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Founder’s Day 2025 drew large numbers of visitors for the afternoon fete, who helped smash a £25,000 fundraising target.

The day, a traditional highlight of QE’s calendar, began with a service at St John the Baptist Church. That was followed by the formal Roll Call and Reading of the School Chronicle in front of QE’s Main Building.

Then it was time for the Friends of Queen Elizabeth’s Fete to begin on Stapylton Field, where visitors could enjoy dozens of attractions, ranging from a plants stall and coconut shy through to barbecues and tents offering cuisine from around the world.

Headmaster Neil Enright: “Founder’s Day 2025 was a tremendous day from start to finish. The fete was very enjoyable, with great food and diverse cultural entertainment on the stage. Even the weather seemed to be on our side: although it was a hot day, we were blessed with a little cloud and even some (unforecast) light rain – it all helped keep everyone cool.”

“I am extremely pleased to be able to report that we have raised £40,904.50 – and still rising! That is a magnificent sum significantly exceeding both this year’s £25,000 target and the amount raised last year. My thanks to everyone who gave generously.”

“I congratulate and thank all those involved in making Founder’s Day 2025 such a terrific success – especially the FQE Fete Committee, who have spent countless hours organising the fete over many months, and their small army of parent volunteers who turned out on the day. I should also mention our prefect team, who also worked tirelessly throughout the day.”

The service at the parish church featured a selection of hymns and readings, as well as music from the School Choir, Junior Barbershop Group and three young organists – Arthur Wang, Year 7; Gabriel Ward, Year 8; and Zach Fernandes, of Year 9.

The guest speaker was 2015 School Captain Norbert Sobolak. He spoke powerfully to the Year 7 boys in the congregation, reminding them of the achievements of Old Elizabethans Demis Hassabis (1988–1990) and Mustafa Suleyman (1995–2002). The pair were among the three co-founders of leading AI company, DeepMind, while last year, Sir Demis won a Nobel prize for Chemistry.

“Dream so big it scares you,” Norbert said. “Build your own path, even when the world says no. Never, ever give up. And I promise you: you will not just change your life; you will change the world.”

After the service, the staff, dressed in academicals, made their way to the School with the rest of the congregation for the lunchtime Roll Call and Reading of the School Chronicle (a history of notable events in the School’s history) in front of Main Building.

The fete was well attended. The programme includes more details about the event, as well as articles and advertisements from the fete’s supporters.

Among the most popular attractions was the bowl-at-a-teacher stall, making use of the cricket cage. As well as music from QE ensembles, there were colourful displays of dancing on the stage, while the Main School Hall housed an archival display that included QE’s founding charter of 1573.

Among those who enjoyed the chance to examine the charter were representatives of the QE Global Schools programme, from Global Education (GEDU), who attended the celebrations and supported the day.

As well as takings on the day, the fundraising total was boosted by the sale of advertising, by giving online, and by sponsored House competitions held by both the Music and PE departments.

Funds raised will be put towards the complete refurbishment of two Biology laboratories, helping QE to respond effectively to the growing demand for subject-specific science laboratories as the numbers taking A-level sciences has risen in recent years. There is still time to donate: the dedicated Founder’s Day JustGiving page remains open.

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Having stormed through their regional round earlier this year, four QE pupils went on to take overall second place in the national final of the prestigious UK Maths Trust’s Team Maths Challenge.

The four, who were competing against 71 other teams, took second place overall in the final, held at the Royal Horticultural Halls in central London.

They performed strongly throughout the five rounds and were even shortlisted for a special, separate prize awarded for the poster round.

Head of Mathematics Jessica Steer said: “We are thrilled and immensely proud at the achievement of our four talented mathematicians who represented the School with such distinction on the national stage.

“Their calm and focused approach under pressure paid off brilliantly, securing our School second place in the country — an incredible achievement that reflects their hard work and passion for Mathematics.”

Representing QE were: Year 8’s Arya Hombal and Noble Laturia, along with Liam Chen and Advik Gupta, both of Year 9. They are pictured, top, with UK Maths Trust Vice Chair Steve Mulligan.

The national final followed 47 Team Maths Challenge events throughout the UK earlier this year.

It was the first post-pandemic national final: the last was held in 2019. Teams travelled from as far as the Scottish Highlands, Channel Islands and Northern Ireland. There were also seven guest teams from China.

The event consisted of five demanding rounds: the Group Circus, Shuttle, Crossnumber, Relay, and Poster rounds. The rounds are designed to test mathematical thinking, teamwork and resilience.

Overall first place went to The Perse School, Cambridge, while behind QE in third place were another independent school, Haberdashers’ Boys’.

Although QE has achieved success in the main Team Maths Challenge competition before, according to Head of Academic Administration, Wendy Fung, who was involved with Mathematics competitions for many years, the shortlisting for the poster competition is a QE first.

All four QE teams competing at the VEX World Robotics Championships in Texas won divisional awards, with three securing the top divisional prize of a Design Award.

The teams excelled at both the V5RC competition for older pupils and at the VIQRC event for the younger competitors.

Head of Digital Teaching & Learning Michael Noonan said: “The week in Dallas began with our Year 10 teams Rogue and Nova delivering exceptional performances. When both were honoured with the Design Award – the highest judged divisional award – it was a moment of immense pride.

“In the VIQRC competition, too, our Year 9 teams, Omega and Constellation, shone very brightly. Omega secured the Build Award, recognising their robot’s outstanding construction and reliability, and Team Constellation added to QE’s growing trophy cabinet with another Design Award.”

Overseen by Mr Noonan and Technology Assistant Claudia Cunha, both V5RC teams advanced to the elimination rounds in their respective divisions, finishing 39th and 19th in qualification rankings, before being narrowly defeated in the round of 16. It was, said Mr Noonan “an impressive feat among over 80 teams per division.

“Their Design Awards celebrate not only engineering excellence, but also the meticulous documentation and innovation that went into their robot design.”

Head of Technology Bilaal Khan and Technology teacher Chantel Sinclair led QE’s teams in the VIQRC competition. Both achieved top-50 finishes in the teamwork rankings, with Omega also securing a top-50 placement in the Skills Challenge, out of more than 300 teams.

“But the best was yet to come,” said Mr Noonan. “Team Omega’s Build Award and Constellation’s Design Awards were fantastic achievements. As if that was not enough, both teams dazzled with their themed pit displays and costumes, winning the Costume Competition – a celebration of creativity and team spirit announced during the final rounds.”

Mr Noonan thanked the boys’ dedicated coaches, and their staff and student mentors for their support throughout the season.  He also thanked QE’s robotics sponsor, Kingston Technology, and the company’s ESG and Compliance Specialist, Antonia Pata.

Year 13’s Harik Sodhi will be heading to Paris this summer to compete with the world’s top young physicists as part of the British national team in the International Physics Olympiad.

Harik progressed through three rounds of the UK’s top schools Physics competition and has now been chosen for the five-person UK team after performing well among some 14 high-fliers at a selection camp (pictured).

Head of Physics Jonathan Brooke said: “This is an incredible achievement. Harik has mastered an impressive breadth of Physics and worked assiduously, fine-tuning his impressive problem-solving skills.

“Olympiad papers are extremely challenging; pupils need to have very strong mathematical skills and need to be able to work quickly and accurately. Making headway through the problems requires insight, composure and resilience.”

QE gave Year 13 boys a chance to sit the Physics Challenge paper in September 2024. The high achievers then had the opportunity to sit the British Physics Olympiad (BPhO) Round 1 paper in November.

That QE contingent were among some 3,500 pupils from schools across the UK to sit the Round 1 paper. From these, around 100 were then invited by the BPhO organisers to sit the Round 2 paper in February 2025.

Harik’s invitation to the UK BPhO training and selection camp in Oxford (pictured) followed on the basis of his performance in Round 1 and 2.

Before going to Paris in July, he will first attend a final training camp with his UK team mates at Trinity College, Cambridge.

The BPhO was founded in 1979 and it is believed that QE first started giving boys the opportunity to take part in the competition in around 2005.

“In the 20 years or so that QE boys have been taking part in the competition, only a small handful of QE boys have made it to the national team,” said Mr Brooke.

In 2013, Mahdi Elango was a bronze medal-winner at the International Physics Olympiad in Copenhagen. The following year, Aniruddh Raghu took bronze at the IPhO in Astana, Kazakhstan. And in 2015, Robert Swan also won bronze, at the IPhO in Mumbai, India.

“I think that means that if Harik can get a silver or gold, he will have bragging rights as the greatest Physics Olympian the School has ever produced!” said Mr Brooke.

Queen Elizabeth’s School Headmaster Neil Enright met the King when he attended a garden party at Buckingham Palace.

Mr Enright was representing QE at the afternoon event, hosted by the King, accompanied by Queen Camilla. It was organised to ‘celebrate and recognise those working in Education and Skills’. Mr Enright was nominated to attend by Martin Russell, Representative Deputy Lieutenant of the London Borough of Barnet, and a former QE parent.

Mr Enright said: “It was an honour to represent my exceptional colleagues – present and past – at the garden party. It was particularly special to share a moment with His Majesty on the lawn when he made a slight detour from his route to the Royal Tea Tent.

“I had the opportunity to shake hands and tell him something about Queen Elizabeth’s School. He seemed delighted to know that The Duke of Gloucester had visited us in High Barnet during our year celebrating 450 years since our foundation. As we parted, the King generously wished the School a (belated) Happy Birthday!

“It was really good fun and I was very lucky to speak to the King. The weather was perfect, too!”

Every summer, the Sovereign holds three garden parties at Buckingham Palace, and one at the Palace of Holyroodhouse in Scotland. Having originally begun as a replacement for presentation parties attended by debutantes, the garden parties have evolved into a way of recognising and rewarding public service. They provide an opportunity for members of the Royal Family to meet people from all walks of life who have made a positive impact in their community.

The Headmaster thanked Mr Russell both for the nomination and for all that he and his family have contributed to support the School’s work in the past 23 years.

Mr Enright joined the Geography department at QE in September 2002. In September 2011, he was appointed the 40th Headmaster of the School. Before that appointment, he held positions as Deputy Headmaster, Assistant Headmaster, Head of Year and Head of Geography.

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