As we mark International Day of the Girl, we reflect on Queen’s College, London’s pioneering beginnings and what it means to champion girls’ education nearly 180 years later.
1848 is remembered as a year of revolutions across Europe. From Ireland to Poland, Sicily to Denmark, workers and reformers rose up against the leaders of the time in the name of progress. Back in London, a revolution of a different kind was taking place, this one in the unlikely surroundings of Hanover Square.
It was here, on 29 March, that F. D. Maurice delivered a lecture to a group of like-minded reformers, outlining his vision for an institution where girls could benefit from the same academic education that their brothers had received for centuries.
And so, Queen’s College, London was born.
For Principal Richard Tillett, understanding just how radical that ambition was is essential to understanding the College today.
Girls were invited to attend lectures on Harley Street in subjects such as Mathematics and Geology, which had previously been the preserve of men. Among those early students was Frances Mary Buss, who went on to establish her own pioneering girls’ school just two years later. Her contemporaries would blaze trails in medicine, academia, politics and beyond.
Almost 180 years later, Queen’s still occupies the buildings where those first students attended lectures. The College even retains the Waiting Room, where male chaperones once waited to escort students home.
However, the challenges facing girls have changed.
"Maths and Geology, alongside all of the other traditional academic subjects, still matter," Richard reflects. "But in the age of AI, knowledge does not carry the power it once did."
Academic achievement remains important, but young women must also develop the skills that will enable them to navigate an increasingly complex world: critical thinking, collaboration, leadership, digital literacy and the confidence to make their voices heard.
The question, then, is how schools can continue to challenge the limitations placed on girls, even when those limitations are less visible than they were in 1848.
For Dr Paul Davies, Deputy Head - Academic, part of the answer lies in creating an environment where girls feel confident to take intellectual risks.
One of the greatest strengths of a girls' school is the freedom it offers pupils to develop without many of the social pressures and stereotypes that can shape classroom experiences. At Queen’s, every subject, opportunity and leadership role is there for girls to explore.
Academic confidence, Paul argues, is about far more than achieving high grades.
"It is about speaking up, asking challenging questions, defending an argument, attempting something difficult and, crucially, getting things wrong."
Through what Paul describes as 'mistakes-friendly classrooms', pupils are encouraged to contribute, question and explore, knowing that intellectual risk-taking is a valuable part of learning.
Whether debating ideas in Socratic Society, presenting original research through the Extended Project Qualification or participating in Model United Nations, girls are given opportunities to develop their own academic voices.
This freedom is particularly important in challenging assumptions about who should excel in subjects such as Mathematics, Physics or Sport. Rather than seeing themselves as exceptions, girls can see themselves as participants and leaders.
Yet there is still work to be done. Many highly capable girls continue to underestimate their abilities or hold themselves to impossibly high standards. Through the College's Resilient Ready ethos, pupils are encouraged to recognise the value of persistence, curiosity and effort, even when the outcome is uncertain.
This approach extends beyond the curriculum. Paul's new club, The Ascent of Woman, invites pupils to revisit the 1970s BBC series The Ascent of Man, examining how the contributions of women to scientific and technological progress were largely overlooked. Pupils will critique the original episodes and imagine how those stories might be told differently today.
It is a fitting example of what pioneering education can look like in practice: encouraging young women not simply to absorb knowledge, but to question the perspectives through which it has been presented.
As Paul puts it: "Our aim is not simply to educate girls who achieve outstanding results, but to develop young women who are confident thinkers, courageous learners and active contributors to the intellectual life of the world around them."
Developing confident, independent thinkers is one part of the challenge. Equally important is preparing girls for a world in which technology, careers and the skills required to succeed are constantly evolving.
For Natasha Fenwick, Director of Futures & Innovation, this means rethinking what a future-ready education should look like.
Drawing on research and links with universities such as Oxford and international organisations including the OECD, Queen's has been developing a new future-ready curriculum designed to complement, rather than replace, traditional academic study.
Pupils in Years 7 and 9 are already undertaking AI Literacy courses, exploring not simply how to use artificial intelligence, but how it works and the wider implications of its growing influence.
Discussions examine issues including filter bubbles, gender bias and AI-generated images that reinforce unrealistic beauty standards. These are particularly important conversations for young women, whose voices must be represented in decisions about how emerging technologies are developed and used.
The College's new interdisciplinary qualification, Future Frontiers, takes this approach further. Equivalent to a GCSE and awarded as a Level 2 qualification, it encourages pupils to explore connections between subjects as varied as neuroscience, fashion, literature, technology and anthropology.
Alongside developing their understanding of complex global issues, pupils build practical skills in areas such as creative thinking, research and film editing.
With some future careers yet to exist, the emphasis is on developing adaptable young people who can make connections across disciplines and respond confidently to change.
Looking further ahead, the new Queen's College, London Diploma, launching in September 2027, will bring together experiences of the world of work, character education and critical thought, encouraging pupils to develop their own ideas and projects.
But preparing girls to shape the future is not only about what happens in the classroom. Natasha also highlights the importance of giving young women the autonomy to make a difference in the world around them.
The College's Girls Human Rights Hub, established by a pupil and her mother, Sultana Tafadar KC, offers one example. Through discussions, fundraising and events, pupils explore how they can support the rights of girls and young women.
In February 2026, the Hub organised a dedicated Girls Human Rights Hub Week, which included opportunities to participate in activist workshops alongside other schools. One of the senior pupils who co-runs the Hub also spoke at the Supreme Court on girls and human rights.
These experiences reflect the College's ambition to equip young women not simply with the knowledge and skills to succeed, but with the confidence and independence to put them into practice.
The world of 2026 would be almost unrecognisable to the women who first entered Queen’s in 1848. Yet the belief that inspired its foundation remains remarkably relevant.
Being first for girls today is not simply about celebrating the barriers that have already been broken. It is about recognising those that remain, questioning the assumptions that limit ambition and – most importantly - ensuring that every girl has the freedom to discover what she is capable of.
Nearly 180 years on, that pioneering spirit continues to shape a Queen’s education.
Written by Richard Tillett, Dr Paul Davies, and Natasha Fenwick.