Viewing archives for

Queen Elizabeth’s School, Barnet, is today celebrating the publication of a glowing Ofsted report that comes with a complete set of seven ‘exceptional’ ratings – the new top grading.

Inspectors praised every aspect of education at the School, which is the current holder of The Sunday Times’ State Secondary School of the Year award.

Describing QE as a “remarkable school”, the report stated: “Pupils love coming to school. They enjoy being academically challenged and embrace the extraordinary amount of wider opportunities that they access.”

Headmaster Neil Enright said: “This tremendously positive inspection report is testament to the dedication and expertise of my colleagues in unlocking the boundless potential of our very able pupils. Behind our success also lie the hard work and free-thinking scholarship of the boys, and the constant support of the whole Elizabethan community, including parents, governors and alumni.

“The inspectors identified so much of what makes QE a state school like no other, from the breadth and high quality of our co-curricular activities delivered through the QE Flourish programme to the detailed and inspirational careers and university guidance provided to pupils of all ages by QE Futures. Through our bespoke pastoral and tutorial system we place great emphasis on creating a happy community that supports boys’ wellbeing, so I was delighted to read the inspectors’ comments about the kindness shown by pupils and their ‘exemplary’ behaviour’.”

Lead inspector Simon Conway and his four-strong team visited the 1,320-pupil School in the Summer Term, attending classes, interviewing selected individual pupils (especially those with special educational needs or from disadvantaged backgrounds), and meeting staff. Their report gives ‘exceptional’ ratings for all seven rated categories, namely achievement; attendance and behaviour; curriculum and teaching; inclusion; leadership and governance; personal development and wellbeing; and post-16 provision. The inspectors also find that safeguarding standards are ‘met’ (with the only other possible rating being ‘not met’).

In their report, they used a string of superlatives – including ‘remarkable’ no fewer than eight times – to describe the School’s provision. The document contains no suggestions for what QE could do better, instead stating: “Leaders are absolutely relentless in identifying any small areas in the school that can be improved.”

Here is a further selection of comments from the report:

• “Pupils’ achievements in national examinations at both GCSE and A-level are exceptional. Their academic outcomes have been among the very highest nationally for several years. Although pupils are very able when they enter in Year 7, the school accelerates their progress through the curriculum to ensure that they are extremely well prepared to thrive when they leave the school.”
• “The curriculum is remarkably ambitious…Teachers are subject experts. They carefully design opportunities in lessons to ensure that pupils gain an in-depth understanding of the curriculum. Any gaps in knowledge or misconceptions are precisely identified and swiftly addressed.”
• “Achievement at post-16 is extraordinary…Students apply and synthesise knowledge fluently and articulate their learning with authority…”
• “Students are equipped with the knowledge, resilience and flexibility of thought to succeed in some of the most academically challenging environments in the world.”
• “The careers provision is extremely thorough. Pupils develop very high aspirations. They access a wealth of external speakers and work experience opportunities.”
• “The programme for personal development and wellbeing is remarkable. Every single pupil across the school takes part in a plethora of élite-level co-curricular activities each week.”
• “Pastoral support is extremely precise. Pupils receive bespoke support with their wellbeing. Any concerns are identified extremely swiftly, and highly impactful support is put in place to ensure that pupils continue to thrive.”
• “Leaders rapidly identify any barriers to learning and wellbeing that pupils may have. Leaders put in place highly bespoke packages of support to ensure that barriers are overcome and that all vulnerable pupils achieve and thrive in all areas of school life… Pupils with SEND and other vulnerabilities, such as those known to social care, absolutely flourish in this school. They achieve remarkable outcomes and progress to very impressive destinations when they leave the school.”
• “The pupil premium funding is skilfully used to ensure that every disadvantaged pupil has complete equity of experience.”
• “Behaviour in the school is exemplary. Leaders and staff have extremely high expectations for behaviour, conduct and attitudes to learning. Pupils continuously meet these expectations…Younger pupils speak of the kindness and support shown by older pupils. They are proud of their community and look after each other.”
• “Pupils’ attendance is extremely high… Leaders place the highest standards of attendance at the heart of their work…setting uncompromisingly clear expectations around attendance.”
• “Every single decision is taken in the very best interests of pupils. Leaders know each pupil in the school remarkably well. They regularly meet with them one to one and check the impact of all areas of their work with former pupils to ensure everything they do supports pupils to thrive.”
• “Leaders have extremely high expectations of all staff…Staff are highly appreciative of the support for their workload and wellbeing.”
• “Governors have a deep understanding of the school’s strengths and priorities.”

The report may be read in full here.

QE boys have been flexing their intellectual muscles in pupil-run publications tackling everything from the risks and opportunities presented by AI through to in-depth looks at the latest medical advances.

New editions of Artificial Times, Bioquest and The Political Times – all of them both written and edited by pupils – have just been published.

The first of these contains a wide range of perspectives on AI, examining its impact on education, society, industry, sustainability, and ethics. Its publication comes as industry experts speak out about the risk that AI could pose. They include Microsoft AI’s chief executive, Old Elizabethan Mustafa Suleyman (1995–2002), who warns that unless AI is properly controlled, it could lead to the emergence of a “silicon species” that would compete with humans for resources.

Mustafa co-founded DeepMind with his fellow OE, Sir Demis Hassabis (1988–1990), who in 2024 won a Nobel prize for Chemistry after deploying AI to predict complex protein structures. Demis has also spoken of the risks posed by AI.

Assistant Head Crispin Bonham-Carter said: “With the public discourse on artificial intelligence reaching new levels of intensity, it is good to see current pupils engaging in the debate. Our current School Plan, Boundless, prioritises our pupils becoming ‘deep thinkers and compelling communicators’ who are ‘future-ready’.

“Artificial Times, Bioquest and Political Times – and other regular pupil-run magazines, such as the Economics journal, The Econobethan, and The Arabella, covering the arts – are great examples of free-thinking scholarship in action.

“The boys’ writing in these publications demonstrates not only that our students follow the big issues of our day, but that they are also ready to grapple with them on their own initiative.

“Furthermore, through writing their articles and taking part in the publications’ editorial teams, they not only develop their written communication skills, but also show that they are well on the way to becoming ‘leaders of influence and valued collaborators’ – another of our Boundless priorities.”

Artificial Times was founded last year by Olic Fan and Hussain Hashmi, who are now in Year 13. This term’s edition – the third – features an introduction from Trudi Barrow, a specialist in design education named as AI Specialist Edufuturist of the Year 2026. It includes pupils’ detailed examinations of various aspects of AI and its implications, from Year 13 pupil Dev Malde’s The Hidden Environmental Cost of Artificial Intelligence to Year 11’s Arihaant Venuraju take on Bias in AI: How it Occurs, How it’s Dangerous, and How it can be Avoided. Separately, the risks of AI inspired one Year 11 pupil, Aaryan Prabhaker, to spend part of his summer penning a work of fiction on the subject: he has now presented the book to Headmaster Neil Enright.

The theme and title of the new Bioquest QE pupil publication is Sports, Driven By Biology, a set of articles highlighting biological issues across a range of different sports.

The topics covered include: How are Injuries Caused and How Do They Heal? by Year 13’s Samir Cheema; ADHD: A Curse or a Blessing, by Savya Gupta, of Year 12; Fast and Slow: The Biology of Athletics, by Zoheb Haq, of Year 13; and The Biology and Biomechanics of Mouthguards in Sport, by Taha Sebbar, of Year 13. Sushan Naresh led its eight-strong editorial team, all drawn from Year 13

In its 19 pages, The Political Times reflects on this year’s change of Prime Minister, with Year 8’s Praanaj Rai tracking Andy Burnham’s Road to PM and Adam Ahmed, of Year 9, asking the question, King of the North, or Political Chameleon?

It tackles wider topics, too. In The Political Times‘ biggest section, entitled Westminster Watch, Ehan Rattani, of Year 9, writes about The Politics of Decline and Year 11’s Sri Koustubh Yallambhatla asks How Short-Termism is Plaguing Britain. 

And while most of the publication engages with domestic politics, Year 13’s Vu-Lam Le-Nguyen looks at How Washington Lost Iran, while Year 9’s Hridhaan Joshi explores political aspects of the FIFA World Cup.

A QE team’s hi-tech solution to the global problem of food waste won them second prize in an international competition. 

Inspired by sixth-former Ishan Jakkulwar’s experiences of seeing illegal food waste-dumping in India, Team Flux tackled the challenge by developing an autonomous drone that uses machine-learning to detect emissions from supermarkets’ food waste.   

The team won medals and a certificate after taking the runner-up spot in the British International Education Association STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering & Mathematics) Youth Innovation Competition. 

Congratulating the team, Head of Technology Bilaal Khan said: “Their success demonstrates how creativity, collaboration and STEM knowledge can be combined to develop innovative solutions to real-world challenges. “ 

Alongside team leader Ishan, Team Flux comprised his fellow Year 12 pupils, Vivaan Shah and Aditya Shah, together with Dhruva Bhardwaj, who left QE this summer after completing Year 11.  

The four enthusiastically tackled the competition theme of How can we reduce waste in the food chain? by training their drone using machine-learning.    

An Arkwright Engineering Scholar, Ishan had recognised that using autonomous technology could reduce the time, cost and manpower needed to identify and address food waste. The competition provided an opportunity to develop his interest in engineering and hardware, while securing the prize reinforced his ambition to become an engineer.   

“Winning second prize was a nice surprise, especially, as it was the first time I have experimented with hardware,” he said. Ishan also believes that participating in the competition helped him secure work experience in robotics at UCL over the summer. 

Aditya’s focus was on the design process, on selecting and sourcing materials for the hardware, and on conducting research around the process of patenting the product.

The team hope to develop their model into a working prototype, while also exploring its potential value as intellectual property.

“It felt like a big achievement that people realised that our project had a lot of potential and could be used to create positive change in the future,” Aditya said. 

For his part, Vivaan took responsibility for project-management, keeping the team on track with timings and deadlines.

He also modelled aspects of the prototype using OnShape and Fusion 360, carrying out virtual stress and thermal testing, as well as contributing to the original design through detailed sketches and exploded diagrams. 

Thirty pupils from Years 7–11 headed east for a three-day summer Music tour, performing in some of the Czech Republic’s most beautiful and historic venues.

QE’s specially formed Prague Tour Choir sang in three churches over three days, with the choristers and other musicians mastering more than 20 separate pieces of music.

Their repertoire was hugely diverse, with composers who spanned the centuries – from Antonio Vivaldi, Bach, and Mozart through to Victor Johnson, born exactly 300 years after Vivaldi, in 1978.

Director of Music Ruth Partington said: “These pupils gave three outstanding performances, which were warmly received and which reflected the hard work, commitment and musical excellence of those involved.

“The tour was a fantastic opportunity for pupils to develop their musical skills, perform for international audiences and create lasting memories. It was a truly rewarding experience that celebrated the talent, enthusiasm and dedication of QE’s young musicians, who represented the School with pride throughout the trip.”

First on the itinerary was the 13th-century Gothic St Giles Church in in Nymburk – a small town near the capital. As in all three concerts, the choir began with Peter Jones’ Glory to God and ended their programme with Gloria Fanfare by Sally Albrecht.

On the two subsequent days, the boys performed at Hartigova Church and amid the Baroque magnificence of St Nicholas Church, both in Prague.

In addition to the choir’s performances, the concerts featured solo vocalists, pianists and organists, as well as the Junior Barbershop singing Minneapolis-based Andrew Parr’s arrangement of the American folk song, Shenandoah.

The tour party also explored many of Prague’s most iconic landmarks and attractions, including Prague Castle, Petřín Tower, the Old Town and Charles Bridge, Prague Zoo, the Prague State Opera and the historic fortress of Vyšehrad.

“These visits gave pupils the opportunity to experience the city’s rich history, architecture and culture, while enjoying time together beyond the concert stage,” added Miss Partingon, who accompanied the tour party, together with Assistant Heads of Music Caroline Grint and Jas Hutchinson-Bazely.

Click on the thumbnails below to view the images. 

• To watch a parent-compiled YouTube playlist of the tour, click here.

Two Sixth Form teams of QE engineers won prizes at a national awards ceremony in London after spending nine months developing innovative projects for the construction industry.

Team Overbury took the Innovation Award and Team Morgan Lovell the Business Pitch Award at the Engineering Development Trust’s (EDT) Industrial Cadets Gold Project Celebration and Award Ceremony at University College London.

The pupils, who have now entered Year 13, worked on their projects as part of the Engineering Education Scheme, sponsored by EDT, which included a two-day residential workshop at Cambridge University’s Dyson Centre for Industrial Design.

Technology teacher Tony Green said: “I am immensely proud of our QE engineers. Their awards recognise a great deal of hard work and perseverance, as well as the fruits of the mentorship they enjoyed with industry experts.”

Mr Green thanked QE’s industry sponsor for the projects, Mr Alex Wood, Health, Safety and Wellbeing Manager for Morgan Lovell, who are specialists in the design and construction of commercial buildings. Mr Wood also represented another construction industry firm, office fit-out and refurbishment specialists, Overbury.

QE’s Team Overbury worked on the development of a wearable solution for a construction worker – an exoskeleton designed to help employees with their tasks. The team comprised Dan Ji Chan, Abhinav Sandeep & Hasnain Jiwa.

Team Morgan Lovell members – Ayush Saha, Zane Shah & Haadi Siddiqui – developed a prototype of a sound sensor potentiometer. The product was designed to help construction workers guard against the occupational hazard of excessive noise. They won their award after presenting their ideas in a Dragons’ Den-style pitch.

The awards ceremony, a premier STEM showcase, brought together pupils, teachers, and industry experts. The QE teams are pictured at the ceremony with the EDT’s CEO, Julie Feest OBE.

Team Morgan Lovell’s leader, Zane Shah, said: “One of the highlights was seeing the impressive work produced by other teams and having the opportunity to network with students and professionals. We also enjoyed meeting and speaking with UCL engineering students, sharing our project, and demonstrating the hard work that went into its development.”

The whole day was a “rewarding experience”, with their business pitch “particularly memorable”, he added.

Abhinav, Team Overbury’s leader, said: “With little prior knowledge of the construction industry, building our modular exoskeleton Tenacis over three physical iterations was a significant step up from anything we’d done previously. It was a great honour to win the Innovation award, which recognised the unique cam-and-pulley mechanisms Tenacis has, differentiating itself from the market. Winning the award at UCL only made the experience more memorable.”