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Year 13 boys Year Joseph Masters and Joseph Phelan have become the first-ever recipients of two new QE prizes being sponsored by Queen’s College, Oxford.

The prizes reward the best work done at Queen Elizabeth’s School for the Extended Project Qualification (EPQ*), with one awarded for Sciences and the other for Arts & Humanities. The two Sixth-Formers received their prizes at the School’s Senior Awards evening.

Joseph Masters, who won the Sciences prize, researched the quest for a malaria vaccine. He is likely to study Medicine at King’s College London. Joe Phelan has a place to study Geography at St John’s College, Cambridge. He won the Arts & Humanities EPQ prize for his research into solutions to food security crises.

Both received congratulatory letters from Professor Paul Madden, Provost of Queen’s.

Their awards capped an extraordinarily successful year for the School’s first EPQ cohort. Of all QE entrants 68% achieved an A* for the project.

Current Year 12 pupils have recently been taking part in an EPQ research collaboration with girls from The Henrietta Barnett School in Hampstead.

* Devised by Sir Mike Tomlinson in 2006 during his review of education for 16-19 year-olds, the EPQ is equivalent to an AS level.

A quintet from QE performed at the official opening of Barnet College’s new £50m Wood Street campus by the Duke of Gloucester, who is the Queen’s cousin. They were invited in order to celebrate the School’s historic link with the refurbished Tudor Hall, which forms part of the development.

QE was housed in Tudor Hall, the oldest education building in Barnet, from its founding in 1573 until it moved to its present site in 1932.

“The official opening marked a new era for us,” said Barnet College Principal, Marilyn Hawkins. “We were delighted to welcome the QE students who performed so excellently to mark the occasion.”

The performers were the Clarinet Quintet, rehearsed by Music teacher Mr Arijit Chakravarty. The string players were Jonathan Hollingsworth, Christopher Georgiou, Rishikesh Chakraborty and Sergei Batishchev, with Joseph Vinson on the clarinet. “I’m really glad that we were invited to play a part in the Duke’s visit and the official opening of the campus, as it also encompasses a significant part of our own School’s history,” said Mr Chakravarty.

A QE student has won a prize in a prestigious, national awards scheme. Madhi Elango, who is in Year 10, was named winner of the Best Use of Maths prize at the British Science Association’s CREST Awards.

The CREST co-ordinator for North, Central and South London, Mrs Sheila Toper, has supported Madhi throughout his bronze level project and invited him to attend the national final – called the Big Bang – in London. She said: “To put these achievements into context, the projects included in the Big Bang were the best from all over the UK, and for Madhi to then be judged as one of the best at this national event is truly a fantastic result for all his hard work and determination.”

Madhi was the runner-up in the Junior Science/Maths category, and Mrs Toper commented that he had only narrowly missed out on the top prize. He also received a limited-edition CREST medal, awarded to exceptional CREST projects at the discretion of the judges.

“Many judges I spoke to remarked on how impressed they were at his communication skills and use of scientific process,” added Mrs Toper. She predicted a bright future for Madhi in the world of scientific research.

CREST is a project-based awards scheme for the STEM subjects – Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths. It links the personal passions of students to curriculum-based learning and aims to give 11-19 year olds opportunities to explore real world projects in an exciting way. Participants are expected to carry out research for their project in their own time at home.

“The School is very proud of Madhi’s achievements, which are a fitting reward for his hard work and determination,” said the Headmaster, John Marincowitz.

Madhi is now intending to start a new CREST project at gold level.

The QE senior Saxophone Quartet has taken first prize in the Popular category of the Spring Grove Music Festival.

“The boys performed their pieces beautifully, overcoming a high-quality field to take first prize,” said QE’s Director of Music, Kieron Howe. “We’re very proud of their achievement.”

The quartet beat a brass group from William Ellis School and two ensembles from The Henrietta Barnett School to win the trophy and a £350 cash prize for the Music Department.

Adeel Haque and Alexander Liangas of Year 12, Kieran Eatough from Year 10 and Year 13 student Bhaven Murji performed Eddie Harris’s Cold Duck Time and Pablo Beltran Ruiz’s Sway. The boys had to perform one or more non-amplified pieces with a maximum duration of just 10 minutes.

The competition benefits the elderly and is run under the auspices of the Springdene Care Homes Group. Many Springdene residents were present at the performance. The judging panel was made up of invited music professional including professional pianist Tessa Uys, RSC Director Janet Suzman and BBC Radio 3 presenter Lucie Skeaping.

QE’s 46th annual dinner debate was “arguably the most interesting and engaging of the last few years”, according to the teacher in charge of debating, Nisha Mayer.

Old Elizabethans Aaron Sonenfeld and Zaid Belbagi proposed the motion This House believes universities have become too expensive and were up against current QE debaters and Year 12 pupils, Calum O’Sullivan and Krishan Shah.

The 150 Year 12 boys and 20 guests and staff enjoyed a lively debate in the Old Hall, after dinner in the Refectory. “It was a thoroughly enjoyable evening,” said Mrs Mayer. “Unsurprisingly, the motion was carried, gaining the most votes,” said Mrs Mayer. “But Calum and Krishan, opposing the motion, put up a spirited argument and in the vote taken at the end of the debate had increased their share compared to the vote at the beginning.”

OE Aaron Sonenfeld was School Captain in 2006-7 and a major figure in School rugby. He read Social & Political Science at St John’s, Cambridge, before taking up a post with Goldman Sachs.

Zaid Belbagi was a keen debater at School and initiated the first QE involvement in a Model United Nations Assembly and was also involved in a youth European Parliament. He graduated in International History at the LSE and is currently studying towards a Masters Degree in Politics and International Relations at Oxford.