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QE debaters overcame strong opposition in the regional round of a prestigious competition to qualify for the national final.

The team, comprising ten Year 12 boys, had to work together to prepare for and then debate a number of topics based on current affairs in the European Union.

The only other team to qualify from the South East Regional Forum of the European Youth Parliament (EYP) UK competition was from St Paul’s School.

The topics ranged from Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) and the Syrian refugee crisis to renewable and secure energy in the light of the Ukraine crisis. The event was staged in the European Commission’s Office in Westminster. The London Office co-ordinates the European Commission's activities in the UK and takes specific responsibility for England.

“The boys enjoyed the experience and did very well,” said History teacher Kwamina Korsah, who oversaw the team’s participation in the event. “The competition provides an invaluable opportunity for our boys to engage with fellow delegates from a range of backgrounds. It also allows them to write resolutions on European affairs and to develop their teamwork.”

Overall, 14 teams have qualified for the EYP national final from across the different regions. The final has been split into two sessions and the QE team has been invited to take part in the one taking place at Liverpool Hope University over the first weekend in July.

“I think the reason we succeeded was the emphasis we placed on teamwork throughout,” said team member Sahil Handa. “Each member had skills ranging from public speaking to topic-specific knowledge. We were able to use these to maximum effect by encouraging each other and working together; something noted by the judges.”

“Contributing to the heated debates was hugely exciting, and co-operating as a team enabled us to make clear and concise points,” said Sahil’s fellow team member Norbert Sobolak. “The next round will be even more challenging, but we’re looking forward to it.”     

The successful UK finalists will then go on to the International Session which will take place in Dublin next year.

Besides Sahil and Norbert, the QE team comprised Ali Humayun, Calum Johnson, Jun Ming Shik, Raj Singh, Pranesh Varadarajan, Jason Yau and Ryun Pang.

A two-day all expenses-paid VIP educational trip to London beckons for four Year 12 Economics students after they came first in a national financial services video competition.

Team Default, comprising Sam Carling, Ronak Patel, Rushil Shah and Jason Yau (pictured left), produced a three-minute film demonstrating the impact that financial education has had on their lives. The competition was run by ifs University College, a business school for finance that works closely with the financial services industry. In addition to their trip, they also picked up £1,500 for the School, to be spent on resources to promote ‘financial capability’.

Another QE team, the Big Bank Theory (shown below), were placed third and won £500 for QE to spend on resources. Team members Arnav Jhanji, Hayato Murata, Ashwin Ravichandran and Jas Shah also received £50 each.

“I’m delighted with the result,” said Liane Ryan, QE Head of Economics. “They all demonstrated a very high degree of planning, presentation, communication and teamwork skills. All of them are working for their ifs Diploma in Financial Studies as their enrichment A-level option and the competition was an ideal experience.”

Alison Pask, ifs University College’s Vice Principal & Head of Faculty, who is responsible for its financial capability programmes, will visit QE this term to congratulate the teams and present their prizes. She will also discuss the itinerary for Default’s trip to London, a topic to which the boys have also been giving serious thought.

A charity founded in memory of an Old Elizabethan has stepped up its activities in Nepal in the wake of the devastating earthquake. 

Guy’s Trust was set up in remembrance of Guy Joseph (OE 1997-2002, pictured below), who was killed in a paragliding accident in the Pyrenees in 2011. Guy’s interests included conservation and education for the disadvantaged; the Trust’s investment in education Nepal reflects both his passions and his love for the country.

Since it was established, the Trust has raised over £300,000 to build, equip and staff three Early Childhood Development Centres in Nepal.

“We are relieved to be able to report that none of the projects we directly support was damaged and that all the children and their families are safe,” said Guy’s mother, Vicky Joseph, the Chair of Trustees. “However, the utter devastation is widespread and we have been carefully considering how best we can respond.”

With the major aid agencies dealing with the immediate need for food, medical help and shelter, the Trust has donated £5,000 towards the provision of temporary schools or the reconstruction of damaged ones.

According to Save the Children, 2.8 million people have been displaced and, although the number of fatalities is uncertain, at the very least 6,000 people have lost their lives. The larger aid agencies are trying to deal with the immediate requirements of health, food and shelter but are already talking of the immense, long-term, reconstruction programme that will be required.

“We are currently in discussion with local agencies and with individuals on the ground to ensure that the money is put to the best possible use,” said Mrs Joseph. It is not launching a special appeal, but it is inviting people to donate through the Trust. “Any donations will be very welcome and we will guarantee that they will go directly to the people who need it,” added Mrs Joseph.

Donations are being accepted through the Trust’s online Giving page, Guy’s Trust.

Boys took part in a broad range of activities to mark Climate Week 2015 – including one day when computers, projectors and even electric lights were banished from Geography lessons.

Run by the Geography department with help from Sixth-Formers, the programme aimed to engage pupils and inspire them to learn more about climate change. It featured a different event on each day.

The boys particularly enjoyed eating popcorn as they watched Avatar on a special film day. The film tells the story of how mining operations threaten the existence of an indigenous tribe on the planet Pandora.

“Climate Week is the biggest climate-change campaign in the UK,” said Geography teacher Sarah Jones. “It aims to raise awareness of the issues, and to showcase practical solutions for a sustainable future.”

Each year half a million people participate in approximately 3,000 events run by schools, businesses, councils and charities.

Other events at QE included a quiz, with eight teams competing in an inter-house competition. The winning team (pictured above) was Sanjeayan Mathivannan, Rahul Patel, Pranay Pindoria and Bishoy Yassa, representing Pearce.

Questions included: ‘What cold-weather phenomenon did Scotland experience in February?’ (Arctic Weather Bomb); ‘In which South American country has the first football pitch been installed, where electricity is produced when football is played on it?’ (Brazil) and ‘By how many degrees has the planet warmed up by since 1880?’ (0.850C).

The Geoexplorers Club enjoyed a ‘climate change special’ at which they were asked to simulate a business environment where they had to decide how to make their business more environmentally friendly, whilst increasing their profits.

“Working with the Sixth-Formers to organise the events has been very rewarding,” added Dr Jones. “Special thanks go to Kischan Sivayoganathan, of Year 12, for helping put the quiz together and to Sajjad Dar and Toby Feszczur-Hatchett, also of Year 12, for helping on the day.”
 

More than twice as many QE boys as last year have qualified for the prestigious Olympiad after success in the Intermediate Maths Challenge.

This year, 280 boys from Years 9–11 entered the Challenge; 25 have qualified for the élite Olympiad, compared to 12 last year, and a further 53 for the separate follow-on Kangaroo round.

Thousands of pupils from more than 30 countries entered the Challenge this year and the top 500 from each school year across these countries have been invited to participate in the Olympiad, with a further 5,500 in the Kangaroo.

“We’re delighted with how well the boys have done,” said Assistant Head of Mathematics, Wendy Fung. “We are particularly pleased with the increased proportion of pupils who have reached the Olympiad.”

Those taking part in the competition, run by the UK Mathematics Trust, are given one hour to answer 25 multiple-choice questions at school under normal examination conditions.

QE’s top scorer was Year 11’s Nitharsan Sathiyalingam who scored 130/135 and received a ‘Best in School’ certificate. Souhardh Kotakadi was the highest scorer in Year 10, with 104, whilst the best in Year 9 was Varun Wignarajah, with 98.

Altogether 92 QE boys were awarded gold certificates, 102 silver and 61 bronze, placing these 255 boys (91% of QE’s entrants) in the top 40% of participants. The certificates are awarded in the ratio of 1:2:3.

A team of four QE boys has been placed second in the country in the Top of the Bench Chemistry competition – the best-ever result by a QE team.

Sanchit Agrawal, of Year 11, James Tang, of Year 10, and Year 9’s Bashmy Basheer and Nico Puthu were narrowly beaten by King Edward VI Camp Hill School for Boys, Birmingham, in the final of the prestigious competition organised by the Royal Society of Chemistry, which took place at Loughborough University. They received £15 Amazon vouchers and certificates and the School received a silver plate.

“This is a great performance at a very high level of competition,” said Second Master Colin Price, who paid tribute to Science teacher Dr Elizabeth Kuo for her role in supporting the team’s participation. “It’s very gratifying to see the preparation work paying off so clearly; it was an excellent opportunity for these boys.”

The team overcame 19 schools in the regional round, winning through with a score of 90% and tackling both individual and team questions. In the final, a series of short, factual tests and practical, problem-solving team exercises provided a rigorous examination of the boys’ chemical knowledge.