Elite UK School to Open Gurugram Campus in Major India Expansion

GURUGRAM, India – January 20, 2026 – One of the United Kingdom's most prestigious state schools, Queen Elizabeth's School, Barnet, is set to bring its 450-year-old legacy of academic excellence to India. In a landmark partnership with GEDU Global Education, the institution announced its first international branch campus will open in Gurugram in August 2026, marking a significant entry into India's competitive K-12 education market.

The move signals a growing trend of renowned British educational institutions expanding into India, backed by substantial foreign investment aimed at meeting the country's surging demand for world-class schooling. The new co-educational, fee-paying campus promises to replicate the ethos and academic rigour that has defined its parent institution for centuries.

A Legacy of Unparalleled Academic Achievement

Founded by a Royal Charter from Queen Elizabeth I in 1573, Queen Elizabeth's School (QE) in Barnet, London, has an academic reputation that few can rival. While the UK institution is a state-funded grammar school for boys, its name has become synonymous with elite educational outcomes. The school was recently named The Sunday Times State Secondary School of the Year and has consistently ranked first nationally for its GCSE and A-level results.

This standard of excellence is independently verified. UK education authority Ofsted has rated the school as "Outstanding" in all inspection areas across six consecutive inspections, a rare and remarkable achievement. The Good Schools Guide lauded it as "one of the most inspirational learning environments we've ever come across," noting it provides "an exceptional and rounded education that even private schools struggle to compete with." This track record translates into extraordinary opportunities for its students, with 45 pupils securing places at Oxford and Cambridge in 2023 and 50 going on to study medicine or dentistry.

Neil Enright, Headmaster of Queen Elizabeth's School, Barnet, expressed his enthusiasm for the project. "We are delighted to have this opportunity to offer a rounded and enriching QE education to children in India, spreading opportunity and supporting students to become the leaders of their generation," he stated. Mr. Enright emphasized that the school's success is built on "high levels of aspiration, dedication and active engagement," values he believes will "resonate strongly in Gurugram."

He added that the QE experience extends far beyond academics. "The breadth and depth of our co-curricular activities (from sport to the arts, debating to robotics), bespoke pastoral care and expert guidance, means that we succeed in our enduring mission to produce fully rounded young people who are confident, able and responsible."

Reshaping Gurugram's Premium Education Market

The choice of Gurugram for the first campus is highly strategic. As a major financial and technology hub in the National Capital Region, the city is home to a large, affluent, and aspirational population seeking global standards of education for their children. The existing market for premium international schools is robust, but the arrival of a brand with QE's heritage is poised to intensify competition and set new benchmarks.

The Gurugram campus will be a purpose-built, state-of-the-art facility designed to foster holistic development. Plans include world-class sports facilities, a swimming pool, and dedicated studios for creative and performing arts. The curriculum will be grounded in the British academic tradition but adapted to draw inspiration from the local Indian context, aiming to prepare students for leadership in an increasingly interconnected world. The leadership for the new school, comprising an expert international team, is expected to be announced in the coming weeks.

GEDU's Multi-Million Pound Bet on Indian Education

This venture is powered by GEDU Global Education, an international education provider with a significant and growing commitment to India. The Gurugram campus is the first step in a much larger strategic investment. GEDU has committed to investing an additional £150–£200 million over the next three years across India's K-12 and higher education landscape, with plans already in motion for a second Queen Elizabeth's School campus in 2027-28.

This substantial financial injection is poised to make GEDU one of the largest foreign direct investors in Indian education. The company's vision extends to developing a "GEDU Global Education City" in the NCR, envisioned as an international hub for multiple UK university campuses. This strategy aligns with India's national ambitions, particularly the 'Viksit Bharat 2047' goal of becoming a developed nation by its 100th year of independence.

Caroline Pendleton-Nash, Chief Executive Officer of Queen Elizabeth's Global Schools, highlighted this alignment. "Children born in India now will be graduating in 2047, entering the workforce of an economic, political and cultural superpower," she said. "A world-class K12 education will be critical to ensure these individuals seize the opportunities that are presented to them... We are building a school that will nurture confident, capable and principled young people who are prepared to lead with purpose in a rapidly changing and competitive world."

Strengthening UK-India Educational Bridges

The establishment of QE Gurugram is being hailed by officials as a significant milestone in the bilateral relationship between the United Kingdom and India. It directly supports the objectives of the UK-India Vision 2035, a roadmap designed to deepen cooperation and internationalize education between the two nations.

Alison Barrett MBE, Country Director for India at the British Council, congratulated the school on the initiative. "This Initiative complements the UK-India Vision 2035, to internationalise education and help young people gain a deeper understanding of each other's countries... while building trust and equipping them with the skills to succeed anywhere in the world," she commented.

This sentiment was echoed by Alba Smeriglio, Deputy High Commissioner at the British Deputy High Commission in Chandigarh. "Education is one of the strongest bridges between the UK and India," she stated. "The opening of Queen Elizabeth's School in Gurugram is an exciting milestone for UK-India ties and will help nurture skills, promote exchange of best practice, and expand opportunities for young people in Haryana to engage with world-class British education." The new school is thus seen not just as a commercial venture, but as a powerful instrument of soft power and cultural exchange, creating a global network of future leaders.