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Eight QE boys have been picked in the top 5% nationally among the thousands who participated in this year’s Intermediate Biology Olympiad.

In fact, 51 of the 56 QE boys who entered the prestigious competition closely connected with the Royal Society of Biology this year achieved recognition for their performances.

Biology teacher Mev Armon said: “It is tremendously encouraging to have this independent confirmation that we have so many able biologists in our Sixth Form. My congratulations go especially to our eight gold-level candidates, whose performances were very impressive indeed.”

The Intermediate Biology Olympiad is open to students in the first year of post-16 education. It aims to test their knowledge of the subject and to encourage them to continue studying the biosciences beyond school.

This year’s lockdown competition involved a one-hour multiple-choice paper to be taken online, with questions covering GCSE topics and content from the first year of the A-level curriculum. The major areas covered: biological molecules; cell structure; the immune system; exchange surfaces; circulatory systems; plant transport; molecular genetics and biodiversity.

In addition, to the eight gold winners, 14 QE boys achieved silver – a level reached by the top 16% of students nationally – and six took bronze. A further 12 boys were ‘highly commended’ and 11 ‘commended’.

Since 2015, the Intermediate Biology Olympiad has been run by UK Biology Competitions, a Special Interest Group of the Royal Society of Biology, which was set up in 2010.

The eight gold winners, all in Year 12, are: Aqif Choudhury; Bhargab Ghoshal; Ari Karthikeyan; Vivek Nair; George Raynor; Rukshaan Selvendira; Arnav Sharma and Paarth Singhal.

With their examinations behind them, Year 12 came into School for a series of workshops aimed at helping them prepare for a new academic year and at giving them a little time to reflect at the end of an extraordinary term.

The socially-distanced pastoral workshops focused on the personal development of the sixth-formers, but also gave them a chance to catch up with their friends and teachers. In line with Government guidance about emerging from lockdown, QE has been providing opportunities for Years 10 and 12 especially to spend time at the School in recent weeks, beginning with end-of-year examinations for both year groups.

The Year 12 sessions, which were spread across two days, included: group assemblies led by Head of Year 12 Helen Davies; individual meetings with form tutors; guidance on the UCAS personal statement to ensure the boys are ready for their university applications next term, and workshops led by two Old Elizabethans, Bilal Harry Khan (2003-2010) and Kam Taj (2004-2011), both experts in their respective fields. Bilal’s workshop was entitled Reflecting on Privilege & Anti-oppression, while Kam’s theme was Intrinsic motivation.

Headmaster Neil Enright said: “We felt it important to give our Year 12s an opportunity to consider  their own progress this year and to reflect on what has been happening in the wider world, while also looking forward to the new School year.

“We have worked with both Bilal and Kam before as a School and I was delighted that they were able to help us on this occasion by leading workshops which are both, in their different ways, of great importance for our pupils.”

After leaving QE, Bilal read Theology at Cambridge. He then worked locally in Barnet in a post that involved helping keep young people safe in the borough. After that, he worked in the charities sector, at first running workshops for young people and then also beginning to design the workshops. He is now a diversity and inclusion practitioner, flying all over the world to talk to CEOs and other senior leaders about issues “that might be uncomfortable”. Bilal has also become an important national media voice on such issues.

He told the Year 12 boys that in the wake of the Black Lives Matter protests, this was an important time to reflect on issues that, in fact, “have always been there”.

Among the activities during the workshop, he asked the boys to close their eyes while he read out a series of statements and to put their hands up if they could relate to that statement:

• “Did you have breakfast this morning” (all put their hands up)
• “Do you feel safe walking down the street at night” (most did)
• “When growing up, did you easily find books to read with characters from your background? (only one boy did)
• “When shopping, do you easily find plasters that match your skin colour” (again, only one)
• “Do you find it easy to gain access to a toilet when in town” (all).

The boys then discussed in pairs which statements stood out to them, and what it felt like when they kept their hands down for a question. In a group discussion, they examined whether they had previously thought about these issues, and if not, why not – which provoked comments such as “They don’t affect us,” and “We just accept it’s normal.”

On the question of “Do you feel comfortable calling the police if there is trouble?”, one boy answered in the negative, saying he “did not feel safe around the police”.  Bilal pointed out that the police were meant to be there to keep everyone safe. This led on to a further discussion around BLM, looking at people’s bad experiences with the police, including the possibility of even losing one’s life, as George Floyd did in the US.

There was also a discussion about the concept of privilege, with Bilal challenging the participants to think about where privilege comes from. The boys again talked in pairs and fed back into a group discussion about how privilege is maintained. Citing the widely quoted axiom, “Privilege is invisible to those who have it”, Bilal stated: “By reflecting on this, we can make changes.”

Bilal encouraged the boys to consider the diverse aspects of “all human identity”, taking them through the components of the acronym, GRACES: Gender & Geography, Race & Religion, Age & Ability, Class & Culture, Ethnicity & Education, Sexuality & Spirituality.

In his workshop, Kam, a performance coach and motivational speaker, began by asking the boys how motivated they felt on a scale of 1–10 by a show of hands.  One placed himself at 1 and most said 5 or 6, with none saying 8, 9 or 10.

The aim of the workshop, he explained, was for them to think about what motivates them and about what they could do to boost their motivation.

Kam described motivation as a “fire from within”; boys should not rely on other people or external circumstances to motivate them – “The only chance of our fire burning brightly and sustainably comes from within.”

At Cambridge, Kam saw other students seemingly having it all – getting everything done academically, whilst playing varsity-level sport and having great social lives. It was only in his third year that he “got it together” himself, he told the groups.

After university, he became a management consultant, which gave him opportunities to start looking at what separates top performers from others.

He then developed his ‘motivational fire formula’, which involves a combination of heat, fuel and oxygen. The heat is the intention (“What’s my goal and why I want it”), the fuel is realisation (“Being aware of what we want and making it happen”) and the oxygen is action (“Just do it!”). He added that actions need to continue in order to keep motivation going (“Action begets action”). Worrying, however, could serve as a “fire blanket of expectation” in this model, stopping people from taking actions.

He invited the boys to reflect on this formula – and on what they are missing in their lives. The formula could be stated as an equation: Motivation = intention + realisation + action – expectation

Looking further at intentions, Kam asked the boys what their goals were. The answers included “getting into medical school”, “being a great climber”, “being happy and getting by”, “being more successful than my parents in ten years”.

“The more clarity we have about what we want, the better the actions we choose,” said Kam.

He then went through the eight criteria of “empowering goals”, namely: values-driven; enriching; controllable; attainable; specific; measurable; flexible and harmless (to oneself and others).

He emphasised the importance of being positive, urging the sixth-formers to “think about the person you want to become”. They should focus not on what they want to avoid, but on what they want to attain, he advised. “If you say: ‘I don’t want to fail’, you are still focusing on failure.”

Kam also introduced the power of visualisation, giving as an example the fact that he used to visualise himself sitting in the examination room at university completing a three-hour paper calmly and confidently.

Finalists in QE’s Mars Lander project not only impressed with their knowledge of space travel, but also showed they had got to grips with the more down-to-earth requirements of academic research. 

Assistant Head (Pupil Progress) Sarah Westcott paid tribute to the finalists in the Year 7 contest, praising them for eschewing all plagiarism and crediting references accurately. 

The boys had to put together a PowerPoint file with facts and figures about the requirements, challenges and risks of sending a manned spacecraft to Mars, with shortlisted entrants then submitting a video of themselves delivering the presentation.  

While their space knowledge was an important factor, the main purpose of the project included teaching the boys about what constitutes plagiarism and how to carry out basic referencing, and developing their fact-finding skills, both online and written. The project was part of the Summer Term’s Personal Development Time scheme of work. 

After shortlisting nine pupils to submit a recording of their work, Head of Year Tom Harrison had the difficult task of selecting just four for Dr Westcott to assess and judge. Placing Colin Copcea first, Dr Westcott said: “Colin really impressed with his presentation – not only his grasp of scientific facts and choice of images, but also his use of references and sources.” 

Daniel Macholl took second place, with Kayilai Dinesh and Akhilesh Karthikeyan sharing the third spot. 

“I was very impressed with the amount of effort the boys had put into their research and presentations,” said Mr Harrison. “It was really very difficult to select just four as the finalists, as the standard was very high. All the participants did very well.” 

Dr Westcott was also struck by how well the boys presented their findings and the way in which they had clearly grasped the essentials of referencing and the unacceptability of plagiarism. “They generally chose highly reputable sources for their research – NASA, the BBC – and looked carefully at the file extensions, for example .gov, which give a fairly good indication as to whether a particular website is likely to be reliable.” She told them that although Wikipedia could be a good starting point for research, it should never be quoted as a primary source, as its independence could not be guaranteed. 

In a recorded adjudication for Year 7, she praised the boys for their high level of scientific content and offered advice on how their work could be even further improved. 

While Covid-19 has raged around the world this term, members of QE’s Model United Nations Club have been examining the very different approaches to the pandemic taken around the globe. 

The 24 boys involved were each allocated a country, from Australia to Iceland and from the USA to North Korea. Each member, from Years 8 to 10, was given a brief to research his nation’s response to the crisis and look at the treatment for the virus and the global distribution of a vaccine in the future. 

They met regularly using Zoom to discuss the huge issues and challenges facing the global community. 

Academic Enrichment Tutor Gillian Deakin said: “It has been great to see the boys adopting their different countries and examining their responses to Covid–19. Every week they have contributed fascinating insights into how different countries have responded. 

“With countries as diverse as Japan, Iran, France, Kenya and the USA, the participants have had to get to grips with their often very different respective policies and perspectives.” 

The club is an academic simulation of the United Nations itself, where pupils take the roles of delegates from different countries and investigate possible solutions to global issues. 

The boys have also been learning how to write policy statements and resolutions in preparation for an MUN event at Magdalen College School, Oxford, in February next year.  

“They have gained real insight and understanding of the function of the different organisations within the UN in addition to an appreciation of the possibilities and challenges of the global development and distribution of a treatment or vaccination for Covid–19,” added Miss Deakin. 

“The boys are all looking forward to returning to the School and preparing for next year’s mini–MUN conference.” 

 The participants are listed below, each with his allocated country: 

Danny Adey (Year 10) – Japan; Eesa Ahmed (Year 9) – Saudi Arabia; Tejas Bansal (Year 8) – Germany; Dhruv Chadha (Year 9) – South Korea; Karan Chauhan (Year 8) China; Tharun Dhamodharan (Year 9) – India; Rahul Doshi (Year 10) – Russia; Kovid Gothi (Year 8) – France; Pranav Haller (Year 8) – USA; Seyed Jalili (Year 8) – Iran; Shaurya Madan (Year 8) – New Zealand; Dhruv Syam (Year 10) – Sweden; Rahul Kesavan (Year 10) – Sri Lanka; Saim Khan (Year 8) – Pakistan; Zaki Mustafa (Year 8) – UK; Jai Patel (Year 10) – South Africa; Vignesh Rajiv (Year 9) – Switzerland; Chanakya Seetharam (Year 8) Canada; Anban Senthilprabu (Year 9) – North Korea; Abhiraj Singh (Year 10) – Iceland; Sai Sivakumar (Year 9) – Australia; Mukund Soni (Year 10) – Italy, Anirudh Terdal (Year 8) – Kenya; Antony Yassa (Year 10) – Egypt. 

A Year 12 team won both the prestigious Innovation Award and the new People’s Choice Award at the SECBE Constructing Excellence Awards.

Competing against entries from leading professional construction firms, QE’s four-strong Engineering Education Scheme team were rewarded by the judges for the strength of their design project aimed at reducing the risk of injury from band saws.

Headmaster Neil Enright said: “My congratulations go to the team on what is a great success both for them and for the School. Their very impressive submission evinced not only innovative thinking and a sound understanding of engineering principles, but also meticulous implementation and very effective communication of their ideas.”

Thomas Mgbor, Hugh Westcott and Kai Sethna donned black tie to take part in the awards ceremony, together with Technology teacher Tony Green. (The fourth team member, Brandon Ionev, was unable to take part because of an examination.)

Mr Green said: ‘The boys deserve all of the plaudits that will come their way for an outstanding performance.” He thanked all in the Elizabethan community who supported the team in their bid to win the People’s Choice Award, which was decided by popular vote.

The team worked with office design specialists Morgan Lovell on the project, which involved a number of suggested improvements to band saw guards and dust extraction systems. Tweeting their “huge congratulations” to the QE four, Morgan Lovell said: “We’re really proud to be alongside the engineering minds of the future”.

During visits to construction sites, boys saw that workers would often not use the blade guard fitted to existing band saws, because it was time-consuming to reset the guard manually each time to adjust it for different thicknesses of material.

To address the issue, the boys conducted extensive research over six months. They came up with three designs, all based on the same concept. The material pushes against the bottom of the blade guard, causing a force that pushes upwards and adjusts the blade guard automatically to the correct and ideal height for cutting. With no user input needed, saw operators could then work in the same way as before, but much more safely.

An additional benefit of the designs was that they incorporated significant improvements to the existing dust extraction systems of saws, thus reducing dust exposure – another health & safety concern – and allowing a more precise cut to be made because of the enhanced visibility of the cutting service.

The designs would work with different types of saw and, unlike existing guards, they covered the blade from multiple angles, which is another safety improvement. Because they could be retrofitted to existing machines, the guards hold out the promise of improving safety without huge expenditure. The boys were assisted by their industry mentor, representing Morgan Lovell, Health, Safety & Wellbeing Manager Alex Wood.

Team leader Thomas opened the team’s presentation to the judges at the virtual awards ceremony, before Hugh and Kai went through it in more detail. They faced some tough questioning from the judging panel, which comprised Chris Blythe (Chairman of SECBE, a construction industry not-for-profit company working towards positive change in the sector), Bill Ferris OBE (Chief Executive of Chatham Historic Dockyard Trust), James Wright (Framework Manager for Southern Construction Framework) and Julie Barry (Head of Business Development for RIFT R&D).

“Later in the day, we pushed for the People’s Choice Award on social media and won that award, too!” said Thomas. “It was a really enjoyable day to showcase our young talent and ‘show up’ some of the professional construction firms. In the words of SECBE, we were ‘recognised as the best’, and hope to inspire the rest.”

Year 12’s Sunay Challa was one of the first-prize winners in a prestigious competition for his exploration of how artificial intelligence could help economists solve some of the most pressing problems facing the world over the next 20 years.

His 1,500-word composition won him the Economics section – and a £1,000 prize – in the annual New College of the Humanities Essay Competition.

After his entry reached a shortlist of 350 from the initial 5,000 entries, Sunay was invited to a virtual awards ceremony, where he learned that he had secured the top prize. The judges praised his essay for its holistic approach and for his examination of the specific ways in which AI could benefit economists.

Congratulating him on his success, QE’s Head of Economics Shamendra Uduwawala said: “In a thought-provoking and insightful essay, Sunay identified a good sample of significant global problems and then set out exactly how AI might be able to help solve them, setting out both the capabilities and the limitations of this technology.”

The global competition for Year 12 students run by London’s New College of the Humanities involves participants answering a single question in one of seven humanities subjects: Art History; Economics; English; History; Law; Philosophy and Politics & International Relations. First, second and third prizes are awarded for each subject.

The question for the Economics category entered by Sunay was: Which problems will economists need to solve within the next 20 years and will artificial intelligence help them?

Sunay said: “I began my essay by considering the concept of Artificial Intelligence and the tools it can offer to economists and then then went on to look at the most significant future socio-political and environmental issues economists will be forced to deal with.”

Paying particular attention to how “data-fuelled modelling and solutions” could be used to improve existing systems, Sunay focused on five topics:

• Energy usage
• Wildlife protection
• Agricultural issues
• Cars
• Healthcare.

He included specific examples of the way AI is already being successfully used, mentioning, for example, a software program which identifies and tracks individual giraffes in Kenya by their unique coat patterns and ear outlines. An immense task, involving some 100,000 animals, it would be impossible for humans to undertake effectively without technological help. Yet, he wrote, the use of artificial intelligence had transformed the conservation effort: “A computer’s speed and ease of tracking means the giraffes are more effectively protected, with the giraffe population falling by 40% pre-AI and only 2% after its implementation.”

In the field of healthcare, Sunay wrote: “Although AI cannot find cures, it can definitely speed up their discovery by finding correlations in huge data sets, and this may prove critical in saving countless lives.”

In his conclusion, Sunay noted that “…we can see that wherever it is applied, AI brings to the table the unrivalled ability to parse through huge volumes of data in record time, and in turn save money and increase efficiency…While it may not be able to solve problems like humans, AI brings unmatched advantages to any task and as such will prove hugely beneficial in trying to solve economic problems.”

As well as the £1,000 prize money, Sunay wins an award that will be presented to him at a ceremony for which, because of the pandemic, no date has yet been set.

• You can read Sunay’s essay here.