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Dr Yusuf Sherwani has put his medical training on hold to develop a hi-tech way of helping people stop smoking.

Yusuf (OE 2003–2010) combined his love of computing with his medical expertise to produce Quit Genius, an app which aims to make therapy for people trying to give up tobacco more cost-effective and scalable.

“Quit Genius became a passion during medical school after I saw how difficult it was for clinicians to prescribe effective behavioural therapy that could help people change their habits to help prevent disease.” In an interview with the American technology magazine, Wired, he explained that the problem with the face-to-face support often used to help patients stop smoking is that it is simply not financially sustainable. “We’re replacing the patient/therapist relationship with the patient and an app.”

Quit Genius is among a number of start-ups seeking to demonstrate that “supportive… treatment can be as effective as reaching for your phone”, the article explained.

The app has been developed by Yusuf’s company, Digital Therapeutics, of which he is CEO. It is being helped by a partnership, Velocity Health, set up by two large players in the fields of technology and healthcare, namely Wayra UK (which is, in turn, part of Telefónica) and Merck Sharp & Dohme UK (MSD). Velocity Health is an ‘accelerator’ for innovative healthcare solutions. In addition to the backing from Velocity Health, Quit Genius has also attracted support from angel investors.

Imran Hamid, chief commercial discovery for MSD, told Wired: “We’re witnessing the birth of digital therapeutics as a class of medicine in its own right.”

Yusuf has just graduated as a doctor from Imperial College School of Medicine, but has opted to pause his clinical training to focus on Quit Genius.

“I probably discovered my entrepreneurial streak during my time at QE,” he recalls. I started my first online start-up whilst in Year 9, creating a network of online bulletin boards which quickly amassed millions of monthly visitors, before selling the business in Year 11.”

In the Sixth Form, Yusuf asked to study Computing, which the School had not previously offered as an A-level. “I’ll always admire the fact that QE agreed to create a class for just three of us who wanted to study the subject!

“During that time, I also founded a consumer electronics e-commerce platform which relied on importing high-end audio equipment from China with a friend and contemporary at QE, Zainul Dhalla, which I carried on working on during my gap year. Zainul subsequently studied Law at Cambridge and is now a Senior Product Manager at a high-growth tech startup in London.

“The project was actually very successful for a number of years, helping us pay our way through university. However, eventually, we found it too gruelling an experience to juggle Medicine and Law respectively with a growing business and took the joint decision to wind it down. Several other start-ups have subsequently copied the same model and have been successfully operating for a number of years.”

Reflecting on his life so far, Yusuf adds this: “I’ll simply say that there’s light at the end of the tunnel for those who don’t make prefect!”

Mike Ajayi’s signing and promotion of platinum-selling indie rock band alt-J was the key which unlocked a highly successful career in the music industry.

Mike (OE 1998–2005) now runs his own label imprint, AMF (All My Friends) Records, which is part of the global Universal Music Group led by Mike’s fellow OE, Sir Lucian Grainge (1971–1978).

The big break for Mike came in 2011 when he firstly joined independent label Infectious Music to work under the pupillage of industry legend Korda Marshall and signed alt-J, then a four-piece band from Leeds University.

Yet when he reflects on his life at QE, he says that it was rugby, not music, that was his main passion in terms of extra-curricular School activities. “I was never the most gifted musically at school as I’d usually be found on the rugby pitch when I had a spare moment.” He played the game competitively throughout the age groups and was in the First XV from Year 11, as well as representing the School at county level and playing for Saracens.

“Rugby was definitely a calming influence for me and helped me get rid of some of that surplus energy that would sometimes spill in to the classroom. I wouldn’t say I was by any means the naughtiest, but I definitely knew how to push my luck at times. I give a lot of credit to former master Mr [Tim] Bennett, who was a great mentor and guide for myself and a lot of the boys during my time at QE. He was both my head of year and rugby coach, and he definitely instilled the belief in me that anything was possible.

“I think, looking back, that’s probably what sticks with me most about my time at QE – it wasn’t just what we learnt in the classroom, but also the way the School and teachers enabled us to be confident, free-thinking, independent young men. Something I feel has served me well through to today.

Although he didn’t excel at performing music at School, he did, however, find time to listen to it. “My love for music came mainly from School friends growing up; we’d listen to British bands such as Blur, Arctic Monkeys, The Streets and Bloc Party. At that time, TV channels like MTV Base and Channel U were quite prominent, so we listened to a lot US hip hop and R&B. Rappers and musicians like Eminem, Dr Dre, Missy Elliot, Talib Kweli or Maxwell definitely sound-tracked our youth, especially on those Saturday away games.”

It was when he went to the University of East Anglia that he began to find his own taste in music, discovering much more eclectic genres and going along to many live shows. “I eventually got in to writing reviews for a then up-and-coming music blog, Subba-Cultcha, which would involve often jumping on the National Express bus to review shows in London.”

In addition to this nascent career as a music journalist, Mike also had the opportunity to try his hand at live promotions: with the help of friends, he put on a local student club night in Norwich called Connected. “It was predominantly an old-school Garage and R&B night, and despite having a very limited budget, we were able to attract a host of UK urban acts, such as Wiley, Kano and Lethal B to name but a few. Although, it was a small venue, I found it great for discovering new urban music and meeting people in the industry. It also helped put a few extra pennies in my pocket whilst I navigated my way through university.”

It was around this time that Mike started to take the idea of working in music seriously: “I didn’t know where I saw myself fitting, but I just knew I wanted to be part of it.”

His first definite steps into a music industry career came in around 2009, when he took up an internship at Sony Music Entertainment. “I would be lying if there wasn’t a part of me that thought getting into the industry would instantly mean wild parties, and although that was the case on the odd occasion, it was actually probably the hardest period for me. I initially started out in their catalogue and compilations division in a role that involved me compiling all the required artist and legal information for music compilations.

“I did this for about two months before moving over to the newly reformed Jive records UK, home to English hip-hop artist Chipmunk and L.A. band Funeral Party. I guess that’s where I made my first transitions to becoming an A&R. [Artists and repertoire (A&R) is the division of a record responsible for talent-scouting and the artistic development of recording artists and songwriters.] At the time, my primary role was just being out and about scouting emerging talent and reporting back in to my boss. In order to do this, however, I had to take up various jobs ranging from working as a clerk in an eye hospital to weekend bar work, as the label only covered my expenses. My evenings would be spent travelling up and down the UK, sometimes attending three shows in a single night – and I’d still be expected to be in the office for 9:30am the next day. Although it was tiring and often quite lonely, I loved it!”

All those unpaid hours did eventually bring their reward, as Mike’s career began to take off rapidly when he joined Infectious and started working with Korda Marshall. “During my time there, I was really able to drill down on what is was to be an A&R. Beyond the talent-scouting element, I learnt about the processes that went in to making a record, as well the business side of the industry and actually signing talent. I had a good level of success, signing bands such as Superfood and Drenge, whilst also getting to work quite closely with Korda on ‘a&r-ing’ albums for The Temper Trap, These New Puritans, The Acid and Local Natives.

“Undoubtedly, my biggest achievement and involvement as an A&R came about when I signed alt-J in November 2011. We would go on to release their debut album An Awesome Wave, which went platinum in the UK (300,000+ album sales) and sold over 1 million copies worldwide. In addition to the sales, the album won the prestigious 2012 British Barclaycard Mercury Prize, and in 2013 it was named Album of the Year at the Ivor Novello Awards. The band’s sophomore album, This Is All Yours, led to continued success, reaching number 1 in the UK charts and cementing them as one of the biggest British bands, who sold out multiple O2 Arena shows and Madison Square Garden.”

Success breeds success, and, in 2015, Mike’s glittering period with Infectious and alt-J, brought him the opportunity, along with a fellow Infectious colleague, to start his own label imprint under Virgin EMI (part of Universal). Virgin EMI is home to artists including Emelie Sande, Taylor Swift, Jay-Z, Kanye West, James Bay and Bastille.

“Through this deal, my label, AMF Records, is tasked with the role of focusing on the long-term development of emerging British artists. One of the first signings was the BBC Sound of 2016 longlisted and critically acclaimed artist, Loyle Carner, whose debut, Yesterday’s Gone, has been lauded as one of 2017’s breakthrough albums in the UK and abroad.” Now in its third year, the label boasts a host of new acts, such as Connie Constance, Marika Hackman and Jelani Blackman, all set for releases this year.

Mike, who is London-based, adds: “The plan going forward is to further cement AMF Records as a home for nurturing and developing acts, which could hopefully lead to me following in the footsteps of Lucian Grainge.

“I feel very fortunate that I’ve been able to pursue a career in music and in no way has it perturbed my love for it, either. On a personal level, my focus has shifted to ‘giving back’ as I’ve tried to take a more active role in the industry.”

He plans to become involved in supporting events with current pupils at QE. And in the autumn, he will be working with the well-known academy, ELAM (East London Arts & Music), as part of its mentorship programme for aged 16 to 19.

“As well as that, I’ve also spoken on panels in the UK and US – and soon Australia, too – in the hope that I can provide greater insight into how younger generations can navigate their way through non-typical career paths.”

Five old boys of the School were involved in QE’s second annual Enrichment Week. Four OEs who were at QE in the 1940s to 1960s helped Year 7 boys with a project on the history of the School, while Nik Ward (2003–2010) came in to assist Year 10 pupils with an Art project and inter-House competition focusing on architecture.

Enrichment is an important aspect of life at QE today: boys have scores of opportunities to participate in extra-curricular activities (including clubs, sports, the performing arts, visits, competitions and House-based activities), while the academic side is catered for through subject-related clubs and clinics. Enrichment Week strengthens this provision still further, featuring activities that do not normally form part of the curriculum and developing in Years 7–10 boys a range of academic, personal and thinking skills.

The four older OEs accompanied the boys to the School’s original home, Tudor Hall, and worked with them on source material gathered from the archives. The four were: Ken Cooper (OE 1942–1950); Alan Solomon (OE 1951–1957); David Farrer (OE 1954–61) and Richard Newton (OE 1956–1964).

They recounted their own memories of School life, helping the boys understand points both of continuity and of change. The four recalled that in the post-war years, School took place on Saturday mornings, there was an open-air, unheated swimming pool, and corporal punishment was still quite prevalent –  albeit things had moved on from the Tudor Hall, where the central feature of the classroom is the whipping post in the middle of the room!

One OE remarked that whilst many people have a tendency to think things were better ‘in their day’, the opportunities and learning experiences available to current QE boys are better than they have ever been.

For his part, Nik Ward helped introduce the inter-House competition entitled Folding Architecture, which required boys to build a free-standing architectural structure using modular units, working with card, paper clips, tracing paper, acetate and fishing wire.

Head of Art Stephen Buckeridge said: “Nik gave a PowerPoint presentation documenting his journey from School to his completion of his MA in Architecture. He outlined the usefulness of the subjects that he had chosen at A-level (Art, Geography, Maths and Physics) for his studies and especially of Art. In fact, he reflected that many of his projects required a good knowledge of all the subjects that he studied at A-level.”

Nik assisted the boys throughout the project, providing technical, aesthetic and contextual advice. He judged the competition at the end of the day, selecting Pearce as the overall winner. He also stayed behind afterwards to talk to those boys who were interested in engineering and architecture, showing them his portfolio and projects and answering their questions.

Nik was among many OEs who came along to this year’s Elizabethan Union Dinner Debate, which took place in the spring.

As Chief Reporter at the daily newspaper, Metro, Aidan Radnedge covers all the biggest national and international issues of the day.

Aidan (OE 1988–1995) has also worked as a war correspondent and an international undercover journalist, and he has written books on world football and about the Olympics. In June 2017, the freesheet Metro overtook The Sun to become the UK’s biggest weekday newspaper by circulation.

Aidan follows in the footsteps of his father, Keir Radnedge, a noted football journalist who has written for World Soccer magazine for around half-a-century and is the author of 33 books. One brother, Noel (OE 1993-2000), is an IT expert, while another, Lyndon, is a senior diplomat with the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, who has had postings in Montenegro and Nigeria.

"I have very fond memories of QE," says Aidan, who recalls, in particular, "trips to Germany to appreciate and enrich our understanding of friendly counterparts". He won QE prizes and commendations for Music, History and Politics and was a Form Captain. School records show that he gained some early journalistic experience by working on the Underne House magazine.

After QE, Aidan went to Birmingham University, where he read English.

He happily recalls attending a QE Dinner Debate ten years after leaving School: "Six of us went as a gang and found former classmates surprised to find so many of us were still friends as adults – as we remain: the best of friends, a good gang."

Aidan is modest about his career – "apologies to QE for squandering such good grounding and potential” – yet his newspaper has a circulation of close to 1.5 million and is also widely read online. And he routinely writes front-page leads on the biggest news stories of the day, from the death of three-year-old Syrian refugee, Alan Kurdi, who drowned while trying to enter Europe with his family in 2015, to the 2016 Brexit referendum.

"In attempts at boasting mode, I would point towards times as a foreign correspondent in war zones in Iraq and Afghanistan; working undercover in crisis-ridden Zimbabwe at a time when foreign journalists were officially banned; and to working in earthquake-hit Nepal, famine-ridden Ethiopia and reporting child-soldier stories in Sierra Leone and Cambodia."

His sports books have been for major publishers, such as Carlton Books and Dorling Kindersley.

Akshay Ruparelia successfully launched his own online estate agency and secured more than half-a-million pounds in investment – all within a year of leaving QE.

Akshay (OE 2009–2016) spent the first year of his A-levels working on an app to help people buy homes cheaply and easily, and then used the lessons he had learned to create the fully-fledged estate agency, Doorsteps.co.uk.

"The app really confirmed my passion – almost an obsession – for the property market, as I saw how entrenched the market was. It lacked disruption and was archaic in its ways, yet we had grown up seeing shopping, dating, reading, taxis and other markets being disrupted and sometimes overhauled completely."

He was inspired by the record of online market leader Purplebricks, which in just three years had built a market share approaching that of Countrywide, the UK's largest estate agent, which had, by contrast, been developed through half a century of acquisitions and brand-building. "The market is ripe for disruption: it’s simply not every day that there is an opportunity to step into such a revolution!"

Although the app proved ahead of its time, Akshay was able to change tack during the second year of his A-levels and apply what he had learned to the creation of Doorsteps.co.uk. He also retained the support of renowned internet entrepreneur Mark Kotecha, who had invested in the app.

"Without compromising grades, I focused on developing a go-to-market strategy for the business – an online agency with a real branded feel, value proposition and great service. Something the market lacked, in my opinion."

His A-level results in August 2016 presented him with a dilemma: "I secured a place to read Economics at University College London." (Akshay wanted to stay in London, because he was a carer for both of his parents, who are deaf, and because his only other sibling was moving out to get married.) “But I had also secured a £100,000 angel investment to develop the business in the direction I wanted." He opted to develop the business.

By mid-2017, Doorsteps had distinctive branding with a warm feel and had grown within six months of full incorporation to become the sixth-largest online agency in the UK and the 41st of over 12,000 general estate agents, based on size.

Akshay hired several customer service staff – a focus which quickly started bearing fruit, as the agency received a top rating on Trustpilot and as word-of-mouth recommendations stimulated organic growth, leading to a tenfold increase in revenues in under six months.

Akshay launched a fund-raising campaign for Doorsteps.co.uk with crowd-funding site Crowdcube in the summer of 2017. The campaign hit its £400,000 target in less than half of its 30-day window. Akshay is using the money to enable further expansion and growth.

His interest in starting his own business was already well established while he was at school.

"I had long had an 'entrepreneurial streak' about me (I hate using the phrase, though, as it is so abstract), whether I was selling sweets in school (sorry!), colognes, or portable chargers. I wasn't hugely involved in clubs, but I did found the Young Entrepreneurship Club, which was effectively an upper-school competition for developing and nurturing new ideas.

"QE has helped me develop a sense of independence and resilience in a competitive atmosphere. This really gave me the mettle and the determination I needed, built over the years. I have also been plagued by a huge work ethic driving me to pursue the business further."

Chris Shurety has devoted a large part of his life to enabling people to make music.

In fact, having started to play instruments himself at the age of 40, Chris (OE 1956–1963) founded the whole late-starter orchestral movement in 1983 by establishing the East London Late Starters Orchestra.

In 2017, Chris’s contribution was recognised when he received an MBE for services to Music in the Queen’s Birthday Honours.

Chris is Artistic Director of Contemporary Music for All (CoMA) – an organisation he set up in 1993 to enable musicians of all abilities to play an active role in contemporary music. Today it has a national network of instrumental and vocal ensembles, an expanding international programme and a unique music collection comprising hundreds of works of new music.

When his MBE was announced, CoMA Chair Tom Service, a leading BBC Radio 3 presenter who also writes about music for The Guardian, said: “No single figure in contemporary musical life is responsible for commissioning as much and inspiring as much new music and music-making as Chris Shurety. But what’s most important is how he has realised his radical vision of a fully open, fully participative musical culture – and how an idea that started with CoMA is now radiating across the whole of musical culture, from schools to professional ensembles. He is one of the essential, inspirational presences in contemporary music, and the most deserving of this recognition!"

As a teenager, Chris loved jazz and was a regular at Barnet jazz club, but he traces his passion for classical music squarely back to Queen Elizabeth’s School, beginning with the time when his Geography teacher, R M 'Sam' Cocks, a member of the Royal Philharmonic Choir, offered him a free ticket to a Prom featuring Beethoven’s 9th Symphony. He adds: “There was no teaching of musical instruments at the School, but my interest was reinforced through a great collection of LPs, probably owned by Music teacher Charles ‘Dick’ Whittington. He also recalls Biology teacher Eric Crofts practising his bassoon while the boys dissected worms and frogs – "It seemed an entirely natural thing to be doing."

His passion for music was clearly contagious: "A small group of us used to set off after school every week for what was then the Radio 3 Thursday Invitation concerts. Lots of contemporary music there!”

Like many OEs, he speaks affectionately of Head of Art Hew Purchas, who died in 2016. "I was the only sailor in School, but amazingly the School had a Cadet dinghy at Aldeburgh reservoir, so instead of the usual sports, I used to cycle there on a Wednesday afternoon to be met by [Hew Purchas], who used the occasions to paint. He was lovely, other-worldly. He was influential in making me into a practicing artist ...and today I have a boat moored on the river Orwell."

Other activities Chris enjoyed at QE included:

• Geology
• Walking, especially in the mountains. "I started a Mountaineering Club whilst at school but guess it has ceased to be in this world of litigation..."
• Books and projects. "I used to organise the school library’s displays."

"I’ve always been somewhat extra-curricular," he says. He adds that he was far from a model pupil: "I rebelled and got regularly punished for it. I was told by my English teacher (Colin Carter) once that I had received more beatings than any other pupil in the School's history – although presumably he meant its recent history; surely not since 1573! As I left, I know the School was putting those days behind it, with the appointment of the new headmaster, Timothy Edwards, in 1961."

Leaving School with Biology, Chemistry and Geography A-levels, he went to Southampton University – chosen for the sailing – initially to study Geology, but he later switched to Botany. "I followed this with research into ryegrass ecotypes at Aberystwyth and into the physiology of serum proteins following trauma, at Odstock Hospital, Salisbury.

Retired lawyer Richard ‘Jerry’ Golland has helped hundreds of young people and handled millions of pounds in his long years of charity work.

Jerry (OE 1956–1963) was awarded a British Empire Medal for services to Business and Charity in the 2017 Queen's Birthday Honours.

A solicitor who lives in Welwyn Hatfield, Jerry spent more than a decade with The Prince's Trust and continues to work with The Sylvia Adams Charitable Trust, a charity formed with the £5.2m assets of an antique dealer which helps vulnerable children and families affected by illness in the UK and supports development projects in Africa.

He spent more than 40 years as a lawyer with a number of firms, having benefited from a QE connection for the vital first step in that successful career. He was also the Hertfordshire Chairman – and, later, East of England Regional Chairman – for the Institute of Directors.

On the announcement of the Birthday Honours, Jerry told the Welwyn Hatfield Times: "I am surprised, but tickled pink. It is nice to know that people notice, especially as it is local people who have nominated me."

Jerry set out his story in his own words, as follows.

"I was born in Welwyn Garden City on 22nd April 1945. My father, Richard John Golland was an old boy at QE before the war [OE 1928–1935]. He was a civil engineer. Dad was working in Tanganyika in 1949 building the deep-water port at Mtwara for the infamous Ground Nut Scheme [a failed attempt by the British government to cultivate peanuts on areas of land in this country, which is now Tanzania]. My mother took me and my sister Mary (who went to the Girls' School) in 1949 by seaplane to Tanganyika. We stayed there until 1953, when it was decided we should come home as my Swahili was better than my English, and I could not read or write, but could dismantle and clean a Lea Enfield 303 rifle and skin a leopard! I was sent to Franklin House, a prep school in Palmers Green where they beat the Swahili out of me and somehow got me through the eleven plus. EHJ [Ernest Harold Jenkins, Headmaster 1930–1961] interviewed me and I only got in to QE as Dad was an OE.

"I was known as Jerry at school – and often as Golly. My name can doubtless still be found on some silverware at QE: I seem to remember the 220 yards, 440 yards and the long jump cup. I struggled academically as the prep school had not taught me how to learn and no-one realised this when I was at QE. In the end, I ended up with one A-level and quite a few O-levels.

"Fred Jefferies was then a governor and a solicitor practicing in North Finchley. He wanted a couple of articled clerks, so Nigel Emery from my year and I embarked on becoming solicitors through five years of articles. Nigel managed to pass all of his exams, but I took until 1971 to get through mine. Fred made me a partner and I stayed with Merton Jones Lewsey & Jefferies until 1989, when I was enticed away to Join Taylor Walker in St Albans. In 1995 I was headhunted into Matthew Arnold & Baldwin, where I remained until I retired in 2011. Fred was a very good commercial solicitor, and took me under his wing. I found I had a talent for merger & acquisition work, with a particular interest in corporate governance. That interest eventually lead me into advising charities, which in those days were very badly run and needed a good dose of commercial common sense.

"In 1994, Alan 'Happy' Morris, an accountant and an OE, asked me to help him with a client called Sylvia Adams. She had fallen over and broken her hip. She had a fantastic collection of antiques, having been a dealer whose best client was Queen Mary! She wanted to set up a charity, and in 1995 Alan and I formed The Sylvia Adams Charitable Trust with £5.2 million pounds generated from the sale of the collection. At that time the Trust supported disabled people, young people, and those in poverty, both within the UK and abroad in third-world countries. Alan was chairman of trustees and I was the other trustee. Alan resigned as trustee in 2000 as he was unwell; I became chairman and we took in two other trustees, one of whom was a certain Eamonn Harris [Headmaster 1984–1999]. SACT continues to this day, although our work is now a little different.” [The charity currently focuses on helping organisations involved in: early years’ work with some of the country’s most disadvantaged children; supporting and informing families and communities affected by genetic conditions, and development work in Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda.]

"Going back to 1995, I was approached by the manager of the Prince's Youth Business Trust to join their board in Hertfordshire to assess businesses that had applied for support and to make loans to them. I volunteered in this way until 2000 when the then-chairman stood down. I was asked to apply for the role, was appointed, and then told a week later that The Prince of Wales had decided to combine the three trusts he had set up over the years. The work of one of the Trusts was contracted out to the YMCA in Watford by head office, and the other two had their own boards and volunteers. It took a bit of doing, but by the end of 2000, we had one Hertfordshire Board and all went well. As Hertfordshire Chairman, I also sat on the Regional Committee. By 2006 we had undergone another set of changes, including merging with the Bedfordshire Board, and when yet more change was proposed which would mean the end of using volunteers except for fundraising, I decided enough was enough! In my time as chairman we helped over 1,300 young people in Hertfordshire, something I will always be proud of.

"I had been a member of the Institute of Directors since 1990. I used the Hertfordshire Branch as a good networking opportunity. In 2001, I was asked to join the Hertfordshire Committee, and in 2002, when the then-chairman left the role suddenly, I found myself being put forward as Hertfordshire Chairman. I accepted and after four years was appointed Regional Chairman for the East of England. That role was for three years, and I stepped down in 2009.

"My role at The Sylvia Adams Charitable Trust continues, but I am no longer involved in the other roles. I am a member of Brookmans Park Golf Club [In 2017, he was Captain of the Muntjacs, the club’s senior section]. Richard Newton and I started in 1C in September 1956, and when Brooksmans Park played Porters Park Golf Club in 2017, Richard was their Captain. These OEs get everywhere! I was a member of the OE rugby club, the athletics team and the cricket club. My other passion is our narrow boat, Albert Henry, that we keep on the Grand Union Canal near Ivinghoe. Life at four miles an hour is a great stress-reliever.

"Trina and I were married in 1970 and are still together. Mum and Dad died in 2006 and 2003 respectively. We have two daughters. Sarah is married and lives in Cambridge. She and Ed have two daughters, Emily, who is eight, and Martha, five. Laura is not married, but has a partner, Al, and they have been together for 11 years. They have two daughters, Niamh, four, and Grace, one. They live in Wellington, New Zealand, which means a long trip every year, and lots of Skyping!”

Mike Ajayi got his big break when, in quick succession, he started working for a music industry legend and signed chart-toppers alt-J.

That led eventually to Mike (OE 1998–2005) running his own label imprint, AMF (All My Friends) Records, which is part of the global Universal Music Group led by Mike's fellow OE, Sir Lucian Grainge (1971–1978).

Mike signed alt-J – then just a four-piece band from Leeds University but now a platinum-selling indie success story – in 2011 shortly after he joined independent label Infectious Music to work under the pupillage of Korda Marshall.

"My love for music came mainly from School friends growing up," he says. "We'd listen to British bands such as Blur, Arctic Monkeys, The Streets and Bloc Party. At that time, TV channels like MTV Base and Channel U were quite prominent, so we listened to a lot of US hip hop and R&B. Rappers and musicians like Eminem, Dr Dre, Missy Elliot, Talib Kweli or Maxwell definitely sound-tracked our youth, especially on those Saturday away [rugby] games."

For it was, he says, sport not music, that was his main passion in terms of extra-curricular School activities. "I was never the most gifted musically at school as I'd usually be found on the rugby pitch when I had a spare moment." He played the game competitively throughout the age groups and was in the First XV from Year 11, also playing at county level and for Saracens.

"Rugby was definitely a calming influence for me and helped me get rid of some of that surplus energy that would sometimes spill into the classroom. I wouldn't say I was by any means the naughtiest, but I definitely knew how to push my luck at times. I give a lot of credit to former master Mr [Tim] Bennett, who was a great mentor and guide for myself and a lot of the boys during my time at QE. He was both my head of year and rugby coach, and he definitely instilled the belief in me that anything was possible.

"I think, looking back, that's probably what sticks with me most about my time at QE – it wasn't just what we learnt in the classroom, but also the way the School and teachers enabled us to be confident, free-thinking, independent young men. Something I feel has served me well through to today."

It was when he went to the University of East Anglia that he began to find his own taste in music, discovering much more eclectic genres and going along to many live shows. "I eventually got in to writing reviews for a then up-and-coming music blog, Subba-Cultcha, which would involve often jumping on the National Express bus to review shows in London."

In addition to this nascent career as a music journalist, Mike also had the opportunity to try his hand at live promotions: with the help of friends, he put on a local student club night in Norwich called Connected. "It was predominantly an old-school Garage and R&B night, and despite having a very limited budget, we were able to attract a host of UK urban acts, such as Wiley, Kano and Lethal B to name but a few. Although, it was a small venue, I found it great for discovering new urban music and meeting people in the industry. It also helped put a few extra pennies in my pocket whilst I navigated my way through university."

It was around this time that Mike started to take the idea of working in music seriously: "I didn't know where I saw myself fitting, but I just knew I wanted to be part of it."

His first definite steps into a music industry career came in around 2009, when he took up an internship at Sony Music Entertainment. "I would be lying if there wasn't a part of me that thought getting into the industry would instantly mean wild parties, and although that was the case on the odd occasion, it was actually probably the hardest period for me. I initially started out in their catalogue and compilations division in a role that involved me compiling all the required artist and legal information for music compilations.

"I did this for about two months before moving over to the newly reformed Jive records UK, home to English hip-hop artist Chipmunk and L.A. band Funeral Party. I guess that's where I made my first transitions to becoming an A&R. [Artists and repertoire (A&R) is the division of a record company responsible for talent-scouting and the artistic development of recording artists and songwriters.] At the time, my primary role was just being out and about scouting emerging talent and reporting back in to my boss. In order to do this, however, I had to take up various jobs ranging from working as a clerk in an eye hospital to weekend bar work, as the label only covered my expenses. My evenings would be spent travelling up and down the UK, sometimes attending three shows in a single night – and I'd still be expected to be in the office for 9:30am the next day. Although it was tiring and often quite lonely, I loved it!"

All those unpaid hours did eventually bring their reward, as Mike’s career began to take off rapidly when he joined Infectious and started working with Korda Marshall. "During my time there, I was really able to drill down on what is was to be an A&R. Beyond the talent-scouting element, I learnt about the processes that went in to making a record, as well the business side of the industry and actually signing talent. I had a good level of success, signing bands such as Superfood and Drenge, whilst also getting to work quite closely with Korda on 'a&r-ing' albums for The Temper Trap, These New Puritans, The Acid and Local Natives.

"Undoubtedly, my biggest achievement and involvement as an A&R came about when I signed alt-J in November 2011. We would go on to release their debut album An Awesome Wave, which went platinum in the UK (300,000+ album sales) and sold over 1 million copies worldwide. In addition to the sales, the album won the prestigious 2012 British Barclaycard Mercury Prize, and in 2013 it was named Album of the Year at the Ivor Novello Awards. The band’s sophomore album, This Is All Yours, led to continued success, reaching number 1 in the UK charts and cementing them as one of the biggest British bands, who sold out multiple O2 Arena shows and Madison Square Garden."

Success breeds success, and, in 2015, Mike's glittering period with Infectious and alt-J, brought him the opportunity, along with a fellow Infectious colleague, to start his own label imprint under Virgin EMI (part of Universal). Virgin EMI is home to artists including Emelie Sande, Taylor Swift, Jay-Z, Kanye West, James Bay and Bastille.

"Through this deal, my label, AMF Records, is tasked with the role of focusing on the long-term development of emerging British artists. One of the first signings was the BBC Sound of 2016 longlisted and critically acclaimed artist, Loyle Carner, whose debut, Yesterday’s Gone, has been lauded as one of 2017's breakthrough albums in the UK and abroad.” Now in its third year, the label boasts a host of new acts, such as Connie Constance, Marika Hackman and Jelani Blackman.

Mike, who is London-based, adds: "The plan going forward is to further cement AMF Records as a home for nurturing and developing acts, which could hopefully lead to me following in the footsteps of Lucian Grainge.

"I feel very fortunate that I've been able to pursue a career in music and in no way has it perturbed my love for it, either. On a personal level, my focus has shifted to 'giving back' as I’ve tried to take a more active role in the industry."

Mike is committed to working with pupils at schools including QE and the well-known academy, ELAM (East London Arts & Music).

"As well as that, I've also spoken on panels in the UK and US in the hope that I can provide greater insight into how younger generations can navigate their way through non-typical career paths."

Now flourishing as a photographer in Austria, Gavin Otter is a prime example of how life and careers can take unexpected turns.

He was neither a linguist nor a sportsman at School, yet Gavin (OE 1984–1989) is now fluent in German and an enthusiastic marathon-runner, skier, climber and snowboarder.

He is also a qualified paramedic with the Austrian Red Cross, having come second in his class in a course that was taught entirely in German. He taught himself the language, simply learning it from those around him and from the media.

Upon leaving School, Gavin had originally planned to go first to university and then into the army, but ended up doing neither. “I don’t regret that at all. I have studied other things, which I believe have benefited me more.”

He worked in marketing & sales and originally came to Austria with a former business partner to set up an events company. “We had that for seven years and my business partner still runs it, but I moved on purely because it was not making me any money. I learnt a lot, though, and it was fun. You have never really learnt anything until you fail: just stand up and do something even better.”

He first started developing an interest in photography in around 2007 and has been a been a professional photographer for some three years. “It evolved into something that is now a business,” he says. He works on a variety of assignments, including weddings, documentaries and commercial projects and says: “I am fortunate to be surrounded by some of Austria’s most stunning scenery, as well as some fascinating people.”

Gavin lives in the beautiful Austrian Tyrol and in a recent project for his blog, A Month of Colour, he photographed subjects ranging from his two small boys at play to summer views of the mountains and, from a visit back to the UK, a picture of the QE main building.

His advice for others considering a move into a similar career is: “Make sure you have another source of income as well; you are not going to be David Bailey overnight and it takes a while to build up a business. It is fun, though, building a business and watching it grow.

“If there’s anything I would like to pass on, especially to the boys at School currently, it’s this: don’t quit – you don’t know what you are going to do tomorrow and anything can happen. You can plan your life ahead…but things develop and you have to look for opportunities and go with what you feel is right.”

Frankie Vu’s burgeoning career combines roles as a live sports host and children’s TV presenter with the world of freestyle football.

Frankie (Francis) appears on the CBBC and Disney XD children’s channels, acts as host at Arsenal’s Champions League home matches and is a professional freestyler.

He attended QE from 2000 to 2008, enjoying some early career breakthroughs while still at School. He once raced from an AS examination straight to Manchester to appear in a music video. In the video, for The Way I Are (sic) by the American rapper, producer and DJ, Timbaland, Frankie is seen performing as a freestyler. (Freestyle football is the art of self-expression with a football, with players performing tricks using various parts of their body.)

“I was still at QE when I won the UK football freestyle championship in 2006,” he says. “This actually stemmed from a serious sports injury that I had sustained the previous year: I found that football freestyle was a good way to work on my rehab during the long period I had to spend away from team sports.

“I fell in love with the process of getting something wrong so many times and of eventually succeeding, but in my own time and on my terms.”

On leaving QE, Frankie studied English Language & Communication at King’s College London.

“I was unsure what I wanted to do after university, so during the holidays I completed two summer internships at Centrica and Barclays. Although I enjoyed both, I wasn't convinced that either was a good ‘fit’.

“However, in my final year I had attended a talk on careers in the media. One thing led to another and eventually I was invited to screen-test for Disney. Then – and this is a very condensed version of the story! – I secured my first TV contract at the end of the summer.”

Since then, he has been a host for the fencing and taekwondo events at London Olympics and for the wheelchair fencing at the 2012 Paralympic Games, as well as for other live sporting events, including rugby and NFL and at the Emirates Stadium, where he interviews stars from the past for Arsenal’s Champions Club.

His TV work includes exploring the world of the future in CBBC’s Technobabble show – an interest he has also demonstrated in videos from the Mobile World Congress and through fronting previews for the Gadget Show Live.

Frankie has his own YouTube channel and is very much at home in the online world, being close to well-known ‘vloggers’ including Zoella (Zoe Elizabeth Sugg), Marcus Butler, Caspar Lee and Jim Chapman.

• Frankie can be contacted through social media on @theFrankieVu