Cranford Annual Review 2016

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08-Sep-16 1:59:32 PM

Yet

again, this has been a very impressive year for Cranford Community College on so many fronts, including a further 7% rise in students gaining ‘5+A*C including English and Maths and with the school’s results significantly bucking the national decrease in outcomes. Cranford’s GCSE headline figures are even further above the national benchmarks and Cranford is now at the top of the rankings locally, outperforming all but two other schools.

The progress that the students have made is also significantly above the progress for pupils across the country and above the average locally. This means that students at Cranford Community College continue to achieve stunning results in every respect, year on year, and the school remains strongly outstanding.

Cranford has a plethora of outstanding subject areas and this is headlined by impressive academic outcomes in ALL the core subjects, Mathematics, English and the sciences (Physics, Biology and Chemistry). Our sixth form has also been able to offer experience of working in hospitals and clinics in India for those most interested in pursuing a career in medicine, dentistry or pharmacy as well as some students attending the International Space Camp in the USA. Our A level students were no exception with superb outcomes. Needless to say, the track record of Cranford students going on to the best universities continues, with this summer seeing our students secure places at the top Russell Group universities including Imperial College, Kings College London, University College London and Durham University. 99% of our sixth form students progress to university.

Cranford has continued to achieve a number of awards for excellent achievement including becoming one of the first schools in the UK to be awarded ‘World Class School’ status.

As a leading Teaching School, we have the highest quality of professional development for teachers at all levels so that Cranford is able to ensure high quality and up to date teaching and expertise.

Our partnership work with Berkeley Primary continues to flourish and Berkeley was cited in HMI’s annual report to Parliament for the extraordinary journey of improvement made which was also led by Cranford.

Numerous high profile visitors have come to Cranford this year and met with our students and perhaps the most high profile event involved a delegation of Cranford students meeting and shaking hands with President Obama when he visited the UK in 2016.

Cranford hosts the Hounslow Young Citizens scheme where most primary schools in the borough attended a training event at the school designed to raise pupil awareness of risk and their ability to make the right choices in a range of different situations.

I remain immensely proud of the amazing achievements of our students and the many successes of Cranford.

The school continues to go from strength to strength and I am delighted to remain so deeply involved with this school and the community. The stories and photographs in this brochure give an authentic flavour of just some of the huge range of opportunities available at Cranford.

Kevin Prunty (Executive Headteacher, National Leader of Education)

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08-Sep-16 1:59:46 PM

Junior Citizenship 2016

For

the second year running Cranford Community College hosted the London Borough of Hounslow Junior Citizenship Scheme week beginning Monday 13th June 2016. This year was bigger than ever with over 2000 year 6 pupils from 35 Hounslow primary schools attending over the two weeks. The scheme is organised by London Borough of Hounslow, Met police and Cranford Community College and provides essential skills and understanding for year 6 students to make a successful transition from primary to secondary school. The event takes place in a tented village which given the weather in June posed its own challenges. However, despite the rain participants and deliverers thought it was a great success.

With the aid of Gaia, our ICT managed service provider, this year’s JCS was more ‘high tec’ making use of smart phones and iPads in some of the scenarios. The majority of the 13 scenarios were run by the Met Police but St John’s Ambulance Service, Transport for London, London Fire Brigade, Hounslow Highways and the Royal National Lifeboat Institute (RNLI) also contributed to the success of the event. This year the JCS was visited by educators from across the world including delegations from China, South Korea and the USA. All groups commented on what an excellent idea the scheme was and that it would be something they will be taking back to their country.

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Each group of pupils were assigned an ambassador who acted as host and led them around the different scenario’s The Cranford Community College Junior Ambassadors were chosen from year 7, 8 and 9 students with the aim of developing their leadership and responsibility skills. Over the two weeks some 130 ambassadors did the school proud with their exemplary behaviour and display of leadership skills. Many primary teachers told me how impressed they had been with the maturity of our students and said they were a great credit to the school. Well done Ambassadors.

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Alan Fraser (Assistant Headteacher - Community) 1 Cranford_Annual_Review_2016_outlined.indd 1

08-Sep-16 2:00:14 PM

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July 2016, I along with two talented scientists in year 12, Maryam Fazalzadeha and Hamir Butt, had an amazing opportunity to represent the UK at the International Space Camp in Alabama, USA. Participating with delegates from all over the world we had the chance to train like an astronaut.

“CAPCOM to Commander, are you ready for launch?”

“CAPCOM this is Commander, copy that.”

This radio exchange brings back so many memories. As the commander of my space shuttle I was required to safely transport my mission specialists from Earth to Mars and back during a real time space simulated mission. There were some ‘Houston, we have a problem’ moments but with my dysfunctional yet dedicated UNITY crew we made it there and back in one piece, so the mission was a success.

In addition to space missions my team and I built space rovers, urine filtering systems and an ablation heat shield to protect our “eggstronaut” (may he rest in peace). I also had the chance to sit in a Multi-Axis Trainer and a 1/6th gravity chair and through all these experiences I have newfound appreciation for the mental and physical demands on astronauts and engineers. During our week-long stay I developed a deeper understanding of technological advancements that will help us explore further into space and it will forever be a memorable trip because of the new friendships I have formed with teachers across the 50 states of America.

Seema Mehmi (Science Department)

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08-Sep-16 2:00:25 PM

Applying to go on this amazing journey was the best thing I have ever done. We had to write a 700 word essay on how space exploration could change the future and then we had interviews. It was brilliant to be chosen to represent the UK and Cranford.

NASA’s space camp was an amazing experience, during which I had the privilege of meeting people from around the world. This opened my eyes as on an everyday basis I am only exposed to what is occurring around me however I got to experience the different lifestyles of people from around the world. My favourite thing about space camp was the missions as it was not only fun, but it allowed me to build skills that I can use in the future, such as teamwork, leadership and problem solving. This was a wonderful opportunity for me and it is an experience I will never forget, if I could go back every year I definitely would.

Maryam Fazalzadeha (year 12 - Space Camp Graduate)

My name is Hamir Butt and I was chosen as one of the delegates to represent the UK to attend NASA Space Camp in Huntsville, Alabama. It was a long process but it was the best decision I had ever made to apply for this opportunity, and it was a great one. At first it was quite strange going to a camp where there are people from around the world. But it gave me a really good insight into how we can overcome language barriers and still work as a team. I think attending space camp has changed me as a person as it showed me that there are many ways to do things in life. The highlight of my trip would have to be the 1/6th gravity chair as it feels as if you’re floating. I found this trip very educational as it taught me a lot. I’d recommend this opportunity to anyone in the future if it becomes available to them.

Hamir Butt (year 12 - Space Camp Graduate)

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08-Sep-16 2:00:41 PM

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second half of this academic year has been very exciting in the Maths Department. After the phenomenal success of the Junior Maths Challenge in April 2016 (as previously reported in the spring publication), where Harit Boonyarakyotin in year 8 and Haroon Lukka, Abinayah Kagenthirarasa, Ehsan Ayobi, Taranjeet Bharaj and Ahmed Ali in year 7 all achieved Gold Awards and year 8 received a further 14 Silver and 22 Bronze Awards and year 7 received 9 Silver and 12 Bronze Awards. Harit, Haroon, Abinayah and Ehsen’s scores were so high they were entered for the follow-on competition, the Junior Kangaroo, and Haroon went on to win a Merit certificate. The Maths Department would like to congratulate all students who participated. We are very proud of all of you.

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In July 2016 students from across years 7-10 took part in the Maths Department’s activities during the school activities week. Students enjoyed a variety of activities, including visiting the British Museum, measuring the height of Nelson’s Column, building a theme park with K-nex, creating tessellation artwork for the A block staircase and navigating their way across London while finding out about our city’s cultural history.

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To end the year on a high, on Friday15th July 2016, 10 year 10 students attended maths lectures at Kingston University where they discovered about the fascinating mathematics behind chocolate fountains (and then they got to eat the chocolate) and learnt more about the history of numbers as they were challenged to answer the question ‘did numbers always exist, or did humans invent them’. I was very proud to see our students joining in with and thoroughly enjoying these lectures and was delighted when one of them told me that it had ‘blown his mind’ Sarah Brackley (Head of Maths Department) 4 Cranford_Annual_Review_2016_outlined.indd 4

08-Sep-16 2:00:54 PM

Cranford Community College celebrates Arts and Culture

On

Thursday 23rd June 2016 students, staff, parents and guests braved the rain and joined us to celebrate the outstanding talent of our students in art, design and technology, music and creative writing.

The event was an opportunity for students to exhibit their work through various ADT projects at GCSE and A-Level alongside performances by our RSL music students and readings from our First Story cohort 2016 and their anthology entitled “There’s Always One”.

The diversity and creativity of the work in 2D, 3D, textiles and ceramics demonstrated the wide range of materials used to create some of the most dramatic and complex pieces ever exhibited, all of which showed the hours of work and commitment by the students, supported by their teachers, to realise their ideas to a conclusion.

In addition the exhibition recognised five students’ work in particular who were nominated for the Tracey Fletcher Award, created in memory of a former Head of Art. The winner, Sarah Hamza was presented with the award by Veronique Gerber, Head of School.

The exhibition provided a fitting backdrop to the second half of the evening when the audience was treated to some exceptional performances by our year 10 RSL students of Beethoven, Adele and Satie, interspersed with some amazing readings from their First Story anthology, some very personal and poignant, some humorous.

Seema Sethi, Head of Performing Arts, hosted the event and spoke with passion about the importance of the arts in education and how Cranford is a beacon of good practice, led by the Executive Headteacher, Kevin Prunty in embracing all aspects of the arts as fundamental to a child’s life and personal growth.

Jessica Joyce (Events Organiser)

“I am one of the RSL GCSE students who chose the performance pathway in music. When starting RSL in September 2015, I was anxious as to what obstacles I might encounter when taking this course. However, with the support offered from my music teachers as well as my peers I have been able to learn new things and develop new skills which have enabled me to craft my performances as a musician.

I hope next year will be just as much fun and interesting as this one during the RSL course.

I am also looking forward to performing my second RSL music concert which I will have to start preparing for next year”.

Cristiana Eftenoiu (year 10)

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08-Sep-16 2:01:35 PM

Cranford Charity Fundraising Events 2015-2016

Tasty fund raising from Year 8

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A School That Keeps On Giving

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ranford students are no strangers to fund raising opportunities for various national and international causes and this year has been no exception.

Charities including Macmillan Cancer, Children in Need, Save the Children and the National Autistic Society (N.A.S) have been supported and each received a share of the £1692.58 raised. The students are already making plans for new events for 2016-2017 to support those in need.

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penultimate week of the summer term saw year 8 s t u d e n t s o rg a n i s i n g a series of fund raising a c t i v i t i e s f o r C r o h n ’s and Colitis UK. Events included a cracker eating competition, a bake off with a ‘desi’ twist, their guess the number of sweets in the jar competition, sponsored Minecraft and a mixed football tournament. Ricardo Oliveira won himself a box of chocolates having eaten two crackers in a highly-entertaining minute, Rajvir Sran proved victorious in the bakeoff with her immense rainbow cake, Dinnie Heroe, Rakhwinder

Gill and Zeenat Jussab won the jar of sweets with their guesses and, in a highly contested and controversial football tournament, 8Z were eventually crowned winners (with some protest from 8V). Honourable mentions must go to Haider Ali who proved himself a determined and committed cracker dispatcher, Dilpreet Pannu who showed a willingness to throw herself into a tackle from any angle and Zak Raissi for his furious and impassioned arguments with any and all who disagreed with his assessment of all things football. The effort from the year group was

The Picasso Centre’s Green Fingered Gardeners

The

Picasso Centre has been lucky enough to have received some funding (from the CEO of Hounslow Borough Council) with which to create a sensory garden. To gain the funding the boys all had to write Mary Harpley persuasive letters with good reasons as to why they deserved it, or needed it. Months later Mr Dean announced to Ms Freeman that we had the funding. As a prelude to having the garden completed, we all began to grow vegetables and flowers from seed. The result was that Destiny “I’m very proud of myself because I have never showed himself to be an excellent gardened before, but now I know I have green gardener. fingers. I won my award for growing the largest radish: it was 13cms in circumference. Then a few weeks later in an assembly I got the reward.

In September I will be in year 8 and I am determined to win next year’s competition too”.

Destiny Aslim (year 7)

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08-Sep-16 2:01:52 PM

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outstanding but special mention must go to Tanvir Bhullar and Mahira Butt for their contributions and involvement in practically all the events. The final amount raised as an astonishing £289.76, an amount that surpassed all expectations.

This was a fantastic effort from everyone involved, far too many to name i n d i v i d u a l l y, b u t t h e y should feel proud of what they have achieved. Well done.

We are extremely proud of our year group and how they all supported this initiative to help a very worthy cause.

Yas Ashfaq and Aaron Sohi (Year Manager and Head of Year 8)

Year 7 support an amazing young man

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uesday 19th July 2016 will be remembered as the day a brave and determined young man, cheered on by staff and the whole of year 7, took the challenge to walk from one end of the concourse to the other to raise money for The National Portage Association who work with young people like Jose who require help with speech and language.

Jose has cerebral palsy and he finds walking very difficult. To achieve this challenge is really quite remarkable and everyone who witnessed this achievement found the whole experience emotional inspirational.

To date Jose has raised over £300.

We are so proud of him and of his year group in the way the spurred him on to achieve his goal.

My sponsored walk journey

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Vanessa Tutt and Dawn Knock (SEN Managers)

“The thing that made me think of doing a sponsored walk was while I was on one of my PE walks somebody saw me walking and said that I should do a sponsored walk. The way I trained was by going to N1 every day in the morning as soon as I got into school and doing 1 lap of the classroom. On Tuesdays period 1 I would go outside and practise walking on the concourse.

Every time I would practise on the concourse I would stop after a certain distance, but when I was doing the sponsored walk I heard everyone from my year group and some of my teachers cheering me on and that pushed me to walk the concourse in one go. In the beginning I was nervous but a lot people from my year group wished me luck and that helped a lot. When I actually started walking down it was easy at first but then halfway through I was getting aches in my legs and at one point I felt like taking a break.

When I actually finished I felt so proud of myself and I wanted to cry but I didn’t”.

Jose Emanuel Alves Oliveira (year 7) 7

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08-Sep-16 2:02:27 PM

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Targeted Intervention Days 2016 Year 7

argeted intervention (TI) days continue to be a feature of our school calendar and provide an exceptional opportunity to extend student learning through trips and visits, conferences and guest speakers or create scope for additional focussed study in curriculum areas and PSHCE. The TI day in the spring term was divided into two with a bespoke programme of extended learning in PSHCE for all students in years 7-9 and exam focussed study for students in years 10-13.

Year 7 took part in a challenging personal development day where they developed their understanding of health and wellbeing. They explored healthy eating and body image and the impact the media has on the way they see themselves, the impact of social media and how it is used including bullying and an exciting production that explored cyber bullying, friendship and sexting and where to get help and support.

In addition they have worked with a variety of departments developing subject skills and understanding including working in science on a Crime Scene Investigation and maths and English on improving their literacy and numeracy skills. The Art Department worked on collaborative art work and the Music Department worked with a group of more able musicians.

Year 8 The year 8 personal development day focussed on exploring different types of relationships and worked on the signs of good and bad relationships in different settings. They spent time looking at e-safety and personal hygiene. A big section of the day provided students with access to a talk on gangs and knife crime and what this can lead to finishing the day with an exciting theatre production looking at the issues surrounding different types of bullying.

In addition year 8 had an exciting STEM workshop with Heathrow Airport where students learnt to develop and build simple robots to solve problems. This was a really challenging and exciting workshop that developed their understanding of engineering and robotics. Students also worked with the Maths and English Department and a group of year 8 students attended a performance of The Minotaur, a play they have been studying in drama at the Unicorn Theatre.

“The drama trip was an amazing opportunity as we got to see great masks being used in the play. As we were already doing Greek theatre in Drama, this really helped us out”.

Shayma El Fartas (year 8)

Year 9 The year 9 personal development day focussed on current affairs as students explored the pros and cons of Brexit. They explored the reasons why we are currently in the EU and the impact of staying or leaving this partnership of countries. They also spent time looking at healthy lifestyles and the impact it has on their life.

The Geography Department spent time with students exploring Canary Wharf and how this area has developed. The English and Maths Department worked with selected students on key skills to aid progress.

For some key stage 3 students an additional challenge was set with two projects including a literacy project where students produced a “Spine Chiller Mini-series” or a “100 word story” and a geography project that looked at the way the local area has changed.

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08-Sep-16 2:02:27 PM

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Key Stage 4 and 5 All departments provided opportunities for students to work on key areas for improvement within their subject areas. Work included targeted support in exam technique, A*/A focus workshops, key topic guidance, C/D Borderline working groups and subject knowledge work. Students had the opportunity to take part in walking talking mocks and focussed workshops to improve coursework. In addition Zero Culture Theatre Company performed their powerful new play “Agent” to the sixth form about the issues surrounding the plight of migrants coming to the local area and being employed in construction work, building and living under the bridges in Southall and how the “agent” betrays them to the authorities.

Oh, the Places you’ll go!

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Inspired by Dr Seuss

In the summer term, our final TI day focussed on visions and values for the future of our school. Students used the day to explore the great city and countryside we live in. They were given a list of possible places to visit and in preparation for the day; students were required to do some research about their chosen destination, including any costs and how to get there. For those with oyster cards travel was free. As a record of where they had been they had to send a selfie of themselves at the places they visited. The list was extensive including places like Kew gardens, Gunnersbury Park or walking the London Loop, museums, galleries, watching Changing the Guard ceremony at Buckingham Palace to finding platform 9 ¾ at Kings Cross Station.

Some students ventured out of the local area whereas others explored closer to home but all had a fantastic day and were very animated about what they had seen on their return to school.

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Kevin Biggs (Senior Teacher - Targeted Intervention Days organiser)

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08-Sep-16 2:02:36 PM

“There’s Always One”

There’s Always One is an anthology of new writing by the First Story students at Cranford Community College who took part in creative-writing workshops led by writer-in-residence Ross Raisin. First Story believes there is dignity and power in every person’s story, and here you’ll find young people expressing themselves in their own unique voices.

We hope you enjoy this collection.

There’s Always One

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irst Story, now in its 10th year at Featuring writing to by: grow in Cranford, continues Fatima Elmi • Harshaan Sahota • Isheda Leeand popularity with the students Kevin Clarke • Kulbir Maras • Lucy Tirahan demonstrates theHersi truly amazing Raniya • Sadie Yasmin Blake creative Saras Dhiman minds of our young authors. Ross Raisin, writer-in-residence returned again this year to nurture their writing talents, working alongside their teacher Sahrish Sheikh and he remains inspired by the work they produced to create a very personal anthology entitled, “There’s Always One”. Here is just a sample of their published work.

Cranford Community College

First Story 2016

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Changing lives through writing 'First Story is a very exciting idea – F I R S T S T O RY writing can liberate and strengthen was a moment, during our second young people’s sense of themselves as almost nothing else can.' session, when a shift in the atmosphere

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PHILIP The PULLMAN occurred. group had finished writing their second Author of His Dark Materials www.firststory.co.uk poem of the session and were taking it in £10.00 turns to read themIllustration out. Raniya, who had not wanted to read out her first and cover design by Lucy Dove & Amit Rai poem, acquiesced to the gentle persuasion of the others, Typesetting by Avon DataSet Ltd and read out her new one. It was beautiful – and, with the naturalness of response that comes when somebody reads something affecting to you, the group’s enjoyment of it was immediately obvious in the expressions and, when she had finished, the words of approval, then applause, of the others. ‘No, shut up. You’re just saying that, yeah?’ was Raniya’s reply, through a big smile. These are the best moments for me. The instants when, for the students, the whole thing – the group, First Story, the cajolement of teachers to make you sign up for this mysterious Wednesday thing, the point of writing at all– suddenly makes sense. When a student begins, in that ‘you’re just saying that, yeah?’ twinkling, to understand that she is writing both for herself and to provoke something in somebody else, and that this act is simultaneous, intuitive, and human. And as these individual openingsout ripple through the group, a community is created, a miniature one that starts to look forward to sharing pieces of writing, to reading, to talking about writing.

Importantly, too, it is a community to which their teacher belongs and is part of, on an equal footing (and I will say that Miss Sheikh’s gentleness and inclusiveness make this happen very easily. She is also, by the by, excellent at chasing young people who have missed their deadlines.

Which is a lot of chasing). The afternoon during which the group found out that Miss Sheikh had once been a pupil at Cranford herself was an eye-opener. And when Jay came in from First Story to spend an afternoon with us, and they found out that he went there too... and that he even used to be in the same class as Miss Sheikh! Well…

There is something healthy in this realisation, outside of the normal structures of the teenage relationship with the

An Anthology by the First Story Group at

Cranford Community College Edited and Introduced by Ross Raisin adult world, that the grown-ups around you are in fact not so different from yourself, and that they like and respond to some of the same things that you do. It is part of growing up, glimpsing a future beyond school. There was disappointment in some quarters that we did not vote in the title of: A Compilation of Stuff and a Dozen Other Things, enough that I promised I would mention it in my introduction. So there it is. The majority-decided title, though, I think is a better fit. In part because it plays nicely into the sense that there would always be somebody with a surprise up their sleeve, and in part because there would always be a different person missing each week. One week, in fact, an entirely different half of the group turned up to that of the previous week.

Which put something of a dampener on my session plan of working on the pieces of the week before – but, as so often can be the case, the spontaneity that came about that week resulted in one of the most surprising and useful sessions of the course. A few days before that meeting, the terrorist attacks on Paris had taken place and the group fell into discussion about the horror, the reasons, and the reporting of it. Instinctively, they wanted to write about all this, and so, without very much guiding, they did – and those pieces are included in this anthology. It seemed fitting to put them in, because this book, as much as it is an enjoyable read (love, zombies, aspiration, atelophobia – still don’t really know what that is – grief, diamonds, detectives, a great deal of blood…), is an expression of what this small group of young people make of the world round them – through thought, language, humour – and of how they find their place in it.

Ross Raisin (Writer-in-Residence)

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08-Sep-16 2:02:40 PM

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If Women Should Be Housewives If women should be housewives then you are taking my right to dream.

You are taking my right to university.

You are taking my rights, it seems.

If women should be housewives then Malala has to clean.

Rosa Parks is in the kitchen and Beyoncé is polishing the TV screen.

Be Awesome

Make

all the mistakes and take all the risks now – you’ll learn to become a better person. We’ll all have a wake-up call sooner or later in life. It will hit you hard and then you’ll realise that you have to make some changes in your life. As humans we make mistakes, we evolve. You’ll have to leave some people behind in order to move forward.

You can know someone for ten years, but that person could be holding you back and be unhealthy for you.

You just need to let go and move on without them. I’ll continue to make mistakes, but I’ll learn and so will you. You can be the smartest person in the room, but not realising where your true potential can take you will leave you having to work harder to maximise the potential. Work hard, you’ll notice the potential you have. Then other people will notice. Always be the hardest worker in the room. Even when you think you can’t do anymore and you want to give up, give a little more. That extra one percent is the difference that will define you.

It’s not always character that people will judge you on; it’s your actions. You shouldn’t judge people. It doesn’t make you any wiser. You’ll waste time that you could use to improve yourself. If you know anyone who judges you, ignore them. You may hurt or upset people, but understand what you’ve done wrong and learn from that to never do it again. They may judge, give you a blank stare or refuse to talk to you, but at the end of the day, your voice is the voice you should truly listen to. If you’ve done one bad thing, people who don’t truly know you will just remember what you’ve done wrong instead of all the good things you’ve done. Is it logical that one or two bad things outweigh all the good things? There are certain things in life which you’ll keep fighting for: family, friends, and yourself. Keep fighting – good will follow. Fear holds everyone back. It holds you back from talking in front of two hundred people or even that one person. Fear is nothing but negative energy created in the mind.

Once you control your mind, you control fear and you become fearless. Be the best version of yourself and just be awesome.

Kulbir Maras (year 11)

If women should be housewives then I am not worthy of a job.

I am not worthy of opportunity.

I am expected to slave over the hob.

If women should be housewives then how do I conquer the world?

Can I not grow up to make my own choices?

Or will you always treat me as a ‘girl’?

If women should be housewives Then this discussion is unfair, because I will strive for my potential and I do not need you to care.

If women should be housewives are you reducing us to minions?

If women should be housewives perhaps you shouldn’t be granted an opinion.

Lucy Tirahan (year 11)

Diamond in My Heart You’re a diamond in my eye.

Your hair like gold.

But I’m not drawn to those physical appearances.

It’s your personality; it’s the flame and I’m the moth.

I’m drawn to it.

To all others you’re a Barbie or a trophy.

I’m not like the rest.

They’re athletic, and I’m not.

You can see the honesty in my blue eyes.

I’m kind and gentle.

Even if this is pointless.

Kevin Clarke (year 11) 11

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08-Sep-16 2:02:47 PM

Kingswood 2016 Review

Throughout the day, we completed many other fun activities such as fencing, using Mission Maker to programme a computer game and a fight with laser guns in which we had to use our team work skills again to defeat the opposing team. A very excited the 30th March 2016, we and our Ayisha tripped over some tyres due fellow year 8 students embarked on to the adrenaline which no one could contain; a journey to Kingswood, a residential education this activity certainly gets your heart racing. centre for a 3 day visit. We were accompanied The centre prepared all of our food for us; it was by three of our teachers and the main purpose of better than most restaurants. Each night ended this trip was to help us to develop our teamwork with a soothing hot chocolate in and communication skills whilst our rooms where we promptly fell developing our own computer “I enjoyed everything in Kingswood because all of the asleep. We even got to experience a game. activities were fun and it was camp fire one evening with singing, Our adventure started with an amazing. In Kingswood the best dancing and best of all, roasted activity was the equilibrium”. exciting three hour journey to the marshmallows. I am not sure we centre. Once we had arrived, we Faizuddin Mohammed (year 8) always fell asleep quickly though, were shown our rooms; spacious maybe we shouldn’t mention the rooms with multiple bunk beds and bathroom. We girls in room 5 who had decided to stay up with were given time to unpack and settle in before we feasts and scary stories... sorry Ms Kudhail. were then called out to enjoy our first of many Overall, we had a great time and have not stopped activities which was the exhilarating 3G swing, talking about it since. Thank you to the staff ‘G’ being gravitational. Being pulled up high by and school who enabled us to partake in such a a rope we needed to trust our friends not to let memorable experience. We highly recommend go. The feeling was unforgettable and we really this trip for the future year groups and remember recommend going to Kingswood just for this. to have fun just like we did.

On

Ayisha Mahmood & Guy Boonyarakyotin (year 8) 12 Cranford_Annual_Review_2016_outlined.indd 12

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My TEDx Youth Hounslow Experience Let’s Talk Inner Beauty

My

experience taking part in TEDx 2016 has definitely been one that I’m truly proud of: the procedure leading up to the actual talk was quite thoughtprovoking in itself because I really had to think about the topic and what I felt passionate about – something I could talk about for 6 minutes in the hope that it would impact in some way or another. That’s when I came up with the general theme of ‘qualities that really matter’ within individuals, which then developed into ‘Inner Beauty’. As cliché as that might sound, I aimed to take a different approach and include personal experiences in my presentation, hoping it would be more authentic and anything but cliché.

Drawing inspiration from my World Challenge trip to Morocco, I talked about qualities such as the importance of helping those who require it as well as adopting a positive mind-set. After writing the speech, I attended rehearsal sessions with the organisers and students from schools across the borough.

The TEDx Youth Hounslow event took place at West Thames College on Wednesday 10th February 2016. It was definitely nerve-wracking going on stage to deliver my speech, but the more I spoke, the more I became comfortable. The blinding stage lights certainly helped with that part. All in all, it was hands down one of the best experiences I have had and I’m grateful that I had been given the opportunity to voice my ideas and beliefs on a platform that has the potential to stimulate the thought processes of others.

I can now say that I’ve given a talk on the same forum that greatly accomplished people like Bill Gates have given speeches - how cool is that?

I would highly recommend this experience to anyone.

You can see my full speech at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WuWzvHbrqJ4 Sahithya Natarajan (year 12)

“...I believe that we all have the unlimited capacity and utmost potential to be the best version of ourselves – so why not be simply goodhearted? What’s so wrong in just being kind? And it doesn’t have to be a big thing; in fact small gestures have a bigger impact that we give them credit for. For example simply smiling at a new face or not retaliating to confrontation– we all want to follow our impulses but sometimes ignoring them is the better option or simply just extending a helping hand when required. These little actions may seem insignificant but they all are steps leading up being an overall good individual”

“...So what I’m trying to say is, being a good person doesn’t come down to you just helping others, but also to have that ability to self-reflect and change into thinking with a more positive outlook in order to better yourself. So go ahead and be educated, intelligent, well-rounded even skilful but above all be a good human first: be respectful be humble, be kind. We are the future and as young people we should have a drive and fire to achieve things which will not only elevate oneself but also benefit the society as a whole. Fortunately we have so many achievers from our past and present who act as a guiding force for us such as Mahatma Gandhi who famously stated, “An eye for an eye makes the whole world blind”. A good group of individuals make a good society and a good society sees to a bright and prosperous future for everyone”.

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08-Sep-16 2:03:12 PM

It

has been quite a year for our continued special relationship with the US Embassy. In the past year alone, many students met the US Ambassador when he visited Cranford Community College, but also at the embassy and in his home. Staff and students attended a celebrity-packed reception for the US rugby team at the US Ambassador’s residence plus numerous diplomatic events at the US Embassy with other ambassadors from across the world, worked with Matthew Barzun, US Ambassador to develop his ‘Schools Talk’ programme and one of Cranford’s star students gained the prestigious Fulbright scholarship following intense international competition.

It started in October 2015 with the reception at the Ambassador’s residence Winfield House for the USA rugby team followed by other highlights including private screenings and discussions at the US Embassy on documentaries including “My name is Malala”, talks at the school by noted experts, discussion groups with the US Ambassador, Matthew Barzun and of course five of our students meeting President Obama. It was also the US Embassy which asked us if we would like to represent the UK at International Space Camp. The year ended how it started when Ms Yousaf and myself were invited to the Ambassador’s Independence Day party at his residence. It was quite a party with A list celebrities including Pharrell Williams, senior politicians and royalty. The theme for the party was a music festival with big name bands like Squeeze and Bastille performing.

Ambassador Barzan’s term of office ends with President Obama’s in January 2017 and he will be missed by Cranford to whom he has been a great friend and we were delighted to receive the letter and certificate in recognition of this fact.

K e v i n P r u n t y, E x e c u t i v e H e a d t e a c h e r a d d e d : “Our partnership with the US Embassy has generated some truly amazing experiences and opportunities for Cranford students but, I suspect, it will be hard to beat this impressive and rare event. In particular, these opportunities are so important in helping young people develop vital modern life skills like networking, integrity, political awareness, civic engagement and selfconfidence, all of which I believe are essential to succeed in a dynamic world and global economy”.

Alan Fraser (Assistant Headteacher –Community)

Cranford Young leaders meet US President Barack Obama

On

Saturday 23rd April 2016, five very fortunate year 12 students were chosen to represent Cranford Community College among a select audience of 55 young people at the historical address at Westminster Town hall by visiting US President Barack Obama.

Cranford was invited by the US ambassador to select five of its young leaders for the privilege of a private meeting with the president because of the school’s ‘special relationship’ with the US which has seen students given the chance to meet the ambassador at the embassy, in his home and during a visit to the school.

This event received global media coverage as the US President took time to talk about world issues and engage in a question and answer dialogue with young people from across West London.

Navneet Arura, Zahra Butt, Ali Aweis, Ubaid Rizvi and Nabila Hiyati were seated in the front row as the president delivered his message. The President urged young people to reject pessimism and cynicism, to believe that progress is always possible and that difficult problems can be solved but that sometimes it is necessary to take a longer view of history and be satisfied with moving something forward so that others can take it further. He warned that if you only spend time with people who just agree with you, you become even more extreme in your convictions, suggesting

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the benefits of seeking out people who don’t agree with you so that you learn to compromise, adding “Compromise does not mean surrendering what you believe”.

The students got the chance to shake hands with Obama - a life changing moment. Navneet Arura pictured shaking hands with Barack Obama said: “The president came across as incredibly charismatic and as a man of genuine integrity. He gave very good answers on a wide range of topics but it was his responses in favour of gender equality which particularly impressed me”.

Ali Aweis said: “I was fascinated by the way the president used body language to emphasise the points he made.

His message was one of hope and the rejection of cynicism. I was inspired by his comments that change only comes about with struggle and discipline”.

Executive Headteacher Kevin Prunty said: “The five young leaders will remember this exceptional opportunity for the rest of their lives and we believe this type of opportunities will motivate and inspire our students, as well as significantly enhancing their future prospects”.

“This once in a lifetime opportunity was absolutely tremendous. I never thought that I would be able to get this opportunity to meet President Barack Obama. The state of excitement and nervousness I felt was indescribable, after all it’s not every day you get to meet the most important man on the planet – the President of the United States. When he started speaking, there was a very influential tone in his voice; he had charisma and was able to offer good answers to the questions asked, which ranged from LGBT rights, gender equality and racial profiling. I was particularly impressed at how President Obama told us, the British youth not to step back from our politics and to reject ‘cynicism’ if we are to lead on our country. Overall, the whole event proved extremely worthwhile and beneficial to; I was able to see what other young people had in mind, as well as listen to the President’s responses to these. This is something I will never forget”.

“Obama lived up very much to my expectations, a well-spoken man who showed charisma with every gesture; he had tons of confidence too, being able to stand up and speak in front of hundreds of people in the audience and thousands on the television as if this cam naturally to him. It was also apparent from his several subtle gestures how intelligent he was.

His removing his suit and rolling up his sleeves to indicate that he was not being a politician or walking around the podium after his initial speech to show that he breaks formal barriers, were just among some of the things he did which showed me just how much of a good politician he really is. That’s not to say that he wasn’t being genuine however. On the contrary when one of the audiences (a Somali gentleman) questioned him on waste dumping in the Red Sea, the President openly admitted that he wasn’t aware of the situation and more importantly, was willing to listen to the gentleman’s issue.

That is what I found to be his most notable feature, that as well as him being a great speaker, he was also a good listener”.

Navneet Arura (year 12)

Ali Aweis (year12)

On Monday 25th April 2016, 15 “young leaders” from the school met the US ambassador again to follow up the points raised at the President Obama’s town hall meeting.

Alan Fraser (Assistant Headteacher- Community)

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08-Sep-16 2:03:16 PM

“We the People” Conference with the US Energy Attaché

On

Tuesday 7th June 2016, we were visited by another of our American friends. David Kovatch handpicked Cranford Community College as the school he wanted to visit to deliver his first such session to, having been very impressed during conversations with Cranford students at another event at the US Embassy. Though his specific remit is Energy Attaché at the US Embassy London representing the US Department of Energy, he talked at length with the students about several other issues aside from energy policies and issues. Amongst domestic American politics, students were interested in finding out about David’s concerns surrounding Donald Trump and the US problems with gun crime. Internationally, IS came up as well as the Palestine question – which just won’t go away. These conversations are usually had with 6th form students, but on this occasion Mr. Fraser and I decided to give our year 10 students this opportunity. They were really impressive. Whilst none of them had ever been in a position to meet a diplomat or the like, our students were mature, well-researched and not at all overwhelmed by the experience.

They were confident in asking questions and responding with their opinions. Mr. Fraser and I are extremely confident in this group of politically engaged youngsters going on to be global citizens when they leave school.

Mehmoona Yousaf (Senior Teacher Head of RE Department)

“I think that the visit from the US diplomat was beneficial to both the UK and the USA as it helped us to see what we think of each other and keeps the relations with other countries honourable and decent.

We discussed many topics such as politics (Trump in particular), gun crime in the USA and opinions on each other’s involvement in many world crises. Racism was also a topic, albeit a short one and I thought that it was good that they gave us cards for us to write our frustrations/confusions/fears (or something like that) about the USA”.

Majid Anjum (year 10)

“I found that speaking with Mr Kovatch helped me to understand how other countries function and how they tackle the problems that we are currently facing, such as global warming, immigration and extremism. He also provided me and the other students with an outsider’s perspective on the EU referendum and how it would affect not only the UK but also America”.

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Ali Sarwar (year 10)

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Invite to Winfield House

On

We d n e s d a y 6 t h A p r i l 2016, Zahra Butt and Ali Aweis year 13 were invited along with myself to Winfield House the US Ambassador’s residence, to take part in a debate on current affairs.

The students found the discussion enlightening and were amazed by Winfield House and the surrounding estate.

Mehmoona Yousaf (Senior Teacher - Head of RE Department)

“At first I d i d n ’t k n o w what to expect when I entered to the Winfield estate; a building which has hosted the likes of Barrack Obama and the Queen. What I did anticipate however was for it to be illustrious, and it did not disappoint. The 12 acre estate was a sight to behold and we spent what seemed to be an hour perusing the bottom floor of the mansion: the paintings, beautifully decorated chandeliers and exquisitely detailed furniture. After that we sat in one of the vast rooms where we spoke about his trips to schools, as well as our thoughts on the way he answered our questions. My personal suggestion was that he tries to focus more on the topics which come up frequently, and that he allows us to see the viewpoints of Americans our age through the click poll, so that it can be a proper exchange, which he thanked us for. We ended the visit in classical American fashion, with a group photo and horrendous music played from an antique music box”.

Ali Aweis (year 13)

08-Sep-16 2:03:27 PM

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Ukrainian Ambassador to the US

On

Thursday 14th April 2016 a group of students were invited to watch a showing of a new documentary film “Winter on Fire”, a documentary about Ukraine’s fight for freedom. Learning about Maidan was an eye-opening experience.

When people told me about the conflict in Ukraine, all I (and most people) would know of the conflict that it was between pro-Russian forces and Ukrainian forces In the Crimea area.

In many ways however the conflict we know of started in Maidan Nezalezhnosti (Independence Square), when the citizens of Ukraine united to rally in protest against police brutality ordered

by Viktor Yanukovych. The two things which struck me most from watching the movie was a) how close to complete destruction the Maidan movement came and that if it wasn’t for the brave sacrifices of the men and women of Maidan how the Yanukovych dictatorship would still be around, and b), the position of the police and army in all this. When the director was asked about this in particular, he explained why there was no interviews of the soldiers carrying out the orders of the government (as they had orders to fire at journalists first) and how he explained that despite the fact that the soldiers spoke no words, their facial expressions (of pure indifference) spoke their true side of the story.

Zahra Butt (year 13)

Indiana Visitors

On

Friday 24th June 2016, we were proud to host a delegation of 40 teachers from Indiana, USA who were part of a study programme with Butler University, training to be school principals.

They were in the UK to look at our school system and how our schools are managed, comparing our system with the American system. Cranford was the last on their tour and they were absolutely blown away by the amazing work we do with our students.

They visited the Twilight Centre, the Literacy and Numeracy College (LNC), the Picasso Centre and the Hounslow Junior Citizen Project and commented that these were ‘truly outstanding’. They were fascinated by the range and extent of the different projects we run as a school both to help our students make exceptional progress and to help transform our community. During the day, Mr Dobison and Ms Painting, along with Ms Panesar from Berkeley Primary School, were able to form some excellent new relationships with our American colleagues which we will continue to build on.

Ruth Painting (Senior Teacher, Teaching and Learning)

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08-Sep-16 2:03:44 PM

Jack Petchey Awards Winners 2015 / 2016

The

Jack Petchey Hounslow Awards evening was held at the Waterman’s Theatre in Brentford on Tuesday 24th May 2016.Cranford had the most award winners at the event with 9 students and 1 adult award winner, Dawn Knock SEN Manager. The students attended with their families and looked incredibly smart.

This annual event celebrates all the amazing things each recipient has been involved in during the past year and is a fitting way to acknowledge their achievements. Each award winner receives a monetary prize in addition to a medal to spend on some area or activity which also benefits the school.

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The awards were presented by Michael Marks the Assistant Director of Education and Early Intervention Services. A number of other VIP guests including the Chief Superintendent for Hounslow, Raj Kohli were also in attendance.

The evening was inspirational and extremely enjoyable with some outstanding entertainment and an extremely supportive and exciting atmosphere. It was a genuine joy to be able to applaud our students as each received their boxed medallion and you could see the pride on their and their families faces.

Congratulations once again go out to all our worthy winners and especially to Dawn Knock our adult leader award winner for the incredible work she does supporting our students within the school.

Kevin Clarke September 2015 (nominated by Ms Edwards & Ms Freeman) Kevin has been nominated for his outstanding contribution to the students in the ASD Centre since September 2014.

He has dedicated himself to the role of mentor to the students in the ASD Centre, giving up his free time every day in order to fulfil this role to the highest degree. He has acted as a role model and helped the ASD students understand school policies and procedures and, more importantly, social rules. He has taught the students how to mediate during a disagreement and demonstrated a high level of maturity in his approach to dealing with students’ problems. He encourages other year 11 boys to come to the Centre to extend the parameters of mentoring which offers the students in the Centre a broader mentoring experience.

Kevin shows good leadership skills as others follow his example. He has the ability to source solutions and discuss with ASD Centre staff and seek advice when not entirely sure how to proceed with own his ideas. He has good problem solving skills and gives 110% all the time, never failing to turn up with very high levels of reliability and dependability.

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Prabhleen Ghattoray October 2015 (nominated by Ms Knights) Prabhleen is an excellent role model for her peers and is loved and respected by all.

She always volunteers for any and everything that is offered to her including being involved in the Rugby World Cup Opening Ceremony, taking part in the Guinness World Record largest scrum. She met the U.S Ambassador and the rugby players of America. She was involved in 2 drama productions, “Caucasian Chalk Circle” and “Macbeth”. She has performed many Dhol performances, in and out of school such as at Berkeley Primary School summer fair and Springwell Junior School and in the school at the year 13 Celebration Evening.

Prabhleen achieved her Black Belt and recently had her award evening in Northampton.

She is part of the school’s sports teams for netball, rounders and football and took part in the athletics event in Osterley. She used to play for Brentford Football Club

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She was an ambassador at the Junior citizen event and she has already completed a GCSE RSL Course in Music.

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There were concerns as to how Rohan would cope with the challenges of being a part of such a large secondary school. However from day one he showed a determination and willingness to learn and to use the support available to him and we are very proud to say what a successful journey he has had. In year 9 he helped Mrs Tutt, Mr Kemp his then form Tutor and Miss Goodwill to educate his tutor group about autism, he spoke about what it is like living day to day with autism. It was a very brave thing to do and by the end of the session there were a lot of tears and admiration from both staff and students. From that day on Rohan grew in confidence even being brave enough to attend Jamie’s Farm in March 2014; this was a very successful trip for him as it really pushed him out of his comfort zone and forced him to try things that none of us would have dreamt he would try – delivering a baby lamb being one of those things. Rohan went on to study and revise hard and did very well in his GCSEs he is now in our 6th form studying RE, biology and maths. We wish him every success for the future.

Rohan Sharma November 2015 (nominated by Ms Tutt)

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Arsida Dukaj January 2016 (nominated by Ms Sheikh)

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Arsida is an extremely hard working, talented, enthusiastic and an all-round lovely student. She is always happy to help and take the lead with form time projects; she is often back after school working on the form board or rallying the form group together for different causes.

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One such occasion was when we were writing letters as part of Post Pals) and Arsida, with Gursharan, wrote a lovely letter and gathered some lovely gifts to post to the young children. It helped to create (and emphasise) a real sense of passion in the form group and a young person’s self-awareness of the responsibility they have towards those who are in need of some support and kindness.

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Arsida has participated in a number of school performances/productions since joining the school in year 7. She has shown nothing but dedication and enthusiasm again and has really developed a great talent in the arts.

ons, believe in themselves and make a contribution to their society”. Jack Petchey Cranford_Annual_Review_2016_outlined.indd 19

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Gursharan Pannu February 2016 (nominted by Ms Sheikh) Gursharan is a brilliantly compassionate, kind and enthusiastic student who is also very talented and takes a keen interest in all aspects of school, particularly in the extracurricular. She, along with Arsida, is always happy to help and take the lead with form time projects and they work great together as a duo.

When we were writing letters as part of Post Pals and Gursharan, wrote a lovely letter with Arsida and pulled together a package of gifts for the young children who were terminally ill. This helped to emphasise to the form how important compassion is and that we should all show kindness towards each other.

Gursharan has also participated in a number of school performances/productions since joining the school in year 7. Her talents for drama and music have developed over the year. She has been a part of the cast for Caucasian Chalk Circle, Macbeth (as part of the Shakespeare Festival), participating in concerts, in choir performances and is clearly enjoying this. She is most definitely an asset to the form group and the school.

Davinder Gill March 2016 (nominated by Ms Sitharanjan) Davinder is a hardworking and focused individual, who shows outstanding commitment to his learning and school community. Davinder is a keen sports man who is hugely involved in our sports teams and extracurricular activities within and outside the school. Davinder is a sports leader and captain for many of our sports teams run at Cranford including football, rugby and basketball and will be nominated for sports leader in parkour. Davinder has always been willing and eager to represent our school by volunteering to take part and run student panels, school tours, presentations evenings and taster days and engaging in career focused activities and trips. Despite all of his extracurricular activities he continues to work hard and stay focused on his education, by meeting targets and heading towards his GCSE target grades.

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Taylor Panesar April 2016 (nominated by Ms Ledlie) Taylor became head boy, has taken the role on and has become a great ambassador for the school.Taylor is a very clever and ambitious student who has an outstanding record in curricular and extracurricular activities and possesses a strong drive and determination.

He has been an outstanding member of the army cadet force and he has been a role model and mentor for other cadets within his own unit as well as throughout the sector.

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Taylor does not just accomplish things through his military knowledge or his physical achievements. He has gained a BTec in Public Services at the level of distinction, completed his bronze and silver Duke of Edinburgh award and is currently in the process of completing his gold award.

Taylor has recently completed the Master Cadet course at Frimley Park and received the overall grade of Highly Competent. He also attended the Level 3 Institute of Leadership and Management Course.

Taylor’s ambition is to enter the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst and complete a full commission to join the British Army; he has nothing else he would like to do more than to become an officer in the British Army, this was entirely his own decision and I think it is fitting as it reflects his commitment and dedication to the ACF as he wants to take all his knowledge and further develop it in the best training college in the world.

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Sahithya Natarajan May 2016 (nominated by Mr Kalsi) Sahi is one of the most inspirational student ambassadors that we have known. She is a beacon of positivity and her exemplary, yet humble demeanour in the midst of striving for excellence has set her apart as a role model who has earned the respect and praise of both her peers and teachers. Since starting year 12, Sahi has volunteered to work as a Teaching Assistant where her presence has meant that she quickly developed positive learning relationships with the students who elicit her advice.

Sahi has used praise expertly and skilfully offers constructive feedback in a way that never dampens the enthusiasm of the younger students, who (critically) remain empowered and go on to do better.

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Sahi has contributed to the wider culture of the school participating in a production of Richard III. Sahi’s commitment to rehearsing and working with the cast demonstrates her well-rounded nature and her exemplary ability to manage her time and truly excel not only in academia, but also in performing arts. In sports, Sahi’s leadership experience has extended to captaining the school rounders team and she has trained children of mixed ages at Isleworth and Syon School to learn the skills involved in badminton. In addition Sahi has frequently represented the school at parent’s evenings, has been nominated as a student ambassador and taught a full lesson of psychology to her class. She spoke in assemblies for every year group in about the EU referendum and also gave a TedxTalk in Hounslow. How many students in the UK, could say they have spoken on the same platform as major international figures?

Hasan Almosoy June 2016 (nominated by Mr Kalsi) I am nominating Hasan Almosoy because of his extraordinary personal qualities as an inspiring young leader. Amongst Hasan’s exceptional traits are his striking charisma and interpersonal understanding. Hasan’s talented nature and discernible intelligence are matched by his focused disposition and positive personality; his habitual readiness and steadfast commitment to achieving the very best cast an inspiring template which not only make him a genuine pleasure to teach, but also demonstrably raise the confidence and achievement of others, all of which has earned him both the praise and the respect of his peers and his teachers. This bears testament to Hasan’s ability to conduct himself in a mature, responsible and positive manner. He was shortlisted as one of a very select few students to meet the British Ambassador to the USA during the American President’s state visit to the UK in April 2016. Hasan strives for excellence and sees tasks through to the end.

Hasan is the captain of the Brook House Sunday league football team and is a keen actor. Most recently, Hasan played the lead role of the twisted king in Shakespeare’s Richard III, at The Beck Theatre.

In summary, Hasan is a brilliant student.

Dawn Knock ADULT Leader Award (nominated by Mr Rich & Mr Dean)

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Dawn is always the first line of assistance for our pupils and is a brilliant communicator when there are negotiations that need to take place between teachers, parents, pupils and line managers to ensure the best possible provision for that pupil. There are probably countless possible examples of her giving support around the school. She always gives her time willingly. She is always approachable, friendly and professional and I’ve always found her to be effective and efficient in her role at Cranford.

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ons, believe in themselves and make a contribution to their society”. Jack Petchey Cranford_Annual_Review_2016_outlined.indd 21

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On

Thursday 23rd June 2016 Cranford Community College hosted our very first Arts and Culture Evening which this year included the annual Art, Design and Technology Department Exhibition which showcases the exciting and diverse work completed during 2015-2016 and celebrates the fantastic work of our talented exam students in years 11, 12 and 13.

The range of work on display this year was outstanding with a more creative element in 3D design, fine art and textiles reflecting the dedication and passion of our students in producing their own work. Students, staff and parents were very impressed with the work on display and many commented on the high standard and range of work exhibited.

During the exhibition awards were presented to students including the prestigious Tracy Fletcher Award, created in memory of a former Head of Art and Design. Students work all year on different projects and the final outcomes are then submitted to the Art Department and displayed for all to see.

Five outstanding pieces of key stage 5 artwork were nominated by students and staff. Students voted to choose the final five pieces of work by; Dillon Chuhan, Tania Pereria, Raffeh Younus, Noorish Hussain and Sarah Hamza.

This year the prestigious Tracy Fletcher Art Award went to Sarah Hamza for her powerful portrait of a freedom fighter entitled “One Man’s Terrorist is another Man’s Freedom Fighter”. Sarah’s art work focused on the struggles to liberate citizens from oppression in any part of the world and to look towards peace and a better place to live.

She wrote of her work: “Freedom fighters do not need to terrorise a population into submission. Freedom fighters target the military forces and the organised instruments of repression keeping dictatorial regimes in power. Freedom fighters struggle to liberate their citizens from oppression and to establish a form of government that reflects the will of the people. Now, this is not to say that those who are fighting for freedom are perfect or that we should ignore problems arising from passion and conflict. Nevertheless, one has to be blind, ignorant, or simply unwilling to see the truth if he or she is unable to distinguish between those I just described and terrorists. Terrorists intentionally kill or maim unarmed civilians, often women and children, often third parties who are not in any way part of a dictatorial regime. Terrorists are always the enemies of democracy. Luckily, the world is shaking free from its lethargy and moving forward to stop the bloodshed”.

The award along with Art equipment was presented to Sarah as the overall winner

by Veronique Gerber, Head of School.

Thank you to everyone who attended the exhibition and to the students and staff who worked so hard to create this wonderful work. We look forward to the coming year with excited anticipation to see what our talent students produce.

Ruby Qureshi (Head of Faculty in Creative Arts and Technology) 23 Cranford_Annual_Review_2016_outlined.indd 23

08-Sep-16 2:05:38 PM

Activities Week 2016

T

Structures and Interpretation

This

is the fourth year we have run Activities Week and this year we had a focus on Structures and Interpretation. Departments across the school worked hard to create amazing opportunities for our students in years 7-10 and year 12 to grow and develop through innovative projects and learning opportunities from creating beautiful butterfly sculptures inspired by nature, a production in a day through a media and performing arts project entitled, “Fluid Borders” to building Norman castles, entrepreneurial challenges, investigating crystal formation and exploring the structures and cells in dissection lessons.

The week challenged the students to think in a different way and undertake new learning through fantastic opportunities, including for the first year, 500 + students venturing out to learn away from the classroom. These included visits to explore local historical venues and venture further into London to complete various maths and geography based challenges.

th st d th d g d

K

“ ou ow te br en S

Here are some of the activities listed below: • • • • • • •

Art in Maths Microscopic Buildings Natural History Museum Crystals Pompeii Trip to the South Coast

• • • • • • •

Sculptures An Enterprising Day September London Structures Challenge Sports Day Medieval

• • • • • • •

Theme Park Mega Structures Trafalgar Square Purifying Water Transport Web Harry Potter Trip

On Friday 8th July 2016, students in years 7-10 concluded the week with their Dream Rewards Day with many off-site adventures. Activities Week 2016 has opened up new opportunities and exciting challenges and like the previous years, has given the students and staff at Cranford the opportunity to work together to achieve some amazing outcomes and a great week had by all.

Kevin Biggs (Senior Teacher Activities Week Organiser)

24 Cranford_Annual_Review_2016_outlined.indd 24

08-Sep-16 2:06:21 PM

“ sy on ex so sa co w w of m to st di

D

The

Science Department chose to run a variety of practical workshops for activities week. One workshop was mega structures. Students were given the opportunity to develop their engineering skills. They researched different bridge structures, the importance of bridges and what happens when engineers get it wrong. They divided into teams and competed to design and build the best bridge that was able to carry the heaviest load. The second workshop was focused upon water purification and how different techniques are used, what hazards there are and what the processes are that water goes through to make it safe for human consumption. The third workshop focused upon dissection and students got the opportunity to exam the eye and heart through dissection.

a ol ar m a s, es

Kirsty Foale (Science Department)

g g al d

“Today we learnt about bridges and how they help us in our daily lives. We designed some bridges and created our own. The best part of the day was when we created and tested our bridges. Overall, we learnt the importance of bridges and we learnt how to build bridge models (like engineers do)”.

y g o

Simleen Shdana (year 8)

“It was an amazing day. We learnt the basic hazard symbols first which made us all feel safe. We then went on to the fun bit. There were 5 stations with different experiments. Our group was split into 5 different groups, so we all got to know new people. After learning all the safety aspects and doing all the experiments we all were confident on how to purify water. For our last lesson, we were put to the test. For our last task was to purify swamp water. We only had a tray of equipment to use. At the end of the day we tested all the filters that all the groups had made. All groups managed to make filters and were able to understand why they had added that to their filter. We still weren’t able to drink the water as it was not fully disinfected even though it was clear”.

“As someone who is extremely interested in science, I chose purifying water with high hopes and expectations, which were met rapidly. The whole day consisted of intriguing practicals that we otherwise would not have had the opportunity to do. Being one of the few older students, it was almost like my responsibility to watch over and work with a group of younger budding scientists in years 7 and 8. We created water filters out of limited resources and learned about hard and soft water. We got to work with fascinating chemicals and even got to look at the prep room’s still (where water is distilled). Overall, the day was definitely one of the best in the week”.

Megha Dahdrai (year 10)

Devi Matharu (year 9)

An Enterprising Day KS-3 & 4

25 Cranford_Annual_Review_2016_outlined.indd 25

08-Sep-16 2:07:03 PM

Career and Higher Education

Y

Year 12 - Health and Social Care / Work Experience

As

part of their Health and Social Care courses at level 3 the year 12/13 students are required to spend an identified amount of hours in the workplace to pass their applied course. It is crucial for them to experience as many sectors as possible to build their knowledge of the healthcare environment and understand both the breadth of opportunities in this field and progression routes.

This year they have been placed in primary schools, nurseries, doctor’s surgery and other institutions relating to health and social care. All have enjoyed their involvement in the working world, improved their understanding of health and safety procedures and the duty of care needed for success in this sector. Most crucially their work experience has underpinned their studies enabling work to be evidenced from real life situations.

As a follow on from work experience,on Monday 11th July 2016 a representative from “Parenta” came to see the year 12 health and social care vocational students to offer support to them in getting into the childcare industry.

“Parenta” has access to over 200 apprenticeship placements across the UK at all levels and in all related sectors associated with childcare. The students found the visit informative and it broadened their understanding of what is on offer for their future career planning. They were able to ask questions, explore any concerns that they had and appreciate how their own work experience really did prepare them for success in their chosen field.

Year 12 - Kickstart

S

tudents in year 12 took part in the “Kickstart” programme between 5th and 7th July 2016. This is a three day event for a targeted group of students from both business studies and ICT who are interested in a deeper understanding of the world of work’ the labour market, how organisations work and the effects of market dynamics. Students research organisations, have an “Industry Insight Day and write a blog ( the winner of which earns a work experience of their choice from participating businesses, CISCO, Sky, GSK and others). This is a cross-borough initiative so students met other students, improving their confidence and communication skills. The course is designed to build enterprise and employability skills in the participants Students particularly enjoyed the placement visits.

Julie Tomkins (Careers and Higher Education Consultant)

T o b a d

A

a A d to b C p th

J 26 Cranford_Annual_Review_2016_outlined.indd 26

08-Sep-16 2:07:10 PM

Year 12 - Careers and Higher Education Conference July 2016

On

Friday 8th July 2016 year 12 students took part in a Careers and Higher Education Conference designed to increase their knowledge of applying to university, help them identify their own skills and aptitudes and support decision making post 18. A variety of workshops were on offer, with students choosing 4 out of a possible 13, all run by external presenters from business, universities and by Stemnet Ambassadors. These covered areas such as “Choosing a University”, “Writing a Personal Statement”, “Student Finance”, “Taking a Gap Year, “Life as an Undergraduate”, “Apprenticeships,” “Interview Techniques”, “Volunteering”, “Building a Personal Brand” and more. It is clear from the evaluation forms that the conference was highly successful for students, staff and presenters with students feeling much more confident and equipped to plan for their futures.

e

d is e s. ns d is e

e o

ll d s, e

h e y

Thinking of becoming a doctor?

A

group of students from year 11 attended a conference on Saturday 2nd July 2016 run by “Medic Mentors” on “Making it into Medicine”.

The conference was run by practising doctors and covered topics such as what doctors do, applying to medical school, different routes in to medicine, work experience, BMAT (Biomedical Admissions Test) exams, personal statements and the interview process. Students were left in no doubt about the process and expectations of studying medicine. All were given a course workbook to be included in their portfolio for interview. An exciting development from this is the school will be setting up a Student Society that will have a doctor as a mentor to advise all of the students at Cranford interested in medicine as a career. The members of the Student Society will receive monthly packs about developments in medicine, work experience and publishing opportunities and could join the National Medic Mentor Student Leaders’ Committee.

Julie Tomkins (Careers and Higher Education Consultant) 27 Cranford_Annual_Review_2016_outlined.indd 27

08-Sep-16 2:07:22 PM

Career and Higher Education

On

29th March and 1st April 2016 as part of the school’s TI day, year 8 students were introduced to the world of “coding” recently when they took part in the Heathrow Coding Challenge. In teams of 4 they had to build a robot from a large bag of shapes. Not only did the robot have to move but it had to be programmed to navigate an obstacle course and stay mobile for 30 seconds in a race against others. Emotions ran high as teams pitched their coding abilities against each other in elimination heats. Tenacity was the watchword as teams continually went back to their tables, refining, reprogramming, using their learning from STEM subjects (science, technology, maths and engineering) to create an unbeatable robot. Students practised their communication skills, learning how to work as a successful team and encouraged everyone to be involved. We thank Heathrow’s Learning to Work Team whose talk to the year 8 students about the work opportunities that Heathrow offers and the varied routes in to them was very inspiring. It is more important than ever to be knowledgeable about coding and programming as it is estimated that the UK will need a workface of 1 million digital skilled workers by 2020.

“The coding challenge was incredible but was tricky, challenging and hard. But in the end, it feels better when the robot passes the finish line”.

Andre Telmo (year 8)

“When I had the Coding Challenge, I really enjoyed it because I had an opportunity to learn how to code a piece of Lego. Also the support from Heathrow was very helpful”.

Christian Mihalache (year 8)

It

28

was exciting times for year 8 students on Wednesday 8th June 2016 as Irish boy band, “Taken”, performed a series of songs just for them. The band, from Dublin, were given a warm year 8 welcome before the talented trio proceeded to entertain and educate the year group with a series of popular songs, including Justin Bieber’s Love Yourself, intermingled with messages about the dangers of, and issues surrounding, online bullying. Spirits were running high, music was blaring and fun was had by all and, as Taken headed to Heathrow to continue their tour of Europe, the students meandered home, to put their newly acquired knowledge about online safety to good use.

th E

Julie Tomkins (Careers and Higher Education Consultant)

Ju

Cranford_Annual_Review_2016_outlined.indd 28

08-Sep-16 2:07:53 PM

A le a

Year 10

Work Experience

Caitlin Butterworth

“Learning new skills –being mature”.

Yusuf El-Hamid

There

have been 3 groups of students out on work experience this year ably supported by “Spark!” a charity organisation which has an extensive directory of business contacts the school is able to call upon.

Week beginning 16th- 20th May 2016, a group of year 10 students went to a variety of placements, according to their preferences, ranging from retail establishments, library, the Hospitality and Leisure I n d u s t r y, p r i m a r y s c h o o l s and other students were able to boost their knowledge of career possibilities, understand the working world and develop their own skill set through front line customer care in a real working environment.

ly rn ort ”.

he 8)

h d,

“It was amazing. I enjoyed meeting new people, enjoying a different environment and having fun”.

“Good communication is important; you want people to come back”.

Lucy Connelly

Julie Tomkins (Careers and Higher Education Consultant)

We

are delighted to announce three students in year 10, Kiranjeet Seehra, Hudaifa Mohamed and Tavleen Bumrah have successfully applied to attend a pilot Summer School programme 2016 at Somerville College, Oxford University. There are only 40 students nationally who have had this success. Students Year 10 - Summer School can look forward to academic classes focusing on at Oxford University English and maths but also subjects outside of the curriculum they are following in school, lectures August 2016 that support applying to university covering all aspects of the process, group projects and individual “coaching” to build confidence and help plan for the fulfilment of their aspirations. It does not stop there. Students will have a refresher course, in the Easter holidays 2017 and on-going e-mentoring monthly, from university support staff.

All three students are delighted to be selected. Kiranjeet said; “I’m really excited because it is a good learning experience”. Tavleen said “It is a great opportunity that not many people get” and Hudaifa acknowledged; “I am very lucky and it will help me in my future”.

Julie Tomkins (Careers and Higher Education Consultant) 29 Cranford_Annual_Review_2016_outlined.indd 29

08-Sep-16 2:08:15 PM

From

Friday 1st July for 10 days, Cranford Community College High Achiever sixth form students travelled to the Panjab in North India visiting charitable organisations supporting education, health, social and wellbeing of the most vulnerable in society regardless.

The trip was set up by the school to provide work experience for Cranford students and opportunities for cultural exchange between them and the organisations visited. This visit provided a unique experience of and insights into the humanitarian work being carried out.

The students were placed for work experience at the Guru Nanak Mission Hospital Jalandhar in Panjab and were involved in the day-to-day running of the hospital and clinics, shadowing or directly assisting doctors and nurses. They observed operations in the theatre and accompanied doctors on their ward rounds and in their clinics. This work experience has provided Cranford Community College students with experience, knowledge and understanding of the medical practices which will give them a lead in securing places at the most prestigious universities.

In addition to the work experience the students visited the Pingalwara (a charity which provides shelter, care, education and medical services for the poor and destitute of society) and the Unique Home for Girls (a home for unwanted, unclaimed and orphaned female children). Cranford students spent time with the children in both organisations particularly focusing on caring and helping with literacy skills.

At a school run for the child labourers in the slums of Jalandhar and during their visit the students were able to facilitate some English teaching.

The students worked in a number of charitable organisations and were able to see how such groups were serving their fellow humans, supporting the most vulnerable in society and then reconnecting many within the communities.

Also on the agenda were visits to the Golden Temple and the Fouress School in Amritsar. At the school they participated in discussions on talent, creativity, values on education and exchanged experiences of their own schools.

Sabhi Hothi (Consultant and Trip organiser)

“Amidst all the exam and course work chaos I don’t think I really had the opportunity to sit and deeply think of the trip I was set to go on. My initial thoughts were; “I don’t want to be a doctor so will this trip be useful for me?”.

However having work experience abroad, regardless of what field would prove useful. Yet the trip proved to be so much more than work experience, more like a life experience.

Visiting the Pingalwara was truly eye-opening. There is so much negative stigma attached to the idea of disabled and diseased people to the point where it is heart-breaking to see the consequences. Seeing how quickly attached the children there became to anyone they see and the happiness they received from the smallest of things. This was also the case at the unique girls’ home where the girls had been protected from the harsh realities of poverty because of the goodness of one woman who decided that girl’s lives were equal to that of boys. It made me realise that it takes initive to help and it just goes to show that if we truly do want to help we can”.

Sahithiya Natarajan (year 12)

30 Cranford_Annual_Review_2016_outlined.indd 30

08-Sep-16 2:09:01 PM

“India, a colourful, vibrant educational place. Initially I came here for work experience but along the way I have gained so much more that will forever be irreplaceable. Going to the Mission Hospital, the Pingalwara and the Unique Girls’ Home taught me that being humble and selfless goes such a long way”.

Amal Aweis (year 12)

“There was so much selfless service in India so much gratitude and perseverance. All of the places we visited relied solely on the goodness of others giving their time without expecting something in return. Going to see how a group of women in a rural village had been empowered to start their own business and how they as a group combated alcoholism rife within their community made me realise that we have to first decide to make a change for good things to happen”.

Rachana Mudrakolla (year 12)

“When I stepped into the country I found myself in a new world surrounded by many different cultures moulded into one. It was bewildering when we arrived in Amritsar: noise, the driving, the stark contrast between rich and poor confused me. Visiting the Golden Temple was an insightful experience, seeing people worship and having a tour around the temple complex surprised me due to the humanity I saw from others and their eagerness to worship but also their willingness to accept me even though my religion was different from theirs”.

d y s

h of e g

Zakariye Abdalle (year 12) “My initial experience of Indian hospitals came from when we had to take my younger brother to one and my mum had to pay for his treatment.

However I left the Mission Hospital with a positive feeling as people there who were very poor were still being treated and were being treated very well and with a love and kindness that should be extended to all regardless of wealth. What stood out to me the most was that it was apparent that the people in this hospital lived out their Sikh faith. After learning about Sikhism at GCSE it was amazing to see that people actively practised their religion through selfless service and in how they saw God in all those they were treating. I think we often pay lip service to our religions but here in this hospital it was an active part of dayto-day life and this gave me such hope in the kindness of humanity and our ability to make a difference”.

ir

nk he n’t ”. hat ch ce. so nd ee en ey se ed ess hat d it ”.

Anya Sharma (year 12) 31 Cranford_Annual_Review_2016_outlined.indd 31

08-Sep-16 2:10:04 PM

Internationalism Shanghai

Tianjin

EU

Zimbawe

Cranford’s Global Part The

year for Cranford Community College began with the reaccreditation of the school for the International School Award (ISA). This evidences the deep and embedded way that the curriculum reflects the international dimension, providing students with amazing opportunities to discover the world, from Russia (via web conferencing) to Korea (pen pal communication and then meeting up at Cranford), from the north of India (aspiring medicine students visiting medical establishments) to Bangladesh (joint PSHCE project on drugs and smoking). Cranford students enjoy countless opportunities to learn about the ever smaller world we live in. The ISA was swiftly followed by Cranford achieving World Class School status. The feedback from the organisation was: “We would like to express just how impressively your students have performed over the past 18 week process - you should be very proud of them” - and we are.

acting Zimbabwean Ambassador and Terrence Madzonere, Counsellor at the Embassy, who came to Cranford specifically as we are lead for the Science Learning Partnership for South West London and as an outstanding school we were a perfect choice for this visit with a focus on STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics teaching). Despite the short time the group was able to spend at Cranford, they were unanimous in their praise for the standard of education and the positive attitude of students to their learning and the enthusiasm of the staff.

This was followed in March 2016 by a visit by 13 Thai teachers whose focus was also on STEM within the school. Both delegations visited lessons and talked to students and staff. These visits were organised through the British Council and already we have been asked to host further visits. We look forward to welcoming more visitors who always leave with a broad smile and excellent memories of their time with us.

In January 2016, we were honoured to welcome Professor Paul Mavima, Deputy Minister for Primary and Secondary Education in Zimbabwe, accompanied by Dr Sylvia Utete-Masango, Permanent Secretary at the same ministry, plus Itai Masimirembwa, CEO of eLearning Solutions, Zimbabwe, Cecil T Chinenere,

Cranford has forged very strong links with South Korea, since we first welcomed a group from our partner school, Ocheon High School in Pohang.

We again hosted a group from Pohang this summer and have now been able to set up lessons in Korean for Cranford students from September 2016 in conjunction with the Korean Embassy

32 Cranford_Annual_Review_2016_outlined.indd 32

08-Sep-16 2:10:34 PM

in w e in in w fi a

W a sp th O th th

A D a T g u o

Ja sy a sy

America Bangladesh

EU Teachers

Korea

Japan

Partnerships 2015-2016

e o d h e us d e y d ts f. y M d e il er e d

h ur g. is ns er y

in London. This initiative came out of our link with Docetis International through whom we engaged 5 teachers of English from South Korea in the school for 8 weeks. They worked mainly in the English Department and were delighted with what they saw and learnt at the school. The five Korean colleagues are now back in Korea and putting into practice what they learnt here.

We welcomed 10 teaching colleagues from across the European Union whose brief was specifically to look at how Cranford celebrated the richness of our multi-ethnic community.

Once more the teachers were so impressed with the courteousness of the students who spoke to them about the work they were doing.

As part of the year 10 PSHCE “Say No To Drugs� project during WFactor this summer, a link was made with a school in Bangladesh.

This is a new venture we know that such links gives the students at Cranford an even greater understanding of issues faced by their peers in other parts of the world.

Japan has one of the highest achieving education systems in the world, according to PISA data and it is right that Cranford learns from such systems on its journey to continue at beyond

outstanding. Keio University, one of the most prestigious universities in Japan, is now beginning collaboration with Cranford with its Junior High School in Tokyo. This is a really exciting opportunity for both staff and students and there will be more updates soon. We also have created links with Okayama High School and their music teacher, Mr Onishi, visited the school in March to get to know us even better.

A former Cranford colleague, Mr Baxter, drama teacher, works at this school and it makes a perfect link for us.

Our strong and long-lasting partnership with the Tianjin College of Commerce, Tianjin, China, was further developed by the reaffirmation of the agreement between the two institutions to continue our close links and in October we receive a group from China and our group will leave just after that over the October half term.

Cranford has just become an Expert Centre for the Global Learning Programme, establishing a network of primary and secondary schools to develop the global context in their curricula.

These are exciting times for Cranford Community College.

Philip Dobison (Assistant Head of School, International Relations) 33

Cranford_Annual_Review_2016_outlined.indd 33

08-Sep-16 2:11:02 PM

English Department in support of learning

E

very year the English department organises various trips to see productions of plays being studied by students at GCSE and A Level. This year we took students to see a “Midsummer Night’s Dream” at Stratford and “An Inspector Calls” at Richmond Theatre. Here are a sample of the reviews written by the students in appreciation of their experience at the theatre and how it has increased their knowledge and understanding of the play they are studying.

Frances Green (Head of English Department)

“A Midsummer Night’s Dream”

“An Inspector Calls” Play Review

at the RSC in Stratford

The

R o y a l S h a k e s p e a r e C o m p a n y ’s production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream was utterly captivating. The actors portrayed a convincing performance that transported the audience into a Grecian world full of magic, mischief, chaos and love.

Erica Whyman took a creative twist to a Shakespearean comedic classic, infusing jazz, costume and a merry band to add to the levity of the Forties setting. The unconventional setting paired with modern costumes enabled us to be enlightened about Shakespearean comedy and drama. We found ourselves laughing throughout the play, enjoying the evident chemistry between characters such as Oberon and Titania, the eccentric movements of Puck, played by Lucy Ellison, and marvelling at the dedication of amateur actors who portrayed the Mechanicals.

Seeing the play in theatre has not only helped us understand Shakespeare’s intended platform for the text, it has also exposed us to a world of theatrics and performing arts which I believe coalesce with English literature.

I have created a VLOG on YouTube about our day at Stratford which highlights the day and this wonderful production. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tyzOCIAI4QI

Roshini Lal (year 13)

W

ednesday 20th April 2016 was a day greatly awaited for by many of the English GCSE students including myself.

It was such an important day because we were all waiting to watch the much talked about play ‘An Inspector Calls’ which we have been studying.

Upon entering Richmond Theatre we were full of excitement and despite our coach arriving later than expected, everybody managed to see the very beginning. The play was very compelling; actors were brilliant and the performance as a whole

34 Cranford_Annual_Review_2016_outlined.indd 34

08-Sep-16 2:11:04 PM

w s it th w

I e c p s b q

C

g

d s s r

“An Inspector Calls” at Richmond Theatre

We

are members of one body: this famous line about social responsibility from the play ‘An Inspector Calls’ by JB Priestley still resonates with us today, just as strongly as it did over 60 years ago when the play was first written.

” w

ay he f. we ed we

re ch y he re le

was of a very high standard. Props and the set were arranged with such thoughtfulness that it made everybody jump out of their seats when the set started falling apart which - by the way was an intentional event.

I can most confidently say the production was enjoyed by all of us. Overall, I’d like to say that I considered it a privilege to attend such an excellent performance which helped me understand the staging a lot better and which will definitely benefit me when doing my English GCSE exam questions based on this play.

Cristiana Eftenoiu (year 10)

On Wednesday 20th April 2016 we were lucky enough to go and see a performance of ‘An Inspector Calls’, one of our GCSE English literature texts. Arriving by coach, our journey really began when we entered the house full of spectacle called Richmond Theatre. Eager and excited, we were greeted by staff who led us to our seats; the crowd around us murmuring in excitement. The anticipation arose when the lights finally dimmed and the tension started rising as we eagerly waited for the cast to display their talents. A large quantity of smoke rapidly engulfed the stage and the crowd grew more eager and eager for what was about to come. Then all of a sudden we started to hear the music cancelling out the crowd’s whispers, resulting in pin drop silence.

The performance was truly inspiring and interpreted this great play ‘An Inspector Calls’ in a captivating manner. It will undoubtedly lead to our success during our GCSEs as watching the play brought to life in such a brilliant way will help us remembering the play on a deeper level. The visual representation, particularly of the house itself, raised on stilts to signify the elite position of the Birling family, was remarkable and sincerely unforgettable.

Juhi Kumra, Yoonis Ahmed and Alice Himani (year 10) 35

Cranford_Annual_Review_2016_outlined.indd 35

08-Sep-16 2:11:07 PM

Hounslow Annual 6th Form RE Conference 2016

For

the second consecutive year Cranford Community College hosted the annual Hounslow Borough 6th form RE Conference on Friday 17th June 2016.

Owing to his huge success last year, Dr Ranvir Singh was invited to return as the key note speaker with a refreshed angle on the question: Is Britain still a Christian country? Dr. Singh always stimulates minds. He is involved in religious studies as a teacher, an examiner, a teacher trainer, and an activist in interfaith relations. He asked many profound questions, for instance, when the now former Prime Minister David Cameron stated in 2015 “Yes, we are a nation that embraces, welcomes and accepts all faiths and none but we are still a Christian country” was this divisive? And whilst attendance figures in Roman Catholic churches have overtaken those in Anglican churches, when people like David Cameron say ‘Christian’ do we really mean Church of England only?

There was lively, interactive workshops lead by UCL IOE teachers and Cranford’s own A level religious studies students, which put them in their teacher’s shoes as they facilitated a range of controversial topics including the common perception that Islam oppresses women.

The ‘Question Time’ style panel enabled students to quiz experts representing different belief systems on topics ranging from the meaning of life and the perennial Israel Palestine problem and what causes people to question their faith in God. Once again this stimulating and thought provoking day was enjoyable and rewarding for all involved.

Mehmoona Yousaf (Senior Teacher- Head of RE Department)

“The day was great fun. I really enjoyed working with students from other schools as they often had different ideas which added to our workshop. At first I was afraid to speak in front of lots of people but after teaching the workshop once, I felt more confident and actually learnt a lot from the different discussions taking place. Furthermore through listening to the Question Time panellists I gained a lot of understanding of topics that I didn’t previously know about, for example different perceptions about the purpose of life”.

Anmol Talwar (year 12)

“The preparation for the RE conference was fun because we had autonomy in the subject of our workshops and we chose to consider “Does Islam suppress women?”

The idea behind our workshop was to show that often it is the channels through which a religion is communicated that discriminate and suppress rather than the religion itself. Our workshop first encouraged us to think outside of the box as we had to embolden our peers to be proactive and ask questions. At first it was difficult to come up with ideas for this but then with a little team work we created something fun and challenging and the year 12 students seemed really got involved in and had lots to say about”.

Suad Abdullahi & Shafla Sharaz (year 12)

“I really enjoyed the question and answer section of the conference, as this allowed us to speak to learned members of different religious and non-religious communities. All of the representatives answered honestly even when they were given difficult questions to respond to. Such answers I felt gave us a better understanding of the different faith communities and allowed us to see that in many ways we often agree on topics rather than disagree”.

Navneet Arura (year 12) 36 Cranford_Annual_Review_2016_outlined.indd 36

08-Sep-16 2:11:28 PM

A

v a E a M o o th re is

M

6

w

er es st e ll es d

U.S. Ambassador Workshop 25th April 2016 Regents Park Mosque

’s y m

nt e g

ts ed ts re ns me n’t ut

se nd ?” at is er ed en st en nd ly

At

Cranford we support our students in becoming global citizens and empower them to engage in different world views and as such we are taking up every opportunity that allows a growing number of students to meet our friends at the American Embassy. This time the Ambassador Matthew Barzun held a question and answer session at the Islamic Cultural Centre in Regents Park Mosque. Students took the opportunity to first visit the exhibition of the life of the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) and the basic tenets of Islam as well as its history, before getting front row seats for the main event; the advantage of this was the Ambassador easily recognised Cranford Community College and the familiar faces he is now getting used to.

Mehmoona Yousaf (Senior Teacher - Head of RE Department)

“When I was told I was going to meet the US Ambassador at a talk in Central London Mosque, I felt honoured. When we arrived at the mosque I was surprised to see the small number of people that were going to be there. I expected it to be a big event but it was just a small group of people giving their questions and opinions to Matthew, the ambassador, which I thought was great. We had also used clickers so that we could take part in a poll on the PowerPoint and it was fun but also quite interesting to see what others would choose for an answer and what the most popular answer was. The ambassador also gave a talk where he addressed topics such as the one and only Donald Trump as well as the 3 Amendments and the role the US has in taking in refugees. The whole event was very eye-opening, enjoyable and a great opportunity”.

Rufayda Sahal (year 11)

“Meeting Mr Barzun was a very fascinating experience. We got to ask him many questions about the domestic and foreign issues faced by the USA and we also got to debate about the IS Crisis, the situation in Syria and whether or not the USA should be doing more or less to help resolve those problems. It was really interesting to hear his and the US Government’s stance on these issues and what part the USA has to play in them.

Additionally it was a great learning experience about American politics which affects the whole world”.

Eshan Gupta (year 11)

K

halsa Secondary Academy joined the Cranford Teaching School Alliance this academic year. As Cranford’s alliances grow so too do the range of events we are invited to. To celebrate Vaisakhi and demonstrate our new partnership with Khalsa Secondary Academy Mr Stumpf and I attended a special celebratory Vaisakhi assembly, along with staff and students from other schools. Student performances led the way, focussing on one of the most important points in Sikh history, the formation of the Khalsa. Students reflected on the bravery of the first members of the Khalsa and their commitment to live as a Sant Sipahi or Saint Soldiers to defend the week and remember God in doing so. The oneness of creation and the unity of all humans was the message that permeated the whole event, as was demonstrated in the sharing of karah parshad at the end of the service.

he rs All ey rs th we

Mehmoona Yousaf (Senior Teacher Head of RE Department) & Peter Stumpf (Head of School) 37 Cranford_Annual_Review_2016_outlined.indd 37

08-Sep-16 2:11:43 PM

A

2015 / 2016

I

C

ri n th th S h so w p 1 b re G w p c c so c

In (T b a a a B a

T tr th P 2 a so re a e o w th w c m

W fo 38 Cranford_Annual_Review_2016_outlined.indd 38

08-Sep-16 2:12:42 PM

A Year of

Innovation, Exploration and inspiration

C

ranford’s Drama Department and its talented students are not afraid to try something new, be inventive and rise to new challenges and this year has been no exception. Right from the beginning of this academic year the department took on the challenge of staging “Macbeth” for the Shakespeare in Schools Festival which received huge praise for its originality and staging and some outstanding ensemble performances. This was followed by a highly thought-provoking production of Peter Shaffer’s “Equus” by year 12 A level theatre studies students, which brought its own challenges with the technical requirements and double casting. The year 11 GCSE drama students surpassed expectations with their sophisticated and innovative group projects based on the theme of “Consequences”, creating performances which tackled head on current issues and situations like bullying via social media, segregation, elitism, and personal conflict.

In the spring term year 9 performed their TIE (Theatre in Education) pieces to primary schools based around issues such as bullying, depression and autism, which stimulated much discussion and a lively question and answer opportunity. In addition the audience were treated to an amazing Bollywood dance performance by Aelia Asmi and Shanan Bhamra in year 9.

The year 10 GCSE drama group continued this trend of high quality performances by presenting their group projects on the theme of Past and Present to an invited audience on Wednesday 29th June 2016. They had 4 weeks to prepare and they worked in groups of their choice. I was so impressed by their commitment to after-school rehearsals and during lesson; their enthusiasm and stress were in equal measure. The start of the evening was fraught with anxiety and stress, but once each group were in position before the lights went up they suddenly came alive and brought their talent, conviction and confidence on stage, where they engaged the audience, making them cry, laugh out loud and most important of all they made them think and question.

We finished the year with an innovative project for activities week where drama contributed to a

Cranford_Annual_Review_2016_outlined.indd 39

cross-arts project entitled “Fluid Borders” arising from the theme, ‘Structures and Interpretations’.

Given the current climate which we cannot as a society ignore, we felt students should be given the opportunity to interpret this artistically and give voice to their thoughts through the medium of the arts, and create something that is not connected to the politics. We offered a range of stimuli and the result varied from year group to year group. All students were either musicians, actors, directors, writers, dancers or film makers, where they had to use the stimulus to create a piece for performance working to a tight deadline; the same afternoon at 2.00pm. They worked in teams with student leaders directing the process to produce a quality performance and in true Cranford style, they came up to scratch each time. The year 9 and 10 performances were outstanding, where some groups had really taken on board the artistic ideas of others and incorporated these within their chosen art form.

If within 4 hours they can produce work of this quality just imagine the possibilities within a longer period of time when the focus and the commitment is so intense throughout.

It is during these times that it is most invigorating being a teacher because you can see how much students have absorbed independently and witness them come alive and bring to the process what they have learnt, by seeing, hearing and doing.

What is also an absolute pleasure is that you see students just blossom into confident, organised, young people who rise to the challenge and so many of them did.

In my new role from September 2016 I will be developing opportunities for students and members of the community within the arts in school and beyond, into the wider community of our Cranford group of schools, other network schools, local businesses, local and national arts organisations and other partners, I hope to ensure that we all have access as either a member of the audience or a participants to a high quality arts experience. To achieve this, we will be carrying out an audit of skills and talents within our community to develop these by offering many more opportunities for all.

Seema Sethi (Head of Performing Arts)

39 08-Sep-16 2:12:49 PM

Year 11 Prom 2016

“ be

I yo as of yo ha m

Record of Achievement Evening

So st fr to va

After

months of preparation by the Prom Committee Wednesday 13th July 2016 witnessed the graduation of the fantastic year 11 cohort in two brilliant ceremonies. The first function was a stunning rite of passage opened by the dhol playing duo of Suraj Vikhou and Harmanpreet Singh and saw students make their way on stage to receive their Records of Achievement from Executive Headteacher Mr Prunty. The occasion was accompanied by musical performances from the student band comprised of Raul Plahe and Zohaib Salam as well as the talented Tatyana Baiden who also performed a masterful solo piece later in the evening. To close the ceremony a specially produced video, filmed and edited by the gifted duo of Aadil Awan and Suraiya Baig, was beamed across the hall and offered life tips from teachers to pupils to help guide them in their future endeavours.

Once the formalities had drawn to a close it was time to change location and in some cases outfits, and head over to the outstandingly decorated prom venue. Students were greeted by a red carpet and dhol beats on arrival and made an impressive entrance into the hall to begin the celebrations. The atmosphere was electric right through the night with high energy levels only being beaten by even higher noise levels and once the dinner had ended there was no stopping the entertainment. Awards were handed out to students that personified the principles of the prom with the final award of Prom King and Queen being awarded to the impeccably dressed Sanjeet Rattan and Maarya Zaabar who also threw some serious moves on the dance floor from start to finish.

T no bu po

I w th w an th su th w ba ar pe

To ex yo th

M

The entire evening was a huge success. The enthusiasm and dynamism of year 11 was unparalleled and it was an unforgettable ending for the most unforgettable of year groups.

Year 11, thank you for the best prom I have ever witnessed, I look forward to watching you flourish and continue your success here at Cranford next year.

Matt Southern - Myers (Head of year 11)

“ su ou an a re yo on to th

Ta h an hi di

Ta yo re a po

M 40 Cranford_Annual_Review_2016_outlined.indd 40

08-Sep-16 2:13:25 PM

d e d nt m o d e

s, d e n ds m o

“Well, I can tell you one thing, the last 5 years have been anything but boring.

I started at Cranford in 2011 at the same time as your children which has been a little unfair on them as during this time I have had the absolute privilege of watching them flourish and grow into the amazing young people sat before me whilst in return they have witnessed me become more miserable, gain more wrinkles and produce less hair.

So unfortunately I am now fully integrated into that stage of life when conversations have transitioned from talking about how exciting a mid-week gig was to deliberating the pros and cons of switching to a variable rate mortgage at the weekend.

This incidentally also means that dinner parties are no longer about talking about the job I want to do but the career I now find myself in and it is at this point I gloat.

I tell people of my career choice and I am greeted with the same responses “I don’t know how you do that”, “I couldn’t work with teenagers” and “Why would you put yourself through that?” and my answer always stays the same. “It is amazing”. And this is why. Sitting before me today is an array of such phenomenal young people, that I would like to thank you, the parents and carers, for providing me with the opportunity to work with them on a daily basis because I say this with absolute honesty, they aren’t just “good kids” some of them are the greatest people I have ever met.

To year 11 the summer will provide you with a set of exam results that I hope you are proud of but I want you to remember this, I am proud of you whatever they are”.

Matt Southern-Myers (Head of year 11)

d

h

“I can honestly say that I feel privileged to know such a fantastic group of people. Right from the outset I’ve found you to be a very friendly year group and you made my job as Year Manager rewarding and enjoyable. You are hardworking, mature, responsible, enthusiastic but even more importantly, you are kind, caring and genuine young people. Not only have you got the right attitude towards work to succeed academically, but you have people skills that will take you far in life.

Take a piece of the school with you. Over time you have absorbed not only information, knowledge and skills, but also the school’s values, culture and history. Take this experience and use it to make a difference in the world.

Take time to enjoy this time of your life and keep your options open. When you look back, you will remember it as one of the best times of your life, a time of expanding horizons in a world full of possibilities”.

Minali Kolhatkar (year 11 - Year Manager) 41 Cranford_Annual_Review_2016_outlined.indd 41

08-Sep-16 2:14:37 PM

News from the LRC

Cranford’s Students win

Hounslow Secondary Schools Spelling Bee 2016

We

are delighted to announce that four year 7 Cranford students triumphed in ‘The Hounslow Secondary Schools Spelling Bee’ 2016 winning the competition against tough opposition.

The Spelling Bee final on Tuesday 12th July 2016 was held at the Heathland School. Haroon Lukka, Corben Smith, Zehra Hasan and Filsan Abdilahi battled it out against 6 other local schools to win first place. Cranford made it through the first two rounds successfully and flew straight into the final round against the Heathland School. It was a nail-biting experience for us all.

20 year 7 students were invited in April to an internal heat organised to trial out for the team. Since then the successful four students have been practising two hours a week with the support and guidance of their mentor ‘Queen Bee’, Ms Mensa, who has worked really hard with the team in ensuring they were ready for success.

This initiative was started at Cranford in 2013. Each year the winning school hosts the following year’s event. We are very excited as Cranford will host the Spelling Bee for the 3rd time in 2017.

Mahavir Ladva (Library and Study Centres Manager)

“The Spelling Bee was probably the most exciting experience I’ve had in year 7. Here’s why: The start was quite pressurising. We got to choose 3 words each of either easy, medium, or hard difficulty to yield more points. The top 4 qualified into round 2. When it was our turn, we were feeling so focussed. I was first. I lead the team choosing 3 hard words and obtaining 6 points.

Then it was my classmates’ turns. Overall we managed to get 30/36 points (the most of all the teams) so we qualified to the semi-finals.

“When I was accepted into the team, I felt extremely excited, yet when it came to practising (after school, Tuesday and Thursday): I was flabbergasted- there were so many difficult words in the English language that I had never read or heard of ever before. I did not think I would ever learn words like “blasphemous” and “miscellaneous”. However, over time, I was luckily able to learn these words and some techniques to help along the way. It has enhanced my ability to spell a great deal, and I was extremely glad.

Overall I think this was an exhilarating experience”.

Soon the proper team was decided, and I was thrilled to have been accepted, yet I was a little nervous, as the Spelling Bee Competition was only a few weeks away.

Corben, Haroon, Filsan and I (the Spelling Bee team) were then asked to do even more hard practising to get our spelling skills up to exceptional. We were given a list of some of the possible words that could be in the competition, and a Spelling Bee dictionary and revised them too. These spellings have helped me a lot, as they have helped me spell words that I did not know how to spell before, and words that I was spelling incorrectly.”

Haroon Lukka (year 7)

Zehra Hasan (year 7)

The next round was the semi-finals. Our challenge was to get none wrong. We nominated two people to do the challenge. This was very pressurising because one mistake would cost the team. After a few rounds two of the schools started to slip up under pressure (what did I tell you?). The last round was the finals. This was the most pressurising because there were only 2 schools left and to lose would be very unlucky. Then the Heathlands School spelt wrongly. We won.

42 Cranford_Annual_Review_2016_outlined.indd 42

08-Sep-16 2:14:38 PM

sc T al w

T th m ho m

C

w n.

a, n al

e ce y

“The tournament was re a l l y n e r v e - r a c k i n g and exciting, as you never know what words would come up next or how difficult they would be and with the other schools competing for the trophy it made it really difficult.

The teachers were really helpful in boosting our confidence as all four of us were getting very nervous and with their support we managed to win the trophy.

The Spelling Bee was an amazing experience and I am sure all the other competitors will say the same. It has definitely raised my confidence in spelling and speaking to an audience and I hope the teachers enjoyed it as much as I did and in the end we managed to win the trophy that we had worked so hard for”.

Corben Smith (year 7)

“For the second round each team had to nominate two students. Haroon and I were nominated. One student from each team had to sit on a chair whilst the other stood behind. Haroon sat down and I stood behind him. Word after word was given to each team.

Lampton and Gunnersbury had been disqualified for spelling the word incorrectly.

At this stage it was officially the third round and various words were given to each school. Back and forth, back and forth like a game of tennis. So far not a single team had spelt one word incorrectly.

However that was until a boy from the Heathland School team slipped up. He had spelt ‘irresistible’ wrong. This immediately disqualified him from the competition which left Cranford as the winning team.

Cranford had reigned victorious once again and claimed back what was theirs”.

Filsan Abdillahi (year 7)

’s

Library Ambassadors

20

Library Ambassadors were selected to come on an exclusive trip to London city in celebration of their fantastic achievement and investment to reading and the Library. Some of these students took part in the Spelling Bee, others volunteered and the top 12 readers for 2015-2016 were also invited. Students were allocated a sum of money which they used in the flagship Foyles book store to select books for the Library. Students selected a wide variety of fiction and non-fiction books for their peers to read. This trip is a fantastic way to sum up the wonderful things that were achieved from students investment and hence the students were rewarded with an opportunity to go onto this trip. It gives the students the responsibility to select resources and use their students voice to encourage other students to read.

ly l, re ge ot nd le ng l,

ed he y. m) et a he ed ey to ”

Mahavir Ladva (Library and Study Centres Manager)

Cranford_Annual_Review_2016_outlined.indd 43

43 08-Sep-16 2:14:42 PM

On

Thursday 23rd June 2016 the people of the United Kingdom went to the polls to vote on the EU Referendum, probably one of the most important votes since the Second World War

Cranford Students have their say on the EU Referendum

During the weeks preceding this vote, students at Cranford learnt about both sides of the argument for Brexit and for Remain through assemblies led by sixth form students, tutor group discussions and regular information from the various debates taking place via the media.

On the day of the vote Cranford students wanted to have their say and held an in school ballot.

Although many of them are too young to vote it is clear from the results that students at Cranford had a view on how the country should vote for their future.

Mr Kalsey, Psychology teacher who organised the event said: “I am so incredibly pleased and proud with the professionalism shown by the student ambassadors. The question of the referendum is a dizzying and disorienting one; the issue is complex and there are not only many political, economic and societal considerations to take into account, but at the same time, our values and beliefs are called to the fore by this, most major, decision we have to take as a country.

Consequently, many adults have struggled to formulate cogent and informed positions about Britain’s membership to the European Union. In light of this, it has been refreshing to see how adeptly these students researched this issue and explained their views publicly to the students in assemblies. I believe these students performed a valuable service to the school by inducing some clarity and stimulating conversation amongst students and staff about what will be one of the most important political decisions of the 21st century”.

Jaspal Kalsey (Psychology Department)

“It was truly a great feeling to be able to have a say on what is undoubtedly one of the greatest political decisions of the 21st century and to influence, inform and educate students throughout the school on what they may initially perceive as something that would not have any impact on their lives. I hope we enlightened young minds and enabled them to formulate a reasoned standpoint on the question of the EU referendum”.

Zarak Khan (year 12)

“I really enjoyed presenting to the younger years as I hoped that the referendum on Britain’s membership of the European Union would help ignite the flame of passion for politics amongst students as I felt that there were not enough people who were knowledgeable about this key question and topics related to it. It was good to share our ideas and opinions to help them formulate their decision on whether leaving or staying is better. All in all it was a very good experience because it helped us to develop our public speaking skills at the same time”.

Ubaid Rizvi (year 12)

“Involving myself with such an important decision about the future of our country has definitely proved to be an intense brainstorming exercise for me; each stage throughout the process has enriched many aspects of my skill set. In the process of researching, my political awareness was truly extended; where initially I knew nothing, I now have enough knowledge to be able to generate a personal opinion regarding a major political issue. Secondly, presenting our case physically to every year group undoubtedly enhanced my public speaking skills. This experience has been very stimulating as I believe it is important to be educated on global affairs, especially those that will significantly impact our lives.

I am grateful to have been a part of such a project that has allowed me to bring awareness to others”.

Sahithya Natarajan (year 12)

44 Cranford_Annual_Review_2016_outlined.indd 44

08-Sep-16 2:14:55 PM

fr o th st st o se w th in se

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Looking at the World and its Challenges

W

ithin this area of the curriculum students have been exposed to many of the difficult issues faced by both individuals a n d s o c i e t y. T h e y have been exploring in considerable depth some of the challenging topics that the world faces, from human rights to gender identity, from living with disability to the harsh realities of addiction. Students have been free to share their points of view and challenge others’ stances with the primary focus of educating students about acceptance and the celebration of difference within the human race. These are sensitive areas and issues and through the year we have seen them mature and further develop their tolerance of people from all walks of life in a world where discrimination and intolerance seems to be on the rise.

Topics Covered: • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

Sexual Exploitation Race Equality Human Rights Gender Gender Identity Lesbian, Gay Bisexual and Transgender Addiction Mental Health Grooming Female Genital Mutilation Child Labour Child Soldiers Radicalisation, extremism and propaganda Forced Marriages Disability

Barbara Lodge and Kevin Biggs (PSHCE)

“This year I have learnt about child exploitation, about about forced marriage and arranged marriage and the difference. I also learned about human rights and mood disorders. In my opinion the child exploitation topic bothered me the most because there are innocent children out there who have to go through all these things like being forced into having sex or being beaten. I definitely think after having these lessons I will not take things for granted and my reaction would be different. I like watching the videos about what we are learning as it makes it easier to understand”.

“Some of the lessons have made me change my opinion on some things which is to watch out for things as it can happen quite easily nowadays and I think that online grooming bothered me the most because I think that it’s most likely to happen and you don’t realise that you are being manipulated if you end up in a situation like this so it’s harder to realise and hard to get out of”.

“The lesson which made me change my thinking was the equality lesson between men and women, because I believe that both women and men should have the exact same rights.

At the end of the day we are all human and there are some things that women are capable of doing rather than men. The topic which bothered me most was children who get forced to marry at a young age, because it was a very interesting topic as children my age are forced to get married, leaving their families and education behind. By doing this it feels as if your whole future has been thrown in the bin, which can affect many children, as they had other ideas such as jobs etc”.

“Learning about FGM was horrible but important. I am going to talk to my parents about this tonight, I didn’t really understand before what an impact it has had on women from my culture”.

“I thought I knew a lot about how to keep safe online but learning about extreme behaviour and how it can happen so slowly over time that people don’t always notice has really made me think again. We all need to work together to keep our friends and families safe. I will not be afraid to speak out”.

45

Cranford_Annual_Review_2016_outlined.indd 45

08-Sep-16 2:15:30 PM

Modern World Languages

A

E

H in o w o 2 fo th

T y

Spanish Teachers working with Hounslow Primary Schools

S

S

panish teachers from Cranford have been working closely with local primary schools and I have recently started teaching Spanish to year 3 and year 6 classes.

Initially it was a big change from secondary teaching and I realised much of my training for secondary teaching was not appropriate for the age group. However, once I got to know the children more and some primary school teaching techniques, the lessons became as entertaining and educational for the students, as they are for me.

We have told stories, sung songs, practised origami and drawn pictures, incorporating Spanish into every aspect of the activities. The children enjoy the activities as much as they enjoy learning the language, through the use of call and response and acting out mimes. I hope to continue this work in the new academic year.

Matthew Nation-Tellery ( Modern World Languages Department)

Year 7 - Hyde Park trip to Winter Wonderland

On

Thursday 3rd December 2015, 40 year 7 German students went to Hyde Park to visit the German Christmas market in Winter Wonderland. We left Cranford Community College at break 2 by coach and returned in the early evening. It was an amazing opportunity for our students to experience traditional German food and hand-crafted gifts and Christmas decorations. The market was beautifully lit and had authentic chalets with German people selling traditional food. The students were all given a quiz about German food and gifts and this provided a great opportunity to speak German. The students had a fantastic time and took away some memorable experiences.

Angel Roeder (Head of Modern World Languages Department) 46 Cranford_Annual_Review_2016_outlined.indd 46

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A Media Journey Through The Eyes Of A Student

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ach year students who complete courses in media at GCSE and A level at Cranford comment on the vast learning curve they have experienced having had little prior engagement with this subject.

Historically students in the Media Studies Department have produced some highly sophisticated and innovative work, many of which have been use as exemplar pieces nationally. We are extremely proud of our students’ achievements. Students leave with highly developed technical and analytical skills which can serve to aid them in a range of future careers outside and inside the media industry. From September 2016 there are lots of exciting opportunities on offer for all students including the BBC Schools Report and the Muvizo Animation competition.

This year Kulbir Maras year 11 and Mirfat Khamis year 13 have kindly shared their experiences in words.

Sharandeep Saroya (Head of Media Studies)

My 4 year media studies experience at Cranford has been an absolute pleasure. It has made me grow as a person and given me skills that I will be able to carry with me throughout my life. It has allowed me to be creative - a trait that I was not very confident about previously until I took up media. I’ve been able to make film posters, short films, opening scenes and even a magazine.

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Studying media has given me the opportunity to visit places like the BFI (British Film Institute) where I have been able to ask media experts questions related to the media industry, giving me a real insight towards decisions I want to make for my own career. With the expertise and support from the media staff I have seen my work develop, getting better and better.

My skills in terms of editing were weak at the start and I was not confident at all. By the end of the course I was much more confident and I had learnt so many more editing techniques that I still currently use.

o e n

Mirfat Khamis (year 13)

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GCSE media in year 10 was unknown territory with its creativity and intricacy. But now after finishing the course and going into A level media, I’m excited for the prospects ahead. At GCSE, we had to create our own RomCom poster in year 10 and in year 11 we crafted a three minute documentary.

Each task had its difficulties, however the end result was worth it all. I learned from doing my RomCom poster you must pay attention to detail. It is what separates the good posters from the great posters. When filming the documentary, it’s very different to film something in its given genre. A tip I picked up along the way, that is key, is to film everything because the best documentaries are the ones LE CHEVIL with little twists and turns that surprise the audience. Media is JAMES RE E D IL W definitely a subject that I’m glad I chose OLIVIA ATHAWAY and continue to pursue.

ANNE H Kulbir Maras (year 11)

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08-Sep-16 2:15:36 PM

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The World We Live In

D

uring Activities Week the Humanities Department led sessions on one of the most important moments so far of the 21st century – the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Centre towers in New York City, United States of America. This dramatic event shaped the world which our students have grown up in and many of them were born in 2001 or the years afterwards so have never lived in a time when the world was not aware of the threat of terrorism.

At Cranford we believe it is important to tackle difficult topics and Activities Week where the traditional curriculum is collapsed to engage new learning providing an excellent opportunity for students to consider wider world issues alongside other new challenges. During the discussions we

W ri d O g a m

examined many important questions and issues.

Firstly we examined the case study of what happened on 11th September 2001 in America.

We heard and saw many dramatic pictures and accounts from people who were there. Then we moved on to try to define such a difficult concept by asking ourselves: What is Terrorism? Why do terrorists use terror tactics?

The students showed great levels of maturity in the way they engaged with the content and considered many aspects leading up to this world changing event and the impact on our lives today and in the future.

Tom Rich (Head of Humanities Department)

Jack the Ripper Trip

On

g

Friday 1st April 2016, 40 year 8 students and 3 staff journeyed to Whitechapel to see some of the stories they had learnt about Jack the Ripper come alive. Mr Rich led students around the small twisted alleys of Whitechapel pointing out key places where Jack the Ripper committed some of the most gruesome murders in History. Students were able to contextualise the murders they had been learning about and were able to discuss some of the key flaws in the case, in the hope to understand why the police failed to catch Jack the Ripper. The day proved to give students an insight into Victorian life and was thoroughly enjoyed by all.

B

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“The Jack the Ripper tour was amazing and fascinating”.

Jasveen Gill (year 8)

“It enhanced our learning and as we had already learnt about Jack the Ripper in History, we were engaged and could visually experience the topic. It was a once in a lifetime opportunity”.

Neha Hussain and Gargi Jadhav (year 8)

Florence Wrigley (History Department) 48 Cranford_Annual_Review_2016_outlined.indd 48

08-Sep-16 2:15:41 PM

a w

Seven Sisters Country Park Field Trip

D

uring Activities Week seven staff took various groups of students from year 7, 8, 9 & 10 to Seven Sisters Country Park near Seaford. This trip arose from work we have been doing in geography and our main aim was to try and build on work we have completed with all geography students in their lessons and introduce a practical element to increase understanding.

We began each trip by walking up a nearby hill to get a view of the nearby meander along the river followed by a walk down onto the beach at which point we would have lunch followed by a demonstration of longshore drift using oranges which showed the direction of the current on the beach.

Once completed, we walked further along the beach to the chalk cliffs and demonstrated the type of geology that made up the cliffs, in this case chalk which is a soft rock. The students were amazing and really engaged with all aspects of the trip. We were really fortunate to have good weather which made the experience even more fun.

Gerry Lee (Geography Department)

s. at a. d e pt o

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Building Norman Castles

D

uring Activities Week, the History Department offered an activity to students involving the building of a model Norman castle.

Students spent the morning recapping the events of the Norman Conquest in 1066 before looking at how and why the Normans used castles. We examined the shocking fact that motte and bailey castles were used to control the Anglo-Saxons and stop rebellions against William I. We even managed to explore a 3D virtual simulation of a motte and bailey castle which helped students to understand just how they were constructed.

In the afternoon students were challenged to use their creativity to make a motte and bailey castle out of cardboard and paper. The picture shows how their hard work paid off, as our castle was historically accurate and even featured a working drawbridge.

Henry Burke (History Department) 49

Cranford_Annual_Review_2016_outlined.indd 49

08-Sep-16 2:15:52 PM

Science Department 2015-2016

A

The Drayson Project Since our first report in the annual review 2015 we have seen some significant developments in the science department and some amazing opportunities for our students.

We are delighted to announce the project overall has seen a 170% increase in the number of girls choosing A-level physics which is a reflection of the ever growing confidence in our young female scientists .

The various activities of the project this year included: Ms Stokes and Ms Foale attended the annual Institute of Physics two day IGB (Improving Gender Balance) conference at the National STEM Centre in York at the end of February 2016. The conference provided many useful ideas to trying to promote more girls into studying physics at A level and an opportunity to update and discuss what they had done throughout the year. Good practice and resources were shared. The most memorable part of the conference was learning about growth mindset and the benefits it has on girls in physics.

Jessica Hamer from the IOP ran this WFactor in the autumn term 2015. The girls became physics ambassadors and visited local primary schools. They gave mini hands-on workshops on static electricity, bubbles, smart materials and rockets.

Ms Foale ran the Girls in Physics project in the spring term 2016. The girls explored gender balance within Cranford and interviewed students and composed short video clips displaying their findings.

A video, produced by Caitlin Butterworth, Lina Iman and Maeve D’Souza (year 10) can be found in the school intranet at: T:\w-factor\Girls in Physics

The Rocket Seed Project Cranford Community College was selected to take part in a unique national science experiment which will have future implications for the human race in space.

On 2nd September 2015, two kilograms of rocket seeds travelled from Baikonur, Kazakhstan on the Soyuz 44S rocket to the International Space Station. The seeds were stored in microgravity by British Astronaut Tim Peake before they were returned to Earth in spring 2016.

On Wednesday 20th April 2016, Cranford received two packets of seeds - one of which spent 6 months in space, whilst the other remained here on earth. Students at Cranford planted 100 of each type of seed, but did not know which packet of seeds has been in space. This was revealed in a unique live broadcast from the International Space Station by Tim Peake at the end of the experiment.

During the first half of the summer term our young scientists took various measurements, comparing the 2 different seed types to formulate data.

This UK wide study will provide the European Space Agency with some invaluable data regarding the effects of microgravity on various crops and plants which are frequently consumed by humans.

To support this programme of developing female physicists, the school ran a whole staff training on gender and unconscious bias in classroom practice with the help of Jessica Hamer from the IOP. There has also been training on embedding careers into classroom practice for link primaries and other local secondary schools.

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Astronomy Project During the first half of the summer term 2016 students in year 9 had the opportunity to work on an astronomy project with Mr Callendar where they learnt about the science of space and how astronomy gives us a better understanding of where we are.

“I find astronomy interesting as it covers one of my most favourite scientific topics “space”. So far we have learnt about space in current time, things that could be a threat and have a big effect.

We discovered these things through a software called stellarium which will show astronomical object placements in current, future and past time”.

“Astronomy gives us a better understanding of where we are and makes us constantly think about the world we live in”.

Samir Saasaa (year 9)

Pavan Arora (year 9)

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A Level Science Extended Learning Opportunities

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here is no doubt extended learning opportunities for students following science courses at all levels helps to enhance knowledge and understanding. At A level this is particularly important and during the year students have experienced a variety of trips and conferences at UCL in support of their studies.

Biology A Level Trip

Chemistry A Level Trip

There were 5 lectures at UCL. They were very interactive and intellectual. One lecture that stood out focused on surgery, presented by an experienced surgeon who specialised in oesophageal cancer. He presented it graphically which made it easy to visualise and understand how the process takes place. The surgeon also raised our awareness about symptoms and charities we could donate to. As well as making the presentation really informative it was also very engaging. The lectures gave us an insight into how our courses would be in university.

On Wednesday 16th March 2016, a group of AS chemistry students attended various lectures at UCL. The lectures were quite interactive and definitely intriguing. They explored topics such as nanoscience, the science behind fake blood and the applications of carbon and chemistry within the food industry. The lecture regarded as most interesting was the ‘Breaking Bad’ one as it applied chemistry to context more relatable to the target audience.

We also attended an ‘Examination Focus Session’ which proved to be very useful as it discussed the common mistakes made by students. It gave us an insight into how to avoid common errors and gain marks efficiently.

This was a very informative and eventful trip and we are thankful to the Science Department for providing us with this opportunity.

Hamda Diriye, Hafia Osman, Ilhan Hersi and Hafsa Mohamed (year 12)

Sahithya Natarajan, Uzair Kassam and Sikander Bhinder (year12) 51

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08-Sep-16 2:16:13 PM

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eston We s t C o m m u n i t y Partnership is celebrating its first year of operating in part of the Heston West area. HWCP is part of the Big Local National Lottery initiative which has given £1 million to 150 areas to enable local communities to make their community a better place to live. The area of benefit includes the school, Redwood Estate, Harlech Gardens, Brabazon Estate and a few surrounding roads. The year has been packed with a variety of activities including the drama performance of Alice in Wonderland, multi sports activities, summer school, a day trip to Brighton for 140 local residents and numerous celebration events including EID, Christmas carols and the Queen’s 90th Birthday celebrations.

Cranford students have got involved in the Big Local not just as participants but also as leaders. The students wrote bids for up to £500 to run activities which would bring benefit to the local community and several of them were successful including walking football for the over 50’s, blind football and an arts and storytelling club which is being run after school at Berkeley Primary School.

As the Chair of HWCP it has been great to see the community come together and the second year promises even more exciting opportunities with the theme being ‘Health and Well-being’. I have been particularly pleased with the number of our students who have got involved and are making a difference to their community. One of the things which make us stand out from other schools is our involvement in the community and our development of our students to be outstanding leaders for their community.

To find out more about the Big Local and what is going on please go to our website: http://www.hestonwest.org Alan Fraser (Assistant Headteacher - Community)

Jamie’s Farm

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nce again I was lucky enough to be able to take two groups of students to Jamie’s Farm in Ditteridge, Wiltshire which is about five miles from Bath. Jamie’s Farm is a working farm and is home to sheep, cows, horses, chickens, ducks, dogs and cats. Each trip consists of twelve students from years 7 to 11 who are chosen for a variety of reasons, students who are in need of nurturing, who are at risk of exclusion, who need a confidence boost or perhaps who will benefit from being in a calm, loving, family environment.

This academic year we went in October 2015 and May 2016 and on both occasions we were lucky with the weather, managing on some days to go about farm life in t-shirts and not be knee-deep in mud.

It can sometimes be difficult persuading the students to come to the farm, for many reasons for example: not being allowed to have mobile phones, sweets, crisps, junk food or internet access, no communication with parents or friends. I always tell them what a brave decision they have made to put their trust in me and come to the farm.

On the morning that we are going to the farm I generally feel slightly nervous that someone may decide not to go at the last minute.

However, from the minute we arrive to such a warm welcome the children immediately feel at home, loved, cared for and listened to. It is non-stop from the minute we arrive to the minute we leave, the children very quickly realise what hard work farming is.

They take an active part in looking after the livestock, gardening and therefore producing food for us all to eat, preparing and cooking three wholesome, hearty meals for the whole group every day. In addition they do carpentry, artwork, horse whispering and after afternoon tea (when the students have the only sugar in the form of a small piece of cake) we go on a lovely long hike through the beautiful countryside. The surrounding area is very hilly and the walks can be a struggle for some – the students really come into their own and you see everyone supporting and

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Our time at Jamie’s farm was breath-taking as we had an extraordinary time feeding lambs and working with the animals and staff.

encouraging each other when things are getting tough. In October a year 11 boy held my hand and quite literally dragged me up the longest hill and then helped me all the way down, I was very touched by the kindness and compassion he showed. Jamie’s Farm really does bring out the very best in everyone that visits students and adults alike.

At mealtimes we all sit around a huge table and after eating delicious food we all take a turn in giving a ‘check in’ which is letting the group know how we are feeling. We then give a ‘shout out’ to someone, this is where we recognise and celebrate others doing well. The children all give very well thoughtout shout outs and it can be difficult for the children to hear such good things about themselves and often it can be very emotional. When reminiscing about their time at the farm the students always speak of sitting around the table as a family, sharing, listening to and giving positive feedback as a very happy memory.

When it’s time to come back home the overall feeling is being sad to be leaving such a lovely carefree place; a place where children can be ‘children’ and not have all of the stresses of everyday life.

About two months after our return we go on a one day visit to Jamie’s Farm Waterloo site which is an urban farm in the centre of London. Whilst there we do a little bit of farming, speak about how things have been since our return, collect certificates celebrating our time at the farm and just generally have a reunion, which is a lovely ending to a very special time, but is also a new beginning.

Vanessa Tutt (Jamie’s Farm Lead teacher)

What I took from the trip was that there was no point of being arrogant and self-centred because no one would want to speak to you. They might think you talk about yourself sometimes. The trip made us think about stuff we didn’t know ourselves for example some of us never knew how to cook but now we know how to be professional cooks.

Ayub Hassan (year 7) & Yasmin Yakoob (year 8)

My experience at Jamie’s Farm was bewildering and perplexing.

Personally, the idea of going and staying at a farm for five days did not appeal to me but the experience changed my outlook on farm life and life in general. It gave me a chance to be myself and actually realise who I am.

While there, I adapted to a new routine which was healthier than my usual one. This involved waking early, having three meals a day, feeding and looking after animals and going on daily walks. I enjoyed going on these walks because it was a chance to view and explore the scenery as well as do fun things from our childhood such as rolling down hills. There was plenty of time and opportunity to help those who were less able to walk the 6km distance and get to know people better.

The best thing about Jamie’s Farm was that we created a family even though we weren’t the type of people who would usually mix.

This meant that I got to know younger students as well as staff. Everything benefited me in a good way and I would recommend the experience to others too.

Paula Atouguia (year10) 53

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08-Sep-16 2:16:32 PM

News from the Music Department 2015-2016

There

is no dispute to the long-term benefits of studying music whether it’s for fun, or for formal qualifications.

Music has always played a central role in our lives and nurturing and promoting this should be a priority. Our society, culture, the way we think and behave have been shaped by the music that we listen and are exposed to. It is for this reason the Music Department continuously seeks to encourage its students to explore, experiment and create musical performances and compositions of high quality.

This year we have seen a record number of students taking individual peripatetic music lessons, with an increase of 80% from last year; this has been due to the fantastic work the teachers from Hounslow Music Service have provided and the enthusiasm and interest from the students. Learning an instrument requires commitment, dedication and perseverance and the students at Cranford never fail to live up to these expectations. Congratulations to the

Piano Teodor Jevtic (year 10) – Grade 5

students who have taken music exams this year (see photographs below).

This year the Music Department staged two RSL showcase concerts, the first in October 2015 and the second in March 2016 alongside the GCSE Music Showcase. Each concert was created to celebrate and showcase the wonderful music talent Cranford has to offer. Students from both year 10 and year 11 spent months creating, rehearsing and refining their performances, until it was of the highest quality and ready for an invited audience.

Executive Headteacher Kevin Prunty commented: “This is exactly the sort of thing I am looking for.

When I go to other schools and look at what they put on and compare it to tonight, we’re definitely along the right lines. I remember seeing these students when they first started and they have come a long way. The quality has certainly improved”.

Head of School Veronique Gerber said: “In the 12 or so years I have been here, I would put this concert in the top 3. It was amazing and I’m really proud that our students have produced fantastic and high quality performances”.

Mo Wasiq (Head of Music Department)

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Guitar Haroon Lukka (year 7) – Grade 4

Raul Plahe (year 11) – Grade 1

Christiana Efteniou (year 10) – Grade 3

Zahra Sadiq (year 9) – Grade 1

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D Alexander Hickey (year 7) – Grade 3

Shariq Ahmed (year 9) – Grade 1

Shubhdeep Sethi (year 10) – Grade 1

Zain Khan (year 8) – Grade 1

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Violin Naomi Efteniou (year 10) – Grade 3

Cello Teodor Jevtic (year 10) - Grade 1

Drums Vishal Singh (year 9) – Grade 1

Karamveer Tamna (year 8) – Grade 1

In

June 2016 the Music Department were asked to perform a repertoire of music from the classical period to the modern era as part of a joint evening in celebration of arts and culture at Cranford. After many months and endless hours rehearsing they created a concert programme which matched perfectly the atmosphere of the occasion with very high quality piano and vocal performances. Our students presented themselves as professional musicians and they created and developed their performances which left the audience impassioned and exhilarated.

At Cranford our commitment to and encouragement of students to pursue music as part of their daily life is extremely important.

We hope that in the new academic year those students learning instruments and taking part in the RSL course and future concerts will continue to grow which will continue to be a strong influence in the life of the school.

Mo Wasiq (Head of Music Department) 55 Cranford_Annual_Review_2016_outlined.indd 55

08-Sep-16 2:16:49 PM

The National Art & Design Saturday Club

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An experience like no other

In

October 2015 Cranford Community College opened its doors to the youth of the community to offer an experience like no other, namely The National Art & Design Saturday Club which offers free expert tuition to students within the community. Students attended from seven different schools and experienced a range of skills and opportunities which are normally only available at FE colleges and university establishments. Like a foundation course the classes covered a range of disciplines, focusing on creative thinking and building new skills.

Members especially enjoyed monoprinting, laser cutting using CAD and painting with Brusho a brilliantly intense crystalline colour, they also put together portfolios for arts award. Club members commented on how they learnt new skills that have helped them in their schools and parents have said that the club has helped to raise their child’s confidence.

Throughout the year the club members have had some excellent opportunities to visit various centres in support of their art work which they have responded to really well. The visits to London included a tour of the design museum, where they saw examples of work by the contemporary designers and were able to imagine possible career paths.

During the London visit they took part in a pop-up exhibition at Kings College London where their portraits were put on display alongside other club members portraits from groups nationally. It was an excellent opportunity as some club members had never seen their own work up in an exhibition space.

Masterclass with Wallpaper* Cranford’s masterclass was held at the Wallpaper* offices in the Blue Fin building, behind the Tate Modern and started with a tour of the magazines departments. The team from Wallpaper* talked about different roles within the magazine, what they do and how they work together. Wallpaper* is the world’s foremost design and lifestyle publication, recognised for its keen eye for talent, intelligent perspective and international reach. In addition to a monthly magazine, it offers an in-house creative agency, an interior design service, the online WallpaperSTORE, and over 100 Wallpaper* City Guides. Wallpaper* Handmade, its annual exhibition celebrating the marriage of craftsmanship and contemporary design, is consistently one of the most popular at Milan Design Week.

Club members were fascinated to see behind the scenes: the fashion cupboard, the dummy board showing the layout of the magazine in progress, and drawings and photographs of the sets that are constructed for furniture and interiors features.

They learned about the importance of research for new stories and of pace in terms of each issue’s order and structure.

The brief for the day was to produce a collaged cover for an issue of Wallpaper* using a blank template and a selection of pages from previous editions. Working quietly and individually the club members bounced ideas off each other and were assisted by the Wallpaper* team. Once finished the covers were pinned up together and the results were strong and distinctive; they have been printed as magazines.

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Summer Show at Somerset House The work of the Saturday Club culminated in a final show at Somerset House. The private view hosted by Sir John Sorrell CBE and Lady Frances Sorrell OBE opened the exhibition of work showcasing the work of club members. Guest Speakers included Sir Peter Lytton Bazalgette, Chair of Arts Council England and Edmund De Waal, the writer and ceramicist.

Cranford Community College exhibited work at Somerset House alongside other institutions. Club members displayed illuminated figures made from acrylic letter forms and the magazine they created in their Masterclass at Wallpaper*. It was an invigorating and exciting event for the club members to see their work on display at such a prestigious space.

They also had the opportunity to meet Sir John Sorrell CBE and Lady Frances Sorrell OBE at an official awards ceremony where they received certificates for participation from the Saturday Club Trust.

Pirmjeet Hunt (Saturday Art School Tutor)

“The National Saturday Art Club at Cranford has been an exhilarating experience. It has given me the opportunity to learn new things which are not in the GCSE art curriculum and it has given me the chance to meet other participants who were not in my school.

The masterclass to the Wallpaper offices was a new experience as it gave an insight of the expectation in a professional job in the creative industry; I got the chance to meet professionals who work there and received a tour of the offices. The experience as a member of the national Saturday art club was rewarding as I got the chance to meet inspirational and dedicated people like Ms Pirmjeet Hunt”.

“I still enjoy coming in every Saturday morning, I still enjoy the skills we learn and I still enjoy the positive presence of everyone around me. The main thing that’s changed since joining this club is my growth as an artist. We’ve recently done a master class at Wallpaper* magazine and it was an opportunity that opened an entirely different career path for me, combining my love for writing and art. I am thankful Mrs Hunt selected me 10 months ago to take part in these sessions”.

“It has been a fantastic year and it has been brilliant working with such creative minds. The club members from all schools have been enthusiastic, dedicated and committed. They have attended every week without fail and have produced some lovely work. It has been a pleasure to help them develop and grow as both personally and academically. They are lucky to have gained the opportunity to take part in this club and I am sure that it will definitely help them in any career pathway that they choose. It has been excellent to work with the Sorrell Foundation and Wallpaper* magazine and I am glad that the club has opened doors for the club members. For many this is the start to their creative journey as selected club members are now going on to spend the summer working on the Jenufa Project with the English National Opera”.

Ajeet Khela (Cranford Community College)

Pirmjeet Hunt (Saturday Art Club Tutor)

Kirandeep Kaur (The Heathland School)

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08-Sep-16 2:17:21 PM

Year 12 - Activities Week and Monopoly Challenge

The

week started off on Monday 4th July 2016 with year 12 Students working in form groups to create a structure inspired by a famous European landmark.

Students had to design their structure and pitch their idea to Ms Kaher in exchange for a variety of resources. They then worked against the clock to construct their idea, using the resources acquired during the pitch and eventually present it to the rest of the year group.

After much scavenging in various departments students finally created structures “Hats off� to 12W who won out right with their spectacular design, with 12Q and 12U not far behind.

Wednesday 6th July 2016 was the annual Rewards Day trip for year 12 where students took part in the Monopoly Challenge. It was indeed a challenging day which saw students split into groups and once again race against the clock to visit as many popular sights in London as physically possible in one day. Everyone made it back in one piece... eventually.

Congratulations to the winning team, Ziah Charles, Aarina Babra, Navpreet Jassy, Mariam Quireshi, Tara Williams won the Challenge with 5100 points. Their prize is dinner at Nandos.

On Thursday 7th July 2016 students were involved in a range of sessions aimed at developing their personal and academic understanding of the world. Students were fortunate enough to discover the seven traits of what makes a person successful and learnt about different aspects related to health and relationships presented

by NHS nurses who were on hand to answer any questions. There was also time for students to work independently on their UCAS applications.

Friday 8th July 2016 was organised meticulously by Ms Tomkins and was focused on Careers. Students had the opportunity to choose from 13 workshops ranging from writing an effective CV to Building Your Own Brand. This was an invaluable experience for students and everyone walked out of the workshops with smiles on their faces and a spring in their step.

Over all the week was highly successful - students had the chance to take part in a range of activities and opportunities what will hold them in good stead for when they leave Cranford and enter wider world.

A big thank you to Mr Biggs and Ms Tomkins for all their hard work in creating an exciting and resourceful activities programme for year 12.

Deepak Bahra (Head of Year 12)

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Sports News 2015-2016 Year 7 & 8 Borough athletics competition We w e n t t o t h e O s t e r l e y Athletics Track for year 7 and 8 Borough Athletics. It was a great day getting to represent Cranford against other schools.

We took part in two events and so much fun as everyone was cheering for each other.

Even though we didn’t win anything everyone tried their best to win a medal. Thank you to Ms Jenkins and Mr Box for coming with us.

Julia Wiatrowska (year 7)

Year 10 Sports Leaders Programme In the summer term Cranford supplied 19 year 10 Sports leaders for the Hounslow P r i m a r y S c h o o l s Te n n i s Festival. The day was extremely enjoyable, though rather hectic.

The whole of Dukes Meadow seemed packed with energetic youth, both competitive and friendly. From small tennis professionals, to children who had yet to pick up a racket, umpiring over 600 matches with the help of 50 other sports leaders was a memorable way to spend a Wednesday. The facilities were astounding, and the vibes were unreal. Everyone was happy to be part of such a big event, and ready to play.

Megha Dahdrail (year 10)

The sporting schedule of the PE department this year has continued to grow as more and more opportunities have arisen for our talented sports men and women. Here are just a few reports from this year’s sporting news.

David Box (Head of PE Department)

The Teacher vs Student football match For the first time in Cranford’s recent history, students challenged staff to a football match, all organised by Mr. Hodge and 13P in aid of the National Autistic Society.

There were two football matches on Friday 20th May 2016, after school and generated a lot of support from both staff and sixth form. Mr Hodge, Mr Singh, Mr Wayne and Mr Guyett, were some of the the staff who played against 13P, Mr Hodge’s tutor group The teachers won one game 5-2 and the students won the other 6-1.

We interviewed Mr Singh, who said: “One reason the staff won is because we had very good communication, working really well as a team. There was some controversy about a tackle to a sixth former by Mr Guyett, which lost them a goal, but he made it up to them with a hat trick”. Also a sixth form student gave Mr Singh a very nasty bruise on his leg from a tackle five minutes into the game.

The spectators said it was fun to watch and a great way to raise money for charity and an opportunity for staff and students to work collaboratively for a common cause.

Craig Nicholls, Jaijiten Hundal, Sharon Udott (year 9)

Year 10 Girls Football The year 10 girls football team was great to be a part of as the team had real determination and passion and everyone worked really hard. Playing in defence on the right was Navneet Brar; Eva Karwani in the middle and Fatima Thabit on the left with Aleksandra Nastyn in goal. This was a solid defence especially with Aleksandra in goal as she is one of the best goalkeepers and the back 3 were good at getting the ball out of their half and into the middle of the pitch for the midfielders. Then in midfield we had Sharandeep Khroad add surname and Jaya Saini who were both good strong players who could easily run up the wing and set up whoever was in strike or defend in a line making it harder for the opponents. Finally we had Jade Sidhu in strike position who was amazing at pressuring the defenders, running for the ball and getting into space and scored some tremendous goals.

The team played brilliantly and it was good fun to have played those matches and to represent the school with such talented girls.

Jaya Saini (year 10) 59

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ommunity Hub News

2015-2016 began with Cranford Community College playing host to the annual Goan Festival in July 2015 on a wonderful sunny day when 12000 people from the Goan community attended to enjoy the fairground rides and sampling all the wonderful food from Goa whilst watching the fantastic entertainment. This was the fifth year the festival had been held at Cranford and everyone had a really great time

Duke of Edinburgh 2016

M

a rg a r e t M a c m i l l a n in 1925 stated that “the best classroom and the richest cupboard is roofed only by the sky”. Being a part of the Duke of Edinburgh award both in WFactor and on weekend trips illustrates the sheer need for our students to experience learning outdoors.

In a world where the air is thick with technology the Duke of Edinburgh award allows students to go back to basics and learn skills that have often been forgotten in these modern times. The three part structure of the Duke of Edinburgh award, Volunteering, Physical and Skills require students to balance their time and often get involved in things that they would previously have not thought of. Volunteering in an old peoples

Throughout the year we have hosted many community, religious, pre-wedding events and birthday parties; it’s great to see the community making the most of our facilities and every weekend the school is a hub of activity and celebrations as are most evenings of the week.

Th on of rea sai we it ou so ex stu ge me be are

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Sport plays a huge role in the community events and daily activities on site. The big news on the sporting side was the arrival and opening of the Cranford SuperDome where many of our existing football teams have enjoyed using the new facility. QPR continues to work in partnership with us with children of all ages using our extensive sports facilities. In addition BA held their annual softball tournament and the London Eagles had a junior football tournament that was enjoyed by all.

Additional opportunities have arisen working with local companies like Sky who have used the Dome as a venue for filming. On one occasion we had two famous footballers Oscar and Lamela come in to do some filming with Dude Perfect a YouTube sensation. To see more go to: https://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=mxTW2pO6CSQ Cranford community sports and activities continue to thrive and there are lots of exciting activities already planned for the new year.

Jo Pearson (Community Hub Manager) 60 Cranford_Annual_Review_2016_outlined.indd 60

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home, bed time reading at great Ormond street and working on the Cranford reception are but a few of the small activities that our students grow in confidence and peruse. Working on a skill like learning an instrument or partaking in a sport and coaching have further enabled our students to grow. This is the great thing about the award, the way in which it allows a student to grow and tackle things outside of their comfort zone.

This is particularly the case when you take a group of 40 students on a camping and walking trip to the South Downs to put all of those well-honed skills into practice. Using a compass, map reading and teaching students how to pack a rucksack so that said carrier doesn’t fall backwards down the hill due to its sheer weight are a few of the joys of doing this. But fundamentally it comes back to Margaret Macmillan who said that by being outdoors our students grow in confidence and experience something they cannot experience in school or at home; it’s experiential learning at its best. Tripping over tent poles and stumbling to the toilet in the middle of the night and even getting a little lost and then persevering again to find your way means that the Duke of Edinburgh award is an amazing thing to be a part of and creates well-rounded ambitious students who aren’t afraid of spiders.

Katie Hibbins (Duke of Edinburgh Leader 2012-2016)

Duke of Edinburgh Award Presentations 2016

On

We d n e s d a y M a y 11 t h 2016, 25 year 11 and 12 students attended the annual awards ceremony to receive their Duke of Edinburgh Award for completing either the Bronze or Silver level.

The event, held at the Civic Centre in Hounslow marked yet another amazing year for our students who continue to enjoy all the experiences this award scheme has to offer. It was a very proud moment for the students, staff and parents to be able to applaud their achievements.

Cranford is in its fifth year of running the award scheme and it continues to recruit grow in popularity for students at all levels.

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08-Sep-16 2:18:09 PM

This

year has been an extremely active year in WFactor with the introduction and development of many exciting new opportunities for students at Cranford Community College. We have reintroduced PSHCE to the WFactor programme where students have been learning within a bespoke programme that has covered many challenging topics from Drugs and Alcohol to Relationships and Risk. Students in years 11 and 13 have used some of their WFactor time for intervention and study skills to ensure they were fully prepared for the summer exams. Students 2015 / 2016 in years 7 to 10 continue to access different and exciting opportunities including ceramics, philosophy, crafts, knitting, Latin and equality and diversity and have been physically challenged in a variety of sporting activities from Duke of Edinburgh expedition training to lacrosse, swimming, rowing, rugby and athletics.

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WFactor continues to be inventive and innovative to inspire students and provide them with access to activities which enrich their lives, challenge their understanding and respond to the ever-changing world around us.

Kevin Biggs (Senior Teacher WFactor)

“In equality and diversity I learnt that everyone was equal”.

Liban Hersi (year 7)

“I tried a new sport, lacrosse – I learnt new skills and team work”.

Janujan Jeyaseelan (year 7)

“I learned how to counter an argument in debating class”.

Amneet Sangha (year 7)

“WFactor is a good thing as it gives the opportunity to students to experiment with new styles that maybe they would’ve never tried in their lives”.

Andre Telmo (year 8)

“Doing rowing as a WFactor was remarkable and was surprisingly different than what I would usually do on a weekly basis. I met new people and made new friends that I wouldn’t have made if I didn’t attend this WFactor”.

Namra Ansar (year 8)

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ranford celebrated another very enjoyable DREAM rewards day on Friday 8th July, 2016. Over 800 students enjoyed a fun activity as a result of all their hard work this year. As well as old favourites such as Thorpe Park and Brighton beach there were new trips this summer to Whipsnade Zoo, Windsor Castle and the National Space Centre in Leicester while Brentford FC, Queens Park Rangers and Motivate Hounslow kept some of the students on their toes in the school’s sports facilities. One student, Adewole Agboola (year 7), described his trip bowling as “the best day ever”. Certainly at the end of another fantastic Activities Week much fun was had by all.

Rob Ind (Assistant Headteacher –Pastoral)

In

year 7 drama the students explore the themes of Harry Potter during the spring term. They are in houses throughout and go through this magical journey as Harry does to deal with the all the demons and dangers along the way.

They work creatively to find solutions in their houses and compete to win a trip to the Harry Potter Studios.

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At the end of the term 30 students were the proud winners and on Monday 8th July 2016 we made our way to the studios where all the Harry Potter films have been filmed, and what a wonderful experience it was, to see how special effects are done, how masks and costumes are made, how each and every aspect that we take for granted when we watch a film has so much hard work and creativity poured into it to transports us into this world. Every child knows about Harry Potter and many adults have tuned into his world. Being at the studios certainly has a wow factor. You are transported into the reality of the film and how it is made and appreciate what goes into taking the idea in a writers head as seed to the big screen and into our homes. Our students had a thoroughly enjoyable time and appreciated the art of filming making even more.

Seema Sethi (Head of Performing Arts) 63 Cranford_Annual_Review_2016_outlined.indd 63

08-Sep-16 2:19:18 PM

Year 13 Class of 2016

The

A Record Breaking Year

year 13 Celebration Evening at the Heston Sports Ground Imperial College London venue on Thursday 26th May 2016 attended by staff, students and parents, was certainly a memorable one where everyone enjoyed an evening of entertainment by our very talented students, speeches and the presentation of certificates

by Executive Headteacher, Kevin Prunty.

The evening was truly an excellent opportunity to acknowledge the culmination of our year 13 students’ academic careers at Cranford and to celebrate their achievements as they leave us to go onto the next stage of their studies or to the world of work. This Celebration Evening was particularly special as we celebrated Ms Ledlie’s 30th birthday.

The programme for the evening got off to an amazing start with a duet by Diana Atouguia and Maria Hashmi as they sung ‘Someone Like You’ with an original twist as they built in melodies of songs such as ‘One Dance’ with true skill. This outstanding performance was followed by a heartfelt farewell speech from the Student Leadership Trio (Diana Atouguia – Head Girl, Taylor Panesar – Head Boy and Adil Hassan – Deputy Head Boy) who introduced the evening and thanked staff and peers for their consistent support.

Mr Prunty, Executive Headteacher, then took the stage with a huge smile filled with pride as he praised the year group for their outstanding achievements and their contributions to making Cranford a fantastic school. He was particularly impressed with the recordbreaking number of students who have successfully obtained offers from highly ranked universities and concluded by inviting the whole audience to sing Happy Birthday to Ms Ledlie as he presented her with some flowers.

A very creative performance of ‘Seven Years’ by Adil Hassan accompanied on ukulele

by Zayn Hassan brought the crowd to life as Adil summarised the many milestones and experiences he has enjoyed at Cranford through a rap he had written which touched the hearts of many but also had the crowd laughing and cheering as they shared the trip down memory lane with him.

During the presentation of certificates, the tutors introduced each student with a personalised message whilst an impressive list of chosen universities and their photos acted as a back drop. The final performance was a beautiful performance of ‘See You Again’ by Anisa Hassan accompanied by Zahra Butt on guitar; a very well-chosen and appropriate song as the year group reminisced their time at Cranford and looked forward to embarking on new journeys.

The formal element of the evening concluded with Mr Ryan, Ms Ledlie and me giving one last boost of motivation as they head off into the wider world. Mr Ryan, Head of Sixth Form detailed their academic successes whilst I reflected upon what a wonderful year group they have been from the moment I met many of them as year 9 students as I entered the profession to now. Ms Ledlie’s touching and tearful speech was certainly one which the students will hold close to them for many years to come as she thanked the students for all the experiences they have shared with her over the last 7 years.

The party began with a surprise cake and presentation of a birthday gift for Ms Ledlie as the year group sang to her in their own special tune, a surprise that left Ms Ledlie speechless. This certainly got everyone in the party spirit as we ate, danced and partied the night away.

We wish the class of 2016 every success for the future and hope that they will keep in touch as part of the Cranford Alumni.

Randeep Sidhu (Head of year 13) 64 Cranford_Annual_Review_2016_outlined.indd 64

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“You are a record breaking year group, who have completed more UCAS applications than any year before. Over 99% of you have applied to go to university, which is an exceptional percentage and highlights the ambition, aspiration and determination within this year group”.

Jonathan Ryan (Head of Sixth Form)

“I have always thought about what I would say to all when we reached this day.

You have generally kept me on my toes.

I used to believe you all used to take in turns at night to think of something each day to keep me busy. I have seen you grow and have grown with you as a person. I have learnt so much such unconditional love, frustration, worry, forgiveness, new starts as well as learning about myself as a person.

The best of luck Class of 2016. Follow and live your dreams. Never give up. You can achieve anything you put your mind too. The world is your oyster. This is just part of your life and just the beginning.

Ms Tank has shown us that. Keep in touch so I can follow your journeys”.

Priscilla Ledle (Year Manager for year 13)

“As a year group, it is clear to see that you are each filled with talent, ambition and a real drive for success. The class of 2016 have certainly earned the title of Cranford’s record breakers through their sheer excellence in both their creative endeavours as well as their academic achievements.

I can safely say, that the students in this year group have, without a doubt, very bright futures ahead of them. In this changing climate of further education we have students venturing out to study at universities abroad. We have seventeen students who received unconditional offers from top ranked universities, and students that have successfully applied for apprenticeships and are moving into the world of employment with fantastic levels of ambition and enthusiasm. I know we are an outstanding year group and from the offers you are all receiving it is becoming apparent that the outside world feels the same way.

Class of 2016, always remember that your mind-set is everything; keep your eyes on the goal and you will achieve your dreams! We wish you all the best for the future”.

Randeep Sidhu (Head of year 13) 65 Cranford_Annual_Review_2016_outlined.indd 65

08-Sep-16 2:20:50 PM

The

student leadership quartet elections for 2016-2017 took place at the end of June 2016. A significant number of year 12 prefects took part in a rigorous application process which included an initial letter of application to the Executive Head teacher Kevin Prunty, presentations to assemblies, the completion of a manifesto and finally, interviews by a panel of students from across the school community. Although this was a hotly contested election the four successfully elected candidates gave an outstanding performance in all aspects of the process and thoroughly deserve their election to the sixth for leadership quartet.

Congratulations to Sahithya Natarajan, Head Girl, Hasan Almosoy Head Boy, Rimsha Amjad Deputy Head Girl and Mandip Gill Deputy Head boy 2016-2017.

Jonathan Ryan (Head of Sixth Form)

“Across my six years at Cranford, the role of Head Boy is a position that I have truly aspired to.

What Cranford has taught me stretches beyond the national curriculum; it has moulded me into a confident and motivated young man who seeks to empower and inspire all those around me. Therefore, I see the role of Head boy as an opportunity for myself to give back and help ensure all pupils reach their maximum potential. I hope to be an individual who is able to make genuine changes by listening to the views of students and working with teachers to improve the experience of learning at our outstanding school. With my perseverance, collaborative nature and passion for the role, I believe I am now able to create such change. I feel truly privileged and honoured to be trusted with such a role and look forward to my journey as Head Boy of Cranford Community College”.

Hasan Almosoy (Head Boy 2016-2017)

“I have been a student at Cranford for 6 years so when the opportunity of applying for the post of Head Boy arose, I decided to apply for this prestigious role. The application process was rigorous and pushed me to the limit. Despite missing out on the position of Head Boy, I am delighted to have been given the role of Deputy Head Boy. The role of Deputy Head Boy will enable me to increase my leadership and communication skills whilst helping me build a rapport with other students. These characteristics will help me in the future as I aspire to read law at university for which I am currently studying maths, history and economics. I am honoured that I have been gifted the opportunity to become Cranford’s Deputy Head Boy and I aim to work with the Leadership Quartet to determine the best possible outcomes for Cranford”.

Mandip Gill (Deputy Head Boy 2016-2017)

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“The inspiration to apply for t h e h o n o u r a b l e ro l e o f t h e Head Girl stemmed from my inherent passion for our school, the positivity it embraces and the platform it provides for me to excel as an individual, academically and personally.

Being elected as Head Girl fills me with immense pride; to be able to represent my school in the highest way possible has always been my goal and I am extremely happy to have fulfilled this. I am aware that with this role comes great responsibility, but I am prepared to shoulder all my duties with enthusiasm and channel the passion I have for my school in a positive manner.

I look forward to implementing the ideas voiced by the students and myself and work alongside my colleagues in the quartet in order to create a collective change. Most importantly I wish to embrace the fruitful learning curve offered by this opportunity, which will aid me in becoming a well-rounded individual in the future”.

Sahithya Natarajan (Head Girl 2016-2017)

“I applied for Head Girl because I wanted to provide the same encouragement and support that I was given at my time in this school, to the younger students.

I believed that any changes that are made would mostly affect the lower year groups so it is important to hear their voice.

Having this role allows me to contribute to developments within the school. I want to be someone students can approach regarding any problems, suggestions or just general questions. In my role as Deputy Head Girl I would like to run the school council system and ensure it is run efficiently and deemed as an important within every year group. I look forward to making the school an even more pleasurable and enjoyable place to be and make the road, for future and current students, as smooth as possible towards their successful future”.

Rimsha Amjad (Deputy Head Girl 2016-2017)

08-Sep-16 2:20:50 PM