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Old Elizabethan Lucian Grainge is consolidating Universal Music’s position as the world’s biggest recording company amid signs that, after years of decline, the music industry is starting to grow again.

In a major interview with the Sunday Times, Los Angeles-based Lucian (OE 1971-78) was bullish about the prospects for EMI – owner of famous labels such as Capitol Records and Virgin – which has been the subject of a controversial £1.2bn takeover by Universal. Concerned about a threat to competition, the European Commission forced Universal to sell a third of EMI.

Speaking of his plans to revive EMI now that the takeover has been secured, he said: “I tried to get my first records recorded at EMI and I really want to make a difference to it. For me, this is a duty and a responsibility.”

Lucian was an early starter in business terms: he walked out of a history A-level examination at QE to cut his first record deal, although he still passed his A-levels. His interest in the business is said to have been sparked in childhood, when he would study which records customers selected in his father’s TV, radio and record shop.

He is due to bring together many of his British labels into a new company called Virgin EMI, while also launching a Capitol Records UK label. In addition, he plans to invest millions of pounds into signing unknown acts.

Figures released recently showed that the recorded music industry’s global revenue grew 0.3% to $16.5bn last year – the first increase for more than a decade, according to the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry. Revenue was boosted by growing sales from legal downloading and streaming of music.

He is sanguine about Universal’s prospects: “We were the first to be disrupted by the internet and we will show that we are the first to power out. When you lift the carpet there is an extraordinary transformative explosion of new rights, new distribution, new content and new ways of acquiring and finding it.”

Lucian was awarded the CBE for services to the creative industries in the 2010 New Year’s Honours. Married with two children and a stepdaughter, he is known both for his formidable business ability and his disarming style. He remains a keen Arsenal supporter.

His brother, Justin (OE 1978-81), is understood still be to living in Finchley and is a photographer.

Year 12 pupil Michael Zhao has reached the national final of the British Informatics Olympiad – an annual computer programming competition for schools and sixth form colleges.

Michael, who is one of only 15 entrants from across the country to progress to the final, will now compete for the chance to be one of four students who will represent Britain at the International Informatics Olympiad in Australia, in July.

The first stage of the British Informatics Olympiad (BIO) is a three-question, three-hour examination sat in the candidate’s school, in which participants solve problems with the aid of a computer. It was taken this year at QE by Michael and his fellow Year 12 pupil, Gabriel Gendler. The examination is marked by a teacher and then submitted to the competition organisers for moderation. 

Michael, who learned to program outside School, will travel to Trinity College, Cambridge, for the BIO final in April. It will involve solving more difficult problems, some written and some involving programming.

The four top performers will then qualify for the all-expenses-paid trip to Brisbane.

A team of QE mathematicians reached the final of an élite competition for the first time in the School’s history.

The QE pupils were defeated by just three points in the final of the Hans Woyda competition, which has traditionally been dominated by leading independent schools.

Bhavik Mehta from Year 11, Rahul Mukherjee, of Year 13, Gabriel Gendler, of Year 12, and Nitharsan Sathiyalingam, of Year 9 (pictured below from left to right) defeated City of London School in the quarter-final and Harrow School in the semis of the competition. In the final they encountered St Paul’s School, the winners of 14 of the previous 21 tournaments, and were defeated 46 – 43.

The contest went to the last Race round, at which point QE was trailing by five points. Despite winning this round the team could not close the gap. “Although it was obviously a little disappointing to lose, it was good to give St Paul’s a close game,” said Mathematics teacher Geoff Roberts. “In the past they have won many times by substantial margins, so our boys all acquitted themselves really well to achieve such a narrow margin of defeat and to be runners-up in such a prestigious event.”

Each of the boys received a Mathematics book inscribed with their name, sponsored by the London Mathematics Association.

The annual competition attracts entries from 64 schools from London and the south east region. Competitors must be able to apply a wide range of high-level mathematical skills – often against the clock.

A Year 12 student has progressed to the final 16 in the British Physics Olympiad, competing mostly against students a year older than him.

Madhi Elango now has the opportunity to win a place in the final four who will go on to represent the UK at international level. He has been invited to a special training camp where he will compete against the other finalists.

Madhi and fellow Year 12 student Aniruddh Raghu were both given gold awards after achieving top 50 places in the first round of the competition, which attracted more than 2,000 entrants. After the second round, which involved a three-hour examination, Aniruddh was awarded a Merit – placing him in the top 30, whilst Madhi achieved a top-16 finish.

“Both the boys have done exceptionally well to get to this level, especially as they are Year 12 boys in a competition primarily aimed at students in Year 13,” said Physics teacher Ashley Dyson. “There is no doubt that Aniruddh and Madhi have spurred each other on through working together to prepare for the competition.”

The examination-based competition’s stated aim is to challenge and reward the best physicists in British schools.

Year 9 boys saw the Spitfire and its Battle of Britain arch-rival, the Messerschmitt 109, during a visit to Imperial War Museum Duxford.

Duxford, near Cambridge, is one of the largest air museums in the country and boasts an impressive array of aircraft, including notably a large number of Spitfires.

Organised by the History department, the trip took place over two days, with boys from three Houses visiting one day, followed by those from the remaining three Houses on the following day.

History teacher Helen MacGregor said: “The boys on one of the days were lucky enough not only to get up close to a Spitfire, but just as we were leaving, it took to the skies in an impressive display of dramatic turns and loop-the-loops.”

The QE boys saw aeroplanes through the entire history of aviation, from the early days in World War I to aircraft recently decommissioned from the RAF. They explored the Battle of Britain display and saw the 1940 Operations Room – a reconstruction of the facility from where RAF Duxford’s fighter aircraft were directed into combat during the battle against the fearsome Luftwaffe threat. The exhibits included the Messerschmitt, which was flown during the battle until forced down in Sussex by engine failure.

They also saw how weaponry, particularly tanks, had developed. “This aided their understanding of the changing nature of warfare; their topic for the year,” said Miss MacGregor. “Despite the wind that whistled across the working airfield, both days were very enjoyable.”

Former QE School Captain Nigethan Sathiyalingam has reached the final 16 of a prestigious national biology competition which attracted more than 4,200 entries.

Nine QE boys, including Nigethan, achieved gold medals in the opening round of this year’s British Biology Olympiad – all from Year 13, except Neil Lenus, of Year 12. Five pupils, including Nigethan, qualified to go on to Round 2, out of 155 students nationwide. This represents QE’s greatest-ever success in the competition. Among the 18 QE Round 1 entrants, there were also three silvers, two bronzes and three boys who were ‘highly commended’.

After his strong performance in Round 2, Nigethan, who is in Year 13 and studying for A-levels in Biology, Chemistry, Mathematics and Physics, will now compete for a place in the four-strong team that will represent the UK at the International Olympiad in Switzerland.

“Over the last year, the Olympiad has pushed me to go into more depth with my biology reading and study, to understand new concepts and draw links between different topics, while appreciating smaller details,” he says. “Working towards tests has been hectic, but I’ve really enjoyed working as part of a team, and pushing each other to do better.

“Ultimately, the Olympiad has been real, challenging exciting biology, and it has really complemented and enhanced my experience of the A-level Biology course, while giving me a taster of what university-level science might be like.”

Biology teacher, Anne Rutherford, says: “Nigethan has a genuine interest in every aspect of biology and is keen to not just absorb information but to understand why processes occur. He loves the interlinking nature of biology and relishes the opportunity to discuss the multiple hypotheses that explain a biological dilemma.”

The QE boys have been training for two years, with preparation sessions every Thursday. Boys have produced presentations, discussion topics and tests to build up the knowledge base and skill sets required for the Olympiad.

The British Biology Olympiad is run by the Society of Biology and aims to challenge and stimulate students with an interest in the subject. Round 1 of the competition was a two-hour multiple-choice paper taken in schools. Five boys qualified for Round 2 but all except Nigethan were unable to compete due to commitments during the summer which excluded them from further selection. The five included Movin Abeywickrema, who achieved one of the highest Round 1 scores ever. Round 2, a 90-minute written paper, was also taken in School.

The final round takes place at the University of Reading in April, with the results from that used to make the international team selection. The round consists of three days of intensive practical tests in the university’s laboratories as well as a demanding written examination. It is organised by a small group of volunteers supported by Dr Amanda Hardy, Schools and Colleges Officer at the Society of Biology, and staff at the University of Reading. The volunteers are full-time and retired teachers who devote a great deal of time to organising the competition.

Dr Andrew Treharne, who chairs the group of volunteers which organises the competitions, says: “The record number of participants in this year’s Olympiad makes it all the more impressive that Nigethan has achieved a place at the finals. I wish them luck as they compete with the other finalists for a place in the team representing the UK this summer.”

Awards from the British Biology Olympiad will be presented at the Royal Society on 27th June.

Training for the international team will take place for two days in July, immediately prior to squad’s departure on 11th July. The international competition takes place from 14th-21st July.

The British Biology Olympiad, along with Biology Challenge, forms a Special Interest Group of the Society of Biology. Both competitions are supported by funding from BBSRC, the Biotechnology and Biological and Sciences Research Council.