Queen Margaret's School, York

QM was established in Scarborough by the Woodard Foundation, an organisation committed to the establishment of boarding schools where teaching would be firmly based on the Christian religion. The founding head was Agnes Body who arrived from Lincoln with some of her former staff. In 1913, when ill health made her retire, it was said that QMS was known as "Miss Body's School". Rosalind Fowler became the second Head and she supervised the evacuation of the School to Pitlochry during the First World War.[1] Following another evacuation to Castle Howard in the Second World War, QM finally came to Escrick Park, six miles south of York, in 1949.[2] where it remains today. Mrs Sue Baillie commenced her headship in September 2019, taking over from the previous Head Mrs Jessica Miles.

Tatler Schools Guide 2011 stated: "QM is one of those all-girls country boarding schools that is quietly doing great things. Girls are playing lacrosse for the England under-19s, representing Great Britain at skiing, getting ace grades at A-level, performing for the National Youth Theatre and winning places at the London Contemporary Dance School."[3]

The School offers individual and group lessons in ballet, tap, hip-hop, contemporary and modern dance.

Music plays an important role in life at QM with 45% of girls learning at least one instrument and over a quarter of those girls learning more than one instrument.

Sports facilities include an all-weather Astroturf, a sports hall, a competition-standard indoor swimming pool and a recreational outdoor pool, all-weather tennis courts, indoor squash courts, and a riding school adjacent to the main school campus. Main winter activities include: lacrosse, cross country, hockey, and netball. Summer sports include: athletics and rounders. Badminton, tennis, and squash are played at all levels.

There are six houses: Garry, Pitlochry, Duncan, QM Hall, School and St Aidan's. Each pupil and teacher is assigned to one of the houses and each house is run by a teacher as Head of House; two Upper Sixth girls are chosen to be House Captain and Deputy House Captain, and two or three Fourth Year (Year 10) girls are chosen as House Monitors. Inter-house competitions include those for sport, cookery and music.

Around 80% of pupils are boarders. They are assigned to a boarding house based on year group and age. Each boarding house is supervised by a housemaster or housemistress who is assisted by the Head of Year.[4]

• Red House (Years 7–8, QM's Years I & II)
• Scarborough House (Year 9, QM's Year III)
• Atholl House (Year 10, QM's Year IV)
• Winifred Holtby House, also known as "Winnie's" (Year 11, QM's Year V)
• Cloisters (Year 12, QM's Lower Sixth)
• The Cottages (Year 13, QM's Upper Sixth)

See also Category:People educated at Queen Margaret's School, York

• Dame Eleanor King, High Court Judge
• Winifred Holtby, novelist and journalist
• Joan Hall, politician
• Ann Jellicoe, actor, theatre director and playwright
• Lady Alice Manners, fashion columnist
• Lady Eliza Manners, socialite
• Lady Violet Manners, fashion model
• Elizabeth Poston, Composer
• Sarah Connolly CBE Opera Singer
• Amanda Staveley, businesswoman
• Katherine, Duchess of Kent
• Matilda Lowther, fashion model

The Heads of Queen Margaret's are as follows:

• Agnes Body (1901–1913)[1]
• Rosalind Fowler (1913–1928)
• Mildred Burella-Taylor (1928–1934)
• Lily Parsons (1934–1938)
• Joyce Brown (1938–1960)
• Barbara Snape (1960–1980)
• Pat Valentine (1980–1983)
• Colin McGarrigle (1983–1992)
• Geoffrey Chapman (1993–2009)
• Paul Silverwood (2009–2014)
• Carole Cameron, Acting Head (2014–2015)
• Jessica Miles (2015–2019)
• Sue Baillie (2019– )

• School Website
• Profile on the ISC website