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Two QE students won through to the national final of the Rotary Club’s Young Writer competition, after achieving success in both the district and then London Area heats.

Eddy Burchett, of Year 7, and Year 11 boy Pranay Shah (both pictured left, with Rotarian Richard Selby) were among 18 QE students who entered the competition, which was on the topic of the Olympics. The Rotary Club of Golders Green promoted the entries of Eddy, Pranay and of a third QE boy, Rahul Kanwar, of Year 7, to the district heat.

Eddy and Pranay then progressed first to the area final – where they were winners in their categories and age groups – and to the national final.

“They reached the pinnacle of London's entrants, before being pipped at the post at the national final by other worthy entrants,” said Richard Selby of the Golders Green Rotary Club, who added that the small team of readers had very much enjoyed assessing the varied entries from the School.

Pranay’s poem was entitled The Olympian’s Medallion of Spirit while Eddy’s work was called Olympic Dreams.

All the participants (right) were presented with certificates at a special ceremony at the School. Rotarians Richard Selby and David Grannell were accompanied by novelist Liz Goes.

Neuroscientist Peter Zeidman (1996-2003) has returned to scientific research after two successful years in industry.

At the start of this year, Peter took part as one of a panel of young scientists in an updated radio version of the BBC’s Tomorrow’s World programme for Radio 5Live.

“The show involved each of us proposing one technology which could change the world in the future,” he explained. “I discussed neural interfaces using EEG [Electroencephalography] developed by Tristan Bekinschtein and friends at Cambridge University, which could allow the identification of consciousness in patients incorrectly diagnosed as being in a vegetative state. One future development could be to allow two-way communication with these locked-in patients.”

Peter, who described taking part in the programme as “a great experience” afterwards told presenter Maggie Philbin that he had enjoyed opening “a window into research which could one day change our lives” and that there was real joy in “having something explained in plain English which we might never have been able to comprehend”.

Peter took a first-class degree in Artificial Intelligence and Computer Science from the University of Birmingham in 2006, and followed it with an MSc in Natural Computation and a further MSc in Neuroscience from University College, London. He is now studying for a PhD at the Wellcome Trust for Neuro-imaging at UCL. His research uses MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) to explore the relationship between memory, imagination and spatial awareness in the human brain. Below is an image of Peter's own brain.

Peter enjoyed his two years working for Tessella PLC developing computer systems, and is now applying his technical knowledge to scientific research. “At the moment I’m researching how the brain comprehends visual scenes – an ability which enables us to recall memories from our past, imagine fictional scenarios and perceive the world around us.”

He hopes that understanding these abilities in a healthy brain will lead to a better understanding of how the brain functions in illness and disease.

“Above anything else, Queen Elizabeth’s gave me the confidence to do well. Growing up with intelligent and interesting schoolmates also taught me a huge amount.”

QE’s History Society welcomed prominent British historian Professor Julian Jackson to the School for a talk on the French Resistance.

Professor Jackson is Head of the History School at Queen Mary, University of London, and is an acknowledged authority on modern French history. He has recently participated in a multi-part documentary made for French television on the subject of the Resistance – the only British historian invited to take part.

During his talk entitled Resisting the Nazis in Occupied France, Professor Jackson made the distinction between ‘Resistance’ – activities undertaken by organised groups of armed resisters; and ‘resistance’ – the small, yet symbolic decisions made by French citizens every day in their relationship with the Germans.

“It was a fascinating and multifaceted talk which emphasised the agonising dilemmas that average French people faced every day, and it challenged the audience to think about how they themselves would navigate the same dilemmas,” said Tahmer Mahmoud, QE’s Head of History, who arranged the lecture. Professor Jackson cited the example of a German soldier offering a pregnant woman a seat on the Paris Métro. If she accepted, he asked, was she approving of the Germans? If she refused, was she resisting? And who decided what was resistance and what was not; what was right and what was wrong?

“The event was very well attended and it prompted the students to think about the role historians have in judging the people they study,” said Mr Mahmoud.

As a specialist in French history, Professor Jackson also brought interesting insights to the recent French presidential elections. He reflected on the continuing resonance of resistance and collaboration during the Nazi occupation on the French national psyche today.

• Professor Julian Jackson is a Fellow of the British Academy and of the Royal Historical Society. He obtained his doctorate at the University of Cambridge in 1982. After many years at the University of Wales, Swansea, he joined Queen Mary History Department in 2003. His published works include: The Politics of Depression France 1932-1936; The Popular Front in France: Defending Democracy 1934-1938; France: the Dark Years 1940-1944. The latter was short-listed for the Los Angeles Times History Book Prize and translated into French in 2003. The French translation was commended by the judges of the Prix Philippe Viannay-Défense de la France.

A number of events have been held by the School to mark the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee.

A specially themed concert, in which every piece was linked to either kings or queens, took place at the School as part of a series of special musical events celebrating the Jubilee. At the Kings and Queens Concert in the Shearly Hall, there were performances from the Concert Band, Senior Strings, Top Brass, the Choir, the Camerata and the Symphony Orchestra. Pieces included highlights from Scheherazade and an arrangement of Henry VIII’s Pastime with Good Company. Haydn’s Emperor Quartet contrasted with the perennial favourite, Queen’s Bohemian Rhapsody. The second half of the concert featured Handel’s Entry of the Queen of Sheba and William Walton’s Crown Imperial.

Several teachers performed readings from the writings of monarchs – Henry VIII and Elizabeth I – and from kings and queens in literature. QE’s Director of Music, Kieron Howe described it as “an evening of full and varied entertainment that all enjoyed”.

The School also held a special Jubilee-themed lunch in a bunting-decked Refectory (pictured above), where boys and staff enjoyed street party type delicacies including grilled chicken, cucumber sandwiches and jam and cream scones.

At an earlier concert (pictured below), also to mark the Jubilee, QE boys joined pupils from Mill Hill County High School to premiere composer Tim Benjamin’s specially commissioned piece Common Wealth at a civic ceremony.

As part of the celebrations, more than 70 trees are being planted in local schools. QE has received a witch hazel which has been planted in the grounds, near the School gate, with a plaque commemorating the Diamond Jubilee.

A QE Sixth-Former reached the last 16 of the British Biology Olympiad, a competition which attracted almost 4,000 entries from across the UK. Shivam Patel achieved his place in the final after qualifying through the first two rounds of the competition.

“Although he was not selected as one of the four students who will go on to represent Great Britain at the International Biology Olympiad, Shivam did exceptionally well to be placed in the top 16 of such a prestigious competition,” said Biology teacher Mev Armon. “It’s also very satisfying that the School recorded a significant improvement on last year’s performance, with five participants achieving the gold standard in the first round, six achieving silver and nine bronze, together with four commended scores.”

As well as Shivam, the QE gold winners were Ben Coumbe, Akash Gandhi, Akash Pattni and Parth Patel (pictured below, L-R). By winning gold, all five were eligible to enter the second round.

Round 1 of the competition took the form of a multiple-choice question paper, whilst the second round consisted of a written paper; both these tests were taken at the pupils’ own schools. The final took place at the University of Birmingham School of Biosciences and included a third theory test paper, alongside several practical assessments.

All those who achieved gold medals are invited to an awards ceremony at The Royal Society in London at the end of June. The guest speaker will be the experimental psychologist and Director of the Bristol Cognitive Development Centre, Professor Bruce Hood.

Founder’s Day, the traditional highlight of the Queen Elizabeth’s School calendar, this year saw the revival of an old tradition – a cricket match between the current First XI and an old boys’ team.

The day began with the Founder’s Day Thanksgiving Service at Chipping Barnet Parish Church, after which parents, boys and staff enjoyed a fete at the School organised by the Friends of Queen Elizabeth’s.

Headmaster Neil Enright said:  “It was an excellent day: even the weather played its part, with the showers that we had feared failing to materialise, enabling the fete to be held outside and the cricket match to go ahead.”

“Earlier in the day at the service our guest speaker, Piers Martin, Director and CEO of British Fencing, gave a most interesting address, discussing the British Olympic fencing team and the dedication and hard work required to succeed at Olympic level.” Mr Martin was a QE pupil from 1987 to 1994, while his father, Barrie Martin, is the Chairman of the Governing Body.

“Immediately after the service, I enjoyed giving the traditional Roll Call on Stapylton Field and the Reading of the School Chronicle – the first time I have had this privilege since becoming Headmaster last September,” added Mr Enright.

These formal proceedings were followed by the fete, which featured many traditional delights, such as home-made cakes, cream teas, Pimms and a tombola. The International Food Tent proved popular, serving food from India, Japan, China, West Africa, Turkey and Sri Lanka. There was a bouncy castle for younger children, while the QE boys enjoyed the opportunity to pelt teachers Liam Hargadon and Michael Feven with wet sponges as they sat in the stocks, as well as the ‘smashing the crockery’ stall.

The cricket match, which was last played regularly in the early 20th century, is now known as the Stanley Busby Memorial Match. It has been named in honour of Mr Busby,  who was a QE parent and was also a Governor from 1989-2011. The match was revived in 1984 for one year only as a retirement ‘gift’ to another loyal servant of the School – Eric Shearly (1920-2005), a former pupil and master. Now it has been permanently re-instated by the Headmaster.

“Happily, the first playing of the match in the 21st century resulted in an exciting, closely fought game, with the School First XI emerging as narrow winners: a fitting close to a splendid day,” said Mr Enright.

In the 30-over match, which started at 2pm on the Third Field, the Old Elizabethans – who were mainly in their late twenties – batted first. They set a target of 169, losing four wickets and ending their innings with Nick Jones on 95 not out. In reply, aided by Sebastian Feszczur-Hatchett’s 53, the First XI amassed a similar total. They then won the match with a four off the last ball of the day, finishing on 171-5.