How Bristol Partnerships and Events Enrich Learning at QEH

A City Rich in Opportunity

Bristol is a city known for its creativity, inclusivity, and strong sense of community – and its schools, including QEH, benefit enormously from this civic spirit. Through a wide range of Bristol partnerships and events, young people gain access to experiences that shape their learning far beyond the classroom.

From pioneering theatre and charitable outreach to education alliances and outdoor development, these partnerships offer insight, inspiration, and a tangible connection to the world beyond school.

Bristol Education Partnership: Schools Working Together

The Bristol Education Partnership brings together a group of 13 secondary schools across the city – including seven independents and six state schools – to promote collaboration, shared learning, and wider access to opportunity.

QEH is a founding member of the partnership, which runs cross-school projects focused on topics like climate change, social justice, and civic responsibility. Pupils benefit from joint workshops, academic enrichment, and experiences that challenge them to think beyond their own school environments.

This model of collaboration helps build bridges between different sectors of education in Bristol, encouraging empathy, shared purpose, and city-wide connection among young people.

Primary School Partnerships: Supporting Younger Learners

Separate from its work with secondary schools, QEH also maintains informal links with local primary schools, hosting Year 6 pupils for occasional visits and learning activities. These sessions may include subject-focused workshops, taster lessons, or enrichment experiences designed to offer a glimpse into life at senior school.

These events reflect QEH’s broader commitment to creating welcoming, aspirational experiences for pupils across the city. They also provide opportunities for older students to assist, guide, and engage with younger learners in a supportive and structured setting.

Bristol Old Vic: Theatre That Inspires Learning

Bristol Old Vic is one of the city’s cultural cornerstones – a producing theatre with a global reputation and a thriving outreach programme. Its work with schools includes live performance access, backstage tours, and drama workshops that explore everything from Shakespeare to new writing.

For students from schools like QEH, the chance to experience live theatre in such an iconic venue is transformative. It builds confidence, fuels creativity, and brings classroom texts to life through powerful real-world storytelling.

Reach Charity: Raising Awareness and Championing Inclusion

Reach is a national charity supporting children with upper limb differences. Through mentoring, outreach, and advocacy, Reach promotes understanding and empowers young people to embrace their identity.

When organisations like Reach visit schools – as they have with QEH – the conversations they start often leave a lasting impression. By addressing difference with openness and confidence, they help foster a culture of empathy and inclusion that benefits the entire school community.

The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award: Learning Through Challenge

The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award is a well-established youth development programme that builds independence, resilience, and teamwork through a mix of volunteering, physical activity, and expedition challenges.

It’s a programme widely offered by Bristol schools, including QEH, where pupils have embraced the adventure and personal growth that come with taking part. DofE not only builds skills, but also deepens pupils’ connection to the outdoors and their own potential.

Spear Bristol: Equipping Young Adults for Employment

Spear Bristol is a city-based programme that helps 16–24-year-olds facing barriers to employment or education. Through a structured six-week coaching course followed by a year of personalised support, Spear equips young adults with the confidence, skills, and tools they need to enter the workforce or return to training.

Run by a registered charity in partnership with Resurgo Trust, Spear Bristol is committed to transforming lives through long-term, relational support. QEH is proud to be connected with an organisation making such a meaningful impact on young people in our wider community.

Outdoor Learning and Mental Wellbeing

More and more schools across Bristol – QEH among them – are embedding outdoor education and wellbeing into their day-to-day culture. Whether it’s forest school, nature-based mindfulness, or physical activity linked to stress reduction, the benefits are both measurable and lasting.

These programmes are often supported by partnerships with charities and health providers, giving pupils access to science-backed strategies that help them manage anxiety and focus better in and out of the classroom.

Conclusion: A Connected Education

These Bristol partnerships and events reflect the richness of the city and its people – offering young learners cultural insight, community connection, and opportunities to grow. At QEH, these relationships help ensure that education stays grounded, outward-looking, and deeply human.

Together, Bristol’s network of educators, charities, and cultural institutions reminds us that schools don’t operate in isolation – and that pupils thrive when learning is rooted in the place they call home.