accumulate, the issue is referred to the pupil's tutor and then to their year head. Culture and sports Queen Elizabeth's School is divided into six houses, named after famous old boys, patrons and former teachers. They are Broughton, Harrisons', Leicester, Pearce, Stapylton and Underne. In years 7 to 10, there are six tutor groups per year, one per house. They are named by the academic year and the first letter of the house, for example year 10 students in Underne belong to the tutor group 10U. Students stay in the same tutor groups as they progress during these four years. In year 11, each tutor group is split into two, and the number 1 or 2 is added to the tutor group name. For example, 10U is split into 11U1 and 11U2. In years 12 and 13, the tutor groups are much smaller and run alphabetically instead. One year takes letters A-J and the other K-T, and the letter stays the same for both years e.g. 12I becomes 13I the next year. There are many inter-house competitions, from rugby to creative writing. The inter-house debating tournaments, for years 7 to 9, take place in English lessons in the Spring term and are probably the most fiercely contested non-physical inter-house competition. Rugby union, played during the winter and spring terms, is compulsory for boys in their first four years at the school, as are cross country running and most other school sports, which include orienteering, swimming, basketball, tennis, cricket, Eton fives and athletics. QE is well known for not playing football competitively against other schools, although it is occasionally played internally in friendly games and at lunchtimes. Students also take part in cross country runs semi-annually, at the start of the autumn and spring terms. A particularly muddy part of the cross-country route, suitably nicknamed the 'Elephant Dip', owing to its extreme depth in wet weather, links the Byng Road Open Space (Barnet RFC) and the north-west gate of the bottom fields, however there is also a paved route turning right from the gate and going down Byng Road towards the Open Space. Students regularly use the Barnet RFC's fields (the Byng Road Open Space) which are a short run from the back field gate. There is much competition in the summer term when frequent competitions between houses are held before the summer examinations begin in June, including the QE Sevens