An Oxbridge record, sports news and a rising tide of OE support for current pupils

Parallels between academic and sporting excellence were to the fore this month when we welcomed Olympian and retired international sprinter Derek Redmond to present the prizes at Senior Awards. This was the first time that a professional sportsman has been the guest of honour, and it was apt that he was with us in an Olympics year.

If medals were given to schools as they are to athletes, very strong A-level results and a good number of Oxbridge offers would surely help any school secure a podium finish. And in this respect, Queen Elizabeth’s School has emphatically now taken gold! Our average point score at A-level last summer surpassed that of every school, state or independent, other than St Paul’s Girls’. And in the cold, dark days of January came news that brought further great cheer to all of us here: no fewer than 62 of our pupils had secured offers from Oxford and Cambridge universities. It was a new QE record, and by a considerable margin: last year’s figure of 47 was itself a substantial increase on a previous best of 40.

Sport has the power to speak to our broader nature and to invite parallels with other aspects of human endeavour. I know many alumni will be interested to read below about the successes of élite rugby players and to check out the advice of sports psychologist Mustafa Sarkar, profiled in a new feature in our termly Sports Bulletin. It was good to see a number of old boys braving the atrocious weather at this year’s QE Sevens.

Just like top sportsmen, QE pupils do not achieve success in isolation. Consider where athletes would be without the massive day-to-day expert contribution of their coaches, without the succour of teammates to spur them on, or without the support of loved ones and of spectators cheering them from the stands. Similarly, at QE, along with staff and pupils’ families, alumni play an increasingly vital role in helping current boys fulfil their considerable potential. In this regard, I wish to thank the dozens of alumni who came along to support our Careers Convention and the ten 2023 leavers who came back early this term to talk to Year 13 about what life is really like at university. Also with us in the depths of winter were Zeke Essex (OE 2014-2021), Sultan Khokhar (OE 2015-2022) and Kushal Savla (OE 2005-2012) who spoke about studying languages at university and using languages in the workplace. Among individual OEs making notable contributions this term were: Alistair Law (OE 2013–2020), who spoke at the Gresham Society on financial crime (he now works for PwC in this field); Aditya Narayan (OE 2015-2023), a keen reservist, who encouraged our CCF on a return visit; Abbeykeith Kugasenanchettiar (OE 2011-2018) who has joined our team of OEs supporting aspiring medics – a team which includes Reece Patel (OE 2009–2016), a doctor at Barnet Hospital, who delivered a talk to our aspiring medics as part of the Bioethics Society Science Week. My sincere thanks go to all of you.

I am pleased that this term has seen significant progress with the development of The Robert Dudley Studio. You can read about the invaluable contribution of Alex Wardle (OE 1983–1990) below – and don’t forget to sign up to the 450 Club if you would like to have your name on one of the studio seats. Next we have the challenge of raising the significant funds necessary to purchase suitable lighting rigs and sound equipment so that it can fully function as a drama studio. More on this next term!

On the final Saturday of term Siddhant Kansal and Mark Markov (both OE 2015–2022) did a fine job representing the alumni at The 57th Annual Dinner Debate – highlight of our thriving Elizabethan Union’s calendar. Siddhant, the 2021 School Captain, and Mark were only narrowly defeated as they opposed the motion This House believes governments are more responsible for climate change than citizens in front of a spirited Year 13 audience.

It was good to welcome an enthusiastic group of last year’s leavers to this week’s Year 12 University Convention – an upbeat end to a busy and successful term of support from our alumni.

I hope you find plenty of interest in this QE Connect. I wish our alumni a relaxing bank holiday weekend. 

Neil Enright

Headmaster

Careers Convention: alumni doing the School proud

Old Elizabethans turned out in numbers to help Year 11 boys find their forward path at this year’s Careers Convention. A keynote speech came from performance coach and motivational speaker Kam Taj (OE 2004–2011). There were then talks before lunch covering areas including Medicine; Entrepreneurship; Business; Finance & Insurance; and STEM. OEs were also heavily represented in the afternoon careers fair in the Shearly Hall, where boys practised their networking skills and plied visiting alumni with questions about career options.

Calling all in Cambridge

QE’s Chamber Choir will be singing Choral Evensong at King’s College Cambridge on Monday 29th April, 5.30pm. The invitation from one of the world’s most famous venues for church choral music comes after the Chamber Choir has been building its reputation, singing Evensong at Southwark Cathedral [pictured] and at Barnet’s St John the Baptist Church, as well as at School services held at St John’s. Evensong at King’s College is a public service open to all. For more information about attending, see the college’s guidance. There may also be an opportunity for OEs to catch up following the service.

Dramatic advice: Alex lends his expertise to inspire young minds

Leading theatre designer Alex Wardle (OE 1983–1990) has been advising QE how to get the very best out of The Robert Dudley Studio – the School’s new drama and spoken-word facility. Alumni can still support the project – including helping to fund the all-important lighting and sound equipment – by joining the 450 Club.

Don’t delay, join the 450 Club today!

There is still time to have your name on one of the seats in QE’s new Robert Dudley Studio, but you will need to move quickly. Having your name on a seat is one of the benefits of membership of the 450 Club, but don’t delay – the tiered seating is due to be installed in the drama & spoken-word facility next term. To join the club, just commit to donating £450 or more. You don’t have to give it all in one go: you can opt for monthly, quarterly or half-yearly payments. As well as the seats, the benefits of joining include the chance to receive a complimentary copy of Dr John Marincowitz’s brilliant history of the School.

Edge over ego in investment

Investment sector specialist Mipham Samten (OE 2012–2019) may be among the 450 Club’s younger members, but he is clear-sighted about why he needed to buy into the club. After taking full advantage of opportunities to get involved in debating and public-speaking while at the School, Mipham secured a place to read Philosophy, Politics and Economics at Oxford. “For me, joining the 450 Club is about supporting an institution that believes in meritocracy, as I do, recognising that without responsibility, merit is meaningless,” he says. “From those to whom much is given, much is required. In that respect, joining was an easy decision to make.”

Read all about it in the QE Sports Bulletin

A new regular feature in QE’s termly Sports Bulletin puts the spotlight on an Old Elizabethan who has achieved success as a sportsman or in another role in the sporting world. For the first one, the focus is on Dr Mustafa Sarkar (OE 1997–2004), Associate Professor of Sport and Performance Psychology at Nottingham Trent University, who gives his top tips for achieving optimum sporting performance. Also in this edition of the Sports Bulletin, you can: find out about QE’s inaugural Rugby Dinner; read a short report on the winter’s OE vs OE rugby match, and catch up with other QE sports news.

Making their mark

QE alumni continue to make their mark in élite rugby. In the professional game, prop Biyi Alo (OE 2005–2010, pictured) is now playing for Ealing Trailfinders, who are currently top of the English Championship. The line-ups for this year’s Varsity Match featured two OEs on opposing sides. Sometime U12 captain Ikechi Mere, a Barnet Elizabethans RFC player now reading Mechanical Engineering at Cambridge, was part of the Light Blues’ 56-11 drubbing of Oxford at the StoneX stadium this term. And Joel Anjorin (OE 2013-2020) was named among Oxford’s replacements for the game and was also listed in the squad for an Oxford Blues match against England U20.

Crossing paths, spanning generations

Alan Rymer and Nicholas Warren are Old Elizabethans from different generations who worked together in the property finance industry for several years, never suspecting that they had both been to the same school. On learning of their shared history, the pair recently paid a joint visit back to Queen’s Road, thoroughly enjoying the chance to reminisce together, while also observing how much QE has changed.

And finally…

We trust you have enjoyed reading this edition of the QE Connect e-magazine produced by QE for all our old boys. What next? Well, if you haven’t already discovered QE Connect, our online social and business network, why not take a look.