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The School started this Autumn Term buoyed by another excellent set of results in the summer’s public examinations.

In the face of warnings from Ofqual, the examinations regulator, that this year’s results nationally would be ‘particularly volatile’, boys at QE once again performed very strongly, with 96% of A-levels taken being awarded A*–B grades. At GCSE, the picture was similarly impressive: 90% of GCSEs sat here gained either an A* or A grade. More recently, the Sunday Times placed QE in first place in its Parent Power league table of state schools for the second consecutive year.

Whilst we are proud of such achievements, it is important to understand that they result not only from a great deal of sustained hard work on the part of the pupils, but also from a strategic approach by the School aimed at creating and maintaining an educational environment in which talent is identified, nurtured and encouraged to thrive.

That approach is set out in our 2012–16 School Development Plan. Put simply, the plan underpins our current success while also keeping us moving forward as a School.  Our Assistant Heads work assiduously to ensure that we maintain progress with each of the plan’s themes, while the Second Master, Colin Price, and I oversee the whole process. Next year will be about evaluating the effectiveness of the changes made to date and also about starting to consult with all our stakeholders as we look towards a new School Development Plan for 2016–2020.

At the start of this academic year, I enjoyed hearing about the summer holiday rugby and cricket tour of Sri Lanka, which involved around 50 boys drawn from Years 10-13. Facing tough opposition in challenging climatic conditions, the tourists found wins hard to come by, but nevertheless enjoyed the experience of a lifetime. The tour marked the 100th anniversary of the introduction of rugby at the School.

Highlights of the term itself have included the visit to Buckingham Palace by Gee Scarisbrick, of our Mathematics Department, to receive her MBE from the Princess Royal. The award was announced earlier this year in the Queen’s Birthday Honours.

The School is receiving 49 poppies from the Tower of London’s World War I Blood Swept Lands and Seas of Blood art installation, which we believe to be the single largest purchase of the ceramic poppies. They have been bought for the School by the Trustees to the Foundation of the Schools of Queen Elizabeth using money from a bequest from Dennis Nelms (OE 1934–1941) and his wife, Muriel. The number represents every OE who perished in the 1914–1918 conflict, together with one in memory of Mr Nelm’s brother, who died in the Second World War. The School is currently considering how to display the poppies.

There has been a special focus on Year 11 this term, with every boy having an individual meeting with a senior member of staff as they start the important process of making their Sixth Form choices. We invest considerable time and effort into preparing boys of this age for their future beyond QE. Year 11 boys recently participated in our annual Careers Convention. I am most grateful to the Old Elizabethans and other friends of the School who supported this event.

May I wish all our old boys and their families a happy Christmas and a peaceful and prosperous 2015.

Neil Enright

In just seven years as a solicitor, Ross Lima has worked on multi-million pound deals and contracts for clients ranging from the BBC and the Royal Pharmaceutical Society to Avocet Mining and BP.

Since last year, Ross (OE 1995-2002) has been working for Shell, where he is Lead Legal Counsel for the sale of catalysts across large areas of the globe.

During his School years, he took part in extra-curricular activities, including rugby, athletics and debating.

He went to Sheffield University to read Law in the autumn of 2002 after completing his A-levels in that summer. Ross was elected to the university’s Law Society and also threw himself into organising events including Christmas and summer balls. He was also elected to the university’s Commercial Services Board, which is in charge of holding the spending of the student union to account.

On completing his LLB degree in 2005, Ross took a gap year and went travelling in South East Asia (Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia and Singapore) as well as Australia, New Zealand and Japan.

“During this period I applied for and got a job as a trainee solicitor at Field Fisher Waterhouse LLP (FFW), a multi-national law firm headquartered in the City of London, and in 2006-2007, I attended BPP Law School in London, where I completed my legal practice course,” he says.

Ross qualified as a solicitor in 2009, specialising in Mergers and Acquisitions. “While at FFW I acted for  Avocet Mining plc on its US$200m sale of its South East Asian mining assets – a deal which took over a year to complete and required the meeting of local regulations across SE Asian countries.”

He also went on various secondments which, he says, give him valuable experience of different environments in very diverse sectors.

“I was seconded to The Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain as part of a two-person legal team with the object of splitting the RPSGB into the General Pharmaceutical Council (the regulator for all pharmacists in Great Britain) and retaining the RPSGB as the professional body for pharmacists in Great Britain.”

He acted for BBC Worldwide on the sale of 85% of BBC Audiobooks.

And he had his first experience of working for an oil-industry employer when he was seconded to BP plc. He worked in its Castrol division on contracts that tested the way Castrol worked in various engines, seeking to improve the brand’s offering to the market.

Now at Shell, he works across EMEAR countries (Europe, Middle East, Africa and Russia) on the sale of catalysts and the provision of technical services on downstream sites. (In the oil and gas industry, ‘downstream’ commonly refers to the refining and processing of crude oil and raw natural gas, as well as the marketing and distribution of the final products).

“The breadth of work at Shell has been wider than I initially could have imagined before taking the role. Alongside the legal work itself, I speak every day to clients and customers across the EMEAR region.”

The sales in which he is involved concern the catalyst that is used in the refineries of Shell and other oil & gas companies’ refineries across the world.

“Catalysts are tiny particles that speed up chemical reactions without being consumed themselves. They can accelerate production, increase yield of product and save energy,” explains Ross. “They are used to produce cleaner fuels, such as ultra-low sulphur diesel, and also have a large impact on successfully transforming natural gas into valuable synthetic oil products such as detergents and plastics. The catalyst business focuses on producing the most highly active and stable catalysts that function reliably.”

Arjun Paliwal (OE 2006-2013) has launched his own website to display his work and talk about his experiences and insights.

Now in his second year studying Fine Art at New College, Oxford, Arjun also told Alumni News more about a special event that he staged at the college during the summer.

“I wanted to experiment with the hybrid nature of painting and sculpture in contemporary art, and so I placed my paintings in the middle of the New College Lawn for one day only, but presented them as sculptural forms. As the day progressed, students started to draw towards the works, sitting around them eating lunch or studying. They were subconsciously participating in the work of art. This, to me, is a whole new opportunity for artists, and one that I cannot wait to continue exploring.”

Arjun provided this update after featuring in last summer’s Alumni News e-newsletter.

In his first year at Oxford, one of his films – Human – was chosen as one of only ten being shown at the Ruskin Shorts show.

The annual event showcases the diversity of moving image work undertaken by students, alumni and staff of ‘the Ruskin’, Oxford University’s Fine Art department. The show took place at Modern Art Oxford, one of the UK’s leading venues for the presentation of modern and contemporary visual art.

Arjun’s three-minute film has a minimalist sound track and features headings such as ‘Robot’ and ‘It isn’t funny’ interspersed with fast-moving images.

Arjun had already begun to make his mark in the wider art world while still at QE: his A-level examination artwork, entitled Frames, was shortlisted in the Royal Academy’s A-level Summer Exhibition Online.

In the longer term, he would like to work as a product designer.

Arjun’s website is www.arjunpaliwal.com. [Website no longer operating – Ed. May 2019]

Old Elizabethans are engaging enthusiastically in a special initiative to build the book collections for the School’s new Queen’s Library.

In the opening three weeks of the scheme, 82 books together worth more than £1,000 have been donated by old boys through online Amazon wish lists.

The Headmaster said: “We are extremely grateful to those alumni who have already donated, thereby making a tangible contribution for the benefit of the current generation of Elizabethans. This is an ongoing appeal, so it is of course not too late for OEs to give books through the wish lists.”

The lists have been compiled by Ciara Murray, the professional librarian appointed by the School to run the Library, which is located at the heart of the School campus on the site of the old Refectory.

Martyn Bradish, Chairman of the Old Elizabethans Association, wrote to OEs in November to solicit their support: “The Librarian has produced a list of volumes that the School wishes to acquire over nine subject areas and one category of fiction.

“What I appeal to you to do is to buy one or more volumes by going on to Amazon and the respective wish list using the links below. Please only buy through the Amazon wish lists shown below as this means that duplicate volumes are not donated.”

To date, Economics, Technology, Geography and Philosophy have proved the most popular categories, with literature, poetry and ancient history texts also to the fore.

“The boys have already been looking at and borrowing some of the books that I’ve put out on the shelves,” said Ms Murray.

In recognition of each donation, the donor’s name will be listed in the Library’s electronic catalogue, and also physically in the book itself, with their name and the years in which they attended QE inscribed on a bookplate.

Several donors have also taken advantage of a facility to include a donation note. Some notes are a recommendation of the particular books they have chosen, or a dedication to a family member, or simply best wishes for the success of the Library.

All donors receive a letter of thanks from the Headmaster.

The Library has quickly become popular with boys, as well as adding significantly to QE’s educational resources. It provides a study base during lesson periods for QE Sixth-Formers and incorporates a university-style seminar room for Sixth Form teaching.

The Queen’s Library boasts 100 new computer terminals, as well as ample further space for reading and writing.

Now open to all boys at lunchtimes – when users are free to browse and borrow – the Library is also being used after school by pupils from across the year groups in the independent study club.

Induction sessions for every year were held this term, during which Ms Murray taught boys how to access both printed and digital resources. The state-of-the-art catalogue system even has an ‘x marks the spot’-type function, indicating with a red circle on a digital floor plan exactly where their chosen title can be found.

Through the eQE portal, boys can make reservations, append their own book reviews to the catalogue and use the ‘recommend a book’ form, which will directly inform acquisitions.

Developments planned for the coming months range from the recruitment and training of pupil librarians, to trials to explore whether subscriptions to particular online resources would be helpful for Sixth-Formers’ advanced studies.

The lists are automatically kept up-to-date, with items removed as they are purchased and other titles regularly being added.

Oil industry solicitor Ross Lima routinely handles multi-million pound contracts and deals with contacts across large parts of the globe.

Since 2013, Ross (OE 1995-2002) has worked for Shell, where he is Lead Legal Counsel for the sale of catalysts across the EMEAR countries (Europe, Middle East, Africa and Russia). Before that he worked for clients ranging from the BBC and the Royal Pharmaceutical Society to Avocet Mining and BP.

During his School years, he took part in extra-curricular activities, including rugby, athletics and debating. After A-levels he went to Sheffield University to read Law and was elected to the university’s Law Society. He also threw himself into organising events including Christmas and summer balls.

Ross was elected to the university's Commercial Services Board, which is in charge of holding the spending of the student union to account. On completing his LLB degree in 2005, Ross took a gap year and went travelling in South East Asia (Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia and Singapore) as well as Australia, New Zealand and Japan.

“During this period I applied for and got a job as a trainee solicitor at Field Fisher Waterhouse LLP (FFW), a multi-national law firm headquartered in the City of London, and in 2006-2007, I attended BPP Law School in London, where I completed my legal practice course,” he says.

Ross qualified as a solicitor in 2009, specialising in Mergers and Acquisitions. “While at FFW I acted for Avocet Mining plc on its US$200m sale of its South East Asian mining assets – a deal which took over a year to complete and required the meeting of local regulations across SE Asian countries.”

He also went on various secondments which, he says, give him valuable experience of different environments in very diverse sectors.

“I was seconded to The Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain as part of a two-person legal team with the object of splitting the RPSGB into the General Pharmaceutical Council (the regulator for all pharmacists in Great Britain) and retaining the RPSGB as the professional body for pharmacists in Great Britain.”

He then went on to act for BBC Worldwide on the sale of 85% of BBC Audiobooks. And he had his first experience of working for an oil-industry employer when he was seconded to BP plc. He worked in its Castrol division on contracts that tested the way Castrol worked in various engines, seeking to improve the brand’s offering to the market.

At Shell, he has worked across both on the sale of catalysts and the provision of technical services on downstream sites. (In the oil and gas industry, ‘downstream’ commonly refers to the refining and processing of crude oil and raw natural gas, as well as the marketing and distribution of the final products).

“The breadth of work at Shell was wider than I initially could have imagined before taking the role. Alongside the legal work itself, I speak every day to clients and customers across the EMEAR region.”

The sales in which he is involved concern the catalyst that is used in the refineries of Shell and other oil & gas companies’ refineries across the world.

“Catalysts are tiny particles that speed up chemical reactions without being consumed themselves. They can accelerate production, increase yield of product and save energy,” explains Ross. “They are used to produce cleaner fuels, such as ultra-low sulphur diesel, and also have a large impact on successfully transforming natural gas into valuable synthetic oil products such as detergents and plastics. The catalyst business focuses on producing the most highly active and stable catalysts that function reliably.”  

Alongside his increasing success as a published and performance poet, Anthony Anaxagorou is also committed to education.

Anthony (OE 1994-99) started writing poetry in his teens and at 17, he won the prestigious Mayor of London's Poetry Slam with his poem, Anthropos. He was initially inclined towards a career in music and studied Music Production at the University of Westminster. After realising that this was not for him – and after a short period supporting himself with odd jobs including warehouse work – he committed himself to working full-time as a poet.

In 2009 he published his first book, Card Not Accepted – a collection of essays, short stories and poetry, all reflecting moments from his life and providing a commentary on western living. In May of that year the MOBO award-winning hip hop artist Akala chose Anthony’s short poem Himself, from the Card Not Accepted collection, to be read out on the BBC Newsnight programme by the actor Damian Lewis:
A man stands inside the noise of the world,
But all he hears is peace,
A man stands inside the stillness of a virgin field,
But all he hears is noise,
All a man ever hears is himself

Anthony’s work frequently looks at the spiritual search for inner peace. It also encompasses themes that deal with politics, racism, history and philosophy. His work has attracted increasing admiration and attention and drawn testimonials such as this from The Sunday Times: “Look out for Anthony Anaxagorou … a near-spiritual experience.” and The Evening Standard: “One of the most powerful stage performances I’ve seen.”

He has a number of poetry and short story collections in print and his poetry has appeared on BBC Youth Nation, BBC Newsnight, the British Urban Film Awards, BBC 6 Music and has been performed by Cirque du Soleil. His work has been studied in universities across the USA, the UK and Australia and has been translated into Spanish, Japanese and French.

In addition to his poetry career, Anthony has run creative-writing workshops in schools for the First Story educational trust. The organisation focuses on schools in which more than 50% of pupils are considered deprived, according to the Income Deprivation Affecting Children Index. Over the course of an academic year, each writer-in-residence leads weekly after-school workshops for a group of up to 21 pupils. The pupils’ writing is then published in a professionally produced anthology for each school; the schools host book launch events at which the students read their stories to their peers, friends, families and teachers.

In 2014 Anthony was welcomed back to QE where he spoke to a number of Year 10 classes about his work as both a writer and teacher.

He also undertook a tour of Australia, which took in Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane and Canberra. The tour featured a number of sell-out workshops and in the course of his travels he was interviewed by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation.