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Year 9 boys engaged in some serious scientific study while also having a great deal of fun during a four-day trip to Paris.

The half-term trip included visits to La Villette (a park housing the biggest Science museum in Europe), Le Bourget Air & Space Museum and a full day at Disneyland Paris.

The first day was spent travelling, including a ferry crossing. Day two featured an especially packed programme: not only were there the visits to Le Bourget and to the attractions at La Villette, including the planetarium, but there was also an evening meal at a Parisian restaurant and a trip to the Montparnasse Tower.

Physics teacher Gillian Deakin, who organised the trip, said: “This was a study tour specially designed to be relevant to the Key Stage 3 programme of study and to the new GCSE requirements for Biology, Physics and the Combined Science. Elements of the Le Bourget visit were also relevant to Design & Technology.”

At Le Bourget, the emphasis was on energy, motion and forces, with boys learning about:

• Gravity and its effect on bodies in the solar system
• Satellites
• Using energy
• Turning forces.

The La Villette Cité des Sciences et de l'Industrie visit covered energy as well, with specific topics including nuclear physics and satellites. In addition, at La Villette boys were able to learn about the earth and its atmosphere, focusing on our planet’s structure and on the weathering and formation of rocks. And they looked too at the structure and function of living organisms, finding out about topics such as: cell structure and stem cells; relating cellular structure to organs, biotechnology and DNA.

On day three, the boys headed to Disneyland Paris and had their evening meal in the theme park. The final day included an opportunity to visit a hypermarket en route to the Calais ferry terminal.

“The trip went extremely well, with boys taking full advantage of the opportunities to learn, while also enjoying themselves tremendously,” said Miss Deakin.

Seventy senior pupils from QE and one of London’s leading girls’ schools met up for an academic symposium, organised by Geography teacher and Academic Enrichment Tutor, Helen Davies.

The afternoon event saw QE and North London Collegiate School pupils sharing ideas, discussing complex topics and challenging the ideas of others through detailed argument.

Headmaster Neil Enright said: “This symposium was an excellent example of an academic project conducted in partnership with another school of a similar profile. It afforded our boys and the NLCS girls the opportunity to interact with each other both academically and socially, and proved to be enjoyable and beneficial for all the participants.”

Involving 70 Year 13 pupils and 12 staff drawn from the two schools, the afternoon began with a thought-provoking introduction from QE’s Head of Politics and Head of Year13, Liam Hargadon, in which he touched on the US election, the importance of intellectual debate and the development of one’s own viewpoint.

The pupils were then split into different subject groups for discussions that were led by the students themselves, but prompted with challenging questions from teachers.

Topics included:

• English (Head of English, Susannah Sweetman): The use of humour in passages of writing and how appreciation of it might differ for different readers (ages, genders, occupations, etc.)
• History (History teacher and Head of Year 12, Charlotte Coleman): What is war?  Is ‘not peace’ equivalent to war?
• Economics (NLCS teacher): Is free-market economics the most beneficial system for Less Economically Developed Countries as well as More Economically Developed Countries?  How do we measure innovation in LEDCs when there might not always be the funds available to patent new ideas?
• Medicine (Chemistry teacher Susanna Butterworth): The morals involved in genetic engineering; how should scientists and governments deal with the risk of people wanting to create ‘designer babies’?

A Year 7 boy has returned in triumph from the 8th European Karate Championships in Italy.

Yusuf Karim won a silver medal in the strongly contested Individual Kata category at the WUKF (World Union of Karate-Do Federation) event in Montichiari in northern Italy. He was competing against a strong field of more than 70, including, from the last World Championships, the reigning Italian world champion and gold medallist, as well as the Romanian silver and bronze medallists. Yusuf scored a personal best in the second round.

He was also a gold medal-winner in the Team Kata category, with England beating the world-champion Italian team in their native country.

In the Individual Kumite category, he fought two matches and reached the quarter-finals.

Back home, Yusuf is keen to use his skills to contribute to the community: he has recently started coaching and mentoring lower belts at his club. He started in the sport four years ago and has enjoyed success at last year’s Welsh Open and at this year’s Polish Open, UK Open and at the World Championships in Dublin.

QE’s Combined Cadet Force turned out on parade for Remembrance Sunday in Barnet and also helped mark Armistice Day at the School.

The contingent joined veterans, reservists, representatives of the Armed Forces and other cadet forces for the commemorations, parading along the High Street to High Barnet War Memorial. At the memorial, Cadet Under Officer Janith Peiris, the School’s most senior cadet, laid a wreath on behalf of QE’s CCF.

The Mayor of Barnet, Councillor David Longstaff, said in a speech to the parade: “It is important that we never forget the sacrifice made by so many in the service of our country. Remembrance Sunday is the time to pause and reflect on the profound debt we owe those who have given their lives in the two world wars and recent conflicts, and to think of their families.

“This year’s commemorations have added poignancy: 100 years since the Battle of the Somme, where 419 people from the Barnet area lost their lives.”

Speaking afterwards, School Staff Instructor Charlie Maud-Munro said: “It was once again really an honour to take the boys on the parade.”

On Armistice Day, 11th November, as has become customary, the whole School joined together, along with the Chairman of Governors, Barrie Martin, for an act of remembrance. Year 10 boy Tristan Boldy sounded the Last Post. The two-minute silence was also observed in all classrooms.

Finally, the School’s cadets were taking part in a remembrance service on Monday 14th November.

Fifteen teams turned out for the Friends of Queen Elizabeth’s Quiz Supper, raising money for the School while enjoying a convivial evening together.

The popular event saw the teams tackle nine rounds under the watchful eye of the quizmasters, who were FQE Secretary Diane Mason and her husband, George, together with Peter and Karen Forrester and their son, William (OE 2009–2016, now at Sheffield University reading Aeronautical Engineering).

Barrie Martin MBE, Chairman of Governors and Chairman of the FQE, presented the prizes. Thanking everyone who had taken part, he said: “These social and fundraising events organised by the Friends are tremendously important, both in creating a sense of community amongst the parent body and in raising essential funds for the improvement of the School’s site and facilities.”

The winning table (team pictured right), with 122 points, included: Philippa Flint (mother of recent Old Elizabethan Ralph, who is now reading Physics at Imperial, of Hugo in Year 13 and of Guy in Year 9; she was until recently the Headmaster’s Personal Assistant); Margaret Gibson (who works in the School Shop and is Head of FQE Support); Lisa Revell (mother of recent OE, Eddie, who is now reading Mathematics at Cambridge, and of Victor in Year 9; she works in the School on data-management) and Toni Smith (Support Services Manager at the School).

Just two points behind was a table that included Languages teachers Peter Feeney, Rebecca Grundy, Gill Ross, Helen Shephard and their guests.

Some examples of the rounds and questions follow (with answers at the end):

Entertainment

1. Which cult TV show has won the most Emmy awards?
2. Who is the host of Carpool Karaoke?

I'm alright, Jack

3. Which American state is the home of Jack Daniel’s whiskey?
4. Whereabouts on a ship would you find its jackstaff?

Flights of fancy

5. In which year was air travel disrupted by ash from the Eyjafjallajökull volcano?
6. Who made the first manned flight in a hot-air balloon from Lyons in 1783?

The name’s Bond (Music round)

7. In 1981, she won the Grammy for Best New Artist and was also nominated for Best Pop Performance for her Bond theme song, For Your Eyes Only. What was her name?

The body beautiful

8. Which company markets the perfume, Black Opium?
9. Which exercise regime began life as Contrology in the early 20th century?

A kick up the 80s

10. Who became the 100 metres Olympic champion at the 1980 Moscow summer Olympics?
11. Who attempted to assassinate US President Ronald Reagan on 30th March 1981?

In the news

12. What has been named word of the year by the Collins dictionary?
13. Who became only the second person (after Bernard Shaw) to have won both an Oscar and a Nobel Prize?

Marathon round

14. Which TV quiz show features this catchphrase: ‘Home please, Sue’.

During the break for supper, which was either fish & chips or vegetarian curry, teams were asked to complete the Marathon round. Other elements of this round included: identifying from pictures famous people who have died during 2016 (such as David Bowie, Sir Terry Wogan, Victoria Wood and Prince); unpicking anagrams formed from the elements; Dingbats and a round entitled Birdseye – identifying locations around the UK from aerial photos, including Hampton Court, GCHQ and Harrow School.

In addition, there was an observation round in which the guests were asked to watch Pixar’s 1989 computer-animated short film, Knick Knack, and then answer questions about what they had seen.

The Kick up the 80s round provided a link to the next Friends social event, an 80s night to be held in the Spring Term. Tickets will be on sale soon for this event, which is scheduled for Saturday 4th March 2017.

The raffle on the evening raised nearly £400, while the total was further boosted by a fundraising Heads and tails game played while the Headmaster was tallying up the final scores.

 

Answers

1. Game of Thrones
2. James Corden
3. Tennessee
4. On the bow
5. 2010
6. The Montgolfier brothers
7. Sheena Easton
8. Yves Saint Laurent
9. Pilates
10. Allan Wells
11. John Hinckley
12. Brexit
13. Bob Dylan
14. A Question of Sport

QE’s Sixth-Formers quite literally saw the dead hand of communism on a trip to Moscow and St Petersburg – but also savoured the architectural splendour of Russia’s imperial past. The trip involved historians from Years 12 and 13, who study Russia from the Communist takeover in 1917 to the death of Stalin in 1953.

Head of History Helen MacGregor recalled the striking start of their first full day in Moscow: “We got to see Lenin – who died in 1924! – in his mausoleum. It was amazing to see someone preserved who was so instrumental in world history, creating the first communist country. They paint Lenin with a secret formula once a week to stop him rotting, except that one hand wasn’t done in time and he therefore has black fingers.”

“We went into his mausoleum with a group of Chinese tourists, who bowed down as they passed his glass coffin,” she added.

The 27 boys also visited the Kremlin – an historic fortress as well as the base of the current president, Vladimir Putin – and the nearby grave of Stalin. Miss MacGregor noted that the group’s Russian tour guides were great admirers of Putin.

The final afternoon’s sightseeing in Moscow included opportunities to see the ornate Metro and the tombs of two more recent Russian leaders – Khrushchev and Yeltsin – at Novodevichy cemetery.

After two full days in Moscow, the pupils, accompanied by Miss MacGregor, Head of Year 12 Charlotte Coleman and Head of Year 13 Liam Hargadon, then took the famous night train to St Petersburg, which boasted four-berth cabins, toasted sandwiches and even wi-fi!

There they saw the magnificence of Tsarist Russia, with its huge palaces, beautiful gold decorations – including an entire room made out of amber in the Summer Palace – which formed a sharp contrast with the Soviet-era architecture of Moscow.

“It was very cold and it even snowed in St Petersburg, so we saw the Summer Palace just how it was built to be seen – with the blue outside walls contrasting spectacularly with the white of the snow,” said Miss MacGregor.

Pupil Conor Mellon said: “The trip enriched the perspective of the country that I had from my History lessons: walking through the Winter Palace 99 years to the day from the October Revolution was particularly cool.”

They went to a series of evening entertainments, with the most memorable being the ice hockey. “This was more like a disco, with music pumping out and cheerleaders dancing away every time play stopped,” said Miss MacGregor. “We cheered on the St Petersburg term and they got a resounding victory, which was good because the massive stadium was full of their supporters. We also went to a Russian circus in Moscow and saw some very bendy people and watched acrobats perform death-defying stunts.”

The group eagerly entered into the spirit of the country, tucking into plenty of beetroot, Stroganoff and savoury pancakes – although some also took in a trip to the local McDonald’s.

Sixth-Former Adrian Burbie said: “This was by far the best School trip I have ever been on. We threw ourselves head-first into experiencing true Russian culture – and the Soviet hat I bought more than made up for the cold.”

On their return, the boys reflected on a trip that was enjoyable and, at times, sobering too:

• Gregory Wong: “From the State University of Moscow to the Winter and Summer palaces of St Petersburg, never have I ever seen such amazing architecture that was so grand and wonderful.”
• Rufus Carruthers: “The diversity that was presented by visiting both Moscow and St Petersburg was particularly intriguing, due to their striking juxtaposition.”
• Erik Lam recalled the “breathtaking and inexplicably beautiful landmarks” and the “deathly silence of Lenin’s mausoleum”. He added: “For me, the guided tour of the Gulag museum was one of great value as not only were we confronted by the dark and unfortunate history of the Gulags in Russia, but also we were given an insight into the life and opinion of a person living in modern Russia; it lifted the veil on the mysterious and biased portrayal of Russia by Western media.”