Queen Ethelburga’s has been a central part of my life since I first joined the school as a student, and it is a privilege to now lead this remarkable community. QE has always stood for much more than academic excellence alone. It is a place defined by ambition, integrity, and a shared commitment to our Hill Standard: “To be the best that I can with the gifts that I have.” This ethos shapes every aspect of our culture and guides every decision we make.
Our students are curious, compassionate, and determined to achieve their best. Our staff go above and beyond to create an environment where every individual feels known, valued, and supported. And our wider community — families, partners, and colleagues — work together with a collective purpose that gives QE its unmistakable warmth and character.
We continue to invest heavily in our campus and facilities because the student experience remains at the heart of what we do. Yet we are also a forward‑thinking, ambitious organisation with a successfully established, innovative commercial profile. Our success in areas such as training, professional development, and facility hire reflects both the quality of our offer and the strength of our brand. This is an exciting moment in QE’s journey as we look to expand this work, further diversify our portfolio, and future-proof our sustainable growth.
For an accomplished Commercial Director with a dynamic portfolio of success, this is a rare opportunity to join a confident, ambitious, and values‑led organisation with a strong commercial foundation and a bold vision for the future. Your strategic leadership will be pivotal in shaping the next commercial chapter of Queen Ethelburga’s — enhancing our commercial performance, unlocking new avenues for sustainable growth, and ensuring every initiative strengthens our core purpose: enabling young people to thrive.
Thank you for considering a leadership role with Queen Ethelburga’s. I hope what you discover inspires you, and I look forward to welcoming a dynamic, forward‑thinking commercial leader who will bring fresh perspective, drive, and ambition to our already high‑performing team.
Adult Education and Training Centre | York | QE Training Academy
QE Training Academy is the latest commercial venture for QE and with a purpose built venue, has expanded Queen Ethelburga’s into delivering accredited, professional training courses and leadership qualifications. Drawing on the expertise from delivering our own in-house training to the highest level, the Academy now welcomes external bookings from our own team of trainers on campus.
3 new opportunities for 2026 – IOSH Managing Safely, Qualsafe Youth Mental Health First Aid, Team Building.
New You Tube Channel offering leadership insights, learner testimonials and training course previews.
Venue Hire | Hire Facilities At Queen Ethelburga’s
Elite athletes and professional sports teams can take advantage of the state-of-the-art provisions, as one of the leading training and performance centre in the North of England at Queen Ethelburga’s.
Each and every sportsperson can strive to achieve their full training potential using the high-grade equipment and all-round training provision.
With a huge range of meeting rooms to choose from, QE can accommodate everything from half time break rooms to media/press rooms and larger conference spaces. The on-site theatre has a seating capacity of 310, offering the perfect venue for motivational talks, team briefings and seminars. It has an in-built ceiling projection system, PA system, full lighting system and a XM on-stage screen.
Specific information about our facilities can be found here.
We currently accommodate year-round venue hire bookings, with the heaviest focus being during the 10-week summer break for sports teams using the pitches and accommodation as a training facility.
Some key stats include:
International Summer School | Queen Ethelburga’s | English Summer Camp
The QE International Summer School has delivered an exceptionally successful programme to date, offering a well‑balanced blend of academic achievement, personal growth and unforgettable student experiences.
Our morning and afternoon schedule combines high‑quality English language teaching with a dynamic choice of enrichment sessions and specialist pathways. This structure ensures students not only make strong academic progress but also engage deeply with new skills and interests.
Across the day, the campus atmosphere is vibrant and welcoming. Evening social sessions are consistently well‑attended, providing informal opportunities for students to develop conversational English and form meaningful international friendships.
The programme’s diverse activity offering continues to be a major highlight. Music, sports, swimming, yoga, baking, outdoor theatre, movie nights and themed events ensure every student finds opportunities to participate, engage and thrive. Each activity is intentionally curated to create a safe, inclusive environment where confidence and enjoyment come naturally.
Overall, the QE International Summer School offers far more than an English course. It provides a transformative experience – where language learning, personal development and cultural exchange come together to create lasting impact. Strong student engagement and highly positive feedback reflect a programme that is not only successful, but full of potential for continued growth and commercial development.
Camp QE is our exciting and inclusive multi-activity day camps providing a perfect blend of fun, creativity, and adventure throughout the school holidays. Camp QE is run by our in-house Leisure Team.
The tiered age system (Camp QE Minis, Juniors and Seniors) caters for children from 3 years up to Year 11, and is open to both current QE students and external bookings.
We also have a range of camps and specialist courses, again open to everyone whether you are a QE student or joining for the first time. Each programme offers a dynamic and immersive experience that goes far beyond the traditional school term.
Led by QE’s exceptional team of independent coaches and expert instructors, every course is carefully designed to combine skill development, challenge and enjoyment. Students and adult learners benefit from focused coaching, small group attention and an environment that encourages ambition and confidence.
The courses provide the freedom to explore interests in depth, develop new talents and experience a more hands-on, practical style of learning. Whether pursuing sport, creative disciplines or academic enrichment, students gain valuable skills while building friendships and independence in a supportive and inspiring setting.
Set in the heart of North Yorkshire, our school campus is where magic meets excellence.
Located just off the A59 between York and Harrogate, QE is a private school in the UK countryside offering space, safety, and stunning surroundings. We provide bus routes that span over 40 miles of Yorkshire, including Doncaster, Leeds and Northallerton. Think stunning English architecture, open green spaces, cutting-edge classrooms, Premier League-level sports facilities, and newly refurbished boarding. Plus a brand-new outdoor activity centre. You have to see it to believe it, click here to take our virtual tour.
Job Title: Commercial Director
Reports to: CEO
The next exciting step is to build on this success, expanding on the work done to date and identifying entirely new opportunities to pursue. As part of this ambition to further increase commercial income, QE is now looking to find a suitable individual to join as Commercial Director. This person will be accountable for the commercial activities across the whole organisation.
Key Responsibilities:
Person Specification:
We are looking for an experienced commercially driven leader, capable of managing and motivating a talented Commercial team and engaging with an extensive stakeholder group. As a key representative of the QE brand, you will instinctively protect and maintain its values at all times and be respectful of the history that has provided QE with the unique reputation as a one of the UK’s leading independent schools.
This role represents a unique career opportunity whilst being directly responsible for implementing a step change in the commercial activities to ensure the organisation continues to substantially grow and thrive for generations to come.
Key skills and experience required:
Anderson Quigley is acting as an advisor to Queen Ethelburga’s Collegiate. An executive search process is being carried out by Anderson Quigley in addition to the public advertisement.
The closing date for applications is Tuesday 7 April 2026.
Applications should consist of:
Should you wish to discuss further details about the role in strict confidence, please get in touch with:
www.qe.org 