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Representatives of Perspective, QE’s new pupil-led initiative, have joined senior staff to highlight the importance of Black History Month.

School Vice-Captains Thomas Mgbor and Ayodimeji Ojelade, of Year 13, have been speaking in assemblies at the School, while teachers have also led assemblies and the academic departments are uploading resources to the eQE digital learning platform throughout the month, promoting discussion and awareness in all the subject areas. Pictured here is a Year 12 assembly on Black History Month themes led by Head of Year Simon Walker.

Headmaster Neil Enright said: “I am pleased that we are doing more to celebrate black history, especially during Black History Month, and I congratulate Thomas, Ayo and our Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Ambassadors on all the hard work they have done.”

Mr Enright added that QE’s forthcoming comprehensive review of the curriculum being carried out in connection with the launch of a new School Development Plan covering the period 2021-2025 will incorporate the themes of combatting racial bias.

The departmental materials, curated on eQE, showcase the work of influential black artists, scientists, poets, engineers and musicians; examine issues such as historical inequality in the protection of intellectual property, or the way in which colonial powers redrew national borders; and consider such questions as the social construction of race, and where our knowledge of black history comes from.

As well as assemblies with contributions both by the Vice-Captains and some Heads of Year and the eQE content, other Black History Month activities at QE include:

• The release of a list of anti-racism books by The Queen’s Library; and
• Short videos from alumni that are being used to stimulate discussions on Black History Month in form groups.

Thomas said: “This experience has been really eye-opening for us. The ability to learn more about our own culture has redefined what black history was, especially within the UK. Understanding the contribution of black people within the UK has shown us how black history is British history”.

One of the first Old Elizabethans to respond to his and Ayo’s request to set out their thoughts and experiences on video was Ifeanyi Chinweze (OE 2008-15), who recorded separate films for Years 7-9 and Years 10-13.

In his video for the younger boys, Ifeanyi began by introducing himself, saying that although his family originally came from Nigeria, he has lived in the UK for his whole life. He recounted his personal history of the “hurtful” comments he received as a teenager, as others questioned his love for the performing arts (including debating, public speaking and acting).  “In my teenage years, I became aware of the fact that this choice of passions was unusual for young, black men like me and I was constantly reminded of this by my peers. At the time, I was often called an ‘oreo’, or asked why I didn’t act like a real black guy.” (Merriam-Webster dictionary defines ‘oreo’ as a ‘usually disparaging’ term meaning ‘a black person who adopts the characteristic mentality and behaviour of white middle-class society’.)

“It’s important to understand that racism is not limited to hate crimes or acts of violence,” said Ifeanyi, adding that although such comments do not always indicate malicious feelings towards black people, they could nevertheless be hurtful, whether said as insults or as jokes. And, he added: “They can reveal stereotypes, or skin-deep images that people hold of others….It is these stereotypes that produce prejudices…but if we learn to talk about our experiences and our perspectives, we share things, we can understand each other and challenge internal biases and stereotypes. We can propagate change in our mindsets, starting from our local environment and spreading. So, I would like to encourage you to ask questions, to discuss and to understand why your words might be harmful to someone else.”

Perspective, which was established last term in the wake of the global Black Lives Matter protests, is a forum looking at a range of societal issues, including racism. Black History Month was first celebrated in the UK in October 1987.

Medic Neeral Patel is loving life in Toronto, where he is on a two-year mixed research and clinical fellowship – even if, at first, he wondered if making the move had been a big mistake.

“I vividly remember landing in Toronto a year ago with a very uneasy feeling in my stomach, thinking ‘what on earth have I done?’ Life in London was relatively comfortable, and I had left my family, friends and partner, Jasmin, in the UK. I was certainly excited about the opportunity, but naturally quite apprehensive at the very beginning.”

He fell back, however, on the lesson imparted on his first day at QE by his Headmaster, Dr John Marincowitz, who recited a quotation attributed to Confucius in a talk to the new boys: “Man who stand on hill with mouth open will wait long time for roast duck to drop in.”

“One of the lessons I’ve learnt along this journey, particularly related to training, is that it is necessary to force yourself to leave your comfort zone in order to progress,” says Neeral (OE 1999–2006), pictured above with his co-fellows in Toronto.

After leaving QE, he studied Medicine at Imperial College London from 2006–2012. He was vice-chair of an outreach programme called Vision, which ran conferences for secondary school pupils aimed at widening participation in Medicine. “Sometimes talented students just need a bit of advice and direction which they may not otherwise be exposed to, in order to reach their aspirations.”

As well as making life-long friends at Imperial, the highlights included his elective in Kilifi, Kenya, at the KEMRI-Wellcome Trust facility under the tutelage of Professor Kath Maitland: “She has done great work on malaria and malnutrition in the region.”

An opportunity to travel around South East Asia for five weeks with friends got off to an unfortunate start when he was put into isolation in a public Bangkok hospital for a week with H1N1 flu (during the 2009 pandemic). But after making a full recovery, Neeral re-joined his friends and visited Cambodia, Vietnam, Laos and Borneo.

His biggest inspiration at university was Professor Simon Taylor-Robinson, a hepatologist with an interest in translational research – in particular, imaging techniques to assess liver disease. “Undertaking my BSc project under his mentorship initiated my interest in medical imaging.”

After university, he moved to Birmingham for two years to undertake Academic Foundation Training, which is a dedicated programme for those who may wish to pursue a mixed clinical and academic career.

He then returned to Imperial College NHS Trust in 2014 for clinical radiology training, during which he developed his nascent interest in interventional radiology – “an exciting field in which minimally invasive techniques are utilised to treat a spectrum of diseases across a range of body systems using image guidance, whether that be fluoroscopy (x-ray), ultrasound, computed tomography or magnetic resonance imaging.”

Certain diseases for which surgery was the only previous option – with associated morbidity and mortality – can now be treated through a pinhole in the groin or wrist, using catheters and wires.

“The list of minimally invasive procedures offered by interventional radiology is endless and ever-increasing as new medical devices are innovated. Ultimately, patients are almost always able to go home the same day with no incisions, improving quality of life and reducing the risk of potential complications.”

Through his research interests in the subject, he has attended and presented at conferences in cities across the globe including Lisbon, Barcelona, Dubai and New York.

“During my time training in London I continued my interest in outreach by co-organising a careers day with the Royal College of Radiologists and Imperial College London for students interested in medicine. Those attending were exposed to hands-on activities related to diagnostic radiology, interventional radiology and clinical oncology.”

The photo shows him with Professor Nicola Strickland, past President of the Royal College of Radiologists and one of his consultants when he trained in radiology at Imperial.

Having completed diagnostic and interventional radiology training in London, the opportunity came to go to Canada. “The benefit of doing training in another country includes experiencing a completely new healthcare system and, particularly with procedural specialties, developing new skills and learning new techniques which I can then bring back to the UK in my future career as a consultant. Enjoying the new culture and all Toronto has to offer is, of course, a bonus.”

He soon overcame his initial qualms. “Having lived here for a year now, Toronto is a fantastic city, very diverse, with an excellent food scene. The national dish, poutine, is a particular favourite – how can you go wrong with chips, cheese and gravy! There are also great ski slopes very close by. The summers are glorious; however, the winters can be harsh, reaching -20C! The natural beauty of Canada is incredible, perhaps Banff and Whistler being the most well-known spots to visit, but other areas such as Newfoundland, Quebec City and Nova Scotia also have their own charm.”

Prior to the pandemic, he was able to fly back and forth at regular intervals to see friends and family. While Covid-19 has a huge impact on healthcare workers across the globe, he is complimentary about the Canadian government’s handling of the pandemic. “Although anxiety levels have been palpable within the hospitals at which I work, particularly at the height of the pandemic, we have seen incredible acts of kindness and a real coming together of the profession.”

Now that Canada is past the peak, he reflects, “the research and clinical experience I have gained here has certainly been exceptional and worthwhile.”

Neeral cherishes very fond memories of his time at QE. Among the highlights were:

• “A School trip to Russia, which was huge fun and included seeing the Moscow state circus, getting the overnight train from St Petersburg to Moscow, and attempting to order a McDonalds in Russian.”
• “Playing for the cricket First XI in the Sixth Form (without question, to make up the numbers).”
• A Nuffield Bursary summer placement at the National Institute for Medical Research in Mill Hill, where his work on a project investigating novel TB vaccines helped to foster an interest in medical research.

He attended his ten-year School reunion dinner in 2016. “It was fantastic to catch up with many old classmates, some of whom I hadn’t seen since leaving QE, and great to see the diverse career paths taken, from social media influencers, start-up entrepreneurs and music producers to leaders in the arts, law and science.”

Neeral also visited QE to give a talk to sixth-formers who wanted to pursue a career in Medicine. “I spoke specifically on my specialty of interventional radiology, which is a field many aspiring medics may not necessarily have even heard of, and so I wanted to give them a flavour of what we as clinicians can offer patients in the modern era.”

“On a brief tour, it was impressive to see how far the School has come under the leadership of Mr Enright, both in terms of academic achievements as well as new facilities, in particular the swimming pool – I remember the days of swimming in the old, damp and cold pool in the winter months, an experience I really wouldn’t want to relive in a hurry! It was also great to meet some of my teachers again, including Mr [Mev] Armon, Dr [Malcolm] Russell and Mr [David] Ryan who were, and still are, first-class educators and mentors.”

He has been pleased to see leavers in recent years take up offers at US and Canandian universities, including, most recently, Aly Sayani, who has won a place at the University of Toronto.

Neeral heartily recommends that younger Elizabethans consider Medicine: “a fantastic career with a specialty to suit all interests and personalities, with opportunities across the globe, whether it be a developed or developing country. It is a truly transferable career path, and some of my friends have even left clinical medicine completely to take up positions in healthcare technology and consultancy firms.”

In conclusion, he says Dr Marincowitz’s strictures about roast duck still resonate with him to this day: “I am grateful to QE for nurturing their students to seek and make the most of all opportunities that are presented in life.”

Architecture student Nabil Haque has enjoyed stellar academic success in his final year at Jesus College, Cambridge, winning a string of prizes and accolades.

Nabil (OE 2010–2017) graduates with the highest-possible class of degree – Double First with Distinction – and an overall score of 80 out of 100, which is the top mark recorded by the university’s Architecture department in five years.

He thus won the award for the best Architecture student of his year, having also secured several other college prizes for academic performance, including the Sir Leslie Martin Prize for Architecture.

“The grade I received this year makes me eligible for the BASS Fellowship, a fully-funded, expenses-covered two-year scholarship to Yale University, where I wish to pursue my Part II Architecture Master’s. I am currently completing my year in industry at Caruso St John Architects, winner of the RIBA Stirling Prize in 2016.”

He has been nominated by Cambridge for the: Architects’ Journal National Student Awards; Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) President’s Medal Bronze Award for Undergraduate Portfolio, and RIBA President’s Medal Dissertation Award. “The RIBA President’s Medals in particular are the most prestigious architectural awards in the world, and it has been an honour to be nominated by the university for them.”

Yet, says Nabil, his final year at Cambridge “has been by no means an easy one, with strikes for eight weeks during the first term and coronavirus relegating my final term to home-based learning”.

Nabil says QE has remained at the forefront of his mind throughout his time at Cambridge, where, he found, the School’s reputation preceded him: “It is no exaggeration to say that professors, tutors and even my peers always recognise a ‘QE boy’.”

He was involved in many areas of School life, for example, captaining the First XV and winning a place on the Royal Academy of Arts’ attRAct programme in the Sixth Form.

He pays particular tribute to Head of Art Stephen Buckeridge for the instrumental role he played in the formative stages of his education, pointing out that he was one of no fewer than three QE boys in his year on Cambridge’s extremely competitive Architecture degree course (together with Danny Martin and Tochi Onuora). It was, he said, the “freedom, confidence and individuality” that Mr Buckeridge fostered during their Sixth Form years which enabled them to navigate their design projects so successfully. “QE is the most represented school across all three years of Architecture undergraduates at Cambridge,” Nabil says.

He also maintains strong links with other QE alumni in his year at Cambridge, counting Christopher Deane, Viral Gudiwala and Tomas Viera-Short among his close friends.

“My time at Cambridge was by and large a direct extension of my time at QE. I represented the university for rugby (Second XV) and athletics, I held positions on the Jesus College Student Union (including Black and Minority Ethnic Officer), was a student representative for the Jesus College Legacies of Slavery Committee and was, in 2019, responsible for the first-ever art exhibition exclusively for BME exhibitors.

“The confidence to take up such positions, pursue my interests and further myself physically, mentally and academically all stem from the foundations I laid down at QE.”

Perspective, QE’s new pupil-led forum looking at issues such as race, has been launched and is already going from strength to strength, with involvement from current boys, alumni and senior staff.

Set up in collaboration with the School in the wake of the Black Lives Matter protests, Perspective aims both to provide opportunities for discussion and to give boys useful resources so that they can easily learn more themselves.

The first Perspective panel discussion has now taken place, chaired by School Vice-Captains Thomas Mgbor and Ayodimeji Ojelade, who have been key figures in establishing the forum. Old Elizabethan brothers Kelvin and Elliot Hughes were invited as special guests to join the Zoom conversation with boys from Year 11 and 12. Headmaster Neil Enright and Assistant Head (Pupil Development) Michael Feven also took part.

In addition, information on various topics has now been added to eQE, the School’s online platform, on a dedicated Perspective page that was created by Thomas and Ayodimeji, with input from QE’s team of Equality, Diversity & Inclusion Ambassadors.

Mr Enright thanked Kelvin and Elliot for contributing to the one-and-a-quarter hour online discussion – “so informative for me personally”.

The Headmaster added: “I take the responsibility really seriously – this is the tip of the iceberg of the conversations that we need to continue to have and I am fully committed, as are my colleagues, to continuing and sustaining these discussions and to enabling them to take place in all parts of the School – it’s a huge undertaking.”

The Perspective eQE page now provides a basic introduction and links to further resources on the:

• Black Lives Matter movement
• Israeli-Palestinian conflict
• GSM (Gender & Sexual Minorities) community and Pride
• Yemen humanitarian crisis.

Mr Feven said: “Perspective is an exciting development in promoting the ‘student voice’ at the School and in educating the boys on social issues. With forthcoming updates due to focus on gender equality, climate change, the Hong Kong protests, and the Xinjiang re-education camps (and there is an ambition for further issues to be covered in time), I am hopeful that Perspective will continue to provide a platform for further activity and continuing discussion in the next academic year.”

The Zoom discussion featured a number of topics, including the racism faced by participants during their lives.

Kelvin and Elliot, who have both been very supportive of the School as alumni over a number of years, offered to take part, bringing their own understanding to current pupils as those from the generation above.

Kelvin (OE 1999–2006) recalled one incident when, as an 11-year-old, he went to a football camp in Totteridge Lane. Another participant made a racist comment to him, but he did not understand it, so asked his mother about it when he got back.

His mum, normally very mild-mannered, was extremely angry and upset at what had been said. A tense discussion later took place among the adults at the camp, which culminated in the other child – who had himself not understood what he was saying, since it was something he had picked up at home – leaving.

“It was really interesting to start to realise that the point of difference and point of tension was the colour of your skin, and I think it was a real moment where something changed for me,” said Kelvin. “My mum had moved across to the UK in the 1980s. My mum was mixed-race and my grandma, my white grandma, had lived in Ghana during independence and also faced racism, the other way around.”

After a career working in various roles, including consultancy to social mission-driven organisations, Kelvin is now the Chief Executive Officer of Clean Team Ghana, an organisation working to provide affordable sanitation options for residents in the city of Kumasi.

During the Zoom discussion, he also related another incident from when he was in the Sixth Form at QE. He had gone out during the lunchbreak to meet his girlfriend. Dressed in his suit, he was sat waiting in his car and had been doing some A-level History revision when a policeman approached. “He immediately accused me of being a drug-dealer…All he saw was a young, black guy out to cause trouble: who I was didn’t matter; what I had achieved didn’t – all he saw was the colour of my skin and immediately put me in a box.”

Kelvin’s brother, Elliot (2002–2009), a property specialist in London, thanked Thomas and Ayodimeji for chairing the discussion and praised QE for supporting Perspective: “Not every single school and teacher would be willing to use their time to facilitate this sort of thing.”

QE was, he added, well-placed to “start to accelerate the change and, hopefully, become a catalyst for other schools to do the same”.

“Welcome to a Founder’s Day like no other!” With these words, Queen Elizabeth’s School’s 40th Headmaster, Neil Enright, began his short address during today’s special YouTube broadcast.

While the normal full Founder’s Day programme – including morning church service and afternoon fete – was not possible this year because of the coronavirus lockdown, organisers from the School and the Friends of Queen Elizabeth’s were nonetheless determined to make it a virtual event to remember.

The half-hour video presentation featured Founder’s Day traditions adapted to an online audience, music from QE’s Virtual Chamber Ensemble and Virtual Orchestra, and spoken contributions from boys, governors, Old Elizabethans, FQE Executive Committee members and staff. This was followed by a special Founder’s Day curry Cook-Along.

“I would like to wish every member of our wide Elizabethan community a happy Founder’s Day,” said the Headmaster after the YouTube Premieres had finished screening. “Thank you to everyone who tuned in to our main broadcast and to the cook-along – I hope you enjoyed both our programme and your special lunch afterwards. For anyone who wasn’t able to join us at 12, the videos remain available on our YouTube channel.”

The Founder’s Day fete is customarily the single-biggest fundraiser of the School year. Towards the end of the main broadcast, Old Elizabethan Robert Rinder (TV’s Judge Rinder, 1989–1994) appealed for viewers to give generously towards the School’s next major project, the construction of a new Music School, which is expected to get under way early in the next academic year.

By 3pm today, nearly three-quarters of the £20,000 target had been raised through the dedicated Virtual Founder’s Day JustGiving page, with 329 separate contributions.

In their comments on the JustGiving page, many donors lauded the efforts of Tricia Reid, Parent Governor and member of the Executive Committee of FQE, who today ran a solo half-marathon – her first – in Richmond Park to raise money for Founder’s Day. After successfully completing her 13.1 miles, she had a message for all her supporters: “Pleased to have done my first half marathon on a very special day in history! I did it for all of you – thank you so much for all your support.”

Other special fundraising initiatives connected with this year’s Founder’s Day include a recent FIFA 20 PS4 tournament and the Year 7 online quiz night taking place on 4th July.

• Pictured are: top, Mrs Tricia Reid completing her half-marathon today; right, Chairman of the Governing Body and Chairman of FQE Mr Barrie Martin MBE, reading part of the School Chronicle, and, left, School Captain Ivin Jose, of Year 12, leading the House-by-House Roll Call (responses via Zoom!).

Links:

• Main Founder’s Day presentation
• Virtual Founder’s Day 2020 JustGiving page
• Cook-Along led by Nik Gulhane, Founder of North London’s Spice Monkey school of Indian cooking. Nik’s ingredient list and preparation instructions are available here. Younger boys may need adult supervision, since the recipe involves the use of sharp knives, cooking oil and a hot oven.
• A special Founder’s Day edition of Roundness, The Queen’s Library podcast. For current QE families, this is  available from the Roundness page on the eQE digital platform; it is also available from all normal podcast services, including Spotify and Apple. The podcast looks at the colourful lives of three 16th and 17th-century governors, drawn from the research of Dr John Marincowitz (Headmaster 1999-2011), who is writing a history of the School and its relation to English education more widely.

Gallery: Many of the pictures below have been contributed by members of the Elizabethan community. Enjoying their Cook-Along curries are: two Year 7 boys, Suhaas Sabella and Tristan Fink; one Year 8 pupil, James Conway; Year 9 pupil Aston Anup Daniel and Art teacher Jeanne Nicodemus. The photos of the meal itself and the food preparation are from Manomay Lala-Raykar, of Year 11, and Yash Patel, of Year 9. There are images from the main YouTube presentation – starting with the Roll Call and ending with Robert Rinder’s appeal – and from the Cook-Along video. Also shown are more photos of Mrs Reid’s half-marathon triumph.

 

Despite this year’s unique circumstances, Founder’s Day 2020 goes ahead this weekend – as an innovative virtual event combining tradition with fun.

Organisers from the School and The Friends of Queen Elizabeth’s (FQE) were determined that, the Covid-19 crisis notwithstanding, Founder’s Day 2020 should still be a day to remember.

Together they have laid on a rich digital programme that showcases creativity with entertainment: attractions include high-quality musical performances from some of the School’s leading musicians, an exclusive live video curry Cook-Along from a professional chef and a special message from Old Elizabethan Robert Rinder (TV’s Judge Rinder, OE 1989–1994).

Headmaster Neil Enright said: “Founder’s Day is always a highlight of the Queen Elizabeth’s School calendar – a unique opportunity to bring together the whole Elizabethan community, including boys and their families, as well as alumni, governors, staff, friends and neighbours. On Saturday 20th June 2020, we are doing that again, except that this year, it all takes place online.

“I warmly invite all our families, friends and supporters to join us at noon on Saturday for our virtual programme, which includes much to entertain and inform and will also feature some treasured Founder’s Day traditions, albeit adapted for an online audience. Do log on and join us for this enjoyable day!”

Founder’s Day is FQE’s single biggest annual fundraiser for the School. Mr Enright appealed for people to give especially generously this year, since the School is facing a coronavirus-related drop in income due to the reductions in external lettings. FQE have made it quick and easy to give by setting up a dedicated Virtual Founder’s Day 2020 JustGiving page.

“I am immensely grateful to all our families and alumni for their unceasing support for the School and for the financial generosity of so many,” added Mr Enright.

Even before the day, money has been flooding in, with more than 130 individual donations already bringing in around a third of the £20,000 target. These have been accompanied by comments such as:

• “Kudos to the FQE team for not letting COVID-19 hamper the annual celebration of the Founder’s Day event. Thank you.” – Pratyush Dutta Gupta, of Year 9
• “Well done to everyone at QEB – students and staff! The great work has touched, and continues to touch, many lives. Thank you.” – Joan Okhiria
• “I feel lucky to be part of this wonderful School. A huge thank you for all of your support – especially to those teachers who came in and looked after the keyworker children during this difficult time.” – Rhian Kotwinski

The main Founder’s Day presentation – launched as a YouTube Premiere – runs from noon until 12.30pm on Saturday 20th June.

That is followed after a short gap at 12.45pm by the Cook-Along, when chef Nik Gulhane will teach viewers how to cook a special Founder’s Day lunch in an exclusive-to-QE YouTube Premiere broadcast.

Anyone can take part, although Nik, Founder of North London’s Spice Monkey school of Indian cooking, is especially encouraging QE pupils to try their hand at cooking – and urging them to get sponsorship to raise funds for the School for doing so.

“I understand that sharp knives, cooking oil, boiling water and hot ovens may all be involved, so some pupils may need a little helping hand from adults to make sure it all happens safely,” said the Headmaster.

Ahead of Saturday, a special edition of The Queen’s Library’s Roundness podcast has been published. For current QE families, this will be available from the dedicated Roundness page on the eQE digital platform, but it will also be available from all normal podcast services, including Spotify and Apple.

The three stories in this podcast are based on the research of Dr John Marincowitz (Headmaster 1999-2011), who is writing a history of the School and its relation to English education more widely. Exploring the lives of three governors from the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, the episode sheds light on an under-explored area of the School’s history.

Creator, Surya Bowyer said: “The often dangerous escapades of these three men are stranger than fiction, and must be heard to be believed.”

• Donations may be made through the FQE Virtual Founder’s Day 2020 JustGiving page.