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As part of the Government-backed National Year of Reading, Queen Elizabeth’s School has created a special list of 100 books for every pupil to read.

THE QE 100 features classics and new literature, fiction and non-fiction, poetry and biography, and even manga and graphic novels.

QE’s professionals in The Queen’s Library worked alongside the pupil librarians to whittle down the long list of more than 300 books nominated by students and staff to the final 100.

Headmaster Neil Enright says: “This a challenge like no other for all our young Elizabethans – a reading list tailored especially for them. With seven weeks of summer holidays now starting, there is no better time to begin!”

In choosing the books, Head of Library Services Jenni Blackford and Library Services Assistant Corinna Illingworth looked for those which reflected QE’s values, which would prepare the boys for life, and, perhaps most of all, those which were a pleasure to read. “Every book has been chosen to inspire, challenge and entertain, helping students develop a lifelong love of reading,” says Mrs Blackford. The QE 100 has something for everyone. Some books are perfect for Year 7, others better suited to sixth-formers. “The idea is to enjoy the challenge throughout your time at QE, choosing books that are right for you as your reading journey grows.”

Here are just a few of the authors who feature: Shakespeare; C S Lewis; Jules Verne; Michael Morpurgo; Harper Lee; J R R Tolkien; Robert Harris; Ray Bradbury; Charles Dickens; Yuval Noah Harari; Marcus Aurelius; Barack Obama; Jordan Peterson; Fyodor Mikhailovich Dostoevsky; Marcus Rashford; Homer (with The Iliad available both in Rosemary Sutcliffe’s retelling and in unabridged form); Suzanne Collins; Seamus Heaney & Ted Hughes; Antoine De Saint-Exupéry; Mark Haddon; and Rory Stewart.

The subjects covered span cultures and countries, from Hiba Noor Khan’s Safiyyah’s War, about a young Muslim girl living in the Grand Mosque of Paris during World War II, to the non-fiction title, Timelines from Black History, which chronicles events from ancient African kingdoms to the present day.

There are even two titles by Old Elizabethans. The list includes The Trial, a whodunnit by barrister Rob Rinder (OE 1989–1994) – TV’s Judge Rinder – and Mustafa Suleyman’s The Coming Wave, a warning that the rise of AI and biotechnology may impact global stability. Mustafa (OE 1995–2002), who is now the CEO of Microsoft AI, was the co-founder of Google DeepMind, together with Nobel laureate (and fellow alumnus) Sir Demis Hassabis (OE 1988–1990).

The National Year of Reading 2026, which aims to help more people discover or rediscover the joy of reading, is a Department for Education initiative, in collaboration with the National Literacy Trust.

Ever the assiduous librarian, Mrs Blackford has one final suggestion for the boys: “Once you’ve finished a book, why not leave a review on the School’s library catalogue and share your thoughts with other readers? Happy reading!”

• Browse THE QE 100.

More than 20 alumni turned out for the 3rd Annual Old Elizabethans Cricket Match, including those from as far back as the Class of 2003.

The teams for the fixture were captained by Chris Deane (OE 2010–2017) and Bavan Gunaseelan (OE 2016–2023). Bavan’s side posted 114 from 20 overs, thanks largely to his unbeaten 30. Chris’s team then recovered from a slow start to record a convincing victory, Omar Mohamed (OE 2010–2017) leading the chase with an excellent 30*.

Director of Sport Jonathan Hart says: “It was fantastic to welcome so many ex-pupils back here: what a great evening of cricket and of reconnecting with our alumni! My thanks go to everyone who played.”

Bavan is taking on the organisation of next year’s fixture: any OEs interested in playing should get in touch.

• Click on the thumbnails below to view the images.

The players
Rishaanth Ananthajeyasri
Mukilan Bakeerathan
Chris Deane (c)
Romil Depala
Bavan Gunaseelan (c)
Thujivan Kathiravelu
Yaamir Khurana
Prabav Santhosh Kumar
Ravi Lakhani
Vansh Mahajan
Omar Mohamed
Krishan Naik
Kishen Patel
Karnan Sembian
Keval Shah
Dilan Sheth
Shahil Sheth
Mehul Thanki
Thilakshan Thayalan
Vigneswaran Thelaxshan
Anthony Yeh

The Under 15s won their last-16 and quarter-final games in the Barclays Knight-Stokes Cup to book their place in the semi-finals – with the glittering prospect of playing at Lord’s in the final if they win.

After the QE boys first saw off Woking High School, their strong bowling attack then propelled them to victory against Shenfield High School from Essex, with both matches hosted by Eton College.

Named after state-educated England cricketers Heather Knight and Ben Stokes, the new hardball competition is open only to state schools.

U15s coach (and the PE department’s Head of Aquatics) Richard Scally, said: “The boys produced two outstanding performances to reach the national semi-finals. The team is now one of the final four schools remaining from more than 750 schools that entered the competition.”

The U15s have been enjoying a vintage season, winning many of their regular fixtures and reaching the final of the Middlesex County Cup, where they lost to Merchant Taylors’.

In the new competition, they stormed through their county round, which culminated in victory against Heston Community School, to go through to the knockout stages.

After that, in the regional stage hosted by Caterham School in Surrey, they first comfortably saw off Midhurst Rother College, West Sussex, and then delivered a six-wicket win against Tiffin School, Kingston upon Thames, to go through to the last 16.

Batting first against Woking, they posted an imposing 161-4. “That was thanks to superb unbeaten half-centuries from Akein Athukoralage and Rushil Matta, who both finished on 50 not out,” said Mr Scally. “Our disciplined bowling attack, led by the spin bowlers, ensured we defended the total comfortably, securing a 30-run victory.”

The quarter-final against Shenfield proved a much tougher contest. “Batting first again, we came up against an excellent bowling attack and were unable to build the partnerships we had hoped for, eventually being bowled out for 100.”

The day was saved by “an exceptional display in the field”, Mr Scally reported. “Outstanding opening spells from Mayank Jagetia and Tanay Shetty reduced Shenfield to 10-4, putting them immediately on the back foot. From there, our team never relinquished control, dismissing the opposition for just 71 to complete a memorable 29-run victory.”

QE’s national semi-final against John Hampden School from High Wycombe will begin at 10am on Thursday 16th July at Wormsley Cricket Club in Buckinghamshire, renowned as one of the country’s most beautiful grounds. The other semi-final takes place at Headingley.

The winning semi-finalists will play in the final at Lord’s on Thursday 10th September.

The U15 team

1. Akein Athukoralage
2. Mayank Jagetia
3. Daiwik Khedekar
4. Aarav Kaushik
5. Neil Bhabra
6. Rushil Matta
7. Aarjav Jain
8. Ryan Goyal
9. Tanay Shetty
10. Neel Sinha
11. Kabeer Saini
12. Aarav Agrawal
13. Anirudh Premkumar (substitute)
14. Krishanth Rajesh (standby)
15. Aneesh Botcha (standby)

This year’s School Play, The Father and the Assassin, was a thought-provoking treat for all the senses.

Anupama Chandrasekhar’s play focusing on the assassination of Mahatma Gandhi was a colourful spectacle that continued QE’s recent tradition of choosing bold, politically charged drama for the annual production performed by Lower School pupils.

Live music from the School’s Indian Ensemble provided a vibrant soundtrack, while even the catering continued the theme, with volunteers from The Friends of Queen Elizabeth’s serving up samosa and chai in the interval.

Headmaster Neil Enright said: “My congratulations go to every member of the cast, crew, musicians, staff and volunteers who made The Father and the Assassin such an outstanding success. It was an evening of ambitious theatre, remarkable performances and unforgettable memories arising from a rich, complex script that asked difficult questions about conviction, extremism and the cost of political change.

“Our young cast rose magnificently to the challenge, relishing the opportunity to step into the shoes of some of history’s most influential figures.”

In recent years, Lower School productions have tackled themes including racism (12 Angry Men), the migrant crisis (The Jungle), tyranny and fate (Oedipus the King), and the struggle for Indian independence in Lions and Tigers.

This year’s production returned to India and to one of the defining moments of the 20th century – the assassination of Gandhi in 1948. Born in Chennai, India, playwright Anupama Chandrasekhar is best known for The Father and the Assassin, which was first performed in 2022.

The play opens in the immediate aftermath of the assassination, before transporting the audience back through the events, personalities and ideologies that shaped the Indian independence movement.

The production was directed by Penny Gkritzapi, of RM Drama, with support from QE Flourish tutor (and Philosophy, Religion & Society teacher) Brooke Farron.

Assistant Head Crispin Bonham-Carter (Co-curricular and Partnerships) praised every performer in the cast of almost 20, while highlighting several names in particular:

• “Yash Nadhavajhala [Year 9] brought warmth, dignity and quiet strength to the role of Gandhi.
• “Aarav Abhijit Pathak’s [Year 10] Veer Savarkar was forceful, charismatic and utterly convincing as the advocate of armed resistance.
• “At the centre of it all was Vihaan Sirpa [Year 9] as Nathuram Godse. Rarely does a performer of his age command the stage with such assurance. His portrayal was thoughtful, layered and remarkably self-possessed, carrying the emotional weight of the production across two absorbing hours and holding the audience captivated from beginning to end.”

Yet, said Mr Bonham-Carter, perhaps the production’s greatest triumph lay not in any single performance, but in its “extraordinary sense of ensemble”. He added: “Every actor knew exactly where they belonged, every movement had purpose, and every scene flowed seamlessly into the next. It was a performance that felt polished, confident and wholly collaborative—a remarkable achievement for a Lower School cast.”

The Indian Ensemble’s instruments and singing welcomed the audience before the performance, during the interval, and again at the close. “Their contribution added authenticity, atmosphere and warmth to an already memorable evening,” said Mr Bonham-Carter.

He also hailed the sense of community provided by the contribution of the FQE volunteers. “Their delicious samosas and steaming cups of chai transformed the interval into a celebration in itself.”

The whole evening will have whetted appetites for next year’s production, which is to be a musical, Jekyll and Hyde, Mr Bonham-Carter said.

Year 9 boys used artificial intelligence to help them design a sustainable bus for London during a special day at Salesforce’s new AI Innovation Centre.

The 27 pupils took part in a workshop, learned about careers in AI, and discussed the ethics of the technology during their trip to the American software giant’s facility at Devonshire Square, opened only a few weeks ago.

One of the highlights was a team challenge to design the sustainable bus – an exercise which gave the boys hands-on insights into how AI can be used creatively to solve real-world problems.

Assistant Head James Kane (Destinations & Progress), who leads the QE Futures careers and universities guidance programme, said: “It seems especially appropriate to celebrate this exciting opportunity during Youth Employment Week.

“Artificial Intelligence will undoubtedly form part of all our futures, and there is so much to be learned. Whether it was finding out how to write effective AI prompts or getting to grips with the ethical considerations, the conversations on this very special day provided valuable guidance for QE pupils growing up in an increasingly AI-driven world.

“We are sincerely grateful to Neil Sanghrajka, parent of a Year 8 QE student, for kindly facilitating this fantastic opportunity,” Mr Kane added.

The pupils discovered how Salesforce, a $186 billion company known for its customer relationship management software and related applications, uses AI to enhance the services it provides to its clients.

The day explored the effective and responsible use of artificial intelligence.

During the lunch break, students explored a range of innovative AI technologies, including a machine that created portraits from photographs and an AI-powered LEGO set that demonstrated interactive learning through artificial intelligence.

The visit concluded with an AI careers Q&A session, where the boys had the opportunity to ask questions. The panel included two degree apprentices, who shared their experiences and highlighted alternative and increasingly popular pathways into the technology sector after sixth form. QE’s pupils were particularly interested in the role of AI in education, and the panel emphasised that AI should be used to support learning and develop understanding, rather than replace independent thinking.