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Opportunity beckons for the QE community to come together to celebrate and to raise funds for future facilities on one of the most important occasions in the School year – Founder’s Day.

For the first time in three years, the day’s events, including the popular afternoon fete, are being held live and in-person. Founder’s Day takes place this Saturday, 18th June.

Headmaster Neil Enright said: “It is wonderful that we can meet each other physically again after the pandemic-affected years. Founder’s Day is the School’s biggest individual fundraiser, so, as well as being a splendid occasion of celebration and community, it is the source of much-needed funds that will be used to enhance facilities and opportunities for current boys and those who will enter our doors in future years.”

Those unable to attend in person can still make what will be a valued donation, however large or small through the School’s JustGiving page, which has been retained for this purpose, Mr Enright added.

This year’s events starts tomorrow, Friday, with an inter-House Music and The Voice Challenge which will be live-streamed. Each house will have an hour to put on a concert which must feature not just music but also a vocal element. The challenge is for each house to raise as much sponsorship as possible, and the School has created online giving pages for each house, listed below, along with the times of the performances.

Money raised from this will be divided between the School’s planned Robert Dudley Studio – a 104-seat drama and spoken-word studio – and the cost of commissioning a piece of music for next year’s QE 450^th anniversary celebrations.

“The music challenge promises to provide a plenitude of high-quality performances which display the boys’ creativity alongside their musical talent. More broadly, the Founder’s Day events themselves provide pageantry, fun, fellowship and a celebration of all that is great and good about the Elizabethan community,” said Mr Enright.

Founder’s Day itself will commence on Saturday morning with the traditional church service for Year 7 and invited guests at Chipping Barnet Parish Church. This will be followed by the Roll Call and reading of the School Chronicle, in front of the School’s Main Building.

The Friends of Queen Elizabeth’s (FQE) Fete will feature food and drink for all tastes, as well as stalls and games. It is promised that some members of staff will be found in somewhat less dignified circumstances than usual – stuck in the stocks!

There will be music to enjoy, as well as Shakespearean monologues delivered by Year 8 dramatists. The afternoon will also feature the Stanley Busby Memorial Cricket Match, played annually on Founder’s Day by Old Elizabethans and current senior pupils.

On an equally celebratory yet more reflective note, there will be a service for those who wish to honour the memory of Eamonn Harris (Headmaster 1984-1999). Mr Harris died in late 2019: a memorial service planned in 2020 had to be called off because of the pandemic.

“Eamonn was one of the most significant figures in QE recent history,” says Mr Enright. “He raised the stature of the School enormously, laying the foundations for our current success, and it was also under his leadership that the FQE, as we know it today, was born.”

The day is scheduled to come to a conclusion at 4.30pm. “My thanks go to all those involved who have worked so hard to bring everything together for what, I am sure, will be a great celebration,” said Mr Enright.

“By coming to the fete, or sponsoring the music challenge, you are supporting the FQE charity, which, in turn, benefits generations of pupils. Your contributions enable us to develop facilities and provide transformational opportunities to young people which we could not achieve based on our state funding alone.

“We appeal to you to give generously and trust you will thoroughly enjoy the events. Rest assured that we are most grateful for all support and donations, large and small,” added Mr Enright.

Details of the concert timings for the Music and The Voice Challenge are as follows. Each link is a click through to a House-specific sponsorship page:

9.15am Broughton
10.15am Harrisons’
11.15am Leicester
12.15pm Pearce
1.45pm Stapylton
2.45pm Underne 

All Year 7 boys took part in an inter-House photography competition with a difference – where what matters most is not the image, but what is said about it.

Conceived mainly as a public-speaking challenge to develop skills of oracy at an early age, the Year 7 Photo Competition takes as its judging criteria the content and delivery of the speeches the boys make, with their chosen photos serving as the starting point for their talks.

Arhan Panjwani, of Leicester House, took first prize with a talk that urged the grand final audience in the Main School Hall to consider the effect we are having on the world around us and to take action. It was illustrated by his aerial photo of the area near his home, taken by a drone.

Headmaster Neil Enright, who judged the final, said: “While it’s sometimes true that ‘a picture is worth a thousand words’ – the title of this year’s competition – on this occasion we were also very keenly interested in the words the boys came up with themselves!

“I am pleased to say that the standard of the finalists’ talks was very high indeed – everyone spoke eloquently and engaged the audience. There was considerable variety in theme and approach, which made it interesting and stimulating, not to mention difficult for me to judge. Arhan’s talk was most persuasive; he is a worthy winner.”

The competition began with all the Year 7 pupils trying out their speaking skills in their respective form groups and then choosing a winner to represent them and their House.

Boys were allowed to speak for up to three minutes about their photograph, but had to talk without notes. Merits were awarded for all six finalists, with 20 House points given for first place, 14 for second and 10 for third.

“The competition is, in fact, an excellent opportunity to develop skills of public speaking and to enjoy the collective experience of participating in a large-scale event together,” said the Headmaster. “Boys have an opportunity to learn how to construct a compelling speech and how to provoke thought in the audience. I also marked them on how well they projected and commanded attention in such a large venue, and on how they coped with an audience wearing masks, which made it difficult for them to gauge how their words were being received.

“The competition fulfils another important function in helping these, our newest Elizabethans, get to know others in their forms, with their chosen images and talks frequently giving an insight into each individual. Indeed, a number of the presentations included a personal element, such as a place the boy had visited or an experience from his younger childhood.”

“Notwithstanding such use of ‘human interest’ and the effective deployment of humour by some, many of the boys used their photo to make an important point and deliver a message with wide meaning, giving us plenty to think about.”

Mr Enright noted the strong use of facts by several of the finalists, especially second-placed Ethan Yao, of Pearce House, whose hard-hitting presentation arguing for nuclear disarmament was replete with shocking facts and statistics. It was illustrated by a photo of a mushroom cloud.

Third place was won by Yusuf Hazari, of Stapylton. His talk, illustrated by an image of a spider spinning a web, urged boys to be determined and resilient in their lives. Head of Year 7 Tom Harrison said: “The photo gave lots of us the heebie-jeebies, but Yusuf left us feeling empowered about facing life’s challenges!”

Two sixth-formers organised a quiz in aid of a charity named after an old boy of the School, as quizzes continue to prove popular throughout the Elizabethan community.

Year 13’s Vishruth Dhamodharan and Varun Vijay Kumar brought together teams from Year 7 and 8 and from 9 and 10 to compete to raise money for Guy’s Trust.

In a separate event, the eagerly-awaited inter-House QIQE quiz returned this year, with Harrisons’ taking the honours in a keenly fought final.

And both competitions followed the success of The Friends of Queen Elizabeth’s quiz earlier in the term – the Friends’ first in-person charity event since before the pandemic.

Headmaster Neil Enright said: “I congratulate both the winners and the organisers of these events. Quizzes seem to appeal to many here: they give people an opportunity to indulge their competitive spirit and demonstrate their knowledge, while at the same time competitors have a good deal of fun and, often, raise money for good causes, too.”

Vishruth and Varun were inspired by the good work done by educational charity Guy’s Trust in the developing world, and organised the quiz to support it, raising £163.50. The charity is named after marine biologist, scuba instructor, paraglider and adventurer Guy Joseph (OE 1997-2002), who died aged 25 in a paragliding accident in the Pyrenees in October 2011. It has recently funded the installation of water systems to nine primary schools in Cambodia so that the children there have clean drinking water.

Twelve teams from Years 9 and 10 battled it out, covering subjects including Mathematics, Literature and Science. The winning team was Year 9’s Riyan Siyani, Adithya Raghuraman, Danyal Talha and Ram Chockalingam – the curiously named Team SIUUUUUUUUUU.

Next it was the turn of the first two years. After a tense three-way tie, Year 8’s Keeyan Shah, Vu-Lam Le-Nguyen, Ishaan Jugran and Olic Fan – Team Dino Nuggies – emerged as the winners.

In the QIQE quiz, teams comprised one pupil from each of Years 7, 8, 9 and 10. The University Challenge-style format involved ‘starters for ten’ (with boys raising their table-tennis bat paddles for attention) and then three five-point bonuses on another topic.

Under the watchful eye of quizmaster Tom Harrison, Head of Year 7, Harrisons’ and Underne progressed to the final in front of Years 7-10 on the basis of their posting the highest scores in the preliminary rounds.

Harrisons’ ultimately came out narrowly on top in the Shearly Hall, winning 145–135.

“It was hugely exciting, and there was an impressive array of general knowledge on display,” said Mr Harrison.

Underne are the winners of the 2020–21 Eric Shearly House Cup, after a late surge took them past last year’s champion, Stapylton.

The 2019-20 winners had actually been in the lead for the whole year, until a series of strong performances in House competitions in the second half of this term enabled Underne to overtake them. Underne ended the year with 755 points, against Stapylton’s 716 and Leicester’s 713.

Headmaster Neil Enright announced the result in a video message to an end-of-year House assembly which covered all aspects of House activities, from, for example, Languages competitions to charity food collections. Mr Enright said: “Underne last won this competition in 2017, so it’s a delight to see their name going back on this cup and I offer my hearty congratulations to Underne House in particular this year.”

Underne is named after Edward Underne, who became Rector of Chipping Barnet in 1568 and, along with other men of local influence actively promoted the establishment of a School in High Barnet. Queen Elizabeth’s School was duly founded in 1573. Mr Enright presented the cup in person to 2021 House Captain Christan Emmanuel and Deputy House Captain Dan Suciu.

During the assembly, boys heard presentations on the large number of competitions and events held during the year at which House points may be won. Boys may also add to their House’s total by gaining ‘merits’ and ‘good notes’.

Foremost among the competitions, in terms of points available, was this month’s Sports Day, which was won by Broughton, with Underne coming in second. It was a welcome return for the event, which had to be cancelled in last year’s lockdown.

“It was super to see everybody out for Sports Day,” said Mr Enright. “I am also proud of the fact that so many competitions carried on throughout the pandemic and I congratulate everybody involved, staff and pupils.”

The cup is named after Eric Shearly (1920–2005), who dedicated 76 years of his life to QE, where he was both a pupil and a teacher. “He really believed in getting involved in things beyond the classroom,” said Mr Enright.

The final points total and positions were:

• Broughton:  664, 4th
• Harrisons’:   580, 6th
• Leicester:     713, 3rd
• Pearce:         634, 5th
• Stapylton:    716, 2nd
• Underne:     755, 1st

The virtual assembly was introduced by Head of Extra-Curricular Enrichment Rebecca Grundy, who congratulated boys on their participation and competitive spirit, thanked staff in the extra-curricular enrichment team and added: “None of these events would be possible without our amazing Sixth Form prefects team.”

The proceedings were punctuated by musical interludes performed by two pianists: Year 9’s Jason Tao and Shreyas Iyengar, of Year 7, who brought the assembly to an end.

There were a number of presentations and summaries of the year by departmental heads and teachers responsible for particular activities. The areas covered included Music, Sport, drama and chess.

During the assembly, announcements were made of various awards and commendations, such as chess colours and extra-curricular achievement awards.

Charity was another major area of focus, with the assembly running through the year’s work in support of QE’s long-running Indian Sai School Appeal, of the Noah’s Ark Children’s Hospice, of the Poppy Appeal, of the clothing drive to help local homeless people and of the collection of food and hygiene products for Chipping Barnet Foodbank.

Scores of the School’s young musicians battle it out today in a competitive Pianoathon Challenge being held to raise money to buy pianos for the new Music School.

Each of the School’s Houses has been challenged to provide an hour of sound, with small teams of musicians and soloists playing for up to three minutes each: the result should be six hours of non-stop music in the Main School Hall.

The event has been arranged as one of the special events taking place to celebrate tomorrow’s Founder’s Day.

Director of Music Ruth Partington said: “This is part of our last big push to ensure that our brilliant new Music School is equipped to the highest standards when it opens in the autumn. Thanks to the generosity of the School’s Foundation Trustees, we have already secured the purchase of a superb grand piano for our new recital hall, but that still leaves seven new practice rooms all needing a high-quality piano – and that is what we are raising money for today.

“If you haven’t already donated, please give now, sponsoring your House, or your son’s House, via our dedicated eQE Pianoathon page. This is a real first for QE and promises to be a thrilling event: let the playing commence!”

Parents and friends can watch the musical action unfold live in a special YouTube broadcast (above), which can also be viewed on the eQE page and via the Music department’s YouTube page.

Each House has entered small teams comprising up to five musicians – including at least one pianist – to play music of their choice. There is a visiting guest adjudicator, Mr Huw Jones, Director of Music at The John Lyon School in Harrow, who will be helping to pick the winners in the various categories, which cover team and solo performances (both for each year group and overall), also including a prize for the Best House Overall. Houses that raise large amounts of money will also have the opportunity to have one of the new pianos named after them.

Today’s musical menu chosen by the boys includes a rich range of genres and styles, and features instruments ranging from violins to electric guitars, and from oboes to tablas. Here is a small selection of the repertoire to be heard, House by House:

• Broughton: Canon in D, Pachelbel; Étude op 10 no. 12 ‘Revolutionary’, Chopin; Peppa Pig theme
• Harrisons’: Es war einmal, Grieg; Downton Abbey theme, John Lunn; Samba Nights, Proudler
• Leicester: Attack on Titan Opening Theme 1, Sawato; Merry Christmas, Mr Lawrence, arr. Sakamoto; I See Fire, Ed Sheeran
• Pearce: Sonatina in C major, Kuhlau; Opening Night Jazz, Martha Mier; Sonata No. 3, Prokofiev
• Stapylton: Romanze Op. 28, Schumann; Sonatina Movement 1, Dušek; Toccata in G minor
• Underne: Pink Lady, Pam Wedgwood; Prelude in C-sharp minor, Rachmaninoff; Your Song, Elton John.

The £3.5m-plus Music School, which is currently in the final stages of construction, received the go-ahead in 2019 after the Department for Education accepted the School’s £2.2m bid, which consisted of a £1.2m grant and £1m loan.

Like all major improvements at the School over the past two decades, the project is relying on the generous financial support of the Friends of Queen Elizabeth’s and other benefactors. Pride of place in the building will go to the Yamaha CF6 grand piano in the recital hall, which was chosen by the Music Department after a week-long audition process. Valued at just under £75,000, it is being paid for by the School’s Foundation Trustees.

For those without an eQE account, donations can be made to each House’s total by clicking on the relevant name: Broughton; Harrisons’; Leicester; Pearce; Stapylton; and Underne.

Siddhant Kansal takes up the reins from today as QE’s 2021 School Captain, supported by a twelve-strong Senior Prefect Team and more than 100 additional officials and prefects.

Siddhant will be working closely with the new Senior Vice-Captains, Sultan Khokhar and Paul Ofordu.

The transition from the 2020 team started towards the end of last term, when Headmaster Neil Enright announced the 2021 appointments in a special meeting, during which he handed ties to the Senior Prefect Team (pictured top), consisting of Siddhant, Paul, Sultan and ten new Vice-Captains. As part of the transition arrangements, the whole team were given training last month, with an additional training session also held specifically for the vice-captains.

Congratulating them, Mr Enright said: “Siddhant is an excellent choice, with leadership skills that are readily apparent, combined with good humour, charisma, thoughtfulness and the ability to inspire. I am sure he will discharge his duties with great distinction. I am confident, too, that Sultan and Paul will provide Siddhant with great support. Sultan has a reputation for excellence in all he does, while Paul has been outstanding as a peer mentor, bringing warmth and reflectiveness to the role.

“I also thank our outgoing School Captain, Ivin Jose, and his team for their hard work and impressive leadership during the most unusual of years.”

Head of Year 12 Simon Walker said that the Senior Prefect Team personify the very best of the School community. “These 13 students have, over the course of their time at Queen Elizabeth’s, earned the respect of peers and staff alike through the way that they apply themselves to all that they do and the way they conduct themselves in doing it.  All have shown consistent dedication to excellence in their studies, commitment to a wide range of in-school activities, and courtesy, integrity, responsibility and public-spiritedness in their conduct.

“The range of exceptional qualities within this diverse team is particularly striking. There are students: who have shown dynamic and imaginative leadership of a variety of in-school clubs and activities; who have demonstrated outstanding leadership qualities on the sports field, or within their form groups; who have enriched their peers’ experiences of School through their superlative contributions to peer-mentoring or music; and who have stood out in the way that they have embodied the School’s values in the way they treat other pupils – those who have always shown kindness, sensitivity, patience and generosity of spirit towards others. In their different ways, all of them have the qualities to set the tone for and to lead the student body as a whole to the very highest national, indeed international, standards.”

And Mr Walker added his own words of praise for the new School Captain and his vice-captains. “Siddhant brings a fantastic range of qualities to the role. He applies himself with enthusiasm, energy and positivity to all he does.” Extolling Siddhant’s “first-rate skills of leadership”, Mr Walker said that his “clarity and engaging and open manner make him an exceptional communicator with natural presence. He is also a reflective thinker who is highly adept at collaborating with others – he makes others feel that they and their contributions are important and valued. He will be able to inspire the whole prefect team, and his graciousness, supportiveness of others and dedication to all he does will set a hugely valuable example, both for the prefect team and within the student body.

“What is impressive about Sultan, above all, is how he sustains the same exceptional level of care and attention to detail across such a wide range of activities. This mentality of excellence is reflected not only in his many involvements but, importantly, also in the way he always conducts himself around the School. He has a flair for organisation and strategy that will be invaluable in coordinating the activities of the prefect team, especially at a time when swift, smooth and calm implementation of procedures can be vital in ensuring the safety of everyone within the School community.

“Alongside him, Paul is a paragon of the School’s values: his purposeful and self-disciplined work ethic is matched by his commitment to and distinction in many areas of school life.” Paul’s work as a peer mentor had “illustrated his passion for supporting other pupils in order to enrich their experience of School and enable them to flourish”, he was bringing great skill to his new role and his “admirable character” encompassed “sensitivity, care for others, patience and the ability to listen empathetically”, Mr Walker said.

The vice-captains are allocated responsibilities in specific fields, such as community & charity, form involvement and equality, diversity & inclusion.

The vice-captains are: Raphael Herberg, Saalif Jilani, Aadarsh Khimasia, Manav Khindri, Manomay Lala-Raykar, Alexandre Lee, Mark Markov, Miguel Nieves, Shivas Patel and Shay Raja.

For the six Houses, the House Captains and Deputy House Captains are as follows, with captains listed first:

• Broughton: Prajish Kannan & Dillan Shah
• Harrisons’: Romansh Gupta & Yuvraj Manral
• Leicester: Ethan Solanki & Devarya Munshi
• Pearce: Nirmay Jadhav & Beuran Kannan
• Stapylton: Thilakshan Thayalan & Jay Vasireddy
• Underne: Christan Emmanuel & Dan Suciu.

In addition, there are 92 other prefects in 2021.