The rich history of Queen Elizabeth’s School, Wakefield stretches through four and a half centuries of spirited tradition and quietly bold innovation.

In 1591, a Royal Charter from Queen Elizabeth I authorised fourteen Wakefield townsmen – five of them Saviles – to establish “one Grammar School of Queen Elizabeth at Wakefield, for the teaching, instructing, and bringing up of children and youth in grammar, and other good learning, to continue for ever”. Queen Elizabeth’s Grammar School (QEGS) quickly became a notable institution of learning for boys in Wakefield, as children from more humble backgrounds were educated next to children from noble families.

In 1878, Wakefield Girls’ High School (WGHS) opened its doors in Wentworth House with just 59 pupils. In an era where ambitious academic pathways for young women remained rare, this audacious move ensured girls in Wakefield had access to quality education. Every Founder’s Day since has celebrated that same courageous spirit.

Fast-forward to the twenty-first century, and the opening of Wakefield Grammar Pre-Preparatory School (WGPPS) in 2021 secured the “through-school” pathway. The school was purpose-built for play-based learning and discovery, with specialist teaching in languages, music, sport, and the arts, to lay firm academic and pastoral foundations.

September 2026 marks not an end of this history, but the beginning of a thrilling new chapter, as a brand-new, diamond-model framework is implemented at Queen Elizabeth’s to carry on this legacy. 

As part of the diamond model, children will learn side-by-side in the formative primary years from ages 3 – 11. In the senior section from ages 11 – 16, children will enjoy single-sex academic lessons, in recognition of their different needs during this important part of development. Both boys and girls will be offered the same facilities and curriculum. Pastoral care, co-curricular activities, PSHE, and social time will be co-educational. Pupils will converge again in a fully co-educational Sixth Form from ages 16 – 18.

As we prepare to explore the next chapter, together, as Queen Elizabeth’s, we do so with gratitude for the visionaries who came before us, pride for the scholars who walk our grounds today, and confidence that the best pages of our history are still to be penned.