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Forty-two pupils from Year 8 took a two-night trip to Stratford-upon-Avon.

The boys attended a range of events that included a tour of all five Shakespearean houses, a ghost walk, and a visit to Warwick Castle and Dungeon, which saw Head of English Susannah Sweetman locked in a dungeon cage.

Britain’s Paralympic champion Tom Aggar (1995-2002) trounced the opposition to win gold in his event at the World Rowing Championships in New Zealand.

The former QE pupil’s dominant performance in the Paralympic-class single scull at Lake Karapiro demonstrated that the 2008 Beijing Paralympics gold medalist remains the best in the world.

"It feels fantastic", he told journalists after winning the event with a time of 5:19.36 – a 13-second margin over the second-placed rower, Ukrainian Andrii Kryvchun.

Tom, who has already been named in the GB Rowing Team for the London Paralympics in 2012, led for the entire event, except for the first 100m."All the hard work in training and in the gym has paid off. I’ve really enjoyed the competition. I love rowing; I’m passionate about the sport,” he said.

Since making his international debut in 2007, he has won two previous world championships, as well as his victory in Beijing.

QE’s new French exchange partner, College St Pierre de Bourg en Bresse, came to Barnet on the return leg of this year’s exchange.

The Headmistress, Mme Gas, accompanied the trip – her first with the College St Pierre.

Students visited Windsor, where they walked around the castle and the town, helping each other with a quiz. The French pupils experienced English school life, playing rugby and attending lessons. Miles Huglin from Year 8, said: “I have really enjoyed the French exchange. I get on well with my partner because we have the same interests.”

Two QE Sixth-Formers joined young musicians from across the UK for a special event at the close of year-long celebrations marking the 150th anniversary of the Cadet Force movement.

Clarinettists Alex Liangas and Richard Collins, of Year 12, assembled with more than 150 other cadets at St Martin’s Plain camp, Folkestone, for the cadets’ annual music ‘concentration’ before taking to the stage for A Musical Spectacular – a special event in Croydon’s Fairfield Halls to end the Cadet150 year. Earlier this year, Alex and Richard were among 40 cadets selected for a Cadet150 band assembled to perform at a Buckingham Palace Garden Party.

At the Croydon finale event, cadets from the Army Cadet Force, Combined Cadet Force, Sea Cadet Corps and the Air Training Corps played in front of the Lord Lieutenant of London, Sir David Brewer, the Mayor of Croydon, Councillor Avril Slipper, and an audience of more than 500. The 1812 Overture ended the concert, when the bands taking part were joined by the Moscow Militia re-enactment society. In their period dress, they fired their muskets and cannons over the band at the famous climax to Tchaikovsky’s masterpiece.

Concert organiser, Colour Sergeant Adrian Beckett of the Welsh Guards Band, said: “To end the year in such spectacular fashion was the aim of Cadet Force Music. We have worked hard all year at various events around the country and it was now the cadets’ time to shine on stage, with some great surprises.”

The Band & Bugles of The Rifles under the direction of WO1 Bandmaster Brydon performed alongside the cadets and made a triumphant return to Croydon following their homecoming march through the town last year, culminating in them being given the freedom of the Borough.

Another highlight was the return of Scott Ellaway, an ex-cadet from Powys ACF and now an accomplished organist and one of the top conductors in the Country. Like the other performers, he gave his time on the evening to raise money for the charity, Help for Heroes.

And Welsh tenor Wynne Evans, “Gio Compario” from the Go Compare television commercials, came along both to offer backstage support and to sing alongside the musicians from the Cadet Force.

A Queen Elizabeth’s School team came third in a regional mathematics competition against 19 other schools, scoring just 2% less than the winners.

The four-member team from Year 12, captained by Jaymin Thakrar, were selected by the School to take part in the London North round of the Senior Team Maths Challenge at Westminster Kingsway College. Jaymin’s team-mates were Ian Leung, Satya Ramanathan and Janaka Sumanasekera.

QE’s boys scored 184 points out of a possible 200 – only four points behind the winning team, from the City of London School. Other competing schools included City of London School for Girls, Henrietta Barnett and Wilson’s School.

The competition, which is jointly organised by the UK Mathematics Trust and the Further Maths Support Programme, combines mathematical, communication and teamwork skills. It also offers pupils a way to express and develop their enjoyment of mathematics.

“The boys had an enjoyable afternoon competing with, and meeting, other keen young mathematicians, but were understandably disappointed at narrowly missing out on the top spot,” said Mathematics teacher Wendy Fung.

QE boy Ife Adepegba was among just a handful of winners from across London schools in a new city-wide art competition, while fellow Year 10 pupil Daniel Fernando took one of the runners-up spots.

Both boys visited City Hall to receive certificates from the Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, who had launched the Look Out London 2010 Schools Awards earlier this year during Children’s Art Day. The prizewinners came from just eight schools, including QE.

The competition was organised by Engage, the National Association for Gallery Education, which invited young Londoners in primary and secondary schools to create artwork in any medium, working individually or in groups. The idea was to take inspiration from their local surroundings – the streets and buildings, the parks and open spaces – looking at them in a new and exciting way. The competition is part of the Big Draw festival.

Speaking at the presentation ceremony, Engage Director Jane Sillis said: “We have had entries from schools across London…and the young people who have come today have produced some stunning drawings all about London and London Life.”
The Mayor, who himself enjoys drawing, added: “Drawing is not about being the best; it’s about putting across the way you feel, right there, in the moment. The world is your sketchbook and I hope everyone will be inspired to join in the Big Draw.”

On the same day as the presentation, City Hall also hosted a preview of the Battle of the Cartoonists and the Mayor launched another Big Draw highlight, Make Your Mark on the Future. This two-day event featured 40 activities at key locations such as Southwark Cathedral and HMS Belfast in which top artists, cartoonists, architects and archaeologists joined Londoners to celebrate London’s changing river and skyline.

Sue Grayson Ford, Director of the Campaign for Drawing said: “Big Draw events are designed to break down the ‘I can’t draw’ barrier. Our aim is to show that drawing is a vital tool for learning, observation, thought, creativity and communication. Best of all, it’s accessible – at the end of our fingertips.”