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Out of ten Year 13 QE entrants to the Institute of Biology’s annual Biology Olympiad, two achieved Silver awards, five Bronze, one was Highly Commended and one Commended. Two Year 13 boys were also awarded Silver in the National Chemistry Olympiad.

This term the School arranged for 10 Year 12 boys to attend a Spectroscopy day at Imperial College, giving them hands-on experience of equipment that is too large and expensive to have in schools.

To mark Global Immunology Day, members of the British Society for Immunology from University College London staged a special debate at QE. It looked at the positive role of the immune system in combating infection and cancer, and contrasted it with immune dysfunction, such as allergies, asthma and immunodeficiency. The format allowed boys to weigh up the pros and cons of immunity, and the challenges facing researchers.

Pupil Prasana Uthayakumar is high on the reserve list for an Arkwright Scholarship – a scheme under which successful scholars are sponsored for their Sixth Form studies by a leading engineering company. Prasana reached the interview stage of the assessment process after achieving success in the initial written examination. He was then highly commended for his interview.

A number of interesting and innovative designs featured in QE boys’ 2008 A level Design and Technology work, including a plan for a wheelchair laptop table and architectural projects looking at new school buildings, theatre sets and recording studios.

QE, which has Specialist Music College status, is to extend its programme allowing students from partner schools to learn an instrument at no cost. All the spaces for September were easily filled, so the decision was made to offer an additional 25 places – five to each partner school.

The extension to the programme follows a successful Partner Schools’ Concert in May. More than 200 pupils from St Andrew’s in Totteridge, Frith Manor in Woodside Park, Queen Elizabeth’s Girls’, Foulds and Christchurch took part, along with QE’s own Big Band, Wind Ensemble and String Quartet.

Queen Elizabeth’s School has further demonstrated its strength in chess, with boys participating in regional, national and international competitions this term. Two QE boys were this month taking part in the Dubai Junior International U14 Chess Championship.

Tharshan Kanagaraj who is in 9B, and Kushal Shah, of 9S, have been invited there to face some of the world’s best young chess players. “This is a prestigious, week-long tournament involving some of the best chess players in the world held every July: the invitation to Tharshan and Kushal is a sign of the School’s growing reputation in chess,” said Mathematics teacher Geoffrey Roberts.

Also this term, the School chess team of Akshaya Ahuja, Jonathan Hoong, Thanurshan Mahentran, Amit Desai, Anup Desai, Luka Sugita and Gabriel Gendler progressed to the quarter-final of the English Chess Federation Schools’ Championship.

And nine boys reached the Southern Final of the UK Chess Challenge after excellent performances in the regional finals. In the Middlesex regional final, Reyvanth Varathan won the U13 age group category, Jerome Singh finished runner-up in the U15 section and Ethan Singh finished third in the U13 section. In the Hertfordshire regional final, Akshaya Ahuja won the U16 section, with Jonathan Hoong in second position. Finally, in the U15 section Anup Desai, Amit Desai and Luka Sugita all finished in joint-second place. Madhi Elango finished second in the U12 competition.

Founder’s Day is always one of the highlights of Queen Elizabeth’s School’s year – and the 2008 event was no exception, in spite of the inclement weather.

The Founder’s Day Fete is an important part of the day and is also the most significant event in the Friends of Queen Elizabeth’s calendar. Staplyton Field is transformed into a vibrant and colourful fete ground with numerous attractions, which this year ranged from a laser game to an international food marquee.

The 2008 fete raised a total of nearly £19,500 – a £1,500 improvement on last year.

“Thank you so much to everyone who supported the FQE Fete, especially to those brave ones who went in the stocks! The parents really appreciated seeing the staff there,” said FQE Secretary Diane Mason.

The Headmaster also paid tribute to those who organised the “logistically challenging event” so successfully.

Year 12 student Promit Anwar has been shortlisted for the Royal Economics Society’s Young Economist of the Year essay competition with an essay on the subject of ‘A global banknote’.

The other pupils on the shortlist came from some of the country’s best known schools in both the independent and state sectors.