Faces of success: 44 win offers from Oxford and Cambridge
Forty-four Queen Elizabeth’s School pupils have secured offers from Oxford and Cambridge this year, further consolidating QE’s record of success in sending leavers to the world’s best universities.
Twenty-nine senior boys have received offers from Cambridge, with a further 15 offered places at Oxford. The figures lift the School’s total number of Oxbridge offers over the past four years to a remarkable 202.
Headmaster Neil Enright said: “My congratulations go to all these pupils: we are immensely proud of their success.
“At QE, we are committed to developing the Boundless potential of every student in a rapidly changing world. Through their ambition, application, resilience, and free-thinking scholarship, these 44 boys are well on the way to realising that potential: I wish them all the best in achieving the A-level grades they need to secure their offers this summer, and, further ahead, to hearing about their exciting careers and contributions to society.
“More broadly, I am also pleased to say that our pupils are continuing to enjoy very considerable success in winning places at other world-leading universities.”
The 44 Oxbridge offers have been made by a diverse range of colleges – from the ancient and imposing, such as Oxford’s Christ Church and Trinity at Cambridge (both founded by Henry VIII in 1546), to the relatively modern, such as Homerton at Cambridge, which, although founded in the 18th century, attained full college status only in 2010.
The offers are for degree subjects including English, Engineering, Modern & Medieval Languages, Music, Geography, Psychology and History, as well as famous courses such as Cambridge’s Natural Sciences and Oxford’s Philosophy, Politics and Economics (PPE).
James Kane, Assistant Head (Destinations and Progress), said: “These offers reflect academic excellence, intellectual curiosity and commitment of our pupils to going above and beyond. They also show the outstanding dedication and support afforded by our staff and families.”
The success of the QE Futures programme in guiding senior pupils appropriately through the university application process is shown in QE’s “impressive” application–offer rate of 40%, Mr Kane added.
In total, QE leavers have applied to 23 of the 24 Russell Group universities this year, with 90% applying to at least one QS World Top 10 university. (The ten include Imperial and University College London, as well as Oxford and Cambridge.) With the process by no means yet complete, more than four-fifths have already received at least one offer.
Last year, a record 15 degree apprenticeships were offered to Year 13 boys. Interest in these apprenticeships continues to be strong at QE: this year, leavers have applied to leading global organisations such Freshfields, Airbus, BAE Systems, Rolls-Royce, JP Morgan, Goldman Sachs, HSBC, and Arup. The applications span disciplines including Law, Engineering, Finance, and Architecture.
Mr Kane highlighted the importance of the QE Essentials programme, which includes: QE Futures; the QE Flourish co-curricular activities; the School’s digital strategy; its emphasis on free-thinking scholarship; and the QE Connect alumni network. “It is through QE Essentials that our students build the academic strength, mindset and skills needed for future-ready success,” he said.