Viewing archives for Academic enrichment

One of the UK’s leading mathematicians explained to QE’s Year 11 how Mathematics is at the forefront of the battle against the coronavirus.

In a special lecture delivered via Zoom, Chris Budd, Professor of Applied Mathematics at Bath, first explained to the whole year group what mathematical modelling is, with contributions also coming from a number of his PhD students.  In a highly illustrated presentation, he then set out modelling’s crucial role in determining the best strategy for fighting the pandemic, even drilling down into issues such as how shopping can be made safer in a pandemic.

Assistant Head of Mathematics Wendy Fung said: “This was a detailed look at how Mathematics has been, and continues to be, at the heart of tackling the biggest national and international issue of our day. I know that the boys found the presentation engaging and enjoyed the opportunity to considerably deepen their understanding.”

The focus on mathematical modelling struck a chord with many of the Year 11 audience, including Theo Mama-Kahn, who enjoyed discovering “an area I haven’t learnt about before. I liked how he showed us the real applications of the theory he was talking about.”

In addition to his position at the University of Bath, Chris Budd is Professor of Mathematics at the Royal Institution of Great Britain and Director of Knowledge Exchange for The Bath Institute for Mathematical Innovation – a role which involves him in finding innovative ways of applying Mathematics to real-world problems.

He was one of the authors of the Vorderman 2011 report on the current state and future of Mathematics education in the UK.

And, said Miss Fung, “Professor Budd was also the chair of the UK Mathematics Trust from 2016–2019 and, as such, has signed all of the many, many Maths Challenge certificates received by QE pupils every year.”

Professor Budd was awarded an OBE in the Queen’s Birthday Honours List in 2015 for “services to science and maths education”. In lieu of charging a fee to deliver the talk for the QE boys, he requested that a donation be made to Maths World UK – a charity aiming to establish the UK’s first national Mathematics discovery centre.

The professor started his talk by revealing that, although not an Elizabethan, he had been born in Friern Barnet and had moved to Harrow Weald at primary school age, before going up to Cambridge to read Mathematics.

He moved to the University of Bath in 1995 and has remained there ever since.

In introducing the idea of modelling, he explained how a mathematical model should balance being simple enough to analyse with being complex enough to be realistic: he quoted Einstein, who said: “A model should be as simple as possible, and no simpler”.

Next, Professor Budd showed how a model could be used to determine whether it is possible to save a dog from a speeding car.

For this, he took boys through the modelling cycle, asking:

1. What are the variables?
2. Which formulae can you make/use?
3. Can you make a prediction using this information
4. How can you make the model more realistic?

One of the boys watching, Aran Ismail, said later: “I enjoyed the relation of the lecture to motor vehicles and the ability of maths to be used to help calculate braking distances.”

Professor Budd went on to explain how modelling has been used in the case of the Covid pandemic. There are three basic questions, he said. Firstly, how will the epidemic grow if the authorities do nothing (which was the case for the 1918 Spanish ‘flu epidemic)? Secondly, how can we stop the number of cases growing? And third, how should we change our behaviour to keep safe?

He explained that the ‘r number’ often mentioned in the media is found by considering the rate of transmission and the size of the population who are susceptible.

In order to reduce the r number, there are three strategies – achieving herd immunity, instigating lockdown and using a vaccine.

Herd immunity relies on the r number eventually decreasing; lockdowns spread out the rate at which people get infected, which helps the NHS to cope with cases, and a vaccine will reduce the number of people who are susceptible, but will need 60% of the population to be vaccinated in order to be effective.

Modifying behaviour patterns is simply the most effective way to prevent the spread of Covid, which is why wearing masks, staying in closed bubbles and keeping 2m away from other people are the strategies the Government has been promoting most, he said.

The lecture also demonstrated mathematically why it is usually safer in terms of virus transmission risk for supermarkets to allow ‘random’ shopping, rather than implementing guided movement, such as a one-way system – a conclusion which certainly caught the attention of pupil Abir Mohammed. “It was very insightful to learn about the various ways mathematical models can help simplify difficult situations and come up with solutions – I would have definitely thought having a one-way system is best,” he said.

The PhD students taking part related a little of their own experiences as young mathematicians and explained how they use modelling in everything from climate modelling to investigating the solar system to modelling traffic flow.

Pupil Sid Dutta said: “I was very interested in finding out about the lives of the students who were studying Mathematics PhDs and their daily routine.”

• More information about Professor Budd’s work, publications and interests may be found on his web page.

QE’s latest Young Enterprise team have got off to a good start in their bid to build a successful business selling sustainable and accessible mobile phone accessories.

The InDex team, drawn from Year 10, will be aiming to establish a solid online presence since, with none of the normal Young Enterprise trade fairs taking place this year because of Covid-19, they will have to rely heavily on internet sales.

Young Enterprise (YE) is a national schools competition lasting the whole academic year. Teams are judged on their product, company, sales and marketing, with prizes awarded across several categories. It is likely that judging will take place in May 2021.

QE’s YE Co-ordinator Alex Czirok-Carman said: “The boys have started very strongly; I am impressed by their diligence and how they have adapted to the new way Young Enterprise is being run, with the increased importance of the competition’s online aspects adding a new dimension to the project this year, as previously most sales and judging were done live.”

Mr Czirok-Carman, a History teacher, added that the boys are aiming to create a product that has both a unique selling point and a significant purpose. They are already working well as a team, dividing up roles and designing the product, he said, meeting weekly to discuss their progress.

Their range will include eco-friendly and ‘dexterity-friendly’ phone cases, as well as eco-friendly pop sockets. (Pop sockets are collapsible buttons or knobs stuck to the backs of mobile phones or tablets.)

Ugan Pretheshan, Chief Executive Officer and Chief Operating Officer, explained the environmental and ethical factors underpinning their approach: “Nearly everyone, no matter where you are in the world, uses a smartphone.

“There are such rapid advancements that people don’t always stop and think about how we can make this product suitable for everyone, as well as thinking about our carbon footprint and making the world a more sustainable place.

“We stand for Inclusive Dexterity and we aim to help everyone, acting inclusively, as well as helping people with their dexterity.”

Among the team’s first accomplishments was the design of a logo for InDex. Sai Sivakumar is shown above working on some initial drawings of the logo. Ugan is seen, top, presenting the product design to his peers.

A Year 7 competition combining photography and oratory proved that public speaking has the power to move people as little else can.

Pupils from the year group ‘bubble’ gathered in the Main School Hall for the final of the contest in which QE’s newest pupils gave speeches describing their submitted photos that were by turns comic and reflective, informative and sad.

Head of Year 7 Tom Harrison said: “This year’s final was a showpiece of some of the finest public speakers Year 7 has to offer. The quality on show was outstanding and I found myself both laughing and close to tears at different speeches.”

He congratulated the overall winner, Zane Shah: “I am extremely proud of Zane, the other finalists and all the boys who put efforts into writing and delivering a speech this year.”

Although the images, which were projected on to a screen, were important to the event, it was, in fact, primarily a test of boys’ abilities as public speakers. They had to speak for up to three minutes about a chosen photo – not necessarily one they had taken themselves – and were judged on the content, style and delivery of their speech. The presentations were judged by the Headmaster, Neil Enright.

Mr Harrison got the proceedings under way with an introductory talk about the power of public speaking in which he mentioned that even the most powerful political leaders in the world can be exposed to ridicule if they show bad communication skills.

The six finalists, one from each Year 7 form, were then introduced by Mr Harrison.

Mathuran Arunan, from Harrisons’ House, spoke about a  summer holiday photo from Torquay, recalling how he had spotted an elaborate sand sculpture and recounting funny moments, including thinking he might not survive a ride on a particularly frightening water slide:  “What an embarrassing way to die!” He also spoke of how he enjoyed the Devon scenery and the time spent with his family, concluding: “Simple pleasures are often the best.”

Leicester’s Nishchal Thatte also had happy memories of time with his family – in his case, from a trip to Box Hill, where he, too, he enjoyed the scenic vistas: “The best part is, it’s free,” he said, adding that he “would love to cycle there one day”.

For Underne’s Orko Ghosh, it was a family holiday in Wales which generated “memories that we will treasure”.

There were very different emotions in Veer Gali Sanjeev’s speech. The Stapylton finalist took third place after displaying a photo of plastic pollution in a bush and asking: “What are we doing to our planet?”, adding that he felt anger and sadness at “the selfishness of the human race”.

Runner-up, for Broughton, was Shreyas Iyengar. He showed a holiday snap at the white cliffs of Dover. Walking to the top had been an achievement, he said, before adding “but the real take-away was spending time with my family”.

Zane’s winning speech was accompanied by a picture of the sunflower he had grown.

He spoke about growing it – a challenge set by his sister – and how it became a “therapy companion” to help him deal with the huge volume of homework he was receiving in his new School! Then it died, and he was crestfallen, feeling that by leaving it outside during a storm, he had failed to to help it thrive.

Then, however, he had an epiphany, as he realised that “the plant had been helping me” and that, with this horticultural assistance, “I had outgrown my worries” – worries which revolved around starting a new school and making friends there.

Mr Harrison said: “In the end, Zane was triumphant for Pearce House with a speech which talked about how the time he spent caring for a sunflower acted as a helping hand with, and a metaphor for, his first few weeks and months at QE.”

Merits from the annual competition were awarded to all six finalists, and there were also House points – 2 for sixth place, 4 for fifth, 7 for fourth, 10 for third, 14 for second and 20 points for the winner.

“This competition gives every boy the chance to have their voice heard. We firmly believe that our students need not only to develop a range of knowledge and talents within the classroom, but also the communication skills necessary to argue a point and to convey their opinion. It is also a fantastic opportunity for us to get to know a little bit more about our newest group of Elizabethans!” Mr Harrison concluded.

With theatres across the land closed because of Covid-19, QE boys revelled in a rare chance to see live drama as part of this year’s Shakespeare Schools Festival.

Year 9 Drama Club members performed an abridged version of Hamlet – and thanks to QE’s year group bubble system, their entire year were able to watch the performance in the Main School Hall.

Afterwards, Assistant Head (Pupil Involvement), Crispin Bonham-Carter, praised the cast for putting on such an engaging production: “They told the story clearly, and it was genuinely moving. Something we will all treasure.”

The boys have spent weeks preparing for the Shakespeare School Festival (SSF). Their work included a special workshop before half-term led by Brian Mullin, an Artistic Associate with the Coram Shakespeare Schools Foundation (the organisation which runs the festival) and Gavin Molloy, of RM Drama (the company which provides drama direction for the School).

In normal years, QE boys join other schools to give their abridged performances at a special SSF evening at the Arts Depot in Finchley.

This year, it had originally been planned to live-stream performances, but in the end it was decided simply to have the boys perform live at the School, with Mr Bonham-Carter filming them.

Before the performance, Mr Bonham-Carter circulated a PowerPoint presentation to help tutors explore with their groups the famous revenge tragedy set in Denmark, which in its full form is Shakespeare’s longest play. He outlined the complex plot, which revolves around Prince Hamlet and his fluctuating desire for revenge against his uncle, Claudius, who has murdered Hamlet’s father in order to seize his throne and marry Hamlet’s mother.

Mr Bonham-Carter urged the boys to consider questions exploring the key themes of the play, including grief, madness and vengeance, and the complex, multi-faceted characters.

Hamlet is one of Shakespeare’s most quoted plays, with famous quotations including:

• Neither a borrower nor a lender be
• Something is rotten in the state of Denmark
• There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio,
  Than are dreamt of in our philosophy
• Brevity is the soul of wit
• Though this be madness, yet there is method in’t
• To be or not to be, that is the question
• The lady protests too much, methinks
• Alas, poor Yorick! I knew him, Horatio: a fellow of infinite jest
• Goodnight, sweet prince,
  And flights of angels sing thee to thy rest!

On the day of the performance, which replaced a Year 9 English lesson, Mr Bonham-Carter introduced the occasion, saying that Hamlet is a “play for us all”.

He pointed out that, with theatres nationwide currently lying empty, the audience was very lucky to be able to see actors take to the stage live.

Mr Molloy, who directed Hamlet, said the play had received a great reception from the boys. The audience clearly enjoyed the bloody final fight scene, in which the young Danish Lord, Laertes, kills Hamlet in revenge for the deaths of his father and sister, only then to die himself, having been wounded with the same poisoned sword.

The actors were given a hearty round of applause by their classmates at the end.

“I am so proud of the boys, taking on this epic story and really making it their own,” said Mr Molloy.

Year 12 pupils have thrown themselves into work experience placements this term, determined not to allow coronavirus restrictions to rob them of valuable opportunities.

Many boys have completed placements during the half-term holiday and since – either in the workplace or as virtual placements online – often building on previous work experience undertaken during the summer holidays.

The Year 12 boys have also taken advantage of special career-related programmes, such as the EtonX Critical Thinking course, one of the programme of online self-study courses currently being offered free of charge to state schools by Eton College and the cyber security courses devised by the Government’s National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC).

Head of Year Simon Walker said: “Many of the placements that our Year 12 students worked hard to organise in the previous academic year had to be cancelled due to the lockdown; online work experience has therefore been an important alternative means of enabling them to develop their understanding of workplaces and workplace skills.

“Students have often had to show perseverance and resilience in order to organise and undertake work experience placements successfully – so the process itself has also been valuable, as it has helped students to develop vital soft skills.

“We are grateful to a number of organisations who, during the first lockdown and since, swiftly developed online versions of, or alternatives to, the in-person work experience programmes they usually run or facilitate – organisations like Young Professionals, S4S [Speakers for Schools] and InvestIN have not only equipped many of our students with valuable knowledge and skills, but have also given a boost to their morale at an especially welcome time.”

Mark Markov was among a number of Year 12 boys who had placements in the medical sphere: he spent four days of his half-term break on virtual work experience with the William Harvey Research Institute (pictured top), partnered with Barts Hospital, and was one of around approximately 20 other sixth-formers selected from over 200 applicants.

“It was an eye-opening experience into the careers which follow on from a study of biomedical sciences in the world of clinical research, with talks from distinguished professors, consultants and PhD students about their career journey and motivations. These included internationally recognised expert in nephrology Prof Magdi Yaqoob, senior lecturer and consultant cardiologist Dr Vikas Kapil, and Dr Shafaq Sikandar, performing postdoctoral research into neuropharmacology – to name just a few.”

On other days, he was part of smaller groups learning about laboratory skills and mechanisms from a researcher at the institute. “The interactive nature of this made it some of the most enlightening laboratory work experience I have done,” said Mark. The picture here shows a slide used to explain the theory behind some of the laboratory work.

On the third day of the work experience, he was individually responsible for questioning and preparing a real clinical trials candidate, including taking a medical and personal history. “This was an extraordinary experience, and … taught me a lot about bedside manner, patient confidentiality, and proper conversation in a medical setting.”

He heard talks from current PhD students and more senior researchers on their work and on new medical tools that are currently being adopted nationally. “These specialist talks also allowed me to affirm the theoretical knowledge I will need to progress in my studies past my A-Levels.”

Siddhant Kansal spent a weekend on a placement with InvestIN, a London-based organisation aiming to provide young people with an experience of some of the world’s most competitive industries.

“We received talks from experts in their fields who told us about the different types of Medicine, the different postgraduate degrees available and how to get into universities to study Medicine. Digitally, we were led through a series of computer simulations of different dilemmas encountered in the medical field, as well as what to do when we first approach a patient. We also had the chance to do some group discussions on the ethical concerns in Medicine, such as legalisation of recreational drugs which may have unexplored medical benefits.

“I enjoyed the weekend, as it was a fully immersive experience, despite the fact that it was done over Zoom. The people delivering the talks were also all highly qualified and accomplished doctors and professors in their fields, and so it was great to see where each career path could take you.”

Angath Makan physically attended his work experience during the half-term holiday at a GP’s surgery. “This was allowed as we weren’t in quarantine,” he said. He shadowed both the doctor and a nurse, watching the nurse complete blood tests and syringing patients’ ears. “I also watched the GP take calls and also saw how a GP worked and how they interacted with patients.”

Angath also undertook some online career training. This was in a very different field – the NCSC’s CyberFirst Futures course, which introduces participants to advanced practical features of cyber security by developing their understanding of cyber-attacks through exploring the reasoning and motivation of common attacks. By completing the course successfully, Angath earned an accreditation with the Scottish Qualifications Authority.

“I just found it interesting and wanted to see what a computer job would look like,” said Angath. “We would join a Zoom call every day and go through PowerPoints and small tests and quizzes.”

Experts have been helping QE A-level students see the exciting topical applications of their subjects in the real world in a series of lectures streamed into the School.

Sixth-formers have already enjoyed stimulating day-long sessions on Medicine in Action, Chemistry in Action, Product Design in Action and Geography in Action, with a similar event for Biology due to take place in December.

The training days are run by The Training Partnership, the leading provider of external educational study days in the UK, and would normally be held in London, but are this year being conducted remotely because of Covid-19.

QE’s Head of Technology, Michael Noonan, said that the Product Design A-level students, and even a couple of “enthusiastic non-subject specialists”, enjoyed a “superb day” of lectures. “Favourite amongst the talks attended by students was Pioneering aeronautical innovation by Sam Rogers – an aeronautical engineer working in product development for Gravity Industries, a company who are currently developing a jetpack suit.”

One of the pupils attending, Paul Ofordu, of Year 12, said: “It was amazing to see the application of prototyping, testing and iterative design in such a high-end product development project.”

The Resourcefulness and design lecture, delivered by Kingston University Senior Lecturer Pascal Anson, stimulated a practical activity, pictured. “Here we see some examples of structures which were resourcefully developed by the students using VEX IQ and EDR Robotics game elements – great thinking on their feet!” added Mr Noonan.

Chemistry students gathered in the Main School Hall to hear engaging contributions from speakers who ranged from Andrea Sella, a synthetic chemist and broadcaster, talking about mercury – “the most beautiful element in the periodic table and the most reviled” – to marine engineer Hayley Loren exploring whether nuclear fusion could provide the solution to the world’s energy issues.

Julia Lister, QE’s Head of Chemistry, said: “The engaging Chemistry in Action lectures covered an array of topics. Streaming these lectures took students from key concepts to cutting-edge science and future directions across many applications of the subject.”

The Geography lectures were similarly wide-ranging. One talk, entitled Lessons in sustainability: An explorer’s tale, was by Jason Lewis, the first person to circumnavigate the earth without using motors or sails. Another featured academic Martin Evans, from the University of Manchester, speaking on Landscape Systems in the Anthropocene. And Emily Parry, Head of Geography, highlighted lectures on water insecurity and on how COVID-19 has impacted the Pacific Islands.

“The boys enjoyed the talks, which both built up content covered in their A-level course and extended their knowledge on a range of issues facing the planet,” she said.

“Each lecture was followed with a Q&A session in which the boys could send in questions to the lecturer. Often questions focused around what young people themselves could do to help address some of the issues explored such as climate change, river pollution and how we choose a sustainable future.”

Head of Biology Gillian Ridge said that after the forthcoming Biology in Action day, boys who attend will be invited to give a series of lunchtime presentations to the rest of their year based on the talks.