Fantastic exam results, the award that everyone wants, and a world first – our term at QE!

This term, Queen Elizabeth’s has seen exciting developments at home and abroad, and enjoyed the very active support of dozens of Old Elizabethans.

We returned from the summer holidays in September still celebrating our superb A-level and GCSE results, and with our sportsmen still basking in the glow of the Sri Lankan cricket and rugby tour. Their exciting fixtures in grand stadiums half-way around the world, along with their encounters with elephants and sea turtles, constitute a very visible example of our aim to broaden horizons and give Elizabethans a global perspective.

Our sparkling academic performance lies behind QE receiving the Sunday Times Schools Guide’s State Secondary School of the Year for Academic Excellence and State Secondary School of the Year for A-levels awards. However, we are emphatically not just an academic school. It is our proven combination of programmes such as QE Flourish and QE Futures that led to QE being awarded the most prestigious Sunday Times award of them all: State Secondary School of the Year 2026. We rightly savour and celebrate such public recognition: it is important to mark our successes, and I hope you will share the sense of pride at the achievements of your School.

The work of QE Futures is now hugely underpinned by the contribution of Old Elizabethans. Futures Talks have been given this term by: Anubhav Rathore (2016–2023) on medicine and Cambridge; Romel Ahmed (1985–1990) on global communications; Cheuk Hai Au (2006–2013) on banking; Raees Lunat (2005–2012) on medicine; Tae Hyun Baek (2007–2014) on his career as a barrister; and Preet Patel (2014–2021) on economics and start-ups. Henry Zhu (2012–2019) very ably launched our Find your path to… series with his talk on accounting, banking, and finance, when he related his own journey from studying Chemistry at Durham University to qualifying as a Chartered Accountant at PwC. Jason Tao (2018–2025), a first-year Cambridge medic, gave a Year 13 Oxford & Cambridge interview workshop.

We were pleased to welcome several alumni who studied languages at A-level for a special seminar in our Conference Centre promoting language study. They included: Oliver Titheridge-Stone (2006–2013); Beker Shah (2014–2021), Oscar Smith (2013–2020) and Bishoy Yassa (2012–2019). They shared with Year 12 & 13 linguists how they use languages in their careers: examples included a doctor who uses French when treating patients from francophone Africa and those who use languages in international legal careers or at academic conferences.

There were other visits, too. Husain Alaswad (OE 2017–2024), who is 2025 VEX Volunteer of the Year, did excellent service as Head Referee as we welcomed hundreds of competitors to our Battle of Barnet VEX IQ competition. I also had a very interesting conversation with David Wu (1994–2001) on his visit from Singapore to reconnect with the School.

One of the most significant developments of the term was the announcement of an opening date – August 2026 – for Queen Elizabeth’s School, Dubai Sports City. This will be the first school to open under our QE Global Schools programme, on which we are working with our partners, Global Education (GEDU). A real highlight for me was a special event at the site of the new school at which I met some 20 supportive OEs and former QE members of staff who live or have connections in the area. They were: Omair Ahmed (2001–2008); Tom Asbury (PE teacher, 2011–2013); Arjuna Chandrakumar (2002–2009); David Clark (1993–2000); Mayooran Chukumaran (2004–2011); Farshad (Fash) Dabeshkoy (1997–2005); Steven Fernandes (1994–2001); Murtaza Jivanjee (1997–2004); Raees Lunat (2005–2012); Moiz Paracha (2008–2015); Krishna Parikh (2005– 2012); Carlo Pepe (1990–1996); Nick Rastelli (1995–2020); Thaddeus Rivett (former staff); Akshay Ruparelia (2009–2016); Akhil Totaram (2012–2017); Akash Vaghela (2003–2010); Michael Yanni (1997–2004); and Helena Yovichich (former staff). Among those championing the UAE launch was former England Test captain Sir Alastair Cook (pictured at the back in the photo at the top), who will advise on QE Global Schools’ planned élite sports programmes..

Our new School Plan, Boundless covering the period 2025–2030, was launched at the start of this term. Boundless gives “bold decision-making” as the first of four foundations underpinning all that we do. That is much in evidence in with QE Global Schools – which represents the first time that any UK state school has opened affiliate schools abroad.

Happily, the £2.3m Main Building project is now in full swing. It includes the re-covering of 16 flat and pitched roofs, as well as other repairs and a major upgrade of insulation, with the installation of solar panels. It is, therefore, is a sterling example of the “thoughtful improvement of existing buildings” enjoined by Boundless. (You can read more about this project in our new FQE Impact Report). In 2026, we will be moving ahead to a full planning application for our new sports hall – thus fulfilling another key aspect of our new estates strategy, namely “the creation of new, high-quality facilities”.

Season’s greetings to all our alumni: I hope you enjoy a pleasant festive period.

Neil Enright

Headmaster

Together at the Premier League

This term’s Sports Bulletin profiles two alumni of different generations, Piers Martin (1987–1995) and Sam Akpan (2011–2018), who are both working in exciting roles at the Premier League. They are pictured here, on the extreme left and right, with senior Premier League colleagues.

OE Annual Reunion Dinner – see the photos!

The 2025 Old Elizabethan Annual Reunion Dinner was a happy evening, with alumni of different generations relaxing together and enjoying the chance to network and catch up with old friends. There was a good turn-out from the Class of 2015 and also a very strong showing from the thriving Forty Society, proudly sporting their new blazers. To view our full set of photos on QE Connect, click below.

Why Neil wants to add to the QE toolbox

Neil Madhvani (OE 1992-1999) has been a consistent donor and was a 450 Club member. He has been with Swiss multinational investment bank UBS for 21 years, based firstly in London and Singapore, and then, for the past seven-and-a-half years, at the “mothership” in Zurich. Neil has held a number of roles and is currently Executive Director, Technology Inventories, Data & Reporting Services.

“I'm delighted to read about the School's continued successes, in developing young talent who are confident, able and responsible,” he says. “I consider myself very fortunate to have benefitted immensely from my education at QE and have very fond memories of my time there. I believe we all have a 'toolbox' that we continue to add tools to throughout our education, work and personal experiences. There are many great tools that I acquired during my School days, which I've been able to further develop in the years after that. Many of these have given me the opportunity to be able to help others on their own journeys, for example my direct reports and mentees. Whilst living away from the UK means I'm not able to visit the School as often as I'd like, I hope the small contribution that I make monthly can help it continue to go from strength to strength.”

Two hundred-plus thank yous!

More than 100 alumni and friends supported mock interviews at QE this year, between them giving 210 individual interviews. That support has, for example, been of enormous help to our Oxford and Cambridge applicants, some 90% of whom have been invited to interviews this year. In addition to the help provided by Old Elizabethans, QE teachers supported not only their own pupils but also gave mock interviews to 23 students from Barnet’s Ashmole Academy, QE Girls’ School, and The Compton School.

Left in the past ten years? Help us shape the future

We’re inviting alumni from the past decade to complete a short survey about how well Queen Elizabeth’s School prepared them for university and their careers. Your feedback will help us enhance the support we provide to current and future pupils. It only takes a few minutes to complete.

How to get your dream job: AI entrepreneur’s special assembly at QE

Amar Shah (OE 1999–2006), a co-founder of the Wayve autonomous driving business, which last year secured more than $1bn in funding, returned to the School to advise current pupils on careers in a fast-changing world. In a very well received assembly, Amar shared his inspiring story, which took in Mathematics at Cambridge, a PhD in Machine Learning and work for Goldman Sachs and NASA, as well as the founding of multiple influential companies.

Careers Convention 2026: can you help?

If you can come along for all or part of the day at the Year 11 Careers Convention on Wednesday 11 February 2026, Assistant Head (Pupil Destinations) James Kane would like to hear from you!

“Our QE Futures programme continues to thrive thanks to the incredible generosity and involvement of our alumni and friends,” he says. “The Careers Convention is a dynamic day of panels, networking, and interactive workshops designed to inspire and guide our students. And we’d love for you to be part of it!”

Supporting QE by giving

An increasing number of our alumni are supporting the School through financial giving: whether the gifts are large or small, we are deeply grateful for each and every one. As a state school, we need such support in order to continue offering life-changing opportunities to bright boys, regardless of background. To make a one-off or regular gift, click the button below. If you would like to sponsor an extra-curricular activity for current pupils, are interested in remembering QE in your will, or have any other questions about giving, our Development Office will be glad to help.

Award-winning animator Chris in new collaboration with film legend Tim Burton

BAFTA and Emmy winner Chris Tichborne (1984–1989), who was animation supervisor for last year’s Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice, has again worked with filmmaker Tim Burton, on Netflix’s second series of Wednesday. The stop-motion sequence he worked on takes place half an hour into Episode 1 of the new season, which premiered this autumn. It recounts how a brilliant boy with a fragile heart designs a clockwork ticker that will be transplanted into his chest.

“It is amazing to see the great online reaction to our work: there is still a lot of love for our beloved craft!” said Chris, director of Mackinnon and Saunders Ltd. Chris has more than 25 years of experience of working in stop motion and has worked on productions including Tim Burton’s Corpse Bride, Wes Anderson’s Fantastic Mr. Fox and Netflix’s The House Trilogy. He is shown here with the “big, scary surgeons” made and filmed for Wednesday at Mackinnon and Saunders’ studios in the Manchester area.

OE in high places: Government advisor's new book on AI and international security

Old Elizabethan Dr James Johnson’s forthcoming book will complete a trilogy on AI and the future of conflict. James (OE 1987–1994), a leading academic, regularly advises the US, UK, and EU governments on AI and nuclear policy.

Old Elizabethan academic ranked among world’s top scientists

QE alumnus Dr Mustafa Sarkar has been named among the world’s leading sports and exercise scientists in an annual survey. For the second consecutive year, Mustafa (OE 1997–2004) has been ranked in the top 2% worldwide in his field.

And finally…

We trust you have enjoyed reading this edition of the QE Connect e-magazine produced by QE for all our old boys. What next? Well, if you haven’t already discovered QE Connect, our online social and business network, why not take a look.