Principal's Message
 Dear Student
Thank you for your interest in Queen Elizabeth Sixth Form College. I am delighted that you are considering becoming a student here.
You probably already know about our students' achievements, their success in examinations and the large number who progress from QE to university each year. You may also be aware of our outstanding inspection report and our national reputation as a leading sixth form college. Our success and popularity as a College are built upon our commitment to providing our students with the best possible teaching and highest possible standards of support and guidance. If you apply for a place at College, you will find that we devote a great deal of time and expertise to helping you match your needs and aspirations to the wide range of courses we offer.
At QE, staff and students work together to produce a mature learning environment that is supportive, exciting and challenging. We expect all of our students to work purposefully throughout their time at the College, but we also expect them to enjoy themselves. In addition to academic courses, you will find a great variety of extra-curricular activities available for you to choose from, as well as an active Student Association. We take pride in the reputation that we have established as specialists in post-16 education and our aim is to enable every student to fully achieve their potential.
You will find that the College is extremely well resourced to meet the needs of students. Our accommodation has recently been transformed by a £5 million capital project. This means that most of our subjects are taught in purpose built areas specifically designed to meet the needs of post-16 study. We have state of the art ILT facilities to support all courses as well as a magnificent sports hall and pavilion.
If you want to find out more about the College, I am sure that you will find it helpful to attend one of our Open Evenings and if you require further information, please contact Bob Tuddenham (Vice Principal) if you are in the 16-18 age range, or Laurence Job (Adult & Community Education Co-ordinator) if you are aged 19 or over.
I hope that you will take the opportunity to visit us and look forward to meeting you in the future.
Tim Fisher
Principal
Welcome to QE
 Queen Elizabeth Sixth Form College is a mixed sixth form college for students over the age of sixteen. The College was established in 1970 on the site of the Queen Elizabeth Grammar School which was founded in the sixteenth century, possibly earlier.
Since opening, the College has been a popular choice for students and has continued to expand. There are now over 1700 students on roll with a significant proportion coming from outside Darlington and a number from independent schools. More than 90% of our students are on Advanced Level courses and the academic work of the College is of a high standard with an excellent record of examination success across the curriculum.
There have been additions and alterations to the College buildings to meet the needs of students. An extension to the West Wing was completed in 1995 to provide additional classrooms and the College has continued to upgrade and expand its ILT facilities. A major development in the main courtyard was completed in September 2000 which more than doubled the area of the Library and provided eighty additional workstations for students' use.
A £5 million capital project was completed in 2004. This included a new building with purpose built facilities for a large number of subjects: a suite of rooms for Drama & Theatre Studies, a floor for Art & Design, new laboratories, a Sports Hall and an Atrium study area with excellent ILT resources. The final stage of this was the building of a new pavilion on our Abbey Road playing fields which came into use in Autumn 2005. Further development is being planned and it is likely that there will be another building project 2008/2009. | 