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Thirty senior boys experienced the spectacular sights, sounds, shakings and smells of one of the most volcanically active regions on earth in a five-day trip to Iceland.

The Geography expedition saw the Year 11–13 pupils cross from one continent to another, savour volcanic mud pools and take an ice trek on a glacier – and all against the backdrop of 150 earthquakes detected during their stay.

There was a serious academic purpose: the group did extensive fieldwork on tectonic activity, geothermal features and glacial landscapes that will prove invaluable for case studies in their GCSE and A-level preparations.

Head of Geography Chris Butler, who led the expedition, said: “It was an unforgettable five days, during which we saw eruptions from a hydrothermal vent, stood beside the majestic part-frozen Gullfoss waterfall, and gazed in wonder at the breathtaking aurora borealis – the Northern Lights.

“For all the boys, I am sure it will not only have added to their stock of geographical knowledge and skills, but will have brought GCSE and A-level Geography to life.”

Mr Butler accompanied the party, assisted by Geography teacher Staycie Domzalski and Economics teacher Dr Celia Wallace.

After flying in to the country’s main airport, Keflavík, southwest of Reykjavík, the group headed immediately to the Grjótagjá fissure system, where widening fractures mark the boundary between the North American and Eurasian tectonic plates. Pupils were able to physically cross the Mid-Atlantic Rift – a dramatic reminder of the immense geological forces shaping Iceland, and of the risks posed by ongoing magmatic activity beneath the island.

After a night in the Hotel Cabin, they explored the capital, before moving on to the world-renowned Blue Lagoon. Here, they received a briefing about volcanic unrest at the nearby Sundhnúkur crater row, responsible for major lava flows in July 2025, and enjoying the geothermal waters and volcanic muds.

As they travelled on through Iceland’s volcanic landscapes, further highlights followed in quick succession:

• Visiting the town of Grindavík, evacuated in November 2023 after eruptions from the Fagradalsfjall fissures that saw lava flow into the streets. The boys spoke to residents who have begun to return, despite an uncertain future.
• Stopping at Seltún geothermal area, with its steaming fumaroles (vents emitting steam and volcanic gases) and bubbling mud pools.
• Travelling around Iceland’s iconic Golden Circle. They began at the Þingvellir rift valley – a UNESCO World Heritage Site, where North America and Eurasia drift apart at several centimetres per year – before continuing to Geysir, observing the Strokkur hydrothermal vent reliably erupting every 6–10 minutes, before finishing at the Gullfoss waterfall.
• Staying at Hellishólar Cottages, beneath the mighty Eyjafjallajökull volcano –infamous for its 2010 eruption that grounded over 100,000 flights – with the terrain blanketed in thick snow.
• Touring the Lava Centre in Hvolsvöllur, an interactive exhibition exploring Iceland’s volcanic systems.
• Treading the dramatic black-sand beaches of Reynisfjara.

“The climax of the trip was an ice trek on the Sólheimajökull Glacier, complete with crampons,” said Mr Butler. “Pupils spent two hours investigating supraglacial and englacial features, observing blue ice and dirt bands, meltwater channels and sediment layers.”

The glacier’s rapid retreat — up to 50 metres per year since the mid-2000s — has produced a growing proglacial lagoon now almost 1.5 km long and 60–70 m deep.

“In 2010, the lagoon was barely visible; in the coming decades it may reach 4 km in length. This provided powerful, first-hand evidence of contemporary climate change,” Mr Butler added.

A brief stop had been planned at Seljalandsfoss to get a group photograph before the boys returned to Heathrow. But the Land of Ice and Fire had one final spectacle for them: the glorious colours of the aurora borealis lit up the evening sky to bid them farewell.

Mr Butler thanked both his colleagues and the boys, “who were enthusiastic, inquisitive and intrepid throughout”.

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Year 12 geographers going on a field trip to investigate what shapes our coastlines received two vivid illustrations of one important factor – the weather!

Firstly, plans to take them to Flatford Mill Field Studies Centre in Suffolk for their field trip had to be abandoned because of flooding.

And when they went instead to Walton-on-the-Naze in Essex, they saw a dramatic result of this winter’s intense rainfall – a large section of the Naze cliffs had collapsed on to the beach.

School Captain Tunishq Mitra, who was one of the group, said: “Our field trip was a great opportunity to do some hands-on work and develop a better understanding of our wider Geography syllabus in an enjoyable way. It was fascinating to see the complex interactions between all the natural processes we study in real time, including the partial cliff collapse.”

The group had two questions to look into on their trip:

• How do social, economic and environmental considerations influence how coastlines are managed?
• How do coastal management techniques affect coastal processes and landforms?

Geography teacher and Deputy Head (Academic) Anne Macdonald said: “With its rapidly retreating coastline – largely due to its less resistant lithology of London clay and unconsolidated deposits – Walton-on-the-Naze provided the perfect setting to investigate those two questions.”

The cliffs at Walton-on-the-Naze suffer from chronic erosion and have been eroding at an accelerated rate of 3–5 metres per year in recent times. The large fall, which took place around 18th–20th January, saw 1.5–2 metres of the cliff face fall at once. It was partly captured on video. The collapse has been attributed to the combination of high tides and elevated rainfall this winter saturating the London clay cliffs.

Braving the elements, the sixth-formers carried out a wide range of fieldwork exercises, including cost–benefit analysis calculations, environmental impact assessments, beach profiling, sediment analysis and infiltration studies.

Mrs Macdonald said: “Fieldwork is an essential geographical skill – it is how we measure and observe the world. Fieldwork is the means by which geographers test their predictions or formulate new theories about the world.

“Field trips are directly applicable to careers relating to the environment, while they also help students develop some of the six qualities set out in our Boundless School Development Plan, especially being ‘sustainability-literate’.

“More generally, day trips like these provide valuable learning opportunities outside of the classroom, helping our students develop skills, such as teamwork and communication, that are vital for any number of occupations.

“The Year 12s approached the day trip with enthusiasm, positively engaging with all aspects of the fieldwork and earning praise for their understanding and work ethic.”

Sixth-former Paarth Aggarwal’s defiant words about racism have drawn plaudits from the judges in an annual competition open to poets from around the world.

Paarth’s piece, entitled I know who I am, which was inspired by his reading of others’ experience of racism, was highly commended in the Black in White Poetry Competition.

He had the opportunity to present the poem at the competition’s awards ceremony hosted by The Transforming Words Foundation (TTWF) charity. It has been published in a new anthology of the winning competition entries, entitled White face, foreign hands.

Head of English Robert Hyland said: “Poetry is a powerful medium for looking at difficult issues, and my congratulations go to Paarth on his achievement in so successfully exploring complex themes of identity and prejudice in his poem.”

Paarth, of Year 12, said: “I wrote this poem to explore how racism can affect the way people see themselves, especially when they are constantly judged for how they look, speak, or where they come from. I was inspired by books of people who have been made to feel like they don’t belong simply because they are different, and that idea resonated with me.

“I wanted to show a journey: starting from feeling confused and pressured to change, and then gradually realising that those differences are actually a source of strength. The poem’s narrator begins by hearing insults and expectations from others, but eventually recognises pride in their heritage, culture, and individuality.

“The message I wanted to convey is that nobody should feel the need to shrink themselves to fit someone else’s idea of what is ‘normal’. Our backgrounds, voices, and identities are powerful, and embracing them is a form of resistance against prejudice. Through this poem, I hoped to encourage confidence, pride, and resilience in the face of racism.”

At the ceremony, Paarth was presented with a certificate by Cllr Tony Vourou, former Mayor of Barnet. TTWF was founded in 2020 by poet, communications leader and equality, diversity and inclusion expert Charlotte Shyllon.

Paarth is no stranger to competition success: in recent years he was won both local and international awards in connection with his success in using AI to develop apps to help visually impaired people and children with autism.

Paarth’s poem is set out below.

I Know Who I Am

They called me names I didn’t know,
Then laughed when I looked down –
Like being different was a joke
In this pale-painted town.

They said my skin was “too much sun,”
My lips, my nose, my hair –
Like beauty came in only shapes
That I would never wear.

They told me, “Speak like you belong,”
But I was always me –
My voice holds oceans, roots, and storms
That won’t bow to a sea.

They said, “You’re not like all the rest,”
As if that was a prize.
But I could see the lie they held
Still dancing in their eyes.

At first, I tried to scrub it off –
My name, my voice, my shade.
Until I saw the magic in
The things they tried to fade.

I come from warriors, song and stone,
From poets, drums, and flame.
And I will not make myself small
To fit inside their frame.

So let them whisper, point, or scoff –
I’ve heard it all before.
But every time they shut a gate,
I build a brighter door.

I know the power in my walk,
The fire in my skin.
And no one gets to dim the light
I carry deep within.

QE has achieved its highest-ever position in the national final of the Senior Team Maths Challenge.

The Sixth Form team came fourth out of 50 élite teams at the national final in Manchester, only narrowly missing out on the top three places. It is the first time QE has achieved a top-ten finish in the challenge.

Their achievement follows an earlier triumph at the regional final in Cambridge, where the four QE boys had a perfect score and took joint first place.

Headmaster Neil Enright said: “This was a tremendous achievement in this long-running and highly regarded UK Maths Trust competition, reflecting not only our team’s talent,  resilience and collaborative abilities, but also the great strength of Mathematics generally at QE. My congratulations go to the team and to their teachers.”

The team comprised the 2026 School Captain, Tunishq Mitra, and his fellow Year 12 pupil, Mohith Sigirisetti, together with Year 13’s Hisham Khan and William Joanes.

In the national final, they achieved 100 per cent correct answers in the group round, crossnumber round, and shuttle round. In the round which required teams to create a poster on a given topic, the QE contingent lost out by a very small margin to the joint first-place schools, Winchester College and Tonbridge School, which had also had perfect scores in the main three rounds.

Mathematics teacher Sammi Zhu said: “For the actual maths, therefore, our team scored 100 per cent and were joint-first! That is an extraordinary mathematical accomplishment which reflects both their depth of understanding and excellent teamwork.

“I would like to add my congratulations to these four students for their hard work and outstanding achievement.”

At the regional final held at The Leys School, Cambridge, in November, the QE team competed in a field of 20 teams.  In a highly competitive battle for first place, QE’s perfect score left it in a three-way tie with longstanding challenge rivals Haberdashers’ Boys’ School and The Perse School.

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QE pupils enjoyed the opportunity to broaden their political thinking when the School welcomed one of Britain’s most instantly recognisable Conservative figures – the former Cabinet Minister Sir Jacob Rees-Mogg.

Sir Jacob is the latest in a range of speakers from across the political spectrum to visit. The occasion gave boys the opportunity to engage more deeply with politics and current affairs, and, through a question-and-answer session, to challenge him by putting to him some alternative perspectives.

While politicians are often dismissed in the modern world as without principle, Sir Jacob told the audience that his own experience of Parliament – and not only among those of his own party – was different: “…Most politicians are decent, honest, and have integrity,” he said.

Headmaster Neil Enright said: “We are grateful to Sir Jacob for taking the time to visit. His visit, and those of other political figures who come here, help our pupils to develop their understanding in the political sphere, encouraging them to become deep thinkers and compelling communicators in our interconnected and fast-changing world.”

Sir Jacob spoke at a very well-attended QE Politics Society meeting. He was invited by the student leaders of that society, Keshav Aggarwal and Vu-Lam Le-Nguyen. He revealed that he had, in fact, felt compelled to come, believing that the invitation betokened genuine student interest in his career.

Sir Jacob is a former Leader of the House of Commons and Lord President of the (Privy) Council. Although he lost his seat in the 2024 General Election, he remains a prominent figure, running his own programme, State of the Nation, on GB News, and publishing regularly on YouTube and Substack.

His visit came amid a tumultuous period in politics, with the Prime Minister under severe pressure from the continued fallout from the decision to appoint Lord Mandelson as US Ambassador. Sir Jacob felt that the government was now paralysed: those supportive of the PM being sent out on the airwaves; those against him, plotting; and the civil service waiting to see what happens, with no incentive to advance a policy or strategy if they might have a new boss in weeks, days or hours. His tip for the next Labour leader and PM was Ed Miliband.

In a lively and thought-provoking take on everything from energy policy and international trade to the future of party politics, Sir Jacob’s talk included the following points:

• Individual liberty is essential to protecting both the rights of the individual and a strong economy;
• Governments could not run complex structures: he would rather have “the NHS run by Tesco, than Tesco run by the NHS”;
• Adversarial politics, which allows for the expression of opposing views, is the best way of scrutinising ideas before they are implemented;
• Green energy decisions made by both the current and previous governments had hampered economic growth, and an overemphasis on green energy has made us “cold and poor”;
• The equal status of being a British citizen: he pointed out that all citizens of Britain are equal, whether they had just been granted citizenship or had ancestors dating back a thousand years;
• The need to expose young people to a breadth of political ideas: only when thus exposed could they challenge the status quo and bring about positive and meaningful change, he said.

Vu-Lam said: “Drawing from his portfolio of past Cabinet positions, Sir Jacob’s speech was fascinating, with reflections on his public service and predictions on the future of UK partisan politics. It was great to see students challenging conservative talking points and being answered with poise.”

Sir Jacob invited challenge from the audience and was duly questioned about net zero, immigration policy, the legacy of Brexit on the UK economy, and the defections from his Conservative Party to Reform UK.

During his visit, Sir Jacob Rees-Mogg gave a one-hour interview to Keshav and Vu-Lam for a podcast episode on their channel.

The society will next welcome Dan Tomlinson MP, Labour MP for Chipping Barnet and Exchequer Secretary at the Treasury, early in March.

In a two-day residential workshop at the University of Cambridge’s Department of Engineering, six Industrial Cadets from QE enjoyed some very privileged access.

The two Year 12 Engineering teams not only had the opportunity to study at the internationally renowned Dyson Centre for Industrial Design, but also to use specialist equipment that even Cambridge Engineering students are not allowed to touch at first.

The teams, who are both working with major companies to develop products to safeguard the health of construction workers, went to Cambridge for the workshop organised by the Engineering Development Trust (EDT) as part of its Industrial Cadets Gold Project scheme.

QE has a long record of success with projects developed through EDT programmes, with past teams frequently singled out for praise by industry experts.

Technology teacher Tony Green, who accompanied the sixth-formers, said: “The Industrial Cadets Gold Project Workshop introduces young people to an exciting programme that offers a unique experience bringing together university study and industry.

“For our students, having the opportunity to study at the Dyson centre and to use tools and machinery that Cambridge undergrads don’t get to use until later on in their course was a real coup.”

During the workshop, the boys were challenged to solve a real-world problem set by industry partners, giving them first-hand exposure to STEM careers, university life and business thinking.

One of the QE pupils, Abhinav Sandeep, said: “We had an extremely rewarding two days at Cambridge and we’re very grateful for the opportunity! The fact that we were able to interact with a machine that only late-year Cambridge undergraduates and PhD students could use was sublime.”

One QE team is working with Overbury plc, the UK’s leading fit-out specialist, which has challenged the boys to develop a passive wearable aid for construction workers that mitigates the onset of Musculoskeletal Disorders (MSDs).

The other has joined with Morgan Lovell plc, a leading company in the design and building construction of commercial buildings, to work on a prototype for a wearable hearing protection device that alerts construction workers to hazardous noise exposure, thus reducing the risk of long-term hearing damage.

Both companies are represented by QE’s industry sponsor, Mr Alex Wood, Health, Safety and Wellbeing Manager at Morgan Lovell.

Abhinav, who is part of Team OVERBURY, praised the breadth of facilities that was made available to them as they built their device: “We used everything from sewing machines to soldering kits… We also benefitted from the variety of working spaces, such as the workshop for production and the library for data analysis.”

Team OVERBURY comprises the following QE Year 12 students: Dan Ji Chan, Abhinav Sandeep and Kavish Jayasekera.

Team MORGAN LOVELL is: Ayush Saha, Zane Shah and Haadi Siddiqui.