Viewing archives for Trips

QE sixth-formers devised a quiz for visiting exchange students that not only included questions on both the UK and Germany, but also tested the visitors’ knowledge of the unprecedented political situation here.

Twenty-seven Year 10 boys were hosting their German exchange partners, having previously visited Germany for the first leg of the language exchange when they were in Year 9.

During their stay of just under a week, the German group undertook a packed programme featuring cultural and social activities, as well as the opportunity to take part in lessons at QE. The exchange is with a co-educational grammar school (or ‘Gymnasium’), Friedrich von Bodelschwingh Gymnasium, in Bielefeld, near the cities of Hannover and Dortmund.

Headmaster Neil Enright said: “We have maintained this partnership for many years and it is always good to welcome the boys and girls visiting from Bielefeld.

“At a time when uptake of languages in schools has fallen nationally, at QE we continue to place a high importance on language-learning, with all boys taking at least one foreign language – French or German – at GCSE.

“Although our teachers lay the foundations very effectively in the classroom, for serious language-learners there really is no substitute for the experience of an international exchange. The boys’ confidence and facility in spoken German are inevitably strengthened as they chat with their exchange partners and with other native speakers, while at the same time they derive considerable benefit from experiencing the culture at first-hand.”

In addition to the quiz developed and delivered by sixth-formers, joint activities arranged for the visitors included a:

• Trip to Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre for a workshop on Hamlet run by the Royal Shakespeare Company
• Boat trip down to Greenwich, where the pupils could visit attractions such as the observatory or planetarium
• Visit to the West End to see the Thriller Live show featuring the songs of Michael Jackson
• Barn dance and pizza evening
• Celebratory breakfast before departure.

A number of lessons at QE were specially tailored to make the most of the opportunity presented by the visitors’ presence. In German classes, pupils were set the task of preparing and delivering bilingual group presentations; in English, they looked together at Romeo and Juliet, and in Technology, the metaphorical links created by the exchange were celebrated in a physical way through a bridge-building challenge. The visitors and their QE partners also took part in a Music lesson together.

Language exchanges and other trips to France and Germany organised by the Languages department represent only one aspect of the many opportunities for international travel enjoyed by boys at QE. There are regular overseas trips organised by departments such as History, Geography and Music. The annual skiing trip is always popular, and there are sports tours to destinations as diverse as Holland, Sri Lanka and Canada. In addition, team and individual successes in competitions have in recent years taken QE boys to a variety of international finals, including, for example, the International Olympiad on Astronomy and Astrophysics in Beijing, the VEX Robotics finals in Louisville, Kentucky, and the Empire Mock Trial legal competition in New York.

Year 10 pupil Dylan Domb’s dedication to art and to the work of one of the greatest 20th-century British artists won him a prize in an international drawing competition.

After starting a sketch in class towards the end of last term, Dylan completed it at home and duly submitted it to the Henry Moore Drawing Competition run by the Henry Moore Foundation.

The drawing, a pencil sketch of Dylan’s own Moore-inspired sculpture produced at School, took third prize in the secondary-age category of the competition. At 14 (at the time of drawing), Dylan was younger than both the category winner and the runner-up.

His untitled artwork is on display until 1st November at the Visitor Centre at the Henry Moore Studio and Gardens in the Hertfordshire hamlet of Perry Green.

Art teacher Jillian McAteer said: “Dylan is an incredibly committed student whose attention to detail and refinement of work regularly sets him apart from his peers. He is also quite independent, pursuing ambitious personal projects and extending class work.”

In Year 8, Dylan was part of the annual QE visit to the Henry Moore Foundation. In that year, his class were set the task of producing their own sculptures that ‘responded’ to Moore’s famous large, biomorphic landscape sculptures.

Dylan then based his sketch – started for a drawing exercise set towards the end of Year 9 – on the sculpture he produced.

“Not all were able to finish this before School ended for the summer, but Dylan developed the drawing independently at home. It is a stunning photorealistic drawing; he achieved a very high standard,” said Mrs McAteer.

The drawing competition, which drew almost 500 entries, was organised as part of the Henry Moore Foundation’s 2019 season celebrating the drawing practice of the artist, who died in 1986. He was a prolific and talented draughtsman, producing nearly 7,500 drawings during his career.

Entries were required to reflect themes in Moore’s art: reclining figure; mother and child; natural forms, or life drawing. They had to be submitted on paper or card, with the majority of the work being drawn, not painted.

The judging panel was led by Foundation’s Head of Collections and Exhibitions, Sebastiano Barassi.

Dylan went to the exhibition opening and took photographs of his work on the wall.

A-level Politics students had the chance to see the reality behind their textbooks on a trip to the Houses of Parliament.

Their visit gave them a vivid experience of Westminster life inside and outside the House of Commons chamber, including the opportunity to see leading politicians at first-hand, to watch demonstrations by campaigners on both sides of the Brexit divide and to observe lobbying by former employees of Thomas Cook.

And during an education workshop, the Year 12 boys also had a chance to try their own hand at law-making.

Politics teacher Liam Hargadon, who organised the trip, said: “We have been living through turbulent times, with greatly increased public attention to developments. Much has been said about how important the views of young people should be. It’s vital they understand the opportunities to make their voices heard.”

The weekday visit provided boys with the opportunity to tour the Central Lobby and committee rooms, as well as the public gallery of the House of Commons.

“We saw Theresa May make her first speech in parliament since standing down as PM, talking about legislation to limit abuses within families.”

Others in the Commons chamber included outgoing Speaker John Bercow and Dr Liam Fox, Secretary of State for International Trade until July this year, while among those the boys saw in the precincts of the Palace of Westminster were former Chancellor Philip Hammond and former Labour Cabinet Minister Lord (Peter) Hain.

“The reality of Parliament was on show to the boys; outside Parliament, both sides in the Brexit debate were seeking to make their presence felt. In addition, about 50 members of staff from the recently crashed Thomas Cook travel firm were seeking to lobby MPs,” said Mr Hargadon.

In the workshop, the boys were given the chance to propose a law. They suggested a bigger police presence in schools, partly to provide greater re-assurance and security, but also to help break down barriers between police and young people.

Boys from both ends of the School were plunged into intensive language-learning during a week at a château in Normandy.

Forty of last year’s Year 7 pupils enjoyed a range of fun activities at the Château de la Baudonnière, near Avranches, with all the instructions for these – and for mealtimes – given in French.

Ten Year 12s also made the summer trip, during which they completed work experience placements designed to boost their language skills, such as working in a restaurant, where they were expected to take the orders and converse with customers. In addition, they helped the château’s ‘animateurs’ (activity leaders).

Languages teacher Rebecca Grundy said: “We aim for a completely immersive experience to give the boys some intensive help with their language-learning, while making sure they learn something of the culture and history of Normandy and France.”

The activities at the château site enjoyed by the Year 7 boys included raft-building, tackling an assault course, practising archery, playing aeroball and climbing. They spent time feeding animals at a farm, tried some traditional delicacies, including snails, and learned about making cider, or ‘cidre’, a popular drink in the region.

On a day out, the younger boys visited two Norman cities of historical importance, Arromanches and Bayeux.

At Bayeux, they saw the famous tapestry depicting the Battle of Hastings in 1066.

And in Arromanches, they went to a 360-degree cinema to learn about the importance of World War II’s D-Day to the region, also walking the beaches that were the sites of the D-Day landings on 6th June 1944.

Year 8 boys had the chance to see another side of the work of modernist artist Henry Moore on a trip to his former studio and gardens.

Not only did the Art trip give the pupils an opportunity to experience his spectacular outdoor sculptures in the beautiful grounds near Much Hadham, but they were also able to see the largest exhibition of his drawings in more than 40 years.

Art teacher Jillian McAteer said: “It was a unique opportunity for the boys not only to experience his ambitious sculptures, but also to closely examine the drawings that underpinned the practice of one of the most influential modernist British artists.”

Yorkshireman Henry Moore (1898–1986) settled in the Hertfordshire hamlet of Perry Green during the Second World War; it remained his home and workplace for the rest of his life. The Henry Moore Foundation Studios and Gardens showcase his sculptures in woodlands and gardens originally created there by Moore’s wife, Irina.

“The foundation displays a fantastic collection of his sculptural work. The students were taken on a tour of the grounds by informative guides who described the inspiration and construction behind these iconic pieces,” said Mrs McAteer.

She added that the boys had been learning in class about biomorphism – art with an organic appearance or form – through clay sculpture, ink and drawing. “The grand organic shapes in Moore’s work are a fantastic example of where this artistic exploration might lead.”

One of the Year 8 boys, Sai Sivakumar, said the visit had given him clear insight into Moore’s creative processes, including his “every thought, inspiration and action”. Sai added: “Some of the many things we learned at the foundation included how to use different materials in Art, such as plaster, how to draw inspiration from real life, and the importance of practice.”

The trip began with a tour of Moore’s larger sculptures, before the group ventured inside his numerous workshops to look at his smaller, finer work. Here, said Sai, they picked up tips for improving their own sculpting, such as incorporating the appearance of bones and using textures inspired by nature, such as bark.

Next, the boys visited the current exhibition, entitled Henry Moore Drawings: The Art of Seeing. “We could see his style and skill evolving over time as he learned more and more.” The exhibition runs until 27th October this year.

After lunch, the boys drew their own pieces, taking from everything they had learned there to create a Henry Moore-style drawing.

This year’s trip to key European battlefield sites contained a special addition – a detour to Versailles, where the eponymous treaty setting out reparations after the end of the First World War was signed in 1919.

Head of History Helen MacGregor said the extra visit proved popular with the boys, for whom the whole trip was organised to fit in with Year 9’s History theme about the changing nature of warfare and to explore the links between World War I and World War II.

“Despite persistent rain and the crowds, the boys thoroughly enjoyed themselves at Versailles and were particularly fascinated by the Hall of Mirrors, where they re-enacted the signing of the Versailles Treaty,” she said. The group also took the opportunity to wander in the Palace of Versailles gardens, enjoying the views of the water features and of the palace itself.

The first stop for the 44 boys and staff on the battlefields trip was Ypres, where they saw the reconstructed trenches at Hill 62, which enabled them to analyse the construction of the trench system.

This was followed by a tour of Tyne Cot Commonwealth War Graves Cemetery, where the boys searched out the names of Old Elizabethans who fought and died in the First World War. They included Jack Field, who had been the School Captain and was just 19 when he was killed. In the evening, the pupils watched the daily Menin Gate remembrance ceremony, which was first performed in 1928. Every evening, the busy road through the memorial arch is closed and The Last Post is played.

Towards the end of World War II, on the very evening that Polish forces liberated Ypres, the ceremony was resumed at the Menin Gate, even though bullets were still flying in other parts of the smoke-filled town.

Miss MacGregor said: “The boys were clearly moved by the ceremony and took the time to remember the war dead, including the Sikh regiment who are commemorated there.”

Before moving on, the boys took the opportunity to enjoy the scenery and partake of Belgian waffles, and to buy chocolate for presents and for themselves.

The trip was rounded off with a visit to Calais and the World War II sites of La Coupole and the Blockhouse. They walked around the museums there that record the manufacture and firing of the V1 and V2 rockets.

“The museums were excellent, and the boys really felt the evil inside the abandoned Blockhouse, which is still largely as it was left after the Allied bombardment,” said Miss MacGregor. “We saw moving and informative documentaries at La Coupole, codenamed Building Project 21, about the suffering inflicted by the Nazis during the building programme; using prisoners of war and compulsory work units from concentration camps.”