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With pandemic restrictions forcing the School’s Founder’s Day activities to move online for the second consecutive year, QE’s Year 7 learned about the day’s rich history and traditions in a specially tailored afternoon.

The School’s youngest pupils would normally be at the very heart of Founder’s Day, with all joining the morning service at Chipping Barnet Parish Church and then taking part in other formal elements – such as the Roll Call and the Reading of the School Chronicle – before enjoying the fun of the afternoon fete.

Head of Year 7 Thomas Harrison began by explaining to the year group ‘bubble’ why Founder’s Day – taking place virtually this year on Saturday 19^th June – is such an important fixture in the School calendar.

“On Founder’s Day, we remember and celebrate the foundation of our School – now some 448 years ago – and the long and winding history that has led us to where we are today,” Mr Harrison said.

“We are thankful to all those who have worked to build and re-shape our School – those who have laid the foundations for the education and workplace that we enjoy today.

“Those who held steadfast in difficult times, as we’ve all had to do over the past year, and those who made bold decisions in the long-term interests of our Elizabethan community.”

The event that followed borrowed elements of the service of thanksgiving, beginning with the playing of a traditional Founder’s Day hymn, For All the Saints, which had been pre-recorded in the church by the specially formed Founder’s Day Chamber Choir.

The afternoon featured contributions from no fewer than three School Captains.

• 2020 School Captain Ivin Jose, of Year 13, gave a Bible reading from the Book of Proverbs
• The current holder of the office, Siddhant Kansal, of Year 12, read Charlotte Bronte’s poem, Life
• The 2008 School Captain, Matthew Rose (OE 2002–2009), who now works at his alma mater as Executive Assistant to the Headmaster and Head of Project Support Services, was the guest speaker.

Introducing Mr Rose, Mr Harrison told the boys that he was reprising his role as the youngest-ever Founder’s Day guest speaker in 2011.

In his speech, Mr Rose reflected on the varying effect of the pandemic on his audience – “Some in this room may have lost people close to them.” He spoke of the impact of a bereavement he suffered while at the School and how the experience of surmounting that “hurdle” had shaped him.

The boys had faced the challenge of joining QE – “arguably the best school in the country” – during a pandemic, but they had a responsibility to press ahead. “So, keep going, keep learning from your experiences and keep hurdling,” he concluded.

The afternoon included a musical interlude from Year 12’s Raphael Herberg, Aadarsh Khimasia and Alex Woodcock performing Trois Aquarelles II by Gaubert.

Year 7 Aniston Lakshman read the Founder’s Day prayer, while Year 7 form tutor Andrew Collins read the School Prayer, with its petition of “Inspire us, O Lord, so to do our work today, that, even as we are being helped by the remembrance of the loyal lives of those who came before us, so our faithfulness may aid those who shall take our places.”

Headmaster Neil Enright then fulfilled another time-honoured Founder’s Day practice: the reading of the School Chronicle. This charts QE’s history, starting in 1568, when one of the School’s early promoters, Edward Underne, became rector of Chipping Barnet.

The Chronicle has been brought up to date with a new stanza beginning: “And be it known that during the Covid-19 pandemic, which twice caused all the schools in the land to close their doors to most pupils, the challenges were faced with ingenuity and resolve.”

After the Chamber Choir’s recorded rendition of the National Anthem, the boys processed in silence to the Stapylton Field for the Roll Call, which they had practised before half-term. It was read by the School Captain, with each House Captain replying: “Ad sumus” (“Here we are.”)

QE’s University Convention may have gone online this year because of Covid-19, but the alumni still turned out in numbers to support current Year 12 boys.

Well over 50 Old Elizabethans – mostly those who left the School last summer – took part in the video convention for Year 12 pupils considering their university options.

With 19 sessions on 14 subjects delivered over seven days, the virtual event was a major organisational and technological feat.

Michael Feven, Assistant Head (Pupil Development) said: “We were determined to ensure that the current Year 12 did not miss out on opportunities and I am tremendously grateful to our former pupils who supported us. Their participation means that the University Convention was this year once again one of the biggest examples of alumni participation at the School.

“The event allowed boys to find out more about quite a wide range of university options and, of course, to discover how our alumni’s university student experiences have been affected by Covid. All Year 12 boys were free to drop in as they chose, and the sessions proved popular, provoking plenty of discussion afterwards.”

In normal years, OEs visit the School together for the convention, which therefore also becomes a reunion for them after their first two terms at university.

This year, however, their contributions were given on Zoom in a series of lunchtime sessions over the seven days.

The alumni spoke on 14 subjects in the first four days, from Architecture to Computer Science, Law to Medicine & Dentistry, and from Geography to Languages.

The final three days involved sessions structured around topics such as the year spent in industry during Engineering degrees and the different types of universities available, with sessions including Campus vs City, Oxbridge, International and London.

To ensure full coverage of the planned topics, the first-year alumni were joined by a number of OEs from earlier years , such as Nik Ward (2003–2010) and Danny Martin (2010–2017) speaking on studying Architecture, and Rhys Bowden (1996–2003) and Simon Purdy (2009–2016) on Music.

Old Elizabethan Bilal Harry Khan threw down a challenge when he took part in a video conversation about ‘micro-aggressions’ as part of a new series of bitesize discussions on vital issues such as race and discrimination.

Anyone accused of perpetrating micro-aggressions should overcome the natural instinct to go on the defensive and instead be open enough to “interrogate the ideas at the root of things that may be causing harm”, urged Bilal, a podcaster, workshop facilitator and event host.

His ten-minute conversation with Year 13 pupils Thomas Mgbor and Ayodimeji Ojelade was recorded so that the issues raised can be discussed in tutor groups. It is one of a series of Perspective discussions being arranged by the School’s Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Ambassadors. Last year, Ayodimeji and Thomas were instrumental in the founding of Perspective – a new forum set up in the wake of the Black Lives Matter protests.

Michael Feven, Assistant Head (Pupil Development), said: “I am so pleased to see these short, accessible discussions taking place, and I thank especially Old Elizabethans such as Bilal who have agreed to take part. Thomas, Ayodimeji and the ambassadors’ team are to be congratulated on being so assiduous in ensuring that these important issues are both raised and discussed at QE.”

Other conversations in the series so far have included one with Natasha Devon MBE, an activist and researcher in the fields of mental health, body image, gender and social equality.

Bilal (OE 2003–2010) read Theology at Cambridge and then worked in youth engagement. He has designed and delivered hundreds of speeches and workshops in schools and youth settings on behalf of partners such as KPMG, Virgin Atlantic, Boots and Barclays. He is also frequently called upon to speak on issues of social justice, race and masculinity for news and current affairs programmes.

Bilal began the discussion by defining micro-aggressions: “They are statements, actions or incidents which are regarded as indirect, subtle or unintentional discrimination against members of a marginalised group, such as a racial or ethnic minority. The key bit for me is the words ‘indirect, subtle or unintentional’…These are things which are unintentional, but are still harmful or hurtful, when somebody might say ‘ah, but I meant that in a nice way,’ or ‘that was just a bit of banter’ or ‘that was supposed to be a compliment’. “

He gave an example from his own experience: “That question: ‘Where are you from? No – where are you really from?’ Where you have said you are really from is never the right answer. They want to know where your grandparents or great-grandparents are from; when I say ‘north-west London’ that is not believed.”

Bilal continued: “It’s the cumulative impact of loads of micro-aggressions that really makes someone feel like ‘I don’t belong here’ or ‘I am angry’ or ‘I am ashamed’ or perhaps that there is ‘something about me that is not right’.”

He suggested that QE pupils should be a true “ally” by challenging micro-aggressions not only when someone who might be hurt or harmed by them is present, but also when they are absent. He urged boys to be “more confident and comfortable to challenge and question, and also just to own up and apologise when we have said and done these things”.

Thomas asked Bilal how he would respond to those who would suggest we are turning into a “snowflake community”.

“This is not about being ‘woke’ or hyper-sensitive or being ‘snowflakes’,” Bilal said. “It’s about recognising that these issues have actually been used as tools of oppression for centuries.”

Pupils at Queen Elizabeth’s School have been celebrating the achievements of women and reflecting on the issues they face, as people around the world marked International Women’s Day (IWD).

English teacher Eleanor Pickering put together a pack of resources to encourage discussion in tutor groups on the day itself or – with boys returning to their classrooms this week after Covid testing – in the following few days.

The resources include a PowerPoint presentation, suggestions for activities and videos. They ranged from the literally parochial – the recording of a Cheshire parish council meeting that went viral last month – to the global – an Oxfam presentation that posed questions about international aspects, including women’s earnings around the world.

Headmaster Neil Enright said: “We recognise the importance – not least since we are an all-boys school – of celebrating the achievements of women and girls, of raising awareness of bias and of challenging inequality.

“The work and lives of female scientists, writers, historical figures and politicians are increasingly being covered across the curriculum, while outside lessons, we seek to keep these matters to the fore through discussions in tutor groups, through our Personal Development Programme and through our appointment of senior pupils as Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Ambassadors.”

IWD was adopted by the United Nations in 1977. Its theme this year was #ChooseToChallenge. Tutors at QE took the opportunity to ask boys what they might choose to challenge in their own lives.

The Oxfam presentation asked how much less women earn than men globally and on average – the answer is 23%, according to a UN report.

The presentation explained that while gender imbalances are reducing in some areas – 25 per cent of all national parliamentarians are now women, up from 11 per cent in 1995 – in other areas, formidable barriers remain, with, for example, women in 18 countries needing to have permission from their husbands to work outside the home.

The Handforth parish council Zoom recording became famous because of the calm and decisive way in which Jackie Weaver – chief officer of the Cheshire Association of Local Councils – dealt with councillors during a heated, and sometimes chaotic, meeting.

Other resources available to the boys’ tutors included Nigerian author Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s TED talk from 2012 entitled We should all be feminists in which she urged people to work towards a different, fairer world with happier men and women who are truer to themselves. This perennially popular talk has had more than 4.6m views to date.

A further suggestion was a TED talk from Laura Bates, founder of the Everyday Sexism Project.

Preparations for a safe return to lessons at the School this week are running according to plan, with sixth-formers experiencing a smooth start to the new testing programme yesterday.

Years 12 and 13 were the first at QE to benefit from the asymptomatic testing programme that is clearing the way for classroom learning to start for all year groups on Thursday.

In line with Government instructions, all pupils taking part in the programme are being tested before returning to School for lessons, so that any positive cases can be taken out of circulation before they have the opportunity to mix with each other and with staff.

Volunteers have rallied round, working alongside members of staff to make sure all 1,250 boys can be tested in time.

Headmaster Neil Enright said: “Testing all our pupils is a major logistical exercise, and one that, of course, has to be conducted in Covid-safe conditions.

“It is certainly a challenge, but I am pleased to report that the first day went without a hitch, with the operation running both calmly and efficiently.

“Although the testing is not compulsory, I am most encouraged to see that the participation rate is very high indeed, which will certainly aid the effectiveness of the programme in protecting all students and staff.”

Pupils are all being given specific times to attend over the first half of the week, with Years 9–11 due in for their first tests today and Years 7 and 8 on Wednesday.

In the meantime, QE’s programme of remote learning continues, with boys following a full timetable at home using the School’s eQE online learning platform and MS Teams.

They will have their second and third tests from Thursday onwards, once they are back in lessons.

The group of volunteers involved in the programme spans the Elizabethan community, including parents, former members of staff and other friends of the School.

“Some are giving up significant amounts of their time over the course of the in-School testing programme, for which we are all very grateful,” said Mr Enright.

“These volunteers are working alongside members of staff, with everyone trained for their respective roles.”

“It was, of course, great to see pupils back on site today – a foretaste of Thursday, when we look forward eagerly to seeing all the boys back in lessons here.”

Benjamin Cohen, founder and CEO of PinkNews, dotcom success story and broadcaster, spoke to current pupils as part of LGBT+ History Month.

Benjamin, who was at QE from 1993–1998, took part in a video conversation with the School’s Student Leadership Team and Equality, Diversity & Inclusion Ambassadors.

The session was recorded so that it can be used by form tutors to stimulate discussion among all year groups as an eQE online resource within QE’s personal development and wellbeing programme.

Headmaster Neil Enright said: “Our students will take courage and inspiration from all Ben had to say when reflecting on his career, the success of PinkNews, equal marriage, Section 28, religion and much more besides.”

Benjamin launched PinkNews, a UK-based online newspaper, in 2005. PinkNews describes itself on its website as “the brand for the global LGBT+ community and the next generation”.

But before that, Benjamin had already made his mark as a serial entrepreneur in the dot.com boom around the start of the new millennium.

After leaving QE, he created JewishNet, which he describes as “Britain’s first social network before the term was invented”. It grew rapidly, making him worth £5m at one point.

Soon after, he established CyberBritain – “a dot.com darling for a couple of years” – which, among other things, launched a UK-specific search engine powered by its own technology and attempted to launch a service similar to Spotify.

For much of his time with CyberBritain, Benjamin was also an undergraduate at King’s College London.

He went on to be a columnist for The Times, corporate advisor for ITN, business & technology correspondent for Channel 4, a PR director, and, from 2010 until 2017, was a presenter for the BBC, where his work included writing and presenting a critically acclaimed documentary, I was a teenage dot.com millionaire. He is also a longstanding UK trustee and non-executive director of Humanity & Inclusion, a global disability development charity.

He explained the importance to PinkNews’ success of its leading role in the campaigns to legalise same-sex marriage: “Since then, we have just grown and grown and grown.” Having expanded further during lockdown, PinkNews now has more than 40 people working for it and 50m consuming its content monthly, he said.

During his talk, there was plenty of time for questions from the boys, which Benjamin was happy to answer.

Asked about whether religion comes into conflict with LGBT rights, Benjamin, who comes from a Jewish background, said it was partly to explore such questions that he had chosen his degree subject – Religion, Philosophy and Ethics – at Kings. “Some faiths have moved on quite a way, but others still have a long way to go,” he said, reflecting that families often found their own ways to adapt, including that of his (non-Jewish) husband.

Questioned on barriers still facing LGBT people, including school pupils, Benjamin spoke of how much things had changed in schools from when he was a pupil. At that time, the ‘Section 28’ law that made the ‘promotion of homosexuality’ illegal in state schools was still in force. “This would have been literally against the law,” he said, referring to the discussion.

Today, the situation was very different, he said. “With me as a gay man, I can pretty much do everything I want within the UK…but trans people do face some challenges.

“It generally takes an example – so, if a student was to come out as trans or something, that would create the atmosphere to enable pupils [and] the school to move on.”

He reflected that there was a growing acceptance in society that families can differ from traditional patterns.

Benjamin, who applauded QE’s policies in areas of sexuality and relationships, said that the national introduction of ‘compulsory Sex and Religious Education’ over the last year had been a significant step: “We are in a pretty good place.”