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Inspirational business leader Gary Shaughnessy gave QE’s younger boys a heartfelt message born out of his own experience of dealing with adversity.

Mr Shaughnessy was an international CEO of Zurich Insurance and at the peak of his career when, in 2015, he was diagnosed with Parkinson’s.

In a special Lower School assembly lecture, he spoke of how he overcame his initial despair and, with the help of his wife, used the news as a springboard into what became the happiest period of his life. He is now a philanthropist, an advocate for several charities and a fundraising athlete.

Thanking Mr Shaughnessy, QE Flourish coordinator Lev Crofts reflected afterwards on the talk: “He chose to accelerate his career rather than ‘stow’ it; to become involved in athletics, sports challenges and break multiple world records; and to become more involved in charity work – eventually becoming the chair of Parkinson’s UK. Ultimately, his message was about responding positively to difficulty, of seeing failure as opportunity, and to be appreciative of how much we are given by life.”

His entertaining lecture to Years 7–9 in the Shearly Hall included Mr Shaughnessy leading the boys in his regular chant of ‘Live life, love life, stop Parkinson’s’.

Mr Shaughnessy began his career in the UK financial services sector, holding key roles at the Automobile Association, the Bank of Scotland, and AXA, before joining Zurich in 2012 and rising to become its CEO for the Europe, Middle East and Africa region. In that role, he managed approximately 20,000 employees across 22 countries, driving major cultural and digital transformations.

He initially kept his diagnosis private, but came to recognise that openness could be both empowering and liberating, helping to challenge stigma in the workplace. By publicly sharing his condition, he became a visible example of strength and transparency for others living with chronic illness.

His philosophy – “focus on what you can do, not what you can’t” – reflects his belief in resilience, adaptation, and positive action.

Since his diagnosis he has completed numerous endurance events, including marathons, cycling challenges, triathlons and a 30 sports in 30 days feat – all to raise funds for Parkinson’s research. He even set Guinness World Records for the longest three-legged distances covered in 12 and 24 hours.

In the 2023 King’s Birthday Honours, he was appointed a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) for his contributions to business, his charitable leadership, and his work supporting people with Parkinson’s.

Mr Shaughnessy is Chair of the Z Zurich Foundation, which was established to help vulnerable people, and Chair of England Athletics.

Year 10 took part in a special workshop which explored the science behind stress and equipped them with a range of techniques that they can use in their everyday lives.

The session was delivered by Puja Datta Sharma, a holistic life coach and breathwork practitioner, who is a current QE parent. The interactive assembly explored what stress is (‘the body’s alarm system’), its symptoms and the nature of the fight, flight or freeze response. Mrs Datta Sharma differentiated between eustress – positive stress that motivates and focuses – and distress, which depletes and impairs functioning.

The boys were then guided through various exercises designed to channel their energy and control their breathing. These ranged from shaking their bodies and swinging their arms, to bellows breaths (raising and lowering their arms in time with their breathing), box breathing (breathing in for a count of four, holding for four, breathing out for four and holding for four) and a guided meditation.

Dr Celia Wallace, Head of Year 10, said: “Everyone encounters some level of stress in their lives, whether related to exams or work, relationships or domestic pressures. The workshop was a valuable opportunity to reflect on what stress is, how it can be harnessed, and how pupils can deploy simple techniques to keep calm and improve their mood. Alongside all the academic and personal development work we do, it is important to build understanding of how the boys can manage any challenges to their wellbeing.”

After the assembly, pupils were asked to reflect on what they had learned and which, if any, techniques they would try again in the future.

Ayaan Dhingra (Year 10) commented: “I learnt about the scientific reasoning behind stress and exactly how we can use this to our advantage by controlling it. I enjoyed the physical activities as they were really engaging and surprisingly helpful, which lightened my mood.”

Raghav Janga (also Year 10) added: “I liked the different types and ways in which you can breathe to relieve stress. I found the first breathing example where you raise your hands to inhale and exhale when you pull them down similar to a breathing technique in Ancient Indian Yoga: Bhastrika Pranayama. I had encountered Bhastrika Pranayama before in a yoga course so was familiar with the topic. The whole workshop was very fun!”

The final exercise was a group guided meditation. Mrs Datta Sharma argued that meditation can balance the nervous system, lower stress hormones like cortisol and adrenaline, and boost good mood chemicals. Some studies show that regular meditation can change the brain structure through neuroplasticity, for example growing the hippocampus (linked to learning, memory and emotional regulation) and reducing the reactivity of the amygdala (the brain’s fear centre).

“Meditation will be something I will take away from the workshop” concluded Siddharth Josyula.

Ten pupils from Year 12 received special bursary awards from a philanthropic foundation set up by Old Elizabethan Priyan Shah’s family.

The DVS Awards recognise qualities such as humility, resilience, leadership and reliability. Participating schools are asked to nominate the award-winners, with the nomination process involving both teachers and classmates. QE has partnered with the DVS Foundation over the past three years.

Headmaster Neil Enright said: “Priyan and his family are passionate about supporting educational initiatives and about seeking to celebrate those whose contribution might not otherwise be recognised. Their emphasis on encouraging positive personal qualities and character attributes aligns very well with the School’s own mission to produce young men who are confident, able and responsible.

“By allowing students to nominate their peers for an award, the scheme encourages Year 12 pupils themselves to recognise and affirm positive examples from among their own year group.”

As well as participating in the awards scheme, the School has also run the foundation’s WhyOhYou personal development programme. In addition, the foundation has facilitated work experience for QE pupils.

The DVS Foundation was set up in 2012 by Priyan’s parents, Dhiru and Rami. Education is one of its major areas of focus, together with food insecurity and healthcare, both in the UK and East Africa. The family business is a company specialising in UK institutional real estate investment.

In launching the DVS Awards in 2021, the foundation stated its belief that “success should not only be centred around academic achievements”. The ten categories are determined by the schools, with Year 12 chosen since this age “marks a pivotal transition into adulthood”.

Each winner of a DVS Award received a certificate and a £100 gift voucher in an end-of-year assembly. Priyan (OE 1991­–1998) visited the School to present the awards. The recipients and the categories for which they won are listed below, together with their citations.

• Commitment: Luc Tran – Nominated by the Art department “for his exceptional commitment to the space and place art project. Despite his educational travel commitments, Luc demonstrated remarkable dedication by not only completing the project to high standards but also undertaking an extension task. His last presentation, which included sketches, photography, and the final outcome, was comprehensive and detailed, showcasing a thorough explanation of his theme. Luc’s ability to balance his travels with his project work exemplifies his outstanding work ethic and passion for art.”
• Environmental Stewardship: Suhruth Tadvai – Suhruth has volunteered at a cow shed since December in Year 11, going once a week to help clean up and look after the cows; this is connected to Hinduism, in which looking after cows is important, as they are sacred.
• Humility: Zain Farooqi – Nominated by a number of his peers as someone who quietly but consistently helps his friends, be it through academic studies or when playing football.
• Independence: Rocco Giustiniani – Recognised by several of his peers for working exceptionally hard at school, whilst maintaining a rigorous schedule of competitive swimming outside of school.
• Kindness: Rushil Akula – Nominated by a number of peers as someone who consistently demonstrates kindness to others. One student said he’s “always treating people with respect and is always willing to help other out”.
• Leadership: Chanakya Seetharam, who is the 2024 School Captain. A huge number of students recognised Chanakya’s leadership skills. Not only does he complete his responsibilities as School Captain very well, but he’s recognised as someone who leads from the front, demonstrates excellence and is very dependable.
• Reliability: Rohan Varia – A hard-working, dedicated student, Rohan has been recognised for being on time, completing tasks well and impressing his teachers.
• Resilience: Pranav Nadendla – Also a hard-working, dedicated student, Pranav has achieved this while overcoming several significant personal challenges.
• Respect: Haris Shahid – Nominated by a number of his peers, with this nomination summing up what they all felt: “I cannot think of a single time that anyone I have met has ever had anything bad to ever say about him, and he is known and respected by all students. Few, if any students will ever say that he has ever offended them.”
• Selflessness: David Wang – David has been recognised for working exceptionally hard as a Senior Prefect Sector leader. He does this incredibly well and diligently, often when it’s not convenient for him to do so. The School benefits enormously from his care and conscientiousness.

Pupils from across the first three years of Queen Elizabeth’s School had their achievements recognised and lauded at the 2024 Junior Awards.

At an afternoon ceremony held in the Main School Hall, boys gathered with their families and with staff and dignitaries to celebrate.

There were prizes for all the classroom subjects, as well as House prizes, prizes for commitment, and prizes for extra-curricular activities, such as debating & public speaking, and chess. Music prizewinners from Years 7, 8 and 9 punctuated the programme with a series of musical interludes. A vote of thanks was given by the Year 7 debating & public speaking prizewinner, Aaron Singh.

Headmaster Neil Enright spoke about how the prizewinners are seen by others; guest of honour Asif Ahmed (OE 1997–2004) about how they see themselves; and the Mayor of Barnet, Councillor Tony Vourou, about how the whole School is seen in the borough: there is, he said, considerable pride in QE and the achievements of its students.

In his introduction to the ceremony, Mr Enright told the boys: “These awards are a signal that you are doing very well indeed and that we see in you qualities that set a positive example for others in the School – so many of whom are also very talented and hard working.”

He spoke about the butterfly effect, which argues that small things can end up having significant impacts, citing the famous story of a butterfly flapping its wings in one part of the world and a hurricane developing in another.

He urged the boys to small acts of kindness – “a quiet, unshowy altruism” – to benefit those around them, whether at School or elsewhere.

“With your abilities, many of you may go on to make the discoveries, find the cures, engineer the projects, secure the investments of the future. There should be no ceiling to your aspirations. But, with certainty, everyone here and in our Elizabethan community can do the little things in daily life so that things are better for others, or at least,” he added, quoting from George Eliot’s Middlemarch, “that things are ‘not so ill as they might have otherwise been’.”

Guest of honour Asif leads the accounting and advisory team at major accountancy firm Cooper Parry which focuses on venture capital-backed founders of companies. He is also the author of best-selling book The Finance Playbook for Entrepreneurs. An accomplished sportsman, he is now part of the Board at Middlesex County Cricket Club.

In his speech, he included many biographical elements from his Schooldays, mentioning being made form captain in Year 7, playing cricket for Middlesex and rugby for Hertfordshire, being appointed a Lieutenant, and achieving good grades.

“At all those milestones, including being appointed Lieutenant, I never shook the feeling of looking around me and thinking: ‘When will you get found out, you absolute fraud?’” he said.

After leaving School, while still training for his professional qualifications with large accountancy firm PwC, his father was diagnosed with a terminal illness. “I unexpectedly found myself in a position at 22 years old, looking after his very small accounting firm. There I was, no clue in the world, with nothing and really no-one to rely upon. The imposter syndrome kicked in again.”

Over time, however, Asif succeeded in building up the business, wrote his best-selling book, and was approached by a much larger firm with an offer to buy his company. “Today, I am a Partner of that firm and I lead the largest team and portfolio of high-growth technology businesses in the country, working with the best entrepreneurs in this land.”

He told the boys all this, because, he said: “I’ve come to realise that imposter syndrome is the world’s way of telling you that other people see something in you that you yourself can’t see…yet. When you are rewarded, you absolutely must savour it, hold it tightly and mark it out as one step closer to fulfilling your destiny.”

The afternoon’s music was a varied selection – including Stravinsky, Gershwin and Mozart alongside a piece by the rather less well-known Polish composer, Szymanowski.

Because of the inclement weather, the reception, normally held on Stapylton Field, took place this year in the Mayes Atrium.

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QE’s Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Ambassadors visited all 18 forms in Years 7–9 to lead activities and discussions during Pride Month.

They timed their visits to coincide with School Diversity Week, which QE was celebrating in partnership with LGBT+ young people’s charity, Just Like Us.

The activities, overseen by Lead Enrichment Tutor Kanak Shah and EDI Vice-Captains Andreas Angelopoulos and Uday Dash (pictured, top), included discussion of topics such as British LGBT+ South Asian Heritage Culture; Coming Out and Allyship; Intersectionality; and Sexual Orientation + Identity.

Headmaster Neil Enright said: “Pride is a valuable opportunity for pupils to develop their understanding of their place in the world today, and I commend our EDI ambassadors for all the hard work they put into making these celebrations a success.

“Our mission is to produce young men who are ‘confident, able and responsible’. Pride helps us advance that mission, ensuring that, as our School Plan puts it, responsible Elizabethans will ‘listen carefully to other people’s perspectives and…treat others as they would like to be treated, and thus…play their part in fostering a happy, inclusive community’.”

This year’s Pride activities at the School began in the penultimate week of June with the distribution of a PowerPoint presentation featuring suggested activities for all form tutors. The presentation included a 2023 Starbucks India ad featuring a transgender model. Boys watched this and then discussed a number of follow-up questions. Another video came from Stonewall, the UK LGBT lobbying group.

Also in the presentation a written explanation of the terms represented by the initials LGBTQIA+, while the same slide showed the flags associated with the movement, including, for example, flags for ‘Agender’, ‘Asexual’ and ‘Genderqueer’, as well as the Pride flag itself.

And there was a look at ‘LGBTQ+ role models in the public eye’, such as non-binary stylist, comedian and HIV+ activist Jonathan Van Ness (pictured).

After a rainbow ribbon-making session, the ribbons were put on sale to raise money towards inviting a Just Like Us speaker into QE next year.

The presentation also featured Akshay Shah’s winning entry in a Pride-themed computer desktop design competition. Akshay, whose colourful design is pictured, said: “Each strand represents a different gender/sexuality. They are made up of organic swirly shapes, which represents the flexible nature of Pride.” Akshay, of Year 9, depicted not only the colours of the Pride flag but also, on the white strands, “lesser-known genders/sexualities” including gynesexual, homoromantic, demiromantic, genderflux and skoliosexual.

In School Diversity Week, EDI ambassadors from Years 9, 10 & 12 led the discussions with QE’s first three year groups. Pupils were able to submit anonymous written questions in advance, with form tutors on hand to help select the most relevant and to help the ambassadors, if necessary. These sessions aimed to build understanding and to promote discussion.

In a week bookended by a special assembly from an anti-racism expert and a cinema visit, QE’s Year 7 got to grips with topics including diversity and intersectionality.

In between these highlights, regular pastoral sessions and a special afternoon were devoted to a project looking at race, intersectionality and women in science ahead of seeing the film, Hidden Figures.

Fully prepared, the School’s youngest pupils then travelled to the Phoenix Cinema in East Finchley to watch the award-winning picture, which focuses on the story of three female African-American scientists working at NASA during the Space Race in the 1960s.

Head of Year 7 Rosie Uduwawala said: “While at QE we celebrate our diversity as a School, it is nonetheless important to ensure that our boys understand racism, knowing how to recognise it, and what to do when they see or experience it.

“Also, in our single-sex environment, it is good for pupils to develop an understanding of intersectionality, particularly with regard to how women may be affected by discrimination.

“It was a very successful week: the boys responded well to the workshop, which ended on a very uplifting note with a message about empowerment and the reading of a poem by Benjamin Zephaniah. They then worked diligently on their project, which included learning about the Cold War and the Space Race – an important period of history. And, of course, they enjoyed their trip to the cinema to see what is a very engaging film.

“We hope that all they have learned will promote discussion about diversity beyond the classroom.”

The Monday assembly was given by Mpula Lawton from ARISE (Anti-Racism In Schools & Education), an organisation dedicated to promoting equality in education. Her themes were:

• What is racism?
• What does racism look like?
• Language: “I never ever say the words, but we discuss slurs and how terrible they are,” says Miss Lawton. She related how one such slur was addressed to her when she was young, and how it has stuck with her;
• Racism on social media;
• ‘Hero’ versus ‘snitch’: what to do when you see or experience racism;
• ‘Upstanders’: how to spread the word about anti-racism;
• Empowerment, including the poem.

The boys’ project involved completing a PowerPoint presentation designed to teach them about topics such as the origins, causes and effects of the Cold War and about the Civil Rights Movement in the US.

The presentation also featured statistics from 2012 about the representation of various groups in professional careers, particularly in the field of technology. It highlighted, for example, that whereas Black and Hispanic people make up 30% of the US population, men from these groups represent just 9% of computing jobs, and Black and Hispanic women even less, at just 4%.

It challenged the boys to discuss the reasons for these differences, introducing the concept of intersectionality and looking at whether the situation had changed in the 60 years since the period depicted in the film.