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My name is Manomay Lala-Raykar and I am a Year 11 student, going into Year 12 this September. The announcement of school closures and exam cancellations has been a significant turning point for thousands like me.

The message did not come as much of a surprise, but it gave me a sense of foreboding. And though letting off exam stress was relieving, I did feel a bit deflated that we weren’t going to experience something that has been considered a rite of passage in British culture for so long. Many other Year 11 students nationwide would likely have echoed this sentiment.

The initial lack of clarity about how our grades would be decided resulted in some anxiety among my peers, but Ofqual soon assured all students that a variety of evidence would be used to produce a teacher-assessment grade, and I am confident that QE’s meticulous approach towards keeping an up-to-date record of our progress will mean the grades we are given are indeed a true reflection of the level we were on track to achieve. It is reassuring that exams will be available later, if students wish to raise their grades even further.

Home learning has always been a part of the QE experience, originally as an important supplement to the interactive classroom environment, and now at the forefront of our learning. This is where eQE comes in. Through its user-friendly, immersive and interactive interface, our virtual learning environment has offered unrivalled support – providing easily accessible resources for students, while keeping teachers in the know about our progress. It also allows us to fit our learning around other commitments. I’m glad that I can make use of eQE to guide me during these unusual times, a fitting new home for our world-class education.

We are close to finishing and consolidating the GCSE specification content for all our subjects. The transition to A-level in the subjects we are continuing with will begin soon, and the added time provides a huge opportunity to get a head start on bridging the considerable gap between GCSE and A-level. In due course, I also plan to take part in a few free MOOCs (Massive Open Online Courses) that will help boost my transition to A-level.

Of course, with less intensive study comes extra personal time, which can be used productively to develop extra-curricular skills. To name one example, I have been pressing on with my study of the ancient Sanskrit language and its associated culture, including weekly Zoom meetings with other members of our group, and the added time has given me the capacity to take my study to an even higher level.

It’s easy to forget the vast world of independence waiting for us. I have been setting aside the time to research, and discuss with my family, information on the world of work. I am especially enjoying the discussion with my father on our daily walk: staying two meters apart doesn’t stop me from learning from, and remembering, every word of wisdom.

But before we can reap the huge benefits of such things, there is a massive hurdle to be overcome, that being self-discipline. In term-time, I have been trying to use my School timetable to support my home learning: completing work set, as well as further independent work for each subject, while also taking breaks so I don’t overwhelm myself. It also means that I have time to rest, spend time with my family and pursue my extra-curricular enrichment.

In the holiday period, I did take some time off to rest and relax, and spend time virtually with friends and extended family, but I also kept going with preparing for the changes in my life at Sixth Form and beyond.

While it’s important I remain up-to-date about the latest news and information regarding the coronavirus pandemic, I try not to spend too much time dwelling on it, so it doesn’t affect my mental health – and that would be one of my biggest recommendations.

I was recently hit hard by the news that a few people I am close to have likely been infected with coronavirus. I try to stay in contact with and take care of them through the gift of modern technology. I know they’ll be grateful, even if they can’t express it now.

I keenly await the moment I can walk back into School, greet friends and family, and go out into the wider world again. But for now, I think it’s important to rest assured that we are all in this together.

Want to make the best use of your study time at home? Deputy Head (Academic) Anne Macdonald  has produced these handy hints to help you with your remote learning.

Keep to a routine: Undertake work Monday-Friday, following a timetable to build variety into your day and week, take breaks to rest, pursue hobbies and interests, and to exercise (whilst following Government guidance about social distancing).

Use eQE: Make the most of the support being offered by your teachers via eQE – ‘add comment’ to tasks set on eQE if you want to ask questions about the work or if you are stuck.

Be organised: Click ‘complete’ for tasks that are finished, archiving them to keep your task list organised; ensure you are following teacher instructions about how to set out and organise your work, printing and filing anything you are asked to by your teacher.

Collaborate: Where possible, collaborate with your peers on your work. You may already by doing this, but there are opportunities to test each other on new vocabulary or content, help each other when stuck, converse in French and/or German, play musical duets etc. This could be achieved, with your parents’ permission and guidance, via social media/communication platforms (some of which you may already be using) e.g. FaceTime, Google Hangouts, Zoom, Skype etc.

Challenge yourself: When you have completed the set work, explore the subject pages on eQE, visit The Queen’s Library page to use the online resources such as links to free Audible audio books, The Day newspaper (including exploring the Become an expert links on any articles that are of interest) and so on.

Revision: Regular revision has benefits for your long-term learning; follow the guidance you are given by departments about how to develop/organise your revision notes, memorise new content and test yourself on it.

More information: After Easter, we will issue further information about how teachers will monitor and assess your learning.

David Ryan, Deputy Head (Pastoral), has some tips for boys and their parents on how to maintain psychological wellbeing during this challenging time.

Routine is important, as it gives us a sense of purpose; without that sense of purpose, it’s easy to feel down, so having a routine that we keep to helps us through a period of isolation, such as the one that we are experiencing. Differentiating Monday to Friday from the weekend, and doing something different then, is very helpful.

Talking is important, too, for all of us. Many people will talk as much to their work and school colleagues as to their family members, and losing this contact can make us feel a little lost. Ensuring that we talk as a family is definitely important. Also, while too much ‘screen time’ is not good, young people are very good at communicating and staying in touch with each other electronically and we shouldn’t under-estimate this as a way of keeping up spirits and alleviating boredom.

Positivity: In the time of a national emergency, it’s very easy for young people to perceive the world in a negative way. Therefore, it is important to encourage them to consider the many positive aspects of life that we see, even in a crisis. Many, if not all, QE parents will be able to tell stories of their parents, grandparents and other relatives in their family’s history who have had to overcome similar, if not greater, challenges than that which we are facing now. Reminding young people that while we are vulnerable to illnesses like this one, the human story is ultimately one of survival, can help the boys maintain perspective at this worrying time: there are many inspirational stories within families.

Re-thinking: Seeing the situation that we are in as an opportunity for reflection, re-thinking and doing some things differently is no bad thing, whatever our age. Having time to think about how we study or work; what our future plans are; what in life is important and what isn’t – these are all ways to help us get through the time that we have on our hands and to plan positively for the future.

Never be too proud: Some families may go through challenging times in the weeks and months ahead, personally, emotionally and financially. As a school, we want to do all that we can to assist all of our students and families; we would encourage you to let us know how things are for you, whatever the situation might be, and to tell us if they are problematic.

Further help: One of the biggest challenges of the current situation is how little time we have had to prepare for it, and that can affect people, as life seems to have changed radically, very quickly, and this can even lead to a sense of loss. Ensuring that the boys are looking after their mental health is very important, and we have a counsellor available to work online with students, if a parent has a concern. The advice available at this site is really helpful – hopefully it will be useful to you.