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The influential Labour peer and entrepreneur, Lord Alli, was the latest guest speaker at QE’s thriving Politics Society.

He told the boys about his rise to wealth and fame from humble beginnings and his role in the Labour Party in years past, but also gave his assessment of Labour’s position today. And while Jeremy Corbyn’s analysis of the problems facing British society, including inequality and the pitfalls of globalisation, was correct, his strategy for tackling them was not: it made Labour unelectable, Lord Alli said. Yet the answer was not simply a question of turning back the clock: he ruled out a return to New Labour centrism.

The visit by Baron Alli of Norbury was arranged by Adrian Burbie and the meeting was chaired by Adrian’s successor as president of the Politics Society, Rehaan Bapoo.

Rehaan reported that Lord Alli’s account of his early years in South London revealed that he and his family were extremely poor and could, for example, ill afford ‘luxuries’, such as suits for job interviews. To this day, he is unable to open brown envelopes, because of the trauma that bills once brought to the household.

Both his parents are from the Carribean. His mother, a nurse, is from Trinidad, while his estranged father, a mechanic, is from Guyana (formerly British Guiana).

He began his life in business as a junior researcher in a finance magazine, where he compiled monthly business reports – a skill for which he quickly gained a strong reputation. He became an investment banker in the City, where he thrived and first became wealthy.

Lord Alli then set up 24 Hour Productions in the late 1980s with Charlie Parsons, his life and business partner. In 1992, the company merged with Bob Geldof’s Planet Pictures to form Planet 24, one of the largest TV production companies in the UK.

In 2001, with Elisabeth Murdoch he co-founded Shine Media, a media production company, and retains part-ownership.

He is a former chairman of ASOS.com, a brand he helped to set up that is now worth £5.8 billion. He sold half his stake in ASOS in order to set up Silvergate Media, in August 2011.

Now a multi-millionaire, he told the boys that he believed the rich (including himself) should pay much higher levels of tax.

Lord Alli joined the Labour Party in the mid-1990s, believing that not enough young people were in politics, and feeling that he wanted to make a change and have his voice heard.

Following the sudden death of Labour leader John Smith in 1994, it was he who wrote to Tony Blair, persuading him to stand as Leader of the Labour Party and offering his services to Blair’s leadership election campaign. Blair accepted.

He was a member of Tony Blair’s ‘kitchen Cabinet’ and, Lord Alli told the boys, Blair requested his help on numerous occasions: the PM wanted to reach out to younger members of the public and to increase their interest in politics.

In 1998, he was appointed to the House of Lords, becoming the youngest-ever member at only 34 years of age, as well as the first openly gay member. It was during a heated exchange with Conservative opponents, led by Baroness Young, that he revealed that he was gay. In April 1999, he said in a speech to the House: "I have never been confused about my sexuality. I have been confused about the way I am treated as a result of it. The only confusion lies in the prejudice shown, some of it tonight. and much of it enshrined in the law.”

He was instrumental in the ultimately successful campaigns to: repeal Section 28 – a part of the Local Government Act which which prohibited local authorities from promoting homosexuality; to reduce the age for consent for homosexuals from 18 to 16, and, in 2009, to repeal various clauses in the 2004 Civil Partnerships Act which prevented religious institutions from having Civil Partnerships registered on their land.

Lord Alli took the introduction of the Marriage (Same Sex Couples) Act 2013 under David Cameron’s Tory premiership to be “a sign of his lasting legacy” and an indication that true progress had been made.

A successful exhibition has marked the completion of Greg White’s Master’s degree at Goldsmiths and he has now embarked on his professional career.

Having taken his undergraduate degree in Creative Music Technology at the University of East Anglia, Greg (OE 2004–2011) has been studying on Goldsmiths MA in Computational Arts.

For the course’s final exhibition, entitled Metasis, held in New Cross, London, this autumn, Greg continued his work on In C++, a software-driven installation based on minimalist composer Terry Riley’s seminal 1964 piece, In C. C++ is one of the programming languages taught on the Goldsmiths course. He also showed a new photography project centred around the brutalist architecture of London's Barbican Centre. His work was shown alongside his fellow students' pieces, which featured influences ranging from Tibetan calligraphy to quantum computing.

“I’m happy to say that the Goldsmiths exhibition went very well— there was lots of interest, great feedback, and happy faces,” said Greg. “Afterwards I was invited to the Barbican to give a short talk as part of their Interfaces Monthly event, which was all about sound art this month. I was very happy to do that as I love the Barbican!”

“I’m now officially finished with the Master’s and am moving on to freelance work doing sound for artists and installations. I am currently working with a photographer/visual artist from the Royal College of Art for some upcoming shows next year.”

While at QE, Greg was a drummer and percussionist who also played bass guitar. He performed with the Concert Band, the Big Band and the Symphony Orchestra, playing at concerts both in the UK and overseas.

He achieved A* grades in his Music Technology and Art & Design A-levels, an A in English and a B in Sociology.

At East Anglia, he was one of only eight students to be awarded one of the university’s Vice-Chancellor’s scholarships, given to those of ‘outstanding ability and potential’.

Special workshops conducted by a pioneering North London charity have been held for Year 10 as part of the School’s efforts to keep its pupils safe and guard against extremism.

The workshops were organised by QE’s Head of Pupil Development, Sarah Westcott, as an element within the School’s pastoral development curriculum.

They are being run by the JAN Trust. Based in Wood Green, this charity has drawn plaudits from national politicians including David Cameron, Nick Clegg, Hazel Blears and Boris Johnson.

Dr Westcott says: “The workshops aimed to identify how extremist groups, from the far right through to ISIS, use media to influence and recruit young people. They covered the ways in which young people can be targeted through online forums and how students can protect themselves from being targeted by such groups.”

In addition, the workshops included guidance on how to recognise extremist views and what pupils should do if they suspected a friend or someone else they knew was being radicalised.

“The limits of free speech were discussed, with students asked to consider the difference between a free exchange of views and hate speech,” added Dr Westcott.

JAN Trust founder Rafaat Mughal has for over 40 years supported and empowered black, Asian, minority-ethnic and refugee women. Her fellow director, Sajda Mughal, who presented the workshops at QE, became determined to work within her community to strengthen the part that women play in building a stronger, safer society after narrowly escaping death in the 7/7 London terrorist attacks of 2005.

Today, while continuing its extensive involvement with women, the trust also works with girls, boys and men, championing social and community cohesion through services including its schools projects and its initiative against forced marriages. In fact, it has worked with more than 10,000 young people and adults in schools across London and the UK.

The JAN Trust’s website states: “We believe one of the best ways to prevent issues such as violence against women and girls and extremism is by educating our young people so that they are equipped with the skills to safeguard themselves, their peers and their family members.” The trust’s schools training is designed to raise awareness and to deconstruct myths surrounding sensitive topics.
Following the workshops, the trust’s experts are also leading some staff training at QE in December.

The JAN Trust will thus be helping QE fulfil the aims of its safeguarding policy, which include enabling pupils “to have optimum life chances and enter adulthood successfully” and providing “all staff with the necessary information to enable them to meet their statutory responsibilities to promote and safeguard the wellbeing” of the boys.

Forty-one QE pupils have won valuable scholarships for their outstanding results in financial studies examinations – with 12 of them named among the top 1% in the country.

The £500 and £750 scholarships from the London Institute of Banking & Finance (formerly known as ifs) can be used if boys choose to take one of the institute’s degrees – BSc courses in Banking, Practice & Management and in Finance, Investment & Risk – when they leave school.

The winners were presented with their awards at QE by Catherine Winter, the Financial Capability Relationship Manager for LIBF.

The boys had all taken up the option to study for the LIBF’s financial studies qualifications, which are offered as part of the Sixth Form enrichment programme.  The Certificate in Financial Studies is taken in Year 12, while the follow-on Diploma in Financial Studies is taken in Year 13. Both are Level 3 qualifications equivalent to an A-level.

Head of Economics Liane Ryan said: “These pupils are to be congratulated on their results, which represent a record for Queen Elizabeth’s School. We are seeing an increasing number of students taking the Financial Studies qualification – 31 students in the current Year 12. At the same time, there is growing acceptance of these qualifications by top universities as part of their offers.”

Of the 41 scholarships, 27 were achieved by boys currently in Year 13 for their performance in the certificate examinations last year, while a further 14 went to this summer’s leavers who had taken the diploma.

Ten boys taking the certificate gained a £750 scholarship because they were in the top 1% nationally: Nitharsan Sathiyalingam; Dinyar  Mistry; Brian Kong; Nathan Mathews; Kavi Shah; Sahil Suleman; Girishanth Sureswaran; Deniz Akyuz; Christopher Suen and Neroshan Mariabalanayagam. And two pupils, Arnav Jhanji and Charran Santhalingam, achieved the same feat for the diploma. The rest of the 41 boys were awarded a £500 scholarship, having achieved an A or A* grade.

Eight recent Old Elizabethans returned to the School to conduct mock university interviews for Year 13 pupils interested in becoming Medics.

All eight attended QE from 2005–12, except Shivan Kotecha (2004–2011), and are currently studying Medicine.

Head of Year 13 Liam Hargadon, who organised the sessions, said: “We are most grateful to these old boys for giving up their own time to return here and help current pupils who aspire to follow in their footsteps.”

The mock interviews involved the boys discussing their opinions on particular scenarios. These scenarios, together with the alumni concerned, are listed below:

• Viraj Bhanshaly (University College London [UCL]

Scenario: Are you a doctor? (professional attributes)

Tell us two personal qualities you have which would make you a good doctor, and two personal shortcomings which you think you would like to overcome as you become a doctor. What do you think you will be the positive aspects and the negative aspects of being a doctor? How will you handle these?

• Ben Coumbe (was at Cambridge, now studying at UCL)

Scenario: Deterrent fees (knowledge of the health care system)

A proposal has been made for appointment fees (perhaps £10), which everyone who initiates a visit to a GP would have to pay at the first contact as a way to control health care costs. Hopefully, this will deter people from visiting their doctor for unnecessary reasons. Consider the broad implications of this policy for health and health care costs. For example, do you think the approach will save health care costs? At what expense?

• Akash Gandhi (Cambridge)

Scenario: Alternative medicine (ethics)

Should alternative or complementary medicine be funded by the NHS, and why? Should the NHS be involved in non-essential surgery?

• Ruhaid Khurram (Queen Mary University of London)

Scenario: Work experience (ethics/integrity/communication)

In your work experience, what skills have you learnt that you can apply to medicine? Reflect on what you have seen of hospitals or a health care environment. What would you most like to organise differently, and why?

• Shivan Kotecha (UCL)

Scenario: Self-harm treatment? (ethics)

How do you think doctors should treat injury or illness due to self-harm, smoking or excess alcohol consumption?

• Raees Lunat (UCL)

Scenario: Dying boy (ethics/integrity/professionalism)

A 12-year old boy is diagnosed with a terminal illness (e.g. malignancy). He asked the doctor about his prognosis. His parents requested the doctor not to tell him the bad news. What should the doctor do in this situation?

• Akash Pattni (UCL)

Scenario: ‘Med’ School friend (empathy/communication)

A close friend in your first-year medical school class tells you that his mother was recently diagnosed with breast cancer. He feels overwhelmed by his studies and is considering dropping out of medical school to spend more time with his mother. How do you counsel your friend?

• Neelan Umaskanth (UCL)

Scenario: Risky treatment (communication/empathy)

Your mother rings you and asks you to come round and help with a major family decision.  Her 70-year-old father has been diagnosed with a condition that will kill him some time in the next five years. He can have a procedure that will correct the disease and not leave him with any long-term problems, but the procedure has a 10% mortality rate. He wants to have the procedure, but your mother is not in favour of it. How would you help mediate this issue?

The most borrowed author in The Queen’s Library answered questions and gave free books to more than 400 boys during his eagerly awaited visit to the School.

Robert Muchamore delivered a talk to the whole of Years 7 and 8 and to 30 competition winners from Years 9–11, and then signed copies of the free book – the first in his Rock War series – which was given to everyone who attended.

Librarian Ciara Murray said: “We are really grateful to Robert for giving up his time for free to come and speak to the boys. The boys gained a lot from meeting one of their favourite authors, they were thrilled to receive the free book and they asked some great questions. It was an inspirational event, and we were very lucky to have him.”

Mr Muchamore is most famous for his CHERUB series about teenage spies. (CHERUB stands for Charles Henderson Espionage Research Unit B – a fictional British Government security agency employing children and adolescents.) Since his first book, The Recruit, was published in 2004, the series has sold more than 8 million copies. His books have been singled out for praise for encouraging reading among non-readers, and The Recruit has won eight awards. His latest book, Gone Wild is the third in the Rock War series about three groups of teenagers competing in an X Factor-style rock music competition.

His writing is known for its realism: he researches and covers topics such as human-trafficking, violence against women and prostitution. When asked about this, he has explained that he feels such issues are important and that it is important not to patronise young readers – especially clever ones! He has also been praised for his strong female characters – whilst the books were originally written for boys, there is a 60/40 balance between male/female readers.

His visit to QE featured a 45-minute interview about his life and work, during which he covered topics such as where he gets his inspiration for his plots, how lucky he feels to be earning money from something he really likes doing, what made him decide to branch into writing about a music competition, and whether he’d like to see films of the CHERUB series made.

In the 25-minute question-and-answer session with the boys afterwards, he happily responded to the boys’ questions:

Q. “Who’s your favourite author (apart from yourself)?”
A. “Joseph Heller, Catch 22; John Le Carré.”

Q. “What advice would you give people who want to write?”
A. “Try something outside of your comfort zone; you don’t know what you might be good at.”

Q. “Who inspired James Adams [the main character in the first CHERUB series?”
A. Robert explained that he was a “geeky kid” at school who was poor at sports and could never get a girlfriend, and admitted that James Adams was a kind of fantasy version of himself – cool, smart, athletic and confident.

Q. “If you could have a million pounds or write your CHERUB books, which would it be?”
A. “Well, as I’ve made more than a million writing them, it would have to be the latter!”

The competition winners attending had successfully answered a quiz showing their knowledge of CHERUB. There were more than 100 entries. As a tie-breaker, they had to say why they enjoyed Robert Muchamore’s books. The comments given included:

• “An inspirational writer that brought me back to the world of literature”
• “The world seemed so much livelier when I was reading [his] books”
• “I can always rely on his books for entertainment or to lift my spirits”
• “An inspiration to all kids.”