The Independent Schools Council reports there are the following numbers of Independent Schools in their membership who fall into the following sizes:

333 with a pupil role of between 500 to 1000.
49 with a pupil role of between 1001 to 1500.
7 with a pupil role of between 1501 to 1700.
3 with a pupil role of between 1701 to 2350

The Governors and Head believe the total pupil role of our School will ultimately settle between 1000 to 1500. Ours is a 100 acre site so can well handle this number range.

• Note:
  Ashville College, Harrogate, has around 800 pupils on a 40 acre site. - 20 pupils per acre
• St Peters Schools, York, has around 1000 pupils on a 47 acre site - 21 pupils per acre
• If we reached 1200 pupils on our 100 acre site would mean - 12 pupils per acre

Historically boarding and day schools have been sited in the countryside making good use of large buildings and estates.

Growing to maturity
Probably over 90% of all boarding schools in the UK are based in the countryside. It is therefore presumably true to say that this has occurred because society overall prefers it that way. UK boarding schools offer much more than just pure academic education and a countryside environment has clearly been chosen to be better able to deliver the extra-curricular and other social aspects.

Most of the "good and the great" UK independent schools have taken over 100 years to obtain their facilities. QE on the other hand has had to provide for its needs in only 17 years from a standing nil start. Thus compressing into one sixth of the time what other schools have needed to do with regard to creation of facilities.

However this does have significant advantages. The overwhelming majority of UK independent schools are utilising old buildings, often designed originally for some other use, or if purpose designed, were so purpose designed decades ago without the benefit of modern insulation, modern and efficient lighting, modern efficient heating and modern technology.

All of QE’s buildings (other than the Hall) are modern, purpose designed, extremely efficient in the use of space (we defy anyone else to get into buildings, and still make them work very effectively and look so good, as we do!). Unlike many other schools getting by on scrimping and saving, doing things as inexpensively as possible, the way QE does it is to build enduring exceptionally high quality.

The majority of people readily admit everything we build is of absolute top quality. Our holding Trust has the incredible substantial financial resources to ensure only the best materials are used. Most people agree the Estate looks beautiful and is maintained superbly with the grounds looking immaculate.