QReview 2019/20 by outworkstudio

REVIEW

2019/20 QEGSblackburn.com

Q Review | 2019/20

QEGS Celebrate Outstanding A level Results

Michaelmas Term

Students and staff at Queen Elizabeth’s Grammar School were celebrating as students collected their A level results. Overall results showed a 6% increase in the awarding of A*/A grades and a 3% increase in the A*/B measure. There was also a 2% increase in the number of students achieving at least 3 A grades.

https://www. qegsblackburn.com/ qegs-celebrate-outstandinga-level-results/

QEGS First ‘Free School’ Cohort Achieve GCSE Results to Shout About! It was smiles all around as QEGS’ first ‘Free School’ cohort collected their GCSE results. Pupils worked incredibly hard to achieve the results, reflecting the commitment of both the pupils and their teachers. The Head, Mrs Gammon, was delighted to see 28% of pupils gain at least five 9-7 grades in their GCSEs, an increase of 5% compared to last year. This is an excellent achievement considering the increased difficulty of the new GCSE subjects.

https://www.qegsblackburn.com/ qegs-first-free-school-cohortachieve-gcse-results-to-shoutabout/

Saunders’ Summer of Sporting Success! Whilst the summer is a chance to relax and reset for a new academic year, Year 10 pupil Nicky Saunders used the break to compete across the country and even brought some silverware back to QEGS with her! Read more

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https://www.qegsblackburn.com/saunderssummer-of-sporting-success/

Class of 2019 Make a Difference in Uganda

QEGS Sixth Form students raised over £9000 in preparation for their trip to Uganda, with every penny spent on finishing the ‘Good Samaritan Primary School’. This year, a kitchen was built and solar panelling was added, whilst a delivery of thirty mattresses caused quite a stir amongst the children whilst at the school too! Read more

https://www.qegsblackburn.com/class-of2019-make-a-difference-in-uganda/

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Q Review | 2019/20

Roald Dahl Day 2019 New ‘Songaminute Man’ Book by OB Simon McDermott Many will have come across the Father and Son duo Simon McDermott (OB 87-94) and his Dad Ted, the ‘Songaminute Man’, on social media over the summer. Through sharing ‘Carpool Karaoke’ style videos, former pupil Simon has raised a fantastic £130,000 for the Alzheimer’s Society. Read more

https://www. qegsblackburn.com/ new-songaminute-manbook-by-ob-simonmcdermott/

Pupils in Year 7 celebrated Roald Dahl Day in September, with an array of activities taking place across the day. The event got underway at the Year 7 morning assembly and to get our pupils thinking, eight cryptic clues were given to them ahead of the ‘Guess the Book Character’ competition. Read more

https://www.qegsblackburn.com/roald-dahl-day-2019/

Year 11 ‘Meet The Employers’ at Blackburn Cathedral In September, the Careers Department and Year 11 Tutor Team took the year group to the annual careers event at Blackburn Cathedral, to introduce them to several local employers, universities and groups offering apprenticeships. Read more

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https://www.qegsblackburn.com/y11-meet-theemployers-at-blackburn-cathedral/

Prize Giving 2019

Pupils and students of Queen Elizabeth’s Grammar School celebrated their successes of the past academic year at the annual Prize Giving ceremony, which took place at King George’s Hall. The afternoon began with the audience being addressed by Chair of Governors, Mr David Peat, which was followed by a musical medley from Year 7 and the QEGS choir. Read more

https://www.qegsblackburn.com/prize-giving-2019/

Year 11 Pupils Attend BTEC and Vocational Courses Session QEGS welcomed Chloe from Blackburn College to give the Year 11 year group an extended assembly on the college’s vocational and BTEC offering. The Careers Department invited Chloe in so that pupils could hear about possible routes, post-16. Read more

https://www.qegsblackburn. com/y11-pupils-attend-btecand-vocational-coursessession/

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Q Review | 2019/20

Open Morning 2019 was a Huge Success Both staff and guests enjoyed a morning of taster sessions at the annual Whole School Open Morning. Representatives from across the school were delighted to meet with so many prospective pupils and parents as they showcased the school to them.

https://www.qegsblackburn. com/open-morning-2019-was-ahuge-success/

Year 7 BAE Roadshow Comes to QEGS The Careers Department welcomed the BAE Roadshow team into school to give their annual presentation to Year 7. Delivered in conjunction with the RAF and Royal Navy, the presenters spent an hour demonstrating computer communication, night vision and infrared technology. Read more

https://www.qegsblackburn.com/y7-baeroadshow-comes-to-qegs/

Year 10 Pupils Attend Apprenticeship Assembly The Careers Department welcomed Cath Robinson from ASK Lancashire Forum to speak to pupils in Year 10 about opportunities post-16 and post-18. Cath discussed apprenticeship options with local and national companies, giving the pupils a great deal of up-to-date and relevant information as they look to consider their route after Year 11. Read more

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https://www.qegsblackburn.com/y10pupils-attend-apprenticeship-assembly/

QEGS Receives ‘Good’ Ofsted Rating QEGS Celebrates ‘Libraries Week’

with Outstanding features

Pupils, parents and staff came together to celebrate ‘Libraries Week’ by running a range of activities to promote the benefits of reading. Alongside the new reading lists that had been created, Head of Library, Mrs Dewhurst, introduced a ‘Message in a book’ initiative which ran throughout the week aiming to motivate readers to finish their books or try something new.

https://www. qegsblackburn.com/ qegs-celebrateslibraries-week/

Queen Elizabeth’s Grammar School is delighted to share that following an Ofsted inspection in September 2019, the school has been awarded the rating of ‘Good’. In addition, the school has been judged as ‘Outstanding’ in two areas; Personal Development and Early Years Provision. Read more

https://www.qegsblackburn.com/qegs-receives-good-ofsted-rating/

Performance Poet and Author Paul Jenkins Returns to QEGS QEGS celebrated National Poetry Day with a fun-filled day hosted by Performance Poet and Author, Paul Jenkins. Pupils in Year 4, 5 and 7 spent time listening to Paul in a range of activities, including an on-stage performance of humorous poems written by Paul. Read more

https://www.qegsblackburn.com/performance-poet-and-author-pauljenkins-returns-to-qegs/

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Q Review | 2019/20

Fine Art and DT Students Attend Inaugural British Textile Biennial

Bikeability Fun! Pupils from Years, 4, 5 and 6 have been enjoying Bikeability sessions within their Games lessons at Lammack this term. Every child gets the opportunity to start to learn how to ride a bike at QEGS and the more-experienced young cyclist who is already confident on a bike will learn how to cycle safely on the road.

https://www. qegsblackburn. com/8463-2/

Year 12 and 13 students from Fine Art and DT spent the day exploring a range of exhibitions in Blackburn city centre, as part of the first ever British Textile Biennial. Students were accompanied by Mr Birtwistle and Mr Windle as they started their day at the city’s Cathedral, meeting local artists Emma Colbert and Lee Smillie. Read more

https://www.qegsblackburn.com/fine-art-and-dt-students-meetartists-and-designers-at-inaugural-british-textile-biennial/

Year 11 Pupils Visit the National Apprenticeship Show A group of QEGS Year 11 pupils were accompanied by Mr Taylor and Ms Ash to the National Apprenticeship Show, at Bolton Arena. The trip was arranged for those pupils who have previously shown an interest in starting an apprenticeship after their GCSEs. Read more

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https://www.qegsblackburn.com/year-11-pupils-visit-the-nationalapprenticeship-show/

Year 11 Benefit from Languages Enrichment Event QEGS’ Languages Faculty organised an enrichment opportunity for all Year 11 pupils, sampling different languages including Polish, Japanese, Ancient Greek, Italian and Luxembourgish. Read more

https://www. qegsblackburn.com/ year-11-benefit-fromlanguages-enrichmentevent/

Teachers and Students from QEGS Lead ‘Big Draw’ in Preston

QEGS teachers Mr Braime and Mr Windle accompanied Sixth Form student Poppy McDonald as she ventured into the professional art world, holding her first live art demonstration for Atlantic Contemporary Art at the Artistry House in Preston. Read more

https://www.qegsblackburn.com/teachersand-students-from-qegs-lead-big-draw-inpreston/

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Cross Country Season Gets Underway for Primary Phase Pupils Six boys and six girls from QEGS’ Primary Phase represented the school in the first of the season’s cross-country events. The competition took place at Witton Park in Blackburn, with some extremely muddy and waterlogged areas in the course for the hundreds of runners taking part. Read more

https://www.qegsblackburn.com/crosscountry-season-gets-underway-for-primaryphase-pupils/

QEGS Attend Biennial Closing Events Sixth Form students Manahil Waseem, Kitty Butler and Poppy McDonald were accompanied by Mr Birtwistle, Head of Creative Faculty, to take part in the closing exhibitions of the first ever British Textile Biennial. The students participated in a parade through Blackburn centre, as part of Artist Jamie Holman’s exhibition ‘Transform and Escape the Dogs’. Read more

https://www.qegsblackburn.com/qegs-attendbiennial-closing-events/

Primary Phase Football Team Reach Blackburn with Darwen Jubilee Shield The Primary Phase football team represented QEGS at the Blackburn with Darwen Jubilee Shield, playing five matches in total across the tournament. The boys and girls did a fantastic job, managing to win four matches and draw one. Read more

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https://www.qegsblackburn.com/primaryphase-football-team-reach-blackburn-withdarwen-jubilee-shield-final/

Annual Harvest Assembly Supports Blackburn Foodbank QEGS’ Staff and Pupils Attend Blackburn Remembrance Day Service As part of Remembrance Day 2019, staff from QEGS accompanied pupils to a service held at Blackburn Cathedral on Sunday 11th November. 30 pupils and students alongside Mrs Gammon, Mr Vyse, Mrs Cox, Mrs Tattersall and Mr Hart attended the annual event, which pays respects to those who gave their lives for their country in the First and Second World War, and conflicts thereafter. Read more

https://www. qegsblackburn.com/ qegs-staff-and-pupilsattend-blackburnremembrance-dayservice/

Year 3 and 4 children delivered a spectacular Harvest Assembly to parents and fellow pupils, whilst collecting essential items for those who need it most in the local area. From mice taking over QEGS, to a greedy king that learned valuable lessons, children and adults smiled throughout the performances and reflected on the important messages they delivered. Read more

https://www.qegsblackburn.com/annual-harvest-assembly-supportsblackburn-foodbank/

Swimming Success for Maisie and Mohammad Two Year 7 pupils swam their way to personal bests at a gala in Spenborough in Leeds, in November. Mohammad Islam and Maisie Lambert, who both swim for Great Harwood Otters Swimming Club, took part in the gala with Mohammad coming 2nd in backstroke and earning a personal best in 100 individual medley, and Maisie coming 4th in breaststroke and 5th in backstroke. Read more

https://www.qegsblackburn.com/swimming-success-for-maisie-andmohammad/

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QEGS Remembers

Staff and pupils took part in services across the school to remember those who gave their lives in service of their country. Year 11 pupils and students from our Sixth Form took part in a service in Big School, led by Head of Sixth Form Mr Park, whilst Year 7-11 pupils attended the main assembly hall for a service led by the Head, Mrs Gammon. Read more

https://www.qegsblackburn.com/qegs-remembers/

Year 8 and 9 Pupils Tune In To Book Awards Final Seven keen readers from Year 8 and 9 watched the live stream of the Royal Society Young People’s Book Prize, a joint book award that celebrates Science and Reading. The award began in 1988 to encourage writing, publishing and reading communicating science and this year, Year 8 pupils Isaac Blackman, Erica Riley, William Hartley, Harvey Buck, Zainab Iftikar, Hibah Munir and Adam Sidat from Year 9 had six books to choose from, read between June and November. Read more

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https://www.qegsblackburn.com/year-8-and-9-pupils-tune-in-tobook-awards-final/

Year 13 Linguists Debate in French and Spanish

Asad Unbeaten at Lancashire Chess Congress

Year 13 linguists bravely participated in the Northern Schools MFL Debating competition, supporting their A level study. French and Spanish students had to prepare and then take part in two debates in their chosen language, with topics ranging from ‘investment in space exploration’ and ‘the toxicity of fame’ – something that would be difficult to do in English!

Year 7 pupil Asad Syed won five matches out of five at the Lancashire Chess Association Junior Congress and has been crowned the Lancashire ‘Queens group’ winner. Asad, who has played chess for a year and a half, received a certificate, trophy and the book ‘A History of Lancashire Chess from 1871-2011’ as his prize for winning.

https://www.qegsblackburn.com/year-13linguists-debate-in-french-and-spanish/

https://www.qegsblackburn.com/asadunbeaten-at-lancashire-chess-congress/

‘No Pens Day’ Comes to QEGS School was a hive of activity and creativity as QEGS took part in No Pens Day Wednesday, a national event that encourages schools to put down their pens and to run a day of speaking and listening activities. Read more

https://www.qegsblackburn.com/ no-pens-day-comes-to-qegs/

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Nathan Brings Home Bronze Year 11 pupil Nathan May earned a bronze medal at the ‘King of the Ring’ competition in Sweden in November. Nathan, who had recent success in the British Club Boxing Championships in Ireland, earned a place in the semi-finals, beating a former Swedish champion in the previous round. Read more

https://www.qegsblackburn.com/nathanbrings-home-bronze/

Pupils Take Part in Workshops with Local PCSO Pupils from Year 9 took part in workshops on knife crime, drugs and county lines with a local PSCO, as part of their PSHE studies. Despite knife crime not being a particularly common issue in Blackburn, the UK is seeing an increase in the amount of young people carrying knives. Read more

https://www.qegsblackburn.com/pupils-take-part-inworkshops-with-local-pcso/

QEGS Becomes a ‘Learning by Questions’ Ambassador School Queen Elizabeth’s Grammar School has purchased eight sets of pupil tablets to support the use of ‘Learning by Questions’, a classroom app designed to provide immediate pupil feedback and super charge learning. The app, which is initially for use in Maths and Science (Senior Phase) and KS2 Maths, English and Science in Primary Phase, is filled with curriculumaligned question sets that provide automatic, immediate feedback to pupils. Read more

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https://www.qegsblackburn. com/qegs-becomes-a-learningby-questions-ambassadorschool/

QEGS Collect Prestigious Award at Lord’s Cricket Ground Future Apprentices Head to Birmingham for World Skills Show Mr Taylor and Miss Ash accompanied a group of Year 10 and Year 11 pupils interested in apprenticeships to the World Skills UK show at the NEC. Whilst it was a considerable minibus drive there and back, it was an excellent event with a huge number of exhibitors covering a wide range of careers. Read more

Year 13 pupil Qasim Shah and Dr Butler, Head of Physical Education and Sport, attended a prestigious dinner at Lord’s Cricket Ground, following the school’s recognition as North-West winners of the 2019 Forty Club ‘Spirit of Cricket’ Award. The evening was attended by the other regional winners of the award, along with VIP’s and dignitaries from the world of cricket. Read more

https://www.qegsblackburn.com/qegs-collect-prestigious-award-atlords-cricket-ground/

https://www. qegsblackburn.com/ future-apprenticeshead-to-birminghamfor-world-skills-show/

Spanish Trip to See ‘Primeras Citas’ Over 60 pupils visited Westholme Senior School to watch a performance by the Onatti Theatre Company, in Spanish. The play, called ‘Primeras Citas’ (First Dates) was about a boy and a girl arranging a first date and the events leading up to the date, including calling each other, making plans, getting ready to go out and visiting the cinema. Read more

https://www. qegsblackburn.com/ spanish-trip-to-seeprimeras-citas/

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Joel Rothwell Hits the Right Note with QEGS Pupils Local singer and former pupil, Joel Rothwell, entertained Year 7, 8, 9 and 10 pupils by performing his new single, ‘Know Them’. Joel, who came to QEGS in Year 10 after being bullied at his former school, used the performance time to speak to pupils about the importance of being an individual and how to find support if they feel they are being bullied. Read more

Senior School Embraces National Non-Fiction November The Senior School Library ran a book challenge with a difference to celebrate ‘National Non-Fiction November’. The challenge focused on all things factual and involving as many taught subjects in school as possible, as Faculty Heads and Subject Leaders flooded Senior School Librarian, Mrs Dewhurst, with subject-specific questions for the challenge. Read more

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https://www.qegsblackburn.com/seniorschool-embraces-national-non-fictionnovember/

https://www. qegsblackburn.com/ joel-rothwell-hitsthe-right-note-withqegs-pupils/

Year 4 Take a Tour of the Tower! Year 4 were lucky enough to visit the fortified Manor House, Hoghton Tower. Children dressed up in traditional Tudor costumes, before exploring the many rooms and halls that the Level 1 heritage site has to offer; a select few children were even knighted in the banqueting hall! Read more

https://www.qegsblackburn.com/year-4take-a-tour-of-the-tower/

Economics Students Vote for Policies, Not Parties!

Year 9 See ‘Science In Action’!

Students in Year 13 Economics lessons took part in online quizzes that related to the Economy and Brexit, in the lead up to the General Election. The quiz showed various current policies, with party names hidden, allowing students to vote for which they agreed with, without party bias.

Keen Scientists in Year 9 travelled to the University of Salford for an exhilarating day of science talks, taking pupils from their studies to cuttingedge research and future applications. Five highly engaging, interactive sessions ran across the conference on the topics of; ‘Bring Back the King – The Science of De-Extinction’, ‘Does your Phone Cost the Earth?’, ‘The Future of Energy’, ‘Everest Lab’ and ‘Science of the Future’.

https://www.qegsblackburn.com/ economics-students-vote-for-policies-notparties/

https://www.qegsblackburn.com/year-9see-science-in-action/

QEGS Girls’ Football Team Attend Rovers’ Continental Cup Match Players from the U12 and U13 girls’ football teams were treated to a trip to Bamber Bridge FC to watch a cup game between Blackburn Rovers Ladies and Liverpool FC Women. Despite the result, with BRFC Ladies suffering a heavy 6-0 defeat, feedback from the QEGS players in attendance said that this was their ‘best trip ever’ and that they felt ‘really inspired by the match’.

https://www.qegsblackburn.com/ qegs-girls-football-team-attendrovers-continental-cup-match/

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A-Level Geographers Visit Isle of Arran Year 13 Geography students travelled to Arran in Scotland to collect data for their independent investigations, as part of the A level study. After a long journey, the students were happy to be welcomed to the Kinloch Hotel before the hard work of collecting the all-important data began. Read more

https://www.qegsblackburn.com/a-levelgeographers-visit-isle-of-arran/

Tanzanian Choir Inspire Children with Their Message of Gratitude Pupils in Primary Phase were treated to a visit from Tanzanian group, ‘Bethany Choir’. The choir wowed children and teachers alike, with their fantastic singing and beaming smiles throughout the visit, creating a celebratory atmosphere for all in attendance.

https://www.qegsblackburn.com/ tanzanian-choir-inspire-children-with-theirmessage-of-gratitude/

Christingle Assembly Kicks Off the Primary Phase Festive Programme Children from EYFS to Year 3 took part in the first of a busy festive programme of events for Primary Phase, with the annual Christingle Assembly. Parents, Carers, Grandparents and family friends attended the assembly to hear the children sing beautifully and lead readings, and learn more about the meaning of the ‘Christingle’.

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https://www.qegsblackburn.com/ christingle-assembly-kicks-off-theprimary-phase-festive-programme/

‘Death of a Salesman’ Comes to QEGS

QEGS’ thespians conquered yet another Everest of the repertoire with their superb performance of Arthur Miller’s ‘Death of a Salesman’. Audiences were mesmerised by the realism and passion with which they brought this iconic classic of American theatre to the stage. Read more

https://www.qegsblackburn.com/death-of-a-salesman-comes-to-qegs/

Artist Alastair Gordon Inspires Year 11, 12 and 13 Esteemed Artist and former QEGS pupil Alastair Gordon visited the school to talk to Art GCSE pupils and A level students about his work, career and aspirations for the future. Alastair, an accomplished artist with an impressive reputation, hosted a Q&A with attendees whilst showing various examples of his work, which is often exhibited around the world. Read more

https://www.qegsblackburn.com/artist-alistair-gordon-inspiresyear-11-12-and-13/

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Festive Fun in the Library

Senior School pupils took part in a special lunchtime event in the Library raising money for Drone SAR, a charity that helps reunite missing dogs with their owners through the use of drone technology. The charity was selected by this year’s Pupil Librarians, who voted for their favourite charity to decide where the proceeds of the event should go to. Read more

https://www.qegsblackburn.com/festive-fun-in-the-library-3/

QEGS Pupils Hold Tea Time Concert Pupils from QEGS held a Tea Time concert to showcase some of the performance work that has taken place in class and in their instrumental lessons. Musicians took to the Big School Dining Hall for 90 minutes of modern and classical performances, including a piece by Beethoven and hymns such as ‘O Holy Night’. Read more

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https://www.qegsblackburn.com/qegs-pupils-holdtea-time-concert/

QEGS General Election Results Are In!

On Thursday 12th December 2019 there were not one, but two General Elections taking place. One involving Corbyn, Johnson and Swinson battling for the keys to Number 10 Downing Street and one much more impressive election taking place at QEGS Blackburn. Read more

https://www.qegsblackburn.com/qegs-generalelection-results-are-in/

QEGS Supports ‘Save the Children’ Staff, pupils and students at QEGS supported ‘Save the Children’ by wearing festive jumpers and outfits, as part of Christmas Jumper Day 2019. A range of glittery, bright and funny jumpers were seen around school as they joined the thousands of people, across the country, who donned their most festive items. Read more

https://www. qegsblackburn.com/ qegs-supports-savethe-children/

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EYFS Continues Festive Celebrations with Nativity Children in QEGS’ EYFS classes delivered a fantastic nativity performance in the final week of Michaelmas term. An array of colourful costumes and jolly songs delighted audiences, who watched on in delight as the children sang beautifully and delivered their lines with confidence. Read more

https://www.qegsblackburn.com/eyfscontinues-festive-celebrations-with-nativity/

Key Stage 2 Pupils Round Off Michaelmas Term with ‘Christmas Is Forever’ Key Stage 2 pupils concluded Michaelmas term with an exciting Christmas production performance for fellow pupils, families and friends. In the final week of term, pupils performed ‘Christmas Is Forever’ where Jane Bond ‘Double O P S’ (OOPS) rescues Father Christmas from the clutches of the evil ‘Scarymonger’. Read more

https://www.qegsblackburn.com/ key-stage-2-pupils-round-offmichaelmas-term-with-christmas-isforever/

Sixth Form Students Collect for Blackburn Food Bank Students from Year 13 took part in a pizza party as part of their final day of term celebrations. The party, which had been planned over the previous week, featured students giving out ‘Secret Santa’ gifts and enjoying a delicious lunch with their class mates. Read more

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https://www.qegsblackburn.com/sixth-formstudents-collect-for-blackburn-food-bank/

Primary Phase Wow with ‘Everyone Loves a Baby’ Nativity

Pupils in Key Stage 1 delivered a fantastic performance to families and fellow pupils with this year’s Nativity, ‘Everyone Loves a Baby’. The play was about a very special baby being born but instead of the usual excitement ahead of his arrival, the children in the family preferred several different animals (which changed throughout the performance) over the baby. Read more

https://www.qegsblackburn.com/primary-phase-wow-with-everyone-loves-a-baby-nativity/

Michaelmas Term Comes to a Close with Carol Service Staff, pupils and students rounded off a fantastic first term of the 2019/20 academic year with a carol service at Blackburn Cathedral. The carol service is an annual event which celebrates Michaelmas term and builds festive anticipation for the Christmas break. Read more

https://www.qegsblackburn.com/ michaelmas-term-comes-to-a-closewith-carol-service/

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Lent Term

QEGS Donates Over 23kg of Goods to Blackburn Foodbank Following the collection held in Sixth Form on the last day of Michaelmas term, Ms Walmsley visited Blackburn Foodbank in late December and was delighted to deliver over 23kg of donated food, along with a £150 cash donation.

https://www. qegsblackburn.com/ qegs-donates-over-23kgof-goods-to-blackburnfoodbank/

Former Student Visits Year 10 pupils Ahead of English Literature PhD Study Former student Hannah Bury returned to QEGS to speak to Year 10 pupils about her studies, as she begins a PhD examining Disney Adaptations of 19th Century Literature.

https://www. qegsblackburn.com/ former-student-visits-year10-pupils-ahead-of-englishliterature-phd-study/

A Slice of Norman History for Year 7 Pupils in Year 7 have taken part in a Motte and Bailey Castle Project to support their study of William the Conqueror and his methods to secure his position in Norman England.

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https://www.qegsblackburn. com/a-slice-of-normanhistory-for-year-7/

Eurofest Comes to QEGS!

Year 8 pupils experienced an immersive day of languages at this year’s ‘Eurofest’, including a visit from Blackburn Rovers Goalkeeper Jayson Leutwiler. Read more

https://www.qegsblackburn.com/eurofest-comesto-qegs/

Future Medics Explore Career Options at Experience Day Year 11 pupils attended a Medical Careers Day at Unsworth Academy as they consider a career in medicine in the future. Read more

https://www.qegsblackburn.com/future-medicsexplore-career-options-at-experience-day/

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QEGS highlighted in OFSTED Annual Report launch Lunchtime Club Knit for Australia Keen literary pupils at Mrs Dewhurst’s lunchtime ‘Bookmark Club’ have been busy learning a new craft since returning for the new term and in turn have shown immense kindness to The Australian Animal Rescue Project.

https://www. qegsblackburn.com/ lunchtime-club-knit-foraustralia/

Queen Elizabeth’s Grammar School is delighted to have been highlighted as part of the launch of the Ofsted Annual Report for 2018/19. The report gives a national picture of the performance of early years, schools, further education and skills, and social care providers and QEGS has been selected as one of four regional case studies. Read more

https://www.qegsblackburn.com/qegs-highlighted-in-ofsted-annualreport-launch/

Year 1 Use Trip to Z Arts to Inspire Creative Writing Pupils from Year 1 visited the popular Julia Donaldson exhibition at Z Arts and took inspiration from Donaldson’s ‘Zog’ to create their very own hybrid creature. Read more

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https://www.qegsblackburn.com/year-1-use-trip-toz-arts-to-inspire-creative-writing/

75th Holocaust Memorial Day Marked at QEGS

As part of the 75th Holocaust Memorial Day, pupils from across Senior School came together to mark the day in 1945 when Soviet soldiers entered Auschwitz and liberated 7,560 survivors.

https://www.qegsblackburn. com/75th-holocaust-memorial-daymarked-at-qegs/

Annual Verse Singing Competition Returns Forty children from the Primary Phase entered the annual QEGS Verse Speaking competition this term, with one entry selected from each class, per category.

https://www.qegsblackburn.com/ annual-verse-singing-competitionreturns/

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Skating Sydney Tips 22,000 Audience Total Year 8 pupil Sydney Chadderton has now skated to over 22,000 people, thanks to her involvement with BIDCA, a charity for sick, disabled and disadvantaged children in Blackpool and the Fylde. Read more

https://www.qegsblackburn.com/skatingsydney-tips-22000-audience-total/

Year 7 and 8 Pupils Impress With Their Basketball Skills

Nine pupils in Year 7 and 8 took part in a 3v3 basketball tournament and impressed with their newly-discovered skills. Read more

https://www.qegsblackburn.com/year-7-and-8pupils-impress-with-their-basketball-skills/

Year 12 History Students Go Beyond Be safe, Be seen! The Books Pupils in Primary Phase enjoyed a visit from a Co-op representative to support the Co-op’s ‘Be Safe Be Seen’ campaign. Belle visited QEGS in late January and started the presentation by explaining her job and how she supports the Co-op’s initiative that aims to teach children about road safety and keep them safe when travelling to and from school. Read more

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https://www.qegsblackburn.com/ be-safe-be-seen/

Students studying History A level are using alternative learning methods to develop their understanding of modern history, including the fall of the Berlin Wall and Ostpolitik. Read more

https://www.qegsblackburn.com/year-12history-students-go-beyond-the-books/

Cunningham’s Scotland Call Up Year 11 pupil and talented footballer Evan Cunningham was selected for the U17 Scotland squad, ahead of friendlies against Hungary and Sweden. Read more

https://www.qegsblackburn.com/cunninghamsscotland-call-up/

Police Pay Trip to Primary Phase

Pupils in QEGS Primary Phase were visited by members of the local Police force, as they aim to educate children on their work and how important the Police are to the local community. Read more

https://www.qegsblackburn.com/police-pay-trip-to-primary-phase/

Pupils’ Animations Bring Geography Topics to Life Year 9 pupils in Mrs Albiston’s Geography class used animation to bring physical geography topics to life, including land formations and geographical processes such as longshore drift. Read more

https://www.qegsblackburn.com/pupils-animations-bringgeography-topics-to-life/

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Year 3 and 4 celebrate National Storytelling Week

As part of National Storytelling Week, pupils from Primary Phase paid a visit to the Senior School Library to celebrate reading fiction at QEGS. Read more

https://www.qegsblackburn.com/year-3-and-4-celebrate-nationalstorytelling-week/

Psychology A level Students First-Hand Eggs-perience of Attachment Theory Students in Year 12 explored the Attachment Theory through the use of eggs, as part of their A level study. The ‘children’ spent the weekend at students’ homes, having spent Friday waiting for their Eggparents in the ‘Q-Eggs’ Nursery. Read more

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https://www.qegsblackburn.com/psychology-a-level-studentsfirst-hand-eggs-perience-of-attachment-theory/

Box Clever bring ‘An Inspector Calls’ to Life for Year 11 GCSE Pupils Box Clever Theatre Company visited QEGS to explore ‘An Inspector Calls’, the play that Year 11 pupils are reading as part of their GCSE study.

https://www. qegsblackburn.com/boxclever-bring-an-inspectorcalls-to-life-for-year-11gcse-pupils/

Pupil Pizza Party!

Pupils in Senior School and students from Sixth Form who represented the school during Michaelmas term were treated to a pizza party lunch, in acknowledgement for their commitment to extra-curricular activities at school. Read more

https://www.qegsblackburn.com/ pupil-pizza-party/

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Nintendo Switch Winner Announced! The winner of the Nintendo Switch raffle was drawn by Mrs Gammon, in the presence of QEGS’ pupils Lilly Spurr and Raeesah Patel and Head of Primary Phase, Mrs Southworth. Read more

https://www.qegsblackburn.com/ nintendo-switch-winner-announced/

Delamere Forest Trip Encourages Community Cohesion A small group of Year 9 pupils travelled to Delamere Forest to take part in an activity day with Blackburn Central High School. Read more

Year 5 Dig Into The Lancashire Archives Year 5 took a trip down memory lane as they visited the Lancashire Archives in Preston, learning about how historical data has been recorded over the centuries.

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https://www.qegsblackburn. com/year-5-dig-into-thelancashire-archives/

https://www.qegsblackburn.com/delamere-foresttrip-encourages-community-cohesion/

Year 10 Scientists See the Sights

Thirty pupils from Year 10 braved the early wake-up call to catch a train to London for a day of sight-seeing and museum trips. Read more

https://www.qegsblackburn.com/ year-10-scientists-see-the-sights/

Year 13 attend Royal Navy Careers Assembly The Careers Department welcomed Petty Officer David Ayres from the Royal Navy Careers Office in Preston to speak to Year 13 on possible apprenticeships and post-degree level careers. Read more

https://www.qegsblackburn.com/year-13-attend-royal-navycareers-assembly/

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QEGS Sixth Form Awarded Positive Category for Sixth Form Student Progress

The Department of Education has recently published updated data for 2018/19 and we are delighted to be able to announce that QEGS has been awarded an ‘above average’ progress score at A level. This means students in QEGS’ Sixth Form are making more progress, on average, than students across England who gained similar results at the end of Key Stage 4 study. Read more

https://www.qegsblackburn.com/qegs-sixth-form-awarded-positive-category-for-sixth-form-student-progress/

London School of Economics (LSE) visits QEGS QEGS Sixth Form welcomed London School of Economics in to speak to Year 12 students about post-A level options. Read more

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https://www.qegsblackburn.com/london-schoolof-economics-visits-qegs/

Eddison Books Her Place in Texas to Represent the UK QEGS Sixth Form student Eddison Emam has been crowned International Junior Miss United Kingdom at the UK finals in Trowbridge, Wiltshire. Read more

https://www.qegsblackburn.com/eddisonbooks-her-place-in-texas-to-represent-the-uk/

The Sky’s The Limit QEGS recently welcomed RAF Squadron Leader Ed Stephens into school to deliver an extended assembly to Year 13 about opportunities and careers within the RAF. Read more

https://www.qegsblackburn.com/the-skysthe-limit/

Poetry Takeover in English Faculty! Pupils from across Senior School have been concentrating on poetry in recent weeks, with a range of tasks set to expand their creative writing skills and understanding of poetry. Read more

https://www.qegsblackburn.com/ poetry-takeover-in-english-faculty/

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FA Film QEGS’ Primary Pupils for New National Girls’ Football Portal Representatives from The Football Association and a film crew spent the day at QEGS to film Primary Phase pupils ahead of the creation of a new girls’ football coaching portal.

https://www.qegsblackburn.com/ fa-film-qegs-primary-pupils-for-newnational-girls-football-portal/

Harry Potter Book Night 2020 Year 7 and 8 pupils enjoyed an evening in celebration of the world of Harry Potter, as part of the national ‘Harry Potter Book Night’.

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https://www. qegsblackburn. com/harry-potterbook-night-2020/

British Science Week Comes to QEGS Primary Phase

Primary Phase Homework Share Proves a Hit! Primary Teachers again welcomed parents and carers into school to share homework projects with the children, with an impressive turnout of families supporting their children’s learning. Read more

https://www.qegsblackburn.com/primary-phase-homework-shareproves-a-hit/

Keen scientists in QEGS Primary Phase took part in ‘British Science Week’, a celebration of science, technology, engineering and mathematics, between 6th-15th March.

https://www. qegsblackburn.com/ british-science-weekcomes-to-qegsprimary-phase/

Latin Students Celebrate ‘Ides of March’ Students in A level Latin joined forces with last year’s AS Latin students to celebrate the ‘Ides of March’ in their own lunch break. Read more

https://www. qegsblackburn. com/latin-studentscelebrate-ides-ofmarch/

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Year 12 Future Medical Specialists Attend NHS Talk Year 12 A level students expressing an interest in a medical career attended a talk with Nick Mullin from the Lancashire and South Cumbria NHS Foundation Trust to hear more about working in mental health services. Read more

Year 7 Geography Class Complete QEGS Microclimate Study Under the guidance of trainee teacher Mr Forrest, Year 7 pupils completed a microclimate study around the QEGS facility. Read more

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https://www.qegsblackburn.com/year-7-geography-classcomplete-qegs-microclimate-study/

https://www. qegsblackburn.com/ year-12-futuremedical-specialistsattend-nhs-talk/

Exploding Geography! Year 8 pupils participated in a Geography homework project with a difference, as they were asked to create an explanation of an exploding volcano, in any way they wished. Read more

https://www.qegsblackburn.com/exploding-geography/

Primary Pupils Impress at Indoor Athletics Competition Eighteen children from Year 3 and 4 had an exciting trip up to Lammack, competing against local schools in the Indoor Athletics competition. The children represented QEGS and took part in throwing, jumping and running events. Read more

https://www.qegsblackburn.com/primary-pupils-impress-at-indoor-athletics-competition/

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OB Gary Aspden is First Ambassador for Homeless Charity Nightsafe Gary Aspden, OB 81-87, a brand expert and specialist designer for Adidas, has been working closely with Nightsafe, a local charity that helps the young homeless people of Blackburn, and has become their very first Ambassador. Read more

https://www.qegsblackburn.com/ob-garyaspden-is-first-ambassador-for-homelesscharity-nightsafe/

QEGS Earns ‘Recipe 4 Health’ Award QEGS have been recognised by Blackburn with Darwen Council for providing healthier food choices for pupils and students. Read more

https://www.qegsblackburn.com/ qegs-earns-recipe-4-health-award/

Sixth Form Students Recognised by UK Chemistry Olympiad Five Year 12 and 13 students have been awarded bronze certificates by the UK Chemistry Olympiad. Dylan Treanor, Yatish Chavda, Kashif Khan, Rebecca Mitchell and Isabella Cavazzana all received recognition for their problem-solving skills, which were applied to real-life situations. Read more

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https://www.qegsblackburn.com/ sixth-form-students-recognised-byuk-chemistry-olympiad/

World Book Day Takeover at QEGS!

As part of ‘Book week’ celebrations, pupils and students in QEGS Primary Phase, Senior Phase and Sixth Form took part in ‘World Book Day’ with a range of activities taking place over the school day. Read more

https://www.qegsblackburn.com/world-book-daytakeover-at-qegs/

Howard House Announced as QUEST 2020 Winners Howard House has been awarded the QUEST 2020 winner’s title, after a week of House challenges in the Senior School library. Read more

https://www.qegsblackburn.com/howard-houseannounced-as-quest-2020-winners/

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Book Week Fever!

A successful ‘Book Week’ took place in school towards the end of Lent Term, with a host of themed activities enjoyed by pupils and students across all year groups. Read more

https://www.qegsblackburn.com/book-week-fever/

Local schools come together for verse speaking competition Primary schools from the local area gathered at QEGS to take part in a verse speaking competition, as children recited poetry that they had written across 4 main categories. Read more

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https://www.qegsblackburn. com/local-schools-cometogether-for-verse-speakingcompetition/

‘Mary Poppins’ performance sweeps audience off their feet Pupils and students from across QEGS Senior School and Sixth Form entertained audiences in February with a fun and lively performance of ‘Mary Poppins’. Read more

https://www.qegsblackburn.com/mary-poppinsperformance-sweeps-audience-off-their-feet/

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Trinity Term

Class of 2020: Year 11 Stand Down Day Pupils in Year 11 came together on an unexpected final day of Lent term, to say their goodbyes and take part in a ‘stand down day’. Whilst uncertainty still remained around examinations at the time, QEGS staff wanted to give Year 11 pupils the best possible send off at such short notice. Read more

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https://www.qegsblackburn.com/class-of-2020-year-11-stand-downday/

Pupils continue to accelerate!

Whilst the school closed to most pupils, this did not stopped many of our hard working readers in Year 7 and 8. Pupils continued to take part in the ‘Accelerated Reader’ programme with the additional support of Senior School Librarian, Mrs Dewhurst. Read more

https://www.qegsblackburn.com/pupils-continue-toaccelerate/

Two budding Year 7 writers are recognised by BBC Two pupils in Year 7 were selected by the BBC to go through to the next round of ‘500 Words’, a writing competition run by the BBC. 24 QEGS pupils entered the competition earlier this year and the BBC confirmed that out of 240,000 entries, 2 QEGS pupils made it through to the next round. Read more

https://www.qegsblackburn.com/two-budding-year-7writers-are-recognised-by-bbc/

Mrs Wild tackles 26.2! QEGS Science teacher Mrs Wild took part in the London Marathon’s 2.6 challenge, completing a 26.2km run to support a local charity. Mrs Wild was hoping to complete the marathon to mark her 60th birthday, however as the event was cancelled due to the current pandemic, she decided to tackle a solo challenge along with a number of volunteers across the country. Read more

https://www.qegsblackburn.com/mrs-wildtackles-26-2/accelerate/

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Mr Aslam is running Ramadan

QEGS Primary Phase teacher, Mr Aslam, tackled an impressive challenge by running 5km every day during the holy month of Ramadan. Read more

https://www.qegsblackburn.com/mr-aslam-is-running-ramadan/

Mr Hargreaves cycles for dementia QEGS’ Head of Physics, Mr Hargreaves, faced a ‘lockdown’ challenge to cycle an impressive 500 miles in 30 days in support of the Alzheimer’s Society. Read more

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https://www.qegsblackburn. com/mr-hargreaves-cycles-fordementia/

QEGS Celebrates VE Day 75 at Home Staff, pupils, students and their families celebrated the early May Bank Holiday, marking 75 years since ‘Victory in Europe’ day. Read more

https://www.qegsblackburn.com/qegs-celebratesve-day-75-at-home/

Staff share messages with QEGS Community Staff from QEGS’ Primary and Senior Phases shared two videos with our school community. The videos say ‘thank you’ to our pupils, students, parents, carers and key workers for all their help, support and hard work during these challenging times. Read more

https://www.qegsblackburn.com/ staff-share-messages-with-qegscommunity/

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QEGS Virtual Sports Awards 2020 The PE department at QEGS were delighted to share the award winners for the 2019/20 school year in late May. The awards, which were due to be presented at Ewood Park in April, recognise performance, commitment, improvement and excellent playing attitudes shown across the school year. Read more

https://www.qegsblackburn.com/qegs-virtual-sports-awards-2020-winners-announced/

QEGS Community comes together for Iftar with a difference In recent years the QEGS community has come together during the period of Ramadan for a shared Iftar at school. The event celebrates the diverse community we live in and shows support to the pupils, students, families and staff who fast during the holy month of Ramadan. However, given the COVID-19 lockdown, our physical event could not take place this year and so a ‘virtual’ event was held instead. Recipes were sent from pupils, students, families and staff and shared with our entire community, ahead of a full day of fasting on Friday 15th May. Read more

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https://www.qegsblackburn.com/qegs-community-comes-together-for-iftarwith-a-difference/

Primary Phase pupils bring smiles during lockdown! Teachers from QEGS Primary Phase received photos from parents and carers as children continued to learn and play at home, during the COVID-19 lockdown. Read more

https://www.qegsblackburn.com/primary-phase-pupilsbring-smiles-during-lockdown/

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Pupil Librarian of the Year 2019/20 As the 2019/20 academic year came to a close, Senior School Librarian, Mrs Dewhurst, announced our Pupil Librarian of the Year, Isaac Blackburn of 8JLN. Isaac was a breath of fresh air in the school library and was always full of new ideas. https://www.qegsblackburn.com/pupil-librarian-ofthe-year-2019-20/

New Pupil Librarians and End of Year Celebrations Following a number of strong applications from our Year 7 pupils, we are delighted to announce the 2020/21 Pupil Librarians. Senior School Librarian, Mrs Dewhurst, has chosen the following 13 pupils, who showed excellent attention to detail and care in the applications. From September, the new team will follow the SLA training programme, working through a series of awards during their time as Pupil Librarians.

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• • • • •

William Hopkins Setareh Khattir Vicky Zhou Zahra Ashraf Maryam Bhana

• • • • •

Ben Bailey Hader Mohammad Fizza Zafar Aahil Shah Sara Mahmood

• • •

Kitty Simpson Zahra Eshan Bilaal Daud

https://www.qegsblackburn.com/senior-school-libraryupdate-new-pupil-librarians-and-end-of-year-celebrations/

A level Psychology and Sociology Students get creative!

Lockdown did not stopped our A level Psychology and Sociology students from getting creative with their learning! Read more

https://www.qegsblackburn.com/a-level-psychologyand-sociology-students-get-creative/

QEGS receives essential PPE donations from local community As we began to partially reopen to certain year groups, local organisations generously donated essential equipment and PPE to assist with the new safety measures required in school. Read more

https://www.qegsblackburn.com/qegs-receives-essentialppe-donations-from-local-community/

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The QEGS Community Comes Together for ‘Virtual Fun Run’ Pupils, students, parents, carers and staff rallied together as the first ever ‘virtual’ fun run took place at the end of Trinity term.

https://www.qegsblackburn.com/ the-qegs-community-comestogether-for-virtual-fun-run/

Former student Suha supports ‘Harry Potter At Home’ Former student Suha Mehmood often gives her time to the Senior Library and is a much valued volunteer. During lockdown, Suha has continued to show her support and kindly offered to help to promote the ‘Harry Potter At Home’ daily readings. Read more

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https://www.qegsblackburn.com/former-studentsuha-supports-harry-potter-at-home/

First ever ‘virtual’ Primary Phase Prizegiving Staff from QEGS’ Primary Phase delivered a Prizegiving service with a difference, as the event was taken ‘online’ due to the COVID-19 school closure. Pupils from all Primary Phase year groups were recognised for the hard work, good attitude to learning, subject-specific success and overall commitment to school life. Read more

https://www.qegsblackburn.com/first-ever-virtual-primary-phase-prizegiving-event-success/

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SPORTS REPORTS

Cricket It is hard to describe a better day than when the sun is shining, birds are singing, the smell of freshly mown grass, the buzz of conversation in the background and the sound of leather on willow. All these indicate to me that cricket season has finally arrived. That said, those who know Lancashire weather and are familiar with Saturday morning cricket will agree that very often we are trussed up in jumpers, coats and woolly hats, often huddled together to find the best viewing spot out of the wind and in some cases, rain! However, despite the weather, here we are reviewing what was another very enjoyable season. Our 1st XI fixtures were very much limited to Wednesday afternoons prior to the Year 13 and GCSE students leaving QEGS on examination stand down in 2019. Our team of cricketers have experienced success in the past and as an age group squad, have been formidable opponents with an excellent wins-to-losses ratio in the past. It was clear that many had elected to not play club cricket due to the pressures of impending exams and this was evident in some of our more challenging fixtures, not least an opening heavy defeat against Myerscough College Academy. A good T20 victory versus Stonyhurst provided some reassurance before the two remaining fixtures against the MCC and the Forty Club. Again, rustiness with bat, ball and unforgivably in the field, left us ‘under-cooked’ against a very good, and much stronger than normal, MCC side. Given that Qasim Shah had secured a memorable 2018 victory with a magnificent century, a stronger MCC XI was to be expected. Chasing 190 to win, QEGS were never really in the hunt, unfortunately losing key early wickets and eventually losing by 70 runs. The match of the season was undoubtedly against the Forty Club. Chasing an improbable 187 to win, Qasim Shah, supported by some of our other top order batters, scored another 114 to steer QEGS to the point of victory. His dismissal, when we were needing 10 to win, then sparked a collapse and our batting frailties under pressure were exposed. QEGS sadly lost by 3 runs. However, such has been the positive impression and commitment to state school cricket in recent years, that the Forty Club nominated our school to receive the North West Regional Winner ‘Spirit of Cricket Award’. This culminated in a memorable black tie evening occasion that both Qasim and Team Manger Dr Butler enjoyed in the Long Room at Lords Cricket Ground, in November 2019. An event and evening that both will remember for years to come, particularly as Qasim had the opportunity to rub shoulders with one of the cricketing greats of all time, Kumar Sangakarra, now President of the MCC. Back at QEGS, the U15s did not play regularly on a Saturday which meant that the main source of games came in the Lancashire Cup. A straightforward victory in the first round saw us meet St Christopher’s, Accrington in the second round. This was by far the most memorable match of the season and actually one of the most memorable of my teaching career. In a reduced-over match, I am sure the team would agree, we failed to post a high enough total. St Christopher’s were off to a flying start and the game looked all but done with 6 overs remaining. However, excellent tactics by Louis Strand tempted their main batsman into one too many shots. From this point onwards an inspired QEGS’ team effort of bowling took place with Cameron Hegg, Rehan Zore, Ayaan Farooq and Adil Umerji, seeing QEGS home by 1 run. The run in the Lancashire Cup would come to an end against a very strong Ribblesdale team.

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The match at Stonyhurst must be mentioned as the best batting display of the season. In a match that saw a large home crowd turn out, QEGS edged a tight game and fantastic run chase with a fine half century by Captain Louis Strand and a quickfire 25 by Rehan Zore. An unlikely hero, not necessarily known for his batting, was Jibran Karolia. He was the glue that held the innings together and saw us home to silence the home crowd. A fine victory and a reminder of the talent in the team. The U14s, managed by Mr Park, secured several notable victories against the likes of AKS Lytham, Bury and Hulme Grammar School and had a decent run in the Lancashire Cup. Some inspired and consistent top order batting from Milo Gammon was supported by the pace attack and the spin bowling option of new arrival, Saubam Jalal. Milo’s innings against Rossall was one of the best innings that Mr Park said he had seen in a long while. As always with this team, players were loyal and committed, again ably captained by Ibrahim Musa whose calmness under pressure is always a positive feature of any captain. Seam bowlers Zain Akhtar and MacKenzie Cunningham both proved to be a handful when they could get the ball in the right areas consistently. Sufyan Feaz was at times ‘agricultural’ with the bat but has a good eye and on his day, can score runs very quickly. Josh Asal offers steadiness with both bat and ball. The season proved that this team has enough runs & wickets in it to compete. Everybody needs to work on improving their fielding, however, if such potential is to come to fruition more often in matchplay situations. ‘Catches win matches’ and we drop, on occasion, too many of them! The U13s struggled due to a lack of depth in terms of squad numbers and the numbers of players attending clubs. Against teams who had 4 or 5 club players, our team at times looked exposed with bat, ball and in the field. Supported by Zeeshan Wadiwala and Oliver Clarke, who both had breakthrough seasons with the bat and made double figure scores on several occasions, the bulk of the work fell to a combination of the highlytalented Hassan Mughal and Rohail Rabbani. If both could score runs in the first innings and take wickets early doors in the second, QEGS were always in with a shout. Hassan regularly scored his 30 and was then forced to retire as age-group cricket at this level demands. As time allows, he will be able to bat for longer and this may favour the chances of victory in the shorter format of cricket we play. Uzair Talib and Irbaaz Jangda contributed but more is needed from the squad players with both bat and ball rather than relying so heavily on the main two players.

As always, the U12s arrived with the usual blend of enthusiasm, optimism and a varying degree of cricketing talent. Pleasingly, some did join as the season progressed and this should be viewed as a very positive season outcome. Captained by Isaac Blackburn, whose leg spin was a real feature of the season, runs were hard to find at times. Fahad Mohammed, Mohammed Raja and stand out batsman Zak Akhtar did make contributions as the season progressed and as they became more comfortable playing hard ball cricket. Mohammed Kiani and Hanlsa Rana showed some potential as fast bowlers, with the former joining a club towards the end of the season. Aidan Robinson’s wicket keeping improved the more games he played, too. The U12s’ performance of the season came against Stonyhurst, where we secured a tense final over victory. Similarly, superb leg spin bowling from our Captain managed to clutch victory from the jaws of defeat against TIBHS. The key message for most members of this team? Join a club if you want to improve! Cricketing ‘Performances of the Season’ for all teams: • Senior 1st X1 Qasim Shah – 114 v ‘The 40 Club’ • Year 9 Saubam Jalal – 68 v CRGS LSCA Cup Rd 2 • Year 9 Milo Gammon – 50* v Rossall School • Year 8 Hassan Mughal – 52 v Stonyhurst College & 6 innings of 30* (retired) • Year 7 Isaac Blackburn – 5 for 26 v Stonyhurst College • Year 7 Hansla Rana – 4 for 11 v Kirkham G Other notable mentions: • Hassan Mughal – selected for Lancashire U15 East Regional Squad (Jan 2020) • Qasim Shah – U17 Lancashire Schools CA squad • 8 other pupils from across all year groups selected for respective District teams Plaudits must also extend to all the staff who have helped out and to Mr Alan Gammon who regularly umpired the Year 9 fixtures, as well as Mr Robinson for scoring the U12s matches. Dr ME Butler Teacher i/c Cricket

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Football 1st XI – Mr Brierley - Manager Firstly, I would like to thank all of the players, parents and carers for their commitment towards 1st XI football this year. With a busy fixture list, we found ourselves playing two fixtures most weeks. The group made themselves available at every opportunity, even fitting in a number of Saturday morning training sessions. For that, I thank each and every one of the players for their unrelenting application. From the initial conversation with Mr Hindle and the subsequent trials, it was clear to see that this year was going to be the emergence of our highly talented Year 11 group into the 1st Xl, with the very first fixture vs Bury GS containing an impressive eight Year 11 players, all fired up for the season ahead. This was the theme throughout the year and this team showed lots of promise. We made a fantastic start, only losing two games before the Christmas period. Unfortunately, these defeats came in the cup competition. This was in part due to tough draws and a lack of game management at key times within the matches. What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger and as a team, the togetherness started to show. The spirit between the players was clear to see and was demonstrated in some impressive performances both individually and collectively. Our last game against Stonyhurst College was a real highlight where we had to show character to fight back from a goal behind, winning 3-2.

but I am sure we will use this as motivation to go further next season.

stepped in at late notice and played a valuable part in this game.

Stay safe, stay fit and look forward to working with you in September!

The semi-final pitched us against Darwen Aldridge Community Academy who had beaten Westholme in the previous round. We would have to play our semi-final without ever-present Arif Demir due to injury who, nonetheless, showed a great attitude and came to support his team mates. The return of Jack Wilson from injury bolstered the defence alongside the solid partnership of Jones, Strand and Ashworth. Cunningham, fresh from his trip to Spain with the Scotland U17 team, gave the team a huge boost. With the words of myself and Mr Hindle ringing in their ears, the players went out to ‘leave Year 11 with something to remember’. The work of Bendell, Martin and Midgeley created numerous chances for Cunningham and he duly converted. The game was a tightly contested affair but in the main was controlled by the home team, largely thanks to the part played by Omar Almitwally and Reilly Morphet. With 5 minutes to go and 3-2 up, sitting Cameron Hegg in front of the back four was a strong tactical move.

The 2nd XI – Mr Hindle - Manager The 2nd XI epitomised everything that school football should encompass. A fantastic group of people, who clearly enjoyed their weekly fixtures against other schools. The 2nd XI are a hugely welcoming group and their numbers grew each week, making selection quite a challenge at times! It was the norm to have 16 players keen to play in a match day squad; a significant improvement on previous seasons, chasing around for players on a Wednesday! The 2nd XI had an excellent run, beating Stonyhurst, RGS Lancaster, Shrewsbury, Westholme and Hutton Grammar, amongst others, and were a hugely competitive side this year. Notable performers include ‘Player of the Year’ Reilly Morphet, Will Smith, Finch N’tumba, and Sam Midgely. The season highlight was definitely Captain Seb Roberts’ wonder goal against Hutton. Such a fantastic goal and an even better celebration! U16s – Mr Brierley - Manager

Exciting times lie ahead for this group with a tour to South Africa on the horizon in Summer 2021. With a large number of our Year 11 pupils staying on, into our Sixth Form, we have a lot to look forward to.

With a large number of the Year 11 footballers now representing the 1st or 2nd Xl, less emphasis was placed on playing as a year group. The target for this team was set from the start, win a cup competition.

As is always the case, we say a fond farewell to members of the team for whom this season would be their last; Captain and ‘midfield enforcer’ Oliver Wiggans, our ‘defensive rocks’ Conor Roscoe and Jamie Parker, and ‘twinkle toes’ Dominic Brown. Each and every one have been wonderful servants to football at QEGS and I wish them all well in their future endeavours. Keep playing, lads!

However, early exits from the English Schools’ FA cup, due to injuries, and a poor Lancashire Schools’ Cup performance against an Ashton Community Science College, who boast a number of academy players in their team, immediately put us on the back foot. Emphasis was switched to the Blackburn with Darwen cup in February, and with Mr Hindle and Mr Bendall joining me on the touchline, this was a group effort.

It has been an absolute pleasure to work with such a wonderful group of players and they have made me most welcome in my first year at QEGS. It is clear to see that we have a talented young team with lots of potential, a team that have competed against much older and more experienced opposition and yet have managed to consistently hold their own. The cup defeats hurt us as a team

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A depleted team took on a lively Taheedul Islamic Boys’ High School team who had us ‘on the ropes’ when they took an early lead. Questions were asked of the team at half time, but led by Captain Louis Strand, we came back to win the game despite a late push from our opponents. Special mention to Kauser Miah and Sam Weston who

With a trip now to Ewood Park scheduled for early May, nothing could stop us from winning this cup now for the third time, could it? Clearly, we hadn’t factored in the devastating impact that COVID-19 would have on all of our lives, let alone sport! Would QEGS’ Year 11 team have won the final? if we played as I well as know we can, undoubtedly. However, that will remain an unknown. The commitment from this group of players to football at QEGS over the years has been nothing short of exemplary and I am delighted so many are continuing with their academic and footballing education with us in our Sixth Form. Thank you to you all. Stay safe, be healthy and keep playing for as long as you can! U15s – Mr Hindle – Manager The U15s certainly had a challenging start to the season, losing 7 games in a row. Their efforts in training and enthusiasm to play never dwindled however, and there were clear improvements in performances, if not in results. As the term progressed, the team became more comfortable playing in a much more defensive approach and the team finally broke their winless streak and started to play some excellent football. The notable highlights being two convincing wins against Westholme.

Progress continued into the new year and a very solid performance against St Bedes showed how far the team had come. Narrow defeats against AKS Lytham and Liverpool College were followed by a three-match winning streak. A big win against Leeds Grammar School was the performance of the season in terms of football played. This was followed by the biggest wins of the season against Taheedul Islamic Boys’ High School and Witton Park Academy in the Blackburn with Darwen Cup. Unfortunately, the team were eliminated by St Wilfrid’s in the quarter-final after a poor first half performance left the team with too much to do in the second half. Special mention must go to Milo Gammon in goal who was very busy and produced some terrific saves (and should win a medal for bravery!). McKenzie Cunningham also did a great job in defence for the team, as did the everpresent Josh Asal. It was great to get Jimmi Wild playing for the second half of the season and his pace, work rate and goals helped with the overall improvement of the team. Without doubt something to build on as some of the players will progress to Senior football next year and be playing against Sixth Form students. Work hard over the summer and good luck. Thank you for your efforts! U14s – Mr Marsden – Manager At the start of the season, its seemed as if the U14 team were not only never destined to win a game but also never to score in a game. Despite some excellent individual performances, results did not seem to go their way. However, with a few good training sessions under their belts and as fitness and teamwork began to improve, results and performances also started to turn in their favour. Solid, safe goalkeeping all season and an impeccable ‘can do’ attitude from Oliver Jenkins helped to consolidate the team from the back, in addition the hardworking pairing of Ewan Fletcher and Edward Bower in the centre of defence proved a force to be reckoned with at times. Midfield flair was always evident with the skills of Esha Yousaf and Hassan Mughal providing good quality passing and Charlie Wood’s tenacity giving the team some much needed dynamism. A standout season performance and impressive goal tally from Samad Yasir, who provided some sublime finishes, ensured the season finished on a well-deserved high.

Many memorable moments were seen throughout the season, superb goals, solid tackles, beautifully directed passes and fantastic goalkeeping. The most memorable game was a flawless performance which saw the U14s win away at St.Bedes, Manchester. The goal of the season came from Samad Yasir, scoring a stunning volley in a Lancashire Cup Match, with an assist from the goalkeeper. The whole team deserves credit for a superb attitude during the season, for showing resilience, effort and not allowing a poor start to determine their entire season. U13s - Mr Cunningham- Manager Firstly, I would like to thank all the players for their commitment in what has been a successful and enjoyable season. We have competed against some great schools and we have witnessed some thrilling games. We have dealt with absence and injuries to key players throughout the season but we have always displayed a positive spirit for the game and performed tirelessly, no matter what the weather conditions. The highlight of our season was reaching the semi-final of the District cup. Unfortunately, we were eliminated by a strong Darwen Vale side. However, the standout performance in the competition came through an excellent team effort to overcome a determined St. Wilfrid’s, in the quarter-final. A special mention must be made in regards to Oscar Kelly’s individual brilliance in this game (and throughout the season) where he performed excellently, and his performance included scoring an utterly ridiculous volley from 45 yards out, demonstrating fantastic technique. We also enjoyed a number of Saturday morning victories throughout the season, including achieving the double over Westholme. I would like to say a big thank you to all the parents and carers for supporting pupil involvement in football at QEGS, on a Saturday morning. It is greatly appreciated! Enjoy the Summer! U12s – Mr Goodall - Manager The season started for this newly-formed team with a trip to Bury Grammar School, with lots of excitement on the coach as the team were still getting to know each other’s names, never mind

how they would come together to play as a team! A ‘Player of the Match’ performance from Eve Jenkins could unfortunately not prevent an early season loss. However, this would seem to spark something in the side as they trained hard and started to gel as a team. The first home game provided a tough test against St. Wilfrid’s, but the team delivered to get off to winning ways. A 6-3 win was enjoyed by the team, and our second female ‘Player of the Match’ came in the form of Molly Caffrey, with her dominant performance and leadership as Captain of the side. 6-3 proved to be a popular score line as the next opponents, St. Bede’s Manchester were brushed aside with the same socreline, including a couple of fantastic goals from Husan Malik. The wins continued with a double victory in the space of 2 weeks against Westholme and a valiant victory against Oldham Hulme, where Harry Wood stole the show with a brace and a ‘Player of the Match’ performance. The turn of the year saw some great performances from the team. A narrow loss to Liverpool College and a 5-5 draw against AKS Lytham were hard to take, especially as I missed an offside decision to snatch the victory in the last kick of the game against Lytham! Special mentions this year must go to Tehzeb Shah, Alfie Emmett and Georgi Walton for there ever-presence come rain or shine. To Umar Alam and Ismael Murghui for protecting our leads and keeping us safe in sometimes cagey games, with their splendid shot-stopping abilities. Craig Duxbury for providing the flair for the team, much to the delight of Mr Brierley and Mr Cunningham watching from the side lines, and to David Bowlin, who can only be described as the ‘goal machine’, with a goals-per-game ratio that is one for the record books. The U12 squads, both A side and B side, have done myself and QEGS proud this year. I would like to thank all of you who have put such a fantastic effort in, across Friday afternoon games, Saturday morning fixtures and Cup games during in the week. I was most looking forward to managing this talented squad at Ewood Park for the Blackburn with Darwen Schools Cup final. However, COVID-19 stopped our plans but I am hopeful we can replicate this achievement for many more years and the silverware will rain down on such a fabulous set of footballers.

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Badminton Netball Mr JD Ranson & Mrs PB Wild Teachers i/c Badminton QEGS hosts after-school badminton at Lammack on a Monday with a small (but hardy and committed) group of pupils and students in attendance. All attendees have been learning the game and honing their skills under the watchful eye of Mr. Ranson and Ms. Wild, this year. Unfortunately, we did not quite have the numbers to enter teams for the Red Rose competitions this year, however with just a small number of additional players we will be able to do so next year. So, if you want to get some exercise and maybe have the opportunity to represent the school in a sporting capacity, make sure you don’t miss the trials at the start of term in 2020/21!

Julie Mathew – Senior Netball Captain How can I possibly begin to speak about the outstanding netball achievements at QEGS this year? Starting at the beginning in September 2019, we were pleased to establish two new teams, alongside the existing teams, in the form of a Year 7 team and a Senior team that was made up of girls in Year 11 and Sixth Form. Having already played together for some time now, the existing teams in Years 8,9 and 10 reunited to have another successful netball season. The newly-formed Year 7 team had a very successful start to their QEGS netball experience, with wins against Liverpool College, the Grange, Kings Chester and many more. Within the Blackburn with Darwen league, their record stood with a win or draw in 4 out of 8 matches. Year 8 had an equally impressive year, including placing 4th in their league, after winning 3 out of 7 matches. Over the season, the team had tremendous notable victories, such as their game against The Grange which they won 22-12. Speaking of big wins, Year 9 also achieved some fantastic results, beating Pleckgate 17-2 and TIGHS 14-2 in their league. This team has improved greatly, coming together as one, with the results speaking for themselves. Year 10 had an immensely successful year too, coming 2nd in their league, with 3 wins out of 5. This team also combined with Year 11 for the league tournament, placing and winning 3 out of 6 of their games. The newly-formed Senior team have triumphed in their netball season, achieving 1st place in their League tournament, including an impressive final 12-1 against Blackburn College. This winning combination of Year 11, 12 and 13 pupils and students has certainly have proved to be successful! Finally, I would like to thank all the staff who gave up their Saturday mornings, especially Miss McCreadie, Miss Greenhalgh and Miss Bamber. Thank you for your encouragement and constant motivation for us to become a better team. Miss McCreadie Thanks Julie for being a superb Senior Netball Captain and excellent role model to the younger players. I’d also like to add a few more ‘thank yous’ to the list! Firstly, to the parents and carers for all of their support, whether in the form of cheering from the side lines or giving lifts to and from fixtures. Secondly, thank you to Mrs Bamber, Miss Greenhalgh and Miss Dwyer for their ongoing help with the netball teams and on Saturday mornings. Finally, thank you to the players who continue to impress me with their commitment and positive attitudes. You are a real pleasure to work with. I would also like to give a special thank you to those leaving QEGS this year, including many of our Senior netball team, I wish them all the very best of luck. All of the girls continue to be a pleasure to work with and I urge them to keep up their commitment to netball practices and matches in the next netball season. See you next term!

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Swimming Dr ME Butler Teacher i/c Swimming

The following is an overview of our swimming performances & achievements this year:

We have had another very enjoyable season working with some incredibly enthusiastic and committed QEGS swimmers! Our teams had another excellent season, with regular weekly fixtures against both local and regional competition. The regularity of the fixture programme is testament to the importance of swimming and the part that it plays in our school, with over 30 pupils and students relishing the chance to represent QEGS.

• Ana Hartshorne Evans, Amy Ainsworth, Baylie Seery & Daniel Ainsworth all qualified for the Lancashire Inter County Club Swimming Championships in January 2020 • Blackburn & Darwen Town Boys’ Swimming Gala Year 7, 8 and 9: QEGS 3rd overall • Boys’ Town Champions 2019: - Ewan Saunders: Year 7 Breastroke - Omar Juma: Year 8 Breastroke - Oliver Jenkins: Year 9 Front Crawl • Blackburn & Darwen Town Girls’ Swimming Gala Year 7, 8, 9, 10 and 11: QEGS 3rd overall • Girls’ Town Champions 2019: - Baylie Seery: U16 Individual Medley - Madison Roberts: U16 Back Crawl - Katie Lambert: U16 Breastroke - Baylie Seery: U16 Butterfly - Jainy Barlow: U16 Front Crawl - Amy Ainsworth: U14 Individual Medley - Amy Ainsworth: Year 8 Butterfly Champion - U16 Medley Relay Champions: Baylie Seery, Madison Roberts, Katie Lambert, Jainy Barlow - U16 Freestyle Relay Champions: Baylie Seery, Ana Hartshorne Evans, Katie Lambert, Jainy Barlow

We enjoyed some points successes against Rossall and Kirkham, though in the main our opposing, and often larger, schools tended to be too strong for us. That said, week after week, our individuals were unphased, loyal, and consistently gave of their best efforts. For this, I say ‘thank you’! As always, the Year 7 swimmers were by far the most enthusiastic. Eve Jenkins, Molly Caffrey, Mohammed Islam, Maisie Lambert, Tanya George, Zoe Nightingale, Ewan Saunders and Ben Bailey all made a positive impression. Ben and Ewan regularly attended Monday lunchtime swimming club and as such, their ‘competitive edge’ quality improved noticeably. In Year 8, the team of Ruby Caffrey, Aidan Robinson (although suffering with injuries), Sydney Chadderton, Omar Juma, William Hartley and Krystal Machowski were an improving force led by the highly talented Amy Ainsworth. The Year 9 team relied heavily on Rohail Rabbani, Oliver Jenkins and Jenson Gibson to swim the bulk of the events with some appearances from Yasmin Nightingale and Maisie Roberts too. More often than not, our Year 9 swimmers had to be teamed up with the ‘Spice Girls’ Year 10 quartet of Ruby Brandon, Ana Hartshorne Evans, Lilly Short, Saffron Barnes, and of course, Daniel Ainsworth! Well done to Isobella Cavazzana, Harvey Chadderton, Kyle Robinson, Lea Robinson and the swimming ‘pocket rocket’ that is Baylie Seery from Year 11.

And finally, a very big thank you to all parents and carers for your support throughout the season and in particular to Mrs Gibson & Dr Saunders for assisting me with time keeping and results on match nights. Looking forward to September already!

It was lovely to be able to swim a Senior team on several occasions this season and as always, I am particularly thankful to the older students for committing to our school in the way they do. Our Senior Swimming Captain, Lea Robinson, was a terrific swimming ambassador and excellent role model. Her organisation of the team on match nights was first-rate and her support for me, including Monday lunchtime swimming club coaching, has always been very much appreciated.

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HOUSE REPORTS

Raleigh House

Despite being such a strange year, given the global pandemic, it has been a fun and exciting Year in Raleigh House. For the second year running, Raleigh have continued our tradition of choosing a House motto and House song for the year. The suggestions for both were proposed by the pupils and students and voted upon in an assembly. This year’s winning motto, proposed by Meesha Dad in Year 12, was “Reach for the moon and if you fall you’ll land amongst the stars”. This phrase really encapsulates the Raleigh spirit of trying hard, giving your very best, and not allowing the thought of failure to stop you from achieving greatness. Our song of the year, which was played at the start of many of our House Assemblies was, “This Is Me” from the Greatest Showman film. With lyrics that include, “I am brave, I am bruised, I am who I’m meant to be, this is me” again sums up who we are as a House and who we are as individuals. As a House, we are brave and proud of who we are, regardless of what anyone else may say. Another highlight of this year has been the number of pupils willing to step up and become Year Captains. These pupils and students worked hard to get teams together for all of our House competitions and supported the members of their year group teams well. Lea Robinson in Year 12 and Lukman Dad in Year 13 have both served as House Captains this year and have done a wonderful job stepping up and serving the House when needed. In competitions this year, Raleigh have had some good results, as pupils and students have shown fantastic effort, determination and resilience across the board. Very much the ‘Raleigh Spirit’! In Netball, we finished in third place in Year 7, third in Year 8, second in Year 9 and third in Year 10, so a solid and consistent effort by our Netball players. In Basketball, our overall ranking was fifth, however the Junior basketball team reached the semi-finals of their competition, narrowly missing out on a place in the final by one basket in the final moments of the game. In Cross Country, Raleigh placed fourth in Year 7, second in Year 8 and fifth in Year 9, resulting in another set of solid performances. In Rugby, we finished fourth in Year 7 and second for Year 8, thanks to some excellent performances from the Year 8 Rugby team. In the House QUEST, a quiz and research competition in the Library, Raleigh ranked fourth, however there were some stand-out performances by our Year 8 and 9 teams, and our Year 11 team who won their Year group outright. Congratulations to them! It has been another fun year for Raleigh House with our weekly assemblies a regular highlight. In this time, we discussed all manner of interesting topics from Pancake Day, to favorite poems, to COVID-19 safety. I can’t wait to see everyone again, and get the House back together! Mr S J Butterworth Head of Raleigh House

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Drake House

Despite the shortened House activities list this year, Drake House has once again performed admirably and displayed consistent commitment and enthusiasm for House events. This year began with the appointment of our Year Captains, who have been instrumental in the running and organising of this year’s events. I would like to take the opportunity to thank them for their continued effort and support of their peers.

House Basketball was held for both all year groups with the scores for each team adding up to the overall score for the House place. After a number of hard games and numerous newcomers to Basketball taking to the court to ‘have a go’, Drake House ended the competition in 6th place. However, all staff agreed that this year’s competition was heavily-contested and all pupils should be proud of their effort on the court.

Michaelmas term events started in earnest with a Tag Rugby competition for both Year 7 and Year 8. Our Year 7 squad had stiff competition and performed admirably, despite a number of them only learning the rules of the game during their recent lessons at Lammack. With such a daunting challenge ahead of them, and after a number of well-contested games, our Year 7 team finished just behind the other houses. The Drake House Year 8 team had an excellent run of matches, and reportedly displayed great teamwork and skill, finishing their tournament in 1st place. Hearty congratulations to all Drake rugby squads!

The final main event of the year was House QUEST in the library, which, rather than being a show of physical ability and skill, is a mental and academic search for information in the library. Drake House had no shortage of volunteers this year, with an influx of fresh and excitable Year 7 pupils showing boundless enthusiasm for the challenge. After all of the QUEST events were complete, the contestants from Drake House were placed in 3rd place; an admirable achievement!

Also soon into the Michaelmas term, the House Netball tournament was upon us, and the Drake House Netball squads showed the meaning of camaraderie, fair play and skill. Our newest players in Year 7 showed hints of promising careers in School Netball, coming in 2nd place overall. The Year 8 squad came in 5th after some very pleasing teamwork, and our veteran squads in Year 9 and 10 both performed exceptionally well, coming in 1st and 2nd place respectively. Tremendous thanks to our netball teams for their time and hard work during their competitions! House Cross Country, one of the flagship events in the House sporting calendar, was run by Year 7, 8 and 9 pupils this year, with all pupils taking part and representing their year groups. I am pleased to report that in all year groups, Drake House was well represented. The final results placed our Year 7 team in 5th place, our Year 8 term in 4th place and our Year 9 team in 6th place. Congratulations to all of our competing pupils on taking part in such a difficult event!

House football began this year but unfortunately, due to the global pandemic, it was never completed. However, it is right that we thank those pupils who took part in the competition regardless and gave us some impressive results, including our U13 team winning a match 8-0, our U15s winning with a score of 4-2, and our Senior team winning one of their matches 5-1! Thank you to all of our teams for their efforts. Drake House has had the immeasurably good fortune to have been represented by some of the most enthusiastic and hard-working young people we could possibly ask for this year. It is again my pleasure to thank all of our pupils and students, as well as the supporting staff, for their time and good will this academic year. Mr DJ Peat Head of Drake House

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Grenville House

What a strange year we have found ourselves in this year! It has been an absolute pleasure to take on the role of Head of Grenville from Miss Wilkinson, who left QEGS at the end of last academic year. She certainly left some big shoes to fill as Grenville were overall House Champions last year, as well as the triumphant House at Sports Day! Whilst this year has not turned out exactly as planned, I am still extremely proud of each member of Grenville and what has been achieved. Grenville’s Year Captains have, once again, been invaluable members of the House and our successes, helping me to organise teams and helping to make sure that the House was fully represented at all events. A special thank you to Maria Taylor (Year 13) as Senior Vice Captain and Kyle Robinson (Year 13) as Senior House Captain. These Sixth Formers have led by example from the very beginning and I cannot thank them enough for what they have done for Grenville House over the years. I wish them all the very best with the next stages of their education. Thank you again to all Year Captains! It was fantastic to see the enthusiasm and energy levels from the new Year 7 members of Grenville House this year. They have contributed a great deal to Grenville either through sporting events or on the academic front, and in most cases, both! I encourage this year group to keep up their levels of enthusiasm as they move into Year 8 and promote this attitude to the new Year 7 pupils. Unfortunately, due to the school closure, many of the annual House events did not take place this year including Cricket, Swimming Gala and Sports Day. However, between September and March, we squeezed in as many events as possible, with scarcely a week passing without a House event of some form or another. We started the year with the House Basketball. What a competition! The Junior and Senior House Baskbetball teams fought an incredibly hard battle during Michaelmas term, winning their respective rounds and setting this year’s sporting events off to an excellent start. The team played extremely well but unfortunately, lost out on an overall win in House Basketball to Howard House. However, second place is still a very commendable result and the members of the team impressed with their commitment, dedication and good sportsmanship right to the end! Well done to all involved! The House Cross Country this year was by far our most successful sporting event with the majority of our teams claiming victory. This is one of the few compulsory House events and demonstrated what the power of the House coming together as one can really do! Whether one of our star athletes, or participating to simply have fun, all runners conducted themselves excellently and put in a lot of effort. I am delighted to report victories for both the Year 7 and Year 9 teams this year.

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There have been some particularly strong performances in House Football this year. Unfortunately, there is no overall winner because the competition did not get chance to run its full course due to the school closure. However, Grenville performed exceptionally well. There were some strong victories across all squads including; 5-0 by the U12s and 7-0 by the U13s. A massive well done to all House Football teams this year. In Netball, Year 7 and 8 played superbly and were successful in obtaining victories over the other Houses. The Year 8 team, led by the Caffrey sisters, steered Grenville to victory for the second time in as many years. Unfortunately, the Year 9 and 10 teams were less successful, however there is always next year to put this right! Additionally, in Tag Rugby, our Year 7 and Year 8 teams were able to obtain third place each. A strong performance but I have no doubt they will go back out again next year hungry for victory! Having had some excellent sporting results this year, I was delighted to see pupils participating in other areas as well. Every year, Mrs Dewhurst works tirelessly to create the House Quest event in the Senior School Library. Competitors had to complete a mixture of questions with clues, using both print and online resources to discover the correct answers. Having good Library skills of course helped with this competition, but it was also an excellent way for pupils to refresh their Library skills. Unfortunately, Grenville placed fifth in this competition leaving much scope for improvement for next year but I am very pleased that we were so well represented at this event. It has been an eventful year, to say the least, but I would like to reiterate how proud I am of each member of Grenville House for the resilience and commitment they have shown throughout the year. Thank you for making my job so rewarding! I would also like to thank my brilliant team of House staff: Mr Hart, Mr Conefrey, Mr Lockwood, Mr Ventress, Mr Foster, Mrs Broom, Miss Nurney, Miss Berry, Miss Nolan, Mrs Seedat and Mrs Musa for all their support during my first year as Head of Grenville. Their generosity and enthusiasm in assisting with assemblies and House events has been invaluable. I hope that next year things will return to normality and we can carry Grenville to victory as Champion House, but until then, I wish every member of Grenville, their families and our wider school community, a peaceful, safe and relaxing summer break. Mr S Gould Head of Grenville

Howard House

The academic year of 2019-2020 may have been prematurely cut short but that does not mean that during the two terms prior to lockdown, the House system at QEGS had not been thriving. Indeed, from the point of view of a Head of House, I was particularly impressed with Howard’s efforts, from the Senior students taking the helm and offering leadership right down to the new Year 7 pupils who burst into our ranks with admirable enthusiasm and commitment. This year, Dom Brown took on the mantle of Senior House Captain, leading an excellent team of Year Group Captains. The tirelessly committed Abigail and Owen Hardman continued to lead the Year 11s, with Niamh Hamilton joining Sadie Merritt in Year 10. Muruvet Demir was joined by Alex Brown in organising the Year 9 pupils and Cameron Latif stepped up to join Oliver Catterall in Year 8. I am always impressed with the pupils who put themselves forwards to be House Captain immediately after arriving in Year 7, and this year I had excellent letters of application from many potential leaders. In the end, Maryam Khan and Ayaan Arif were the successful applicants and they did an excellent job. The year began with another eventful and adrenaline-filled House Basketball competition. In the Seniors, Dom Brown led our team in a blinding series of matches. As in previous years, this was an extremely close competition and in the final we were placed against Hawkins. Fortune favoured us on this occasion and we were finally able to take first place in the Senior competition. Our Junior competition was just as exhilarating, with House Captain Muruvet Demir inspiring and leading a committed team to victory, with some astonishing scores along the way which left our opponents far behind. I was also delighted both with the enthusiasm of younger Year 7 and 8 pupils who took part in this competition and with the willingness of older pupils to give them the chance to play alongside them in these competitive matches. Our success in both these competitions was a fantastic start for the House this year. I am always impressed with the pupils who commit to this extra-curricular competition, freely giving up their time. Howard House has also been successful during Games sessions this year. In Netball, our Year 8 team managed to achieve second place and our Year 9s a respectable third. Congratulations to the Year 10 players who also won the overall competition. In Cross Country, which is always a challenge, we managed to secure third place in Year 7 and Year 9, whilst Year 8 put in a fantastic effort to take first place. Sadly, not all the tag rugby competitions were completed this year, but Howard still performed well, coming third in Year 8 and second in Year 7.

This year’s House Quest was, as usual, a fantastic event and I was really impressed with Howard’s efforts. While up in the library, I was delighted to see full teams participate from all year groups with enthusiasm and excitement. Particular thanks must go to Sufyaan Mayat of Year 13 for his efforts in the nail-biting last day of the competition. Over the course of the week, the competition quickly became a two-horse race between Howard and Hawkins, and due to the aforementioned commitment of our teams, we were able to snatch a victory on the final day, winning by just four points. House Chess was also turning out to be a highlight of the year in the weeks leading up to lockdown, with committed Year 7 pupils William Hopkins and Ayaan Arif in first place for Howard at the time of the competition’s premature ending. I am also delighted to report that, once again, Howard held a strong lead in terms of credits awarded for good behaviour, effort and academic achievement before lockdown commenced. It is nice to think that we were recognised as the hardest-working and best-behaved house! Sadly, these are all the results I have to report for our House this Year. It certainly looks to me like we were in a very strong position. With Sports Day, House Swimming and the House Singing Competition (all of which we have an excellent track record in) still to come, I feel this may very well have been our year (although I suspect a glance across the other House reports would most likely contain equally bold claims!). Whatever the results may or may not have been, I write this report with the usual pride in and respect for our House. The inclusivity, commitment and good sportsmanship demonstrated over the course of the year has been a pleasure to observe. Many thanks for all the efforts House members have put in this Year and to all the staff who have put on such fantastic competitions for us. Good luck to those of you moving on to further your education or career elsewhere.

Mr C Braime Head of Howard House

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Frobisher House

With the current situation, we have been deprived of our chance of seeing many of our House compete in the different events. Many sporting events did not make it past the first round, with major events, such as the Swimming Gala and Sports Day, passing in the calendar without being able to champion the participation and personal achievement of specific pupils and students. I would like to take this time to mention one group of young athletes in particular. Frobisher’s Year 10s would have been competing in the Swimming Gala for the final time and I for one, was thoroughly looking forward to seeing this incredible team complete. I was confident that the day would have been theirs and I would like to celebrate these young athletes who are hard-working and very competent young people. They are generous with their time, always trying their upmost and have enthused other members of our House to challenge themselves, even when they might not feel confident in their events. Special mention should be given to Daniel Ainsworth, Milo Gammon, Zac Bahadur, Saffron Barnes and Ruby Brandon. It has been frustrating for our young people, many of whom were off to a great start and have been unable to continue with the final matches, with some not being able to complete at all. I would acknowledge the members of Frobisher who had participated in those that did take place, with personal achievements across all years. Year 7 won three out of their four matches for the first round of the Football, two of which the results were 0-5 to Frobisher - an outstanding achievement! Sterling efforts were also given in Netball, Basketball and in the Cross-Country. House Quest saw triumphs by some of the younger year groups, though with the Seniors seemingly unable to match their prowess, we came in sixth overall. A mixed bag of results, but thoroughly good fun for all.

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Frobisher’s House Captains and Deputy House Captains are instrumental in ensuring the smooth running of House events. Every year, not only do they do an incredible job of enthusing others to participate, they themselves have participated in various events. Their help and dedication to the House has been outstanding. In addition, the members of Frobisher staff have, as always, been supportive and positive throughout and I would like to thank them for their continued support in assemblies and with events. Special thanks must also be given to all of our leavers this year, so many of whom have given an outstanding contribution over their years here. I wish them the best of good luck in the next stage of their education and hope that they take nothing but fond memories of their time here at QEGS. My personal thanks, to our House Captains Rosie Ahmed, Bailey Seery, Cameron Hegg, Jack Wilson and Zaiden Patel in Year 11, and our Senior House Captains Matthew Webb and Isabella Cavazzana, who following her success in being crowned the Senior Athletic Champion at last year’s Sports Day, have been superb role models to their young peers throughout. I have been encouraged by their willingness to contribute to the wider ethos of QEGS; they have given their time freely with nothing but a sterling effort and have been an incredible help with organising teams in their roles as House Captains. It has been a pleasure to be the Head of Frobisher for a second year and I am incredibly proud of all of those pupils and students who have given their time freely, challenged themselves and demonstrated camaraderie throughout. Miss AC Bowker Head of Frobisher House

Hawkins House

This has been a funny year for those affiliated with Hawkins House. After last year’s closely run House Singing competition, the future looked bright for us to move up the standings for all events in the 2019/20 academic year. The first event where everyone was involved came in the form of the Cross Country competition. A mixed set of results as both Year 7 and Year 9 Hawkins pupils came in second overall, with Year 8 coming sixth, but collectively we were back in the running (pardon the pun!). Then came House Basketball for both our Junior and Senior teams. The Seniors did Hawkins proud as Louis Strand, Reilly Morphet and Alex Bendell from Year 11 were our backbone, with some strong cameo performances from Will Simmons and Alex Marsden in Year 12. We ended up losing in the semi-final to a stand out individual performance from Dom Brown from Howard House, who eventually went onto win. The Senior team came a respectable joint-third. The Juniors looked set for victory from the first outing. Our Year 9 boys provided the team with a steely defence, whereas it was the girls from Year 10 who shone in attack. They scored the baskets needed to progress, unbeaten, all the way to the final. Unfortunately, the final didn’t go our way and in a close match with Howard House again, we came out a valiant second. The next set of House fixtures saw Football, Dodgeball, Tag Rugby and Netball all take place down at Lammack. In Dodgeball, numerous members of Hawkins House ducked and dived their way past some fierce opponents to record a number of wins, but also some losses in all year groups. The Netball results were tough for the Year 7, Year 8 and Year 9 teams where a 4th, 6th and 5th place respectively did not reflect the hard work of those players involved. The Tag Rugby results for Year 7 and Year 8 were polar opposites. The Year 7 team came first and the Year 8 came sixth but a special mention should go to Mohammed-Idris Mughal for his organisation of the Year 8 team. In football, the standout teams were that of the Year 7 and the Senior teams, although victories did come for both Year 9 and Year 10. The Year 7 team went unbeaten with David Bowlin being the main goal threat and Moinuddin Rehman keeping goal and his shot stopping was second to none.

The results so far meant that Hawkins House were definitely vying for the top spot and potential outsiders for the coveted Marsden Merit Trophy. The final event of the year before lockdown was House Quest. Huge congratulations to all involved in this competition; the overall scores came down to a matter of just 2 points. Unfortunately, despite everyone’s efforts, we came a close second. But, I for one enjoyed the atmosphere in the library and Mrs Dewhurst said how well everyone from Hawkins House participated, and did so in the right spirit of the event. Although this year has been cut short for all House activities, who knows what could have been if all events had played out. I would sincerely like to thank all of those who represented Hawkins House and a big ‘Thank You’ to the members of staff who came to support Hawkins House pupils and students in the events this year. I look forward to the promise of another spectacular year for Hawkins. And do not fear, the momentous song that had been chosen for House Singing shall be put on ice for 2020/2021. Roll on next year… Come on Hawkins!

Mr M Goodall Head of Hawkins House

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a fond

farewell Valedictions

Malcolm

Russell

Malcolm joined Queen Elizabeth’s Grammar School in 1988 and he proved to be an exceptional Mathematics teacher. His students benefitted from his expert knowledge, especially in his specialist area of mechanics, and hundreds of students were able to gain excellent GCSE and A level grades. Malcolm’s lessons were always very well-planned and delivered with precision, attention to detail and appropriate good humour. His students have appreciated his calm and measured approach and Malcolm has always given freely of his time through revision clinics and running extra support sessions. His colleagues equally appreciated his contributions, wisdom and guidance and he has trained numerous teachers over the year, particularly in the use of voice control and classroom management. Malcolm’s mild-mannered approachability meant he was an excellent team player. Malcolm was heavily involved in the pastoral life of the school. Over his time, he has been Head of Sixth Form, Head of Year 11, Head of Year 10, Head of Year 8 and Head of Year 7; roles he filled with passion and distinction. In fact, when talking to former pupils and students of the school, without doubt, their memories will revolve around memories of one of their peers, if not themselves, being on the receiving end of a ‘Mr Russell counselling session’, with plenty of the word ‘laddies’ thrown in at various points. Malcolm was a caring and dedicated pastoral leader throughout his time at QEGS and so many owe so much to his support and compassion. It is a measure of the man that Malcolm has made so many valuable contributions in so many spheres of the School’s life. He has led or assisted with countless school visits both in this country and abroad and all organised with military precision. It is always interesting to listen to his tails of climbing Vesuvius or camping on PGL in the South of France. He has been a supportive House member and he has been at the forefront of many fundraising activities, including taking part in the ‘Three Peaks Challenge’ amongst others. A man of boundless energy, his enthusiasm has been witnessed by many through First Year Staff Performances, Staff Pantomimes and, more recently through participating in the House singing competitions (although admittedly he does try to hide at the back). Malcolm has supported the sporting life of the school by successfully coaching a rugby team for many of his early years and he can always be seen in the audience supporting our Creative Faculty in their productions, tea-time concerts and exhibitions. A true gentleman with a genuine determination to ensure that all the children in his care received the very best education, Malcolm will be greatly missed. We wish him the best in his well-earned retirement. Mrs C Gammon Head

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Sue

John

Sue Martin joined the Mathematics and Computer Science Faculty at QEGS in September 2016 and quickly established herself as a committed teacher of Mathematics. Pupils and colleagues profited from her knowledge and commitment. Sue’s lessons were always well planned and organised and her attention to detail ensured that no pupil or student managed to get away with not completing their homework.

John Garrett joined the Music Department, part of the Creative Faculty at QEGS, in 2017 as a part-time Teacher of Music.

Martin

Sue’s classroom, with its bright and coordinated displays, created a great learning environment for her classes and communicated the highest expectations for both behaviour and work. Sue always strove to improve her knowledge of Mathematics, attending as many courses as possible, to develop both her expertise and application of the subject. In addition to Sue’s role as a teacher of Mathematics, she was the departmental mentor for trainee teachers, giving her time and skill to help trainees progress with their development and teaching whilst always being critically honest and providing key advice to advance. As a Form Tutor, Sue was regularly available in her room to chat with not only the pupils in her form, but also with any that wanted her assistance, whether that be academic or pastoral. Sue also supported the pupils in their games afternoons at Lammack. QEGS is grateful for Sue’s contribution to the Mathematics and Computer Science Faculty and the general life of the school and we would like to wish her every success for the future. Mr C Marsden Head of Mathematics

Garrett

He quickly became an integral part of the development of Music in School, particularly his work with the school choir. Under his direction, the choir has gone from strength to strength and have given some superb performances at Prizegiving, school and external concerts and Cathedral Services. John’s infectious energy and passion for singing helped him to soon establish a staff choir working with colleagues from the Primary and Senior Phases, helping to bring people together of all ages and abilities in order to foster a whole-school involvement with Music and singing. In his first year at QEGS, John was jointly responsible for a Year 13 tutor group and he took on the role with his usual warmth in getting to know the students in his care. In the Music Department, pupils have benefitted from his support sessions at lunch times and he has spent a great deal of time working with many pupils and students on their performances and compositions. There are many other highlights of John’s time here including the annual joint-choir concerts, his involvement with school musical productions, trips to Liverpool and Bridgewater Hall and performing in the QEGS Variety Performance as one of the Three Tenors, all of which give testament to his significant contribution to the wider life of the School. Staff have benefited from John’s compassionate and thoughtful approach and his great sense of humour in the Faculty and we are pleased that he will continue in his role of Peripatetic Teacher at QEGS. Mr T Birtwistle Head of Creative Faculty

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Penny

Rebecca

Penny joined QEGS as an NQT 3 years ago, in 2017, and has taught in both Year 5 and Year 6. She has had a positive impact on the pupils, staff and school as a result of her passion and enthusiasm for teaching.

Rebecca joined the Primary Phase as an NQT in 2019 and has shown excellent dedication and enthusiasm to her role as a Year 1 Form Teacher.

Fox

Penny quickly established herself and demonstrated she was a highly energetic and hardworking member of the team, and an excellent teacher. Her drive to ensure that everyone in her class achieves to the very best of their ability no matter what their starting point is clear to see and it was always a privilege to observe her in the classroom. Penny really cared about the pupils and staff at QEGS. During her time at the school, she helped to produce some of the school productions, often taking to the controls and ensuring that sound and lighting was always spectacular. Her Year 6 ‘World War 2 Street Party’ and Victorian-style fundraiser demonstrated her enthusiasm for bringing the curriculum to life. Penny spent time carefully planning resources and lessons to ignite passion from her pupils, making learning relatable and enabling pupils to see links in their learning. Her classroom ideas such as the ‘take a selfie’ board to display pupils’ best work or the ‘reading tent’ to allow pupils to take time to read, highlighted her attention to detail and positive work ethic. Penny’s caring nature was clear to all the staff and pupils and she was always guaranteed to brighten everyone’s day with her positivity, smile and even a joke or two! We all benefited from her sense of humour. We wish her all the very best in her future teaching career. Mrs H Southworth Head of Primary Phase

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Brookes

Her bright, engaging and ever-changing classroom was always a pleasure to visit and just like her classroom, her lessons were engaging and exciting, often using her keen interest in drama. Rebecca has helped the pupils in her care to become responsible learners, ensuring that learning was fun and interactive for all. Rebecca consistently showed willingness to take part in events and celebrations; particularly during the 2019 Key Stage One production, ‘Everyone Loves A Baby’, where her singing skills helped to make the show a huge success. Becky established good relationship with staff and pupils and, although we are sad to see Rebecca leave, we wish her well in her new role as a Music and Drama Teacher. Mrs H Southworth Head of Primary Phase

Mike

Miranda

Mike Park joined QEGS as Head of Sixth Form in September 2018. Mike’s no nonsense, straight-to-the-point persona immediately was a personality trait we would all come to enjoy, admire and respect.

Miranda Wild joined the English Faculty in September 2019. Her tireless work ethic quickly ingratiated herself with pupils and students, and they soon learnt to trust and accept her. Miranda brought a great deal to the faculty in a short amount of time: a dry wit, a strong sense of irony and unfailing determination to achieve better.

Park

Mike offered excellent academic and pastoral care that older students required to ensure they achieve their true potential. Class Chart points and the offer of a Domino’s pizza soon became a topic of conversation in the Sixth Form, a motivating factor for many. The Sixth Form continues to go from strength to strength and it is no coincidence that in the School’s most recent Ofsted inspection, the Sixth Form was commended and recognised for the personal development opportunities on offer. Mike was an enthusiastic teacher, capable of enthusing pupils and managing to get the very best out of them. As Teacher-In-Charge of 2nd XI football and the U15s on a Saturday, he fostered a ‘work for each other’, cohesive attitude. His players enjoyed his style of management and responded accordingly.

Wild

Miranda’s dedication to her chosen profession was clear from day one. She has spent many hours in and out of school marking and ensuring all of her pupils and students had the best kind of support and feedback. She was always full of great ideas to make lessons relatable and always happy to share resources or lend a listening ear. She was hardworking, kind and genuinely cared. A bright, enthusiastic member of the team, we will all miss her and wish her every success for her future. Mrs L Mallon Head of English

We wish Mike well in his new job and all the best for the future. Dr ME Butler Head of PE & Games

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01254 686300 reception@qegsblackburn.com Queen Elizabeth’s Grammar School West Park Road Blackburn BB2 6DF

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