandemic year. Among the 174-strong Year 13 cohort, which is QE’s biggest-ever, 51 boys – or 29% – achieved straight A*s. Eighty-five per cent of grades awarded were A* or A.

Headmaster Neil Enright said: “Huge congratulations go to our students on these brilliant results. At QE we see consistent excellence every year, with our boys turning in superb examination performances and duly securing places on highly sought-after courses at world-leading universities.”

Over the past three years, QE pupils have received 157 offers from Oxford and Cambridge, including 49 (28% of the year group) this year. More widely, 62% hold offers from QS World Top 10 universities (which include Oxford, Cambridge, Imperial College and UCL); 22 of the 24 Russell Group universities offered places to QE boys.

The most popular choices of degree courses among QE leavers were for Mathematics, Medicine & Dentistry, Engineering, and Economics. In addition, 14 boys secured offers for computing courses: they include leavers who will be taking up confirmed places at Oxford, Cambridge, Imperial and Warwick.

In a growing trend, QE students are winning places on prestigious degree apprenticeships: this year, offers have come from companies including Goldman Sachs, Amazon, Deloitte, Jaguar Land Rover, and PWC.

And there is striking breadth in individual achievements, with one place secured at a music conservatoire (the Royal Northern College of Music’s joint course with Manchester University) and another at the highly competitive Foundation Art course at Central St Martins (University of the Arts London).

“Such widespread success among our boys is made possible by the whole QE experience,” said Mr Enright. “All our leavers have benefitted from our emphasis on free-thinking scholarship; and from the support in finding their future career and university path offered through our QE Futures programme, which benefits from the backing provided by our alumni network. Through a detailed programme of bespoke pastoral support, and through the broad co-curricular opportunities offered by our exciting QE Flourish programme, boys grow into confident, able and responsible young men. It is the combination of all these elements that is enabling our students to realise their boundless potential.”

“All our leavers take with them our very best wishes for the future. Today, and in the coming weeks, support will, of course, be available from the School for any who need it.

“Looking further ahead, we look forward to seeing the cohort become active members of our alumni community, QE Connect, joining the ranks of thousands of other alumni who are Elizabethans for life.”

The Association has only recently learned of the passing of John Paine, on June 29th last year, in Lexington, Massachusetts at the age of 89. Joining Queen Elizabeth’s in 1946, he then progressed to Merton College, Oxford where he read history. After National Service in Canada, John emigrated to the USA in 1949 for a post at a small prep school in Massachusetts, teaching history and much else besides, and coaching football and other sports, as well as leading students on trips to Europe. He retired to Connecticut, and is survived by his three children and seven grandchildren.

The Association is saddened to hear of the recent passing of Doctor Peter Gugenheim. Peter enjoyed an illustrious medical career, retiring as a GP in Edgware. At school he was a member of “The Royalists” and after leaving, continued to play rugby for the OEs. He was also a great supporter of the “Roald Dahl’s Marvellous Children’s Charity” of which his daughter is the Chief Executive.

The Association has recently learnt of the passing of Tony Anderson, founder of Navwar, on May 12th 2024 at the age of 78. Tony spent over 55 years building his wargaming and ships business and his passion and attention to detail has been second to none. He will be greatly missed by his friends and family.