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As Old Elizabethans Rahil Shah and Bhiramah Rammanohar told QE pupils going into Year 12, much about the future is unclear – but at least they can be sure that for the next two years they will have all the help they need to prepare for it.

The alumni pair returned to the School to deliver a new induction workshop for those joining the Sixth Form next week.

Entitled Preparing for an Uncertain Future, the QE Futures workshop encouraged the pupils to reflect on their strengths, embrace new experiences, and develop confidence in making decisions without clear-cut answers.

Assistant Head (Destinations and Progress) Robert Hyland, the new head of QE Futures, said: “QE Futures seeks to equip our pupils not only for higher education, but also to prepare them for the rapidly changing world of work that they will enter after graduating. Workshops such as this help them develop the QE Employability Skills – a set of transferable skills that are exactly what they will need to thrive in that uncertain future.”

The Employability Skills are: communication, critical thinking, digital proficiency, leadership, resilience and teamwork.

“Rahil and Bhiramah’s advice to do what you enjoy and follow your curiosity wherever it takes you was a key takeaway – and one that is of benefit to all our pupils,” Dr Hyland added.

Rahil related his journey from QE to completing a Master’s in Computer Science at Imperial and into a successful career as a software engineer with Bloomberg, while Bhiramah Rammanohar, who recently completed his sixth year at Cambridge, shared insights that included his experience of studying Medicine.

One highlight of the workshop was a collaborative problem-solving challenge, where participants tackled a complex graduate recruitment task, discovering that there is no ‘right’ pathway forward in the ever-changing world of work.

Headmaster Neil Enright said: “It is tremendously encouraging to see current pupils benefitting from our growing OE network, seeing what alumni are doing in their careers and learning from them.”

The Sixth Form induction workshop followed a recent visit by entrepreneur Leon Zadeh (OE 1996–2003), who drew on his experience of building Saint Espresso into a successful London artisan coffee business over 15 years.

His interactive workshop, with a central message of action builds confidence, engaged pupils from the outset with quick-fire questions and a discussion of their own ambitions. Leon explored what entrepreneurship really involves – spotting opportunities, solving problems and taking consistent action over time.

Year 13 pupils have produced a truly outstanding set of A-level results, with a remarkable 62% of their exams awarded A* grades and with rises achieved against all key benchmarks.

The A* figure is up 8.7% on 2025’s results and second only to the results recorded at QE in 2022, when outcomes were moderated nationally to avoid abrupt drops in grades following the Covid-19 pandemic.

Some 98% of grades were at A*–B, making 2026 the 21st consecutive year in which this important measure has exceeded 95%. The results thus further cement QE’s place as one of the country’s leading academic schools across both the state and independent sectors.

With 59 boys – a third of the year group – achieving straight A* grades, there are scores of individual success stories, as students secure the grades they need to confirm places at Oxford, Cambridge and other world-leading universities, including Harvard.

Headmaster Neil Enright said: “This is a day of great celebration at Queen’s Road! My heartfelt congratulations go to my colleagues, our supportive parents and families, and, of course, most of all to the leavers, whose hard work and application have paid off in such spectacular fashion. They now leave us for places on hugely competitive degree courses at exciting university destinations.

“Year 13 are an impressive cohort – and not just in terms of their determination and academic talent. They are great company, full of humour and mutually supportive, while displaying commendable curiosity and maturity. I am certain that these young men are ready to sally forth into the next chapters of their lives and careers and make a telling contribution to society.

“Important though examination results are, the QE experience is much broader than that. All our leavers have played their part in the School’s accomplishments beyond the classroom, which this year have included winning the English Schools Chess Championships, reaching the last four of the new national Knight-Stokes Cup in cricket, placing third at the World Economics Cup and winning divisional awards at the VEX World Robotics Championships in the US.”

Highlights of the A-level results include:

• 89% of exams being awarded A* or A – a 2.5% increase on 2025
• 84 pupils gaining at least three A* grades (the 59 achieving straight A*s and a further 25 securing three A*s and an A)
• An additional 31 A*s in the Extended Project Qualification (EPQ), representing 69% of pupils taking one this year.

In line with QE’s emphasis on free-thinking scholarship, the EPQ candidates pursued their own academic interests, tackling topics such as How effective can different Artificial Intelligence models be in the discovery, prediction, prevention and management of disease? and To what extent has neoliberal economic policy contributed to divergent long-term economic growth and stability outcomes in Chile and Argentina?

Danyal Talha confirming his Harvard place is among a number of notable performances, which include at least 41 places secured at Oxbridge and seven confirmed places in Dentistry at King’s College London. Adithya Raghuraman achieved four A*s and secured his place to read Mathematics at Christ Church, Oxford. He is an Ellison Scholarship holder, which provides a full scholarship for study at Oxford and is given to only around 20 students worldwide each year. Two more Maths stars, Sasen Kankanamge Don and William Joanes, each earned a pair of the top (S) grades in the fearsome University of Cambridge Sixth Term Examination Paper (STEP) admissions test.  They will be going to Queens’ College and Trinity College respectively. And two other Cambridge-bound leavers have secured Choral Scholarships: Leo Sellis will be reading Music at Jesus College, while Adam Liang will study Economics at Gonville & Caius.

Nearly two-thirds of those who now have confirmed offers are going to universities ranked in the QS World Top 10, while 95% of all QE’s confirmed places are at Russell Group universities.

The Oxbridge candidates will be taking courses that range from Philosophy & German and Psychology & Behavioural Sciences to Maths & Philosophy. The most popular courses chosen by QE leavers overall include Economics, Medicine, Maths, Engineering and Dentistry.

Year 9 boys used artificial intelligence to help them design a sustainable bus for London during a special day at Salesforce’s new AI Innovation Centre.

The 27 pupils took part in a workshop, learned about careers in AI, and discussed the ethics of the technology during their trip to the American software giant’s facility at Devonshire Square, opened only a few weeks ago.

One of the highlights was a team challenge to design the sustainable bus – an exercise which gave the boys hands-on insights into how AI can be used creatively to solve real-world problems.

Assistant Head James Kane (Destinations & Progress), who leads the QE Futures careers and universities guidance programme, said: “It seems especially appropriate to celebrate this exciting opportunity during Youth Employment Week.

“Artificial Intelligence will undoubtedly form part of all our futures, and there is so much to be learned. Whether it was finding out how to write effective AI prompts or getting to grips with the ethical considerations, the conversations on this very special day provided valuable guidance for QE pupils growing up in an increasingly AI-driven world.

“We are sincerely grateful to Neil Sanghrajka, parent of a Year 8 QE student, for kindly facilitating this fantastic opportunity,” Mr Kane added.

The pupils discovered how Salesforce, a $186 billion company known for its customer relationship management software and related applications, uses AI to enhance the services it provides to its clients.

The day explored the effective and responsible use of artificial intelligence.

During the lunch break, students explored a range of innovative AI technologies, including a machine that created portraits from photographs and an AI-powered LEGO set that demonstrated interactive learning through artificial intelligence.

The visit concluded with an AI careers Q&A session, where the boys had the opportunity to ask questions. The panel included two degree apprentices, who shared their experiences and highlighted alternative and increasingly popular pathways into the technology sector after sixth form. QE’s pupils were particularly interested in the role of AI in education, and the panel emphasised that AI should be used to support learning and develop understanding, rather than replace independent thinking.

A record 65 guests signed up to support Year 11 boys at this year’s Careers Convention – more than 30 of them alumni.

New workshops were added to cover degree apprenticeship assessment centres and being ‘future-ready’ in a rapidly changing labour market – one of the six key priorities in QE’s new School plan, Boundless.

Assistant Head (Destinations and Progress) James Kane said: “Our Careers Convention grows stronger each year, and 2026 was our most inspiring yet. The generosity of our speakers – particularly our Old Elizabethan community – creates an environment where students can explore their ambitions with confidence and curiosity.

“The event encourages boys to explore both traditional and alternate pathways, providing them with first-hand insights about careers and career development from alumni, parents, other friends of the School and higher education advisors.”

The day opened with an inspirational keynote from Kam Taj (OE 2004–2011), who encouraged pupils to stay open-minded, embrace uncertainty, and understand that career paths are rarely linear.

There was a range of expert panel sessions on topics covering seven key career areas: accountancy, banking & finance; creative industries & the built environment; engineering; law; entrepreneurship; STEM opportunities; and medicine & dentistry.

Pupil Sriram Muthukumaran, who attended the engineering session, said: “I personally enjoyed the panel and their insights, which really helped guide my journey and allowed me to network with people in the field I want to explore.”

The afternoon featured workshops running in parallel with a Careers Fair in the Shearly Hall, where boys could have one-to-one conversations with the visiting experts, taking the opportunity to ask personalised questions and receive tailored insights.

This was especially popular with the 114 boys who gave feedback, such as Isa Sheikh, who said: “Being able to speak to people in different industries personally in the Careers Fair was the best part for me.” Vash Mamtani agreed: “Having conversations with some of the alumni and getting personalised advice was incredibly useful.”

Overall, a large majority of respondents gave the Careers Convention a four or five out of five rating.

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Forty-four Queen Elizabeth’s School pupils have secured offers from Oxford and Cambridge this year, further consolidating QE’s record of success in sending leavers to the world’s best universities.

Twenty-nine senior boys have received offers from Cambridge, with a further 15 offered places at Oxford. The figures lift the School’s total number of Oxbridge offers over the past four years to a remarkable 202.

Headmaster Neil Enright said: “My congratulations go to all these pupils: we are immensely proud of their success.

“At QE, we are committed to developing the Boundless potential of every student in a rapidly changing world. Through their ambition, application, resilience, and free-thinking scholarship, these 44 boys are well on the way to realising that potential: I wish them all the best in achieving the A-level grades they need to secure their offers this summer, and, further ahead, to hearing about their exciting careers and contributions to society.

“More broadly, I am also pleased to say that our pupils are continuing to enjoy very considerable success in winning places at other world-leading universities.”

The 44 Oxbridge offers have been made by a diverse range of colleges – from the ancient and imposing, such as Oxford’s Christ Church and Trinity at Cambridge (both founded by Henry VIII in 1546), to the relatively modern, such as Homerton at Cambridge, which, although founded in the 18th century, attained full college status only in 2010.

The offers are for degree subjects including English, Engineering, Modern & Medieval Languages, Music, Geography, Psychology and History, as well as famous courses such as Cambridge’s Natural Sciences and Oxford’s Philosophy, Politics and Economics (PPE).

James Kane, Assistant Head (Destinations and Progress), said: “These offers reflect academic excellence, intellectual curiosity and commitment of our pupils to going above and beyond. They also show the outstanding dedication and support afforded by our staff and families.”

The success of the QE Futures programme in guiding senior pupils appropriately through the university application process is shown in QE’s “impressive” application–offer rate of 40%, Mr Kane added.

In total, QE leavers have applied to 23 of the 24 Russell Group universities this year, with 90% applying to at least one QS World Top 10 university. (The ten include Imperial and University College London, as well as Oxford and Cambridge.) With the process by no means yet complete, more than four-fifths have already received at least one offer.

Last year, a record 15 degree apprenticeships were offered to Year 13 boys. Interest in these apprenticeships continues to be strong at QE: this year, leavers have applied to leading global organisations such as Freshfields, Airbus, BAE Systems, Rolls-Royce, JP Morgan, Goldman Sachs, HSBC, and Arup. The applications span disciplines including Law, Engineering, Finance, and Architecture.

Mr Kane highlighted the importance of the QE Essentials programme, which includes: QE Futures; the QE Flourish co-curricular activities; the School’s digital strategy; its emphasis on free-thinking scholarship; and the QE Connect alumni network. “It is through QE Essentials that our students build the academic strength, mindset and skills needed for future-ready success,” he said.

They may be several years away from applying to university, but boys from Years 7 & 8 were able to enjoy a taste of life as an undergraduate at the grandest of all the Oxford colleges.

Forty-five boys drew inspiration for the future and learned about what studying at a world-leading university involves during the trip to Christ Church – the Borough of Barnet’s partner college at Oxford.

The day included lunch in the college’s Dining Hall — the iconic 1520s structure upon which the Hogwarts Great Hall in the Harry Potter films is based. There was also a chance to meet an Old Elizabethan – Harik Sodhi (2018–2025) – currently studying at Christ Church.

Nathan Lawson, QE Futures Coordinator and Geography teacher said: “At QE, we believe it’s never too early to inspire students to aim high and be future-ready. Through our partnerships and alumni network, they can gain first-hand insights that shows them anything is possible with determination, hard work, and persistence.

“This experience helped the boys broaden their aspirations, better understand what studying at a top university involves, and build confidence by interacting directly with undergraduates who were once in their position.”

Christ Church’s alumni include 13 British prime ministers, King Edward VII, William Penn, Lewis Carroll (author of Alice in Wonderland), poet W. H. Auden, philosopher John Locke, and scientist Robert Hooke.

The day began with a warm welcome from Dr Ana Hastoy, the college’s Admissions and Access Manager, and her team, who delivered an ‘all you need to know’ session on applying to Oxford, alongside practical advice on UK universities, funding, and applications.

Lunch in the Dining Hall gave the boys the chance to admire the hammerbeam roof and stained-glass windows, as well as dozens of historic artworks, including an oil painting by an unknown artist of Queen Elizabeth I (who in 1573 gave QE its royal charter).

The QE boys then took part in a Q&A and college tour led by current undergraduates, gaining authentic insights into study at Oxford and life at The House, as Christ Church is sometimes known. As well as recounting his own journey from QE to Christ Church and offering some practical tips on his degree subject (Engineering Science), first-year student Harik encouraged the boys to believe in themselves and have the confidence to apply there when the time comes. Harik secured his place by gaining straight A* grades at A-level last August. The summer also saw him become the first-ever QE pupil to win a silver medal at the International Physics Olympiad: he was the highest-ranked performer from western Europe at the 55th IPhO in Paris.

The visit concluded with an academic session, Making Meaning: Objects, History and Power in Museums, to introduce the young visitors to university-level thinking about how museums shape narratives and public understanding.