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Author, scientist and QE parent Dr Ananyo Bhattacharya gave a talk to senior pupils on his book about John von Neumann, the brilliant Hungarian-American polymath who made breakthroughs in fields ranging from nuclear energy to economics.

Dr Bhattacharya’s book, entitled The Man from the Future: The Visionary Life of John von Neumann, was named a Financial Times and Times Literary Supplement Book of the Year in 2021.

His lunchtime talk to A-level Mathematics, Physics and Economics students explored how von Neumann’s advances in mathematics 70–80 years ago continue to inform the science of today.

Headmaster Neil Enright said: “We are grateful to Dr Bhattacharya, as a QE parent, for coming in to School to share his expertise and to inspire our senior boys. It is great that we can draw upon different constituencies within the Elizabethan community, including parents and alumni, to enhance the educational experience offered here.”

Dr Bhattacharya, whose son, Callistus, is in Year 7, is a science writer who has worked for The Economist and Nature, the weekly multi-disciplinary scientific journal. Prior to that, he worked as a medical researcher at the Burnham Institute in San Diego. He has a degree in Physics from Oxford and a PhD, also in Physics, from Imperial College London.

The subject of his book, von Neumann, was born in 1903 to a wealthy Jewish family in Budapest. A child prodigy, he had published two major mathematical papers by the age of 19.

After an early career in German academia during the late 1920s, he took up an invitation to Princeton University in October 1929, becoming a naturalised citizen of the USA in 1937.

In a life of only 53 years – he died of cancer in February 1957 – he made major contributions in subjects including mathematics, physics, economics, computing and statistics.

During World War II, he worked on the Manhattan Project – the research and development that produced the first nuclear weapons – and after the war, he served on the General Advisory Committee of the United States Atomic Energy Commission.

In his talk, Dr Bhattacharya mentioned the Manhattan Project as well as, inter alia, von Neumann’s contributions to set theory, game theory and the development of the first programmable digital computer.

Head of Library Services Jenni Blackford said: “Dr Bhattacharya delivered a friendly, accessible and vastly informative talk about the life and accomplishments of von Neumann.”

A new School society – believed to be the first of its kind in the country – is working hard to decipher QE’s earliest written records.

English teacher Kanak Shah has brought together a group of dedicated Year 12 boys and trained them in palaeography – the study of ancient and pre-modern manuscripts.

Now they have started transcribing QE Governors’ meeting minutes, starting with Volume I, which begins in 1587, and also researching the School Charter, which dates back to the School’s founding year, 1573.

Ms Shah, who has an MPhil degree in Renaissance Literature from Cambridge, said: “Due to its complexity, palaeography is usually only studied at Master’s level. But since I myself have a keen interest in palaeography, manuscripts and the early modern period, and since QE boasts one of the most robust school archive collections in the UK, I was eager for the students to be involved in preserving and curating their own School’s history.”

Working together with Ms Shah and Jenni Blackford, Curator of QE Collections and Head of Library Services, are the following Year 12 A-level History students: Gabriel Gulliford, Ishaan Mehta, Muhammad Nayel Huda, Kai Mukherjee, Danny Adey, Conall Walker and Jeeve Singh. All are currently studying the early modern period and are considering pursuing courses in subjects such as History, Palaeography or Archaeology at university.

“We started by following Cambridge University’s English Handwriting 1500-1700 online course to develop the students’ transcription skills. We then began to transcribe the digitised manuscripts on QE Collections [the School’s publicly available digital archive, launched last year].

“The earliest documents present an interesting challenge as they were written before the standardisation of handwriting, and so require careful decoding,” said Ms Shah.

Having initially familiarised themselves with the subject matter digitally, the group are now working with the original archive materials, guided by Mrs Blackford.

They plan to publish the transcripts on QE Collections in the Summer Term, while they will contribute their research to an exhibition of archival material planned for the School’s 450^th anniversary next year.

“Looking forward to the future, we would be keen to establish a working relationship with Barnet Museum, who possess a complete transcription of these Governor’s minutes that was done many years ago,” said Ms Shah.

It is not clear who made the the Barnet Museum transcription, which was completed  some time prior to 1931. The preface to the museum’s collection of QE translations and transcriptions was written in May 1931 by Cecil L Tripp, author of A History of Queen Elizabeth’s Grammar School, published 1935.

“Transcriptions are often erroneous and subjective, so it is very interesting for the boys to compare their own work with the museum’s transcription, and to contribute to Barnet’s history in such an active way.”

Once the pupils’ transcription has been completed and it and the Barnet Museum transcription have been digitised, they will both be published on QE Collections.

Four Year 12 linguists have reached the next stage of a prestigious German debating competition after enjoying success in two early rounds.

Two of the four also appeared in a French competition, where the QE contingent won multiple debates against fierce opposition from sixth-formers from other schools, many of whom were older.

The next stage of the German competition – organised by the Goethe Institut, the Federal Republic of Germany’s highly respected cultural organisation – will be hosted by QE early next month, with the finals taking place at the Institut’s London headquarters at the end of March.

Head of Languages Nora Schlatte said: “I pay tribute to these dedicated and talented debating teams. I especially congratulate our German students: their progress in the Goethe Institut competition is a well-deserved result of the hard work, commitment and sheer linguistic ability they brought to two very different online debates.”

Towards the end of the Autumn Term, A-level German students Theo Mama-Kahn, Olly Salter, Ansh Jassra and Jai Patel beat Croydon’s Coloma Convent Girls’ School on the motion, School canteens should offer vegan and vegetarian food.

In the recent second round, the QE boys faced the Royal Grammar School Guildford. They were debating the motion The use of social media is harmful to the health of young people.

These first two rounds took place online, but QE has been asked to host the third round in person. Competitors will gather at the School on 3rd and 4th March.

Wishing the four boys well for the future rounds, Languages teacher Helen Shephard added: “Their spoken German is outstanding and their debating skills are second to none.”

Still basking in their success, current School Captain Theo and classmate Olly were then joined by fellow Year 12 pupils Alan Yee Kin Kan and Antony Yassa for the French debating competition, which was held at St Paul’s Girls’ School.

They found themselves competing against 24 other schools, mainly from the private sector, who fielded more than 30 teams.

The QE four were split into two teams, with each debating three motions. These covered very diverse topics: Korean pop music, the environment and politics. Both QE pairs won two of their three debates, often facing opponents who were already in Year 13.

“It takes a lot of confidence, preparation and an excellent standard of French to be able to participate so successfully in such an event, and we are very proud of these students!” added Ms Schlatte, who served as a judge at the competition, together with QE Languages Assistant Joelle Simpson.

Three interns from the University of Connecticut helped deepen boys’ knowledge of American healthcare at a meeting of QE’s Personal Finance Society.

Pupils heard about the high costs and complexity inherent in the US system, with the session ending in a discussion of the pros and cons of healthcare on both sides of the Atlantic.

The meeting was organised by Ugan Pretheshan, who runs the society along with fellow Year 11 pupil Roshan Patel with the aim of helping boys manage their finances both now and in the future in their adult lives. Other topics covered in its meetings include buying a house and maintaining a good credit score.

Headmaster Neil Enright said: “I am grateful to our three current interns, Evan Burns, Nathaniel Austin-Mathley, and Ben Duncan, for their contribution to this meeting and to our enrichment programme more generally. Our relationship with the University of Connecticut extends back over a number of years and it is great that we can again welcome interns this year. It is a connection which gives us fascinating insights into the differences in pedagogy and educational culture between our respective countries.

“Their presence allows boys here to more readily make international comparisons and to understand different contexts and policy approaches: the opportunity thus to interrogate a different system is valuable, not least in helping pupils think critically about our own systems.”

“I congratulate Ugan and Roshan on their work with the society: like other pupil-run societies, it is of great benefit both to those who lead it and to those who attend. The Personal Finance Society complements the work of my colleagues who teach topics such as personal finance and other life skills through formal programmes of study, such as QE’s Personal Development Time programme.”

During the meeting, which was overseen by Economics teacher Sheerwan O’Shea-Nejad, the three History interns spoke extensively on American healthcare, telling the boys that it is a complex system that leaves many suffering, both physically and financially.

US healthcare spending grew 9.7 per cent in 2020, they said, reaching $4.1 trillion, or $12,530 per person. As a share of the nation’s Gross Domestic Product, health spending accounted for 19.7 per cent.

“It was eye-opening to understand the complex and diverse methods of insurance and financing these large hospital bills,” said Ugan. The boys attending learned that insurance companies dominate US healthcare industries, presenting American citizens with a welter of quotation pathways and options – encompassing premiums, walk-in fees and ‘deductibles’ – that can be very difficult to understand. The contrast with the relative simplicity achieved by the NHS system in the UK was highlighted.

The meeting also heard a story about what a woman who had got her leg caught between a train and the platform in the US told onlookers: “Don’t call an ambulance. It’s $3,000. I can’t afford that. Call an ‘Uber’.”

Asked what they would do in such a medical emergency in the UK, the boys responded that they would not hesitate to call an ambulance.

The interns, who are supporting the History, Politics and Religious Studies departments this term as part of their Master’s programme, happily answered boys’ questions, before the meeting concluded with a weighing-up of the advantages and disadvantages of both systems, with arguments about price, accessibility and waiting times all factors in the debate.

Two academics who discovered they were autistic as adults explained how they and other neurodivergent* people experience the world in a special workshop at the School.

Dr Chloe Farahar and Dr Annette Foster from the University of Kent delivered the workshop to a select group of pupil leaders. The event was arranged in line with the objective set out in Building on Distinction, the 2021-2025 School Plan, of helping Elizabethans “change things for the better, both in [their] own community and in society at large”.

The pupil representatives will now prepare an assembly for the whole of Year 8 to share what they have learned.

Assistant Head (Pupil Progress) Sarah Westcott said: “This workshop was an important insight for our students into the lived experience of two members of the neurodiverse community.

“Dr Farahar  and Dr Foster candidly spoke about their experiences as autistic people, and during their engaging workshop prompted the boys to confront the many common stereotypes and myths which exist around those who are neurodivergent.

“This workshop is part of the wider work we are doing to encourage pupils to think about the diverse communities we all live in and the part they have to play in making society open and inclusive to all,” Dr Westcott added.

Those invited to the workshop were: form captains and deputies from Years 7 and 8; School Vice-Captains and Equality, Diversity & Inclusion Ambassadors Heemy Kalam and Victor Angelov, of Year 12, and Kevin Gunawardena, also of Year 12, who is writing a dissertation for his Extended Project Qualification on How can neurodiverse lives become more integrated within society?

Dr Foster and Dr Farahar run Aucademy, a platform for delivering training.

Dr Foster, who is autistic, dyslexic, dyspraxic and with attention differences, was diagnosed at the age of 39, while Dr Farahar was diagnosed at the age of 32, after, as she says, “a lifetime of being told I am ‘weird’, ‘odd’, ‘stand-offish’ and ‘unapproachable’”.

In their richly illustrated presentation, they helped pupils understand what neurodiversity means.

Through hands-on activities, the boys were taught about the ways in which people with autism, dyslexia and attention differences experience the world.

They learned, for example, about:

• ‘Stimming’ – self-stimulatory behaviour involving repeated actions or activities that either excite or calm the sensory nervous system,
• The role of understanding and kindness. (The presentation finished with a quotation from the late Archbishop Desmond Tutu: “Do your little bit of good where you are; it is those little bits of good put all together that overwhelm the world.”)
• Stereotypes – exploring the differences between how autism is often portrayed in the media and the reality. The presentation pointed out, for example, that contrary to stereotypes, autistic people are rarely mathematics savants.

Following the workshop, Dr Farahar wrote to Dr Westcott: “Annette and I were so impressed with the QE pupils – we were really buoyed by their kindness and consideration of difference.”

*  The term ‘neurodiversity’, which was coined in 1998 by sociologist Judy Singer, defines brain differences in areas such as sociability, learning, attention and mood as normal, rather than deficits or disorders.

All Year 7 boys took part in an inter-House photography competition with a difference – where what matters most is not the image, but what is said about it.

Conceived mainly as a public-speaking challenge to develop skills of oracy at an early age, the Year 7 Photo Competition takes as its judging criteria the content and delivery of the speeches the boys make, with their chosen photos serving as the starting point for their talks.

Arhan Panjwani, of Leicester House, took first prize with a talk that urged the grand final audience in the Main School Hall to consider the effect we are having on the world around us and to take action. It was illustrated by his aerial photo of the area near his home, taken by a drone.

Headmaster Neil Enright, who judged the final, said: “While it’s sometimes true that ‘a picture is worth a thousand words’ – the title of this year’s competition – on this occasion we were also very keenly interested in the words the boys came up with themselves!

“I am pleased to say that the standard of the finalists’ talks was very high indeed – everyone spoke eloquently and engaged the audience. There was considerable variety in theme and approach, which made it interesting and stimulating, not to mention difficult for me to judge. Arhan’s talk was most persuasive; he is a worthy winner.”

The competition began with all the Year 7 pupils trying out their speaking skills in their respective form groups and then choosing a winner to represent them and their House.

Boys were allowed to speak for up to three minutes about their photograph, but had to talk without notes. Merits were awarded for all six finalists, with 20 House points given for first place, 14 for second and 10 for third.

“The competition is, in fact, an excellent opportunity to develop skills of public speaking and to enjoy the collective experience of participating in a large-scale event together,” said the Headmaster. “Boys have an opportunity to learn how to construct a compelling speech and how to provoke thought in the audience. I also marked them on how well they projected and commanded attention in such a large venue, and on how they coped with an audience wearing masks, which made it difficult for them to gauge how their words were being received.

“The competition fulfils another important function in helping these, our newest Elizabethans, get to know others in their forms, with their chosen images and talks frequently giving an insight into each individual. Indeed, a number of the presentations included a personal element, such as a place the boy had visited or an experience from his younger childhood.”

“Notwithstanding such use of ‘human interest’ and the effective deployment of humour by some, many of the boys used their photo to make an important point and deliver a message with wide meaning, giving us plenty to think about.”

Mr Enright noted the strong use of facts by several of the finalists, especially second-placed Ethan Yao, of Pearce House, whose hard-hitting presentation arguing for nuclear disarmament was replete with shocking facts and statistics. It was illustrated by a photo of a mushroom cloud.

Third place was won by Yusuf Hazari, of Stapylton. His talk, illustrated by an image of a spider spinning a web, urged boys to be determined and resilient in their lives. Head of Year 7 Tom Harrison said: “The photo gave lots of us the heebie-jeebies, but Yusuf left us feeling empowered about facing life’s challenges!”