Viewing archives for

Sixth-former Soham Kale has won a national medical essay competition for a piece of writing that combined humour with a serious look at preventing disease.

Soham took joint first place in the Medic Mentor Magazine National Essay Competition with an essay investigating how mapping human cells could help doctors with both the early detection and the prevention of disease.

Headmaster Neil Enright is among many to have congratulated him on his success. “Soham has shown great originality and skill in putting together an essay that greatly impressed the judges. He aspires to be a doctor: I am sure that he will succeed in this ambition, and that a bright future awaits him in Medicine.”

Soham’s scrupulously referenced essay will be published in the spring edition of Mentor: the magazine produced by Medic Mentor, which is a national medical organisation dedicated to nurturing those who wish to become doctors. The edition will be themed under the heading Under the Microscope.

His writing answered the question How could the detailed mapping of human cells contribute to early disease detection and prevention efforts?

Thanking the judges, Year 12’s Soham said: “This has been such an incredible opportunity to explore the exciting prospects of cell-mapping to both current, and future healthcare. This couldn’t have been possible without all of the support that my inspirational teachers, friends and family have provided me with along the way. Progressing into the future, I will forever cherish this milestone.”

Human cell-mapping was, he said, a topic “completely alien” to him, but he soon got to grips with it, deriving “great satisfaction” as he learned the subject matter by initially “mind-mapping almost random information” and then quickly forming links to join up this information.

In the introduction to his essay, he gave the following example drawn from his daily life to illustrate the importance of such cell-mapping.

“My parents simply refused to use Google Maps when travelling, and then always ended up in the completely wrong place after taking the wrong exit on the motorway roundabout. Taunting them, saying ‘Using Google Maps wouldn’t have hurt’ felt good.

“Notice how my family and I could’ve ended up at two completely different places from the same roundabout? In the same way, the same biological pathway could lead to diseases ranging from schizophrenia to autism.

“All diseases are fundamentally mechanical problems at a genetic and molecular level, interacting with cells via an interconnected biological pathway.

“Cell-mapping (Google Maps) allows us to unravel these biological pathways (roads), creating opportunities for efficient, directed treatment so that my family doesn’t get lost again.”

The whole essay then adopted the language of satnav as Soham set out his argument, from “Proceed to the route” to the final line, “You have arrived at your destination!”

In announcing his victory, Medic Mentor quoted his conclusion, which highlighted the role of human cell-mapping. This has led to “significantly enhanced early disease detection” and to “improved patient outcomes both in the short term through potential earlier diagnosis, and in the long run through the provision of a wider variety of treatment options”, Soham wrote.

• Read Soham’s essay here.

QE was named as one of the top-performing schools at the Dubai International Academy Model United Nations conference, with three of QE’s delegates picking up awards.

The seven sixth-formers joined around 800 other delegates from across seven countries for the three-day debating event.

Headmaster Neil Enright said: “I congratulate our students for taking the initiative and organising this visit, for the preparation they did ahead of taking part in the debates, and for the level of their performance in the debates: they did the School proud!”

The long-established DIAMUN annual conference is affiliated to The Hague International Model United Nations, which specifies standards and procedures. It was held at the Dubai International Academy’s Emirates Hills campus, with a social event on the evening of the second day organised at the Jabal Ali resort.

Delegates came from more than 50 schools in Mauritius, Philippines, Qatar, Rwanda, UAE, Uganda, and the UK for the conference, which, like all Model United Nations (MUN) events, is closely modelled on the work of the real United Nations.

QE’s experienced MUN group, all from Year 13, were: Saim Khan, Koustuv Bhowmick, Chanakya Seetharam, Hari Kumarappan, Kanusan Naveendran, Uday Dash, and Kyshaan Ravikumar.

The delegation as a whole won a certificate recording QE’s honourable mention as a top-performing school.

Koustuv won a Best Delegate award for his work with the Arab League – one of the conference’s special committees.

Two other QE delegates, Chanakya and Uday, won Best Position Paper awards. Position papers are single-A4 page documents written to outline the views of the country or group the delegates are representing. Chanakya’s was for his paper for the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCC) and Uday’s award was for his work for the Economic and Financial Committee (ECOFIN). Uday also received an honourable mention when it came to selecting the best delegate across all the committees.

And Saim Khan, who afterwards penned a report on the event, was runner-up for Best Delegate for SPECPOL (Special Political & Decolonization Committee). “I lost out by one mark! – 29 to 30 – to the delegate who also ended up winning the Nirav Passi award – best delegate across all committees.

“We chose to arrange this for ourselves as a ‘last hurrah’ MUN – everything from reaching out and emailing the school, to organising flights and accommodation, to getting the absences authorised, was managed entirely independently,” Saim continued.

The group found time for sightseeing, including a desert safari and a visit to Old Dubai. One or more of the group also visited: Museum of the Future; Museum of Illusions; the Burj Khalifa skyscraper;  Aquaventure Water Park; and Kite Beach.

Saim, who managed to procure a full Saudi robe and headgear for the second-day social, particularly relished the multi-cultural nature of the event. “Despite London itself being a rather multicultural city, it was taken to the next level in Dubai – in my committee there were people from four different continents (including a Palestinian-Russian and a French-Indian).”

This experience was not without its lighter moments – Saim tried to learn local styles of wearing the shemagh (traditional headscarf). “According to one Lebanese person, I had at one point worn it in the style of someone about to get married!” said Saim.

“The conference gave an invaluable insight into how the lives of people of similar ages and educational background from around the globe can vary. Whether it was practising my (somewhat rusty) GCSE French with native speakers, picking up Arab phrases from a local Emirati, it was an amazing trip all around.”

In a QE first, an entire year group headed off to a West End theatre to watch a Shakespeare production.

The 190 Year 9 boys saw Hollywood A-lister Sigourney Weaver starring in The Tempest at the Theatre Royal, Old Drury Lane.

Their visit came shortly after QE’s Year 12 English Literature students took part in a two-day joint event with The Henrietta Barnett School that included a visit to a performance of Richard II at the Bridge Theatre in Bermondsey. QE has a long-standing partnership with the girls’ school, and this event was designed to stretch pupils of the two schools, giving them a taste of what studying Shakespeare at university might be like.

Head of English Robert Hyland said: “Giving students opportunities to experience live theatre remains a central part of our philosophy as an English department. In particular, given the density of language in Shakespeare’s plays, seeing them performed brings them to life in a way which the classroom simply cannot achieve.

“We were very lucky, therefore, to secure tickets to see two sell-out shows in The Tempest and Richard II. Taking just under 200 Year 9 students to see The Tempest will remain a highlight of the academic year. For many, it will have been their first experience of professional theatre, and one which I hope will last for many years after they leave the School. Even afterwards, I could still hear students around the School and in class discussing features of the performance, which hopefully balanced enjoyment with a richer and deeper understanding of the text.

“Working with our colleagues at Henrietta Barnett allowed us to put on a brilliant day and a half of activities. From a standing start, students became fully acquainted with the characters and themes of the under-appreciated Richard II. It was a treat to see students fully engaging in the dramatic activities, and speaking so knowledgeably about the Bridge Theatre performance.”

The Year 9 boys students studied The Tempest in the Autumn Term, with the trip therefore forming a conclusion to their studies. Sigourney Weaver, the star of films including Alien and Avatar, played Prospero in a Jamie Lloyd Theatre company production. It was, said Mr Hyland, “a rare opportunity for students to see a world-class actor and production company in real life”. Fourteen staff, drawn from all departments, accompanied the pupils.

Asked to write their own reviews, the Year 9 boys were enthusiastic about their visit. Ridit Bhor praised the “wonderful chemistry” shared by the characters, Miranda and Ferdinand, while others praised the set design, described by Pothan Bobba as “nothing short of spectacular” and by Avi Aggarwal as “hauntingly beautiful”.

The two-day Sixth Form event centred around the production of Richard II at the Bridge Theatre production, which starred Jonathan Bailey, of Bridgerton and Wicked fame. In addition to seeing the production, the event involved:

• An introductory lecture on the play from Dr Diana Hallam, A-level specialist and founder of Literary Lectures, which explored the contextual significance of the play;
• A drama workshop from Mandy Dassa (from QE’s drama partners, RM Drama), exploring the play from a practical perspective;
• Seminars exploring key scenes and speeches from the text, led by Mr Hyland and teachers from the girls’ school;
• A tour of the Globe Theatre combined with a drama workshop on Richard II, led by Royal Shakespeare Company and Globe Theatre actor Chu Omambala.

“We wanted to take students away from their exam specification, and help them understand what it might be like to study Shakespeare at a higher level and through different methods than the A-level allows,” said Mr Hyland. “By picking a text they were unfamiliar with, and allowing them to explore it beyond the normal classroom setting, students were able to develop their skills of interpretation and analysis. And by pairing up with our colleagues at HBS, they could also work with new faces, gaining new ideas and original perspectives.

“With the range of activities on offer, from university-style lectures, seminars, drama, and fieldwork, this partnership event really did give a sense of how exciting and varied studying English at a higher level can be.”

QE’s annual Rugby Dinner brought together players from throughout the School who share a love of the game. With awards galore, the evening was a celebration of the 2024-2025 season so far, which has already seen more than 400 boys playing for QE teams.

Staff and students reflected on the benefits of playing the game. Research into the impact of rugby in schools found 63% of participants reported improved leadership skills, 69% were more confident, with positive outcomes for improving mood (57%) and self-esteem (58%), as well as supporting over 70% to be more physically active.

In a positive season thus far, across the 123 fixtures played by the date of the dinner, QE teams had won 64, drawn 5 and lost 54, with plenty learned in victory and defeat.

There was a look forward to coming highlights – including next month’s QE Rugby Sevens, this summer’s senior rugby and cricket tour to Sri Lanka, and next year’s rugby tour to Holland for Years 9 & 10.

And the diners heard from Old Elizabethan guest speaker Nabil Haque (OE 2010–2017), a former First XV captain, who went on to play university rugby at Cambridge, where he took a double-first degree with distinction in Architecture. He subsequently went on to a two-year scholarship at Yale. He flew in to QE from Berlin, where he is now working as an architect.

Director of Sport Jonathan Hart said: “Our second annual Rugby Dinner was an excellent occasion, giving us the opportunity to reward success and celebrate endeavour among those committed to the game.”

During the evening, both Nabil and QE’s current Head of Rugby, Oliver Di-Lieto, paid tribute to the School’s former Head of Rugby, James Clarke, who died in January in Bermuda, where he was working for the Bermuda Rugby Football Union.

Nabil played predominantly for the second team at Cambridge (known as the LX Club). He paid tribute to all that he had learned about rugby at QE, stating that not only was it fulfilling athletically, but also came with social perks, such as giving him entry to certain clubs! He had relished the chance to play at a high level, including the opportunity to play alongside those in the Blues squad who had been international players, but stated that, in fact, his best memories of the sport were from QE, such as lining up with his teammates to defy the odds against physically bigger players from schools with better financial resources.

Rugby, he said, had shaped him as a person: he encouraged all those at the dinner to embrace its values and the opportunities it presents.

The dinner featured awards for players in Years 7–11 and for the Second XV and First XV, including a Most Improved Player, Player of the Season and a Players’ Player (voted by the boys), with the latter awarded both to an A team and a B team player in the first five years.

There were Senior Colours for 14 pupils, while a highlight of the evening was the naming of the QE Rugby Team of the Year – a staff selection of boys from across the year groups judged to be the best in their position. The line-up featured eight starting forwards, seven backs and another eight replacements.

The chosen line-up was:

1. Marcus Ingal (U13)
2. Krutharth Behera (1st XV)
3. Sachin Saddi (U13)
4. David Hirtopanu (1st XV)
5. Niketh Putta (U14)
6. Thinuka Kapugama (U15)
7. Aashir Irfan (U16)
8. Junu Park (U14)
9. Shradan Venkatesan (U12)
10. Lakshmi Chirumamilla (U15)
11. Yashwant Sunkara (U16)
12. Jake Owens (1st XV)
13. Darsh Singh (U12)
14. Ubayd Uddin (1st XV)
15. Ryan Goyal (U14)
16. Tanush Madadi (U15)
17. Rohan Mukherjee (U13)
18. Kyan Syed (U16)
19. Saami Mansur (U13)
20. Kevin Gajera (U14)
21. Roshan Patel (U15)
22. Thomas Young (U16)
23. Yashinth Sivananthan (U16)

Three Year 12 Sports Leaders were singled out for special mention: Aadam Aslam, Zain Ahmed and Hashim Khan have been coaching Year 7 boys on Friday afternoons as well as helping the PE department by managing Year 7 teams in rugby fixtures. Encouraging others at the dinner to get involved in helping younger boys, Mr Di-Lieto said: “These three have given a lot to QE rugby this year. They themselves have developed skills such as leadership and communication, but the boys they have coached have learnt even more.”

• Click on the thumbnails below to view the images.

Queen Elizabeth’s School pupils have secured 49 offers from Oxford and Cambridge this year – a figure only surpassed by last year’s all-time record.

This year’s tally, comprising 34 offers from Cambridge and 15 from Oxford, takes the total number of Oxbridge places offered to QE pupils over the past three years to 157.

2025 is also shaping up to be another strong year for QE applicants more generally: other universities have not yet completed the process of making offers, but already 94% of Year 13 already hold at least one offer, many of them from world-leading universities on prestigious courses, from Medicine to Modern Languages.

Headmaster Neil Enright said: “I extend my sincere congratulations to all our successful Oxbridge applicants. This stellar success is due reward not only for their dedication to their A-level studies and to wider interests, but also for their careful preparation for the university admissions tests and interviews.

“I thank my colleagues in the QE Futures programme for providing deeply informed and meticulous support and advice to the boys both before and during the admissions process. I am also grateful to the many alumni and other friends of the School who conducted mock interviews for these and other university applicants in the autumn.”

This year’s offers have come from 25 colleges, with the single highest number – five – from Gonville & Caius at Cambridge. They are for a considerable breadth of courses, from Oxford’s famous Philosophy, Politics and Economics (PPE) degree to Architecture and Materials Science.

Ten boys have offers to read Medicine at Oxford and Cambridge, and nine to study Mathematics. The five boys securing offers for Computer Science constitute a new QE record.

Boys have also gained apprenticeships with blue-chip firms such as Goldman Sachs and Deloitte.

Assistant Head (Pupil Destinations) James Kane said: “While we congratulate these Oxford and Cambridge applicants, they will be very aware that it’s not over yet: they will need to continue working hard to achieve their required grades! But they are an excellent group and we have great confidence that not only will they take up their places, but will then enrich their respective colleges in the years to come.

“More broadly, we are delighted with the successes across the Year 13 cohort. Although many universities have not yet completed their offer processes – including LSE, all American universities and several universities offering Medicine – 38 UK universities have awarded offers to QE students so far. These include all four universities in the top 10 of the QS global rankings, namely Imperial College London, Oxford, Cambridge, UCL.

“A special mention goes to musician Harrison Lee, who has received offers to study Composition at both the Royal Northern College of Music and Trinity College of Music, as well as an offer for the joint course between the Royal Northern College of Music and Manchester University. Receiving offers from specialist Music conservatoires is an absolutely tremendous achievement – these are very competitive and specialised courses.

“As ever, we are mindful that some excellent Oxford and Cambridge applicants will be disappointed, but looking to the other offers being received by the year group it is clear that there are many different routes that will be similarly exciting and rewarding.”