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Twenty-four French pupils visiting QE as part of their language exchange had ample opportunities to express themselves during their week-long stay – and not always with words!

The boys and girls from the Institution Saint-Pierre gave free rein to their creative side in activities that included a hip-hop workshop held just for fun, as well as an English literature and poetry class led by Head of English Robert Hyland.

Having worked up an appetite through the dance and through outdoor team-building activities, they were sent on their way on their last day with a full English breakfast, courtesy of the School canteen.

Head of Languages Helen Shephard said: “We welcomed our French visitors by providing a range of varied and enriching cultural visits and activities, and giving them a taste of QE life in which staff across the School delivered a series of fun and educational activities.

“They stayed with QE families, benefitting from language immersion, and had the chance to participate in classes with their QE correspondents, who are drawn from Years 8 and 12.

Highlights of the week at QE included visiting the Harry Potter Warner Bros Studio and taking in iconic London sites.

“With bonds developed and friendships made, we now look forward to the return leg to Bourg-en-Bresse [between Lyon and Geneva, at the foot of the Jura mountains in south-east France] in June.

“Immersion in a foreign language is a key aspect of language-learning in Key Stage 3,” Dr Shephard said, explaining the importance of the exchange, which has been running since 2010.

“By the time boys become A-level linguists, they are fully conversant, and confident in their speaking, reading and writing skills.”

One prime example of this is the participation of QE sixth-formers in the Institut Français’ annual Joutes Oratoires Lycéennes national debating competition.

This year, four students (Year 13’s Edward Muscat and Colin Copcea, and Year 12’s Akira Norimura and Jun Lin) reached the Final d’Or – Gold Final – at the London heat, hosted by St Paul’s Girls’ School, after achieving high scores in the qualifying rounds.

Edward and Colin finished fourth in the Final d’Or, thus narrowly missing out on progressing to the national final held at the London headquarters of the Institut Français.

The competition involves debating complex and thought-provoking motions entirely in French.

The motion they had to support was: Centrist political parties should not collaborate with extremist political parties. With 15 minutes to prepare and no access to the internet (by phone or laptop), the boys had to rely on their knowledge of politics in the past and present. “It was certainly a pertinent topic in light of the current political climate,” said Dr Shephard.

Colin said: “This was a highly enjoyable experience, which helped us improve our spontaneity in French oracy.”

QE’s Chamber Choir teamed up with a pair of Old Elizabethan choral scholars to sing Evensong at Christ Church, the historic cathedral in Oxford.

It was the latest prestigious booking for the choir, who have in recent years sung in some of the country’s most iconic settings, including Westminster Abbey and King’s College, Cambridge.

Headmaster Neil Enright said: “This was a tremendous privilege and a great opportunity, and I am glad to say that the Chamber Choir rose to the occasion. They sang impressively, with poise and discipline, accompanied by our own Noah Morley, of Year 12, on the organ.”

Having sung its first-ever Evensong at Barnet parish church as recently as the autumn of 2022, the Chamber Choir has, in addition to Westminster Abbey and King’s College, since sung at St George’s Chapel, Windsor, and Southwark Cathedral,

The Evensong marked a further deepening of QE’s ties with Christ Church, which enjoys the unique distinction of being both a college of the University of Oxford and the cathedral church of the city, the only dual foundation of its kind in the world. Earlier this year, 45 boys from Years 7 & 8 visited the college, which is the Borough of Barnet’s partner college at Oxford.

The choristers were joined by Old Elizabethans Arjun Patel and Nikhil Mark, both now choral scholars at Oxford, who not only sang alongside the boys, but also provided tours of Merton College and The Queen’s College. Arjun took up his place to read Philosophy, Politics and Economics at Merton in October 2024, having completed his A-levels that summer. Nikhil (OE 2018–2025) is reading Materials Science at The Queen’s College.

Dan Clark, Founding Principal of Queen Elizabeth’s School, Dubai Sports City, which is due to open this summer, joined the Headmaster in the congregation. Also there was Old Elizabethan Isher Jagdev (2017–2024).

Noah played throughout the service, except for the anthem. Seated at the cathedral’s Rieger organ, he also played the pre-service and post-service music: Eventide by Hubert Parry and Sun Dance by Bob Chilcott. Noah performed these pieces in his recent Grade 7 examination, for which he scored 141/150.

The service was redolent both of the traditions of Oxford and of Evensong in the Church of England.

In keeping with Christ Church’s observance of historic Oxford time, five minutes west of Greenwich, Evensong began at 6.05pm BST.

The boys sang the works of three English composers closely associated with English and Anglican choral music:

• The Tallis Responses, from Preces and Responses by Renaissance composer Thomas Tallis
• Magnificat and Nunc Dimittis in D minor by 19th-century organist and composer Thomas Attwood Walmisley
• I am Alpha and Omega by John Stainer, published in 1878.

The cathedral stands on the site of an ancient Saxon church, founded in the eighth century by Saint Frideswide, the patron saint of Oxford. The present building was constructed in the 12th century as an Augustinian priory.

In 1524, just prior to the Dissolution of the Monasteries, Cardinal Wolsey gained permission from the Pope to close down St Frideswide’s Priory to use the land to build a vast new college for the university. Following Wolsey’s fall, the college was duly opened in 1546 in the name of Henry VIII.

Director of Music Ruth Partington said: “This visit exemplified the transformational experiences the Music department provides. We are very grateful to Arjun and Nikhil for singing with us and for inspiring potential future choral scholars to follow in their footsteps.”

Afterwards, some of the boys also reflected on the day. Sixth-former Leo Sellis, who has just been offered a choral scholarship at Jesus College, Cambridge, said: “I enjoyed how we were able to explore Oxford with the OE tour guides and then have a guided tour of Christ Church Cathedral before we did the service, meaning we could learn about the building (and the city) that we were singing in.” The choristers included another sixth-former with a choral scholarship offer: Adam Liang has been offered a place at Gonville & Caius College, Cambridge.

Julius Collins, of Year 8, said: “The performance was outstanding and I am very grateful that I was able to take part in it, as I managed to develop my skills as a singer in an ensemble and demonstrate these in a formal setting with more resonant acoustics.” Year 9’s Krish Bhatia was impressed by the buildings:  “Some main highlights were visiting The Great Hall at Christ Church, which really fulfilled my inner ‘Hogwarts’ experience. I also thoroughly enjoyed the tour given by the OEs and learning different types of traditions and customs there, as well as seeing all the fascinating architecture. Overall, our visit to Oxford was nothing short of brilliant.” And Rishi Watsalya, of Year 12, added: “I really enjoyed the guided tour of Oxford with Nikhil, who also gave specific advice about the application process and his experience in Oxford as an OE. I also really appreciated the opportunity of, once again, singing in such a beautiful and historic cathedral.”

The Evensong was led by the Sub-Dean, Revd Canon Peter Moger. The Psalms for the service were numbers 126 and 127.

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Year 10 linguists and historians teamed up to explore how Berlin emerged from a 20th-century history stained by Nazism and the Cold War to thrive as a modern capital.

Forty boys – 15 more than last year – headed to the German capital for the four-day trip, with German linguists this year joining GCSE History students.

The Deutschlandmuseum – an immersive museum of German history opened in 2023 – was added to the 2026 itinerary, together with a cruise down Berlin’s River Spree.

History and Politics teacher John Haswell said: “The entire landscape of Berlin is marked by its traumatic past. I hope visiting will have given the students a taste for further travel in Germany, but also helped them see how the ruptures of the 20th century continue to shape this dynamic city.

“Given our Year 10 historians have covered both Nazi Germany and the Cold War, there really isn’t a better place to visit.”

Day 1 began with a walking tour, which ended at the Reichstag – Germany’s historic legislative government building – where the group enjoyed stunning night views of the famous Brandenburg Gate landmark.

On the second day, it was time for a closer look at the Third Reich: the boys and their accompanying teachers visited: the Jewish Museum Berlin (the largest Jewish museum in Europe); Topography of Terror (a history museum on the site of the SS and Gestapo headquarters); and the German Resistance Memorial Centre.

Day 3 brought a whistle-stop tour of Cold War history. The party took in iconic sites such as the Berlin Wall, which from 1961 to 1989 divided East and West Berlin, also visiting the DDR Museum (covering the former East German republic).

On the final day, the group took a sunny walk along the East Side Gallery – the most famous section of the Berlin Wall, which is today one of the world’s longest outdoor art galleries.

Pupil Shuo Zhen Long said visiting different parts of the Berlin Wall had underlined for him its significance in the control that the East German government, supported by the USSR, had been able to exert over the city. He added that he enjoyed the guided tours “where we visited many historic and recently built buildings and learnt about the history of the areas surrounding them”.

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The spirits of QE’s Combined Cadet Force remained high during their spring training camp, despite their getting ambushed and enduring freezing nights in a forest.

During the two-day exercise in Mereworth Woods in Kent, the cadets focused on learning and practising 1 Star Fieldcraft – training which includes looking after yourself and your equipment, being self-reliant in the field, and the basic skills of a rifleman.

Contingent Commander (and the PE & Games department’s Head of Aquatics) Richard Scally Said: “Alongside 1 Star Fieldcraft, they learned a range of important military skills, including camouflage and concealment, movement in the field, and working effectively as a team.

“The training helped cadets build confidence, discipline, and leadership abilities while also strengthening their understanding of how to operate in outdoor conditions.

“Although cold at night, the weather was mostly kind during the exercise, allowing activities to run smoothly throughout the day. Despite the cold, everyone showed great resilience and enthusiasm.”

Among those taking part was Year 10’s Niketh Putta, who recalled the highs and the lows of his time at the military training facility near Sevenoaks.

The first day involved walking through the forest carrying 15kg Bergen rucksacks. “We got ‘ambushed’ within the first hour, so we had to dive into the leaves and camouflage ourselves –we spent a full hour just waiting completely still, hidden in the bushes.”

After that, the cadets set up camp in triangle formation, built ‘bashas’ (simple army-specified shelters) and “tried to sleep in negative temperatures with insects crawling around us. It was a rough day,” said Niketh.

The night was not yet finished, either: there was still sentry duty to be faced. This, Niketh said, involved “waking up at 2am to keep watch in complete silence in the pitch black. It had us rethinking our life’s decisions!”

To stay connected, one of the boys would make a ‘cacaw’ sound into the darkness. If a reply came, the cadets would meet up secretly.

Afterwards, Niketh reflected on the whole camp: “It was one of those experiences you just don’t forget. Both days were spent shooting blank rounds at enemies through trees, crawling through mud, eating rations and doing things on paper that sound absolutely miserable. And yet we were still laughing the whole way through.

“Nobody tells you this, but it’s never really about the experience. It’s about who you’re in it with. The cold felt less cold. The long nights felt shorter. The hard moments turned into jokes before they even finished happening. Surround yourself with people who make the hard stuff worth it. That’s everything you’ll ever need.”

Forty-six boys triumphantly conquered Kinder Scout, explored deep inside a cave, and overcame their fears to abseil off a high bridge during a memorable trip to the Peak District.

The Year 8 pupils cheerfully endured testing weather conditions – and enjoyed some sunshine, too! – as they got to grips with the great outdoors.

Headmaster Neil Enright said: “QE Flourish trips such as this are so important in helping boys develop their Boundless potential: they open minds, build confidence, and create memories that last, while offering benefits for physical and mental health.”

During the three-day trip to Derbyshire’s Peak District, the boys made their way deep into Edale’s Giant’s Hole – a cave near Castleton – to learn about stalactite formation.

Their 15km hike up the 636m Kinder Scout saw them battling blizzards, hail storms and 40 mph wind gusts – all interspersed with bursts of glorious sunshine.

The following day, it was time for a new challenge – stepping off a lofty stone bridge and abseiling to the ground.

During the trip, there were opportunities to learn map-reading and compass skills, while the boys pitted their wits against each other in an eagerly contested after-dinner quiz at the YHA Activities Centre in Edale, run by Mathematics teacher Nadeem Kydd.

The trip was led by Assistant Head (Co-Curricular and Partnerships) Crispin Bonham-Carter, who heads the QE Flourish programme.

“Our brilliant pupils showed incredible courage and teamwork throughout. My thanks go to them, to our staff team, and to the boys’ supportive parents,” said Mr Bonham-Carter.

In addition to Mr Bonham-Carter and Mr Kydd, the staff team comprised: Head of Technology Bilaal Khan, Languages teacher Elisa Perra, Science teacher Philip Collington, and Philosophy, Religion & Society teacher Brooke Farron.

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Thirty senior boys experienced the spectacular sights, sounds, shakings and smells of one of the most volcanically active regions on earth in a five-day trip to Iceland.

The Geography expedition saw the Year 11–13 pupils cross from one continent to another, savour volcanic mud pools and take an ice trek on a glacier – and all against the backdrop of 150 earthquakes detected during their stay.

There was a serious academic purpose: the group did extensive fieldwork on tectonic activity, geothermal features and glacial landscapes that will prove invaluable for case studies in their GCSE and A-level preparations.

Head of Geography Chris Butler, who led the expedition, said: “It was an unforgettable five days, during which we saw eruptions from a hydrothermal vent, stood beside the majestic part-frozen Gullfoss waterfall, and gazed in wonder at the breathtaking aurora borealis – the Northern Lights.

“For all the boys, I am sure it will not only have added to their stock of geographical knowledge and skills, but will have brought GCSE and A-level Geography to life.”

Mr Butler accompanied the party, assisted by Geography teacher Staycie Domzalski and Economics teacher Dr Celia Wallace.

After flying in to the country’s main airport, Keflavík, southwest of Reykjavík, the group headed immediately to the Grjótagjá fissure system, where widening fractures mark the boundary between the North American and Eurasian tectonic plates. Pupils were able to physically cross the Mid-Atlantic Rift – a dramatic reminder of the immense geological forces shaping Iceland, and of the risks posed by ongoing magmatic activity beneath the island.

After a night in the Hotel Cabin, they explored the capital, before moving on to the world-renowned Blue Lagoon. Here, they received a briefing about volcanic unrest at the nearby Sundhnúkur crater row, responsible for major lava flows in July 2025, and enjoying the geothermal waters and volcanic muds.

As they travelled on through Iceland’s volcanic landscapes, further highlights followed in quick succession:

• Visiting the town of Grindavík, evacuated in November 2023 after eruptions from the Fagradalsfjall fissures that saw lava flow into the streets. The boys spoke to residents who have begun to return, despite an uncertain future.
• Stopping at Seltún geothermal area, with its steaming fumaroles (vents emitting steam and volcanic gases) and bubbling mud pools.
• Travelling around Iceland’s iconic Golden Circle. They began at the Þingvellir rift valley – a UNESCO World Heritage Site, where North America and Eurasia drift apart at several centimetres per year – before continuing to Geysir, observing the Strokkur hydrothermal vent reliably erupting every 6–10 minutes, before finishing at the Gullfoss waterfall.
• Staying at Hellishólar Cottages, beneath the mighty Eyjafjallajökull volcano –infamous for its 2010 eruption that grounded over 100,000 flights – with the terrain blanketed in thick snow.
• Touring the Lava Centre in Hvolsvöllur, an interactive exhibition exploring Iceland’s volcanic systems.
• Treading the dramatic black-sand beaches of Reynisfjara.

“The climax of the trip was an ice trek on the Sólheimajökull Glacier, complete with crampons,” said Mr Butler. “Pupils spent two hours investigating supraglacial and englacial features, observing blue ice and dirt bands, meltwater channels and sediment layers.”

The glacier’s rapid retreat — up to 50 metres per year since the mid-2000s — has produced a growing proglacial lagoon now almost 1.5 km long and 60–70 m deep.

“In 2010, the lagoon was barely visible; in the coming decades it may reach 4 km in length. This provided powerful, first-hand evidence of contemporary climate change,” Mr Butler added.

A brief stop had been planned at Seljalandsfoss to get a group photograph before the boys returned to Heathrow. But the Land of Ice and Fire had one final spectacle for them: the glorious colours of the aurora borealis lit up the evening sky to bid them farewell.

Mr Butler thanked both his colleagues and the boys, “who were enthusiastic, inquisitive and intrepid throughout”.

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