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Fifteen groups of boys from QE entered this year’s Young Direct Marketing Awards. A team from Year 10 and another from Year 8 both reached the final, achieving silver and bronze medals.

Sponsored by the Direct Marketing Association (DMA), these prestigious awards offer teams of students aged 11-16 the opportunity to work on a real charity brief, giving hands-on experience of the creative and business principles involved in direct marketing. The DMA is a leading non-profit marketing trade association.

Queen Elizabeth School’s Junior Awards Day celebrated the “truly outstanding achievements” of boys in Years 7-9.

A total of 114 awards were made to boys at the ceremony. The prizewinners were lauded by the Headmaster, Dr John Marincowitz: “Today’s occasion provides an opportunity for us to recognise and celebrate those junior boys whose academic and extra-curricular achievements have been identified as truly outstanding. In doing so, we set a milestone in the unfolding of interesting careers.

“Truly outstanding achievements warrant a measure and those who have distinguished themselves in a context where standards are generally very high are truly worthy of our celebration. It is these highly talented and committed young men who have demonstrated such exceptional qualities whom we celebrate tonight,” Dr Marincowitz added.

The Guest of Honour was Old Elizabethan (1964-74) Dr Fraser MacFarlane, an acknowledged management expert who is now Senior Lecturer in Health Care Management and Postgraduate Admissions Tutor at the University of Surrey. He is also Programme Director for the University’s MSc in Health Care Management and currently supervises the work of 10 PhD students.

The Junior Awards comprise academic subject-related awards, House awards and awards for outstanding commitment in each of the first three years, as well as endowed prizes and special awards.

Musical divertissements during the ceremony were provided by the School’s young musicians led by Director of Music, Kieron Howe. These included works by Beethoven, Chopin and Rimsky-Korsakov, as well as a recessional composed by Mr Howe.

Thirty students from the Friedrich von Bodelschwingh Gymnasium (grammar school) in Bielefeld spent a week with families of QE boys. The return trip will be in October.

They particularly enjoyed Founder’s Day, for which they have no equivalent at home. They also enjoyed Assistant Head Timothy Bennett’s rugby induction, now an essential part of the itinerary.

QE paired up with Henrietta Barnett School in Hampstead to run a Year 9 debating symposium for the first time.

Fifteen Year 9 boys visited the girls’ school to debate in mixed pairs over a whole day. Nirmal Chohan and Alex Davis made it to the final with their debating partners, with Nirmal and his partner winning the tournament.

In the International Young Debaters Competition, Year 10 students Rishikesh Chakraborty and Callum O’Sullivan beat off stiff competition to reach the finals earlier in the term. They debated against several other schools at the Cambridge Union and were eventually placed in the Top 10. Four Year 10 boys also attended the Great Pharmacy Debate competition and were placed third.

Year 11 debaters have enjoyed similar success at the Rotary Speaks competition. Thomas Elliot, Arjun Sajip and Jesse-Steve Amartey [pictured] passed through the local competition held by the Rotary Club in Finchley and reached the regional event in London at the City of London School, even though they were among the youngest entrants. They were highly commended for their speeches.

School Captain Matteo Yoon [pictured] read one of the lessons at this year’s Mayoral Civic Service for the Borough of Barnet.

The recently elected Mayor of Barnet, Councillor Brian Coleman, who is a QE Governor, was joined by councillors and representatives of many areas of community life from around the borough for the special service.

It took place at Finchley Methodist Church and was led by the Mayor’s Chaplain, Reverend Colin Smith. Open to residents of the borough, the Christian service included the prayers of various religious leaders for the Mayor, the nation and the borough.