Viewing archives for Trips

Playing cricket and rugby at a high standard in super stadiums amid sweltering heat and high humidity made the QE sports tour of Sri Lanka a memorable experience for the School’s sportsmen.

Three cricket teams and one rugby squad played a full programme of fixtures against school and club sides in the biennial summer tour.

The tourists also found time to broaden their cultural horizons through visits to the Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage, Ahungalla Sea Turtle Conservation Project and a famous temple in the city of Kandy.

Director of Sport Jonathan Hart said: “The 2025 Sri Lanka sports tour was a resounding success, blending competitive sport with cultural enrichment. Our pupils returned with unforgettable memories, stronger team bonds, and a deeper appreciation for international sport and culture.”

The three QE cricket teams each played five matches against sides from Colombo, Kandy, and Galle.

“The conditions were challenging, with hot weather, unfamiliar pitches, and strong opposition, but our players showed great spirit and determination throughout,” said Mr Hart.

“The A team delivered a solid performance, with disciplined swing bowling and mature batting. Highlights included a thrilling chase at St. Joseph’s School (alma mater of Sri Lankan bowling legend Muttiah Muralitharan). The final match at the prestigious Singhalese Sports Club (SSC), a regular international venue, was a closely fought contest, with QE ending just 13 runs short of victory.”

The B team faced tough competition but secured one hard-fought win. “Despite the results, the team showed significant improvement and gained valuable match experience. Their resilience and sportsmanship were commendable,” said Mr Hart.

“Although the C team did not register a win, their enthusiasm and commitment were unwavering,” he added. “Each match was a learning opportunity, and the players showed noticeable progress in their skills and confidence.”

Head of Rugby Ollie Di-Lieto, who led the rugby tour, said: “I was proud of the efforts from the pupils who played in very difficult conditions, ranging from high humidity to heavy rain. Fixtures were played in stadiums that rival those used by Championship football teams in England, adding a professional atmosphere to every match.

“Our opponents played a naturally expressive style of rugby, often less structured than we are accustomed to, which posed unique defensive challenges. Despite the unfamiliar conditions, our players showed remarkable resilience and adaptability.”

The rugby players notched up three wins and one defeat.

First XV co-captain Jake Owens, who has just entered Year 13, said: “This was such a unique opportunity for us. To play rugby in another country is one thing, but to play in stadiums really made the experience special.”

For the First XI captain, Girish Radhakrishnan, enjoying his QE sporting swansong as a summer Year 13 leaver, the “truly memorable stadiums” were also an attraction. “We loved coming to Sri Lanka to experience a different culture,” he added. “The standard of cricket was very high so we enjoyed challenging ourselves. For those who played, scored runs and took wickets, the memories will stay with them for a long time!”

Results summary

Cricket

A team

• Matches played: 5
• Wins: 3
• Losses: 2

B team

• Matches played: 5
• Wins: 1
• Losses: 4

C team

• Matches played: 5
• Wins: 0
• Losses: 5

Rugby

QE vs Agoal Rugby Academy

Score: 29–5
Try scorers: Peter Atanasov, Year 12; Faaiz Adil (x2), Year 12; Atiksh Anagani, Year 13; Jake Owens, Year 13
Conversions: Victor Varbanov (x2); Year 12
Man of the Match: Adil

QE vs Kandy Sports Club

Score: 26–12
Try scorers: Adil (x2); Martin Machyka, Year 13; Sharvesh Sudhagar, Year 13
Conversions: Varbanov (x3)
MOTM: Owens

QE vs St Aloysius’ College, Galle

Score: 17–10
Try scorers: Adil, Anagani, Sudhagar
Conversions: Varbanov
MOTM: Siddarth Oruganti, Year 13

QE vs Malingas School

Score: 0–24
MOTM: Anagani

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Year 9 pupils did more than just learn about the experiences of World War I soldiers during their battlefields trip, they lived a little of them, too.

During their visit to Ypres and the Somme, the 44 boys took time to call at Talbot House, where soldiers relaxed away from the front lines during the conflict.

History & Politics teacher John Haswell said: “They drank tea, played chess and croquet, and sang at the piano, just as the soldiers would have done during the war.”

Throughout Year 9, pupils had been studying the changing nature of warfare in the 20th century, beginning with a study of World War I.

“The trip was our attempt to offer students a chance to deepen their understanding of the conflict, the experience of soldiers, the scale of the tragedy, and to witness how the war has been remembered and memorialised,” said Mr Haswell.

Forty-eight Old Elizabethans were killed during the 1914–1918 conflict, among them Acting Captain Allastair McReady-Diarmid (OE 1897–1904), who was posthumously awarded the Victoria Cross for gallantry in leading the attack on the Cambrai front in which he was killed.

The trip began with visits to war cemeteries in Ypres and to Talbot House. They finished the day at the Menin Gate for the Last Post Ceremony, which has been held nightly since 1928 – “a stirring experience,” said Mr Haswell.

After that, the group went to the Somme, where they were joined by military historian Andrew Robertshaw, who has worked as the historical adviser on films such as War Horse and 1917.

“He took us to various places along the Somme’s front line to help us understand the battle and visualise what happened at these sites during the war. A particular highlight was seeing one boy, Azmal Hadgie, dressed in his full soldier gear, where he began to appreciate just how much these soldiers had to carry!”

The trip finished in Ypres town with a final museum visit and a visit to Belgium’s finest chocolate shop. “The difficulty there was preventing them from melting in the sweltering heat!,” said Mr Haswell.

“Overall, it was a fantastic trip. The weather was kind to us, even if the much-delayed ferry trip home was not. I hope the boys took a lot from the experience and developed their understanding of World War I.”

Every pupil and all members of staff enjoyed the opportunity to get out and about during this year’s Flourish Festival.

The summer festival, part of QE’s Flourish co-curricular programme, offers boys a range of enriching trips away from the Queen’s Road campus.

It is designed to make the most of QE’s position on the suburban fringe of London – close to surrounding rural counties, yet also within easy reach of the capital’s world-leading attractions.

Assistant Head (Pupil Involvement) Crispin Bonham-Carter said: “We want boys to take time out from the classroom and relax a little at the end of the academic year, while also enabling them to learn something new – whether that’s about the venue they visit, or about their own strengths and abilities.”

Flourish Festival days out this year included: Year 7 at Whipsnade Zoo; Verulamium Roman Museum in St Albans (Year 8); and the Science Museum (Year 9).

The Headmaster, Neil Enright, went with half of Year 8, as they visited the Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew. “Like all QE boys, they were terrific company and it was a joy to be with them,” he said.

Year 10 learned about the Cold War as they visited Kelvedon Hatch Secret Nuclear Bunker, near Brentwood, Essex, which was built in 1952–1953 and decommissioned in 1992.

Physical exercise was to the fore as Year 7 enjoyed letting off steam on a charity sponsored walk in the local countryside and Year 12 went on a hike in the Chilterns.

Year 9 looked to the skies on a visit to RAF Hendon, while Shakespeare took centre-stage when Year 12 went to see A Midsummer Night’s Dream at the Bridge Theatre and Year 10 to watch Romeo and Juliet at the Globe.

Head of English Robert Hyland: “Our now annual trips to the Globe make the Flourish festival one of my favourite weeks of the year. It may have all the trappings of a 17th-century playhouse, but plays are still being explored in very modern ways.”

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Ten sixth-formers headed to the West End to see a dark comedy set at the time of the UN’s landmark climate conference at which the Kyoto Protocol was adopted.

They returned to the School full of praise for what they had watched, with several declaring themselves more motivated to play their own part in combatting climate change.

Accompanied by Deputy Head (Academic) and Geography teacher Anne Macdonald, they went to see Kyoto at @sohoplace – a theatre opened in 2022 as part of the Crossrail project.

Written by Joe Murphy and Joe Robertson, the play is set in the Kyoto Conference Centre on 11th December 1997, with the world’s nations in deadlock, 11 hours past the time when the conference should have ended. With time running out and an agreement still seeming a remote prospect, the greatest obstacle is Washington lawyer and oil lobbyist, Don Pearlman.

Produced and acted by the Royal Shakespeare Company and Good Chance, the play was performed to great acclaim at the Swan Theatre last year before moving to @sohoplace in 2025.

It is not the first encounter by QE pupils with the work of Joe Murphy and Joe Robertson: the pair’s earlier play, The Jungle, which is about the unofficial camp for migrants and refugees in Calais, was the School Play in 2023.

Afterwards, Mrs Macdonald gathered the reflections of nine of the boys on the play.

Year 12
Simi Bloom: “Seeing Kyoto was a fantastic experience; watching a comic yet thought-provoking political thriller was a first for me but it did not disappoint. Every actor was extremely compelling – in particular, the delegate for Kiribati [actor Andrea Gatchalian] gave a sensational performance – and the ending has given me a lot of thought as to how I can do my part…[on] climate change.”

Felix Calder: “The performance was absolutely stellar. This play really helped me understand why diplomacy is fundamentally such a nightmare, and gave me a much broader understanding of the climate crisis. I’d love to see something like this performed at QE.”

Shailen Patel: “An amazing performance that was engaging and thrilling throughout. I left with a new hope and sense of urgency to make change on the world around us.”

Riyan Siyani: “The play was really good at highlighting just how much chaos and disruption the major oil companies caused in the progression of the world’s journey to a sustainable future, all for the purpose of increasing their own profits.”

Year 13
Andreas Angelopoulos: “Seeing the tension between economic interests and environmental responsibility portrayed so powerfully made me reflect on my future career path and how I can contribute to a more sustainable world.”

Ken Kajar: “The actors did an excellent job capturing the tensions between nations, highlighting why progress felt so slow. The endless bureaucracy engineered by the Seven Sisters [seven large oil companies] was a stark reminder of the power large corporations play through lobbying, and yet despite this, I felt moved by the performance to do more to reduce my carbon footprint.”

Saim Khan: “Whether it was the charming, suave demeanour of COP* Chairman Raul Estrada or the hard-headed and self-assured diplomacy of [former UK Deputy Prime Minister] John Prescott, the negotiations were brought to life in a truly spectacular way.”

Nikhil Mark: “The play was intensely interesting, full of humour but more importantly revelations about the true world of superpower negotiation and ugly truth about the response of the world to the growing climate crisis. I especially enjoyed its informative value and the crude but hilarious comments from Don Pearlman, a staunch climate change denier.”

Chanakya Seetharam: “I found the selection of Don Pearlman to be the most ingenious feature of the play. Pearlman’s mordant and deeply cynical narration offered a terrifying picture of the slow pace and frequent ineffectiveness of international climate negotiations. Particularly terrifying was his reminder at the end of the play that anyone who had driven a car or taken a flight had ‘paid [his] wages’. After a play which had largely highlighted the shortcomings of the international system, I think this ending, with its recognition of our collective complicity, was deeply important. I found Kyoto a brilliant piece of theatre and one which left me with all sorts of questions.”

*Conference of the Parties (COP) is the supreme decision-making body of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change.

Year 10 History students headed to Berlin to deepen their understanding of the central role played by the German capital in the 20th century.

The 25 boys arrived in the city having studied the Cold War and being close to completing their studies on the Nazi era.

History teacher and Head of Year 10 John Haswell said: “It was an opportune time to visit, helping the boys better appreciate what Nazi Germany meant for Berlin, how the horrors of World War II have been remembered and memorialised in the city, and how the division of Berlin during the Cold War affected lives on each side of the wall.

“There is something powerful about physically seeing the layers of history in a city that has seen incredibly difficult times, and understanding how it is now looking to remember the past while looking ahead to the future.

“The boys were excellent – they really got the most out of the experience, and have hopefully come away with some fantastic memories of their time in Berlin,” said Mr Haswell.

The boys had a full itinerary, each day going on walking tours and visiting museums.

They also took in tourist spots, including the:

• Berlin Wall, the concrete barrier which prevented East German citizens from coming to the West from the time of its construction, started in 1961, until the East German government abolished restrictions in 1989 amid the fall of communism in the Eastern bloc;
• Brandenburg Gate – the 18th-century monument that has often been the site of major historical events;
• Fernsehturm – the 369m-high TV tower constructed in the 1960s by the communist German Democratic Republic.

In a QE first, an entire year group headed off to a West End theatre to watch a Shakespeare production.

The 190 Year 9 boys saw Hollywood A-lister Sigourney Weaver starring in The Tempest at the Theatre Royal, Old Drury Lane.

Their visit came shortly after QE’s Year 12 English Literature students took part in a two-day joint event with The Henrietta Barnett School that included a visit to a performance of Richard II at the Bridge Theatre in Bermondsey. QE has a long-standing partnership with the girls’ school, and this event was designed to stretch pupils of the two schools, giving them a taste of what studying Shakespeare at university might be like.

Head of English Robert Hyland said: “Giving students opportunities to experience live theatre remains a central part of our philosophy as an English department. In particular, given the density of language in Shakespeare’s plays, seeing them performed brings them to life in a way which the classroom simply cannot achieve.

“We were very lucky, therefore, to secure tickets to see two sell-out shows in The Tempest and Richard II. Taking just under 200 Year 9 students to see The Tempest will remain a highlight of the academic year. For many, it will have been their first experience of professional theatre, and one which I hope will last for many years after they leave the School. Even afterwards, I could still hear students around the School and in class discussing features of the performance, which hopefully balanced enjoyment with a richer and deeper understanding of the text.

“Working with our colleagues at Henrietta Barnett allowed us to put on a brilliant day and a half of activities. From a standing start, students became fully acquainted with the characters and themes of the under-appreciated Richard II. It was a treat to see students fully engaging in the dramatic activities, and speaking so knowledgeably about the Bridge Theatre performance.”

The Year 9 boys students studied The Tempest in the Autumn Term, with the trip therefore forming a conclusion to their studies. Sigourney Weaver, the star of films including Alien and Avatar, played Prospero in a Jamie Lloyd Theatre company production. It was, said Mr Hyland, “a rare opportunity for students to see a world-class actor and production company in real life”. Fourteen staff, drawn from all departments, accompanied the pupils.

Asked to write their own reviews, the Year 9 boys were enthusiastic about their visit. Ridit Bhor praised the “wonderful chemistry” shared by the characters, Miranda and Ferdinand, while others praised the set design, described by Pothan Bobba as “nothing short of spectacular” and by Avi Aggarwal as “hauntingly beautiful”.

The two-day Sixth Form event centred around the production of Richard II at the Bridge Theatre production, which starred Jonathan Bailey, of Bridgerton and Wicked fame. In addition to seeing the production, the event involved:

• An introductory lecture on the play from Dr Diana Hallam, A-level specialist and founder of Literary Lectures, which explored the contextual significance of the play;
• A drama workshop from Mandy Dassa (from QE’s drama partners, RM Drama), exploring the play from a practical perspective;
• Seminars exploring key scenes and speeches from the text, led by Mr Hyland and teachers from the girls’ school;
• A tour of the Globe Theatre combined with a drama workshop on Richard II, led by Royal Shakespeare Company and Globe Theatre actor Chu Omambala.

“We wanted to take students away from their exam specification, and help them understand what it might be like to study Shakespeare at a higher level and through different methods than the A-level allows,” said Mr Hyland. “By picking a text they were unfamiliar with, and allowing them to explore it beyond the normal classroom setting, students were able to develop their skills of interpretation and analysis. And by pairing up with our colleagues at HBS, they could also work with new faces, gaining new ideas and original perspectives.

“With the range of activities on offer, from university-style lectures, seminars, drama, and fieldwork, this partnership event really did give a sense of how exciting and varied studying English at a higher level can be.”