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Junior Awards formed a happy highlight of the final days of the School year at QE, with some 80 prizes presented to boys in Years 7, 8 and 9.

Prizewinners, their parents, staff and VIPs gathered in the School Hall for the afternoon ceremony, which was punctuated by musical interludes performed by recipients of the Music prizes in the three year groups.

And the Guest of Honour, Old Elizabethan Ramesh Pari, had some stirring advice for the boys after presenting them with their prizes: they should both “fail brilliantly” (by aspiring to wildly ambitious goals) and “celebrate loudly” their successes.

Headmaster Neil Enright said: “This was a very enjoyable celebration of those who have most excelled in their academic and co-curricular pursuits, and those who have shown a substantial commitment to the School over the past year.”

After a six-strong ensemble of young musicians began proceedings by playing as a processional Bach’s Jesu, Joy of Man’s Desiring, Mr Enright welcomed everyone.

The musical interludes were performed after each year group’s prizewinners had been presented with their awards. Pianist Youer Chen, of Year 7, played Columbine by John Ireland; vocalist Krish Bhatia, of Year 8, performed Jean-Baptiste Lully’s Bois Épais; and violinist Jeremy Shi, of Year 9, played Dimitry Kabalevsky’s Violin Concerto, Movement 1.

The recessional, played after Youer gave the vote of thanks, was Mozart’s A Musical Joke.

Guest of Honour Ramesh (OE 1997–2004), who is Head of Delivery Services for Ocado, advised them both to “fail brilliantly” (by aspiring to wildly ambitious goals) and to “celebrate loudly” their successes.

After leaving QE, Ramesh spent a year at Central St Martins art school before reading Architecture at Nottingham. He then worked as an architect for some years, before joining Ocado in 2018. In his current role, he applies “strategic design thinking” and is dedicated to “driving automation, value and efficiency within the complex world of fulfilment.

Mr Enright said: “I am so proud of the person Ramesh has become, having taught him in the QE Sixth Form from 2002 to 2004, when I first joined the School.”

Ramesh was accompanied by his wife, Millie. Reflecting on the day afterwards, Ramesh said: “To stand on that stage, as Guest of Honour, was not just a personal milestone – it was a moment of full-circle gratitude. It affirmed that the School that made me is proud to be associated with me, that the values and ethos nurtured in those classrooms still live in my actions today. QE gave me more than I could ever repay.”

Mr Enright also celebrated the presence of another special guest. It was, he said, also “lovely to have former colleague, Deborah Rivlin Bardou, a pastoral leader and history teacher at QE during Ramesh’s time as a pupil, with us to see him present the Rivlin Award for Outstanding Commitment in Year 8”. The award went to Emile Uju.

After the ceremony, all present enjoyed afternoon tea on Stapylton Field.

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The 2025 School Play is the first ever to have been staged in The Robert Dudley Studio – QE’s new facility for drama and the spoken word.

The production of Sophocles’ Oedipus the Tyrant comes some 2,450 years after the date given by some scholars for its first performance in ancient Greece!

The play revolves around King Oedipus’s search for the murderer of his father, Laius, in order to end a plague ravaging the city of Thebes, unaware that the killer he seeks is himself.

Assistant Head (Pupil Involvement) Crispin Bonham-Carter said: “I was concerned that our resident theatre director, Penny Gkritzapi, might have bitten off more than she could chew with her choice of Oedipus the Tyrant for the School Play this year. Oedipus – regarded by Aristotle as the perfect tragedy – tells the awful story of the young prince destined to marry his mother and kill his father… However, we have established a proud tradition of tackling weighty topics, so I was willing to give our junior drama club this challenge. I am very glad to say that it was a triumph! It was also wonderful to see the new studio being put to use for a major School production, with its amazing lighting and sound facilities.”

Mr Bonham-Carter added that the cast of more than 15 young actors had taken the audience through the story with great clarity and moments of tragic intensity. “Year 10’s Namish Thakur was a charming and convincing Oedipus, filling the studio with his agony, as he faces one awful revelation after another.”

The role of Kreon, who succeeds Laius as king, was played by Venkat Ganabathula, of Year 9. “I enjoyed exploring how his character changes throughout the story – from being calm and reasonable to standing up for himself when accused,” he said.  “It was fun to bring out the drama and intensity in his scenes, especially when arguing with Oedipus. I also liked working with students from other year groups and seeing how everyone interpreted their roles. Performing such a famous Greek tragedy helped me build confidence on stage and understand more about storytelling through theatre.”

Mr Bonham-Carter said: “This has been an outstanding year for QE Drama, with no fewer than three School productions – Lions and Tigers, Richard III and Oedipus. Our next production will be something much lighter, I’m glad to say – Shakespeare’s brilliant comedy, Twelfth Night, will be shown in November to get us into the Christmas spirit!”

Here are some further reflections from the cast and crew:

• Vihaan Pal, Year 9: “Being part of the modern rendition of Oedipus was an amazing experience. Working on such a powerful and emotional play really pushed me as an actor, and I loved the challenge. It was interesting bringing a classic Greek tragedy into a modern setting – it made the story feel more real and intense. I learned so much about stage presence, timing, and connecting with the audience. Overall, it was a fantastic experience, and it’s made me even more excited to apply for future QE Drama plays.”
• Arnay Gupta, Year 9: “Acting in Oedipus has been a fabulous experience over the past few months including the rehearsals, the actual play and our behind-the-scenes excursion to the Criterion Theatre. The rehearsals have allowed me to not only meet up with younger and older students, but has also to build my confidence in speaking in front of others. The rehearsals are very beginner-friendly and have allowed me to make new friends in an enjoyable environment.”
• Oliver Song, Year 8: “Taking part in Oedipus was an inspiring experience. The play proved challenging to bring intense emotions from ancient times to a modern performance. It took teamwork, with many suggestions made.”
• Vihaan Sirpa, Year 8: “I enjoyed the rehearsals and the inclusiveness; it was also a great experience; it was fun making new friends and learning more about others. The play itself also turned out well and looked really good. A 10/10 experience!”
• Keeran Sudhakar, Year 9: “This was my first time doing a play this long. At the start, I didn’t really know how we were going to get it all done. However, we did get it done by slowly breaking up the script into different sections. The play gives you the opportunities to speak to other people in different years. Also, the fact that we got to do a trip was good as well.”
• Aydin Mazumdar, Year 8: “Acting in Oedipus was an amazing experience in many ways – an ancient tragedy was a first for me, and it was a thrilling experience to absorb the complexities of Oedipus, from the raw, conflicting emotions at play to the inevitability and tragedy of fate, which once lifted Oedipus, but ultimately led to his downfall. Beyond this, it was amazing being able to work as a team and enjoy the experience with the rest of the crew.”
• Snithik Muthyala, Year 8: “I really enjoyed the play, as every scene kept me hanging on, and even though I acted in it, I still enjoyed it immensely. It explored the themes of fate, suffering and the human condition, shown through powerful speeches and dramatic situations.”
• Nikhil Francine, Year 10: “It was a great experience, and unique because this was my first time tackling an ancient Greek tragedy, and one on the scale of Oedipus.”
• Aaryan Prabhaker, of Year 9: “This play was a thrilling Greek mythology that fused together love and hate, life and death, power and helplessness.”
• Micah Osayande, of Year 8: “I think that taking part in the Oedipus play has really helped me to understand ancient myths better. It was quite hard to do, as being in the 21st Century we may never be able to fully understand Sophocles’ full meaning. However, we were able to work through inference and deduction to create a modern version of a classic. I really enjoyed working with the rest of team and Ms Gritkzapi to put together this play – a wonderful experience, from which I learnt skills of collaboration, organisation and creativity.
• Siddharth Kumar, of Year 9: “Oedipus provided an opportunity not only to witness the tragic downfall of a great king, but to also mingle with so many from the cast. We enjoyed drama games at rehearsals and built our confidence through fun. The actual performance was only a small part of all that the Oedipus cast did and as a stage manager, I enjoyed helping out with the stage design as well as co-ordinating entries and exits during the play.”

The Forty Society’s biannual luncheon filled the clubhouse at the Memorial Playing Fields, where there was a special welcome for long-time former Head of Games David Maughan.

Some members sported the society’s new blazer (modelled here by OEs Ian Louis-Fernand and Giles Pratt), the design of which is based upon that used for the award of cricket colours in the 1930s. Giles has been significant in encouraging more alumni to come along to the Forty Society (open to any who left the School 40 or more years ago).

He visited the School this month, together with Jonathan Gould, who is over from Australia, while another Forty Society stalwart, David Leake (OE 1966–1971) came for a visit in June. David, who was Global Brand Director of Zurich, went to art college after QE. He attends the Forty Society, despite not living locally.

During the luncheon, rugby devotees and their friends paid tribute to the hugely popular David Maughan, who was attending the luncheon as a special guest.

Headmaster Neil Enright said: “It was a great pleasure to welcome visiting OEs this term, most recently Giles and Jonathan. Whilst Jonathan had travelled all the way from Sydney, Giles didn’t have quite so far to come, given he is now one of the School’s closest neighbours here in High Barnet!

“There was much laughter as they shared their happy memories of their school days in the 1970s and early 1980s, when Jonathan’s father, Martin, was our longstanding Head of Design Technology, having joined the School in 1959.”

As well as continuing his support for the Forty Society, Giles also plans to put together a group for the OE Annual Reunion Dinner on Friday 21st November this year, starting at 7pm.

The U15 cricket team have been crowned county champions after beating Harrow School in the thrilling final of the Middlesex cup competition.

The squad also made QE history with a victory over Ipswich School in the regional knockout stage of the national championship.

Their successes came as two other QE sides reached their respective Middlesex finals – the first time in many years that the School has enjoyed such a level of success in the county.

Headmaster Neil Enright said: “Huge congratulations to the U15 boys on becoming champions. I was particularly proud to watch them playing so well on the sunny Philathletic in Harrow against the backdrop of my alma mater, The John Lyon School.”

Led by captain Krish Deebak and coached by the PE department’s Richard Scally, the U15s first defeated Merchant Taylors’ in a tense semi-final, before overcoming Harrow in a match that went down to the last over. QE’s 130 for 9 gave them victory by one wicket over Harrow, on 129 for 6.

After victory by four wickets over Ipswich in round 1 of the national cup, they faced another East Anglian independent school – Norwich – in the quarter-final. They lost by a single run following a somewhat controversial umpiring decision.

The U15s also enjoyed a successful West Country tour, beating The King’s School, Worcester; Sir Thomas Rich’s School, Gloucester; and Pate’s Grammar School, Cheltenham, on successive days.

Having swept aside all opposition in the earlier rounds, the U13s and U12s were beaten by St Benedict’s and Hampton School in their respective finals.

Head of Cricket Guy Ashby said: “The 2025 cricket season has been nothing short of extraordinary.”

There was a boost for the cricketers at the start of the season, when a donation from The Friends of Queen Elizabeth’s charity enabled the purchase of new cricket covers for the top square. The benefits of this investment were almost immediately realised: the new covers enabled more matches to be played and ensured the pitches remained in top condition throughout the term.

Against the background of a growing culture of excellence among the School’s players, there have been a record-breaking number of matches – more than 100, across 21 teams drawn from all age groups.

“Those statistics reflect the great enthusiasm for the game that exists here, and the strength in depth that we enjoy as a cricketing school,” said Mr Ashby.

The cup finals came near the end of a term which had, in fact, been punctuated by a string of exciting victories, he added.

Britain’s favourite character actress sent the class of 2025 on their way with this challenge: that they should try to follow their dreams, make an impact in the world, but also be kind to others.

Alison Steadman, a multiple award-winning actress familiar to several generations for roles on TV, stage and film, was guest of honour at the Valediction for Year 13.

The final-year students gathered in the Shearly Hall with their families for an afternoon ceremony that combined a formal farewell with some lighter moments, followed by afternoon tea outside.

In his welcome, Headmaster Neil Enright took up a theatrical theme, quoting from the famous Shakespearean monologue in As You Like It: “All the world’s a stage, And all the men and women merely players. They have their exits and their entrances; And one man in his time plays many parts…”

Mr Enright told the assembled leavers: “Today marks your curtain call as pupils; but whether you exit stage left, or stage right, we sincerely hope that you will soon re-enter in your new role as Old Elizabethans. In your time you still have many parts to play here, as active members of our alumni community.”

He added that they were “a year group full of individual character and good humour: you have consistently been free-thinking in your scholarship and, just occasionally, in your interpretation of School rules. You have helped us develop the QE experience still further and served as great role models to those following you – excelling in so many different aspects of School life.”

Before reminding them that they would always be welcome at QE, he, too, alluded to the importance of being kind: “I hope that many of you will choose to take forward values of service to others and society, of kindness and empathy, alongside your desire to perform professionally and personally at the highest level.”

The afternoon then continued with a ceremony involving all Year 13 graduands and the presentation of prizes to award-winners. Last year’s School Captain, Chanakya Seetharam, who is among the leavers, gave a vote of thanks. These elements were punctuated with music: the Barbershop group singing The Lion Sleeps Tonight and the Jazz Band performing I Want You Back, made famous by The Jackson 5.

The String Quartet’s playing of the theme from Pride and Prejudice was particularly apt: not only did Alison Steadman play an unforgettable Mrs Bennet in the 1995 television adaptation of the novel, but the role of Mr Bingley was played by Crispin Bonham-Carter – now QE’s Assistant Head (Pupil Involvement).

In her address, the guest of honour said she knew how daunting it can be to step into the post-school world: having grown up and attended a state grammar school in Liverpool in the 1960s, she then applied to the East 15 drama school in Essex, and she recounted the story of how bewildering that process was. Yet her audition was successful, and this set her on her way.

She is now forever associated with that county through her role as Pam Shipman in the record-breaking comedy Gavin and Stacey – the finale of which was watched by over 19 million people last Christmas.

Her talent for mimicry – first practised at school when she impersonated her teachers – was put to use in radio shows such as Week Ending.

The recipient of numerous awards and several honorary degrees, Alison Steadman was awarded an Order of the British Empire in the Millennium Honours List for ‘services to British drama’.

In her address at QE, she encouraged the leavers to reach for the stars – to try to follow their dreams. Life has its challenges, but is precious, she told them, saying they should try to look to the positives, and urging on them the importance of kindness. “We all come into the world the same way and all exit it the same way, so for the bit in the middle be kind to others.”

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