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Young musicians enjoyed an action-packed five-day tour, which gave them multiple opportunities to perform in Belgium as well as the chance to sample the country’s cultural delights.

They played at three very diverse venues, beginning with Antwerp’s oldest parish church, Sint-Jacob (St James’s). Since the one-hour performance coincided with National Flemish Day, local dignitaries were invited along.

Besides the church performance, the boys played by arrangement for 45 minutes at a bandstand (the Kiosk de Musique) in the historic Parc de Bruxelles in the Belgian capital.

They also performed for an hour in the town square (Grote Markt) of Ypres (now officially known  by its Flemish name of Ieper) in front of the magnificent Cloth Hall. Originally a series of mediaeval buildings completed in 1304, the Cloth Hall was almost completely destroyed in World War I and subsequently rebuilt.

Director of Music Ruth Partington said: “This was a very successful Music department tour, with some high-quality musicianship on display. I know the boys enjoyed the opportunities it gave them to perform in an unfamiliar environment. It was notable that all the items were conducted and, in the case of the tour choir, accompanied by pupils. The boys showed great maturity and leadership throughout. They also relished the full programme of activities we put on, from rides on rollercoasters through to enjoying some Belgian chocolate.”

The boys travelled from Barnet by coach, arriving first in Dunkirk after a journey through the Channel Tunnel on Le Shuttle.

In the French port, they visited a museum focusing on the town’s World War II history, which features real memorabilia found on the beach. This museum tells the story of Dunkirk across the war, from the well-known Battle of France in 1940, with its evacuation of the British Expeditionary Force to the town’s liberation by Czechoslovakian soldiers in 1945.

After crossing the border into Belgium, the tour party gained an insight into life on the front lines in World War I when they called in at the Trench of Death in Diksmuide – one of the conflict’s most treacherous trench systems. The system had areas of ‘no man’s land’ as small as 50 metres wide.

The tourists also:

• Explored the canals of Bruges on a boat trip;
• Sampled Belgian chocolate at the Choco-Story museum, where they saw a live demonstration of praline-making and, of course, enjoyed the tasting opportunities;
• Rode the rollercoasters and enjoyed the zoo attractions at Bellewaerde Park, Belgium’s oldest theme park, built in 1954 on the site of a World War I battleground;
• Enjoyed a walking tour of Gent’s key sites and took in the mediaeval Gravensteen (Castle of the Counts) in the heart of the city;
• Visited Brussels’ The Parliamentarium – an interactive exhibition about the past, present and future of the European Union and Parliament;
• Climbed the city’s 102m-tall Atomium, one of Brussels’ key landmarks, which gives panoramic views across the city and was built for the 1958 Brussels World’s Fair. Its nine stainless steel-clad spheres resemble an iron crystal magnified 165 billion times.

Click on the thumbnails below to view the images. 

The tour ensembles were: Winds, Strings, and Choir.

They were conducted by: Eshaan Anil; Joseph Donovan; Parth Jain; Lamie Lam; Vihaan Salunke; and Jeremy Shi. The choir was accompanied by Zehao Wu.

A QE team has taken third place in the Economics World Cup – a prestigious competition headed by an Oxford economist.

The team, now in Year 13, impressed the competition jury, emerging among the front-runners from a record number of entries in 2025.

The QE participants also took the opportunity to join a virtual roundtable with competition organiser Dr Craig Holmes, Economist and Senior Academic Fellow at the University of Oxford.

Dr Holmes shared what it is like to work in Economics and – as someone involved with admissions to Oxford – also gave an insider’s perspective on applying to top universities.

Afterwards, Dr Holmes told his colleagues that he had been very impressed at the calibre of questions asked by the QE boys during the roundtable.

Headmaster Neil Enright said: “My congratulations go to these six students on their top-three placing in the competition, which made them the leading UK team.”

The successful QE team comprised Nayaenesh Jayabalan, Yash Kedia, Aryan Kheterpal, Adithya Raghuraman, Samrath Sareen and Vid Shankar. Their team name was Market Failures.

Open to pupils aged 12–18, the Economics World Cup is a global competition designed to test entrants’ ability to think like an economist, rather than their knowledge of economics.

The competition is for teams. but Round 1 was an online test taken individually, with 30 multiple-choice questions. If anyone in a team scored in the top 15% of competitors, the entire team then qualified for the finals.

The second and final round was a team round. Each team was charged with devising a solution for a real development project within a week. They could submit their solution as a: video up to five minutes long; report of up to 1,000 words; presentation with a maximum of 1,000 words; or a podcast lasting no more than ten minutes.

These solutions were then reviewed by a competition jury overseen by Dr Holmes.

First and second places in this year’s competition went to schools in Bucharest, Romania, and Georgia, USA, respectively.

Sixth-former Tanush Gupta has won first prize in a prestigious European competition for his video on genetic diversity.

His name was announced in front of more than 5,000 international scientists and doctors at the European Human Genetics Conference in Milan.

The prize from the European Society of Human Genetics (ESHG) in its 17th annual European DNA Day Video Contest, includes €400 for Tanush and €1,000 for the School.

Head of Biology Gillian Ridge said: “This is really quite a considerable achievement: Tanush’s video was meticulously put together and he worked on it independently. Many congratulations to him on this success.”

Pupils from 26 European countries submitted 31 videos in video contest and 298 essays in the parallel essay competition this year.

The task set for the entrants was: Please, discuss the importance of understanding genetic diversity for health and disease. Support your example with specific DNA variants and genes.

Tanush submitted a five-minute video entitled Genes Across the Globe: Why Genetic Diversity Matters that was amply illustrated throughout with colour drawings and simple animations.

In the video he highlights the current focus of genetic medical research being on European populations, with deleterious consequences for people of other ethnicities: “If genetic research is not inclusive, certain populations suffer from undetected risks and ineffective medical interventions,” he says.

Tanush concludes: “Genetics isn’t just about understanding the past, it’s about shaping the future of medicine. The more inclusive our research, the better our ability to predict, prevent, and treat diseases for everyone.

“So next time you hear about a groundbreaking genetic discovery, ask yourself: ‘Who does this benefit, and who’s being left behind?’ Because science should serve all of humanity, not just a select few.”

The entries were evaluated by 45 experts in the field, who selected three winners in each category, while also awarding 11 honourable mentions over both competition categories.

In their prize citation, DNA Day Co-ordinator Dr Christophe Cordier, ESHG President Professor William Newman and ESHG Education Committee Chair Professor Inga Prokopenko told Tanush: “Your video…has impressed the members of the jury based on its originality, its scientific content, and the fact that you expressed so clearly the benefits and consequences for science and society.

“We do hope that your interest in genetics and DNA will continue to grow over the years and that you will continue to follow the developments in the field, which promise to become more and more spectacular.”

• You can watch Tanush’s video here.

The shadow of the 47th president of the USA looms large over the latest edition of The Econobethan – QE’s pupil-run Economics journal.

Under the overall theme of International Relations, the 24th edition of the publication includes a special front section headed Has Trump damaged the dollar? which looks at the impact of tariffs and at the dollar’s role as the world’s reserve currency.

Articles in the main body of The Econobethan mostly home in on specific nations, examining, for example, the economic cost of India and Pakistan’s damaged relations, or how recent problems have harmed the reputation of China’s Belt and Road Initiative.

Citing the maxim of US founding father Benjamin Franklin that ‘no nation was ever ruined by trade’, Economics teacher and Enrichment tutor Celia Wallace said:  “This is a rich and thought-provoking edition, offering a range of perspectives on how nations interact and the economic outcomes of those interactions.”

The 50-page edition was overseen by the Year 12 editorial team of Zain Ahmed, Shourya Garg, Adithya Raghuraman and Shuban Singh.

In their introduction, they write: “The first section of the edition focuses on one of the more recent, prevalent points of contention in international relations debates…

“The articles in this section argue for and against Trump’s international policy, specifically focusing on its effect on the dollar.”

Among the writers here is Year 11 GCSE economist Vu-Lam Le-Nguyen, whose piece is entitled: The Method Behind the Madman Theory: how President Trump’s second-term agenda has affected the US dollar. He begins by explaining that the Madman Theory, also known as the Unpredictability Doctrine, is not without precedent, having reportedly been adopted by President Nixon, too. After setting out some of Donald Trump’s decisions, and his ‘promises of bold economic growth’ occurring at the same time as a $2.8 trillion jump in national debt, Vu-Lam says he hopes to ‘shed light on the rationale behind this apparent madness’.

Regarding the main section, the editorial adds: “Articles focus on the development of relationships, including the formation of the UN and the UK’s international status as both an empire and a leader of diplomacy.

“They also consider the economic vulnerability of nations when relations falter, such as the breakdown of trade blocs and the effects on landlocked nations. This edition helps to show the complexities of international relations as well as the domino-like knock-on effects of unsuitable international policy.”

Contributors come from Years 9–11. Many illustrate their articles with tables and graphs.

Others, such as Year 11 GCSE economist Aayush Shukla, in his piece on China’s economic history (From Footprints to Footing: The Evolution of China), or his fellow Year 11 pupil, Noah Morley, on his historical exploration of Japan’s relationship with Europe (Japan’s Evolving Relationship with Europe), use photographs or reproductions of paintings.

• The Econobethan may be read here.

Nine pupils won achievement awards for accomplishments in areas ranging from sport to robotics, while teacher Xiangming Xu took a Leader Award both for his dedication in the classroom and for his support of co-curricular activities.

The awards, which were given by the Jack Petchey Foundation, were given following a selection process open to all QE pupils.

Headmaster Neil Enright said: “My congratulations go to the boys and to Xiangming – ten very worthy winners. The award citations reveal strong leadership and great dedication. Furthermore, they reflect the true breadth of the QE experience, which encompasses both academic excellence and our extensive QE Flourish programme.”

The Jack Petchey Achievement Awards recognise outstanding young people aged 11–25 across London and Essex; Leader Awards are given for adults who show exemplary dedication at schools and youth organisations.

The selection process gave QE pupils the opportunity to cast votes: all boys could vote for one pupil and one staff member on two occasions in successive terms.

An awards ceremony took place at the Arts Depot in Barnet.

Enrichment tutor and Geography teacher Staycie Domzalski said: “It was a lovely opportunity to recognise and celebrate the nine students’ and Mr Xu’s achievements.”

Each pupil award winner received a certificate, pin badge and a book written by Sir Jack Petchey – a businessman and philanthropist who died last year at the age of 98. They also received a £300 grant for the School, to spend at their own discretion. Similarly, Mr Xu received a £1,000 grant for the School.

The boys chose to spend their grants on equipment including: rugby training tops; VEX robotics hardware; Eton Fives gloves; medical book and DVDs; and badminton shuttlecocks.

Science teacher and form tutor Mr Xu, pictured top, showed “exceptional dedication to both academic and extracurricular life at QE” according to his citation. “…He consistently goes above and beyond –making lessons engaging, helping pupils grasp challenging concepts, and inspiring confidence. He has given up numerous weekends to support students in competitions such as the UKSDC [UK Space Design Competition] and has played a vital role in organising and mentoring teams. His kindness, empathy, and unwavering support make him a true role model, respected not just for his teaching, but for the care and encouragement he shows to every pupil.”

The pupils’ citations were as follows:

Year 10
Soham Bhatnagar: Soham is an exceptional student who consistently leads by example through his dedication, kindness, and strong work ethic. As A team rugby captain and form leader, he inspires others with his resilience, commitment to academics, and support for younger students—both in class and on the coach. Whether mentoring in the gym, attending extra clinics, or simply being a positive presence, Soham embodies the values of leadership, encouragement, and self-improvement, making him a truly deserving candidate for the Jack Petchey Award.

Arhan Panjwani: Arhan is a dedicated and inspiring student whose long-standing commitment to VEX robotics has empowered numerous younger teams through mentorship and support. His selfless guidance, leadership, and contributions across robotics, music, and school clubs make him a true role model in the QE community.

Ayaan Bhat: Ayaan is an exceptional role model whose maturity, kindness, and dedication to helping others shine through in every aspect of school life. As a peer mentor, rugby leader, and active contributor in class and form time, he consistently supports younger students, demonstrates resilience, and inspires those around him with his determination and humility.

Year 11
Jack Tan: Jack is an outstanding role model whose dedication to Eton Fives and support for younger students has made a lasting impact. As a committed captain and mentor, he consistently gives up his time to coach, inspire, and guide others – both on and off the court. His kindness, leadership, and willingness to help with both sport and academics make him a truly deserving recipient of the Jack Petchey Award.

Year 12
Viyath Wanninayaka: Viyath has shown exceptional leadership and generosity by running a challenging and engaging maths club that inspires younger students and stretches their thinking. He is not only highly knowledgeable and hardworking, but also kind, supportive, and always willing to help others – whether it’s giving academic advice or helping classmates with subjects like Latin, Maths, and Science.

Suhaas Sabbella: For being an outstanding leader of the medical ethics club, dedicating significant effort to expanding students’ knowledge beyond the curriculum and enhancing their understanding of medical dilemmas.

Aadam Aslam: For his support during rugby training sessions, both at lunchtime and after school, and for guiding younger students with their GCSE options. Many students find him to be a reliable confidant when it comes to school-related matters.

Year 13
Rayat Ferdous: This student has shown outstanding dedication to the Islamic Society through his consistent leadership in organising daily and Friday prayers, ensuring a respectful and well-maintained space for all students. He gives up his own time every day to set up and restore prayer rooms, supports charitable efforts, and acts as a role model and mentor for younger students. His commitment, humility, and reliability make him a highly deserving recipient of the Jack Petchey Award.

Shaurya Madan: For being an excellent role model and prefect, consistently exhibiting exemplary behaviour and attitude. Many students look up to him and aspire to learn how to improve themselves by following his example.

Year 13’s Muhammad Shah has won The Big Bang UK Young Technologist of the Year title for 2025.

His winning project, Icarus, is a decentralised telecommunication system designed for low-cost and effective emergency communications in remote areas: it was inspired by his love of the outdoors and of trekking.

Muhammad was one of 11 QE pupils to reach the finals of The Big Bang Competition.

Mark Wood, Social Sustainability Lead at sponsor Siemens GB&I, said: “Muhammad stood out with his decentralised communication system, which avoids reliance on cellular or satellite networks and has great opportunities for search and rescue, leisure and other business uses.

“Muhammad demonstrated independent learning and great communication and presentation skills and is a worthy winner of the prize!”

The Big Bang Competition, run by the EngineeringUK charity,  is open to young people in the UK aged 11-18 who are in state-funded education, are home-educated or who enter as part of a community group.

The Big Bang UK Young Technologist of the Year award recognises innovation in digital and sustainable technology. It highlights the importance of technology in various sectors, including search and rescue, leisure, and business.

Muhammad describes himself as an aspiring engineer who enjoys 3D printing, CAD modelling, printed circuit board (PCB) design and other electronics.

His project was inspired by the communication difficulties people experience in remote areas, and particularly by the need for better communication when people out trekking get into difficulty. Its decentralised approach avoids reliance on cellular or satellite networks.

With Muhammad unable to attend the Big Bang Fair at Birmingham’s NEC because of an A-level examination, the prize was instead presented at the School’s Technology Design Showcase by EngineeringUK’s Director of Communications, Beth Elgood, and Siemens’ General Manager and UK Country Lead, Hannah Winstanley. The two also agreed to serve on the judging panel at the QE event.

Tech spec: how Muhammad solved the problem

Icarus uses a custom Meshtastic PCB based on ESP32-S3 N8R8, L76K GPS and LoRa RA-01SH, designed to be fully assembled by the online PCB service provider, JLCPCB.

Meshtastic is a decentralised, off-grid network that lets users send and receive messages using affordable, low-power devices. Icarus also makes use of LoRa, a long-range radio protocol, which is widely accessible in most regions without the need for additional licences or certifications (unlike HAM radio). These radios are designed to rebroadcast messages they receive, forming a network. This setup ensures that every group member, including those at the furthest distance, can receive messages.