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Year 13 student Pranay Shah is among a select group of Sixth-Formers nationwide to have benefited from a new course on high-speed communications at Aston University.

Only 28 students were accepted on to the course, during which Pranay participated in a number of testing classroom and laboratory sessions, working alongside experts in the field. Over three days, he developed his knowledge of the components and systems that make up the global communications network by competing in a team challenge which involved transmitting sound from an MP3 player to an audio amp using optical fibre.

He also enjoyed the opportunity to experiment with simulation software as well as learning about life at university and receiving advice on career paths and opportunities.

Pranay, who is studying A-level Physics, Maths, Further Maths and French, is applying for General Engineering and Electrical Engineering university courses.

“High speed communications are essential for delivering healthcare, industrial development, transport, financial and other services that help every country flourish and develop economically and socially,” said Dr Kate Sugden, of Aston University’s School of Engineering and Applied Science. “The course offered students a fascinating insight into the world of lasers, optical fibres, transmitters and receivers through practical workshops and master classes.”

The course was organised by the university and The Smallpeice Trust, an independent charitable organisation which promotes engineering as a career to young people aged 12-18.

QE boys successfully performed an abridged version of Macbeth at the Abbey Theatre in St Albans.

The team of 24 actors, technicians and marketing assistants from Years 9-12 had prepared alongside three other schools at a special drama workshop run by experienced actors and theatre technicians as part of this year’s Shakespeare Schools Festival. While the other schools chose King Lear, Henry V and The Tempest, QE selected Macbeth, renowned for its psychological study of the corrosive effects of ambition, betrayal and guilt. Each of the four plays was abridged to a 30-minute production.

“The workshop provided the boys with an excellent range of techniques and tips to improve their performance skills,” said Head of English, Susannah Sweetman. “These included the visually spectacular techniques of ‘withering’ – where actors slowly melt to the ground as though dying, after a battle, for instance – and ‘blossoming’ – where they slowly stand up and grow like a tree.”

The Shakespeare Schools Festival is the UK's largest youth drama festival. It aims to give young people “the opportunity to engage with their cultural heritage, their education and their future” by performing Shakespeare in professional theatres. This year, around 1,000 schools took part, performing in 125 theatres across the UK

A Year 7 pupil has been selected to compete for Great Britain at a world karate championships event.

Twelve-year-old Joshua Han travelled to Novi Sad in Serbia to represent his country at the 21^st Shotokan Karate Do United Nations (SKDUN) World Championships. Shotokan is one of four styles of karate recognised by the World Karate Federation.

The championship is open to individuals and competitors from age ten to veterans (age 50+); Joshua competed in the age 12-13 (under 35 kg) class, both as an individual and in the team event.

He took up the sport when he was just seven but has been studying it seriously for the last two-and-a-half years. He trains at the Willesden Sports Centre three or four times a week and competes regularly in competitions in the UK.

SKDUN describes itself as “a non-political organisation working for and promoting the good practice, principles and ideals of Shotokan Karate through the medium of international competition, technical instruction, international grading examinations and education for instructors, trainers and students”.

For the first time in its history, the live Children in Need broadcast will come from the BBC’s Elstree studios – and 50 QE boys will be taking part.

The QE boys have been practising with 50 girls from Mill Hill County High School, all from years 7 – 9, and together will form a choir which will sing during the ‘telethon’ this Friday evening, which is being broadcast from the set of EastEnders. They have already enjoyed a visit from Pudsey Bear when QE hosted a joint choir practice with the girls (pictured). Music teacher Jennifer Brown organised a sponsored karaoke for the boys in the choir earlier in the week and raised nearly £900. The School has also raised money for this year's appeal by holding a cake sale for the staff and by selling Pudsey key rings in the School Shop. The total amount raised will be handed over by cheque on Friday at Elstree.

The choir will also be featured on the Vanessa Feltz Show on BBC London Radio 94.9 FM at 10.30am on Friday 15th November.

On the big night, the choir will be appearing on stage with celebrities including hosts Gary Barlow, Sir Terry Wogan, Tess Daly, Fearne Cotton, Zoe Ball and Nick Grimshaw.

The annual charity event has its origins in a radio broadcast in 1927, with the telethon being broadcast for the first time in 1980. It has raised over £650 million and supports more than 2,600 projects for children and young people.

Each November a number of celebrity and local events take place, reaching a climax in the live show on BBC1.

Guests this year include One Direction, Harry Hill, and the cast of Call the Midwife. Comedian Frank Skinner will open the doors to a special children’s edition of the Room 101 chat show. Other music guests will include JLS, Wet Wet Wet, Tinie Tempah, and Ellie Goulding, who will sing the official BBC Children in Need single, How Long Will I Love You?

“The boys are naturally excited at the prospect of seeing so many top performers in the flesh, but they are also delighted to have the opportunity to make a contribution to such a worthwhile cause,” said QE’s Director of Music, Kieron Howe.

The programme is broadcast on BBC1 from 7.30 – 10pm on Friday 15^th November, with the choir from QE due to appear at approximately 8.15pm.

Harry Peto (OE 2005-2012) has been elected President of the undergraduate student body at his Cambridge college.

Harry, who is reading Politics, Psychology and Sociology at Clare College, is juggling his studies alongside his responsibilities as President of the Union of Clare Students (UCS), the equivalent of other colleges’ Junior Common Room.

“Being President is a very varied and dynamic job,” said Harry. “My regular responsibilities include chairing meetings of the UCS Committee, which is great fun, and liaising regularly with college officers to make sure everything they do is as much in accordance as possible with students’ interests, as well as discussing any ideas of mine that might help to improve the lives of students at Clare.”

Harry is just entering his second year at Clare, where he will be specialising in Politics and International Relations. In addition to representing the interests of Clare College at the university-wide students’ union meetings, he has also discovered a host of less formal duties.

“At the moment I am working hard to organise Freshers’ Week. Basically I’m responsible for making sure they have a pleasant transition into university life.”

He is uncertain as to what the future holds once he graduates. “I have my eye on potential postgraduate opportunities abroad, as well as TeachFirst and a career in journalism or something politics-related!”