When you joined the School you became an Elizabethan for life. We want to see you continue to derive benefit from belonging to this special community throughout your lives and to enable you to remain an active member of it.
We aspire for our boys to go to the world’s leading universities and to have the best careers. We want to broaden pupils’ horizons, making them aware of the vast array of opportunities open to them. And we aim to give them every advantage while they are here, including access to the latest resources, the best facilities and the finest brains.
To achieve all of that, we need the help of our old boys – and there is a whole range of options for those willing to help. In fact, such support is already taking place on a significant scale, with alumni variously giving their time, expertise and money: we are grateful to you all. Now, through QE Connect, our new online community for Old Elizabethans, we hope to make it even easier and more straightforward for others to get involved. Please sign-up today.
Many of our leavers are the first generation of their families to attend university and enter professional careers. They do not have the advantage of family and other connections typically enjoyed by pupils from fee-paying schools, which makes the support offered by our network of Old Elizabethans all the more valuable.
By getting involved to support the current generation of pupils, you will, of course, gain the fulfilment that comes through “seeking to make a contribution to society rather than pursuing only personal gain”, as one of our Mission objectives puts it.
Those able to give financially, whether through regular giving or the donation of lump sums, also reflect this QE ethos of the service of others and our tradition of philanthropy. There are a number of donation options available to our alumni and other friends of the School, of which details can be found on our Supporting QE pages. Bespoke giving opportunities are also available and our development office would be delighted to assist. Information on how past giving has contributed to the creation of our current inspirational learning environment may be found on our Giving to QE campaign page.
Through QE Connect and our wider alumni programme, we also want to help you stay in touch with the School and with each other, to build an maintain much valued social and professional connections.
The main ways in which OEs can help are shown on this page. Of course, only you know what is right for you, but note that most of these areas do not require a huge time commitment, often being very occasional in nature. Some may therefore be keen to be involved in several different ways. While much of this work involves supporting current pupils, there is scope for our alumni to help fellow OEs, most often (but not necessarily limited to) those at the outset of their careers. We see it as another valuable aspect of what the Elizabethan community can offer.
- Work experience placements for Year 11s
Contact us if you would like to offer short placements for boys beginning to consider future careers. - Internships for Sixth Form students
Holiday internships can play an important role for sixth-formers looking to confirm their career direction. Please get in touch if you can offer opportunities. - University and personal statement advice
If you have the skills and experience to advise senior boys during the university application process, we would like to hear from you. - Mock interviews, including the annual University Mock Interview Evening in October
We aim to make our mock interviews as realistic as possible. If you would like to join our interview panels, let us know. - Career advice
Expert, detailed guidance from those who have ‘been there, done it’ is always useful! - CV reviewing
Help our senior boys fine-tune this essential document so that it corresponds well to their chosen future pathway. - Internships for recent OEs
We are eager to hear from alumni able to help recent Old Elizabethans gain experience in their desired professional field. - Giving talks & lectures
Through our thriving lecture programmes, we seek to inspire and inform boys of all ages. If you would relish the opportunity to be one of our speakers, please get in touch. - Help at events
Events such as our Year 11 Careers Convention provide opportunities for alumni to share their career experience and insights with boys and their parents. - Financial support for the School
By giving to the Friends of Queen Elizabeth’s, help us achieve our ambitious Estates Strategy and also enhance extra-curricular and academic enrichment opportunities for our current pupils and for generations to come.