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Year 11 Business Studies students Stefan Chiu, Yau Pui Tsang, Jack Jacobs and Adrian Marioghae secured a place in the regional final of the ‘Make Your Mark Challenge’.

The Make Your Mark Challenge is the largest one day enterprise competition in the UK. The boys from QE developed a product called ‘Get-Fit Week’ which is an innovative idea where retired or inactive athletes of past Olympic Games attempt to coach young Olympic hopefuls to success in 2012. The boys based their plans around six of the seven Olympic and Paralympics values: excellence, friendship, courage, determination, equality and inspiration.

The School chess team, captained by Year 12 pupil Akshaya Ahuja, produced their best-ever performance to finish as runners-up at the Millfield International Chess Tournament.

There were some outstanding individual performances, with three boys winning prizes for the leading performance on their board: Luka Sugita, of Year 11; Year 8 boy Madhi Elango and Joseph Levene, of Year 7, who won all his games. The tournament at Millfield School in Somerset has been running since 1984. “We had an excellent weekend of chess, which ended with the School’s best-ever finish in over a decade of attending this prestigious tournament,” said teacher Geoff Roberts. "Our score of 23 out of 24 points in the qualifying rounds was phenomenal."

“As a captain is a director of a whole boat, so reason joined with knowledge, is the guide of life.” Plato

This term saw the first meeting of the Williams Society, Queen Elizabeth’s prestigious new academic society for talented humanities students.

The society, open to members of Year 12, fosters analytical thinking, broad cultural and historical awareness and language and textual analysis skills. Through weekly classes and tutorials, participants will cover such topics as informal logic, literary theory and the analysis of concepts.

Participating students, known as Senior Members, are selected on the basis of their academic performance and teacher recommendations; indeed the entrance standards are so high that only around 15 boys have been nominated to join the society. As well as attending classes, Senior Members will take part in trips, attend in-school lectures from renowned public and academic figures and make their own presentations on topics of particular interest to them. The skills developed on the programme will assist participants with applications to Oxford and Cambridge.

In keeping with the heritage of the school, the society has been named after the pre-eminent Elizabethan scholar John Williams. He entered Oxford as a scholar of Corpus Christi College in 1569, gaining a BA and MA, and was subsequently elected Fellow of All Souls in 1579. He was later appointed Margaret Professor of Divinity, Principal of Jesus College (the only Oxbridge college founded in the time of Queen Elizabeth), and Vice-Chancellor of the University of Oxford in 1604.

The strength in depth of music at Queen Elizabeth’s School was amply demonstrated by the House Instrumental Competition this term. A total of 123 performances were adjudicated for the intermediate and senior classes.

To qualify for the senior classes, boys had either to have passed Grade 8 or to have succeeded in an entry audition. The competition adjudicator was James Williams MBE, who conducted the Barnet Schools’ Wind Orchestra for 14 years and has been involved in brass bands since 1944.

Director of Music Kieron Howe said: “There was a very high standard throughout: Jim Williams described our intermediate woodwind and brass as ‘outstanding’, which is quite an accolade. We emerged with some very worthy winners.”

In the senior competition, Year 9 violinist Sergei Batichtchev took first place for his performance of Pablo Sarasate’s Malaqueña, with Year 11 boy Luka Sugita and Upper Sixth-Former Benjamin Yadin jointly taking second. Luka also won the Piano Cup. The overall winning house for the whole competition was Broughton.

Individual highlights this term included a first performance by Year 12 violinist Eigo Takeda in the English Schools’ Orchestra performance at the Cadogan Hall in central London – an experience he described as "fabulous".

There was a first performance by the newly formed Chamber Choir at the Carol Service. The breadth of the repertoire performed at QE was reflected in the Christmas Concert programme, which ranged from The Simpsons theme tune to Fascinatin’ Rhythm by Gershwin and – to mark the 50th anniversary of the composer’s death – the First Hymn Prelude by Vaughan Williams.

QE’s work as a specialist Music College continues to thrive. The programme included a visit to Christchurch Primary School by 15 boys and three members of staff to give instrumental demonstrations to Years 2-5 as part of this partner school’s Arts Week.

After another year of competitions that saw Underne again come out on top to win the house cup, QE’s thriving house system has this term played a key role in raising money for local charities.

While the School as a whole raises funds for India and the Poppy Appeal, the houses, led by Charities Officer Jack Scannell, have focused on good causes closer to home. Harrison’s House, led by Reece Beekmeyer, conducted a teachers vs. Sixth Form football match for MIND to help those with mental illnesses in Barnet. Stapylton House, under Michael Dominic’s leadership, ran a successful QE’s Got Talent competition to aid the Marie Foster Centre in Barnet. Jugal Suthar’s team of Pearce House prefects organised a teachers’ volleyball match which raised money to benefit the North London Hospice.

New house competitions have been launched recently in Drama and Mathematics. And, with the new multi-purpose hall soon to be finished, an even greater number of house competitions can be introduced, including badminton and table tennis.

This term has also marked the end of three years of pupil conferences. Form Captains, Deputy Form Captains and House Representatives have met with their House Captains to discuss school, form and environmental issues to be later taken to the
Headmaster for review.

Current Sixth-Formers at QE are well placed to emulate the exceptional academic success of last year’s leavers. The School’s A Level results announced in August 2008 were outstanding, with 84% at A grade. A School record total of 37 boys secured places at Oxbridge colleges.

Now there are high expectations for the 2008-09 Year 13, of whom 50 boys have applied to Oxford or Cambridge. In addition, 31 boys have applied to medicine and dentistry courses. In support of these applicants, teachers have been running interview training and counselling sessions, with valuable assistance from Professor Trisha Greenhalgh, of University College London, and Maureen Hooley, of the Prospects service. Similarly, lawyer Mark Wagner provided advice and training for boys applying to read law.

At QE, work to help boys identify the best career path and university course for them begins before they enter the Sixth Form. Every one of the record total of 150 pupils who joined Year 12 in September 2008 had undertaken work experience over the summer, with some taking up placements as far afield as Greece, South Africa, India and Australia.

Feedback from their work experience hosts was highly impressive, and the following comments were not untypical:

• “He made an excellent impression on everyone here and made contributions at one meeting which two year qualified solicitors did not make.” (Richard Evans, Beachcroft LLP) 
• “Probably the best school placement I have worked with here at CG.” (Mick Harvey, CG)

QE Assistant Headteacher David Ryan said: "Developing and refining one’s career pathway is so important, so it was most pleasing to read such feedback. The School places considerable emphasis on the importance of personal development and involvement to augment academic achievement.”

All students in Years 12 and 13 are, for example, expected to complete at least 40 hours of voluntary service through the academic year, which equates to one hour per week. Following a series of presentations by speakers to Year 12 assembly during the 2008 Autumn Term, virtually all students have now secured a voluntary service placement. Placements include local schools, hospitals, care homes, charity shops and coaching sport to younger students, while an increased number of senior students are highly involved in the academic clinics run in School for younger students.

Year 13 assemblies have benefited from speakers from within the School – Ashok Vijaykumar on road safety and Stephen Demetriou on issues for contemporary Christianity. Outside speakers have included Joe Sheffer OE on gap year challenges, Jay Lakhani on Hindusim, Ahmad Thomson on Islam and Rabbi Steven Gaffin on Judaism.

An Elections Team has been set up to organise a number of mock elections throughout the academic year. Other Sixth-Formers have been very effective in delivering publicity around the School for the elections and in helping to create vibrant classroom displays. The first mock election saw over 500 QE students vote in the mock American presidential election in November, 89% of whom voted for Barack Obama.

After a highly successful year, the outgoing India Appeal team handed over to their Year 12 successors. “The appeal has gone from strength to strength in recent years and we are raising a fantastic amount of money to help our partner school in Kerala. Over 60 students applied to be part of the new team – an excellent response,” said Mr Ryan. Some who were not successful in their application have set up a separate Special Causes Committee, which will aim to run two activity weeks a year to educate students about those causes and, where appropriate, make a contribution to them.

Mr Ryan also paid tribute to around 80 boys in the current Year 13 who have worked over the past year as Senior Prefects, School and House Officers. “As the Autumn Term ends, their time in office concludes and they hand over to a new cohort. The debt that the School owes to the Senior Prefects is enormous; they have major responsibility for the day-to-day running of the School and manage a number of major events over the year – the School Fete, prize draws and entrance examinations are examples that come to mind. Our thanks go to the retiring Senior Prefects, with good wishes for their career progression,” he concluded.

Year 13 Economist Promit Anwar is the joint winner of The Royal Economic Society’s Young Economist of the Year Competition 2008. Promit (pictured meeting the Mayor of Barnet, Councillor John Marshall) beat off competition from nearly 400 other entries from as far afield as Singapore to claim the title and £1,000 prize.

The task was to write up to 2,000 words on which economic idea or policy has most power to improve our lives. Promit wrote on international finance policy, putting the case for the creation of an international currency to supplant the dollar. He argued that this would help economic development by improving investment efficiency, easing macro imbalances and providing an international policy instrument. The other joint winner was Lizzy Burden from Withington Girls’ School.

A team of 12 experienced Economics teachers drew up a shortlist. The final judging process was performed by Charles Bean (Deputy Governor, Bank of England), Stephanie Flanders (Economics Editor, BBC) and John Vickers (RES President).

Mr Vickers said: “The Young Economist of the Year Competition…has again excited great interest and brought forth impressive talent. Two entries stood out: Promit Anwar’s thoughtful analysis of global reserves policy and Lizzy Burden’s sharp and engaging account of the power of game theory.” 

• Promit and fellow Year 13 student Richard Alam have successfully reached the regional round of the English Speaking Union Mace Debating Competition, thanks to an excellent performance against five local independent schools.

QE A Level Politics students have been getting behind the headlines surrounding the election of Barack Obama as the next US President.

Boys in Year 13 study American politics and this term have followed the historic events not only by reading the Washington Post and New York Times, but also by attending a conference on US politics at the British Library. During this event they had the opportunity to question two members of the US Congress, as well as hearing from a number of British academics.

Domestic politics were the order of the day when Year 12 boys visited the Houses of Parliament. As well as hearing about the work of Parliament, they met with Shadow Cabinet member Theresa Villiers, MP for Chipping Barnet. Boys had the chance to stand at the Dispatch Box, where the Prime Minister faces David Cameron each week in Prime Minister’s Questions.

Later in the term, the Year 12 boys returned to Westminster for the Sixth Form Politics Conference at Westminster Central Hall. Speakers included Cabinet Members Jack Straw and Harriet Harman, leading opposition figures such as William Hague and Charles Kennedy, the colourful George Galloway and the First Minister for Wales, Rhodri Morgan.

Two Year 11 groups learned more about two contrasting parts of their GCSE Economics course on a visit to London.

In the first part of the trip, boys visited the Westferry Print Works in Bethnal Green, where national newspaper titles such as the Guardian and Financial Times are printed. They investigated how the theories and concepts of Production Economics work in a real factory and were fascinated by the speed at which the presses were churning out newspapers – 17 complete copies per second!

“Much to their amusement, the boys even got to meet the firm’s fleet of 40 unmanned robots, although some of these hard-working souls were too busy lugging 1-ton rolls of paper across the shopfloor!” said teacher Maziar Homayounnejad.

In the second part of the trip, the QE students visited the Bank of England Museum, where they heard a lecture covering the importance of money in today’s economy, as well as other current issues in the global financial system. “For most boys, the highlight of their day was getting to lift a real gold bullion bar and seeing a real £1 million note, which, incidentally, is no longer legal tender.”

QE’s keen young geographers ventured deep into the woods on a field trip that combined fun with the serious purpose of investigating the sustainable use of the forest.

Year 7 and 8 took part in the Geo-explorers extra-curricular activity at Mop End, Amersham, which culminated in a fierce debate about how the forest should best be managed.

The boys investigated animals in their natural habitat and looked at the cost of different types of timber. The data collection involved taking measurements to calculate the height of trees, as well as capturing invertebrates for identification and recording their distribution on tally charts both for deciduous forest and coniferous forest areas.

“This was a highlight, as the boys had to suck small creatures into the storage container using a plastic tube: only one bug was eaten during this tricky process!” says Geography teacher Sarah Gibbons. One boy, Timothy Chan, was heard to say: “I think I just swallowed the centipede.”

During the final debate, the viewpoints of local people, builders, tourists and developers were all considered. The teachers were assigned the role of the builders – prompting Year 8 boy Daniel Fernando and Rahul Sethi, of Year 7, to ask if they could earn a merit by voting for them – but in the end the pupils representing the tourists’ views emerged triumphant.

“Geo-explorers runs two field trips a year and aims to promote geography by giving boys a creative and educational outdoors experience,” said Miss Gibbons.