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Year 13 thoughts Hi. I’m Hafsah, I’m currently in Year 13 and really trying to push through this year with a gratifying attitude. This time is crucial for a number of reasons like applying for university - the next big step, making sure your personal statement is on point and really weighing up all the extra curricular activities that will help boost your confidence as well as increasing the chances of you getting chosen by a university against thousands of other applications. When it comes to university, it’s really worth having a look at open days and what they have to offer. Like I said - university is a big step and it isn’t worth taking the wrong one when you have a free opportunity like I did to explore. It doesn’t even have to be limited to universities only in London such as Goldsmiths, UCL and Westminster. Luckily, every Year 12 is given the opportunity to attend an annual UCAS convention that allows them to conjure up questions about a particular university outside of London.
Hafsah Mohammed
Year 13 students are in the process of presenting their final EPQs for assessment. We’ve had some really interesting projects this year including one on morality and another on bio-mimicry! The EPQ is part of the sixth form enrichment programme. Students are supported by mentors from local universities and research in greater depth about a subject they are interested in. The programme runs over two years and is equivalent to an AS level. Students can submit their projects in a variety of forms such as dissertations, performance or a piece of art.
My sporting journey Sports, exercise, opportunities, commitment, achievements the list never ends when you finally find your passion. Thanks to Coach Fe, in Year 7 I started playing basketball, I think it’s been 6 years now. Here’s a little about my journey: I started off by playing for my school, then representing my borough at Youth Games, and finally played two seasons at National League Level. I then realised maybe I should switch it up, so I started paying more attention to the coaching aspect of the sport. For the next year and a half I started assisting my coach at training, mentoring and PE lessons. Aside that I also got involved in refereeing, later realising there are so many things you can do and learn with sports. Very recently I completed the 46 mile Prudential Ride London in 3h44mins repping Greenhouse Sports the entire way. One word: Amazing! Throughout my sporting journey, I have gained some skills and qualities that are indeed strangers to the classroom environment. Time management, communication, leadership skills and many more. It is difficult to learn these in a classroom, so my biggest advice is to get involved in any way! Get involved with at least one sports club a week, you will see and live the benefits!
Xazal Ozcan
Clapton Girl in The Times As a former head girl at Clapton Girls’ Academy and the star of its debating team, law was Chrisann Jarrett’s natural choice. She got good A Level grades and was offered a place at London School of Economics.
It was then, she recalls, that “the walls came crumbling down”. Although she had lived in the UK since she was eight years old and is lawfully resident here, she was born in Jamaica and therefore Student Finance England regarded her as an international student and ineligible for a student loan. With university no longer an option, Chrisann launched Let us Learn, which campaigns for young people born outside of the UK but with leave to remain and long residencies to access student finance. LSE was so impressed with her campaign that it offered her a full scholarship, enabling her to take up her place. Since graduating, she works full time on the campaign, which has helped hundreds of young migrants take up university places.
World Class Students invited to Cambridge
Huge congrats to Ayo, Hafsa, Milly and Shaimae who have achieved the World Class Schools Quality Mark Student Ambassador accreditation! They were invited to Cambridge Univeristy to receive their awards.
Ellora Torchia graduated from CGA Sixth Form with a place at RADA. Her recent performance of Shakespeare’s All’s Well That Ends Well at The Globe has received rave reviews.
Over the last year at the Globe, there has been much ado about the use of artificial sound and light in this most ‘authentic’ of spaces. The controversy did for outgoing artistic director Emma Rice, whose programming this still is. As if to prove the doubters wrong, this production deploys only lowlevel candlelight throughout. Atmospheric it most certainly is; clearly visible it isn’t.
She’s direct, appealing and unusually sexually clued up, as she pursues her obsessive love for the disdainful Bertram (Will Merrick), son of her adoptive mother. Unlike too many drippy females, she displays an agreeable amount of agency and Caroline Byrne’s production highlights how a union of the sisterhood - Diana (lively Paige Carter) goes to considerable lengths to aid Helena in Project Bertram – saves the day.
Clapton Girl
What I managed to make out through the perpetual gloaming was definitely of interest. All’s Well remains one of the least performed works in the canon – before last night, it was the only Shakespeare play I had never encountered – and at first glance it’s easy to see (or not to see – that is the question here) why. It’s an uneasy blend of genres, with top notes of fairytale and romance, plus a ‘happy’ ending of the utmost dubiousness. Yet I have a suspicion that Helena (Ellora Torchia) is a heroine whose time has very much come, and that we’ll be hearing much more from her in a host of productions soon.
Relative newcomer Torchia has a wonderful clarity of verse-speaking that makes us listen intently to these often unfamiliar lines. Imogen Doel is lively as the duplicitous (gender-swapped) Paroles. It’s a rare and pleasant moment when a Shakespeare play is all about the women.
A Trip to the Past
We arrived by coach and attended a talk first about Shakespeare’s play, Othello, a tragedy in which the marriage of Othello as a black man to Desdemona who is a white Venetian women, is jeopardized by Iago the antagonist for various personal and social reasons. We discussed a variety of different factors which could have influenced Shakespeare when he was writing the play including the presence of Africans and Arabs in England during the Elizabethan era. Interestingly, Queen Elizabeth the first declared in a letter to the Lord Mayor of London at the time that there were “too many blackamoors” in England and that they must be deported. It is clear that racist attitudes as such had an influence on the development of the play. Something that was particularly bogus was that in the first performance of the play, Richard Burbage, a white actor, was cast to play the role of Othello using blackface makeup. Clearly, the traditions of the time made it impossible to have a black person portray Othello. Overall the talk was definitely informative but it evoked my curiosity about racist attitudes in Elizabethan England and also who portrayed the first ever black Othello?! A little research told me that it was Ira Aldridge in 1826 - a realistic and truly representative performance to say the least. French poet and novelist Théophile Gautier noted that Aldridge’s performance was “Othello himself, as Shakespeare has created him…quiet, reserved, classic and majestic.” After the talk we were free to wonder the town and I found that everything was so quaint and pretty, it was definitely fascinating to see the Tudor style houses and vintage shops. My friends and I were particularly taken by a Tudor style Costa Coffee shop.
Sawdah Bhaimiya
Oxford bound Fifteen Year 12s were given the opportunity to visit Oxford’s - Wadham College and Balliol College. It was a day to see how university life is when living outside of London. We were given a chance to sit in a lecture of our choice; between ‘The study of mind and brain’ or 'Transnationally speaking: expanding your intellectual horizons through learning a language from scratch at university’. I chose to sit in the lecture about the mind and the brain, as it linked really well to psychology. It was an interesting lecture given by Dr Andrew Bell, which expanded my knowledge on how different parts of the brain affect speech and memory. After the lectures, current students at Oxford gave us a tour around the two campus’, allowing us to take an insight into the dining hall, common rooms and the famous library of Oxford, where a copy of every single book published in the UK is stored.
Safiyyah Patel
Hello! It’s Aminah! I am feeling the best I have ever felt! I have just got back from Oxford! I landed a job working for a famous event rider. I got to ride, school and jump amazing horses (also improved my social skills but with people who also love horses) I learnt a lot and am going back after I finish at the racing school! I didn’t think I would have got in but I did! I am a bit nervous but it can lead to amazing things and I will learn a lot! Thank you so much for all your support at Clapton! I am so lucky to have been involved with such a lovely and caring school.
Message from CGA Sixth Form graduate Aminah Rose
When you’re juggling part time work with full time education a Year 13 student’s experience and advice I’ve been working for almost two years now, so yes I juggled part time work during Year 12 as well. When I first started working, I had no idea that this was not going to be an easy ride and that it would require much hard work, dedication and excellent time management to commit to this. Naturally, I failed spectacularly at the last one but it still is an experience I am learning much from.
has also helped me too because as an A Level English student as I am now able to see my work more from a third person perspective which is an invaluable skill. Now, I’m aware the hours were longer but it works out much better because I have more time on the weekends and I complete most of my work on the weekdays. I work there currently and I’m definitely much more attuned to the requirements of the workplace. I’ve also managed to budget more efficiently, and have saved up a decent amount of money to fund me throughout university. Although I’m tired after 6 hours, and I don’t do much studying after work,on Sundays I usually complete any revision or homework for the weekdays.
Be like Rihanna: Work, Work, Work, Work, Work.
My first job was as a nursery assistant and I worked for two hours after school, twice a week. It was a lively, colourful and undoubtedly a noisy environment. Learning the interests, talents and skills of such young children was definitely one of the highlights of my experience and it often took me back to my own childhood. My earnings were small but valuable as having my own hard earned money made me more appreciative of the efforts of my parents to put food on the table. However, I did have a tendency to over indulge myself with goodies, often going on shopping sprees just because I could (don’t do that guys!). Over the year I did learn to value the importance of commitment and consistency. Another difficulty was that after a long day at school I was usually very tired and worn out at work and was unable to fully immerse myself in the workplace. I would go home at 6pm and crash for an hour or two, often getting little homework done which became a problem throughout the year. I tried to tackle this problem by creating a timetable but it was clear that nothing could beat my exhaustion, and that working during the weekday was just not feasible anymore. So, I left, leaving a very professional (rookie) resignation letter in the manager’s office. I then became a tutor in an organisation, teaching English to KS2 students every Saturday for 6 hours. It has been a great experience because I’ve met a lot of great students who are engaging and inspiring too! Helping them to develop their work
A little advice for those of you who are thinking about getting a job is to find weekend work as this is more manageable. Furthermore, I would recommend limiting working hours to 8 or maybe 10 hours per week because I personally think any more than that would be extremely exhausting. If you think you can work more than 10 hours go ahead but make sure you have enough time to rest and get your work done. Part time work will be great for your CV and you will also learn to appreciate the money you earn and spend it more efficiently. I would recommend all students to have a temporary part time job or to do work experience during your studies. But the most important thing to remember is that your studies are your priority and don’t get carried away with the money!
Sawdah Bhaimiya
Penny Appeal A few weeks ago I attended a charity event, which was in aid of Orphans In Africa run by the charity Penny Appeal. A video was shown, with little kids happily getting on with their lives with so little: There were 8+ kids sleeping in one small, box room. Imagine that? All cramped up, sleeping on the hard cold floor with insects flying everywhere around you.
It wasn’t just this that made me want to do something to help‌ it was a short section of the video where there was a little boy aged three, who was given food by the aid workers; another child asked for some from the little boy and this THREE year old boy simply handed the bread to him, without hesitating at all! How selfless? A three year old, innocent child, who was willing to give someone else his own food even though he was hungry himself. This made me realise that we learn to be greedy and care only about ourselves. I know that if I haven’t eaten for just a few hours I can
become moody, however this video taught me to be patient and made me realise that there are so many children, younger than me who have got nothing; no mother to cry to, no father to provide for them and no one to turn to when they are scared and hungry. I decided that I wanted to do something to help change the way these children are living their lives, even if was just raising enough money to feed them one meal, so last Saturday I decided to do a sponsored 10 mile walk to try and raise some money for orphans in places like Senegal and Somalia. It was a long walk, however it was a really fun day out. Managing to walk 10 miles is definitely an achievement and the fact that it was for such an amazing cause made it all worth it!
Safiyyah Patel
Pedro Almodóvar
Oscar-winning director and screen-writer Pedro Almodóvar has produced dozens of unique, profound and sometimes controversial films, becoming an internationally recognised filmmaker, and one of the most famous outside Hollywood. His films tell stories of lost loves, tales of life and death, and even of one aeroplane in danger. Mostly profound, but with hints of humour, Pedro Almodóvar’s works are innovative and gripping. In this A Level Spanish essay, Sarah discusses whether Almodóvar should or should not be studied by future generations. Explica por qué el director de cine estudiado debería o no debería ser estudiado por las generaciones futuras.
Pedro Almodóvar nació el 25 de septiembre de 1949 en Calzada de Calatrava y creció en una familia de valores tradicionales. Su padre era vendedor de vino y aceite y su madre la ama de casa. En la actualidad, Almodóvar es director, guionista y productor de cine español, sin duda uno de los cineastas españoles independientes con mayor proyección internacional. Hay varias razones por la cuales las futuras generaciones deberían de estudiar a este gran director de cine y mediante este ensayo trataré de explicar algunas de ellas y justificar mi pensamiento. En primer lugar, el arte de Pedro Almodóvar floreció en la cultura post-franquista de España a finales de los años setenta y ochenta. Sus películas celebran la era de la individualidad y la aceptación que infundieron las artes culturales españolas después del fin del régimen totalitario represivo de Franco. Además, las obras de Almodóvar son entendidas por algunos críticos como una revisión de la historia de España bajo el franquismo. Los personajes de las películas de Almodóvar, comúnmente mujeres, homosexuales, transexuales o bisexuales, no son relegados a la subcultura. En cambio, Almodóvar utiliza estos personajes para representar la revuelta posmoderna contra los límites represivos de la historia de España. Por lo cual estudiar a Pedro Almodóvar es aprender sobre la historia de España y las dificultades que a veces no mencionan los libros de historia como él ser homosexual. Además, las películas de Almodóvar nos permiten ver la historia de forma visual, lo cual nos ayuda a entender el pasado de España aún más. Si no aprendiéramos sobre dramaturgos o directores de cine tan importantes en nuestra sociedad, los jóvenes no sabrían tanto sobre él pasado y la historia española como lo hacen hoy en día. Por lo tanto, apoyo que sí se debería de seguir aprendiendo sobre Pedro Almodóvar en el futuro. En segundo lugar, cabe destacar que Almodóvar creció y se crió rodeado de mujeres. Cuando Pedro Almodóvar era pequeño, lo normal era que los niños
estuvieran con las madres todo él día y que si la madre no podía cuidarlos en algún momento del día, que se quedaran con las vecinas. En una entrevista, Pedro hace mención a esto y comunica que como siempre estaba rodeado de mujeres, le gustaba observarlas y escuchar lo que decían. Por esta razón Almodóvar entiende bien a las mujeres y por eso le gusta que las mujeres sean las protagonistas de sus películas. Esto se enlaza con la cuestión que estoy tratando de explicar en el ensayo, porque Almodóvar al conocer tan bien a las mujeres ha hecho obras que se enfocan en las dificultades de las mujeres en la sociedad y lo que varias encaran día a día. En la película “Volver” de Almodóvar, este nos enseña como una madre y una hija han sido víctimas de maltrato y acoso por parte de sus padres. El acoso y el maltrato son asuntos muy presentes en nuestra sociedad que no han llegado a ser entendidos al 100% por parte de las autoridades. Sin embargo, Almodóvar ha hecho una película sobre esto, lo que conlleva que mucha gente lo vea y se de cuenta de lo que algunas personas hacen y lo que otras sufren por ello. A causa de esto, creo que se debería de seguir estudiando a Almodóvar en el futuro ya que nos presenta temas que a veces no se hablan, y de esta manera hace que aprendamos y que hagamos algo al respecto; lo que es muy positivo. En conclusión, Pedro Almodóvar es un director de cine que nos ha enseñado muchas cosas a lo largo de su carrera profesional y que seguramente lo seguirá haciendo él tiempo que pueda. A causa de esto, opino que se debería de seguir estudiando a Pedro Almodóvar en las futuras generaciones.
Sarah Deberes
An Adventure Ride We stared in awe at the giant spectacle before us
Bigger and scarier than the one we just exited, our breaths mingled with excitement, with fear, with adrenaline. But then we were swooping and swerving with a wish and a whoosh across
the hours and days that we escaped with a whoop. And when it Curved downward, our hearts were beating violently As the final reckoning dawned upon us, but we Lurched towards our doom with a roar of determination, speeding And accelerating, clenching our fists with fear, with excitement. It then slowed and sailed calmly towards the exit as they cheered our bravery. Behind Us the giant ride spelled out the letters of success but with glazed eyes we were Already racing towards the next adventure ride.
Sawdah Bhaimiya
K+ programme At the start of the year I was accepted into the K+ Programme - a programme run by Kings College London that allows sixth form students to learn more about the course that they’re in interested in. We’re split into different ‘streams’ (Healthcare, Science, Law etc.) and each stream meets around once a month at one of the Kings College campuses during a school day. I’m also part of the Year 7 Peer Mentoring Scheme. Year 12 students are paired up with a Year 7 student to help them with any problems they’ve been having in school and help them with their transition into secondary school. Not only is it good fun, but it also looks great on your CV and personal statement. The Medicine and Dentistry Summer School run by Queen Mary University of London was also great fun; they provided great support with my application to university and gave a realistic insight into life as a medical/dental student. There’s also lots of other fun extracurricular activities you can take part in at our sixth form - trust me, you’ll get emails at least once a week with a list of opportunities!
Umamah Pathan
Over the past few years I have been involved in an organisation which works with youth in urban situations, and was lucky to get involved in a project with a group of incredible people. We were invited to go to the Philippines to work with a community in Tondo, Manila. This was a two week commitment where we individually stayed with a host family within different parts of the community. Tondo has a population of 3.5 million people, which is half the population of London in an area only twice the size of Hackney. It was packed out with people in incredibly deprived conditions suffering in a situation very alien to London’s cultural capital.
Manila
It was quite a shock for us having never left Europe. However, despite being so far from home I have never felt so welcome or involved in a community. The Filipino culture is instated around hospitality and community where it is offensive to frown and the most common phrase is ‘Maganda’ which means beautiful. As well as this, there is a great sense of despair and poverty as you see the extensive impact of capitalism and the corrupt global community we live in. Many of the families we were staying with were having to use illegal electricity in order to survive because of the government cuts. Returning back to the UK it was much more of a shock and was hard to re-adjust to the western culture. Realising how individualistic we are as a community and despite our enriched luxurious lifestyle, we are deprived of the presence of colour and joy that was so distinct as you walked through the streets of Manila. It was definitely a life changing experience which is hard to process and also hard to explain. The only thing I can really do is recommend getting out of this western bubble, because despite how consuming it is, it’s so relieving to observe it from a 16 hour flight away!