Queen Victoria School

Ministry of Defence boarding school in Dunblane, Scotland

This article is about the school in Scotland. For the state school in Fiji, see Queen Victoria School (Fiji).

Queen Victoria School

School logo

Queen Victoria School from the B8033
Address

Bruce Brae

Dunblane

Perthshire

FK15 0JY

Scotland

Information
Type| Ministry of Defence boarding school
Motto| In Defens
Religious affiliation(s)| Church of Scotland
Established| 1908
Head| Donald Shaw
Gender| Co-educational
Age| 5 to 18
Enrolment| 260~
Website| www.qvs.school

Queen Victoria School (QVS) is a non-selective, co-educational, boarding school predominantly for children of Scottish servicemen and women aged 10/11 to 18. It occupies a Scottish Baronial-style building on a rural campus just outside Dunblane, a short distance away from the city of Stirling, Scotland.

It is the only school in the United Kingdom managed and funded by the Ministry of Defence (Duke of York's Royal Military School in Kent is now managed by the DfE).[1] The school is an agency of the MOD.[2] Education Scotland categorises QVS as an independent school.[3]

## History

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The idea of the school was originally proposed to Queen Victoria as a memorial to the Scottish dead of the Boer Wars, and after her death it was thought fit to name it in her memory. With the support of former politician Robert Cranston, money was raised from Scottish servicemen and the people of Scotland to complete the project. Queen Victoria School was opened on 28 September 1908 by King Edward VII. The chapel was completed in 1910 and is Scotland's memorial to Queen Victoria. Girls were admitted in the 1996–97 academic year into all years and the first female senior monitor, Victoria Harris, was chosen in 1999.[4]

## Overview

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### Admissions

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Originally only sons (and subsequently daughters) of Scottish service personnel were eligible to apply for entry to QVS. Today the school is not only open to applications from children of regular UK Armed Forces personnel who are Scottish but also to those who have served in Scotland or are/have been part of a Scottish regiment. Individuals without a formal Scottish link may also apply.[5]

### Curriculum

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QVS uses the Scottish curriculum for excellence and pupils are prepared for National Qualifications (Nat 4–5), Highers and Advanced Highers.[6]

### Traditions

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Queen Victoria School at the 2008 Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo

Traditionally the school provided an austere but continuous education for Scottish war orphans, with a good deal of military training and sports. Since the Second World War, the school has provided an education to children whose parents or guardians have been travelling the world in the Armed Forces.

A strong military ethos is still maintained by a competing pipe band and Combined Cadet Force (CCF) section.[7] The school has its own "colours" which are paraded nearly every Sunday during term times in the school chapel, its own cap badge, and pupils wear the Clan Stewart hunting tartan. The school pipe band used to play at every rugby home international at Murrayfield Stadium, Edinburgh.

### Houses

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The house system is based on the boarding programme as all pupils are boarders. Boarding is available to pupils aged 10 (Primary 7) and above. There are four houses:[8]

House  | Gender  | Years

|
|

Cunningham | Boys  | S1–S6
Haig | Boys  | S1–S6
Wavell | Girls  | S2–S6
Trenchard | Co-ed  | P7–S1

## Combined Cadet Force

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The school has strong military links with attendance at the Combined Cadet Force timetabled weekly. The pupils elect to join one of the three sections, they are Royal Navy, British Army or Royal Air Force.

Commanding officers:

Name  | Rank  | Years

|
|

Tom Shannon RD  | Commander  | 2015–2020
David Acheson MBE  | Captain  | 2020–2023
Russell Newham  | Lieutenant  | Current

## Notable alumni

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Former students of Queen Victoria School are referred to as Old Victorians. See also Category:People educated at Queen Victoria School, Dunblane.

* Charlie Mitten, football player for Manchester United
* MacDonald Brothers, pipers and folk musicians
* Thomas McQuesten, member of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario
* Anthony Rogers, actor
* Bob Bruce (British Army officer), retired major general in the British Army.
* Kyle Rowe, Scotland and Glasgow Warriors professional rugby player
* Josh King, professional rugby player for English Championship side Cornish Pirates

## References

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1. ^ House of Commons Defence Committee (2006). Educating Service Children: Eleventh Report of Session 2005–06; Report, Together with Formal Minutes, Oral and Written Evidence. The Stationery Office. p. 34\. ISBN 9780215030627.
2. ^ "Memorandum from the Ministry of Defence (ESC 40)". Parliament of the United Kingdom. Retrieved 27 October 2024. "Queen Victoria School is unique in Scotland as a Ministry of Defence Government Agency."
3. ^ "Summarised inspection findings Queen Victoria School Independent 9 May 2023" (PDF). Education Scotland. Retrieved 27 October 2024.
4. ^ History & Ethos Archived 25 August 2011 at the Wayback Machine
5. ^ "Admissions Information". Queen Victoria School. 20 August 2021. Retrieved 20 December 2024.
6. ^ "Curriculum". Queen Victoria School. 23 July 2021. Retrieved 20 December 2024.
7. ^ "Combined Cadet Force". Queen Victoria School. 27 May 2021. Retrieved 20 December 2024.
8. ^ Boarding Life

* May, Tom (2008). Remembering the Past, Looking to the Future: 100 Years of Queen Victoria School. Gresham Books. ISBN 9780946095537.

## External links

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* Queen Victoria School homepage
* Profile on Scottish Schools Online
* Education Opportunities for the Children of Service Personnel
* Old Victorians Association (Alumni Association) Archived 22 May 2013 at the Wayback Machine

* v
* t
* e

Defence Children Services

(also includes schools formerly in the Ministry of Defence as well as those in British Families Education Service, Service Children's Education, and Directorate Children and Young People)

E. Asia/Pacific|

| Closed|

* Bourne School
* St George's School, Hong Kong

|

Europe/Mideast|

* Queen Victoria School (Scotland)
* King Richard School, Cyprus
* St. John's School, Cyprus

| Changed
governance|

* Duke of York's Royal Military School (England)

|

Closed|

* John Buchan School
* Gloucester School
* Kent School
* King Alfred School, Plön
* King's School
* Prince Rupert School
* Windsor School

This list is incomplete.
See also: Template:Department of Defense Education Activity (United States military school system)
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