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The award of an MBE for our Head of Mathematics, Fauziah Scarisbrick (known as Gee), in the Queen’s Birthday Honours helped make this an especially happy term at Queen Elizabeth’s School.

Everybody here is so pleased and it has been particularly delightful to receive messages of congratulation from her former pupils. It is, of course, the second such award for our School community within six months, following the MBE bestowed in the New Year’s Honours upon our Chairman of Governors, Barrie Martin, father to Piers (OE 1987-1994) and Giles (1992-1999).

The MBE sets the seal on a distinguished career as Gee retires from her position as Head of Mathematics this summer. She has spent her entire teaching career of almost 31 years at QE. As the longest-serving teacher, Mrs Scarisbrick is currently Mother of the Common Room and is the only member of staff who has worked with four Headmasters. She was appointed by Timothy Edwards in January 1983, promoted to Assistant Head of Mathematics by Eamonn Harris in 1994 and appointed Head of Mathematics when John Marincowitz became Headmaster in 1999.

Throughout the transition of the school from an under-subscribed comprehensive at the time of her appointment to the leading boys’ grammar in the country today, she has exemplified the aim of the 1573 charter – educating boys in manners as well as learning. Literally thousands of boys and alumni have cause to be grateful for the positive influence which she has had, directly or indirectly, upon their progress, development and future.

The first cohorts following her appointment as head of department sat their examinations in summer 2001. Two-thirds of that year group achieved grade A* or A at GCSE, while 73% of the A-Level Mathematics candidates gained a B grade or higher. Most recently in the 2013 public examinations she taught the weakest sets at both GCSE and A level maths. Her pupils were awarded 6 A* grades and 4 A at GCSE, and 6 A*grades, 17 A and 5 B at A level.

Her leadership has inspired a similarly impressive performance from her entire department. Typically, more than 80% of our Sixth-Formers take A-Level Mathematics, a remarkable figure in itself. Moreover, in 2013, 94% of those A-Level entrants achieved grades A*-A, while at GCSE, every boy in Year 11 gained A* or A. Many go on to read Mathematics, or courses underpinned by Mathematics, at university. All of this is due in no small part to Gee’s contribution.

And there is more to her success than diligence and professional firmness of purpose. Teachers never truly succeed unless they genuinely care for the children in their charge. As a personal mentor, Gee has guided many pupils through periods of difficulty, showing great warmth and sensitivity. She would say that she has simply been doing her job, but the boys, parents and her colleagues know that it runs much deeper.

I am happy that she is remaining as a teacher within the department and we will thus continue to benefit from her huge experience and talents, particularly as a Sixth Form teacher. She will be presented with her award in an investiture ceremony at Buckingham Palace, when she will be accompanied by her husband and two sons.

It was also good to see our German exchange visitors at Founder’s Day and I was pleased to welcome Herr Lümkemann, Head of the school in Bielefeld, and his wife. Language learning is increasingly important in the life of the School: in September, German is being introduced to Year 7, while Latin, already introduced to Years 7 and 8, will be taught to Year 9 for the first time in QE’s modern history.

It was also very pleasant to welcome back our former School Captain, Matteo Yoon (OE 2003-10) as our Guest of Honour at our Junior Awards Ceremony this term. Matteo is currently at the BPP Law School taking the Accelerated Legal Practice Course, following his graduation from Pembroke College, Cambridge, where he read Law. In his address, he recalled attending Junior Awards as a Year 7 student, almost 10 years ago to the day, and his pride at winning a prize. He urged the boys to trust in their teachers, believe in themselves and to try to be the best they could.

A great deal of work is currently taking place to prepare the Queen’s Library for its opening for younger boys next term. The Library, which is named after our founder, Elizabeth I, is already in use by older pupils. At a time when many libraries, including those in schools, are being forced to make cuts because of public spending constraints, I am especially proud that we have been able to invest so significantly in this facility.  We have equipped the Library with excellent computer-based study and research facilities. However, books also remain central; the process of extending our collections and filling the spaces for 13,000 books on our new shelves is an important one.

Around 90 Year 11 boys have signed up for The Challenge, a national, registered charity dedicated to community engagement, which runs a programme over three weeks in the summer and weekends in the autumn. It corresponds well to our ethos of boys participating in worthwhile activities beyond the classroom, serving causes greater than themselves.

That ethos has particular resonance this year as the country marks the centenary of the outbreak of World War I. The memorial tablet in our main entrance area bears poignant daily witness to the ultimate sacrifice made by 48 Elizabethans in that conflict.

On a lighter note, we are celebrating our own centenary specific to QE: it is 100 years since the introduction of rugby at the School. As our tourists prepared to leave to play cricket and rugby in Sri Lanka this summer, I enjoined them to remember that they carry with them a long and proud tradition of sporting endeavour associated with this School.

May I wish all Old Elizabethans an enjoyable summer.

Neil Enright

Founder’s Day 2014 was a fitting climax to the School year, with Old Elizabethans playing a key part in making it a success.

After the downpours of 2013, this year’s Founder’s Day was bathed in glorious sunshine throughout, ensuring a festive atmosphere among the many hundreds of visitors.

Old Elizabethan Kiran Patel (OE 2000-2007) was Guest of Honour at the morning Thanksgiving Service, while in the afternoon, as the Friends of Queen Elizabeth’s Fête took place on Stapylton Field, an OE team took on the School XI in the Stanley Busby Memorial Match on the Third Field.

The cricket match was played regularly in the early 20th century but the fixture had fallen into desuetude. It was revived in 1984 for one year only as a retirement ‘gift’ to Eric Shearly (1920-2005), a former pupil and master. In 2012, it was permanently re-instated by the Headmaster and named in honour of Mr Busby, who was a QE parent and also a Governor from 1989-2011.

2012 saw a narrow victory by the School. Last year’s match was called off because of the rain, but this year the game passed off without a hitch, as PE teacher Richard Scally reports.

“Batting first the Old Elizabethans started very positively and, with some big hitting from Viyaasan Umachandra (38), it looked as if QE first XI could be set a very large target. However, tight bowling from both Kushal Patel (2-13) and Jaimin Patel (3-22) restricted the OEs’ initial run rate. Wickets then fell regularly and by the 24th over, the OEs were all out for 120.

“After starring with the ball, both Kushal (51) and Jaimin (41 not out) opened the batting and soon chased down the runs required, with the loss of only 2 wickets.”

Mr Scally concluded: “In what was a glorious afternoon, it was wonderful to watch an enjoyable and friendly yet competitive afternoon of cricket, with the School retaining the Stanley Busby cup.”

Visiting OEs were well catered for on the Third Field, where there there was a beer tent and Indian food was served.

In his address at the service in St John the Baptist Church, Kiran drew parallels between his current life as a junior doctor at Barnet Hospital and memories of his School days. Even in the Lower School he had held the ambition of attending medical school. He spoke of the importance of the rapport he developed with his teachers and of how, as a young boy, “casual conservations with prefects…offered me a unique and unrivalled insight to the groundwork and preparation needed prior to reaching these important milestones”.

Our School is blessed to have teachers who deliver a bespoke education tailored to each individual’s needs, and who are passionate, caring, and wholeheartedly dedicated to their pupils’ success. I would encourage every pupil to use this resource to its fullest potential,” he told the congregation in the parish church.

The VIP party included: QE Chairman of Governors, Barrie Martin, and his wife, Perin; Theresa Villiers, MP for Chipping Barnet and Secretary of State for Northern Ireland; the Mayor of Barnet, Councillor Hugh Rayner, and his wife, the Mayoress Susan Rayner; Martin Russell, Deputy Lieutenant of Greater London and Representative Deputy Lieutenant for Barnet; and Hans-Wilhelm Lümkemann, Headmaster of Friedrich-von-Bodelschwingh-Gymnasium (a German grammar school with which QE undertakes language exchanges) and his wife, Gabriele.

After the service, guests repaired to the area around the steps of the QE Main Building for the Roll Call and Reading of the Chronicle. This tradition, established by Headmaster Ernest Jenkins in 1930, involves the Headmaster reading aloud a formal history of the School, which is updated annually. This year’s Chronicle recorded the awards of MBEs to Mr Martin, the Chairman of Governors, and to the Head of Mathematics, Fauziah (Gee) Scarisbrick.

With the formal proceedings concluded, guests enjoyed a relaxing afternoon. Visitors strolled happily in the sunshine among more than 60 stalls at the fête, enjoying refreshments ranging from jugs of Pimms to a vegetarian barbecue and the delicious and varied delights of the ever-popular international food area.

Many of the attractions were those of a traditional summer fête, such as hoopla, a plant stall and a coconut shy, but there were also faster-paced activities, including ‘laser mayhem’, a bungee run and Scalextric in the Main Building. The hot weather emboldened a number of male teachers to take their turn in the stocks and suffer a soaking.

The fête programme included two new entertainments this year, namely an excerpt from A Midsummer Night’s Dream, performed by teachers, Irish dancing in the Performance Arena and the first performance at the fête by the QE Barbershop Quartet. “The Shakespeare actors brought great amusement to the proceedings, helped by some rather extravagant costumes,” said Mr Enright. The Irish dancing was organised by the Murchu Duiginn School of Irish Dancing, owned and run by a QE family. The School Concert Band also performed during the afternoon.

After enjoying work as a London lawyer, Murtaza Jivanjee (OE 1997 – 2004) has made a dramatic career switch – and now trades wallpaper and paints in the Gulf, India and Africa!

Murtaza, who is currently based in Dubai, decided to seize an international business opportunity. He has no regrets: “The world of business keeps you absolutely on your toes and gives you a wonderful insight into cultural differences all over the globe.”

After leaving QE, Murtaza took a Foundation in Natural Sciences at Kings College London, followed by a degree in Law (LLB) from City University London. He then qualified as a lawyer, taking his Legal Practice Course through Gray’s Inn.

He worked in the City for Hughes Fowler Carruthers in ancillary relief in divorce proceedings – “a great experience” – and for Harrow-based Walter Wilson Richmond Solicitors.

“I then found an opportunity to do business in the Middle East, Africa and India, so I thought ‘what the heck…’” he says. “I now trade wallpaper manufactured in Europe and America as well as decorative paints from Italy. I distribute throughout the Gulf and India, and am now in the process of growing in Africa. Thus far we trade in Nigeria, Chad, Somalia and Ethiopia, with a view to increasing our ties throughout. In due course, we also hope to set up a base in Kampala, Uganda.

“It’s a very different environment from where I grew up in north London, but I’m thoroughly enjoying life, especially with my eight-month-old old son, Saif,” adds Murtaza, who is married to Fatema.

“In recent months I have been busy on projects in Africa, Canada and India, seldom with regular internet connection and with very limited opportunity to sit at my desk. But it has all been an amazing eye-opener to explore opportunities the world over.

“I will be launching contract fabric-backed wall-coverings for the commercial and hospitality market. We are also in the process of establishing a farm in a rural part of Gujarat, India, where 30 per cent of all produce will be given to the local towns to help provide at least one meal a day at no cost. The remainder will hopefully be used in a commercial way – I have a sweet tooth, and so maybe a small ice cream plant in the area to make use of the exotic fruits we’ll grow.

“It is all a world away from Law, but a tremendous experience.”

Prasana Uthayakumar (OE 2003-10) is taking the journey of a lifetime this summer – a road rally from London to Ulaanbaatar.

He is one of a team of four students at Southampton University participating in the Mongol Rally, which involves a 10,000-12,000 mile journey to the Mongolian capital (also known as Ulan Bator).

Prasana says: “We’re hoping to spend our summer travelling through 24 countries from as far south as Iran to as far north as Russia. This task will be no mean feat and we will push not only our physical endurance but also our mental strength.

“Our aim is to promote awareness for WaterAid and Cool Earth – two charities we all feel extremely passionate about and trust will make a difference to the world.” He is appealing for donations and sponsorship.

Prasana, who is studying Mechanical Engineering, is currently in his fourth year. He is due to gain his MEng integrated Master’s degree in July. “The personal skills I gained from QE have honestly been invaluable to me, and I think they have helped me throughout university.”

The team were leaving from Battersea Park in their old Skoda Fabia estate on 20th July. “The other three all study Physics, so I’m apparently the one who’s meant to know all about cars when, or if, we break down!” says Prasana.

About 200 other teams are taking part. The rally is organised by The Adventurists, a group organising various arduous challenges around the world. “They only help with the organisation up to the start date: there will be no back-up cars, no set route, and no assistance from anyone once we depart,” explains Prasana. “The hardest part about this rally is that once we leave, we’re completely independent, and we choose our own route to make it to Ulaanbataar, befriending as many people as we can on the way, and using maps only to get there.

“Our current route is as follows: Leave London, and drive straight to Prague, and then go back down through Munich, into Austria, Switzerland, through the Swiss Alps, into northern Italy. Then travel across northern Italy from Milan to Venice, through Slovenia, pop to the beautiful sandy beaches of Croatia, then back up into Budapest, Hungary. From here, our plan is to go to Romania and do the Transfagarasan Highway (voted the best road in the world on the BBC’s Top Gear programme), and then drive through Bulgaria into Turkey. We’re hoping to reach Istanbul within two weeks of departure.

“From Istanbul, our plan is to go across Turkey, through Georgia, over the Caspian Sea into Russia. From here it’s all dirt tracks and sandy highways as we enter Kazakhstan – Uzbekistan – Tajikistan – Kyrgyzstan, along the infamous Pamir Highway lying on the Silk Road bordering Afghanistan and the beautiful Pamir mountains. We then enter Kazakhstan again, and make it to the Mongolian border. Upon entering Mongolia, our plan is to work our way through complete off-road terrain to finally make it to Ulaanbaatar, where the finish line is.

“Throughout the rally, we may stay in a few hostels where we can, but to save money, and for convenience, we are going to camp or sleep in the car for the majority of the time. The total journey is about 12,000 miles, and should take up until the start of September to complete.

“We’re taking professional cameras and GoPro video cameras with us to capture the whole journey, with the aim of making a professional documentary of the whole trip.”

Immediately upon his return to the UK, Prasana plans to take up a job offer at Jaguar Land Rover as a manufacturing engineer on the company’s graduate scheme. “My plan is to achieve Engineering Chartership (CEng) in the next four years through the company.”

Three Old Elizabethans are taking part in an élite, mission-based teacher-training scheme, which aims to place the brightest graduates into some of the toughest and most socially deprived schools in the country.

Kwamina Korsah (OE 2000-2007), Joe Sherman (2000-2007) and Kalil Rouse (2002-2009) are all part of the Teach First initiative, which puts graduates through an intensive course of on-the-job training to develop them into inspirational leaders, as well as teachers.

Kwamina Korsah read History at Magdalene College, Cambridge, before joining a brand consultancy on graduation. After 18 months he took some time out to travel and re-evaluate. “I needed a new challenge and decided to apply to Teach First because of the ethos of the programme,” said Kwamina. “You’re thrown in at the deep end; you spend nearly the whole two years actually teaching in your placement school, completing essays and the theoretical side in the holidays. The skills you acquire, such as organisation, presentation, communication and time management are all eminently transferable to other spheres.”

Teach First is a registered charity dedicated to enabling young people to overcome social disadvantage through education. It takes bright graduates and puts them through an intensive six-week course before placing them in a school. Kwamina is doing his training at Hatch End High School, a large mixed 11-18 comprehensive in Harrow with 1,800 pupils. “Being in a London suburb, it is by no means the toughest school in London but there are a lot of pastoral issues that constantly arise.” He also spent a week at QE, gaining valuable experience of working with very able children. His other placement will be at the Mossbourne Community Academy in Hackney, inner London. “I expect this is the one that will prove to be the toughest placement,” added Kwamina.

Whilst Kwamina is in his first year of the Teach First programme, Joe Sherman is in his second year. “I’ve been teaching English to 11-16 year olds at The Bridge Academy in Hackney and although it’s a tough course it’s been very rewarding,” he said. Joe graduated from the University of Bristol with a degree in Politics; in addition to his teaching role he has, this year, had the extra responsibility of being a form tutor. The school became an academy in 2007 and its stated aim is to give young people the best possible education, whatever their background or ability. Joe will complete the course this summer and is then taking a six-month break to go travelling. On his return he will take up a place with management consultants Accenture.

“I am delighted that three of our old boys are taking part in a programme that has such a deep commitment to inspiring and developing young people through education,” said the Headmaster. “QE’s own ethos puts considerable emphasis on our boys making a contribution to society. A number of our pupils have chosen to enter the teaching profession over the years, although not through this particular programme. We count ourselves fortunate to have three OEs on the staff at the School: Nicholas Bird (1995–2002) who teaches PE; Hinesh Shah (1996–2003) who teaches Biology and Thomas Spenceley (2002–2009) who is currently training as an English teacher.”

The moral high ground prevailed in the Elizabethan Union’s 48th Annual Dinner Debate.

OEs Richard Alam (2002-2009) and Jamie Sherman (2002-2009) beat current Year 12 boys Kiran Modi and Surya Bowyer by successfully defeating the motion This House believes that cheats prosper.

The Headmaster said: “It was a splendid evening, with good food and a high standard of debate. I greatly enjoyed the chance to catch up with a number of old boys.

“As well as being an enjoyable social occasion, the Dinner Debate also provides Year 12 boys on the threshold of adulthood with a valuable opportunity to participate in a formal dining and debating occasion: we are always grateful to the alumni who support it.”

The keenly contested debate began with the traditional toasts to the Queen and ‘The Pious Memory of Queen Elizabeth I’. Captain of School Nikhil Patel then proposed a toast to the ‘Visitors’ (the OEs), with Gary Batistoni (OE 1962-1969) following suit with a toast to the Elizabethan Union.

As usual, the winners were decided by comparing the results of a vote before the debate with the results of one conducted afterwards: whichever side successfully persuades more people to change their minds – and thus ‘gains’ the most votes – wins the debate.

Nisha Mayer, teacher in charge of debating, said: “The debate chairman, Ben Collins, called it a large majority in favour of the resolution dropping to a small majority in favour. As such the OEs, who were opposing the motion, won.”

She pointed out, however, that in absolute terms, at the end of the night there were still more votes for than against the view that cheats prosper!

The evening began with a three-course dinner, with menu choices including falafel with a yoghurt dip, spiced chicken tagine with chickpeas & apricots and tarte aux pommes with cream.