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Founder’s Day 2026 brought together the finest traditions from the School’s history with glimpses of its future – all enlivened by the colourful afternoon fun of FQE Fete that was made possible by the parents, pupils and staff of today.

The day began with a morning thanksgiving service at St John the Baptist, Barnet’s Parish Church. After that, staff, guests and Year 7 pupils from the congregation repaired to Queen’s Road for the lunchtime Roll Call and Reading of the School Chronicle in front of the Main Building, which this year was seen at its very best following the recent removal of scaffolding put up during an ongoing £2.3 refurbishment programme.

Crowds of pupils, parents, alumni and local residents then flocked to Stapylton Field for an afternoon’s enjoyment at The Friends of Queen Elizabeth’s Fete, where the attractions included dozens of stalls, food from around the world, and a full programme of entertainment on the stage.

Headmaster Neil Enright said: “What a joyous and spectacular occasion this was! Founder’s Day is a tremendous celebration of our QE community in all its wonderful, rich diversity, and it was lovely to see so many people at the fete having a good time. I offer my heartfelt thanks to all who made the day possible, including staff and prefects, and particularly our wonderful FQE parents, without whose tireless efforts the fete simply would not happen.

“Through our QE Global Schools programme, our broad Elizabethan community is set to become even broader this summer with the opening of QE Dubai Sports City and QE Gurugram in India. I was, therefore, especially pleased to welcome among us those schools’ Founding Principals, Dan Clark and Craig Cook.” During the church service, Mr Clark and Dr Cook received a replica of QE’s 1573 Great Seal to take to their new schools as they move towards opening.

“Founder’s Day is our biggest single fundraiser of the year. Donations are still coming in, but I am pleased to report that we have already greatly exceeded our £25,000 target, with the current total standing at over £35,000 – a magnificent effort!” Mr Enright added. “The money raised will go to helping us improve the learning environment at Queen’s Road – through projects such as the complete refurbishment of our Biology department, starting this summer – thus providing an even better educational experience for current and future generations of bright boys from all backgrounds.”

The service featured hymns and readings, with anthems performed by the School Choir and Junior Barbershop Group, and music before the service from School organists. VIPs attending included the Mayor of Barnet, Councillor Zahra Beg. The prayers included the traditional Prayer on Founder’s Day, as well as a Prayer of Remembrance for Old Elizabethans who have died in the past year. The Founder’s Day pledge in its various forms was said by all in the congregation, who also joined in the singing of the anthem, And Be It Known, written by composer Howard Goodall for the School’s 450th anniversary in 2023.

The Guest Speaker was economist Promit Anwar-Westander (OE 2002–2009), who has occupied senior roles at the Treasury, as well as serving with several international development projects. In his address, he spoke about success not being the absence of failure, and about persevering through it: “failing better”. He drew on deeply personal experiences, as well as more light-hearted examples, such as the long wait for the Premier League title endured by Arsenal, the team beloved of so many QE pupils.

After the service, all boys gathered in front of Main Building, joined by staff robed in their academicals. Mr Enright followed the time-honoured Founder’s Day practice by reading aloud the School Chronicle. Brought up-to-date each year, this charts QE’s history, starting in 1568 – which is even before the School’s foundation in 1573 – when one of QE’s early promoters, Edward Underne, became rector of Chipping Barnet. The Roll Call was read by the 2026 School Captain, Tunishq Mitra, with each House Captain replying: “Ad sumus” (“Here we are.”)

The stage on Stapylton Field played host to both School performances and to displays by parents and visiting groups. The former included an opening performance by the School Choir and a strings and winds ensemble, followed immediately by an opportunity to see hip-hop dance from a new School group drawn from Years 7–10, who recently performed a five-minute routine as part of Step Around Town, a regional dance event in Camden. There was also music from QE’s Junior Jazz, Bollywood dance from a group of School mums, traditional Chinese dance and Telugu folk dance, to name just some of the attractions.

The fete featured dozens of stalls, selling items ranging from books to plants. Hungry fete-goers were spoilt for choice, with the food on offer including South Indian dosa, meat & vegetarian barbecues, Sri Lankan kothu roti, and an international tent serving oriental, Eurasian and African cuisine. For the energetic, there were the ever-popular stocks and the jungle run assault course, while the PE department brought a new cricketing attraction, with boys offered the opportunity to bowl a teacher out.

Cricket was also very much in evidence at a planning consultation event held during the afternoon in the Main Building’s Conference Centre. This featured plans for the Sports Hall that the School hopes to build, if approved. In addition to the four-court Sports Hall building (with classrooms on the top floor), which would be able to house indoor cricket nets among other sporting facilities, the plans also envisage the creation of six ECB-compliant outdoor nets and six new Fives courts.

• To view the full 36-page fete programme, which includes special features, recipes and advertisements from firms supporting the event, click here.
• To visit the Founder’s Day JustGiving page and make a donation, click here.

Contractors have begun a major project to restore the School’s Main Building – the first important work on the structure since it was extended in the 1950s.

The project comes after QE secured a £2m Government Condition Improvement Fund (CIF) grant, with an additional £0.3m being contributed by the Friends of Queen Elizabeth’s charity.

The work, which is likely to take several months, will include fitting new roofs across the entire building, as well as significant measures to improve sustainability, and a host of other improvements and repairs.

Headmaster Neil Enright said: “I am so pleased that we were successful in securing the funding we needed to deliver this important element of our current, hugely ambitious Estates Strategy. As ever, I am immensely grateful to our parents and alumni: it is their generosity that has made possible the substantial FQE contribution.

“While it is a little sad to see Main Building now wrapped in scaffolding, it will all be worth it next year when we see it restored to its original 1932 splendour, with new roofs and polished-up elevations. This work is an important element in ensuring QE remains ‘a state school like no other’ for our pupils.

“My thanks go to our Head of Facilities Management, Silvia Shann, her industrious team and our trusted contractors, who were busy over the summer holiday getting everything ready for the work to proceed.”

For its first three-and-a-half centuries, the School was based in Tudor Hall in Wood Street, High Barnet.

By the 1920s, QE had outgrown this home, so in 1932, it moved to its current premises on Queen’s Road, with HRH The Prince George, Duke of Kent, opening the new building (pictured).

Main Building combines classic 1930s features – such as the iconic bottle-green glazed tiles that still adorn the classrooms and corridors – with a homage to QE’s Tudor roots through its brick and stone masonry, and oak panelling. It was extended with new wings as the School continued to grow in the 1950s.

The work will involve fitting 130,000 new roof tiles for the main pitched roof areas, the replacement of multiple flat roofs, and work on the external elevations, including re-pointing.

Several leaks and instances of mould on internal walls will be rectified, followed by redecoration as necessary.

Sustainability measures will include the installation of improved insulation in Main Building, as well as the fitting of solar panels on the pitched roof facing south west to one side of the Main School Hall. The few remaining original windows will be replaced with units that are in keeping with the building, but now double-glazed.

“Generations of Elizabethans have been educated in Main Building and we have, therefore, always sought to be good stewards, keeping the building in good repair,” said Mr Enright. “This work will not only improve the day-to-day environment for our current pupils and staff, it will also ensure the building continues to serve the generations to come.”

The work is expected to be complete by the spring or summer of 2026.

QE’s Founder’s Day 2024 brought a mix of tradition, entertainment, international food and sheer fun to Queen’s Road, with hundreds turning out for the afternoon fete.

Before that, staff and pupils at the Parish Church enjoyed an address from leading young barrister and Old Elizabethan Sam Goodman (2002–2009) .

Then it was back to the School for the traditional Roll Call and Reading of the School Chronicle in front of the Main Building, before QE’s massed musicians got the Friends of Queen Elizabeth’s (FQE) fete off to a rousing start.

The day is a major fundraiser for FQE, who this year were aiming to pay for the audio-visual equipment needed for the School’s new Robert Dudley Studio. The Elizabethan community did not disappoint, smashing the £25,000 target: the current total stands at £34,590.75 – and rising! It is not too late to give: just go to the dedicated JustGiving page.

Headmaster Neil Enright said: “My thanks go to everyone involved for all their support in delivering a wonderful day.

“The Service of Thanksgiving was magnificent, with great music and – a new tradition for us – the recitation of the pledges written for the 450th anniversary service at Westminster Abbey last year. These remind us of the role we each play within our wider School community.

“Our guest speaker, Sam Goodman, delivered an engaging and entertaining address at the service in which he covered his career as a barrister, his time at QE, and even fitted in some practical advice for the Year 7 boys there starting out on their journey.

“There was a lovely family atmosphere on Stapylton Field throughout the afternoon fete, where there was something for everyone to enjoy. It was a tremendous collective community effort: FQE, and the parents and friends of the School who volunteer to help out, are the backbone of the fete.

“It was good to see plenty of alumni over the course of the afternoon, some with family, some with friends – all very welcome indeed.”

“We were, of course, also gratified that, contrary to expectations, the weather mostly co-operated! I’m afraid those setting up the stalls were soaked by a torrential downpour at noon, but it was dry and brightening by the time the church service ended, which meant the Roll Call went ahead outside, as planned.”

The fete remained dry until a light shower coincided with the published end time of 4.30pm.

In his address, Sam Goodman explained the role of a barrister and the sorts of cases he works on. He has chosen areas of law that interest him, such as crypto assets, environmental cases and AI. The latter is, he said, about to transform our lives, but there remain many ethical issues around bias in programming and how AI is trained to make very serious decisions. He cited the example of a driverless vehicle deciding who to hit and who to avoid in an impending collision.

He can choose to work on some cases on a pro bono basis, for example representing an environmental charity against Shell last year. But he noted that the ‘cab rank’ system meant that barristers had to take the next case in line, whatever they might think of the client, it being a central pillar of the justice system that everyone is entitled to representation.

Looking back on his time at QE, he reflected on a “brilliant” education. He said that on reaching university, he realised that he had had a better education than others whose parents may have been spending £50k a year in school fees. He recalled with fondness some of his teachers: Liam Hargadon, for Politics; David Ryan, now Deputy Head (Pastoral), for English; Anne Macdonald, now Deputy Head (Academic), for Geography; and Neil Enright (“I’m not sure whatever became of him!”).

Sam urged the young people in the congregation to take every opportunity they were afforded to get better at things. He said he knew he wanted to be a barrister from an early age, but did not like public speaking and was even reluctant to speak up in class. To build his confidence, he therefore took the LAMDA (London Academy of Music & Dramatic Art) public-speaking examinations and then got involved in debating at QE.

His other robust advice and cautionary words for the boys included:

• “Don’t give up too early on skills you don’t think you’ll need.” In his case, he had had no interest in carrying on with Mathematics, but now finds himself dealing with complex financial information daily, for which this would have been helpful.
• “Don’t assume you will be brilliant at something just because you are good at other things. You need to work at everything.”
• “Embrace exams,” since they are such a good preparation for the future.

Sam thanked his mum, who was in attendance, and stressed to the boys that they are where they are in part due to the great support they have had from families who are interested and want the best for them.

Beginning the programme of entertainment on the fete stage were musical performances from the School Choir, massed winds and strings, and then the electric guitar ensemble. The guitarists made the most of the sound system supplied by Old Elizabethan Chris Newton and School Stage!

Other stage performances during the afternoon included demonstrations of yoga, gymnastics, traditional Indian classical dance, Bollywood dance and traditional Chinese Gu Zheng, as well as Night of Ulanbaatar, a popular Mongolian folk song.

The friendly competition between the Indian and Sri Lankan food tents of previous years continued, and both the 2024 School Captain, Chanakya Seetharam, and members of staff took their turns in the ‘stocks’ (or, more accurately, the pillory).

There were stalls to suit all interests, from a coconut shy to a lucky dip, with items on sale ranging from jewellery to plants, books and toys.

Creativity was to the fore, with cakes aplenty and even some homemade and edible School ties on sale in the refreshments tent!

Away from the field, two visual attractions in Main Building proved popular – an art project and 450 in Photos, a new photographic display charting the highlights of last year’s 450th anniversary celebrations.

In addition to the proceeds from the stalls, money was raised through selling advertising space in the 44-page fete programme and from the House Music Day competition, held on the eve of Founder’s Day itself.

Prefects and volunteers stayed on to clear everything away after the fete. “The Year 12 prefect team, led by the School Captain, and the two Senior Vice-Captains, Saim Khan and Rohan Kumar, worked diligently and with great energy and humour to support the running of the day. It really could not be done without them, or the wonderful FQE volunteers, led by Fete Sub-Committee Chair Rekha Essex,” the Headmaster concluded.

• Click on the thumbnails below to view the gallery of images.

Headmaster Neil Enright today paid tribute to Diane Mason, a longstanding supporter of the School, former parent and retired staff member, who has died at the age of 88.

Diane’s association with QE extended back to 1985, when her eldest son, Andrew (Andy), joined the School, followed two years later by his brother, Chris. She quickly became involved in the work of The Friends of Queen Elizabeth’s, serving as Secretary for some 35 years, until retiring earlier this summer.

Diane was also employed at the School from 1997 to 2011, fulfilling administrative roles in areas including the careers programme and the School’s liaison with FQE. She was also an extra-curricular tennis and swimming coach at QE, drawing on her background in Physical Education. She then continued to support the School as an exam invigilator.

Last December, in recognition of her work for FQE and other causes in the Borough of Barnet, Diane was among the guests at a special carol service at Westminster Abbey spearheaded by The Princess of Wales. The service was attended by The King and Queen Consort and The Prince of Wales, Prince George and Princess Charlotte as well as other members of the Royal Family and VIPs.

Offering his condolences to her family, Mr Enright said today: “Diane will be sorely missed within the Elizabethan community. Few have made such a broad and sustained contribution to the School and The Friends of Queen Elizabeth’s.

“Over several decades, she brought great energy, vigour and dedication to all that she did, and my  colleagues and I are immensely grateful for her inspiring and steadfast support.

“Furthermore, Diane was liked and respected by everyone here at QE: occasions like Founder’s Day simply will not be the same without her. She embodied the best of FQE and its values, and I know she will be fondly remembered within our community for years to come.”

Having taken the decision to remain actively involved in supporting FQE after her sons left the School, she worked alongside her husband, George, who survives her.

Diane was a convener and recruiter who made things happen, rolling up her sleeves and leading by example. She also encouraged others to become actively involved in the Elizabethan community.

Those who have known her many years include Barrie Martin, the School’s longstanding former Chairman of Governors, who continues in his role as FQE Director. Speaking at a special event at this year’s Founder’s Day marking his retirement from the Governing Body, he credited Diane with getting him involved in the work of the Friends. This, he said, led to the then Headmaster Eamonn Harris (1984–1999) summoning him to the Governing Body.

Diane also served on the Governing Body, as a parent governor, campaigning in support of the School securing grant maintained status in 1989 – the success of which restored QE’s independence from the local authority.

Deputy Head (Pastoral) David Ryan and his former colleague, now retired, Colin Price (Second Master from 1999–2019) have both independently commented that the charity’s name, Friends of Queen Elizabeth’s, could have been invented for Diane: she was truly a friend of the School.

As well as The Princess of Wales’ carol service – for which she was nominated for an invitation by The Representative Deputy Lieutenant of the London Borough of Barnet, Martin Russell – highlights of her association with the School include her formally opening the Shearly Hall in December 2009.

 

Past, present and future came together to make Founder’s Day in Queen Elizabeth’s School’s 450^th anniversary year an unforgettable occasion.

Always a highlight of the School calendar, Founder’s Day this year featured a string of anniversary-related special events, including the burial of a time capsule, as well as time-honoured traditions, from the reading of the School Chronicle to a cricket match between the current School XI and alumni.

The afternoon fete, run by the Friends of Queen Elizabeth’s, drew the biggest numbers in recent memory, while there was a moving retirement ceremony for Barrie Martin MBE, QE’s long-standing Chairman of Governors, who steps down from the role this summer.

The event, which raises funds for the School, was a financial success, too. Having raised their target to £25,000, the Friends saw this figure comprehensively beaten: the current total stands at £41,042.48, including more than £28,000 on the day itself.

Headmaster Neil Enright said: “Our anniversary slogan is ‘thriving from ancient roots’ – and Founder’s Day 2023 exemplified this to the full. In the morning we reflected together on our long and rich history in the thanksgiving service at the parish church, while the happy crowds at our colourful afternoon fete were a reminder of just how vibrant and successful is the Elizabethan community of today.

“Barrie Martin made an immeasurable contribution to that success: the 24 years since he became Chairman of Governors have seen QE rise steadily to its position today as one of the UK’s leading schools, and generations of boys owe him a debt of gratitude.

“Fittingly, the burying of the time capsule on Staplyton Field gave us an opportunity to look to the future, as any organisation must do if it is to maintain its success. The artefacts in the capsule include predictions from our current Year 7 about what the School might be like in 2073, when we hope the capsule will be opened on QE’s 500^th anniversary.

“My thanks go to the small army of people – including FQE volunteers, staff and pupils – who made the day such a success, and to the many who contributed so generously to maximising FQE’s income, which will be invested in the School.

“I hope many will be inspired to help in the future: you can put the third Saturday of June in 2024 in your diaries now!” Mr Enright added.

The day began with an innovation: a procession from Tudor Hall – the School’s home from its founding through to 1932 – which arrived at St John the Baptist Church promptly for the 11am service.

There, Giles Martin (OE 1992–1999) the son of the Chairman of Governors and the Programme Leader for Higher Education Practice at Bath Spa University’s School of Education, reminded the boys and wider congregation of the words of Gandhi: “Live as if you were to die tomorrow. Learn as it you were to live forever.”

Reflecting on his memories and experiences at the School in music, debating and sport, he stressed the importance of teamwork. He was part of QE’s undefeated water polo team of the late 1990s.

After staff and boys made their way to Queen’s Road, the Roll Call and Reading of the School Chronicle took place in front of Main Building, with two paragraphs added to the latter’s account of QE’s history, covering the royal visit in November by The Duke of Gloucester and the 450^th anniversary celebrations, including the March service in Westminster Abbey.

School Captain Darren Lee, of Year 12, stepped forward to fill the deep hole dug for the time capsule. This included:

• A letter from the Headmaster to the Elizabethans of 2073;
• Darren’s reflections on the 450th celebrations;
• 450th memorabilia including a 450 badge, documents and flowers from the abbey preserved in resin by Art teacher Jeanne Nicodemus;
• A copy of the recent whole-school photo;
• The Year 7 pupil’s predictions – intended as a surprise for the Elizabethans of the future, it can however be noted that the boys predict technology, and AI in particular, will radically change education methods!

The Barrie Martin retirement ceremony included the presentation of a book of photos from his years of service, a framed sketch of the School and other mementos. Flowers were presented to his wife, Perin, as well as another of the resin cubes containing flowers from the 450th anniversary service (supplied by the florist who also provided flowers for the Queen’s funeral and King’s coronation).

A photographic portrait of Barrie will be placed in the ‘crush hall’ in the Main Building upon his retirement. It was taken by the School’s photographer Eleanor Bentall, who has also taken portraits of subjects including Boris Johnson, former Archbishop of Canterbury Dr Rowan Williams, Clare Balding and Tinie Tempah.

Thanking those present, Barrie, who is also Chairman of FQE, recounted how he came on board with the Friends after being approached by FQE stalwart Diane Mason. He joined the Governing Body in 1989, having been invited by Eamonn Harris (Headmaster 1984–1999): “I wasn’t stupid enough to say no to the Headmaster!”

Recalling some of the key milestones in the years that followed, he said he was unable to thank all those “exceptional people” that he had worked with, who had “made what I did possible”. Particular thanks were, however, given to the three Vice-Chairmen of Governors he worked alongside: the late Sid Clark; Ken Cooper; and Nick Gaskell, who will succeed Barrie as Chairman on 1 September this year.

The 1pm–5pm fete brought together current and past pupils with their families, as well as families of boys who will join Year 7 in September, large numbers of Old Elizabethans from different eras, local residents, former staff and other supporters.

The ever-popular international food tents were extended this year, while there was a range of impressive culinary creations battling it out in the Cake Competition. Additional attractions included a VEX Robotics tent – popular with parents as much as anyone! – and Ju Jitsu, where, rumour has it, Barrie Martin was seen performing a martial arts hold.

Away from the Stapylton Field, the QE Collections mini-exhibition included a rare opportunity to see the original 1573 Royal Charter that brought about the founding of the School. A particular draw was a book-signing by Dr John Marincowitz (Headmaster 1999–2011), whose new history of the School was published in March. This had to be extended due to the long queues. He said: “I met many lovely boys, old boys, parents and even a descendant of former Master James Barcock (1689-1719)! Such a variety of really interesting people.”

At the back of the School, the Stanley Busby Memorial Cricket Match on Third Field saw the old boys claiming what Head of Cricket Richard Scally described as “a well-deserved victory”. He added: “Both openers for the OEs – Omar Mohamed and Shahil Sheth – scored quickly, amassing 50 runs each and setting a challenging total of 159. In reply, the School lost early wickets and the run rate became too high, and although there was some strong resistance from Year 12’s Rohan Belavadi and Ranvir Sinha, it all proved too little too late, and the old boys won by 39 runs.”

• Donations can still be made through the dedicated Founder’s Day JustGiving page. The fundraising total includes money taken on the day, online giving, sponsorship from a House Music competition on the eve of Founder’s Day and the sale of advertising.
• The full-colour, 56-page fete programme includes a range of features, as well as advertisements from donors and supporters. You can read it here.

QE is to completely refurbish two Chemistry laboratories, following confirmation that it has been awarded a £100,000 award from research and education charity, the Wolfson Foundation.

The work will not only provide new equipment and fittings for the busy laboratories in the large 1970s Fern Building, but will also increase their capacity.

The Wolfson Foundation grant will be supplemented by a contribution from The Friends of Queen Elizabeth’s charity.

Headmaster Neil Enright said: “Sciences are tremendously strong at QE at all levels and we already have huge numbers studying Chemistry at A-level, many of them going on to highly regarded courses at university, such as Medicine. This award will enable us to provide them with the best, modern facilities.

“We are very grateful both to the Wolfson Foundation and to our parents, alumni and friends who give through FQE.

“We plan to carry out the work in the summer holidays this year, along with both the next phase of improvements in the Fern Building and, hopefully, the start of work on The Robert Dudley Studio – the new drama and spoken-word facility to be created within our Main Building.”

Paul Ramsbottom, chief executive of the Wolfson Foundation, said: “We are very pleased to support Queen Elizabeth’s School, enabling them to create outstanding facilities for their students.

“We hope the new Chemistry laboratories will encourage and inspire students at all levels to study Science.”

The bid to improve the two laboratories, S9 and S10, was submitted to the Wolfson Foundation last summer. The School is working with experts in the field of school laboratory installations.

Floors, ceilings, services, teachers’ stations, student workbenches and tools and fixtures will all be replaced, with new wiring and feeds for IT and utilities also included within the scope of the project.

QE’s Head of Chemistry, Amy Irvine, today spoke of her delight that the work is to go ahead.

“The facilities in those laboratories are no longer of a standard that best suits teaching practical science lessons, so this is extremely good news. The refurbishment will make it easier for us to deliver the best possible lessons. Boys of all ages here will benefit, while the work will make QE an even more attractive destination as we continue to recruit high-quality staff to the department.”

QE currently has 18 teachers and three laboratory technicians across three Science subjects, with nine of these working in Chemistry.

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The Wolfson Foundation is an independent charity with a focus on research and education. Its aim is to support civil society by investing in excellent projects in science, health, heritage, humanities and the arts.

Since it was established in 1955, some £1 billion (£2 billion in real terms) has been awarded to more than 12,000 projects throughout the UK, all on the basis of expert review.

Twitter: @wolfsonfdn