Queen Elizabeth High School

What Queen Elizabeth High School does

Queen Elizabeth's High School is a state-funded selective grammar school located on Morton Terrace in Gainsborough, Lincolnshire, England, serving students aged 11-18 across Years 7-13. Founded in 1589 under a grant from Queen Elizabeth I, the institution has over 430 years of operating history and has been co-educational since the 1983 merger of the boys' grammar school (Queen Elizabeth's Grammar School) and Gainsborough High School for girls. The school operates with a Published Admissions Number of 188 students per year group at Year 7, with selection via the Lincolnshire 11+ test, and offers mid-year Advanced Entry Testing for Years 7-9 and a dedicated Sixth Form College House for Years 12-13. Academic provision spans Key Stage 3, GCSE (including EBacc), and over 20 A Level subjects, supplemented by HPQ, EPQ, Duke of Edinburgh Award, LAMDA, and a Gifted, More Able and Talented programme.

The school's product surface is built on standard education technology: Google Classroom as the learning management platform, Microsoft Office 365 and Outlook for administration, Satchel One for behaviour/rewards/home learning communication with parents, School Cloud for virtual parents' evenings, CPOMS for safeguarding, and GL Assessment materials for 11+ familiarisation. The website is built by Greenhouse School Websites with Google Translate integration across 100+ languages. Operational technology is functional rather than differentiated — no proprietary systems, AI/ML capabilities, or patented innovations are disclosed. Catering is outsourced to Innovate (Impact Food Group), and facilities are available for hire to community groups.

Revenue derives primarily from per-pupil funding allocated by the Department for Education via Lincolnshire County Council, with supplementary streams from Pupil Premium, Service Children Premium, 16-19 Tuition Fund, and Sixth Form bursaries. No tuition fees are charged to parents. Ancillary income is generated through catering commissions from Innovate and a facilities hire programme covering sports halls, the Performing Arts Centre, and dining areas. The school is governed by a 17-member body (5 parent-elected, 1 staff-elected, 1 Local Authority-nominated, the Headteacher, and 9 appointed governors) and is not owned by any parent company, private equity firm, or individual investors. Ofsted rated the school 'Good' across all five inspection categories in December 2023, and the school consistently ranks in the top 20% nationally on Progress 8, with 100% Oxbridge applicant success in 2025.

Name

Queen Elizabeth High School

Legal name

Queen Elizabeth's High School

Website

https://qehs.lincs.sch.uk

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Queen Elizabeth's High School is a state-funded selective grammar school in Gainsborough, Lincolnshire, serving approximately 1,316 students aged 11-18 through 11+ selected admissions, GCSE, and A Level programmes, with Ofsted 'Good' rating and 430+ years of operating history.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Secondary Grammar School Education

NAICS

Elementary and Secondary Schools (6111), Elementary and Secondary Schools (611110), Elementary and Secondary Schools (61111), Educational Support Services (611710)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Public High Schools (EDAJAAAD)

akta.pro secondary industry

Public Middle Schools (EDAJAAAC)

Keywords

• Secondary grammar school
• GCSE programmes
• A Level courses
• Sixth form education
• Selective school admissions

Headquarters

HQ city

Gainsborough

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. State-Funded Education: Queen Elizabeth's High School is a state-funded grammar school. As a public educational institution, it receives funding from the UK Government (Department for Education) via Lincolnshire County Council. Revenue is allocated based on student numbers and specific funding streams (Pupil Premium, Service Children Premium, 16-19 Tuition Fund). The school does not charge tuition fees for admission.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Queen Elizabeth's High School is a selective state-funded grammar school delivering secondary education (Key Stage 3 and GCSE programmes) and post-16 Sixth Form education (A Levels, EPQ) to academically able students aged 11-18 in Gainsborough, Lincolnshire. Entry is gained via the Lincolnshire 11+ test for Year 7 (Published Admissions Number of 188) and through a separate admissions process for the Sixth Form. The school also offers an Enrichment Programme (Duke of Edinburgh, LAMDA, HPQ, EPQ), catering services, and hires out its facilities to the local community.

Product overview

Queen Elizabeth's High School is a selective grammar school offering a comprehensive educational programme across three key stages. The school operates as a unified educational institution with a main school (Years 7-11) and Sixth Form (Years 12-13). The core academic offering includes a broad Key Stage 3 curriculum, GCSE programmes with strong EBacc entry (94.9%), and over 20 A Level subjects in Sixth Form. Enrichment is delivered through the HPQ qualification, EPQ, Duke of Edinburgh Award, and the GMAT Programme for gifted students. The school achieved Ofsted 'Good' ratings across all five categories in December 2023 and is partnered with Educate Group for teacher training provision.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• 11+ Testing and Year 7 Admissions Programme Selective grammar school admissions programme requiring students to sit the Lincolnshire 11+ tests during Year 6; Published Admissions Number of 188 students for Year 7 entry in September 2027. Applications are processed through Lincolnshire County Council Local Authority.
• Key Stage 3 Curriculum (Years 7-9) Broad and ambitious curriculum for students aged 11-14 covering core academic subjects including English, Maths, Science, Languages, Humanities, Arts, and Technology.
• GCSE Programme (Years 10-11) Key Stage 4 GCSE qualifications including English Baccalaureate subjects; 94.9% of students entered for EBacc and Progress 8 of 0.39 ranks QEHS in the top 20% of schools in England.
• A Level and Sixth Form Programme Post-16 education offering over 20 A Level subjects including Art, Biology, Business, Chemistry, Computing, Criminology, Economics, English Literature, Further Mathematics, Geography, German, History, Law, Mathematics, Music, Physics, Product Design, Psychology, Religious Studies, Sociology, Spanish, and Sport Studies, plus the EPQ qualification. Delivered in a dedicated College House with smaller class sizes.
• Mid-Year Advanced Entry Testing Age-appropriate ability tests for students in Years 7-9 wishing to join QEHS partway through the academic year; next testing session in December 2026 with online registration.
• School Catering Services (Innovate) Catering provided by Innovate (Impact Food Group) through The Q dining area, The Studio Cafe, and The Pod grab-and-go facility, with halal options available; main meal and pudding priced at approximately £2.78 and PowerBites snack pots at £1.35. Innovate regained five-star 'Scores on the Doors' from West Lindsey District Council.
• Facilities Hire Hire of QEHS facilities to community groups and external organisations, including School Hall, two Sports Halls, Lecture Theatre, Performing Arts Centre, four dining areas, school field, and changing rooms, for football, kickboxing, dance competitions, music festivals, and training events.
• Teacher Training and School Experience (Educate Group ITT) School-based initial teacher training delivered in partnership with Educate Group Initial Teacher Training, awarding QTS with PGCE with over 80% of the training year spent in school; rated by Educate's Ofsted (March 2024) as having created a strong sense of community.

Quantifiable outcome

• Progress 8 of 0.39 (2025) — top 20% of schools in England for student progress
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration12 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Educate Group Initial Teacher TrainingcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerQEHS partners with Educate Group ITT for school-based teacher training routes. Trainees receive mentoring from subject specialists, over 80% of training year in school, access to professional development, and are awarded QTS with PGCE. QEHS was rated by Educate's Ofsted (March 2024) as having created a strong sense of community. Trainees become part of the school community and benefit from small cohort support.
• Innovate (Impact Food Group)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerInnovate provides catering services to QEHS under an Impact Food Group partnership. Services include: main dining area 'The Q' (student-named), The Studio Cafe, The Pod (grab and go), and breakfast service. Innovate achieved five-star 'Scores on the Doors' rating from West Lindsey District Council. They provide global street food, vegetarian/vegan options, fish and chips, and operate a sustainable business model. QEHS receives commissions from the catering operation.
• Bishop Grosseteste UniversityminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBishop Grosseteste Pre-Teaching Award is offered as an enrichment pathway for Sixth Form students at QEHS, providing preparation for teacher training programmes.
• Lincolnshire County CouncilcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLincolnshire County Council handles school admissions applications for QEHS. QEHS is part of the Lincolnshire local authority education system. The council also provides transport services information, school admissions advice, and Free School Meals administration. QEHS's consistent financial reporting (CFR) is published via the government's financial benchmarking tool.
• Channel (Counter-Terrorism Referral Programme)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerQEHS Safeguarding team works closely with the Channel programme, a multi-agency approach to identify and support individuals at risk of being drawn into terrorism. Channel uses multi-agency response to protect vulnerable people through identification, risk assessment, and support planning.
• International Schools (China and Tanzania)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerQEHS holds international schools accreditation with China and Tanzania. School has participated in exchange programmes with these countries and organises numerous trips abroad to enrich students' education and cultural understanding.
• Satchel OnecoreTechnology or IntegrationSatchel One is used as the school's primary communication platform for behaviour updates, sanctions, rewards, and home learning assignments. It connects school, parents, and students in a collaborative educational environment.
• BlackStone TutorsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBlackStone Tutors provides free resources for QEHS medical school applicants to prepare for BMAT and UCAT entrance exams and interview preparation. School signposts these resources to medical, veterinary, and dentistry applicants.

Scale indicators11 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Loughborough Grammar School: Selective boys' grammar school in Leicestershire, part of the Loughborough Endowed Schools foundation. Comparable selective model, EBacc strength, and Oxbridge pipeline, but operates across a multi-school foundation rather than a single site.
• Nottingham High School: Long-established selective independent school in Nottingham offering senior, sixth form, and junior provision. Comparable on academic stretch, Oxbridge destinations, and enrichment breadth, but fee-charging model differentiates it from QEHS.
• Magdalen College School: Top-tier selective school in Oxford with strong Oxbridge outcomes and similar A Level breadth. Comparable on academic profile and elite destination metrics, but operates as a fee-charging independent school with a wider regional and national catchment.

Regional players

• Lincoln Minster School: Independent school in Lincoln serving nursery through sixth form, including international students. Comparable on curriculum breadth and A Level outcomes, but fee-charging model differs from QEHS's state-funded grammar positioning.

Direct peers

• The King's School, Grantham: Selective grammar school located in Grantham, Lincolnshire, drawing from a similar 11+ feeder cohort. Directly comparable as a Lincolnshire grammar competing for the same high-attaining students and tracking the same Progress 8 and Oxbridge benchmarks.
• Kesteven and Grantham Girls' School: Selective girls' grammar school in Grantham, Lincolnshire, with comparable Progress 8 profile and sixth form provision. Operates an almost identical admissions model and competes with QEHS for top female students in the region.
• Spalding Grammar School: Boys' selective grammar school in Spalding, Lincolnshire, offering GCSE, A Level, and sixth form provision. Directly comparable as a Lincolnshire grammar sharing admissions, regulatory, and funding frameworks.
• Stamford Endowed Schools: Lincolnshire-based endowed schools (Stamford School, Stamford High School) with selective entry, broad curriculum, and sixth form. Overlap with QEHS on selective admissions, EBacc strength, and Oxbridge preparation.
• Bourne Grammar School: Selective grammar school in Bourne, Lincolnshire, offering GCSE and A Level programmes to a similar selective cohort. Directly comparable on admissions mechanics, curriculum breadth, and university destination metrics.
• Carre's Grammar School: Selective grammar school in Sleaford, Lincolnshire, with a long history and similar Ofsted profile. Operates an identical 11+ selective admissions process via Lincolnshire County Council and competes for the same regional feeder pool.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/QueenElizHigh
• Facebookfacebook.com/QueenElizHigh
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/qehsgainsborough
• Instagraminstagram.com/qehsgainsborough

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Queen Elizabeth High School