The musical classic that began this year’s Valediction in many ways set the tone for the afternoon that was to follow.
The platform party processed into the Shearly Hall to the strains of Feeling Good – a song from a 1960s musical later made famous by Nina Simone, among others.
As the sounds of the QE Jazz Band faded and the audience settled in the summer heat, Headmaster Neil Enright told the assembled Year 13 leavers: “Feeling Good is, at its heart, a song of renewal and freedom; of stepping forward into possibility with poise, courage, and a quiet, unmistakable confidence. It feels especially appropriate this afternoon, as we mark this moment of transition for all of you.
“You stand on the threshold of something new: ‘It’s a new dawn, it’s a new day, it’s a new life’ – and, for each of you, that new life begins now.”
Mr Enright celebrated the successes past and present of the leavers. Not only had they navigated challenges including a global pandemic with determination, they had set records for QE with their GCSE results. The outcomes of their university applications have also set new standards, including a highest-ever total of 62 offers from Imperial College London and a string of offers from leading US universities.
Looking forward, Mr Enright told Year 13: “You will make decisions some wise, some… educational. That is not only inevitable, but also essential. Growth requires risk. Be bold enough to seize opportunities, but also humble enough to learn lessons when things do not unfold as planned. Setbacks are not failures; they are part of the process… It is in those moments that perseverance becomes your greatest ally.”
This was a theme also explored by Guest of Honour Lord Karan Bilimoria – an entrepreneur best known as the founder of Cobra Beer.
After beginning by reminding the boys of the benefits they already enjoyed – “You have the privilege of being at one of the best schools in the country and indeed the best in the world – you will all be leaders” – he set out what was required to be an entrepreneur.
“You need guts – to take the risk. You also need to be creative and innovative.” Another essential was luck, Lord Bilimoria said, and he had his own definition of this key ingredient: “Luck being where determination meets opportunity. If you are not determined, you won’t see the opportunities.” As an example of such determination, he cited the story of a six-year-old boy in his native India who could not go to his local school. He, therefore, had to be passed textbooks out of the window by his brother in order to learn.” This boy, K. R. Narayanan, later became the 10th President of India (1997–2002).
In concluding his address, Lord Bilimoria struck an optimistic note. “However bad things may seem in the country at the moment…. remember all that Britain has in its favour,” he said. This included: institutional resilience; the Royal Family; the best schools and universities; the best arts (theatre, film, music, the BBC); the best lawyers; the best accountants; the City of London as a global financial centre, and high-tech industry.
In keeping with the formal-but-fun flavour of the ceremony, the School’s Jazz Band, Barbershop group and Junior Jazz struck a positive tone, with numbers including Journey’s Don’t Stop Believing and Duke Ellington’s jazz standard, Caravan.
The vote of thanks was given by Year 13’s Simardeep Sahota, who was the 2025 School Captain. Thanking the cohort’s form tutors, teachers, and Head of Year Akhil Gohil, he said: “We’ve come further than we ever thought we could, not despite each other, but because of each other.” And he quoted Master Oogway in the Kung Fu Panda martial arts comedy: “Yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery, but today is a gift.”
In addition to the valediction for all the Year 13 graduands, there was a presentation of prizes for academic subjects, co-curricular activities, academic excellence, contribution & responsibility, and leadership & involvement.
After the ceremony, refreshments were served outside to the pupils, their parents, staff and guests by volunteers from The Friends of Queen Elizabeth’s.
The other two are choral scholarships, which go to two stars of QE’s Music department, pictured here.
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.