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In a year in which political power has changed hands on both sides of the Atlantic, QE Politics students had the chance to find out more about elections on a visit to Westminster.

Twenty sixth-formers headed to London for a tour of the Palace of Westminster, also enjoying an interactive workshop on elections run by the UK Parliament’s education department.

Politics teacher Liam Hargadon said: “QE students were able to impress the staff of the department with their knowledge of the legislation process, as well as the history of the UK constitution.”

For Year 12’s Sejal Bobba, finding out more about elections was a definite highlight: “The informative and eye-opening interactive workshop where, as teams, we learnt and executed different areas contributing to a successful party and campaigning machine was really the cherry on the top of an absorbing day.”

The A-level Politics course requires pupils to understand the workings of the main institutions of UK government, and how these institutions relate together. The visit aimed to bring boys’ classroom work and independent study on this to life.

Prior to the tour of the palace, boys had a walking tour of Whitehall and Westminster, during which they saw some major Government departments and passed the UK Supreme Court. In Parliament Square, they noted all the statues of significant political figures, from UK Prime Ministers Winston Churchill and Benjamin Disraeli, and suffragist Millicent Fawcett, to international statesmen Nelson Mandela and Mahatma Gandhi.

The tour took in the chambers of the House of Commons and House of Lords. The party, accompanied by Mr Hargadon and another Politics teacher, Samuel Neagus, walked through the royal robing room and gallery, as well as the Central Lobby.

They paused for a photo in Westminster Hall – the 927-year-old hall sometimes used for joint addresses to both chambers of Parliament and for the lying-in-state of notable political leaders and members of the Royal Family.

Their visit coincided with the Armistice Day ceremonial around the Cenotaph. “Being in Parliament Square for the traditional silence was a particularly moving experience,” said Mr Neagus.

Reflecting on the day, Sejal said: “We comprehensively explored the much-ignored but important layers that contribute to our Government, such as the Whitehall executive, the Lords and the individuals commemorated in Parliament Square.”

Year 13’s Robin Vickers added: “Our visit to Parliament showed us much about the history of the British governmental system, from the Remembrance Day activities in Whitehall to the tour, which took us to the oldest part of Parliament, Westminster Hall.

“Seeing the chambers up close, with the Strangers’ Gallery, along with the workshop following the tour, has encouraged me to participate more in Parliamentary goings-on.”

As delegates from around the world discuss critical environmental matters at COP29 in Azerbaijan, two QE sixth-formers have come seventh out of 37,000 entries in the Climate Science Olympiad.

With the international olympiad open to people aged up to 25, Andreas Angelopolous and Saim Khan fought off competition from undergraduate & postgraduate students and potentially from young climate professional scientists to claim their place.

Scoring in the final was extremely tight, with the 87.0 points awarded for Andreas and Saim’s 3,000-word essay on the Kyrgyz Republic’s food system only 1.4 points behind the fourth-placed entry. (The scores of the top three entries are being revealed in Baku at COP29, the UN’s climate summit).

Deputy Head (Academic) Anne Macdonald said: “For two school-age students to have secured such success against significantly older entrants sets this apart as a truly outstanding achievement. It’s really an unbelievable feat, made believable only because we know how brilliant they both are!”

Both Saim and Andreas were part of the QE team that recorded a top ten finish in the international finals of the World Economics Cup, having previously come first in Europe in the Continental Round.

The qualifier round and quarter-finals for the Climate Science Olympiad comprised a 25-minute online quiz involving multiple-choice questions. The semi-finals involved writing a 1,000-word essay on three key themes, namely energy, development and natural systems.

In the finals, entrants were set the task of writing a longer essay on a complex global problem.

Once it was submitted, they had two online interviews: each involved giving a 15 min presentation and then answering questions from a panel of scientists, innovators and policymakers for five–ten minutes.

The second interview was for the top 20 entrants online.  During this, entrants had to demonstrate they had responded to some of the feedback from the first panel.

In their essay, the pair wrote that they were presenting “a comprehensive approach towards creating a resilient and equitable food system in the Kyrgyz Republic”. Their systems-oriented solution included promoting capital investment; encouraging research and promoting collaboration among farmers; and a focus on water supply. The collaboration included farmers from the neighbouring country of Uzbekistan working with the Kyrgyz counterparts. The Uzbek government even provided feedback on Saim and Andreas’s proposal praising its “incredible detail for the monitoring and regulatory frameworks, which is of course vital for socio-economic change”. The Uzbek government also stated: “Promoting public, private and international financing are all crucial, and it is especially important to tie them into a single coherent system which gives confidence to all through regulation, which this entry clearly recognises.”

Andreas and Saim were awarded gold certificates and prize money of $1,000.

Year 11 pupil Paarth Aggarwal has been named the UK winner in a global artificial intelligence competition run by technology giant Intel.

Parth took the national title in the AI Changemakers ages 13–18 category after impressing judges in the Intel AI Global Impact Festival 2024 with his multilingual GenAI-powered NavigateNinja app.

The app harnesses storytelling in a natural voice and animated video to offer personalised learning to children with autism and related conditions.

His victory, which brings prizes worth £1,000, is his second major competition success of the year: in the Summer Term, he won the European Space Agency’s Climate Detectives challenge with his AI-driven study into tackling electronic waste in Barnet.

Headmaster Neil Enright said: “My sincere congratulations go to Paarth on this latest success – a splendid achievement. I am encouraged not only to see his obvious mastery of AI, but also to recognise that, in line with our School ethos, he has put this exciting technology to use in ways that seek to make the world a better place.”

The competition drew thousands of entries from across the world, with Paarth’s entry being one of 111 projects to reach the global stages.

He spent many hours researching, developing, and refining the project. His app provides unique content across different subjects, based on skill level; it aims to enhance comprehension and information retention.

“Children with autism and several other similar conditions may have trouble with learning through conventional methods,” he said. “…My vision is to empower autistic children by globally launching this app and keep on adding new features like personalised avatars, voices, scenes, ‘gamification’ etc. to make learning fun, engaging and rewarding.”

Paarth used Intel Core Ultra Processor for its strong graphics and fast rendering times for complex animations. He also deployed the OpenVINO toolkit running on Intel Dev Cloud to execute AI models at scale.

His proud dad, Saurabh Aggarwal, said: “This victory is a testament to the excellent education and continuous support Paarth has been receiving from the School and his teachers.” News of Paarth’s success would, he hoped “encourage more and more students to explore the world of AI, inspire them to become the next generation of AI innovators, and realise the limitless possibilities it holds for their careers”.

• Discover further details of Paarth’s competition entry here.

Queen Elizabeth’s School remembered its war dead in traditional fashion with a wreath-laying ceremony, the 11am two-minutes silence, and the participation of the Combined Cadet Force in the High Barnet Remembrance Sunday parade.

But this year has also seen some of the youngest boys wax lyrical in a poetry competition, one Old Elizabethan publish a novel based on the experiences of a soldier in the two world wars, and hundreds of pupils and staff take part in a Remembrance Day quiz.

Headmaster Neil Enright said: “We reflected with gratitude on those whose service in sacrifice in the two world wars and other conflicts paved the way for the peace and freedom we enjoy today, while also being mindful that wars are raging today in various places around the world, with all the horrors that that entails.”

At the School, the Armistice Day wreath-laying took place at the memorial to Elizabethans lost in the First World War. The CCF led the proceedings, with the Last Post and Reveille played by Year 13 trumpeter Joel Swedensky.

The School observed the national silence, with a silence also held before each of the weekend’s rugby fixtures.

On Sunday, the parade took the CCF members from the Army Reserve Centre on St Albans Road to the parish church. After the church service, Last Post and a wreath-laying ceremony, the boys joined in the march-past, with the Representative Deputy Lieutenant of the London Borough of Barnet, Martin Russell, taking the salute.

More than 600 pupils and staff took part in QE’s Remembrance Day quiz. Presented to the boys in a colourful PowerPoint presentation, its 18 multiple-choice questions included both some relating to international matters and others directly connected to the School. Here are three examples (scroll to the bottom to see the answers):

1. After the outbreak of war in 1914, QE offered scholarships to refugees from which country?
2. On 11^th November 1941, QE was hit during the Blitz. The bombs damaged the old refectory and which other area of the School?
3. Where did QE’s loyalties lie during the English Civil War (1642–1651), and why?

The quiz was fiercely contested by the boys: none got full marks, but Krithin Jaichandran, of Year 12, achieved 15/16. The staff winner was English teacher Yioda Menelaou.

One 2024 leaver, Tharun Dhamodharan, has recently published a novel that spans both the First and Second World Wars. It tells the story of a former soldier at the Somme who later becomes a teacher and has to confront his memories in the classroom during the Second World War. A copy of the novel, entitled The Forgotten Warrior, is available in The Queen’s Library. Tharun thanked Jenni Blackford, Head of Library Services, for her help and guidance.

Earlier this term, to coincide with International Day of Peace, pupils in Year 7’s Underne form wrote poems about peace. The winning poem was written by Vivaan Karalkar. It was picked by Head of English Robert Hyland, who described it as “very good indeed”. He praised its “creative use of perspective and form, using the 1st person to tell the story with imaginative use of rhyming, and presenting peace in an original way through the imagery of strength”.

The poem, set out below, was also the popular choice among the boys.

I fly through the breeze, a wave of calm,

I lurk in the tides, tranquillity my psalm,

Warm and comfortable, I surround you, a fleece,

I protect you from war, for I am peace.

I live in the soul, free and untouched,

Unrest and violence, my power has crushed,

In frightened hearts and minds, my strength will soothe,

For I am peace, bound to protect you.

I flow through all blood, an endless force of qi,

I thrive in all places, whatever there is to see,

I am passed down from generations, a young face looking into an old,

For I am peace, a fire against the cold.

Life can be a struggle, a perpetual night,

But war and unrest can truly make light flight,

But fear not now, I’ll tug you from quicksand,

For I am peace,

Ready to make a stand.

Remembrance Day quiz answers

1. Belgium
2. Rooms L and Y
3. The School was on the royalist side because many of the Governors had royalist sympathies.

• Click on the thumbnails to view the images below.

Queen Elizabeth’s School extended its proud record in the Royal Society of Chemistry’s Top of the Bench competition with victory in the regional final.

One team, pictured top, took first place – and thus qualified for the national finals in the spring – with a score of 40 out of 43. Another QE team was only one point behind, beating Harrow and Watford Grammar School for Boys into joint third place.

QE has frequently achieved success in the competition throughout its 20-year history.

Head of Chemistry Amy Irvine said: “It was a splendid performance by our winning team, who beat more than 50 other teams to take first place – and in the UK’s national Chemistry Week, too! Furthermore, all five of our teams came in the top ten, so we demonstrated real strength in depth.”

Congratulating all the QE entrants, Myles Worsley, an RSC Chilterns and Middlesex Section committee member, commented on the “excellent” scores of the winners and runners-up. “They showed an impressive knowledge and understanding of Chemistry,” he said.

Top of the Bench is open to every secondary school in the UK. Teams must comprise: two students from Year 9; one from Year 10, and one from Year 11.

This year’s regional finals, conducted over Zoom, featured six rounds. The early stages of these tested entrants’ general Chemistry knowledge, covering topics such as atoms and compounds.

Other rounds included:

• Examining practical knowledge: competitors had to identify different compounds from the results of different analytical tests;
• Asking different questions to each year group. (The Year 11 question, which was about equilibria, was particularly tricky, Dr Irvine said.);
• Testing knowledge of the atmosphere and gases, with, for example, entrants having to identify carbon monoxide as a ‘silent killer’;

The final round involved further testing of general Chemistry knowledge. Competitors had to identify the main compound in smelling salts.

“This caused me much amusement, as some of the boys were discussing what the difference was between baths salts and smelling salts!” Dr Irvine said.

The winning team, Team 35, comprised: Aaditya Pimple and Varenya Pangaluri, of Year 9; Arhaan Yadav, of Year 10; and Yash Mehta, of Year 11.

They win Amazon vouchers, as well as the honour of representing the School in the national finals, to be held at a university: this year’s venue has yet to be named.

The QE teams’ scores and positions were:

Team 35:  40/43 – first

Team 36:  37.5/43 – fourth

Team 37:  39/43 – second

Team 38:  31/43 – ninth

Team 39:  33.5/43 – seventh

The focus is firmly on financial crime in the latest issue of The Econobethan, which takes a detailed look at the misuse of money around the world.

Over 28 pages, the student writers look at crime-related topics ranging from a profile of Jordan Belfort, the ‘wolf of Wall Street’, to the rising use of AI-generated ‘deep fakes’ for fraud.

The 20^th edition of The Econobethan also has, as a secondary theme, Economics and Black history, and is timed to coincide with the conclusion of Black History Month.

Economics teacher and QE Flourish Enrichment tutor Celia Wallace said: “Through The Econobethan, we aim to bring complex economic concepts to life, and to foster thoughtful discussion and an inclusive approach to economic issues.

“This issue takes a compelling dive into the world of financial crime, offering nuanced perspectives on how misconduct – from fraud and cybercrime to insider trading – continues to shape our global economic landscape.”

Congratulating the 16 writers, Dr Wallace said: “Many of them balanced writing for this edition with exam preparation and university applications – a testament to their commitment and passion. This issue also marks the final edition from our current editorial team, who have worked tirelessly to bring these important topics to life. We’re excited to see the fresh ideas the incoming team will bring to future editions.”

In their own introduction, the four-strong editorial team, Year 13’s Uday Dash, Akheel Kale, Zaki Mustafa and Tejas Bansal write of the “chilling insight” the edition gives into how financial systems can be manipulated, adding: “In the end, these articles remind us perhaps the biggest criminals are the ones that are hiding in plain sight.”

The articles have an international flavour, covering Operation Tabernula – Britain’s biggest insider-trading scandal – as well as public corruption in the US, and money-laundering in Pakistan.

There are historical perspectives – on tax evasion, for example, and on the 2008 global financial crisis – as well as exploration of the likely future impact of technology in areas such as cryptocurrency. Pictured top is Kareem Serageldin, the only banker to be jailed following the events of 2008.

The edition’s tribute to Black economists includes a profile of Sadie Alexander, who in 1921 became the first African-American woman in the US to earn a PhD (in Economics) from an American university. Thwarted in her ambition to become an Economics professor, she went on to become a lawyer and civil rights activist. A more contemporary influential Black economist, William Darity, a professor at North Carolina’s Duke University, is the subject of another profile.

• Those with access to the eQE portal can read the current and previous editions of The Econobethan here.

Just a few weeks after starting at the School, QE’s youngest pupils had the chance to bond with others in their year-group during a day out at an adventure park.

The trip to Stubbers in Upminster, Essex, was designed to stretch the newest Elizabethans, but also to teach them teamwork and provide plenty of fun.

A now-annual fixture within the calendar of QE Flourish – the School’s extra-curricular and co-curricular programme – the trip was split over two days, with Broughton, Harrisons’ and Leicester Houses going on the first occasion, and Pearce, Stapylton and Underne on the second.

Assistant Head (Pupil Involvement) Crispin Bonham-Carter said: “The Year 7s seem to have thoroughly enjoyed their day, which is designed to give them an opportunity to make new connections with their QE contemporaries in a different setting.

“A range of outdoor activities challenged them physically (at times), while also developing teamwork, collaboration and communication. The boys really threw themselves into the different exercises.”

This half-term has also seen Year 10 head to Aberdovey in Wales for an Outward Bound Trust weekend. “That is another trip during which boys benefit from getting out – both out into the fresh air and out of their comfort zone!” said Mr Bonham-Carter.

Among the Year 7 boys who headed to Stubbers was Mohammed Fahad, from Stapylton House.

He enjoyed the short coach ride there, “with everyone buzzing about the activities ahead”. On arrival, it was straight into boats for a kayaking session on the river. “The water was calm in some places, making it easy to paddle, but some sections had stronger currents that added a bit of excitement. It was the perfect way to take in the beautiful surroundings while enjoying fresh air.”

Their energy restored by lunch, the boys headed to the artificial climbing wall. “It was a challenge, but I still managed to reach the top both times, thanks to my light weight and agility.  That felt like a great achievement.”

Next his half year-group explored a man-made cave, led by a tour guide. That was followed by a testing ball game – “a fun way to unwind,” said Mohammed.

“We wrapped up the day with an outdoor game of laser tag. Things got funny when we realised some players seemed ‘immortal’ – their headsets were not registering any hits. Confusing at first – but we soon turned it into a joke, and laughed as we tried to outsmart the invincible players.

“By the time we got back on the coach at 5:30pm, I was very tired but happy, having experienced kayaking, climbing, cave exploration and a dramatic game of laser tag all in one activity-packed day.”

• Click on the thumbnails to view images.

2024 School Captain Chanakya Seetharam relished learning about German culture, benefitted greatly from his deep dive into the language, and met many  “incredible people” – including an Old Elizabethan – during a three-week trip as a Dresden Scholar.

An A-level German student, Chanakya was nominated by the School for one of the prestigious scholarships offered by the Dresden Trust, a British charity that fosters relations with the eastern German city of Dresden. One of the greatest centres of European culture, Dresden, which is in Saxony, was destroyed by Allied bombing in February 1945.

His visit was hosted by a German family and included lessons at the St Benno-Gymnasium (a ‘Gymnasium’ is roughly equivalent to a grammar school), as well as plenty of time to explore.

In his report on his visit, Chanakya said: “My time in Dresden was simply unforgettable. I have learned so much about German culture, the German language, and have met such incredible people. Most of all, however, my experience is a testament to the profound benefits of language-learning.”

Like QE, the St Benno-Gymnasium, has a long and proud history, having been established in 1709 to educate boy choristers (‘Kapellknaben’).

“Each school year begins with a church service in the Kreuzkirche (Church of the Holy Cross) at which new students receive a model fish representing the school logo (the ichthys) to symbolise their acceptance into the school community. This year, the Year 6s were kind enough to make extra ‘Benno fish’ to be presented to the school’s exchange students. I certainly felt incredibly welcome being presented my fish at the end of a service that had otherwise been full of lovely German choral music,” he wrote.

“I also took great pleasure in noticing smaller differences between QE and school in Germany. The lack of uniform was perhaps the most immediately noticeable, but equally surprising was the discovery that chalk boards remain a common feature of classrooms across the country.

“Far from the stereotype that Germans are cold, all the students and teachers I met were incredibly lovely.”

Similarly, he greatly appreciated his host family’s “incredible warmness and openness to conversation”. He was able to talk to them about “the legacy of the GDR [German Democratic Republic – the communist east German state], life in modern Germany, and – much to my delight – German politics in the weeks leading up to Saxony’s state elections”.

Chanakya also enjoyed the reminder of home brought by 2024 QE leaver Arjun Patel. Arjun was in Dresden on his swansong tour with the National Children’s Choir of Great Britain. Chanakya attended one of his concerts at the ‘Auferstehungskirche’ (‘Church of the Resurrection’) and spoke to him afterwards.

During his free hours, he enjoyed exploring the city, especially its “gorgeous baroque church – the ‘Frauenkirche’ (‘Church of Our Lady’)”. This was rebuilt following its destruction in World War II, with the support of benefactors including the Dresden Trust

“A beautiful artistic rendering of the Old City is to be found in a painting by the Venetian artist Bernardo Bellotto often called the Canaletto-Blick,” he wrote. “I was lucky enough to see the painting up close when visiting the city’s Alte Meister (Old Masters) gallery.”

He concluded: “Without my German lessons at QE, I simply would not have been able to engage with another culture and build relationships in the way that I have. The lesson? Keep at it with the adjective endings!”

• To read Chanakya’s report in full, click here.

Old Elizabethan Sir Demis Hassabis has been awarded the Nobel prize for chemistry, jointly with a colleague at the AI company he founded and with an American scientist.

Demis (OE 1988–1990), who is the co-founder and CEO of AI company Google DeepMind, receives half of the prize with his DeepMind colleague, Dr John Jumper, for their work on predicting complex protein structures. The other half of the prize awarded by the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences goes to Professor David Baker, from the University of Washington, for his work on protein design.

In their statement, the prize committee wrote: “Demis Hassabis and John Jumper have developed an AI model to solve a 50-year-old problem: predicting proteins’ complex structures. These discoveries hold enormous potential.

“Since the 1970s, researchers had tried to predict protein structures from amino acid sequences, but this was notoriously difficult. However, four years ago, there was a stunning breakthrough.

“In 2020, Demis Hassabis and John Jumper presented an AI model called AlphaFold2. With its help, they have been able to predict the structure of virtually all the 200 million proteins that researchers have identified.”

The Nobel Committee emphasised the global impact of AlphaFold2. It has been accessed by more than two million researchers from 190 countries. Examples of its many applications include: helping scientists to understand better antibiotic resistance; and creating images of enzymes that can decompose plastic.

Reacting to the news, Demis, 48, said: “It’s totally surreal to be honest, quite overwhelming.”

He explained the “funny sequence” through which he actually heard the news that he was a Nobel laureate. Since the committee did not apparently have a telephone number for him, they had reached him through a Teams call to his wife, who was working on her laptop at the time. After at first ignoring it, she answered it at around the third or fourth call. The caller then requested to be put in touch with Demis, whom they asked for Dr Jumper’s number.

Demis thanked his colleagues, including Dr Jumper, adding: “David Baker we’ve got to know in the last few years, and he’s done some absolutely seminal work in protein design. So it’s really, really exciting to receive the prize with both of them.”

The Nobel prize committee praised the work of Professor Baker, which he began in 2003, saying that he had “succeeded with the almost impossible feat of building entirely new kinds of proteins.”

The committee’s statement concluded: “Life could not exist without proteins. That we can now predict protein structures and design our own proteins confers the greatest benefit to humankind.”

The illustration above shows a selection of protein structures determined using AlfaFold2 (©Terezia Kovalova/The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences).

• The scientific background to the 2024 Nobel prize for chemistry can be read here. A popular-level introduction is available here.

The 2024 School Play delved deep into the tumultuous events that marked the decades-long run-up to Indian independence in 1947.

Lions and Tigers explored not only the conflict between the eponymous British lions and Bengal tigers, but also between factions of the independence movement, including those, led by Gandhi, who espoused civil disobedience, and those favouring violent insurrection.

Written by British playwright Tanika Gupta, the play combines the story of her great-uncle, Dinesh Gupta, a 19-year-old Indian freedom-fighter hanged by the British in 1931 after shooting dead the Inspector-General of Prisons, with the broader history of the fight for Indian independence.

Congratulating all involved, Headmaster Neil Enright said: “The production did not shy away from the pain, violence and brutality of the period, but dealt with the complex issues sensitively and conveyed the emotional depth of the characters. It was impactful and, at times, shocking, yet done with a gravitas and maturity that belied the age of some of the young performers.”

Lions and Tigers was first performed in 2017 at the Sam Wanamaker Playhouse in Southwark, coinciding with the 70^th anniversary of Indian independence.

QE’s production involved 15 boys in the principal roles, supported by an acting ensemble playing other parts.

Two very well attended performances were held after school on consecutive days in the Main School Hall, while Year 9 attended a final dress rehearsal.

“The play was notable for a host of powerful and impassioned performances,” said Mr Enright. “The whole cast, including the ensemble, did a brilliant job, with Akshay Shah setting the tone with an amazing performance as the central character, Dinesh Gupta.”

Other notable mentions should go to Daniel Kollo as Charles Tegart, Nittant Moudgil as Mahatma Gandhi, Soham Sapra as Subhash Bose, and Aahan Shah as Jyotish Gupta, he added.

“It was nice to see a good number of other pupils attending, whether aspiring actors, older students who have been part of the QE drama community, or those who were just there to support friends.”

The play was directed by RM Drama’s Gavin Molloy. Musical support was provided by QE’s Indian Music Ensemble.

Assistant Head (Pupil Involvement) Crispin Bonham-Carter lauded the “immersive and visually interesting staging”, which was done ‘in the round’, as well as “the clever and effective use of newsreel footage and recorded voice-overs”. One example of the latter was that the actors had voiced in advance the words to the letters their characters had sent (as set out in the script): these were then played through the sound system while the boys acted out what had been written.

• Click on the thumbnails below to view the images.