There has been much discussion in the press in recent days about the independent schools’ obligations to the state sector.

The Prime Minister wants independent schools to contribute more to their local state schools. Here at Queenswood, we have a long and cherished tradition of co-operation and collaboration with local schools.

Enjoyment and Inspiration

We enjoy close ties with the teachers and children of a school for children with severe and complex learning disabilities. Our staff and students help to run drama and music workshops at both schools, and we collaborate on an annual theatre production. This long-standing arrangement is of great benefit to everyone involved – we have learned so much about the teaching and learning that takes place in a very different school environment, and the children who visit us are really enthused by the opportunity to work and perform in our theatre.

For many years, our Sixth Formers have been placed in local state primary schools as classroom assistants, and we know that the young children gain just as much enjoyment and inspiration from these visits as our girls do.

We are proud to host visiting primary and junior schools for sports events, music concerts and theatre productions. We offer free tickets and interactive drama workshops for our plays. We team up with local state secondary schools to host lectures and seminars by prominent academics such as Dr Suzannah Lipscomb and Professor Brian Cox, sportspeople, Oxbridge admissions tutors and many more.

The benefits of these collaborations are of course two-way. One thing that is abundantly clear to us is that there are thousands of supremely qualified, experienced and dedicated teachers in the state sector. We relish the opportunities to work alongside local schools, but to suggest that these institutions would welcome – or indeed benefit from – 'direct teaching support' from Queenswood staff is surely an affront to the professional expertise of our state sector colleagues.

Local and international Community Work

We are of course very proud of the unique environment and opportunities that Queenswood offers, and indeed we work hard to ensure that we are able to offer means-tested bursarial support to as many girls as possible. To assert that schools like ours are ‘more and more divorced from normal life’ is to overlook the hugely important community work that we undertake, both locally and internationally.

Ultimately, children are children. When independent and state schools work together, we help to break down perceived barriers. But to impose our working practices on others can only serve to reinforce prejudices.