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Hundreds of QE boys have been enjoying new experiences and testing their limits on a series of trips.

First, 72 Year 10 pupils headed off to Wales for a three-day weekend with the Outward Bound Trust and then all of Year 7 and Year 9 made day trips to the Stubbers Adventure Centre in Essex.

Crispin Bonham-Carter, Assistant Head (Pupil Involvement), said: “These trips, which are part of our QE Flourish enrichment programme, are all about boys getting out beyond the classroom and beyond Barnet.

“They can try out new activities, bond with their existing friends – and, of course, have lots of fun! For our incoming Year 7 boys especially, it’s also a great opportunity for them to make some new friends.”

Among the pupils on the Outward Bound trip to Aberdovey was Year 10’s Tuhin Mitra. “I really enjoyed it,” he said. “You can step out of your comfort zone and learn important skills, including how to safely do dangerous activities. It also boosted my confidence while undertaking scarier activities, as I became more comfortable around heights.

“Personally, I enjoyed the water activities the most: my favourite was gorge-walking, as I was in direct contact with nature’s forces,” said Tuhin, adding that he also relished the chance to spend more time with friends and the opportunities to talk with others, especially those in his dormitory.

During their long weekend on the Welsh coast, as well as the gorge-walking, Tuhin and his peers experienced canoeing, raft-building and horizontal rope climbing.

Mr Bonham-Carter said: “The boys leapt (often quite literally) into the different challenges – with the occasional helping hand from their friends or the instructors. They even survived the five-hour coach journey.”

A second group from Year 10 is due to make the trip to Aberdovey in May next year.

Activities at Stubbers, near Upminster, included climbing, canoeing, archery and laser tag, mostly enlivened by the injection of a little healthy competition.

The trip was for the entire year Year 7 and Year 9 cohorts. Each year group was split across visits on two separate days, with Broughton, Harrisons’ and Leicester forms heading east to Essex on one day, and Pearce, Stapylton and Underne making the trip on another.

Boys on a Sixth-Form theatre trip explored one of the seminal moments in modern Indian history – the 1948 assassination of Mahatma Gandhi.

Twenty-two Year 12 boys and their teachers went on the History department trip to the National Theatre to see The Father and the Assassin.

It tells the story of Hindu nationalist Nathuram Godse, who went from being a loyal follower of Gandhi and his non-violent methods to becoming his killer.

History teacher John Haswell said: “The play explores the conflicting narratives and complex desires of those involved in India’s struggle for freedom, and how Gandhi’s vision of an integrated nation of Hindus and Muslims clashed with the vision of others, including that of his assassin, who saw Gandhi’s integrationist ideals as a betrayal to his Hindu nationalist vision of a free India.

“For some of our students, the characters and individuals on stage were familiar through their own engagement with Indian history. Indeed, for some, the play was a portrayal of a more personal history, as family members may have experienced both the fight for independence and the horrors of partition.”

Regardless of their background, the visit enhanced all the boys’ understanding of Indian independence, showing how competing visions of a post-colonial India clashed, Mr Haswell added. They also appreciated the unique power of theatre to bring such ideas to life.

“The play also echoes beyond India, and speaks to conflicts elsewhere in the world where seemingly irreconcilable world-views collide.”

Written by Indian playwright Anupama Chandrasekhar, The Father and the Assassin premiered at the National last year. It completes its second run there this month.

After the visit, the boys, all A-level History students, gave their reactions. Joel Kidangan Justine said: “This was my first time to the theatre, and I’m amazed by how well they are able to capture the story of Indian independence in such a clever and interesting way.”

Kyshaan Ravikumar described the play as “an enticing reimagination of the struggle for Indian independence”, while Vaibhav Gaddi praised “a captivating story that sheds light on the story of Nathuram Vinayak Godse”.

Year 9’s Kelvin Chen will see his work displayed on billboards in London ahead of the UN Climate Change Conference (COP 28) starting next month after achieving success in a national art competition.

His colourful depiction of young people taking action to create a greener planet – entitled Friends of the Earth – took third place in the Climate Art Prize contest organised by Imperial College London’s Grantham Institute.

As well as the billboard display and £250 in cash, Kelvin’s prize will include seeing his piece alongside a mural in Nine Elms, close to the newly revamped Battersea Power station, that will also include the institute’s 9 things you can do about climate change.

Head of Art Craig Wheatley said: “My congratulations go to Kelvin, who followed the suggestion of my colleague, Jeanne Nicodemus, to enter and was then one of only nine winners and runners-up out of more than 1,000 entries.”

For the biennial competition, the institute, which is a research centre for climate change and the environment, challenged entrants aged 11-25 to create bold designs for outdoor public murals focused on the solutions needed to tackle the climate crisis.

For inspiration, they could look to the institute’s Climate Action Hub’s suggestions for positive actions everyone can take to reduce their impact on the planet, including reducing energy use and bills, green travel, protecting nature and eating less meat and dairy. Young people were asked to interpret these themes and focus on at least one of them when depicting their visions of a greener, cleaner, cooler future world.

The winning entries in each category will become public murals across the UK – in Glasgow, Coventry and West Norwood in London – painted by professional artists.

In his submission, Kelvin, whose third place was in the 11–14 age category, said that his piece of art has “a deep meaning behind it symbolising the actions of many people who have a passion for protecting and nurturing the planet.

“Some of the actions are shown in this drawing,” he wrote. “The left person is painting the world green, showing afforestation and protecting the world’s green spaces; the person in the middle, placing some wind turbines into the Earth, a form of renewable energy; and the person on the right is taking some of the rubbish thrown into the ocean out of the Earth’s waters.”

Speaking about his motivation to participate in the competition, Kelvin said: “I have a passion for tackling climate change and my drawing aims to inspire people to act. I think the environment should be a higher priority for the government, but there are also things we can all do to help the world.

“I’m also always up for a competition. I was excited when I received the email to say I had been chosen in third place.”

Kelvin is pictured receiving a prize at July’s QE Junior Awards ceremony from guest of honour Sunil Tailor (OE 1999–2006). As for the £250 prize money… “I’ve given it to my parents” he said.

Year 9 boys relished the opportunity to watch a dramatic modern production of Macbeth, complete with witches portrayed as forensic scientists, fight scenes enhanced with special effects, and the spilling of copious amounts of blood.

The visit by the whole year group over three days was only the latest in a series of QE trips to the Globe: in the last three months, more than 400 boys and staff have travelled down the Northern Line to see Shakespeare plays at the modern reconstruction close to the site of the 17^th-century theatre.

Head of English Robert Hyland said: “Allowing all of Year 9 to see the play they are about to study, performed in its original venue, is an exciting and invaluable opportunity. Macbeth is a play about the pursuit of power, the temptation of ambition, and what happens when both of those things are abused by those who are unsuitable to lead – themes which are incredibly relevant to the world we live in today.”

“Theatre is often about creating a sense of spectacle, and our students were treated to a visually exciting performance – from the modern costumes of the actors, to the ways the actors moved in and out of the audience, and finally culminating in dramatic and bloody fight scenes, our students were able to enjoy an experience which only live theatre can truly provide.”

By watching the play, the boys quickly gained a good understanding of stagecraft and dramatic techniques, while the specific setting of the Globe helped them understand the contexts in which Shakespeare’s plays were originally performed.

“Walking into the Globe for the first time can give you goosebumps as you look around the space and imagine Shakespeare himself performing the same words over 400 years ago,” said Mr Hyland.

Other recent trips to the Globe have been to see two comedies: A Midsummer Night’s Dream and The Comedy of Errors, set respectively in the ancient cities of Athens, Greece, and Ephesus, in modern-day Türkiye (Turkey).

The altogether darker Macbeth, often known euphemistically as ‘the Scottish play’ because of the superstition that surrounds it, found an appreciative audience with the QE Year 9 visitors.

Vihaan Bhadra said: “The play truly took us into the mind of Macbeth, with a perfect mix of theatrics and suspense. The actor was able to show the different stages of Macbeth, ranging from victory, through guilt, to complete madness.”

Other comments from the boys included:

• “I liked the modern take on the play – it made it more relatable and brought the entire range of characters to life.” Sarang Nair
• “Seeing characters like the porter portrayed as a security guard, or seeing the witches portrayed as forensic scientists made the performance much more understandable and accessible, and really developed our interest.” Neelesh Fotedar
• “It was an exhilarating experience to enjoy such an interesting play in such a clear and enjoyable manner.” Arhaan Yadav
• “Breathtaking and engaging.” Krish Deebak
• “The engaging acting of the characters made the play come to life. The interaction with the audience gave the play a sense of fun.” Tanush Madadi
• “Going on this trip helped me understand and enjoy the historical significance of the Globe Theatre.” Zahin Khan.

Former Afghan refugee Waheed Arian told Year 9 boys the remarkable story of his life, from arriving near-penniless in the UK aged 15 to becoming a doctor and the leader of medical charities that support both refugees in the UK and patients in conflict zones around the world.

Over the past 24 years, he has studied at Cambridge, Imperial and Harvard, qualified as a doctor, been recognised as a World Health Organisation digital health expert and won numerous awards.

Dr Arian recounted his astonishing life and career in his lecture – yet he concluded by instead focusing on the importance of community and of giving back.

Headmaster Neil Enright said: “We are very grateful to Dr Arian for coming in to talk to Year 9.  His lecture was inspirational and it very much chimed with our mission to produce responsible young men who seek to change their world for the better.”

The assembly was led by Chris Butler, Head of Geography, who said: “His story is an important one: not only did Dr Arian highlight the need to be resilient and have ambition; he also outlined the importance of being kind to one another in our everyday lives and the strength that lies in community action and collaboration – values that the School holds dear. The refugee situation across Europe is increasingly becoming politicised, and it is important that QE boys have the opportunity to listen to those who have experienced life as a refugee and wish to re-tell their experience of the process.”

Dr Arian started his talk by outlining his own early years as a child fleeing from war. He was separated from his father and told Year 9 how he, his mother and his sisters would often cross Afghanistan to see his father in clandestine visits, explaining that this was necessary as his father had fled the army after being pressed into conscription.

Later, Dr Arian and his family fled to Pakistan to be together, with a journey that saw them having to avoid air strikes from Soviet forces who had mistaken the refugee column for Mujahideen rebels. Whilst safe in Pakistan, they were living in unimaginable poverty inside refugee camps and informal housing blocks. For most of the time they lived ten to a room, without basic sanitation or access to education. He largely taught himself, from textbooks bought from street-sellers, and learned English from the BBC World Service.

Reflecting on these experiences during the lecture, he emphasised the importance of compassion and empathy, revealing how it was often only the kindness of fellow refugees that allowed him and his family to get by. One example was when a local volunteer doctor treated his bout of tuberculosis – it was then that he determined to devote his life to healing others.

Arian’s family returned to Kabul following the Soviet withdrawal in 1989, but when the ensuing civil war intensified a decade later, his parents, wanting him to have better prospects in life, sent him to the UK.

The focus of the next portion of the talk was hope: alone, in a foreign country, and with just £60 – his parents’ meagre savings – in his pocket, he could have easily given up in despair at the dire hand life had dealt him. Yet instead he persevered. Working through anxiety and PTSD, he supported himself by taking jobs in shops and – disregarding the advice of those who suggested he set his sights on becoming a taxi driver – going to night school. After taking his A-levels, he was accepted into Trinity Hall, Cambridge, later finishing his clinical studies at Imperial.

He impressed upon the Year 9s the value of always holding on to hope, even in the toughest of times, explaining how his dream of becoming a doctor fuelled him during his studies, which culminated in him eventually getting a scholarship at Harvard Medical School. He now works as a Accident and Emergency doctor in North West England.

In the last part of the talk, Dr Arian focused on the importance of giving back to the community. He highlighted how his own experiences shaped his desire to start the charity, Arian Teleheal, in 2015. It links doctors in conflict zones such as Afghanistan with colleagues in the UK, helping to ensure that people living there can have a decent standard of healthcare, not least so that disease does not hold them back in their lives.

Dr Arian has risen to become one of the most influential medics in the NHS. In addition to working as an NHS doctor and running Arian Teleheal, in 2020 he also founded Arian Wellbeing, which aims to link psychologists, licensed therapists, personal trainers and nutritionists to offer unique, personalised holistic care for refugee trauma and PTSD patients.

He discussed his work with the two charities and took questions from the boys, declaring himself later to have been impressed with their eloquence and their understanding of the migration process.

Dr Arian was introduced to the Year 9 audience in the Friends’ Recital Hall by Saim Khan, a Year 12 geographer, who said afterwards: “It was an inspiring and insightful talk, and one which created much food for thought.”