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Year 10 linguists and historians teamed up to explore how Berlin emerged from a 20th-century history stained by Nazism and the Cold War to thrive as a modern capital.

Forty boys – 15 more than last year – headed to the German capital for the four-day trip, with German linguists this year joining GCSE History students.

The Deutschlandmuseum – an immersive museum of German history opened in 2023 – was added to the 2026 itinerary, together with a cruise down Berlin’s River Spree.

History and Politics teacher John Haswell said: “The entire landscape of Berlin is marked by its traumatic past. I hope visiting will have given the students a taste for further travel in Germany, but also helped them see how the ruptures of the 20th century continue to shape this dynamic city.

“Given our Year 10 historians have covered both Nazi Germany and the Cold War, there really isn’t a better place to visit.”

Day 1 began with a walking tour, which ended at the Reichstag – Germany’s historic legislative government building – where the group enjoyed stunning night views of the famous Brandenburg Gate landmark.

On the second day, it was time for a closer look at the Third Reich: the boys and their accompanying teachers visited: the Jewish Museum Berlin (the largest Jewish museum in Europe); Topography of Terror (a history museum on the site of the SS and Gestapo headquarters); and the German Resistance Memorial Centre.

Day 3 brought a whistle-stop tour of Cold War history. The party took in iconic sites such as the Berlin Wall, which from 1961 to 1989 divided East and West Berlin, also visiting the DDR Museum (covering the former East German republic).

On the final day, the group took a sunny walk along the East Side Gallery – the most famous section of the Berlin Wall, which is today one of the world’s longest outdoor art galleries.

Pupil Shuo Zhen Long said visiting different parts of the Berlin Wall had underlined for him its significance in the control that the East German government, supported by the USSR, had been able to exert over the city. He added that he enjoyed the guided tours “where we visited many historic and recently built buildings and learnt about the history of the areas surrounding them”.

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The spirits of QE’s Combined Cadet Force remained high during their spring training camp, despite their getting ambushed and enduring freezing nights in a forest.

During the two-day exercise in Mereworth Woods in Kent, the cadets focused on learning and practising 1 Star Fieldcraft – training which includes looking after yourself and your equipment, being self-reliant in the field, and the basic skills of a rifleman.

Contingent Commander (and the PE & Games department’s Head of Aquatics) Richard Scally Said: “Alongside 1 Star Fieldcraft, they learned a range of important military skills, including camouflage and concealment, movement in the field, and working effectively as a team.

“The training helped cadets build confidence, discipline, and leadership abilities while also strengthening their understanding of how to operate in outdoor conditions.

“Although cold at night, the weather was mostly kind during the exercise, allowing activities to run smoothly throughout the day. Despite the cold, everyone showed great resilience and enthusiasm.”

Among those taking part was Year 10’s Niketh Putta, who recalled the highs and the lows of his time at the military training facility near Sevenoaks.

The first day involved walking through the forest carrying 15kg Bergen rucksacks. “We got ‘ambushed’ within the first hour, so we had to dive into the leaves and camouflage ourselves –we spent a full hour just waiting completely still, hidden in the bushes.”

After that, the cadets set up camp in triangle formation, built ‘bashas’ (simple army-specified shelters) and “tried to sleep in negative temperatures with insects crawling around us. It was a rough day,” said Niketh.

The night was not yet finished, either: there was still sentry duty to be faced. This, Niketh said, involved “waking up at 2am to keep watch in complete silence in the pitch black. It had us rethinking our life’s decisions!”

To stay connected, one of the boys would make a ‘cacaw’ sound into the darkness. If a reply came, the cadets would meet up secretly.

Afterwards, Niketh reflected on the whole camp: “It was one of those experiences you just don’t forget. Both days were spent shooting blank rounds at enemies through trees, crawling through mud, eating rations and doing things on paper that sound absolutely miserable. And yet we were still laughing the whole way through.

“Nobody tells you this, but it’s never really about the experience. It’s about who you’re in it with. The cold felt less cold. The long nights felt shorter. The hard moments turned into jokes before they even finished happening. Surround yourself with people who make the hard stuff worth it. That’s everything you’ll ever need.”

After pupils and staff put their back into weeks of work at the new QE allotment, the School has been given the RHS School Gardening Award Level 1.

The QE plot at the Byng Road community allotments is already planted up with potatoes, strawberries and asparagus.

The School chose today to announce its receipt of the award because it is internationally recognised as Earth Day – a day dedicated to raising environmental awareness and encouraging sustainability.

Headmaster Neil Enright said: “Our new School plan, Boundless, has as one of its six priorities that we will help our pupils become ‘sustainability-literate’: what better example of that could there be than this gardening project?

“It is good to see that our allotment has so quickly become a vibrant hub of learning, teamwork, and environmental action.”

Among those enthusiastically backing the project is Year 13’s Shailen Patel, who has contributed the grant he won as part of a Jack Petchey Foundation Environmental Award.

Others, both inside and outside the School, have variously donated time, tools, materials and encouragement.

The work has involved much preparation of the ground. Those involved enjoyed some early encouragement with the emergence of asparagus spears; the asparagus had apparently been planted by a previous user of the allotment.

The RHS  level 1 award recognises: that those involved understand the benefits of gardening; that the growing space is accessible for those with disabilities; and that the gardening work has actually started. Recipients are sent a copy of Your Wellbeing Garden, an RHS book, and a packet of seeds.

Earth Day, which this year has the theme of Our Power, Our Planet, is concentrating on collective, citizen-led actions to drive environmental change.

Earth Day marks the climax of Earth Month, which is celebrated every April.

Forty-six boys triumphantly conquered Kinder Scout, explored deep inside a cave, and overcame their fears to abseil off a high bridge during a memorable trip to the Peak District.

The Year 8 pupils cheerfully endured testing weather conditions – and enjoyed some sunshine, too! – as they got to grips with the great outdoors.

Headmaster Neil Enright said: “QE Flourish trips such as this are so important in helping boys develop their Boundless potential: they open minds, build confidence, and create memories that last, while offering benefits for physical and mental health.”

During the three-day trip to Derbyshire’s Peak District, the boys made their way deep into Edale’s Giant’s Hole – a cave near Castleton – to learn about stalactite formation.

Their 15km hike up the 636m Kinder Scout saw them battling blizzards, hail storms and 40 mph wind gusts – all interspersed with bursts of glorious sunshine.

The following day, it was time for a new challenge – stepping off a lofty stone bridge and abseiling to the ground.

During the trip, there were opportunities to learn map-reading and compass skills, while the boys pitted their wits against each other in an eagerly contested after-dinner quiz at the YHA Activities Centre in Edale, run by Mathematics teacher Nadeem Kydd.

The trip was led by Assistant Head (Co-Curricular and Partnerships) Crispin Bonham-Carter, who heads the QE Flourish programme.

“Our brilliant pupils showed incredible courage and teamwork throughout. My thanks go to them, to our staff team, and to the boys’ supportive parents,” said Mr Bonham-Carter.

In addition to Mr Bonham-Carter and Mr Kydd, the staff team comprised: Head of Technology Bilaal Khan, Languages teacher Elisa Perra, Science teacher Philip Collington, and Philosophy, Religion & Society teacher Brooke Farron.

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Well over 400 pupils performed in the Leavers’ Concert, with many from the lower years turning out to support the musicians of Year 13.

The Class of 2026 have made a significant impact on music at QE. To name just three of their number – and there are many similar examples – Leo Sellis and Ryuki Watanabe form the backbone of several ensembles, which they encourage to take on more complex repertoire, while accomplished accompanist Colin Copcea provides essential support at rehearsals and performances.

Headmaster Neil Enright said: “This was an outstanding concert, celebrating senior musicians who have contributed greatly to our supportive QE music community and thus have played a part in developing the confidence, skills and enjoyment of other pupils.”

The Leavers’ Concert was played to a sell-out audience in the Shearly Hall. It began, appropriately enough, with The Final Countdown by Europe, played by a specially formed Year 13 ensemble.

The remainder of the programme featured genres ranging from jazz to rock, from film music to ragtime (Scott Joplin’s Bethena Waltz, performed by the Junior Strings). Many of the ensembles were directed by Sixth Form musicians.

The end of the first half saw the School Orchestra take their places to perform, firstly, selections from Grieg’s Peer Gynt (together with the Senior Strings ensemble), and then pieces by Prokofiev and Debussy.

After enjoying interval refreshments served in the Dining Hall, the audience returned to hear the second half get under way with the Indian Ensemble performing works from both south and north India.

Towards the conclusion of the programme, the Headmaster stepped forward to present Music colours, with Mathematics teacher Navjeet Swatch, QE’s ‘resident’ tuba player, honoured alongside pupils.

The boys themselves offered their heartfelt thanks to Music teachers Caroline Grint and Jas Hutchinson-Bazely, and to Head of Department Ruth Partington, who joined QE as Director of Music on the same day they started in Year 7 in September 2019.

A grand finale saw the School Choir and Orchestra massing to perform excerpts from Les Misérables.

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