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This year’s Geography trip to Iceland was in danger of cancellation due to the very volcanic activity the boys were to study. Fortunately it went ahead and 44 boys in Years 7, 8 and 9, accompanied by five members of staff, enjoyed an unforgettable expedition.

“The trip was very memorable. The boys were able to see firsthand some of the most amazing landscapes on earth. The best moments of the trip for the boys were floating in the Blue Lagoon eating ice cream, trekking up and down numerous volcanoes, and applying mudpacks for their healing properties,” said Geography teacher Geraldine Booth.

The aim of the trip was to learn about the features associated with volcanic activity, particularly at a moving plate margin. The five-day tour included a visit to Þingvellir in southwestern Iceland, the site of a rift valley that marks the crest of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge separating the Eurasian Plate and North American Plate.

2010 QE leaver Amar Amlani has been awarded his Duke of Edinburgh Gold Award in a ceremony at St James’s Palace.

He excelled in several of the five categories he was required to complete for gold – volunteering, skills, physical recreation, expedition and residential. Amar volunteered for the Red Cross for 12 months and did public speaking for six months, taking grade 6 (Bronze) and grade 8 (Gold) examinations with LAMDA (London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art), both with Distinction.

He completed a five-day expedition on foot in the Peak District and Snowdonia despite terrible weather conditions. His team showed good knowledge of navigation, campcraft and cooking. Amar completed a residential opportunity with Medlink, a course held at Nottingham University’s School of Medicine, where he spent a week attending lectures and staying in halls of residence. He also pursued weightlifting for 18 months.

Amar, who was a Senior Prefect in his final year, completed A-levels in Mathematics, Economics, History and Chemistry in 2010 and won a place to study Economics at Nottingham.

He was following proudly in the footsteps of his older brother, Akhil, another D of E Gold winner. Akhil left QE in 2008 a few months after winning the title of London Region Climate Change Champion and consequently meeting PM Gordon Brown. He used the prize money to create the eco-garden in the School’s Fern Building.

Rahul Mansigani (1999-2006) has enjoyed a high-profile year in his role as Cambridge University Students’ Union (CUSU) President.

He was elected for the 2010-11 academic year after a decisive election victory, gaining 1,403 votes – an 11% majority over rival candidate Beccy Talmy.

During his term of office, he has spoken out on issues including education cuts and the tripling of student tuition fees, with media appearances including BBC’s Newsnight and Sky News. He also publicly applauded news recently that the university is to invest in a new sports centre, following a CUSU campaign for improved facilities.

Rahul who is also a former Junior Common Room President at Robinson College, Cambridge, left QE with 4 A grades at A-level in 2006 in Economics, English Literature, German and History.

He participated widely in many areas of School life, from debating to drama. In the Sixth Form he was involved in the peer mentoring scheme, helping younger members of the School. He held responsibilities as a Senior Prefect and helped organise the Elizabethan Review. He read Law at Cambridge.

The CUSU President provides representation for Cambridge students to the University, the National Union of Students and local and national government. The position is one of CUSU’s ‘sabbaticals’ – paid employees who are elected annually by students to work full-time for the union.

He told Varsity newspaper at the time of his election: “I really hope to develop CUSU into a more relevant, connected union, and will be putting all my effort into making sure that we’re there to actively support JCRs, MCRs [middle common rooms] and individual students, as well as putting pressure on the University on issues like the Sports Centre, rents and Access."

Two QE Sixth-Formers have been shortlisted for the final of a prestigious national competition for student economists.

Akash Raja (pictured) and David Alam were amongst 500 entrants to the 2011 Royal Economic Society Essay competition and are two of just 17 selected for the final. Akash chose the essay topic Is the rise of China good for America and Europe? David chose An NHS free at point of access is unsustainable in the 21st Century and an alternative funding model is needed.

Announcing the shortlist, the judging panel commented on the high standard of the entries this year. The winner, who will be announced next year, will be awarded £1,000 and an engraved trophy.

Akash Raja also enjoyed success in the Quincentenary Prize competition held by St John’s College, Cambridge, which was open to all Year 12 students in the country. Akash had to write an essay of between 2,000 and 4,000 words on a topic of his choice from one of three headings: global warming; economic recovery; or centenaries. He chose the highly topical subject of Is there a future for the Eurozone? Although he did not win first prize, he was officially commended as one of the 14 short-listed finalists.

Five QE boys helped the Barnet Water Polo team to fifth place at the London Youth Games, held at the Crystal Palace Swimming Pool.

The boys from Years 8 and 9 took part in the all day event, competing in five matches of 12 minutes each. Dinos Caryotis, Freddie Flinn, Tom Segev, Rohun Valecha and Brian Kong all play for the Watford Water Polo Club, run by former Serbian International Nik Jovanovic.

“QE currently has 20 pupils attending the partnership and Nik has been impressed with their development which he described as fantastic,” said PE teacher Nick Bird. “Clearly the swimming pool [pictured] is a great asset to the School and it is very satisfying to see our boys progressing so well in the sport.”

A higher proportion of pupils from QE go to Oxford or Cambridge than from any other state school in the country, a leading education foundation has reported.

The Sutton Trust, in its recent report entitled Degrees of Success, also named QE as the country’s top state school for sending pupils to the UK’s 30 leading universities.

Nearly a quarter (22%) of QE boys who went on to higher education over the three years during which the research was carried out gained places at Oxford or Cambridge – a total of 88 boys. In the list of Top 100 Schools whose pupils progress to a ‘highly selective’ (top 30) university, QE was ranked 13th – the only state school in the top 37.

"I am delighted that the recent Sutton Trust research into top university placements ranks Queen Elizabeth’s so highly,” said Headmaster John Marincowitz.  “The School’s position as top state school and 13th in the country including Independent Schools, is best appreciated in the context of QE’s socio-economic profile. Ofsted ranks Queen Elizabeth’s as average for England in terms of social deprivation, yet the Sutton Trust found that 87% of the School’s boys go on to the most selective universities. This is a truly resounding confirmation of Queen Elizabeth’s contribution to social mobility."

The Sutton Trust was founded in 1997 by Sir Peter Lampl with the aim of promoting social mobility through education.  It has funded a wide range of access projects in early years, school and university settings, with a focus on research, policy and innovative practical projects with a system-wide relevance.