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QE pupils enjoyed the opportunity to broaden their political thinking when the School welcomed one of Britain’s most instantly recognisable Conservative figures – the former Cabinet Minister Sir Jacob Rees-Mogg.

Sir Jacob is the latest in a range of speakers from across the political spectrum to visit. The occasion gave boys the opportunity to engage more deeply with politics and current affairs, and, through a question-and-answer session, to challenge him by putting to him some alternative perspectives.

While politicians are often dismissed in the modern world as venal or without principle, Sir Jacob told the audience that his own experience of Parliament – and not only among those of his own party – was different: “…Most politicians are decent, honest, and have integrity,” he said.

Headmaster Neil Enright said: “We are grateful to Sir Jacob for taking the time to visit. His visit, and those of other political figures who come here, help our pupils to develop their understanding in the political sphere, encouraging them to become deep thinkers and compelling communicators in our interconnected and fast-changing world.”

Sir Jacob spoke at a very well-attended QE Politics Society meeting. He was invited by the student leaders of that society, Keshav Aggarwal and Vu-Lam Le-Nguyen. He revealed that he had, in fact, felt compelled to come, believing that the invitation betokened genuine student interest in his career.

Sir Jacob is a former Leader of the House of Commons and Lord President of the (Privy) Council. Although he lost his seat in the 2024 General Election, he remains a prominent figure, running his own programme, State of the Nation, on GB News, and publishing regularly on YouTube and Substack.

His visit came amid a tumultuous period in politics, with the Prime Minister under severe pressure from the continued fallout from the decision to appoint Lord Mandelson as US Ambassador. Sir Jacob felt that the government was now paralysed: those supportive of the PM being sent out on the airwaves; those against him, plotting; and the civil service waiting to see what happens, with no incentive to advance a policy or strategy if they might have a new boss in weeks, days or hours. His tip for the next Labour leader and PM was Ed Miliband.

In a lively and thought-provoking take on everything from energy policy and international trade to the future of party politics, Sir Jacob’s talk included the following points:

• Individual liberty is essential to protecting both the rights of the individual and a strong economy;
• Governments could not run complex structures: he would rather have “the NHS run by Tesco, than Tesco run by the NHS”;
• Adversarial politics, which allows for the expression of opposing views, is the best way of scrutinising ideas before they are implemented;
• Green energy decisions made by both the current and previous governments had hampered economic growth, and an overemphasis on green energy has made us “cold and poor”;
• The importance of being British: he pointed out that all citizens of Britain are equal, and he warned against a “two-tier class of citizens”;
• The need to expose young people to a breadth of political ideas (notwithstanding the “great injustice” of the near-monopoly of the Labour party on youth engagement): only when thus exposed could they challenge the status quo and bring about positive and meaningful change, he said.

Vu-Lam said: “Drawing from his portfolio of past Cabinet positions, Sir Jacob’s speech was fascinating, with reflections on his public service and predictions on the future of UK partisan politics. It was great to see students challenging conservative talking points and being answered with poise.”

Sir Jacob invited challenge from the audience and was duly questioned about net zero, immigration policy, the legacy of Brexit on the UK economy, and the defections from his Conservative Party to Reform UK.

During his visit, Sir Jacob Rees-Mogg gave a one-hour interview to Keshav and Vu-Lam for a podcast episode on their channel.

The society will next welcome Dan Tomlinson MP, Labour MP for Chipping Barnet and Exchequer Secretary at the Treasury, early in March.

In a two-day residential workshop at the University of Cambridge’s Department of Engineering, six Industrial Cadets from QE enjoyed some very privileged access.

The two Year 12 Engineering teams not only had the opportunity to study at the internationally renowned Dyson Centre for Industrial Design, but also to use specialist equipment that even Cambridge Engineering students are not allowed to touch at first.

The teams, who are both working with major companies to develop products to safeguard the health of construction workers, went to Cambridge for the workshop organised by the Engineering Development Trust (EDT) as part of its Industrial Cadets Gold Project scheme.

QE has a long record of success with projects developed through EDT programmes, with past teams frequently singled out for praise by industry experts.

Technology teacher Tony Green, who accompanied the sixth-formers, said: “The Industrial Cadets Gold Project Workshop introduces young people to an exciting programme that offers a unique experience bringing together university study and industry.

“For our students, having the opportunity to study at the Dyson centre and to use tools and machinery that Cambridge undergrads don’t get to use until later on in their course was a real coup.”

During the workshop, the boys were challenged to solve a real-world problem set by industry partners, giving them first-hand exposure to STEM careers, university life and business thinking.

One of the QE pupils, Abhinav Sandeep, said: “We had an extremely rewarding two days at Cambridge and we’re very grateful for the opportunity! The fact that we were able to interact with a machine that only late-year Cambridge undergraduates and PhD students could use was sublime.”

One QE team is working with Overbury plc, the UK’s leading fit-out specialist, which has challenged the boys to develop a passive wearable aid for construction workers that mitigates the onset of Musculoskeletal Disorders (MSDs).

The other has joined with Morgan Lovell plc, a leading company in the design and building construction of commercial buildings, to work on a prototype for a wearable hearing protection device that alerts construction workers to hazardous noise exposure, thus reducing the risk of long-term hearing damage.

Both companies are represented by QE’s industry sponsor, Mr Alex Wood, Health, Safety and Wellbeing Manager at Morgan Lovell.

Abhinav, who is part of Team OVERBURY, praised the breadth of facilities that was made available to them as they built their device: “We used everything from sewing machines to soldering kits… We also benefitted from the variety of working spaces, such as the workshop for production and the library for data analysis.”

Team OVERBURY comprises the following QE Year 12 students: Dan Ji Chan, Abhinav Sandeep and Kavish Jayasekera.

Team MORGAN LOVELL is: Ayush Saha, Zane Shah and Haadi Siddiqui.

QE’s young chemists scored a double victory in a prestigious competition, with two teams taking joint first place.

The eight boys – four in each team – beat off the challenge from some 50 other school teams to take the trophy in the Chilterns and Middlesex final in the Royal Society of Chemistry’s Top of the Bench contest.

Five of the eight QE teams who entered finished in the top ten places, further setting the seal on the School’s enviable record of Top of the Bench success in recent years.

Headmaster Neil Enright said: “I congratulate both the winning teams on this spectacular success. Providing our pupils with ‘stretch and support’ beyond the curriculum through competitions such as this is a great way to explore their Boundless potential and encourage a genuine love of learning.”

Speaking on International Day of Women and Girls in Science, Mr Enright added: “It seems especially apt today to be able to pass on my thanks to our Head of Chemistry, Amy Irvine, for all that she and her colleagues did to make such an outcome possible.”

The two winning teams comprised boys from Years 9–11. They scored 41 points out of a possible 47, a clear two points ahead of the two teams in joint second place.

Dr Irvine said: “The Top of the Bench competition is a fantastic way for students to apply their knowledge to fun and challenging problems.

“It is great to see students from different year groups working together and supporting each other to think through the difficult questions which often go beyond the school curriculum.”

The winners’ prize included an exclusive, behind-the-scenes tour of Imperial College White City’s chemistry labs – a privilege many undergraduates do not receive until their fourth year at university. The tour was led by Dr Lisa Haigh, Head of Technical Operations, who is also a qualified assessor for the Royal Society of Chemistry.

QE pupils saw how chemists use high-precision mass spectrometers to analyse samples from human lungs. Their tour included an investigation of why cheddar from different areas of the country tastes different, assisted by mass spectrometry of volatile compounds.

Pupils also saw inside an inorganic research lab, where chemists have to work in glove boxes filled with nitrogen to stop their samples exploding.

And they observed a ‘clean lab’, where chemists have to wear full body suits to work on solar panels.

Their tour finished in the Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) facility, where they learned about superconducting electromagnets that are cooled using liquid nitrogen and helium.

One of the winning team members, Vihaan Pal, of Year 10, said: “The competition was really fun, as we had to answer difficult chemistry questions together and solve problems such as how you could find out what a mystery black powder is.

“It was really intriguing to tour the campus and look at students doing projects in the chemistry labs. There was also lots of new equipment and compounds that I have not come across before. My favourite part of the trip was seeing the NMR machines, which have a very strong magnetic field!”

In addition to the tour and the trophy, the boys’ prize included £30 Amazon vouchers.

The two winning teams were:

• Team 9: Noble Laturia and Sachin Saddi, of Year 9; Niketh Putta, of Year 10; and Kelvin Chen, of Year 11;
• Team 13: Aydin Mazumdar and Ash Raghav, of Year 9; Vihaan Pal, of Year 10; and Avi Goel, of Year 11.

Sixth-formers saw up-to-the-minute manufacturing technology on a visit to one of Britain’s most famous car factories.

The first QE trip of its kind to the historic Mini Plant Oxford provided a look behind the scenes at how advanced manufacturing processes, automation, and teamwork are combined on a single production line.

The Year 13 pupils also learned about the history of the iconic Mini, from the 1960s classic car through to today’s newer version, first produced in 2001.

QE’s Head of Technology Bilaal Khan said: “It was an outstanding experience for the students, allowing them to see the theories and concepts they have been studying brought to life in a real industrial setting. The trip not only deepened their understanding, but also inspired many of them to think more broadly about future careers in engineering, technology, and design.”

The plant on the Oxford ring road was the car body manufacturing business of the Pressed Steel Company, founded in 1926. It became part of the huge Morris Motors – later British Leyland and then Rover Group – site at Cowley, which incorporated three factories. Today only the Mini plant remains.

The original Mini became an icon of the 1960s, featuring in the 1969 film caper, The Italian Job. Its role was reprised by the modern Mini in a 2003 remake of the film.

BMW bought the Rover Group in 1994. The new Mini was first unveiled as a concept car in 1997. When BMW sold the other parts of the Rover Group in 2000, it retained the rights to the Mini.

After an initial tour during which they learned about the history of the iconic car, the pupils were shown around the factory.

Among the group was Danyal Talha, of Year 13, who said: “We witnessed a clear progression in the design styles of the cars, with evident links to design movements and ideas of the time.

“The factory tour then took us through one of the most advanced flexible manufacturing systems (FMS) in the world. FMS allows for various specifications of a product to be produced on a single line, and we witnessed this, with endless variations of Minis being made: from cabriolets to hard-tops, left and right-hand drives, with customised-to-order body colours and wheel alloys.”

They delved into details of the manufacturing process such as the ‘Prüfcubing process’, used to evaluate the fit, function and development of parts before a model launch. The boys saw a Prüfcubing body – a life-size model of a car body with a tolerance of +/- 0.2mm that was manufactured from solid aluminium, taking 2,000 hours to machine and worth some 1m Euros.

The group also saw automated guided vehicles (AGVs) in use. These are portable robots which, unlike autonomous robots, rely for their navigation on infrastructure in their environment, such as lines or wires on the floor, radio waves, or lasers.

“While we had already learned about AGVs in our theory lessons, getting to see them communicate with one another and work seamlessly to optimise the production line’s efficiency was fascinating,” said Danyal.

“Overall, the trip was a fabulous insight to real-world flexible manufacturing systems, and taught us about the evolving nature of production lines becoming fully automated.”

Year 8 learned creative secrets behind the Harry Potter films on a magical visit to the Warner Bros studios.

During the Art department trip, boys were encouraged to draw parallels between their classwork and the professional practices they saw at the studios in Watford.

Craig Wheatley, Head of Art and Design, who organised the trip said: “The visit was a remarkable experience for Year 8, blending education with inspiration and offering a behind-the-scenes look at the artistry and innovation that goes into film production. It truly fostered a deeper appreciation for the craft and ignited the creative passions of young aspiring artists.

“Our students explored the many creative industries that bring these iconic films to life, enriching understanding of film production and inspiring their own artistic journeys.

“Through our QE Flourish co-curricular programme – and thanks to QE’s advantageous location – we can offer educational experiences like this to bring classroom subjects to life, broaden horizons and develop future-ready skills.”

The day began with a lesson specially tailored for the pupils that was led by the studios’ education art department team. They delved into topics such as set design, architectural model-making, costume creation, and character design.

After that came a tour in which pupils immersed themselves in the world of Harry Potter and saw the stage sets, enjoying the chance to examine some of the special effects deployed there.

“Many pupils recognised similarities in their own projects, such as creating concept art for dystopian landscapes and developing storyboards, underscoring the relevance of their studies in the context of the creative industry,” said Mr Wheatley.

There were rave reviews afterwards from the boys. It was, said Akhil Kotha, “a truly beneficial trip, pulling out the secrets of designing a movie, with all the complex roles and activities clearly explained, aided by the hospitable staff”.

Akhil’s Pearce House classmate, Neil Mann, said: “I learned a lot about the process of making the film sets in Harry Potter, particularly the various stages used to produce the final outcome – from carefully calculated blueprints to scaled paper structures of the set – to ensure it is absolutely perfect.”