Cranford Review 2020

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2019 / 2020

r e h t e e g r r o T e a nge w tr o S

2019-2020

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Cranford Community College is a charitable company limited by guarantee registered in England and Wales under company registration number 7559818 at High St, Cranford, Middlesex TW5 9PD

Mr. Kevin Prunty Executive Headteacher & National Leader of Education Veronique Gerber Associate Headteacher Peter Stumpf Associate Headteacher Alan Fraser Assistant Headteacher & Director of Community Partnerships Rita Berndt Joint Head of School Rob Ind Joint Head of School Maria Bramhall Deputy Head of School

Dear Reader, I am delighted that you are now perusing our annual publication of the Cranford Review for 2019/20. It is a celebration of last year and although I have been incredibly lucky that there has been so much to celebrate over my 20+ years as a Head Teacher, I have never been so proud, as I am now, of this school, its staff, its pupils and its community.  The academy has had to function ‘remotely’ for one third of the year. This has presented a series of challenges and yet continues to offer a myriad of opportunities.

There are undoubtedly further challenges to come educationally as well as in health, employment and the economy, but these are challenges we will face together and we will succeed in turning them into successes.

Partnership: Berkeley Academy - Heston West Big Local Hounslow Promise - Hounslow Education Partnership

What is so impressive about the events, experiences, accomplishments and activities recorded in this booklet, in the context of lockdown, is that the importance and value of the wider curriculum has never been so clear.

The title of this publication ‘TOGETHER We Are Stronger’ is very meaningful.

C “Cranford Review� Š 2006-2020 is a publication of Cranford Community College, distributed in printed copies, either available in PDF (digital format) to be downloaded from our school website: www.cranford.hounslow.sch.uk

Editor-in-chief: Jessica Joyce Graphic Design: Enzo Gianvittorio 2

EDITORIAL

Printed by: Springfieldpapers.com

Firstly, it reflects on how much we have genuinely missed being together as a school community of students and staff, working and socialising together, coming to school to learn, to educate, to grow and to belong. We perhaps took some things about being together for granted before that privilege was suspended.

We can look forward to spending more time together once schools can re-open, doing some things a little differently but doing them again and most importantly doing them together – ‘together as one – together as ‘Cranford’.

Secondly, it reveals how we have been brought even closer together with our wider community and partners; to overcome adversity together, to work together to find creative solutions to new problems, to care for and help others in unprecedented need, and to join forces to magnify impact. It is inspiring and heart-warming.

Cranford and its community have hardly skipped a heartbeat. We have quickly adapted to the challenges of teaching, learning and assessment ‘at a distance’. We

2019 / 2020 b y M r K e v i n P run ty developed safeguarding, pastoral and communication provision in spite of obstacles.

We have taken practical steps to ensure that no-one goes unfed or unnoticed, to ensure that community mental health and emotional well-being have not been overlooked and we have connected people together so that we all know that we are not alone, especially those feeling most vulnerable.

We have weathered this first storm well. We have been blessed and we are grateful.

The pandemic forecast remains changeable and it seems probable that the storms are not over. It is not just one storm, though, that helps a tree grow deeper and stronger where it stands. It is several storms over time, a series of torrents and gusts. All of this rooting and growing in the face of heavy weather protects a tree from simply blowing over. And, it prepares a tree for the storms yet to come.

Hence, we are learning from the challenges, developing new skills, innovating and we are incredibly optimistic about the good things that will come from our resilient response to adversity, including the potential to develop a positive, transformational and quantum shifts in social mobility and community cohesion as well as new approaches to teaching and learning.

If there are further storms ahead, we will learn more, seek to do things better and be ever better prepared.

We value learning and its powerful benefits.

This review of the year celebrates our values and our curriculum, as well as the excellence, the community and international dimensions of our unique academy, and the enormous breadth of curricular and extracurricular provision, which is virtually unrivalled in the state and private sectors. We learn from the best in the world.

We also know that summer 2020 will be another record-breaking year in terms of examination success and we have put in place additional support strategies for catch-up for those younger students that will be taking their exams in future years so that the continuous improvement trend is undiminished.

A truly special and huge thank you is owed to the teachers and support staff, key workers, who have rallied and worked incredibly hard and diligently to, almost instantly, offer a full-service virtual school for the whole of the summer 2020 term, alongside some on-site provision and the enormous task of grading GCSE, A-level, vocational and technical qualifications. The dedication of Cranford staff and the high level of engagement of most students is an indicator of why the children who attend Cranford make such excellent progress and accomplish so much.

As an academy, we have used the time in lockdown strategically too, heavily and urgently investing in adaptations and safety improvements to our site and premises so that we can all be as safe at school and work as we could possibly be.

In addition to our commitment to all round excellence, a key theme of Cranford’s identity has been our longterm commitment to transforming the community.

As founding members of Hounslow’s Promise and Heston West Big Local, two partner organisations that also focus on improving the life chances of our young people through exciting community development programmes, we continue to take a holistic approach to community development, school improvement, cultural capital and social mobility.

The astonishing range of wider curriculum opportunities also includes specific projects that deepen and enhance students’ learning experience through performances, challenges, masterclasses, debates, conferences and competitions as well as clubs, trips, visits and lectures.

As a result, we have happy, well-educated, wellqualified, well-rounded, well-behaved, wellmotivated and well-prepared contributors to society, good citizens who value education, are able to enjoy it, succeed in life and thrive in a wide range of social contexts.

Kevin Prunty Executive Headteacher National Leader of Education 1

Cranford Community College wins two awards from the national high-performing schools network and is congratulated by the Minister of State for School Standards Once again, Cranford Community College has been recognised for its outstanding level of performance by Leading Edge, a national network of exclusively high-performing secondary and special schools. Leading Edge supports schools working in partnership to raise achievement, develop innovative practice and share practical strategies within and beyond the network.

Run by the Schools, Students and Teachers network (SSAT), Leading Edge is made up of schools who have demonstrated statistically significant levels of progress and that their students perform well above the national average. Cranford Community College has been awarded two certificates for exceptional student attainment and for exceptional student progress at KS4 which places the academy in the top quintile of schools nationally.

SSAT’s Chief Executive Sue Williamson said ‘Congratulations again from everyone at SSAT to you, your team and your students.

During these difficult times, thank you for everything you do to make a difference to the lives of the young people in your care. It is a credit to the hard work of all of their staff and students that they have been recognised once again as one of the most high-performing schools nationally.’

Nick Gibb Minister of State for School Standards wrote to congratulate Executive Headteacher Kevin Prunty for the outstanding progress achieved by students at Cranford which he points out is well above national average putting the school in the top 10% nationally. He also praised the academy’s ambitious curriculum and the school’s high level of EBacc entry putting it in the top 4% of state funded secondary schools in the country, thanking Kevin Prunty and the staff for ‘continuing the drive towards ever higher academic standards.’

Veronique Gerber (Associate Headteacher)

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# MATHS Continuing Outstanding Success of

The

Cranford Mathematics Department have had an amazing year. In August 2019 we were delighted with the exceptional GCSE results gained by our year 11 students with 29% of students gaining grade 7 or above, 63 % gaining grade 5 or above and 77% gaining grade 4 or above, compared to national averages at the same grades of 15.9%, 39.7% and 59.6% respectively. We would especially like to congratulate our 11 students who received a grade 9: Namra Ansar, Brahmnoor Brar, Neha Hussain, Warda Khalif, Aryan Khan, Samha Lund, Abraham Matthews, Prabhdeep Nijjar, Nirujan Rajakumar, Shreya Shrestha and Shabnam Uria.

We were also very impressed with our year 13 students, who received excellent A level results including 4 students gaining grade A* and 10 with grade As. Students who particularly impressed were Teodor Jevtic and Maeve D’Souza who both achieved A*s in both Maths and Further Maths A Levels, Shubhdeep Sethi, who gained an A* in Maths and A in Further Maths, and Sukhpreet Gill who got an A* in Maths. In addition to these students, Haroon Lukka also gained an A* in A Level Maths, despite only being in year 11.

Congratulations to all our students who worked so hard and achieved wonderful well deserved results.

Success in the UKMT Mathematics challenges has also become a Cranford tradition. In November 2019, year 12 Mathematicians, along with a number of year 11 and 13 students took the Senior Maths Challenge. After the excellent GCSE results in the summer, we were hopeful that certificates would be won, and they did not disappoint with 5 year 12 students achieving Bronze Certificates. Our highest scoring student was year 13’s Ibrahim Abokar who also gained a Bronze certificate and scored best in school. Congratulations to Ibrahim and our year 12 certificate winners, Shreya Shrestha (best in year 12), Warda Hashi, Brahmnoor Brar, Shaan Abbasi and Mashal Nejrabi. An honourable mention goes to Ahmed Ali, who scored the highest score in year 11 and narrowly missed out on a certificate.

In February 2020 students in years 9,10 and 11 had their chance to shine in the Intermediate Maths Challenge and they were certainly determined not to be outdone. Three year 11 students, Ajeet Bhatti, Rohan Kapoor and Shargeel Hussain gained Gold certificates as well as places in the follow up challenge, known as the Pink Kangaroo.

Ajeet scored the highest score in the school. We also won 22 Silver certificates and a massive 36 Bronze certificates, with Silver certificate winners Shreyas Shikhare and Rajveer Bisla scoring the highest scores in year 10 and 9 respectively. Amazingly we also had a Silver certificate from Aamina Ashfaq, and Bronze certificates from Miya Dhaliwal and Muqadas Saleem, who as year 8 students all entered the competition a year early.

Congratulations to all certificate winners and all who participated.

Students from years 7 and 8 will have to wait till next year as their competition was postponed due to the coronavirus outbreak.

Sarah Brackley (Head of the Maths Department)

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MATHS

Cranford Mathematicians

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A star students at A Level: Teodor Jevtic Maeve D’Souza Shubhdeep Sethi Sukhpreet Gill Year 11 Grade 9: Namra Ansar Brahmnoor Brar Neha Hussain Warda Khalif Aryan Khan Samha Lund Abraham Matthews Prabhdeep Nijjar Nirujan Rajakumar Shreya Shrestha Shabnam Uria Rameez Ahmed Year 12 and 13 Bronze Winners: Ibrahim Abokar Shreya Shrestha Warda Hashi Brahmnoor Brar Shaan Abbasi Mashal Nejrabi Year 11 top score in Senior Challenge: Ahmed Mohamed Haroon Lukka Year 11 gold winners intermediate: Ajeet Bhatti Rohan Kapoor Shargeel Hussain Year 10 Top score (Silver): Shreyas Shikhare Year 9 Top Score (Silver): Rajveer Bisla Year 8s who won Intermediate Certificates: Aamina Ashfaq Miya Dhaliwal Muqadas Saleem 5

# SCIENCE The Science Department

This Going from Strength to Strength

has been an exceptional year for the Science department at Cranford. We have built an amazing team for our community which highly values the subject of science as an academic course but also as a successful and important career pathway. This academic year we won the “Outstanding Department” award at the Cranford Oscars reflecting our ambition to do the best by our students.

At the heart of everything is our ambition to make the students’ experience of the science curriculum both outstanding and enjoyable.

Pupils’ achievement and progress have been incredible in 2019. We are in admiration of how hard the students worked to achieve excellent examination results from their commitment in lessons, completion of extra homework, attendance at period 0 and period 6 revision classes – the list is endless! In 2019 the GCSE science results were in the top 20% of ALL UK schools in terms of pupil progress. A-level results carried on their upward trend. We are proud of all our science students, regardless of background and prior attainment and we would like to give a special mention to the following students who have achieved truly exceptional results: • The following students gained the top grade of 9 in all three GCSE Sciences – Namra Ansar, Bhanuya Balendran, Harit Boonyarakyotin, Neha Hussain, Warda Khalif, Haroon Lukka, Aliza Abbas, Nirujan Rajakumar and Jaineet Soni • The following students gained the top grade of a 9-9 in GCSE Combined Science – Abraham Matthews, Jack Blandford, Aryan Khan, Prabhdeep Nijjar • The following students achieved an A or an A* in one or more of their A-Level Science Courses – Akashdeep Kundal, Sulaiman Hamid, Rhea Rana, Ali Sarwar, Maeve D’Souza, Shubdeep Sethi, Sameer Verma, Teodor Jevtic.

Rhea Rana, a highly successful A Level Science student, gave the following testimonial: “Taking two A Levels in Science, namely Physics and Chemistry, unlocked my desire to pursue a career in Mechanical Engineering. Having the support from the Science Department enabled me to gain the confidence and obtain the results needed to achieve my dream and take up a degree in mechanical engineering. Not only this, but I have also started university with vital skills and knowledge, all of which would not have been possible without the amazing support of the science teachers at Cranford who continuously encouraged me to push myself to reach my full potential.”

The Science Department continues to remain positive amidst the global challenges facing us and we anticipate a continued upward trend of exceptional results at both GCSE and A Levels for many years to come. Whatever happens, we will continue to do the best for our pupils, always!

Chetan Shingadia and Amrat Atwal (Joint Heads of Science Department)

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SCIENCE

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Cranford Science Champions Shine

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fter winning the West London regional qualifiers in June 2019, two year 10 students travelled to the University of Greenwich Medway campus to compete in the South of England STEM Challenge finals.

Kehan Munir 10W and Uthistan Sritharan 10V competed along with a pair from the local Dormers Wells High School competed against winners from other qualifiers as far afield as Leicestershire and Norfolk for the prize of being ‘South of England Grand Champions’. Their day saw them work as a team to programme a LEGO Mindstorm robot to successfully navigate a maze, avoiding obstacles and making noises on different prompts, all the while staying within the lines of the track.

They got off to a successful start, managing to get their robot halfway through the maze in one of their first tests, before an attempt to correct an understeering left wheel went awry and caused a chain reaction of further problems. They were successful in correcting many of these and made a commendable attempt at the maze in the testing rounds. The second part of the day saw them work in their groups to produce a presentation on robotics and the future of artificial intelligence. Our students spoke with passion with excellent detail to interest and engage the listening audience of participants, staff and judges.

Despite our best efforts, we did not finish in the winner’s spot but both Uthistan and Kehan left Kent with their heads held high as they did their school proud at this prestigious event. We will be back next year to win.

Bradley King (Science Department)

STEM Club Crest Awards

F

our Year 10 students have been working hard throughout the year on projects that have seen them progress towards the Silver tier of the nationally recognised Crest Awards. Consisting of 3 levels – Bronze, Silver and Gold, Crest Awards have been set up by the British Science Association to encourage young scientists and engineers to work on STEM projects.

Our four students – Manav Vivek 10U, Neha Khendria 10U, Harsimran Bath 10U and Nehchal Singh 10T, completed their Bronze Award early this academic year, with a project involving engineering a way to incorporate composted biogas production into an apartment block, thus reducing energy costs for the residents living there.

For the Silver Award, a change of focus was decided upon, which involved looking at a selection of 10 popular soft drinks. A variety of chemical tests were conducted on the drinks to produce a ‘health ranking’. Students at Cranford were then surveyed to investigate how popular the 10 drinks are and to test student perception of how healthy they are believed to be.

Although the progress towards the Silver Award has been interrupted by the temporary school closure as part of the country’s lockdown, they will be up and running in the near future in the quest to earn Silver and then go for Gold!

Bradley King (Science Department) 7

# SCIENCE / PHYSICS GiP Club

The P

hysics department hosted their first ‘Girls in Physics session’ more commonly known as a GiP club session.

This gathering of Year 11 girl physicists were educated on gender stereotypes from birth until this point in their lives. The aim of the session was to give the girls an insight into the obstacles they may unknowingly face whilst studying Physics and provide them with the motivation and skills to overcome them.

Kristy Foale (Head of Physics Department)

The Girls in Physics Club meeting succeeded in giving me a great boost in motivation and confidence in my ability to pursue Physics after GCSEs. The topics discussed in the session such as how society has stereotyped Physics to be a subject tailored more to boys which has led to jobs involving Physics becoming male dominated were the driving force in my determination to continue to work hard and prove the statistics wrong. The meeting also boosted the faith I had in my own abilities: Ms Foale and Ms Mehmi spoke about how women had been trained by society to downplay and underestimate their potential and skill. They told all the girls to trust their abilities more which was a much needed reminder both for the exams which were steadily approaching and for the next phase of academic and general life. Overall GiP club was extremely successful and I hope it continues in the future to inspire more girls at Cranford Community College to choose a career in Science.

Zehra Hasan (year 11)

I liked the fact that the staff encouraged many girls to study Physics and break gender stereotypes as well as making people realise that boys had been advantaged in Physics from childhood due to the stereotypical selection of toys by gender which was something I had not been aware of. The GIP club was quite enlightening as the statistics showing gender groups picking particular subjects were surprising, therefore I learnt a lot and it was also very encouraging.

Buvaneswari Jayaraman Rajagopalan (year 11)

I think the GIP meeting did have an impact on me because it enlightened us about all the inequalities in the world of Physics and highlighted how girls have less opportunities than boys. It showed that we fundamentally have to work harder than them and this was a favourite part of the meeting: the fact that it gave us the motivation to prove the statistics wrong.

Abinayah Kagenthirarasa (year 11)

I found the GiP club very inspiring, as it gave me an insight into what girls can do, regardless of the challenges we may face in our lives. It also made me realise that I might want to pursue a career in Physics and allowed me to understand that girls can do whatever they want, and that we are just as capable as boys in every way.

Nawal Mir (year 11)

The GiP club meeting was an amazing experience and it really helped me understand the stereotypes that exist in society and how important it is for us to overcome them. It was also wonderful to be a part of the discussion, listen to and understand other people’s thoughts and opinions. Thank you for inviting me!

Maryam Ayub (year 11) 8

SCIENCE / PHYSICS

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Annual Launch of the Physics Buddy System

Each

year the Science Department pairs up year 12 students with year 13 students which greatly benefits both sets of students. As part of the programme the students attend a buddy brunch every term where they take part in a challenge competition against other students. This time the challenge was a multiple choice question relay and the winners were Kareena Suman (year 13) and Aamna Abbasi (year 12) with Ria Kalia (year 13) and Parmveer Dhaliwal (year 12) coming a very close second.

In addition to the buddy brunches, the year 12/13 pairs get set a termly virtual buddy challenge which they must work on together. Each pair win points after completing the challenges which are entered onto the leader board. They get a prize after each challenge and an even bigger prize if they become the ultimate buddy pair and the overall winners!

This popular programme provide the year 12 students with an additional resource to aid with their understanding of Physics concepts and the year 13 students benefit the most as the year 12 buddies enable them to refresh their memory of year 12 Physics topics. The challenges are fun and create a strong bond between students in each pair who act as peer mentors.

Kristy Foale (Head of Physics Department)

In my opinion the buddy system challenge is a great opportunity for both year 12 and 13 students. This enables us to use the knowledge learnt from the lessons and revision sessions and to participate in fun, competitive challenges, where we learn new things as well as improving our social and team work skills. I think it is a great way to boost our confidence and expertise in Physics.

The quiz we took part in really gave me great energy and enthusiasm regarding Physics, in particular, the topic of electricity.

This competition was executed very well as there was an emphatic element of enjoyment due to its intense nature. Each individual had a real passion for the subject, as evidenced through their commitment to attempt to secure victory. I believe this buddy challenge helped in boosting everyone’s confidence and was extremely enjoyable, especially when our team won.

Elina Gorjunova (year 12)

Aamna Abbasi (year 12) 9

# ENGLISH

The English Department The

English Department continues to achieve outstanding outcomes for students.

Now, more than ever, communication skills are vital for all young people, enabling them to interact successfully with the world around them. Our aim is that every student will leave Cranford Community College with the ability to critically evaluate information they have read and question the source of that material, with the confidence to express their ideas articulately and skilfully, and the maturity to listen to others carefully and sensitively and to respond appropriately. As a department we are proud that all students, regardless of their prior attainment or ability, are given the support to make progress and develop their communication skills. The inclusivity of our mixed ability classes reflects the way that we learn and grow together as a community.

At GCSE our results for English Language and Literature are consistently above the national average and in 2019 our GCSE results were truly exceptional. 92% of students achieved a grade 4-9 in English Language or Literature and 77% achieved a grade 5-9. These results are a testament to the outstanding teaching, intervention and support these students have received throughout their 5 years of studying English at Cranford. As a team, we are incredibly proud of every child’s achievement.

Top grade 8s and 9s in both GCSE Language and literature were achieved by: Kimran Virk, Aliza Abbas, Anjali Bhambra and Rajvir Sran, Ahoura Bakhtiara, Neha Hussain, Ayisha Mahmood, Hanit Booyarakyotin and Namra Ansar.

At A Level, 82% of our 2019 class were awarded grades at A* to C and 30% achieved the top A* - B grades. Haashim Nisar achieved one of the highest unit scores nationally for the Pre 1900 text component of his exam and Cristiana Eftenoiu, Megha Dahdrai, Shaista Yousafi, Juhi Kumra, Aria Cundall and Zarka Hussain also achieved A and B grades.

As English teachers we believe in the transformative power of literacy and communication skills. We are incredibly proud of all of our students’ achievements and the opportunities that this opens up for them. As we move into a new decade, we continue to do all we can to empower our students with the skills and confidence to achieve highly.

Fran Green (Head of English Department)

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ENGLISH

Frankenstein Lecture at

In

the bleak midOctober my classmates and I had the opportunity to attend a lecture on Frankenstein at Queen Mary University in East London. It was refreshing to hear a different standpoint to the argument “What is Frankenstein really about?” with one of the lecturers suggesting that it may have been linked to climate change. Quite drastic, you will agree. Having had the ability to attend the lecture before studying ‘The Gothic’ gave me an insight into exactly what arguments and critical opinions I should be drawing upon within my essays. I can wholeheartedly say I utilise the critical arguments I

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have learnt in my essays which has meant that my points of view always stand out given how versatile the different perspectives of the lecturers were. The benefits of attending these events and lectures are paramount; you gain a depth of knowledge of the subject and topic; you may even decide you would like to study at that particular university after sampling its environment and you gain more knowledge in general.

Knowledge is power. So, next time Ms Brooks or another English teacher invites you to attend an event like this one – go for it.

Selsabila Bekhouche (year 13) 11

# ENGLISH The Duchess of Malfi

On

Saturday 11th January 2020, a group of enthusiastic year 13 English Literature students took time out of their revision schedule to set out to Islington, to the Almeida theatre to watch The Duchess of Malfi.

This compelling play explores the themes of forbidden love, corruption, power and deceit. As it is a set text on the A Level specification, we had the opportunity to engage in an active form of revision by consolidating our understanding of the production. Having already watched an interpretation of the play in class, we were able to witness this exceptional piece of literature come to life! Originally set in the 17th century, this performance offered its own 21st century twist, with some remarkable directorial choices. The production was one of high quality which kept us captivated from

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at the Almeida Theatre the very outset at the sight of a large glass box on the stage right to the bloodbath of the last act. The play was entwined with tragedy, humour and definite ‘wow’ moments. There was an amazing atmosphere in the theatre and it was an all in all remarkable experience.

The year 13 students left the production feeling confident of having enriched their knowledge of the play and definitely ready to tackle the mock exam in the days that followed. We were very privileged to have watched such an amazing production and are very grateful to Ms Brooks who gave up her time to spend the day with us, as well as thoroughly supporting us throughout our A Level course.

Prabhleen Ghattoray (year 13)

Studying

English

I

at

Oxford

University

left Cranford in 2018 and since then I have been studying English Language and Literature at the University of Oxford.

The degree is definitely testing at times and I am constantly pushed way beyond anything I ever would have imagined, but, ultimately, there is nowhere else I would rather be. At Oxford, the English course involves looking at literature which stems as far back as 650 AD. It is amazing the amount of content you learn in the short eight-week term! Attending Oxford has shown me that many of the preconceptions about the university are, quite simply, untrue. It is not full of posh people and you are not expected to study every second of your living existence – in fact, it is quite the opposite; there is a diverse student body and extra care is put into the social welfare aspects of your time there given the intensity of the degree. Opportunities are endless. So far, I have been able to work for newspapers and interview some very interesting people, I have put on an exhibition showcasing mixed-race students and staff at my college and I have been exposed to some of the most limited and sought-after resources in the world. It scares me that soon I will be going into my final year, but I am excited to start working on my dissertation focusing on George Orwell and having the freedom to research the writers that interest me most. I am so grateful to be here but even more grateful to have started my studies at Cranford and to have been taught by Ms Brooks – without whom, I certainly would not be where I am now. I look forward to seeing more Cranford students at Oxford in the future, and, if there are students who are considering applying but unsure as to whether it is the right choice, I can assure you that Oxford is for you and you will love every minute.

Lucy Tirahan (Cranford Alumni student)

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THE SORRELL FOUNDATION / SATURDAY ART CLUB

On

Saturday 14th December 2019, Bonhams Fine Art Auctioneers held a Masterclass for members of the Saturday Art Club and Writing and Talking Club.

It was an amazing opportunity for students to visit the famous auction house at New Bond Street in London. Club members gained a first-hand cultural experience as they were able to get close to amazing artwork in an extraordinary way.

All elements of the auction process were discussed giving club members a greater insight into the range of careers and different aspects of this thriving industry. Students had an opportunity to interview staff as part of a ‘speed dating’ style carousel which they found very interesting. The interaction between the auction house staff and club members was electric and there was an amazing buzz in the room.

Art Auctioneers Masterclass

Club members also had an opportunity to value items for auction by analysing art work under UV filters and investigating it by looking at clues. They could see first-hand how layers of paint can disclose secrets about a work of art.

Students were then shown how to catalogue items for the auction so that the Artwork could be referenced. They were given the opportunity to look closely at items and then catalogue them for sale.

The club members were also given insight into the art auction process and the auctioneer imparted skills on how to run an auction. With an emphasis on building public speaking skills, club members were told how to engage the audience’s interest in the room and retain the focus of the clients.

The day culminated in a mock auction, which utilised all the skills and understanding gained during the day and helped the young people to gain confidence in their creativity.

It was a fantastic day and a unique opportunity.

Bonhams staff were so impressed by how the club members engaged with the day that they donated a Genuine Banksy DI Faced Tenner to the school.

Pam Hunt (Saturday Art Club Lead)

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It was a really great chance for me to be going to Bonhams Auction House in London.

We all went by train which was fun. When we reached Bonhams we were introduced to the staff who handle the auction work, which is quite significant.

We were then put into groups of six and taken to each activity led by a specialist member of staff. My first activity explored how the auction is carried out and how the art work is sold. I was the first person to be picked and hold a mock auction and I learned different types of expressions spoken by an auctioneer.

I had a great experience and it was amazing.

The next activity looked at if the painting has been painted again or if the artist had left any messages about the painting that could tell us when it was made, by whom and where.

In other group activities we learned what year the painting was made, any signatures or name left as a clue, whom it belonged to and how it had been framed.

Lastly we held a little competition to find out who was the best auctioneer by using specific auctioneer language. I was chosen to be the auctioneer for my group and I used different language features like “final warning” and “Going once, going twice and sold”, “online bidder”.

It was a tremendous experience for everyone in my art club. I will never forget this fabulous day we had in Bonhams.

Prableen Gurwara (year 10)

I have really found going to the trip an amazing opportunity. Inside the building which was enormous, we were greeted by the staff and auction workers who divided us into groups of six. We got to explore Bonhams and look at some of the amazing art work housed there. I really liked the different activity stations and the fact that staff could speak one to one about their experiences and role. This was really amazing as it allowed us to explore different types of creative jobs in the real world. At one station we learned how to identify an artist’s piece of work, the year it was created and by whom.

We all then went to the main hall were we took part in an auction which was fun to experience and a great opportunity. We were taught about the different ways of budding, what goes on and the different roles in an auction house. I did learn that they use a lot of metaphors when persuading clients to bid as it makes them feel compelled to.

Overall, it was a magnificent experience as we all learned something that would help us in the future and shared this amazing memory with all the fantastic people in the art club.

Yasmina Debieche (year 10) 15

International Conference Summer 2019

We

all know that our world is flawed. We all know that there are people on the other side of the world who are forced to live with things that we wouldn’t ever have to worry about. Men, women, children and everyone else in between are suffering from various issues outside of their control. These individuals all have faces and names and stories to tell; most of which falls on deaf ears. The sad truth is that these people do not matter to the majority of us at all, because they are just that. People on the other side of the world. Irrelevant to our lives until the next big news story we see on the media about violence, death, abject misery. We share a few condolences when we see the news, maybe share it out with a couple of family and friends. And then we repeat, getting on with our own lives until the next big event considered relevant by the media. This is the problem with the cycle – it’s a cycle, and without any external inputs, the suffering continues. As Einstein said, insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.

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and screams from the group that came before, with music and dancing to accompany. It was at this moment I realised that a large majority of these people had never left their countries, with this camp being their first escape from hardship.

It gave me a whole new perspective on the camp from that point on.

Last summer, I was fortunate to get accepted onto a summer camp called Seeds of Peace, which was a threeweek long retreat to a beautiful lake-side camp in Maine, America. But the special thing about the camp was that the youths participating came from various places, all deeply rooted in conflict. I met friends who came from Israel and Palestine; Pakistan and India, and of course the US and the UK. The camp was a maelstrom of emotions from start to finish, as you may imagine, as different ideals and perceptions came together.

The way that camp worked was very simple.

Everyday included new activities for us to do, from art projects to singing to water skiing. It was everything one would expect a summer camp to be. However, each and every day there would also be a 2-hour dialogue session with a group that remained the same for the entirety of camp. I was in Dialogue I, and we had the chance to discuss the actualities of the India-Pakistan conflict over Kashmir. After the fun activities of the day, the sessions were a jolt back to reality and reminded us of the reason why we were here.

Not every session was intense, but there would be a clear veil of silence hanging over the camp after each gathering.

I started off the camp with mixed feelings; I hardly knew anyone beforehand, apart from the small UK delegation. I also didn’t know what to expect from a camp such as this, where hostility and disagreement ran so deeply. It is in moments like these that I learn to doubt my communication skills, something that I don’t really need to consider much back in my everyday life. It was a place of trust, where a choice of words can change the course of the rest of the session. While I was worrying over my conduct, I was surprised to find that the level of excitement from the other campers was through the roof. Stepping off the bus into the camp, each delegation was met with the cheers

It is hard to describe what happened in the camp because it is a difficult fact to accept that nothing has really changed back home. The world continues to be the same place it used to be, and I was met with the realisation that camp was a bubble, one of the very few safe havens in the world where conflict was paused, if only for a brief moment. However, it is important to also appreciate that change may not have happened in the world, but it had definitely happened within me. I had a new outlook on life, and the selfimprovement which occurred during the three

weeks in all of us may be the key to the peace that we have been searching for. Change must ensue in ourselves before we can even dream of making the world a better place. We must accept and grow in our own identities to truly understand our roles and responsibilities as a human being. This may sound obvious, but everything that we want to come to fruition really does start with ourselves as individuals.

That being said, there are many things that we are able to do right now to contribute to the process. I have learnt that one of the best ways to grow is to keep a journal, because we actually forget a significant number

of the lessons we learn from our experiences. Any thoughts or ideas about any particular topics are important to note down, because keeping things in our subconscious mind and not actively acknowledging them is what most of us have been doing thus far, and thus everything remains as is.

As a student of Cranford, there are also many other opportunities available to keep exploring the world that we live in. Opportunities such as Generation Global and the many connections the school has with different countries which can be a good starting point; seek out these opportunities rather than waiting for them to come to you. Become an active player in the world.

Guy Boonyarakyotin (year 12 - UK Seed)

17

# CHARITY

On

the 28th April 2019, I watched one of my friends run the London Marathon. The elation of the day, the pride and determination on every runner’s face and the feeling of nearly a million people out supporting each participant to do something incredible must have got to me – that, or the moment I had a little weep at a woman shouting “that’s my mum!”. By the end of the month, I had entered the ballot and applied to my chosen charities.

I waited nervously until the Autumn, when ballot places were announced… No. And then the charity rejection emails started to come in. And I breathed a small sigh of relief – clearly I had been caught up in the moment, and there was NO WAY I was going to be running 26.2 miles. The furthest I had ever done was a very slow 5k.

December 2019, 2 days before the end of term and deep in all the busyness this entails. The phone rings. It’s Young Minds. They have a marathon charity space open and I was top of the reserves list. Did I still want to run?

I cannot explain why I said yes at that moment. Blame the Christmas spirit, or adrenaline, or just wanting to put my money where my mouth is and do what I had set out to do. But I said yes. Not having run for 3 months, with £2000 to raise, and 4 months (16 weeks!) to train for a marathon from scratch. Madness. Which is exactly the response I had from 90% of the people I told once I had accepted the place.

Training was incredibly tough – I was getting up at 5am to run in the dark, the rain, the cold. I had more tantrums during long weekend runs than I can count. I often sat down and refused to go any further. There were tears, and moments where I woke up terrified of what I had signed myself up for. I am NOT a runner, and £2000 is a HUGE amount of money. I absolutely could not do it. I was going to withdraw.

But I didn’t – I made an agreement with my form that every week I would update them on my training and they would do the same to me for their revision as they were working towards their GCSEs. I racked up the miles. I ran my first half marathon AND managed to make it into school the next morning. Donations were coming in, and soon £2k didn’t seem that far off. The support from the school was phenomenal, with staff and students behind me all the way – and finally, at the beginning of March, I hit my target! I had a 16 mile run planned for Sunday, and mentally I was ready to tackle whatever was to come in 5 weeks’ time. And then Coronavirus struck.

So, while I do not know if we charity runners will be out on the rescheduled event in October, or whether we will have to wait until next year, I do know that I am still going to be running. Training is keeping me going during lockdown, and it is quite nice to be able to run in daylight. So far in May I have run 31 “miles for Mind” and have signed up to do 75, and I am doing the virtual “Samarathon” for Samaritans in July. But what has been incredible through all of this is the support from the Cranford Community –that’s what will keep me going whenever that day dawns and I finally get to run the London marathon.

Evelyn Brooks (English Department) 18

Charities Committee

September 2019

This

year the Charities Committee held their first Bake Sale on Thursday 26th September 2019 and collaborated with class 8U to raise money for Jeans for Genes and MacMillan Cancer Research. The event was dedicated to the loving memory of Mohammed Iqbal from 8U who sadly passed away on Wednesday 4th September 2019 after suffering from a rare metabolic disorder called Proprionic Acidaemia, a genetic disorder which impacted on his heart function and immune system.

On the morning of the bake sale, classroom A121 was flooded with generous donations not only from 8U but also from staff and students across the school, including cookies, cupcakes, muffins, donuts and even homemade cakes. The Sixth Form Committee and students from 8U produced creative posters and banners for their stalls and their passion for the cause was evident.

The dedicated Charities Committee prepared the bake sale stands with all the sweet treats ready for break one. Within five minutes the stalls were surrounded by eager students who not only bought the treats but demonstrated compassion by giving more money without wanting anything in return. It warmed our hearts knowing that these students were so kind as to show sympathy for such a neglected cause, but it came as no surprise because these were Cranford students. As a result, the event raised £242.77 which was divided up equally between both charities.

This successful event illustrates the power of community partnership and shows how much an individual in society can contribute through the simplest of actions to help the vulnerable. The Charities Committee members are very proud of the students who demonstrated compassion during this event.

Sharandeep Saroya, Shanan Bhamra & Selsabila Bekhouche (Year 13 - On behalf of the Charities Committee) 19

# BUSINESS Visit to

European Head Office in London’s Fleet Street

Verizon is an American telecommunications company based in New York which offers wireless products and services. As part of the BTEC Business course, on Thursday 28th November 2019 year 12 students were given career advice from Anna JoanesCox (International Marketing Strategist) and John Williams (Marketing Director) on how to develop their own personal brand at their European Head office in London’s Fleet Street. Students had a tour of the offices and a look around their new 5G suite, which will be opening later this year. After lunch, they were taught about event management and how to increase the chances of success of their charity football tournament.

Jonathan Ryan (Business Studies Department)

20

RESIDENTIAL PSHCE

Trip to

D

#

ecember 2019 saw 12 students and three members of staff make the bi-annual trip to Jamie’s Farm, near Bath, for a week long residential visit. Jamie’s Farm is a working farm which is home to cows, sheep, horses, pigs, chickens, ducks, cats, dogs and a donkey. Visits here incorporate farming and caring for these animals alongside a 5-day programme of therapy, reflectiveness and personal growth. Students are without their phones or other technology for the week, which alongside vigorous daily walks and three home cooked nutritious meals a day allows them to thrive away from the distractions of the city. Our students (and staff!) acquitted themselves well against the sizeable tasks that were given to them – cleaning out and feeding the animals before breakfast, preparing, cooking and serving the meals for over 20 people at each sitting and throwing themselves into the other tasks that farming life has to offer. We planted new herbs and salad leaves at the vegetable patches; chopped logs for the huge boiler; helped herd and tag sheep at nearby Steve’s farm; assisted with the training of a new horse to the farm, alongside many other jobs. All of these activities taught our students courage, determination and leadership skills. I am very proud of our young people and looking forward to seeing where the new bonds, skills and values our week at Jamie’s Farm lead us.

Bradley King (Jamie’s Farm Trip Leader)

21

#

PERFORMING ARTS - DRAMA

p i r T re t a e Th

As

part of the Mind Body Soul programme the Performing Arts team are working across Key Stage 3 to stage a production of ‘School of Rock’. To help inspire our students and demonstrate how much young performers can achieve, we took 60 students to see Andrew Lloyd-Webber’s smash hit.

On Thursday 5 December 2019, a quiet, cloudy day in London, 60 gifted and talented students leave school to go to the West End! The excitement is palpable on the way to the Gillian Lynne Theatre, students have seen the film, read the script and now they are about to see it performed live.

The opening scene introduces the audience to the world of Dewey Finn, a thirty-something rocker who just doesn’t fit in a band. His ambition is to climb to the top of Mount Rock and realise his dreams, with whoever will go along with him for the ride. A few twists and turns later, Dewey finds himself posing as a supply teacher and leading a group of eager students to a local Battle of the Bands competition.

The students in the West End production were all played by young people, the youngest of whom was just nine years old. The energy the group brought to the stage was phenomenal and they sang out hit after hit to which our Cranford students sang along at the top of their voices. As well as acting and singing, many of the onstage actors were also accomplished musicians, playing bass, guitar, drums and keys.

I really liked the School of Rock performance because of the naturalistic acting, for example when Ned and Patty were sitting on the sofa talking it was very realistic. Moreover the props were really impressive because of how they came on and off stage so fast and how they were set up so quickly.

This hugely inspiring performance showed Cranford students what they could do if they put their mind to it, and also demonstrated how much work goes into creating a high-energy musical.

Back in the rehearsal room, the excitement was like a buzz running through the studio. We got into position for the opening scene, a rock concert, School of Rock was an amazing experience, which gave fans screaming and singing along, band on me a real insight into how actors breathe so much life into stage, phones waving in the air. School of Rock a simple line. I also really liked the show because it helped has landed at Cranford and we are going to me realise how important props and costumes are to make ROCK IT. a performance amazing, it is not just about the acting. I am Suneha Aziz (year 8)

really grateful for this amazing experience.

Caitlin Pyatt (year 8) 22

Katie Turner (Performing Arts)

On

Thursday 31 October 2019, year 9 students went into central London to see Agatha Christie’s ‘Witness for the Prosecution’.

Set in County Hall on the Southbank, Witness for the Prosecution is a site-specific performance bringing to life Agatha Christie’s short story of the same name, originally published in 1933. On walking into County Hall the audience are ushered into the building’s grand Council Chamber which doubles up as a domineering court room for this performance. The audience are seated around a central playing area, including in the public gallery and twelve to the side of the stage as a jury.

In the following two hours, Cranford Community College students were drawn into a tale of intrigue, deceit and false accusations. Protagonist Leonard Vale is accused of murdering a widow he has befriended to inherit her vast wealth. He has an alibi, but does his partner? The majority of the play is set in court, various statements being read out and witnesses questioned, allowing for the audience to act as jurors.

“Witness for the Prosecution was amazing and very professionally performed. When you walk into the ‘theatre’ you realise it is an actual courtroom. Watching the play, you feel like you are part of the court case and that is what is so amazing about it. The play is full of actual court scenes which made me feel all these emotions.

I think from all the plays I watched this is one of the best plays I have seen because you are watching it but also in it. I would recommend it to anyone who loves court cases or who just loves watching plays”.

Alexandra Czyz (year 9)

On entering, each audience member is given a mobile number to text during the interval with who they think has committed the murder and why – taking notes is encouraged! Cranford Community College students promptly took out their pads and decided to catch the killer. Indeed, one of our party guessed correctly.

Students said the performance was “really exciting” and engaging and that it “went by really fast”. This theatrical experience broadened students’ cultural horizons and displayed a type of site specific theatre they had not encountered before. The cultural appreciation included a visit to the beautiful County Hall, and the sites of the Southbank – taking in the London Eye, Westminster Bridge, and the Thames, all in glorious sunshine. A brilliant and inspiring outing for all.

Katie Turner (Performing Arts Department) 23

# SCIENCE

Cranford Goes Global

As

is becoming a yearly tradition for the Science department at Cranford, British Science Week is an opportunity to advertise the biggest and best of what Science can do for our students.

The annual theme this year was ‘Our Diverse Planet’ which saw our activities showcasing the true diversity of all areas of Science throughout Biology, Chemistry and Physics. We had a great level of participation from our students which surely shows that the future of Science at Cranford is very bright indeed.

Race Around the World

Cranford

Science W

eek –

Race aro Each dep und the artment World at Cranfo world. U rd has b se your th ecome a re should v e clues b habitat fr isit first. elow to om arou work ou Collect cl nd the t what h ues from abitat yo there to The first u h abitat, th lead you students en repea to the ne from ea t. xt ch y e ar will w show a co in a prize mpleted ! All stud sheet w ents wh ill win so o mething .

Every year the Science Department involves START H the entire school in a whole school activity Clue 1: It ERE looks lik e v Clue 2: T ery little week. This year saw individual departments he Ngan lives her asan peo e Clue 3: M turn into one of Earth’s many diverse habitats ple live h oss and ere lichens a re every – from the icy Arctic in Humanities, to the where The first habitat humid rainforests of the PE Department, is: _____ _______ and the densely populated urban cities and _______ I need to _______ go to th __ towns in the Languages Department. In this is depar tment: _ _______ challenge, students were presented with _______ __ three clues given to them in tutor time – Habitat Clue 1: _ these clues all led to their next habitat, _______ #1 _ _ _ C _ lu _______ e 2: ___ where three more clues were waiting to _______ _______ _______ _______ Clue 3: _ _____ _______ _______ be discovered. As the week went on more _______ _______ _ _ _ _ _ _ ____ _______ and more students turned into intrepid _______ The nex _ _ t _ ___ habitat explorers collecting and solving clues is: _____ _______ _ _ _______ to eventually reach their prize in the I need to _______ go to th is depar Science Department. The game was tment: _ _______ _______ enjoyed by all from year 7 to year 13 __ – truly capturing the imagination of Habitat Clue 1: _ the whole of the school. Well done _______ #2 _______ Clue 2: _ _______ _______ to everyone who took part! See you _______ _______ Clue 3: _ _______ _______ _______ __ again for the next challenge in 2021. _ _______ _____

24

_______ _______ _______ _ _______ The nex t habita _ _ _ _ t is: ___ _______ _______ I need to _______ ____ go to th is depar tment:

FORM: _______

Write yo u

r names

Cranford Tick these

Habitats

off after you have visited th em

o Fore st (Stude nt suppo o Grass rt) land (M aths) o Tund ra (Engli sh) o Rain forest (P E) o Arcti c (Huma nities) o Cora l reef (IC T + Busine o Urba ss) n (Langu ages) o Rive rs and La kes (Sociolo gy and P sycholog o Dese y) rt (Creati ve Arts) o Ocea n (Scien ce)

belo

SCIENCE

#

Period 0 Sessions Throughout the week the Department organised period 0 sessions for Key Stage 3 students which spanned across the three Sciences: Physics, Chemistry and Biology. The main objective was to overcome the misconception that Science does not exist outside of Science labs and give the students an insight into the scientific diversity of the real world around us.

___

ow:

The Chemistry session primarily focused on the diversity and role of Chemistry in everyday life including the Chemistry of bath bombs and fire extinguishers which are essential items in any household and not just limited to the Chemistry labs. The students engaged very well and definitely had a lot of fun making and testing fragrant bath bombs as well as using household basics like vinegar and sodium bicarbonate to put out tea light fires.

Physics sessions included an array of Physics practicals using very simple household objects and materials which gave the students an understanding of experiments that they could safely perform at home whilst exploring the scientific concepts involved.

Biology took it a step further with the very popular animal or organ dissections that the Key Stage 3 students got to perform or observe with the help of Sixth Form Science student volunteers. They explored the diversity in the adaptations present in different species which make organisms successful in their habitats.

All the activities that took place during Science week were extremely well received and helped develop student curiosity and engagement in their Science lessons even further.

We are already looking forward to you joining us in the Science week activities in 2021.

Bradley King (Science Department) 25

Duke of Edinburgh Awards Evening 2020

On

Thursday 5th March 2020, Cranford’s Duke of Edinburgh awards evening took place, celebrating the achievement of 87 young people who completed their Bronze and Silver Duke of Edinburgh challenge supported by Cranford staff. The awards were presented by local MP Seema Malhotra and accompanied by performances and contributions from DofE participants. In total, 58 Bronze awards were given out and 15 Silver awards.

I took over as coordinator for the DofE in September 2019, having been involved with expeditions in previous years. However the young people receiving their awards this evening stretch back to 2018. The reason I took on this role was to continue the amazing work of previous colleagues (including the work carried out by Ms Ledlie for years) and because of the incredible value of this award. In a time of tight budgets and financial pressure, schemes like the DofE mean that students get to enjoy invaluable experiences which challenge them and broaden their horizons. They learn skills from cake decorating and first aid to cat grooming and how to put up a tent. They come across wildlife they have never seen before, deal with challenges like climbing Beachy Head in 34C heat and learn how dark it can get outside of London. This scheme could not run without the support of staff and we are deeply grateful to all of those who have given up their weekends to run training, support the students, supervise expeditions, assess, verify and help provide the opportunities that are so important to our young people. This is part of what makes Cranford so special. Every single participant can rightly feel proud of themselves and of their achievements – for many the award means a real step out of their comfort zone, and they have risen to the challenge admirably.

The DofE award at Cranford continues to grow from strength to strength! We are looking at the best year yet in terms of participation with nearly 100 young people taking part, a number of Gold Awards undertaken by our intrepid Sixth Form students. I am really excited about the years ahead. The future is bright indeed.

Evelyn Brooks (Duke of Edinburgh Award School Lead) 26

Silver

Bronze

27

# BUSINESS

Team from Cranford Community College Beats £ 5,000 in Stock Market Challenge

​ team of year 11 students from Cranford battled their way into the Student Investor Challenge semi-finals, A beating over 9000 teams from schools around the UK and abroad.

The Student Investor Challenge is an online investment simulation run by the London Institute of Banking & Finance for students aged 14 to 19. It helps students increase their understanding of how stock markets work. They hone their investment skills by investing virtual money on the London Stock Exchange and trade stocks and shares to make a profit. It aims to improve financial capability and to encourage engagement with the finance sector. In addition, it gives students a positive and practical experience of what it is like to invest in the real-life stock market, gain team-work skills and strengthen their mathematical knowledge.

Teams from schools around the UK and internationally compete against each other by trading two virtual portfolios worth £100,000 on the stock market over a four-month period. They trade their shares to achieve the most profit, trying to predict how share prices might move, bearing in mind market and economic conditions. The trading process mirrors reality, with feeds from Bloomberg and the real costs of trading included. Students are challenged to make both long and short term trades, encouraging both day-to-day and strategic thinking.

There were thirteen teams from Cranford totalling forty-eight students competing which represents a record participation year. The Business Teachers team also had a record year finishing 98th overall and 16th out of all the teacher teams.

Cranford’s top team of investors were called ‘Finnexia’ and included students Manpreet Bahtra, Sharanjit Kaur, Amandip Khurana and Shahneen Ramji who successfully invested virtual money in the first round of trading. Only the top 500 teams progressed to the semi-finals, where they finished a very respectable 230th.

Catherine Winter, Managing Director of Financial Capability at the London Institute of Banking & Finance, said: “This competition is a powerful way of engaging young people with how the finance sector works and relating it to everyday life. The movement of stocks and shares, currency fluctuations and central bank activities can feel quite remote and difficult to get to grips with. By bringing it to life through a trading game, young people have proved they can grasp how economies work and the basics of investment. So, congratulations to the semi-finalists for making the top 500, it’s a great achievement!”

Well done to all the teams who took part. You did Cranford Proud!

Jon Ryan (Business Studies Department) 28

Year 10 & 11 BTEC Construction Project

Since

October 2019 eight year 10 and one year 11 students have been taking part in a pilot BTEC construction project. The course is sponsored by Heathrow Airport Limited and delivered by an organisation called Satro. Every Monday afternoon their tutor Ron, a former Head of DT, arrives in a van full of all the equipment and raw materials they need. The students help to unload the van and after a quick briefing they get on with the practical side of the course. Concentration and engagement levels are very high as the students learn new skills and see the outcome of their labour.

They were completing their first project which was making a free standing bird table as the lockdown happened.

At Cranford we strongly believe it is important to give students the range of skills needed to enjoy a very successful life after school. Construction is an important part of our economy and certainly a career pathway which the students will now consider.

Alan Fraser (Assistant Headteacher - Director of Community Partnerships)

29

# PSHCE Personal, Social, Health and Citizenship Education

PSHCE

at Cranford focuses on developing students’ understanding of themselves and the world around them. The curriculum includes personal responsibility, morality and mental health alongside the wider world and life in modern society. We engage with issues of equality, fairness, human rights and look at current events and societal issues. We examine gender, sexuality and race whilst learning how to reflect, evaluate and think critically. We support students to fulfil their potential, develop a positive attitude and learn how to overcome obstacles and develop useful lifelong skills. Students feedback about PSHCE is overwhelmingly positive showing that they value their lessons as a key part of their secondary curriculum.

Barbara Lodge (Head of PSHCE)

PSHCE has helped me to develop a more positive outlook and to always look on the bright side of things.

SA I really enjoyed the lesson about fairness and equality not always being the same thing, it made me consider things in a different way.

ND Learning how to control my emotions, especially my anger was really helpful. I learned strategies to help me calm down and channel my feelings elsewhere for example through music.

DG The PSHCE lesson on kindness really got me thinking about how others feel and has helped me to become a better person. I don’t think about myself so much and I try to smile at others more and be a positive influence.

NH The lesson that helped me personally the most was the lesson about developing grit, facing challenges and developing my interests. I think that learning to reflect and develop yourself to be a better person has had a real impact on me.

ZH PSHCE gave me the confidence to try extracurricular activities and also taught me how to reflect and examine my moods and feelings to make better choices and improve my mental health.

TK

30

PSHCE

#

The lesson about courage really helped me to try and be braver, for example talking to people more. Being able to stand up and talk in front of the class was really challenging and I am so pleased that I was able to do it.

AR Learning about meditation has helped me to reduce my stress, the lessons are fun and we have good warm ups!

IS Learning First Aid has helped me to feel confident that I can assist someone who has become injured or ill. PSHCE has given me the confidence to offer help in an emergency and perhaps even save a life one day by helping a casualty until the emergency services arrive.

RA It was useful to learn about the importance of sleep and diet, I have been making a real effort to make sure I get the right amount of sleep and drink more water. When we learned about bad influences I realised I needed to spend less time on my phone and cut this down.

HA Learning about diet was interesting especially realising how much sugar was in everyday items.

AB Learning about First Aid has taught me how to help a family member who has diabetes.

IB Learning First Aid was really important. I really enjoyed learning how to put someone in the recovery position and how to perform CPR correctly.

AF Learning about the dangers of smoking was really important.

MH PSHCE helped me to realise the additional benefits of exercise that I hadn’t known, for example that it can improve my mental health and also prevent diseases in later life such as diabetes or a stroke.

KK

31

# PSHCE The importance of exercising encouraged me and my family to go outside and play cricket more to make sure we are more active.

FK Learning about issues in the real world such as knife crime and drugs is important.

IK The PSHCE lessons have shown me that I am born as my unique self and shouldn’t be self-conscious about my feelings. I learnt how I should deal with other people’s comments about me and to shrug away any negative thoughts.

AL My communication skills have improved a lot by learning how to manage difficult conversations and how to talk about issues rather than keeping them to yourself.

SR The science of happiness and positivity was fascinating. Did you know that being kind to others releases all sorts of chemicals that activate happiness? I do now and it works!

ZS PSHCE has helped me understand the importance of both mental and physical health. I feel much healthier and I am more physically active now.

AY Learning about meditation helped me feel more peaceful and allowed me to gain a sense of quietness. I have learned how to order my mind and it has really helped me with my focus.

YG I learned to appreciate what I have rather than what I don’t have. Learning about how gratitude can impact happiness has helped me feel more thankful.

EG Learning about the LGBT community really helped me understand how important it is to show respect and value people even when we are different.

AH I tried my hand at drawing in the ‘Learning a new skill PSHCE lockdown challenge’.

GL 32

LOCKDOWN PSHCE

During the lockdown our focus has been on improving mental health and encouraging students to spend their time constructively. Here are just some of the wonderful lockdown PSHCE examples:

#

This year we learnt about lots of the big issues in the world such as child slavery. It has really helped me to be thankful for my education and opportunities.

ME Meditation is really helping me during lockdown. Whenever I go to try and sleep, my brother and I struggle as we have a lot going through our brains so we both use meditation and we sleep much better.

Another thing meditation helps me with is to get rid of stress because of the current situation. Meditation helps me feel relaxed and less stressed.

BS Learning how to travel virtually on my computer has become a quarantine hobby!

Meditation has also helped me to manage the stress of the situation.

AM Using a virtual reality headset, I created and rode a virtual rollercoaster for the virtual travel lesson!

DA I found the lesson on mental health and physical activity really helpful.

TB Learning a new skill in lockdown was a challenge I enjoyed, I have been baking!

KS I used the new skill challenge to learn how to juggle! I practised using tennis balls and can now juggle three balls pretty well.

SR The ten steps to happiness and work on positivity was a huge help to me in lockdown to help me appreciate my lovely family and remind me of all the good things in my life.

TM Learning how to meditate has really changed me and helped me to focus on happier things.

AM I rose to the new skill challenge by learning how to bake.

RA

33

Learning a new skill or taking up a challenge can give you a sense of achievement and increased confidence.

Mind Body

Being physically active is good for your overall physical fitness and also has a positive effect on your mental health.

Soul

Choose something you like to do and share this with others. As shared interest helps build friendships and positive relationships.

The

Mind, Body, Soul programme goes from strength to strength every Wednesday afternoon. Mind, Body, Soul provides a wide range of opportunities to Cranford students, the inspiration of which is often the particular passion a member of staff or sixth form student wants to share with the students such as Body Percussion, Fashion Upcycling or learning Korean.

As well as the firm favourites such as the Duke of Edinburgh Award, Swimming, First Aid, Art, Chess, Debating and STEM to name but a few, new great opportunities for 2019-2020 included: Sports Leader Award - Develop your leadership skills through organising and running sports activities for other students and primary school pupils.

Textiles - Create amazing pieces of art and designs using a range of materials and your imagination.

Volunteering in the Community - Work alongside Heston West Big Local charity, engaging with the local community and improving outdoor spaces for everyone.

Body percussion - Make music without instruments because your body is an instrument. Your body acts like a drum-kit which means you can create amazing rhythms through clap, snap, stomp and slap and more.

School of Rock Production - Rock Your Mind, Body and Soul.

Sing, dance, act and play some rocking songs in this year’s huge musical! A great opportunity to be part of Cranford’s biggest ever musical, with all students welcome as actors, musicians or designers – if you have skills and passion, we are looking for you!

Fashion Upcycling - Spruce up old worn out or damaged materials into brand spanking new pieces to wear with pride.

With upcycled clothes, unused items are looked at creatively and transformed into something new.

Korean - Learn the basics of this Asian language and find out about Korean culture.

Merchant of Venice - A ‘Shakespeare in Schools’ performance and opportunity to develop not only amazing skills but curiosity, empathy and pride and an appreciation of Shakespeare.

Dialogue - This session is run by Harit (Guy) Boonyarakyotin who had previously taken part in Seeds of Peace camps. Dialogue is the central focus when discussing challenging topics such as nationality, religion, Brexit, identity or euthanasia. The experience was so powerful for Guy that he wanted to share this with the students in year 9. This led him to facilitate a Mind, Body Soul group called ‘Dialogue’. Dialogue is a type of discussion which allows participants to share their experiences, emotions and beliefs without being judged. It encourages young people to understand different perspectives and reflect on their own. Year 9 students discussed such topics as identity, artificial intelligence, Brexit and benefitted from contributing their opinions and listening to others. This was a great success and ‘Dialogue’ will continue to be a feature of Mind, Body Soul.

Rita Berndt (Joint Head of School)

34

On

2019

Tuesday 17th December 2019 the Arts and Culture Committee hosted a talent show with students from all year groups. This was supported by many staff, students and parents who were invited to watch the absolutely astounding performances. This was a chance for Cranford to show off all their talented students. Most importantly, this enabled many students to build their self-esteem and also have the chance to improve their performing skills.

It will definitely be a memorable experience as I was lucky enough to co-host the show. Alongside the audience, we were able to enjoy all the upbeat dances but also be emotionally captured by all the heartfelt songs that were sung and the recitations of various poems.

The performers who took part in the show showed so much enthusiasm and interest which came across in all their performances. It requires commitment, dedication and perseverance to attend all rehearsals and the students at Cranford never fail to live up to these expectations. They took weeks rehearsing and refining their performances until it was of the highest quality and ready to be shared with the invited audience.

Congratulations to all the performers, they should be very proud of themselves. I had an amazing opportunity to be with them at every rehearsal and I can whole-heartedly say that they have come a very long way from where they started.

Nabeela Ali (year 13 Arts and Culture Committee) 35

Blues and Twos The Met Police Ride Along

A Cranford experience money can’t buy

In

December 2019 and March 2020, seven year 12 students had the experience of their life. As a reward for helping run the 100 Years of Women in the Met police the year 12 students were offered the chance to take part in the Met Police Ride Along scheme. This scheme is usually only open to adults but the police were so delighted with the efforts of our students at their event that they decided to invite them to participate.

The students share their experience below but I have never see such excitement and on their return many of them were speechless. The adrenalin was still pumping as they tried to put their experience into words.

I am sure the day will live with them for a long time.

A massive thank you to Inspector Dee O’Brien and Inspector Katie Peal and her Emergency Response Officers for providing this amazing opportunity.

Alan Fraser (Assistant Headteacher - Director of Community Partnerships)

e r ie n c e r il li n g e x p th a s a w t ven o li c e d o . e A lo n g e th a t th e p id k R r o e w th e n u r th e r to a ll th “ G o in g o tr u ly s e e h t c a ll s ! F g to li e le b lu a b e in o rd e r as I was g o o n s o m d w it h p a r a m e d ic s to le b a n e e v e r a ll , it work I was ev m u n it y. O e o ff ic e r s m th o c w r o u h o w nd has in th is , I s a members e p o li c e a th le b to a r e e id ln s u re n t H o u n s lo w to h e lp v e e a d if fe t work of s a re to g e e m th a ll o w e d d e n c e in s u c h c o n fi e m n e iv g e ” . p o li c e fo rc 12) ir k (y e a r K im r a n V

r ib a b le a n in d e s c s a w g n lo n g s id e c e R id e A a y w e w o r k e d a lo li o p e h T “ scenes t d th e c r im e e . O n th a ll c a n ie to r t e n p e x w e nd o r tu n it y t th is o p p n s ta b le s a o g I l fu te P o li c e C o gra p e r ie n c e . . I am so li fe ti m e e x a in e c w it h th e m n scenes o e n u in e ly a b e h in d th e t h ig s in n a s it w a s g e d o n ’t ea m e to h a v rc e th a t w fo e c li o p It a ll o w e d u c h fu n th e s p e c ts o f it w a s s o m it a ll s a t s fa o and see a o nt s I w o u ld d . Tim e w e a y to e n d . g e t to s e e d e th t n a le a r n ’t w e r. I g o t to th a t I d id n th o o n e k ! ” n c e li ent along o v e r a g a in a n e x p e r ie e Officer. We even w s a w g n c A lo o n m e n t.

2) y as a Poli T h e R id e n e w e n v ir a r (y e a r 1 a “ a k d n e to ta u in a tr P n a a w ro ience Reey n d w e re th e r ie n c e it a g a in ” . and exper g h t c a ll s a li xp e e d lu n b a e back to s o m ti n g to g o n a w e m It le ft 36

12) k a j (y e a r A r s id a D u

my experience

At

the start of 2020 Cranford was invited to select one student to attend the International Women’s Day event at British Airways. Maira Syeda in Year 9 was selected to represent the school as she has expressed an interest in a career with British Airways. She certainly made the most of her experience and here is her account of the day.

Mahavir Ladva (Careers Coordinator)

On

Tuesday 13th March 2020, I was honoured to be part of the International Women’s Day workshop at the British Airways Headquarters.

Though ordinary looking on the outside, it was home to a whole other world inside. It was bigger than any building I have ever been to and the ceiling towered over me. I was struck in awe as soon as I stepped in.

#ProudToBAWoman

Undeniably, the workshop was no less an enriching experience than I had expected. Through the course of the event, I learned about how the number of women in the workforce (mainly in the aviation sector) was increasing. A few years ago, you would be unlikely to have ever heard of a female pilot! The spokesperson told us how equality for women was changing for the better.

Before the event began, we were given information booklets which aided me in discovering my interests within aviation. I was also given a quick insight as to what was coming up.

Participants won prizes if they answered questions asked by the host of the event and the founder of ‘Like Minded Females’, Sonya Barlow.

She was definitely one amongst the most inspiring and motivating people I have ever met. Everyone was supportive of each other’s interests and everyone’s opinions mattered.

I made really good friends with the girls who were sitting next to me we found out that we had the same dream: to become a pilot or work in the aviation industry. The second part of the workshop was equally interesting as we got to talk to women who worked at British Airways. Everyone was taking part and asking questions which the three women answered with enthusiasm.

I must say that this has been a very rewarding experience which allowed me to learn many things about myself that I had not known before and I am proud to have represented Cranford at such a prestigious event.

Maira Syeda (year 9)

#ProudToBAWoman 37

Visit to Partner Schools in China and Thailand

In

December 2019, I had the privilege of being able to visit two of our very significant partner schools in China and Thailand.

Firstly, I went to Tianjin College of Commerce in Tianjin, Northern China. This college has been a partner with Cranford for many years and it was a special moment to be able to meet with President Mr Gong Baoli and his senior staff to formally sign a further partnership agreement between our two institutions. This will mean many more opportunities for exchange work between our schools including annual visits to China for Cranford students to experience Chinese culture firsthand.

38

Then I visited Princess Chulabhorn Science High School in Pathumthani, Thailand. This school is a newer partner for Cranford with their first visit to London having taken place earlier in the year for their students and staff. Whilst at PCSHS, I was able to have a comprehensive tour of the school, meeting with students and staff. I was so impressed with their friendliness and enthusiasm. The visit provided the opportunity to agree upon the teacher exchange visit due for July 2020 whereby 15 of our teachers go to work in the school during their summer holiday. (Sadly this has had to be delayed since to the Coronavirus pandemic but will be re-instated as soon as possible).

Kevin Prunty (Executive Headteacher)

39

#

MODERN WORLD LANGUAGES

It

MODERN LANGUAGES

has been a busy year for Modern World Languages with much to celebrate. We began with the whole school Languages Week, where students and staff enjoyed a range of in class and extra-curricular activities and competitions. This was followed by a Spanish and German baking challenge for year 7 and 8 students and a wonderful trip to Cologne in December 2019 for year 9. In February 2020, year 12 and 13 Languages students visited Goldsmiths University for an intense language session and our amazing year 7 Spelling Bees did Cranford proud by getting into the regional finals.

Week of World Languages 2019 2019-2020

Although the year has been interrupted by the lockdown, we continued to teach and inspire students through our online lessons and we look forward to building on the success of this year in the Autumn.

Ally Manole (Modern World Languages Department)

Monday 23rd September – 27th September 2019

Spelling Bee Competition

Our

amazing year 7 students have done it again! They braved the challenge to learn 50 and then an additional 100(!) new words in German or Spanish and took part in a class and then whole school competition to spell the most words correctly in one minute. In a foreign language.

‘That’s easy’ you’re saying? Let me give you a bit of insight. First they had to translate from English into Spanish or German and then spell words like: ‘Inglaterra’, ‘el zapato ‘,’ich verstehe nicht’ or ‘ein Beispiel’! All this in front of all of their class mates.

We are all very proud of every single one of our students who stood in front of their class and gave it a try. It takes courage and they have done amazingly well. Our fantastic school winners, who were due to go on to the regional final in London are Divya Sareen, Chandeep Baweja and Sonny Nuri! They will be going to the regional final later this year representing Cranford and will have to translate into Spanish or German and spell words (in Spanish or German) from a pool of 200 challenging words.

Congratulations on a great performance under pressure!

40

Christmas Baking Challenge for Year 7 and Year 8

A

nother year, another new set of Christmas German and Spanish baking recipes to try out. Our creative year 7 and 8 students took on our baking challenge and produced some delicious looking (and tasting!) traditional Spanish and German baked goodies. The recipes they used were in either Spanish or German and they had to use their language skills and translate the recipes before baking. Buen trabajo! Gute Arbeit!

Feeling inspired? Try one of the recipes yourself!

Lenguas De Gato Ingredientes: 120 gr de harina de repostería 100 gr de mantequilla 100 gr de azúcar glas 2 claras de huevo + 1 yema 1 cucharadita de esencia de vainilla 1 pizca de sal 100 gr de chocolate negro para la cobertura

Receta: 1. La mantequilla tiene que estar a punto pomada, sin pasar por el microondas.

2. Ponemos en un bol la mantequilla y el azúcar molido y lo batimos enérgicamente con un batidor manual hasta que quede todo bien integrado.

3. Añadimos poco a poco las claras de huevo, sin dejar de batir, hasta que quede todo bien mezclado.

4. A continuación pondremos también poco a poco la harina previamente tamizada y seguimos batiendo.

5. Lo mezclaremos todo con una espátula hasta conseguir una masa bien fina.

6. Pasaremos la mezcla a una manga pastelera con una boquilla lisa.

7. Preparamos una bandeja para el horno cubierta con papel de hornear y con la manga hacemos unas tiras finas de unos 7 cms. aproximadamente de largo. Hay que dejar una separación ya que al entrar en el horno se expanden.

8. Hemos precalentado el horno a 200º centígrados por arriba y abajo y ya las cocemos durante unos 12 minutos aproximadamente.

9. Cuando empiecen a dorarse hay que sacarlas del horno ya que después se secan. Las dejamos enfriar.

10. Derretimos el chocolate en el microondas y después le ponemos un poquitín de mantequilla para darle brillo al chocolate.

11. Al final bañamos una de las puntas con el chocolate caliente y las dejamos en una rejilla hasta que el chocolate se seque Ally Manole (Modern World Languages Department) 41

#

MODERN WORLD LANGUAGES

Christmas Trip to Cologne - December 2019

The

Modern World Languages department organised a wonderful trip to Cologne in Germany from the 12th17th December 2019 and I was fortunate to take part. In my opinion the trip to Germany was amazing and I had a really great time with all my friends.

I was able to communicate with people using the German phrases I learnt. It was such fun. We visited many places and even though it was sometimes freezing cold it was worth it.

The Christmas Market was just so magical and we got to try out so many new things including the food which was delicious. There were so many lovely things to buy in the decorated stalls and I wished I could buy everything.

We also went to a theme park called ‘Phantasia Land’. The rides were amazing. It was a bit like Thorpe Park. I tried out the scariest rides. The food in the Theme Park was also AMAZING. The desserts were especially nice.

We enjoyed relaxing in the hotel in the evening. It was fun playing games with the teachers and we appreciated their trust.

I was upset when we had to leave and wanted to stay on. I look forward to more visits to Germany in the future!

Alishba Mehar (year 9)

42

MODERN WORLD LANGUAGES

Sixth Form Languages trip to Goldsmiths University

#

On

Friday, 14th February 2020, six year 12 and 13 languages students attended an intense Modern World Languages A Level afternoon session at Goldsmiths University. Here is an account of one student’s experience of the event: ‘Goldsmiths University was an amazing experience as both the year 12 and year 13 students were allowed to travel by themselves and got to meet other students who had chosen languages as their A Level subjects.

As I was studying German A Level, I met students from different schools who also studied German for their A Levels. Some had chosen it as an additional A Level whereas others had chosen it as their third A Level.

The trip was very educational. We were divided into two groups where we performed a drama act in German but watched videos which helped us to communicate in German and express our opinions effectively. It was helpful because we exchanged the techniques we had learnt in school and applied our knowledge to the given scenarios. To keep the students engaged, the staff had brought a surprise of chocolates that would have been given to the winning team.

It was useful to compare what other students were learning at their schools and see the things we had in common which made this experience exceptional. Studying a foreign language is vital for our global community. As Nelson Mandela once said: “If you talk to a man in a language he understands, that goes to his head. If you talk to him in his language, that goes to his heart”.

Sajneet Bagga (year 13)

43

# INTERNATIONALISM

Trip to South Korea

D

uring the October Half Term 2019, year 12 and 13 students had the fantastic opportunity to visit South Korea. The trip included two destinations, Pohang and Seoul.

During their time in Pohang, students were able to visit a long standing partner school, Ocheon High School. We were warmly greeted on our arrival and students were able to reunite with friends they had made the previous year when Ocheon High School visited Cranford. The students left their comfort zones as they experienced a homestay and spent three nights living in the homes of their Korean buddies. They attended lessons which ranged from Korean Language to Dance and Maths. We also learnt about Korean culture through participating in a tea ceremony wearing traditional dress. The students enjoyed learning about a culture different from theirs and experiencing a different way of life. They also finally had an opportunity to practise the Korean language skills they had been learning in an extracurricular club held by the Languages Department.

After departing from Pohang and a very emotional farewell between the students, we took a (very quiet) sleeper train to Seoul where students could be tourists and sightseers. We visited numerous shopping and food markets, the highlights being the Myeongdong and Cheongyecheon market, where we were able to experience Korean street food. Another highlight of Seoul was viewing the beautiful panoramic views of the city from the Nam San Tower.

The trip was a great experience for both students and staff, and an amazing opportunity to gain confidence through trying a new culture and experiences.

Avneet Kang (Trip Leader) 44

The idea of an overseas school trip to a country on the other side of the world with friends sounds great. Cranford is a great school in that it builds connections with other places around the globe to give its students unique experiences that would be very difficult to get elsewhere.

This trip happened during the first half-term holiday of our school year, and was extremely fulfilling as both a holiday and as an educational excursion. For the first half of the week, we met the students of our host school and immersed ourselves in their day-to-day lives. We went to lessons in the mornings and on trips in the afternoon to explore aspects of Korean culture. One particularly memorable day was when we put on traditional Hanbok dresses which is a form of formal attire usually worn to ceremonial events. Learning about their cultural meaning was both fun and eye-opening as we were definitely able to see the differences between the roots of our own cultures as well as the traditional attitudes of Korean society.

The second half of the trip was definitely the ‘holiday’ part of the trip. We went to Seoul, the capital city, and spent our remaining time as tourists. It was sad that we had to leave our new friends back in Pohang, but the experiences of Seoul were also unforgettable. One of the best parts of the trip was that, as 6th-formers, we were allowed to choose what we wanted to do. There really was something for everyone, as we went from sightseeing and visiting old palaces and towns to shopping in night markets.

Overall, although the endless traveling took its toll, it was completely worth the effort because of how much we achieved on the trip in a mere week. I would definitely consider going on a similar trip with the school next year.

Guy Boonyarakyotin (year 12)

This trip has been one of the best experiences of my life and I would never have changed it for the world. My favourite part surprisingly was the home-stay and the last two days when we were out sightseeing in Seoul where we got to see a variety of different things and shop at famous markets.

During the days we were at school I was surprised at how different a normal school day for Korean students was as it was also completely different to my own expectations.

During this trip I have made new friendships with the Korean students as well as students from school I had gotten to know and bond with. I definitely feel as though I have made friends for life.

Shanan Bhamra (year 13) 45

# INTERNATIONALISM

Korean Teachers and Leaders visit Cranford

In

the Autumn term 2019, Cranford hosted a number of visits by Korean teachers and school leaders.

These groups particularly choose to visit Cranford in their brief UK tour due to the excellent reputation of the school which already has many significant links with Korean partners. In October 2019, we saw our second group of Cranford Sixth formers visit Korea where they were hosted by Ocheon Senior High School in Pohang, South Korea.

The teachers visiting Cranford were particularly interested in assessment for learning and the different ways in which we assess student learning. Some Korean schools are also piloting new curriculum initiatives and were interested in how we structure our curriculum particularly at Post 16 where students choose their own subjects to study. They also wanted to know about school layout and buildings and were utterly amazed by the size of Cranford’s site, the massive range of facilities and of course the Cranford Super Dome.

Peter Stumpf (Associate Headteacher)

46

SCIENCE

#

Astrophysics Online Summer School

After

many attempts at applying for a summer school, I was selected for the University College London (UCL) Astrophysics Online Summer School. Due to COVID-19, the programme changed from a residential to an online school. I chose the Astrophysics subject out of the 13 subjects because I admire the efforts in the aerospace industry; with role models like Elon Musk planning to set foot on Mars with SpaceX and NASA sending satellites to celestial objects, like the Sun, to make observations to help us understand and appreciate our solar system.

The Online Summer School will include lectures, live group work, seminars and information about UCL. It will include live events, taking us to the Mullard Space Science Laboratory (MSSL) and UCL’s observatory with a tour of its facilities to observe the Sun. Furthermore, we will go ‘exo-planet hunting’ online and have workshops on coding.

I am delighted to have had an opportunity at UCL as it is one of the first universities in the world to become involved in making scientific observations in space. It is working with the European Space Agency with a new mission, ARIEL, to study newly discovered planets which is due to launch in 2028.

Abraham Mathews (year 12) 47

g n i t i r W Song in the

USA

D

uring February Half Term 2020 I visited Redding California for six days followed by Los Angeles for three days, to work with professional song writers and DJ’s to further develop my song writing skills. Song writing is a key element of our music curriculum at Cranford and both visits were extremely productive and have been valuable for my song writing work as well as the syllabus we offer at school.

In Redding I managed to reconnect with two DJ’s I had met in November 2019, one of which has recently launched a new record label ‘Bring The Kingdom’. I was able to get some insight into the process of starting your own record label and the various opportunities this can open up as a song writer or artist. I managed to work on and finish two new songs that will be released through this new record label. This information will certainly come in handy when teaching RSL lessons. Part of what we coach pupils in is how to build a career in music and this first-hand experience has given me a lot of insight that I can pass on.

The L.A. leg of the trip was very different but just as insightful. I met a lady called Lorita who has been involved in sound design for films and TV programmes for 15 years. I was able to learn more about the process of creating sound effects, a technique known as ‘Foly’, where sound effects are recorded directly using special microphones. I have already been invited back to visit her studio next year where she is working on a new Netflix series. This experience will again be invaluable in teaching particularly for the RSL students wanting to pursue a career in the music industry or as another avenue into the music industry working as a sound designer. I also connected with a DJ called ‘Jacob Plant’ who lives in L.A but is originally from Kent and this new contact should also open up more opportunities in the future.

As a teacher, the more I can remain actively involved in my professional development the more energy and relevance my lessons will have. This experience has certainly given me plenty to bring back to my lessons and the music syllabus development to help students realise the joy of song writing.

Rory O’Hare (Music Department) 48

The Picasso Centre put on ‘A Christmas Carol’

One

of the key areas of study in the Picasso Centre is Social Skills, in which students explore the subtleties of human interactions, define types of behaviour and consider human reactions. What better way to practise these skills than through the process of creating drama? During the second half of the Autumn term the students set work, and although a performance was always intended, the focus of the students was the process of creating the show; a puppet version of A Christmas Carol.

Groups from year 7 to 11 were involved, and once all were familiar with the story they began to explore the characters, defining their behaviours, understanding their strengths and weaknesses. Then out came the wooden spoons, pipe cleaners and boggley eyes, and all threw their creativity into translating their findings into suitable puppets. Glue everywhere, huge fun … and outstanding, supportive group work, acknowledging each other’s strengths, appreciative of successes, tolerant of mistakes.

The day of the performance threw up many memorable moments – the finest ‘Bah, humbug’ in any school, the characterisation and relationships created by the year 10 students and the sheer energy of the year 7 students.

All the students’ performances made the supporting staff proud, but no more than the pride they felt in the skills they demonstrated and resilience needed to create the performance. Outstanding.

Damian Miles (Picasso Centre)

VE Day Celebrations

Lock Down style

Ms Ledlie

Flies the Flag

I

was invited to carry the Heston British Legion Standard (Flag) for VE day celebrations at Heston War Memorial in my role as Captain, 19 Company Commander. This was a great honour on such a special day.

The Mayor of Hounslow Tony Louki and Seema Malhotra MP were in attendance.

We did a social distance walk from the Legion to the War Memorial. I held the standard at the Memorial and the general public and Councillors laid down wreaths in memory of all the fallen soldiers in World War II. We held a two minute silence and returned home.

From there we had a VE Day street party and all our neighbours took to their front gardens with a picnic. One of the neighbours is a Winston Churchill look-alike, one of only three Churchill look-alikes in the UK and we had the honour of him delivering a speech to the community in our road and a drive by with the famous hand gesture out of the sun roof which was very impressive. We had musical entertainment with war time songs and everybody joined in.

Priscilla Ledlie (Assistant to the Senior Teacher Pastoral) 49

2020

On

Friday 28th February 2020, 30 year 10 fortunate students took part in the Jack Petchey Speak Out Challenge! The day consisted of interactive workshops led by Carl Meah from the Speaker’s Trust which enabled students to increase their confidence in public speaking. Students were selected by the English department as public speaking is also a component of the GCSE English Language Speaking and Listening unit. This workshop allowed our enthusiastic students to enhance their skills even further as well as giving our more reserved students a chance to shine and learn some top tips from the experts. As their Head of Year, I was delighted to be able to join in alongside some incredibly talented students. What struck me most was the way that this workshop gave our year 10s a platform to speak about issues that matter to them. I was truly fascinated to hear their ideas and thoughts on topics such as mental health, islamophobia, freedom of speech, feminism and many more. The Speak Out Challenge encouraged students to ‘come out of their shells’ and use their voices to spread positivity and share valuable messages no matter how nervous they were at the beginning of the day. Carl, the students and I found the conclusion of the day incredibly moving; there was cheering, laughter and a real sense of pride as we watched students speak from the heart and overcome their initial fears.

The quality of public speaking demonstrated by the end of the day made it very difficult for me to select just 2 quarter finalists so I decided to nominate 7 students to perform at the Year 7 assembly. Mr Ferreira and I chose Isra Jadoon as our semi-finalist and Ahmed Mumin as the finalist. The Regional Finals were due to take place in May but due to the lockdown Ahmed Mumin will now be taking part in the virtual Regional Finals instead – another very exciting opportunity for our students to showcase how talented they really are!

Randeep Sidhu (Head of year 10)

For me the Jack Petchey workshop was a very enjoyable and productive experience and I can definitely say that I learnt a lot about public speaking and giving speeches to large audiences. Carl the workshop leader taught us many skills that greatly helped us speak to the public, for example, he taught us to always have a bottle of water with us whilst we were speaking, so that we could better remember what to say next. He also taught us to be genuine about what we said to the audience, so they could tell that we were passionate about our topic.

In the first activity we had to announce to the rest of the class what our partner liked and disliked. This helped us get a taster of what speaking out in front of others was like. The next activity required us to put everything Carl had taught us to use. We had to choose a topic to present to the class in one minute. I chose to speak about stereotypes. I chose this topic because in everyday life and in social media you see people continuously say things and label individuals or groups of people based on virtually no evidence or facts. I felt really nervous about the task but after the first 10 seconds I became more comfortable. I managed to get to the next stage and made a new speech to the whole of year 7 about my topic.

I was then chosen as the finalist and am going to take part in the next stage on a digital platform. I got this far thanks to the skills that Carl taught us and the support from Ms Sidhu and the other students.

Ahmed Mumin (year 10) 50

This year I was lucky to be chosen to participate in the annual Jack Petchey “Speak Out” Workshop held at Cranford Community College as part of a group of about 30 other students. The purpose of the workshop is to help students work on their communication skills and confidence when speaking in front of others. Throughout the day, we participated in many activities which involved us getting up in front of the group and speaking about different things on the spot. For many of us, this was nerve racking and challenging. Fortunately, we learned many tips to help us feel more confident when speaking in public. One thing we learned is the “5 S’s”. Our speeches should always include the 5 S’s- Stride, Stand, Smile, Speak and Stay. This, among many other techniques, really prepared us well for the final task. Near the end of the day, we were told that we each had to write a short speech about a topic of our choice and deliver it to the entire group. Although many of us felt unprepared and extremely nervous, we all were all able to stand in front of our large group and deliver our final speeches. All of the speeches were unique and interesting and you could see a clear difference in the speakers’ level of confidence between the beginning of the day compared to the final speeches. After all of us had delivered our speeches and received a certificate for completing the workshop, a small group of students including me were chosen to perform our speeches during an assembly for all of Year 7. Overall this workshop was very helpful and an amazing experience and I can say without a doubt that all the participants including me are much more confident in the way we present ourselves when speaking in public, as well as delivering meaningful speeches.

Aja Cundall (year 10)

On the 28th February 2020 I participated in the Jack Petchey Speak Out Challenge. I was hesitant about doing it at first as public speaking is not my strength, especially once I found out I had to do a speech in front of the whole workshop by the end of the day! I became quite reluctant. However Carl who ran the workshop was extremely motivational and encouraging; he helped in bringing out everyone’s confidence in public speaking. Throughout the whole day there was not one moment where I felt uninterested – the workshop included interactive activities and spirits were kept high. I found the activities very useful in terms of building my confidence to talk on a chosen topic. I was also given constructive feedback to improve my method of public speaking. Not only did I learn ways of communicating efficiently but I also understood the importance of listening and how to be a good listener.

We were given booklets with strategies on how to present ourselves, and what to do when we are speaking in public. It entailed the best methods on how to get our point across to our audience, and ways to make this more memorable. I picked up different tips for speaking, important life skills and a strong understanding of the importance of being a good speaker. I got to learn different tricks companies and organisations use to get customers to remember them, for example using the rule of three. Towards the end of the workshop, we had to do a speech in front of everybody on a topic that we felt passionate about – I chose body image. When presenting my topic utilising the advice given, I showed great confidence whilst talking and my peers and teachers acknowledged this. Overall, I found the workshop exceptional, teaching us unique methods of being a good speaker and listener. It helped me improve my self-confidence and broadened my knowledge. I am overjoyed that I was fortunate to be given this opportunity as I learnt much more than I initially expected, and it changed my perspective on a lot things.

Shritu Singh (year 10)

51

# SCIENCE

Science Students meet the son of Buzz Aldrin at the American Embassy

On

Tuesday 8th October 2019, year 10 Triple Science students were overwhelmed with excitement to be invited to meet Andy Aldrin, President of the Buzz Aldrin Space Institute and son of Buzz Aldrin (who, along with Neil Armstrong, was one of the first two humans to land on the moon).

Dr Andrew Aldrin serves as the President of the Buzz Aldrin Space Institute (BASI) and is an Associate Professor at Florida Institute of Technology. BASI is a multidisciplinary institute created to advance space exploration and development toward the goal of establishing and maintaining a permanent human presence on Mars. Buzz Aldrin’s Share Space Foundation is the organization within BASI with a focus on students.

Dr Aldrin holds a Ph.D. in Political Science from UCLA, an MBA from TRIUM, an MA in Science Technology and Public Policy from The George Washington University, and an MA in International Relations from the University of California at Santa Barbara.

Before going on the visit students researched the Apollo 11 landing as Andy was going to hold an interactive Q&A session with the students after screening the actual footage of Apollo 11.

The meeting was to be taking place at the US Embassy in London which has very tight security and as we got closer to the date the students became more excited. The visit coincided with World Space Week which made it extra special. For students an opportunity to meet the son whose father was the second man to land on the moon made it even more significant, a once in a lifetime moment.

Students were seated in an auditorium with popcorn and refreshments at the embassy to watch the 45 minute unseen footage movie before a Q&A session was held. Year 10 students were joined by students from two other schools in asking questions. After the session, Cranford students got the opportunity to shake hands and speak to Andy one to one. It was amazing to see their faces full of excitement and disbelief that they actual met the son of Buzz Aldrin.

Bharti Patel (Science Department)

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Visiting the US Embassy was an amazing experience but most of all meeting Buzz Aldrin’s son was incredible. I definitely learnt a lot from him and his father’s journey, working in the space unit. We were also able to ask questions at the end. Another favourite experience I enjoyed was watching Apollo 11, since everything that happened during that mission was documented and we could see what really took place with our own eyes. The whole event was great and I learnt so much.

Bhavika Balajothy (year 10)

The trip to the US Embassy was a fantastic experience. When watching the documentary of the Apollo 11 mission I was fascinated as it was such a historical moment. Seeing what all the people involved had to go through, all the emotion and tension was so gripping. Being in an environment where we were was like watching the film in the hall of fame. When we got to ask Mr Andrew Aldrin questions it was nerve racking but he was really nice and pretty funny. Throughout it was one of the coolest trips I have ever been on!

Manav Vivek (year 10)

Visiting the United States Embassy was a great opportunity and it was an honour to learn about one of the greatest achievements in history: The Moon Landing. The Embassy staff were very friendly, offering us popcorn and water while we were watching the documentary on Apollo 11. However, without a doubt, the best part of visiting the Embassy was being able to ask the son of the second man who landed on the moon questions. What made this even better, was the fact that I was able to personally speak to Mr Aldrin, and shake his hand.

Samuel Dickson (year 10)

I really enjoyed the trip to the US Embassy because it was very interesting and taught me that there is more to space than I first imagined. The movie about the Apollo 11 mission was really fascinating and gave me an insight into what going to space is like.

Also, meeting Andrew Aldrin was a very exciting experience.

Durrah Mir (year 10)

I was in a complete trance as soon as we reached the US Embassy: it was an experience like no other, the type of experience of a lifetime that makes your heart race. Cranford’s two triple science classes had the opportunity to attend and celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 Moon Landing- an event that changed the world. All students were fascinated by the grand building, the welcoming staff and of course Andy Aldrin. We eagerly sat down to watch the documentary, Apollo 11. The entire experience was exhilarating; I simply could not take my eyes off the screen for those 93 minutes. A short while after, we had the chance to ask questions and got a better insight of what it was like during those trips into space. A fellow student and I mustered up some courage and personally met Andy Aldrin himself! It was extraordinary getting even further insight of what it was like for him as a child; it was incredibly inspiring. To this day, I cannot help but think about this wonderful opportunity with awe.

“Ad Astra.” (Latin for: to the stars), Mr Aldrin said to me. “Make your dreams a reality.” I recommend you do the same.

Swarnali Acharjee, (year 10)

We went on a trip to the US embassy for the viewing of a documentary about Apollo 11 and to meet Andrew Aldrin which was an amazing opportunity to gain knowledge about space exploration.

We first viewed an informative and entertaining documentary about the Apollo 11 mission. Afterwards we had a chance to ask Andrew Aldrin – who coincidentally is the son of Buzz Aldrin, the second man to land on the moon about the future of space exploration.

This allowed us to understand how, if we chose to pursue a similar career in the future, we could impact the knowledge and understanding of space.

Harsiman Bath (year 10)

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European School Administrators Programme Germany and The Netherlands - March 2020

C

ranford has been an integral part of the 2016 US sponsored European Administrators Programme and this year, this experienced group of school leaders met in Dusseldorf and the Netherlands at the very start of March 2020.

The group previously met at Cranford in 2019 and this was a great opportunity to meet together again and further collaborate on the challenges facing refugees, newcomers and ethnic minority groups in our schools across Europe and the US. During the week, the group visited a range of different schools in Dusseldorf (Germany), Roermond and Alkmaar (The Netherlands).

We heard from teachers and students first-hand about the challenges that they face and strategies used to ensure success for everyone.

Martin Opperman was our group participant who put the programme together for Dusseldorf who used his many contacts to ensure that we also were able to meet with politicians notably in the Parliament building in North Rhine Westfalia where we met with the President of the State and the Education minister.

In the Netherlands, we visited some very creative schools including the Agora School in Roermond where Regina Bulze, our participant group leader gave us an extensive tour and explained the philosophy behind the school. Everything is to do with student choice. There are no classes as such and there is no age division.

The word ‘Agora’ is Greek for ‘market place’.

Students set their own goal and then choose the route to get there.

They have their own dedicated desk where they can keep their school things and study there for as long as they like. There are no teachers, only coaches.

The school is extremely well resourced with purpose built rooms reflecting the relaxed approach. It was clear that this type of school suits some students for whom a more traditional school does not work.

In Alkmaar, we were hosted by Anna-Pauline Smits, the Principal of Dalton College a highly successful college located in the north of Holland serving a wide range of pupils. The week was a wonderful opportunity for this group to reconnect and further develop the opportunity to share best practice and learn from each other by visiting schools and educational settings first hand.

Peter Stumpf (Associate Headteacher) 54

Cranford Hosts New International Partners

D

ecember 2019 saw the launch of our new Erasmus Plus project following a successful application last year.

The project focuses on transnational learning under the title ‘Educational and vocational education within the context of a changing European landscape’ and is part of Cranford’s ongoing mission to learn from high performing education systems across the globe.

With Brexit looming, Cranford is bucking the trend and getting closer to our European neighbours. We are partnered with Kvaløya Videregående Skole in Tromsø and Koning Willem I College in Hertogenbosch in the Netherlands. The first week of December saw us welcome Oddbjorn, Jon and Emilie all the way from a technical upper secondary school in the Arctic circle and Peter, Imre and Carola from a Post-16 college of 15,000 students in the Den Bosch region of central Holland.

The strength of this partnership is built on our different contexts as well as the things we share. All three outstanding educational institutions bring different things to the table and are keen to learn from each other. Each country has their own focus with Cranford wishing to learn about best practice in high quality technical education to support the launch of the T levels. Norway and the Netherlands are widely recognised as international leaders in technical education. In return we are sharing our experience and practice of effective assessment systems and the successful integration and achievements of students from diverse backgrounds, for which we are internationally renowned.

This was the first of six planned trips, two in each country, scheduled between 2020 and 2022 and it was fantastic start. Cranford, as always, extended a warm welcome to all and our visitors had a great time during their three day visit touring both Cranford and Berkeley, observing lessons, engaging in energetic and informative discussions and sampling a few nights out in London!

We cannot wait to visit Tromsø in February and meet up again with our partners on the next leg of a very exciting learning journey.

Rob Ind (Joint Head of School)

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US Embassy Talk on Foreign Affairs

On

Tuesday 8th October 2019, Cranford hosted the sixth annual US Embassy 6th Form talk.

Experienced US diplomat Jennifer Whelan gave the talk accompanied by a visiting member of the US State Department who was observing the work of the London US Embassy.

Cranford contributed to the format of the talk which was filmed and is now used to train other diplomats.

The speaker asked Cranford students about their opinion of the US both positive and negative. The two hot topics which came up were Donald Trump and Foreign Policy. The US Embassy play an important part in creating a safe place for students to ask questions on difficult issues they feel passionate about and it also allows the Embassy to understand young people’s opinions on political issues that are important to them.

Alan Fraser (Assistant Headteacher - Director of Community Partnerships)

American History Conference

On

Tuesday 3rd March 2020, year 13 History students attended a conference in central London. This conference was not only a great revision day for them, covering content from their A Level course spanning the history of USA Civil Rights from 1865-1992, but also a great opportunity for them to experience a university like environment where they attended lectures given by leading American historians and asked them intriguing questions.

Sahrish Shaikh (Head of History)

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The conference on American Civil Rights was not only important because of the incredible knowledge we gained, it was also extremely helpful in allowing us to understand the environment of a University lecture and how much information is passed on through it. Most helpful of all was the specific information we were given through the lectures and the statistics. I was able to use most of the statistics I learned on the day in my own essays on this topic thus proving the importance of attending.

The experience itself was also exciting because of the number of opinions expressed by the different people attending on certain matters; these opinions were interesting to listen to and formed the basis of the debates that took place after the lectures. Being able to ask the lecturers questions after the conference was also vital as it allowed us to learn even more specific details not always covered during the conference. Overall, attending the conference was pivotal in allowing my knowledge of the topic to grow as the lecturers went into an extraordinary amount of detail on all topics and the trip definitely proved its worth because of this.

Our trip to the Conference for US Civil Rights was really informative and a great experience. Thanks to our teachers we were able to attend a talk specifically tailored to our topics delivered by University lecturers which made this an even better experience. It started off with one lecturer followed by a second who sometimes shared similar and sometimes different points of views. It was interesting to hear what each had to say. After every talk there was a question and answer session so we were able to ask anything related to the topic especially the main topic for debate such as the impact of the Civil Rights leaders. My favourite session was about Malcom X as I have been really interested in his Civil Rights story.... hearing what historians had to say about his life fascinated me even more. Overall it was a great experience and a fun one to share with my friends too!

Hardayn Lall (year 13)

Iqra Nadeem (year 13)

National Community Award 2019

On

Thursday 21st November 2019, Cranford Community College and Heston West Big Local (HWBL) will have been working in partnership for over eight years.

The success of this partnership has been recognised through both national and international awards.

In November 2019 Heston West Big Local was shortlisted for the national Groundwork Community Awards event at the prestigious Gladstone Library which is part of The Horseguards Hotel in Whitehall.

HWBL was shortlisted for its promotion of community cohesion, uniting people from different ages and backgrounds to tackle local issues together.

This was an achievement in itself because there were three organisations shortlisted out of hundreds of nominations. All three would have been worthy winners and the winner was a project called Vee’s Place, which operates, in the second most deprived area in England on Merseyside.

Although HWBL did not win, the awards evening was enjoyable and it was great networking with other successful community groups. Being shortlisted was an honour and something the school and local community can be proud of.

Alan Fraser (Assistant Headteacher - Director of Community Partnerships)

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#

IT & COMPUTER SCIENCE

Programming Workshop Year 10

We

were very lucky to have Efstathios Stivaros, a full stack developer, run a short workshop for our Year 10 Computer Science class. The workshop covered how Efstathios got into programming and what a career in this field would look like. Students were then challenged with a programing problem and worked in pairs to solve it.

Sukhjeet Kudhail (Head of Information Technology)

I had a very informative & helpful experience at the computer science workshop. It was informative in terms of learning what being a programmer and software developer entails and how you get to work through complex and intuitive tasks for work in a peaceful environment, with flexible hours and sometimes even in the comfort of your own home.

It was really exciting how we got to work through and see how to solve a programming problem. I have also been using it to design my own program to encrypt & decrypt words and sentences creating secret codes. I would love to attend similar workshops in the future.

Manav Vivek (year 10)

When Efstathios Stivaros started the lesson he started telling us the things that he did, the pros of working in computer science, and he told us some of the different jobs we could get with it. One thing that I liked about it and was surprising was that he told us that the majority of the time he spent wasn’t actually programming but instead working out problems. I like it because I enjoy solving problems a lot. After that he gave us a task to make a programme in Python where we had to control the amount of people entering a bus by making sure it was more than 50. I also enjoyed this as I found it stimulating. Overall I found the workshop productive and I would enjoy it if something like that happened again in the future.

Ahmed Mumin (year 10)

A few months ago, the GSCE computing class was given the opportunity to see potential career paths in computer science through the eyes of someone who works in the field. It was an eye-opening experience as our previous misconceptions about coding jobs were challenged. We learnt that a significant portion of the work is problem solving and that most companies (even those that have nothing to do with computing) need software developers to make their work more efficient. This is very beneficial as we were shown the multitudes of opportunities that computer science unlocked.

Furthermore, the coder (who was running the lesson) gave us insight on the educational pathways he took through school.

The lesson was uniquely engaging, and we were able to absorb all the knowledge he had to share. I am very grateful for being given that opportunity as it made me consider a new and better career path that I would have otherwise been ignorant of.

Marjaan Aman (year 10) 58

Cranford moves to the Next Level with Digital and Education T Levels

T LEVELS WILL TAKE YOU TO THE NEXT LEVEL T Levels are exciting new twoyear courses, designed and backed by industry, to ensure we are giving young people the skills and knowledge the need to get ahead.

Industry placements are already helping employers and businesses like yours go further.

Cranford Community College are the only provider in Hounslow to have been chosen by government to launch the first T levels in Digital Production, Design and Development and Education and Childcare in September 2020.

We are still recruiting businesses to join our expanding team of partners such as Heathrow Ltd, Amazon, DHL and provide industry placements for our innovative and inspirational young people.

Young Cranford digital entrepreneurs in a recent project with Amazon

Get involved and find out how T levels can support your organisation and work with a local outstanding school. Contact Rob Ind at rin-cc@cranford.hounslow.sch.uk.

Cranford

was delighted to be chosen in 2018 as the only provider in Hounslow to launch the ARE YOU SELFfirst T Levels in Digital Production, Design and Development and in Education and Just starting out or well established; we want all local businesses to ORin September thrive here in the London and Borough of Hounslow. With our expert help you can Childcare. These prestigious new courses are EMPLOYED being launched 2020 planning and preparation increase your productivity and grow, market your business to reach its maximum potential and manage your finances in the most efficient way. have been proceeding at pace this year.

RUNNING A

BUSINESS WITH • Developing Your Growth Plan T Levels are exciting brand new two year courses designed and supported by industry to ensure young people • Women in Business THANin10their career. are taught the skills and knowledge they needFEWER to get ahead • Turbocharge your Sales One to one expert support and workshops in the following topics;

EMPLOYEES?

• •

Grow your Business Online Understanding Tax and VAT

There are only a handful of schools across the country selected to be amongst the of only 50 providers • Cash Flow and first Planningwave for Work Hounslow want to offer the Future nationally. Cranford is well known for its track record of trail-blazing innovations designed to give its students you FREE one-to-one business support and a suite of fantastic the best opportunities going. workshops.

For more information on how WorkHounslow can help you contact us: New vocational qualifications are essential to Post-16 education and Cranford hasTel:long campaigning 020 8583been 6174, email: work@hounslow.gov.uk www.workhounslow.eventbrite.co.uk for parity of esteem between academic and vocational pathways. Recent visits to Norway and our ongoing Erasmus projects with colleges in the Arctic Circle and the Netherlands offer a range of highly successful innovative work-based educational models to learn from. We have a tradition of sharing excellent practice 14 hounslow talksbusiness with the best education systems around the world which is why we are one of the first providers to introduce T Levels to England.

Our year 12 student cohort of 2020-22 will have the opportunity to learn a new digital curriculum to help them develop the skills they need for a wide range of careers in the digital sector, from software development to coding to data systems and emerging technologies. In Education, the core content will focus on child development and the expertise students require to work in an early years setting.

Embedded within the specialist content of a T Level is an Industry Placement for all students of 315 hours (about 9 weeks of school) alongside a Maths and English core. We will be working with a range of industry partners in both the Digital and Education sectors and building on existing partnerships with global companies such as Heathrow Ltd, DHL and Amazon, as well with local Early Years Providers like Berkeley Academy and Twinkle Totz nurseries. Nearly 20% of Hounslow’s local economy is in the digital sector and with these new qualifications and our close partnership with Hounslow’s Chamber of Commerce, we are giving all of our students the real life experience and employability skills they need to go on and be successful in their chosen pathway.

Staff leading in each subject area have already completed a week long industry placements of their own (well done to Ms Kudhail and Ms Dosanjh) to further their understanding of current best practice in the Digital and Early Years sectors. With bids for capital funding to transform the ground floor of the B block building and new orders for specialist equipment from 3D printers to drones on the way, Cranford really is an exciting place to be this year. Watch this space!

Rob Ind (Joint Head of School) 59

# DIGITAL VISUAL MEDIA

This

year Key Stage 3 embarked on a new course at Cranford Community College, learning all about the exciting and creative Digital Visual Media Sector. Each tutor group was divided into five teams who worked together to earn points during the autumn term and the winning team from each tutor group was invited to attend a reward trip to Warner Bros Studios: Harry Potter Tours. 126 students from year 7, 8 and 9 experienced the magic and wonder of film making as they went behind the scenes of the Harry Potter films and engaged in short workshops with professionals in the industry. Students were given the rare opportunity of seeing priceless props and costumes up close and even learnt about some of the secret film making being done at Warner Bros while touring the studios. From the moment we stepped through the doors of Hogwarts, Cranford students were mesmerized by the detail and skill involved in bringing this international success to our screens. Students came away with memories to cherish including getting to play quidditch on their own broomsticks, learning the art of casting a spell and the sweet taste of butterbeer. This was a truly wonderful experience which we hope to replicate for our new year 7 students in the future.

Sharandeep Saroya (Digital Visual Media Department)

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I loved the trip because I love Harry Potter, I have watched all the movies and read all the books. My favourite bit was when the 3D dragon came, also when we went on the set of the dinner hall (it was beautiful). I liked when we watched small clips from the movies and were told facts most people did not know. I really enjoyed seeing the castle model. It was one of the best things I did, and I hope I go again.

Balveen Sodi (year 7)

Harry Potter world was amazing and really enjoyable even if you are not a hard-core Harry Potter fan. We got to witness the actual props, costumes, and special effects and designs and even saw the process of how they made and brought the magic to the Harry Potter franchise. This really makes you appreciate how much effort was put into the creation of the films. In my opinion, my favourite part of the trip was the life like projection of the dragon that breathes fire towards you.

Deen Asskoumi (year 7)

Overall, my experience at Harry Potter studios was absolutely magnificent. The main highlight for me was when we walked through the fascinating street of Diagon Alley and witnessed all the shops such as Olivanders. I really would like to thank Cranford for giving me the chance to go to this amazing land of fantasy.

Syed Rizvi (year 8)

At Harry Potter World, I had a really fun time. First we were taken to this room where we were shown how different costumes are made. For example, Voldemort’s costume was made by 8 different materials and they purposely created it with holes and rips to show where the spells have hit him and destroyed the costume. We were also told about different shots within movies. Later on we were taken to the cinema room where we were shown clips from Harry Potter. Then we were taken to Forbidden Forest where you got to walk around and if you pulled a lever it made a cool sound.

Amani Salim (year 8)

At Harry Potter World, we went to a workshop where we saw the different film shots as well as some of the actual props that were used in the films. My favourite place was the Forbidden Forest because of the really cool sound, wind and lightning effects. Overall, I had a great time.

Muqadas Saleem (year 8)

They showed us how they used different camera angles and techniques to film and how they used special effects to create the background and the different effects in the movie. It was very interesting to find out how the movies were made.

Oliwia Dabrowska (year 9)

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#

KEY STAGE 3 / INTERFORM

One

World Marathon is an international programme which aims to bring people across the world together by running a virtual marathon. As part of this exciting venture we decided to hold a pilot event focussing on schools.

In October 2019, the One World Marathon saw all of the students in years 7,8 and 9 compete against each other in an attempt to complete as many miles as possible. PE lessons involved running laps around the Cranford Superdome. Students ran as individuals, in pairs or teams to complete the required number of miles. It was a massive Key Stage 3 effort and in total 992 miles were run over a week. All students put in 100% effort and did their best.

Max Elliot from year 8 who completed the most laps said: “I managed to do 26 laps around the school’s football dome because I do football training every Tuesday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday which is when I work on my stamina. I was the only one in my class to carry on jogging because as soon as my teacher blew her whistle everyone started sprinting to be first like it was a race. I was concentrating so much on keeping the distance and I just made sure that I didn’t stop, I really enjoyed this Interform event and am glad I finished as the top boy”.

As a reward, on Monday 25th November 2019, the top performing students were invited to join Dave Fortier, President of One World Strong and a survivor of the Boston Marathon bombing, for a preschool run around the field. This was followed by breakfast and an animated Q&A session with Dave Fortier himself.

Hamesh Rattu (Director of Sports and Community Wellbeing) & Max Elliot (year 8)

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In

October 2019 as the UK RAN representative, I attended a thought provoking and emotional meeting on the impact of trauma on refugee children in Zagreb, Croatia. Representatives from child centred institutions across Europe attended this event.

The first day was spent identifying the issues and hearing about the types of trauma that children experience when leaving their normal setting, on their journey and finally when they arrive in another country as a refugee. It was a moving experience which I will never forget. The second day was one of hope looking at practical strategies to help refugee children overcome this trauma. The focus was on what education and schools can do to help these children. The primary contributor was a Dutch colleague who has set up a programme and training for teachers to support refugee children in dealing with trauma.

It was a reminder that education is about more than just academic qualifications and of the impact that good education can have on children.

In October 2019 I was invited by the European Union to co-chair the education section of the annual plenary meeting in Brussels. The plenary meeting reviews the past year and sets the agenda for the coming year. It brings together practitioners and policy makers from around Europe to review the progress being made in combatting radicalisation. This year a particular focus was the rise of far right extremism.

It remains a privilege to be part of a network working hard to overcome the many challenges we face as a global society in the 21st century.

Alan Fraser (Assistant Headteacher - Director of Community Partnerships)

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C

ranford was approached by Inspector Dee Dhillon of the Metropolitan Police requesting that we host a prestigious event to mark 100 Years of Women in the Met Police. The academy worked with the Met and the London Borough of Hounslow to plan this event which involves over 200 serving and former WPCs. The event which took place on Tuesday 15th October 2019 celebrated the achievement of past and present female officers. To represent the future of women in the police 50 Year 8 and 9 female students were invited to attend. The sports hall was transformed and the ‘past, present and future Women Police Constables’ enjoyed a sumptuous afternoon tea and speeches by senior police officers including Deputy Assistant Commissioner Amanda Pearson and Chief Superintendent Paul Martin.

The guest speaker for the event was Lynda La Plante, CBE, the crime novelist who is perhaps best known for the creation of the character Jane Tennison and her book and TV series Prime Suspect. Our students enjoyed talking to her and getting her to autograph her latest book.

The Year 8 and 9 students soon entered into the spirit of the event as they got caught up in the comradery.

This was an excellent opportunity for them to develop their networking skills, one of the most important life skills and a large number of guests commented on how wonderful our students were. In addition, a group of year 7, 8 and 9 young reporters engaged the guests in various questions about their experience of working as women in the police force. A sample of their discussions are reported in this article.

A big thank you should also go to the year 12 team who helped to run the event and ensured it was a great success. The police were so impressed by them that they offered them an amazing opportunity to ride on a patrol, something money can’t buy.

Alan Fraser (Assistant Headteacher - Director of Community Partnerships)

Paula (control room support)

Maria and Denise

Q: What brought you to become a member of the police force?

Q: What made you become a member of the police force?

A: Left school, didn’t go to college, inspired by friend.

Q: Have you experienced discrimination?

A: Did not experience discrimination. Was treated superior to men.

Q: Satisfied with your job?

A: Satisfied and proud of job.

Q: Need any improvements?

A: Needs no improvements.

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A (Maria): My friend joined the police force and inspired me to join.

A (Denise): I Had a passion to become a front office volunteer and heard stories from other officers.

Q: Have you experienced discrimination?

A (Denise): Had to restart courses. Wasn’t given much access.

A (Maria): Didn’t experience discrimination but wanted more females to be recruited.

Q: Any improvements?

A (Maria and Denise): More support after maternity leave and more courses and lessons.

Alice (retired) Q:What made you become a member of the police force?

A: Joined at age 46. Wanted to help other people.

Q: Have you experienced discrimination?

A: No discrimination experienced.

Q: Satisfied with your job?

A: Loved job. Very satisfied.

Mary (control room support) Q: What brought you to become a member of the police force?

A: Got advice from sister and was suggested.

Q: Have you experienced discrimination?

A: No discrimination.

Q: Satisfied with your job?

A: Children are proud. She is satisfied.

Q: Need any improvements?

A: No need for improvements.

Q: Did you miss your job after a while?

Ricky Singh

A: Yes, missed her job deeply.

A: Women are exceptional police, bringing joy and energy into policing.

Q: Views on women in the police force?

Interviews made by Khadhar Abdullai (year 7), Ravrahet Singh, Farzan Kashif (year 8) & Damon Szumowski (year 9)

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2019-2020

Every

Into the Linguistic Loophole

Monday after school in the Autumn term of 2019, Room A108 was transformed into a magical world of imagination as a group of 14 budding writers – inspired by author Ross Raisin and each other – put pen to paper and delved ‘Into the Linguistic Loophole’.

The First Story Group at Cranford Community College

INTO THE LINGUISTIC LOOPHOLE An Anthology by the First Story Group at

CRANFORD COMMUNITY COLLEGE Edited by

ROSS RAISIN

This year, we were fortunate to have a guest sitting around the table with us every week – Toby Campion, real-life poet, in-house motivator – who managed both to become part of the group and to guide the new writers in developing their work.

It is the group members themselves, however, who created the atmosphere of these sessions. And it was indicative of their spirit of togetherness that there was never any detectable line between the year 10 and year 12 cohorts around the table. Rather, there was a particular kind of rhythm to each afternoon.

A discursive, reflective mode took place during the first half of a session. Then following the entry of the year 12 students once their after-school commitments had ended bringing a new wave of energy into the room – shared laughter, a little injection of craziness that turned into more ideas, writing and performance.

Finally students headed for home, every week a slightly bolder version of themselves. Whilst this year due to the lockdown the group did not have their launch party to celebrate the birth of their beautiful anthology, it is celebrated by everyone who reads it and copies are available for all to access in the library.

As you read the pieces our talented cohort toiled over, I am sure it will become clear just how important storytelling is to our students. Fostered by a Head Teacher who believes passionately in the educational and social benefits of the arts, a staff team who constantly encourage students to think for themselves, and a diverse and nurturing wider community, students at Cranford Community College are imaginative, creative and empowered with their very own authentic voices. This collection of writing testifies to that and I am incredibly proud of all involved. I hope that this is just the beginning of their literary careers and regardless of what the future holds for this particular group, Ross and Toby have given each and every one of them the gift of confidence, and in doing so have held a microphone for those voices and stories to be heard.

In what has been one of the stranger years that Cranford Community College has experienced, we have been extremely grateful to First Story, Ross Raisin and Toby Campion for this beautiful, concrete example of the amazing work our pupils do.

The 2020 anthology took a term of dedicated work from a group of students and delicate guidance from two inspiring artists. It is a cross-section of a school and a community, and a testament to the work of all the staff, parents and pupils who contribute to the ethos of a truly outstanding school. I hope you enjoy the work of our 2020 First Story cohort as much as we all thoroughly enjoyed crafting it. May the writing of our incredible pupils entertain, inspire and stay with you as you delve Into the Linguistic Loophole.

Aisling McConville (First Story Lead Teacher)

If you are in year 10 and want to take part in the upcoming First Story Cohort, contact Ms McConville for more information.

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The First Story Group at Cranford Community College

Featuring writing by: Adelaide Samgi•Aliza Abbas•Angel Aibuki Anjali Bhambra•Arwa Umar•Kimran Virk•Mahira Butt Manav Vivek•Maryam Moeen•Nadra Hassan Raisa Hassan•Syed Jaffery•Tara Rooprah•Zena Rehmamn

Into the Linguistic Loophole

Into the Linguistic Loophole 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-inResidence 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.

“Taking part in the First Story programme this year has not only acted as a creative outlet for me to express myself, but it has also proven to be incredibly valuable giving us the opportunity to work with Ross Raisin- a fantastic author. Each week would consist of short activities to give An Anthology by the First Story Group at us inspiration for writing our own pieces later on in the session which we would then share with the rest of the group. What I liked most about the workshop is that no one’s story was the same, despite everyone being given a common brief. The content, Edited by style and delivery were personal to the writer and this is what makes First Story so great”.

INTO THE LINGUISTIC LOOPHOLE CRANFORD COMMUNITY COLLEGE ROSS RAISIN

‘First Story is an inspiring initiative.

It’s a joyful project that deserves as much support as we can give it.’

ZADIE SMITH Author of White Teeth and Swing Time

Anjali Bhambra (year 12)

Cover design by First Story www.firststory.org.uk £10.00

The Fall

On the Battlefield

I feel entrapped by the chaotic crowds of monstrosity.

Their interrogative, manipulative energy surrounds me, glaring at any potential insecurity of mine to aggressively highlight it in a headline for The Sun or The Daily Mail.

I am a prisoner to the graphic and visceral corruption of: ‘How many pounds of fat have you gained since the last red-carpet event?’

‘Which lucky man is taking your fancy this time?’

I am not an aura, but an object used solely for the purpose of journalists’ perpetual greed, gambling with my mental instability and toying with how much I can take before The Fall: a place where I can escape the copper shackles of blinding expectations.

Where I can regard the everlasting fans creating a perfect construction of their bodily aspirations in me.

I can taste the luminescence of freedom.

On the battlefield lies the blood of millions of soldiers.

Remembrance Day is supposed to bring some closure, but how can I get closure when my heart is still broken – from the death of my friends and fellow soldiers in the war.

How am I supposed to cope when my heart is still sore?

We wear poppies to show respect, but that doesn’t fix what has been wrecked.

People have lost their lives over conflicts that could have been solved, so I send my prayers to all the soldiers involved.

Their hard work shall not be ignored.

Raisa Hassan (year 10)

Syed Jaffery (year 12) 67

Spilled Inks Darling, you have magic in your bones and gold in your soul.

Don’t let anyone treat you like you’re ordinary.

No matter what you do, no matter how high you climb – people will be forever judging.

So, it’s time to let those fears go and do what your heart pleases, because you’d only be criticised if you didn’t anyway.

Love, laugh and live… your life is what you make it.

Zena Rehman (year 12)

Come Back Her parents not in sight, Mary trudged through the desolate alleyway in search of any form of human life that might save her. However, the longer she walked the more it seemed like the suffering would never end, as the street grew longer with every step she took. In desperation, she ran. She ran until she could not run anymore. She felt as though she was about to throw up, as all around her became too eerie for comfort. Her quivering legs gave way and she dropped to the floor sobbing. She wanted to get out somehow, in any way possible, so that she could survive the mess she had put herself in. Reflecting on the hours before, she wondered how she could possibly get herself out of this nightmare she was trapped in. Looking into the distance, she saw a light. It was dim at first, but growing closer until suddenly it became much brighter, speeding up. Mary got up quickly to see a figure in the light. Before she could scream, her eyes clouded over, and darkness surrounded her once again.

Angel Aibuki (year 10)

The Gift Love: a gift from God. Five years ago, I admired you; your eyes were a window to your soul.

Innocently, we’d watch the stars and plan our future, dreaming about our naïve journey as our love swiftly lingered through nature.

Little did we know our boundless adventure consisted of hopeless dreams.

We wandered through the alleys of lust as my heart melted in your arms at 2 a.m., just as you grabbed the knife of my last lover and cut me in the same place as the last wound.

Goodbye my feelings; love: the gift from God. Adelaide Samgi (year 12) 68

Young Writers Festival 2019 at Cambridge University

In

early December 2019 a group of year 10, 11 and 12 students travelled to Cambridge University in order to take part in the second annual Young Writers Festival. Open to all schools who partner with the First Story programme, the annual festival welcomes up to 450 students and teachers for an inspiring day-long event including keynote speakers, book signings, workshops and readings.

John Berkavitch, the internationally acclaimed storyteller and poet, compered the day, welcoming the young writers from across the UK to the event. He explained its unique nature stating that ”it is a festival focussed on the “writing of its audience rather than the writers on the stage”. Dr Phil Knox from the University of Cambridge urged all the young writers to consider Cambridge as their study destination in the future.

Guest speakers at the event included Jessica Willmott and Blessed Olowolagba, both former Cambridge students, who completed First Story programmes in 2018–19. Also present was Lewis Buxton another former First Story writer, now an established poet, who led the mass writing exercise about names titled ‘What does your name sound like, what does it taste like?’ Ioney Smallhorne ended the introductory session by reading her poetry and talking to the audience about how dyslexia would not stop her from writing.

We then broke out into groups to attend writing workshops led by a selection of First Story’s acclaimed poets, novelists and playwrights, including Melvin Burgess, Stephanie Cross, Nik Perring, Bridget Minamore, Sonya Hundal, Khadijah Ibrahiim, Rachel Seiffert and Paula Rawsthorne. The teachers also took part in training and development sessions led by Anthony Cartwright.

Juno Dawson headlined the 2019 Festival. She read from her latest novel ‘Meat Market’ and spoke of her journey as a writer. She shared that writing something only she could have written and finding her own true voice led to her big break. She spoke about how the ‘First Story’ programme had a major influence on both her writing and who she is today.

All the writing produced during the festival culminated in the students showcasing their talents where we finally got to hear some of the brilliant writers’ voices in the crowd.

Aisling McConville (First Story Lead Teacher)

“The Cambridge trip was inspirational and allowed me to gain a further insight into authors’ perspectives and how their life events influenced their writing style. By visiting a prestigious university like Cambridge, I was also able to interact with students from across England and share my creative writing skills with them”.

Syed Jaffery (year 12)

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Celebrating Book Week 2020

In

the week beginning 2nd March 2020 Cranford celebrated Book Week in the Learning Resources Centre with a book shop, competitions and two different workshops.

The bookshop was very popular, with students being able to purchase books, journals and various items of stationery.

On Monday, we launched two competitions which ran for the whole week, allowing all students to have time to enter and join in.

‘Who’s Reading?’ involved students guessing the identities of 16 staff who had been photographed with their face covered by the book they were reading. This meant students had to guess from clues such as the classrooms in the background, the types of book they were reading and their

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clothes. None of the entrants got all 16 correct but many came close!

‘Hunt the Bookmark’ consisted of a series of clues directing students all over the library to find bookmarks with an individual letter on each. The questions related to each section of the library which led students to explore book sections of the library they had not seen before, such as European Languages, United Kingdom History, Cooking and Nature & Animals. Once the students had collected all the letters from the bookmarks, they rearranged the letters to make the name of a popular and well-loved fictional book character.

The prize giving was well attended and students enjoyed both receiving and watching their peers receive a wide variety of prizes.

On Wednesday, year 13 student Maisie Mullens supported by her peers facilitated a ‘Modern Day Shakespeare’ workshop. Students watched video clips of modern alternative Shakespeare soliloquies and then recreated their own, individually, in pairs or in groups. All the students demonstrated real support for each other and did a great job performing in front of the group.

Back by very popular demand, Zahra Sadiq from year 13, held a ‘Manga’ workshop which drew great crowds and was thoroughly enjoyed by staff and students alike. Everybody had a chance to learn how to create their own Manga characters and this was a fabulous end to our Book Week.

Sarah Haskins (Supervised Study Centres Manager)

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Year 10

Cisco Work Placements November 2019

Visit to Cisco

In November 2019, a handful of student including myself were invited to complete five days of work experience at a company named Cisco, a world leader in IT, networking and cybersecurity, which is located in Bedfont Lakes. Upon our arrival, we were greeted by Colin Seward CEO of Cisco for Europe, Russia, Middle East and Africa. He gave us an introduction to the week we would be spending at Bedfont Lakes and what it would entail, along with some history about Cisco and what the company does. There were two streams of work to choose from: business or technical. In the technical stream, we completed a range of activities such as ethical hacking, cybersecurity, human networking and number fundamentals to name a few. These were highly engaging activities as we were given numerous opportunities to experiment with new technology and to build up our skills with the technology we were familiar with.

Throughout our week at Cisco, we also took part in activities that would help us strengthen our skills in other aspects of working life, such as the process of getting a job. We were given tips on writing CVs and taught about employability skills, both of which were useful for our future. After this, we also participated in speed interviewing led by members of the Cisco team who asked us a variety of questions to expand our knowledge and interview skills, another task which was extremely beneficial. There was a session at the end of every day where we would sit in our groups and set the challenge of creating a product that used technology. On the last day of the week, we presented our pitches to a panel of judges, similar to Dragon’s Den. To conclude, our week at Cisco was truly eye opening and helped us to take our first steps into the world of work in a very useful and exciting manner.

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Ria Dhaliwal (year 10)

In November 2019, I got chosen to do work experience at Cisco in Bedfont Lakes. It was an absolutely amazing experience and taught me many important skills, like creating a CV, how to present yourself at an interview, how to create successful products, and so much more. Also, we were able to learn about the many different jobs that are a part of a business, like sales and accountancy, and what makes them so valuable and crucial for a company as big as Cisco.

In addition, not only was I taught important skills needed for a job, I was made aware of many hidden talents and abilities I did not know I possessed, like presenting, debating, and even being a leader. One thing that surprised me was that the work experience taught me how to manage my time. This is because I would arrive home at 18:00pm every day, and I would immediately have to not only get my clothes ready for the next day, I would sometimes have to get my cadet uniform ready, and even catch up with school and homework I had from the same day. I realised how important having a schedule and a routine is as an adult.

My favourite part of doing work experience at cisco, was the business game. In this game we were put into groups with people we didn’t know. We then had to assign our team members different roles that are needed in a business, and all the teams were competing to see which team could make the most profit by making handmade products using paper and other resources we had to buy from the bank, and selling them to a saleswoman. I loved this part of the work experience, as I made many new friends, and I realised my full potential as a leader. My team didn’t end up winning, but we still had a lot of fun, and even came second place in the debating part of the game, in which the groups had to argue why their group was the best.

Overall, I loved my work experience at Cisco, as all the employees, interns and other staff were extremely kind and welcoming to all the students. Not only did I learn many valuable and important business skills, I also made many new friends along the way.

Samuel Dickson (year 10)

SCIENCE

The University of Cambridge comes to Cranford

Microscope image of Ebola virus

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C

ranford Community College has strong links with many top universities in the UK. One of these is the world leading University of Cambridge. On the 30th October 2019, Dr Liz Hook, Fellow and University Lecturer in Cellular and Molecular Pathology, delivered a highly enjoyable and engaging interactive session to 45 enthused year 10, 11 and 12 pupils on “Ebola – Public Health and Tropical Medicine.�

The lecture was particularly interesting as students gained a greater understanding of the challenges of working effectively in a resource-poor setting. Dr Hook explored the diagnosis, treatment and containment of Ebola as well as some of the difficulties encountered in providing medical care in remote parts of North Africa.

Dr Hook also gave helpful and practical advice to the pupils on applying to Oxford and Cambridge Universities.

The students selected for this event had demonstrated an aptitude in Science and an interest in entering the medical profession.

The students were excellent ambassadors for the school and were fascinated by the content of the lecture asking many insightful questions at the end. They enjoyed the event tremendously and represented Cranford Community College at its best. Dr Hook commented on how impressed she was with the enthusiasm and contributions of our students, who have benefited hugely from this memorable lecture, with a renewed passion for medicine.

This lecture had excellent curriculum links to infection, response and immunity topics in GCSE Science and A Level Biology and students also benefited from an enhanced knowledge and understanding of these topics.

Chetan Shingadia (Joint Head of Science Department)

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PERFORMING ART / MUSIC

CRANFEST held on Thursday 12th December 2019 was a wonderful evening of music from a variety of genres and a celebration of outstanding musicianship showcasing the development of the music curriculum at Cranford over the past three years. The Music department has seen a significant growth in the number of students who attend additional instrumental classes daily before and after school in addition to the daily lessons. This event was an opportunity to share with staff, students and parents the amazing range of music on offer.

The department is keen for young people to take up an instrument, learn to play and perform, thus building self-confidence, an understanding of what it means to be a musician and a love of making music. The music staff encourage original composition writing and thanks to the two recording studios and vocal room, students are able to experiment with modern technology as well as traditional instruments to bring to life their own compositions.

The evening was ably compered by Manav Vivek, year 10. Many of the performances were original compositions by the students as well as covers of published songs from the world of rock and pop, including some cultural music influences. Notable performances included; ‘You Say’ performed by Luliya Jemal, ‘Bhangra’ original jam written by Year 11 music students Aman Vilkou on Dhol, Corben Smith on Bass, Alexander Hickey and Zaiya Berim on Keyboard and Adil Asskoumi’s stunning performance of ‘My Shot’ from the musical ‘Hamilton’. A surprise staff band playing their version of ‘Closer’ added to the atmosphere and the concert finished with a rousing rendition of ‘Uptown Funk’ where audience and performers joined in the fun.

We were also delighted with the £478 raised through ticket sales which we donated to the End Youth Homeless charity.

We are incredibly proud of what the students have achieved and delighted to be able to share their talent with everyone. Our hope is to widen the participation even further and make this an annual event.

Luke Joyce and Rory O’Hare (Music Department)

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PERFORMING ART / MUSIC “The concert was the most extraordinary show I have ever seen. Stunning, moving, talented beyond words, and at such a high standard. The students brought the house down. Too many stars to mention but Adi Asskoumi doing ‘My shot’ from Hamilton was astounding, Luliya singing ‘You say’ and Wole performing ‘Take me back to London’ will stay with me for a long time. The band finishing with ‘Uptown Funk’ were incredible. Most of them would give the West End performers a run for their money!”

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Veronique Gerber (Associate Headteacher)

“ Ve r y m a n y c o n g r a t u l a t i o n s t o y o u , your team and our amazingly talented students for an absolutely superb concert.

It is so wonderful to see how you have inspired and nurtured so many students to embrace their musicality and bring so much joy to us all.

It is also so lovely to see students of all ages working together and supporting each other.

The atmosphere was fantastic, truly uplifting and we are so lucky to have you both working at Cranford as you have transformed Music.

You can take pride in making such a difference to so many students and staff ’s lives. The hard work and dedication are so worth it.

Maria Bramhall (Deputy Head of School)

“I just wanted to say how amazing Cranfest was. The students’ performances were excellent, the quality and calibre of music was outstanding. It was lovely to see the student’s talents tapped into so well with a great variety of genres. Students performed very confidently, many of the acts were awe inspiring and there was such a nice atmosphere in the audience.

The staging was really professional and the supporting visuals intertwined with the performances perfectly. The music teachers and bands have outdone themselves; it was the best set of performances to date. Well done all”.

Pam Hunt (Digital, Video & Media Department)

“It was an amazing event showing just how far the music department has come from my time as a student a Cranford, and how talented and gifted so many of the students are. Had I had Mr Joyce and Mr O’ Hare as my teachers who knows how far my music would have gone?”

Jake Fernandez (TA and Former Student)

‘The music concert was absolutely amazing.

The atmosphere was great and the students were stunning. The music staff are incredible to get so many students involved and to love performing and at such a high level!

Bernadette Moir (Executive Assistant) 75

# ENGLISH at ‘Th e Glo be’ SHAKESPEARE’S GLOBE

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hakespeare is an important part of our literary and cultural heritage but studying the plays in the classroom is no replacement for seeing the words brought to life on the stage.

So, after studying the text of Macbeth and writing numerous essays on the language and structure of the play, the English Department were delighted to be able to take the whole of year 11 to see the play being performed at The Globe Theatre. The Globe is a reconstruction of the original Elizabethan playhouse for which Shakespeare wrote his plays and is a cultural and historic landmark on the bank of the Thames. The production was a collaboration between the Playing Shakespeare Company and Deutsche Bank and the performances are created especially for young people with the aim of inspiring them with live theatre and simultaneously deepening their understanding of the play. It was a truly interactive experience that incorporated jump scares, knock-knock jokes, canons of confetti, singing, dancing and audience participation with both props and actors; students got a thrilling taste of theatre as Elizabethan audiences must have once experienced it. In just 90 minutes, the play was transformed from words on a page read in a classroom to a thrilling and emotional experience as we watched the rise and fall of one of Shakespeare’s most tragic of heroes. A great day for students and teachers alike, it was a wonderful celebration of all of the year 11 students’ hard work and dedication to English and a day that will live in our memories for a long time.

Fran Green (Head of English Department) 76

Magnificent Macbeth

On

March 6th 2020, we journeyed from Cranford to London’s South Bank to witness the tragedy of Macbeth being performed in Shakespeare’s Globe in Southwark on London’s southern bank. We witnessed a play that was written four centuries ago yet the tale of ambition, revenge and murder did not seem out of place in modern day Britain and by the end we could see why this theatre was still one of the most popular attractions in London in 2020.

The Globe is a famous performing arts venue which is located on the bank of the River Thames in London where many of Shakespeare’s plays are performed. It is meant to be a reconstruction of the original Globe Theatre which was built in 1599 but sadly destroyed by fire in 1613. The Globe has a circular structure- which is three stories high- that was enclosing a central arena open to the bright March sapphire skies of London. The remarkable Elizabethan playhouse contains the audience either sitting or standing on three sides of the stage. As soon as you enter the historic building, you immediately feel a sensational energy and buzz as you wait with the rest of the audience for the characters to take to the stage and play their part. Everyone in the crowd was very upbeat and the intense atmosphere made the arena feel like a football derby. When the characters were going to step out, you just knew you were going to have the thrill of your life.

ENGLISH

Macbeth was first performed in 1606 and many centuries later, it still conveys a significant message through Macbeth’s fatal flaw which is his driving ambition. The immense feast of acting has been brought to many generations and certainly enhances this fictional though realistic play.

From my perspective, I believe every actor played like a jigsaw piece as every single one of them helped to create a sublime masterpiece. The actor who played Macbeth moved so elegantly, like the movement of oil, prowling around the stage, performing the confidence of Macbeth’s opening soliloquies and then turns to despair as he realises how the witches have equivocated with the truth and led him down a dark path to destruction. He did such a commendable job of presenting himself as the tyrant Macbeth and equally made sure he portrayed an empathetic tragic hero.

Despite his magnificent performance, I enjoyed Aiden Cheng’s (who played Malcom) performance the most because he conveyed the vulnerability of the character yet with a comedic quality as if he were some sort of clown. Aiden made sure he connected mirthfully with the audience and had an alluring personality to grab our attentions. Despite Aiden looking feeble, his emotions were very vigorous and he portrayed himself to be a robust warrior. Molly Logan – who played the porter- was a triumph as she discarded all vanity to portray an abominable appearance, clearly shown through her repellent vomiting towards the audience! I definitely enjoyed witnessing Molly’s acting because she may have made us experience a wave of nausea but she has to be fully credited for making us all smile and giggle a little excessively.

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I do wonder how extreme the atmosphere must have been four centuries ago if the atmosphere nowadays is so strong. Every time those trumpets were being played it gave us a jolt as we realised that a major situation was forthcoming. We felt a thrill of excitement when the actors were literally walking through the standing part of the arena making us feel we had a close bond with them and that we were part of the action. The design of the costumes was appealing as it clearly resembled an era of civil war with some actors having blood smeared ferociously on their costumes. The design of the stage made sure that the audience were focusing on every little detail because it was so alluring as well as being unique. I honestly have never seen anything like this!

Overall, it was a brilliant team performance and made all of us feel exultant yet sympathetic as well. This show was worth every single penny: We could feel the intense feelings from the play that Shakespeare himself had created and I think the bard himself would have been impressed with the energy and fun that this company brought to his 17th Century play.

Everyone should go and visit the Globe Theatre the very moment you step in and out of the distinct arena, you feel the overwhelming emotions as the history of the venue mingles with the passion and joy of the thousands of performances that have been performed under the London skies. I will never forget the experience.

Janujan Jeyaseelan (year 11)

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# ENGLISH Is this a dagger, which I see before me? prophecy about him becoming King of Scotland one day. Consumed by his ambition and spurred to action by his wife leads him to brutally and cold-bloodedly murder King Duncan. This allows him to take the throne but also kill more people out of paranoia and to maintain his status. In the end, Macbeth is wracked with guilt and paranoia and is himself killed by Macduff. The real heir of the throne, Malcolm (son of Duncan) can now rule Scotland and make Scotland great again.

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acbeth is one of the most famous Shakespeare plays. This play is about vaulting ambition, guilt and murder and shows how fear takes different forms – anxiety, paranoia, terror and panic – and what it can make people do. I have always wondered how it would have felt to watch this play where it was first performed. Well, I was lucky along with some Year 11s from other London secondary schools to get free tickets to the Shakespeare Globe Theatre to watch Macbeth.

After an hour’s drive to the theatre, we entered this large, open circular, globe like building, just like its name.

The building was filled with all the fortunate students chattering and admiring the Globe. I used the first few minutes to look around and see what was so special about this ‘Globe’ that so many people come here to watch a play. It is the history of the Globe that makes it so special, the fact that the original Globe was build hundreds of years ago and we can still experience how a contemporary audience of Shakespeare’s felt when they first watched this electric play.

The Globe had a sitting area and a standing area. Back in Shakespeare’s days, the standing area was for the poor and the sitting area was for the rich people. However, I personally think the standing area is much better than the sitting area, as it allowed us to stand near the stage and interact with the actors. I was glad that I was one of the many students who got to stand right next to the stage and interact with the performers. In the middle of the stage there was a pile of dead bodies, which was alarming, but helped to set the mood for murder and terror. As time went by and the closer we got to the start of the play I was able to literally feel the anticipation and excitement growing inside of me and the other students.

The play was about a brave soldier, Macbeth, and how his ambition led to his downfall and his death. Macbeth’s first downfall occurs when he believes the witches’

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I personally liked the fact that Lady Macbeth was presented as pregnant when in the play she was not. This give emphasis to her dialogues and more reasons for Macbeth to kill Duncan and take the throne. One of the dialogues that was emphasised by her appearance was when she was trying to manipulate Macbeth: ‘I know how tender ’tis to love the babe that milks me....’This shows that she loves her husband so much that she would rather kill her baby than break a promise to her husband.

I also liked the way Malcolm was presented as childlike as it showed that the real heir of the throne is not ready to rule and be a king due to his immaturity. Also he flees the country and leaves Macbeth to rule because he is afraid that the murderer will kill him too. This shows he is not only childlike but a coward as Kings are supposed to brave. He comes across as unfit to be King.

Lastly I liked the play overall and some of the stage changes worked well and made the play even more interesting, giving a whole new meaning to it we would not have thought of.

Most of all I really loved the way actors were engaging with the audience and made us seem part of the play. For example, when King Duncan entered the stage, he came through the crowd of teenagers and shook hands with them (I was one of them!). This was a very good technique as it showed us how a good King interacts with his people and made it easier for us to compare him with Macbeth, who was a bad King. The play ended with all the actors on the stage dancing and singing. I was grateful for this amazing opportunity to experience a play in the place where it was originally performed. I will never forget it.

Jasmin Kaur (year 11)

ENGLISH

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An eye-opening brilliant experience

The

wonderful English Department organised a trip to the Globe Theatre for the whole of year 11 so we could all watch a live production of Macbeth and consolidate our understanding of this GCSE text of betrayal, ambition and the power of supernatural forces. Whilst the Globe Theatre went up in flames on June 29, 1613, the new reconstruction known as Shakespeare’s Globe opened in 1997 and is a replica of the real Globe, about 750 feet from the original location.

When I first entered Shakespeare’s Globe I was in awe of my surroundings and a little tremor of excitement ran up my back. The capacious circular open-air venue in itself is a unique playing space. Having a circular shape not only helps in projecting the voice of the actor but also gives the audience a beautiful opportunity of having a 360° view. I was among the audience who stood around the stage; undeniably the best spot in the house are the standing tickets.

Astounding actors often moved through the yard to get to the stage, so I could see and meet the actors.

This feature of interactive acting appealed to me the most as it really puts you into the heart of the story, rather than just letting you watch it, which is what most productions do.

Moreover, the director’s interpretation of the play was unique; her portrayal of many characters was very different to what most productions and movies portray. In particular, I was really fond of the way Lady Macbeth was presented because it matched my interpretation of her. I have never seen a production which had interpreted Lady Macbeth to be loving,

supportive and vulnerable. This approach of Director Cressida Brown allowed the audience to interpret the play in a contrasting way.

Additionally, having watched the live production of the play I realise what importance costumes play in conveying the story. Witches wore ragged and unkempt clothing, something which humans would not wear reinforcing that they are outside of the Great Chain of Being. Furthermore, Malcolm wore shorts throughout the play hinting that he is immature and certainly not a fit candidate to be a King. Flags were incorporated into the costumes to show the allegiance and status of the characters.

At the end of the performance, the actors did not bow; they jigged as lively as a festive caravan on Christmas Eve. Even when everyone had died (Macbeth, Banquo, etc.), they all leapt back to life and began dancing.

They changed from tragic heroes to actors, and a spontaneous burst of applause filled the theatre as the audience clapped in time to their dancing. It was a real refresher after a harrowing production, and a lot of fun. Nobody does this like the Globe.

This was an eye-opening brilliant experience as I learnt a new way of interpreting Macbeth. The Globe is very different from other theatres, as they make the audience a large part of their production and the actors play off this immensely well. Undoubtedly, it was one of my most memorable experiences and I would love to visit it again.

Manpreet Bahtra (year 11) 79

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PERFORMING ARTS - DRAMA

The Merchant of Venice For

this year’s Shakespeare School Festival, we chose to perform The Merchant of Venice. While the play is technically one of Shakespeare’s comedies, the story revolves around some serious themes. Racism, bullying, gender equality, familial disputes, and the nature of revenge, justice, and mercy all feature strongly from the start.

Having held auditions at the end of the summer term and assembled a great cast, we hit the ground running in September and began to build the world in which we would set our story. The cast worked hard to create the feeling of bustling streets, busy markets, and raucous carnival party processions for Venice. In contrast, Belmont, the play’s second location, was to be an oasis of stately calm, a private estate for the wealthy nobles and their staff of servants. With a rule of ‘little to no set,’ It was up to our actors to show the difference between these two worlds in their speech and physicality – no easy feat, but one which they rose to brilliantly.

Half way through the rehearsal process we visited our performance venue, The Beck Theatre, with the staff of the Shakespeare Schools Festival. Our cast gained a lot from working with the workshop leaders, especially techniques for working on the much larger stage at the theatre.

Back at school, our focus shifted to the major challenge of the play; the climactic courtroom scene.

Occupying over a third of the text of our version of the play, it’s the major scene where everything comes to a head as the character of Shylock demands his pound of flesh from the merchant Antonio. The cast all pulled together to build a real sense of suspense and danger before Portia steps in to save the day.

All our hard work paid off with a fantastic performance in front of a large audience on Tuesday 12th November 2019. The students did the school, and themselves, proud in a retelling of the story which was full of life and the energy, a much needed foil to the play’s darker moments. Our play was well received by the audience and the festival director was full of praise for our cast. Congratulations everyone.

Tom Daplyn (SSF Director - Performing Arts Department) 80

“It was really worth being part of “The Merchant of Venice”. The production taught me many theatrical skills from ‘Kiss and Kill’ to ‘stage performing’.

I had an amazing experience performing in a real theatre in front of a large audience and at school. I hope to be part of more school plays in the future”.

Fatima D Fonseca (year 9)

Merchant of Venice

by Cranford Community College at The Beck Theatre, 12/11/2019 appraised by Anna Brook Peck I would like to extend my most sincere congratulations to Cranford Community College for your tremendous production of Merchant of Venice as part of the 2019 Shakespeare Schools Festival. It was an excellent night of theatre, and I’d like to highlight a few aspects that really stood out.

It was a great choice to set this play during a carnival and the cast had an infectious sense of fun and vibrant carnival energy.

The ensemble worked well as a team - we saw lots of interaction and spontaneity, brininging so much life to the production.

You conveyed key aspects of the story well, like when Shylock sets a high price to lend money - a pound of flesh!

You created status for certain characters on stage, really emphasising their importance. For example when the ensemble circled the Duke and she demandingly clapped her hand for their attention.

Well done for bringing lots of energy to your play and working brilliantly as an ensmble.

Performing Shakespeare’s words on a professional stage takes bravery, resilience, and creativity. You should be immensely proud of what you and your teachers have achieved in this Season of Infinite Variety.

I hope to see Cranford Community College in the 2020 Festival!

Anna Brook Peck

“I was privileged to be able to watch a very inclusive performance of The Merchant of Venice by our Year 8 and 9 students. It was such a pleasure to see so many students that I teach on stage: they were confident, entertaining and engaging. Shakespearian language can be quite hard to understand, yet they learnt their lines impeccably and clearly got into the characters that they were portraying, giving a very believable performance, captivating the audience and owning the stage.

Well done to everyone involved, from the acting to directing to costumes and lighting”.

Maria Bramhall (Deputy Head of School)

“Vibrant take on the play – with the hard work put into rehearsals evident from the bursting enthusiasm. And cartwheels”.

Fola Adesanmi (Lettings)

“The Merchant of Venice was an amazing learning experience because I got to learn the Shakespearean language in-depth and truly understood the meanings of things. This opportunity was something special and I learned a lot about theatre, Shakespeare and character building and how to capture the emotions of the character”.

Nizelle Soares (year 9)

“I was so impressed with all the performers who memorised and internalised very old language and b ro u g h t S h a k e s p e a re ’s l a n g u a g e and vision to life. I was particularly impressed with Naeira for being able to step in at the last minute and still manage to make her lines flow naturally. The staging and lighting w e re f a n t a s t i c a n d p ro f e s s i o n a l and I thought Hunaidat, Ella and Farzan really made their roles their own. Looking forward to the next production”.

Matt Nation-Tellery (Head of year 9)

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THE SORRELL FOUNDATION / SATURDAY ART CLUB

Tate Exchange Master Class

On

Saturday 1st February 2020, Cranford Community College took club members from the National Saturday Art and Design Club and Writing and Talking Club to the Tate Exchange which took place on Level 5 of the Blavatnik Building Tate Modern, Bankside.

The activity included an introduction to Scale Rule: a team of structural engineers, architects and designers who produce innovative building design. Students engaged in discussions on the industry professional career pathways and followed their strengths to work with the different specialisms of the team.

Understanding the different roles within the team was very insightful.

Club members were guided to a Tate exhibit which they used as an inspiration for their collaborative work. They worked with the Scale Rule team and club members from other institutions to create designs and plans for a construction. Their creative interactions with each other and with the architects served to produce some amazing innovative structure designs.

The teams then started to construct their piece taking inspiration from the artwork and using the resources given to them. It was amazing to see how the structures began to take over the Tate Exchange space with their towering designs. The Masterclasses had definitely given club members the skills to work collaboratively and share ideas effectively.

The day concluded with presentations by the students and discussions of their designs. As a result, students who were very shy and quiet are now able to express their ideas to an audience. They are more confident about participating in group tasks and presenting their collaborative work. It was a really inspirational day for all who attended.

Pam Hunt (Saturday Art Club Lead) 82

“The masterclass was inspiring and it gave me ideas about what I wanted to do in the future. The process of team work and the architecture based activity were quite fascinating. It was interesting to look at the artists and how they put together their ideas. It was good to see that even video filming could be seen as artwork.

I enjoyed having the opportunity to design a structure and work with other people outside my own group. We now have a better understanding of all aspects of architecture and see how enjoyable a career it is”.

Aiyla Rana

“I personally really liked the experience because it allowed me to create something as part of a group which had been inspired by an artist. I liked the way we got to see different artists’ work in the Tate and then we were able to create our own version using string and bamboo which I think went really well. I enjoyed working with other people with shared interests of art and creativity. I think the Architects, Engineers and tutors that worked with us were very supportive and helped us create what we wanted while also giving us ideas. I liked how we got to make mini sculptures and sketches before we completed the main activity. I think the presentation at the start was very interesting as it introduced everyone to the task. Overall it was a really good opportunity and experience and I thoroughly enjoyed it”.

Chloe Rowell

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# VISUAL ARTS

Year 12 & 13

Gallery Visits

In

December 2019 A Level Art students visited the National Portrait Gallery, the Natural History Museum and the National Gallery. They viewed a range of exhibitions as part of their research and produced a portfolio of their own work using various media.

Trips of this kind are vital to help students develop their understanding and appreciation of Art, not only Art from the Old Masters but from modern artists who are pushing the boundaries and inspiring students to do the same. Here are a few students’ comments about this valuable experience.

Pam Hunt (Digital, Video and Media Department)

Our first year 12 Art trip took us to the National Gallery where we gathered many valuable pictures and resources. We saw various pieces of artwork which had been constructed using different media and techniques. We encountered new artists and learnt about their work techniques as well as the inspiration behind many of their artworks. This experience was an eye opener as we deepened and widened our ideas for our own pieces of work. This trip was a lot of fun and a great experience.

The second visit was to the Royal Academy of Art. We were privileged to see the Lucian Freud exhibition and followed his career journey as an artist. We looked at his life and saw his work develop throughout the years. We got to discover his techniques and the media he used within his artwork which inspired us to create our own pieces of work in his style. He created many unique pieces of work capturing not only the human body but also aspects of nature. This helped us create new ideas for our own work relating to our chosen themes. This was a very useful, fun and worthwhile experience.

Sara Majothi (year 12)

Year 12 students went on a captivating trip to the National Art Gallery.

This museum is based in Trafalgar Square and houses a collection of over 2,300 paintings. We saw many famous portraits, for example: The Portrait of Madame Moitessier. Along with each painting there was a blurb about the image. The background information about the masterpieces was fascinating as it deepened our knowledge of the work.

Harkiran Kaur (year 12)

I liked the range of artists and styles that we saw at the National Gallery. They gave me inspiration for my artwork. The Lucien Freud exhibition at the Royal Academy was really interesting and has inspired my current project. I liked that Freud’s work was raw and bonding as he gave so much of himself through his work. The experience really helped me to connect to the paintings and the artist.

Daniel Collado (year 12) 84

Visiting the National Portrait Gallery was a great experience because it was really useful looking at the wide range of paintings. It was interesting to see the changes in artwork over time through different centuries until now.

It was really good to be entwined in History and to gain a better understanding of the place and importance of Art within time. We could identify the cultural variations within portraits and see the contemporary portraits which included work from ‘Stormzy’.

Alisha Sidhu (year 13)

I found the trip to the National Portrait Gallery interesting because I saw the contrast between ancient and modern Art. It was good to see current work like the ‘‘Stormzy’ piece as it is relevant to our generation.

Simran Sidhu (year 13)

The trip to the National Portrait Gallery was very useful and enjoyable because I like looking back at the history of ordinary people. It was really exciting to view the detail in each painting and it was inspiring too. It really helped me with my work on emotions and looking at facial expressions.

Azhar Rahim (year 13)

I found the visit to the Natural History Museum very interesting as I saw a range of fossils and bones which helped me gain greater understanding and resources for my coursework. I was mainly focusing on structures through time. The building was Victorian in style so I really liked observing close up the architecture and the shapes of the rooms.

Samir Lund (year 13)

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THE SORRELL FOUNDATION / SATURDAY ART CLUB

C

National Saturday Art Club Exhibition at City Hall and Visit to Tate Modern

ranford Community College continues to host the National Saturday Art club, an exciting and excellent opportunity for students across different schools in the local community to receive free tuition in both the Saturday Art and Design Club and the Writing and Talking Club.

As part of this prestigious programme students take part in a National event where they have the opportunity to meet other Club members from other institutions across the country. They also gain valuable insight into the club and the importance of creativity. This year students visited City Hall where they had their self-portraits exhibited.

Students had the opportunity to visit the Assembly Hall and to listen to an insightful presentation by Katie Greenyer about her journey into her creative career. In addition Mayor Sadiq Khan spoke via video link about the importance of the Arts to society and the vital role of the National Saturday Art Club. Students had the amazing opportunity to view London’s Skyline on the observation Deck at City Hall which was followed by a guided talk on the History of London.

Students also took part in a cultural visit to the Tate Modern.

They were guided through various works of Art by the Q-Art team. This great experience was followed by a valuable introduction to talking about art and the meaning of art. Club members were fully engaged with the work and enjoyed this event enormously.

Pam Hunt (Saturday Art Club Tutor)

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100 Word Creative Writing Competition 2019/2020

At

Cranford we have many talented, creative students who like to explore their skills by entering creative writing competitions. This term many of our students entered a flash fiction competition run by Young Writers. Students were challenged to condense all the intrigue and entertainment of a story into just 100 words from the theme of “Missing”. Here are three of the great entries we received. We will undoubtedly be facilitating more writing competitions next year – have a go and enter – you could end up in the school glossy too.

Katherine Pedersen (English Department)

As I was passing through the glorious lake, I looked into the twirling water, which seemed as if she was dancing along with the waves. When I saw the twinkling stars in the gloomy sky, I remembered the glow in her eyes and the shyness in her smile.

As the violent wind touched my face, it felt as if she was whispering to me with the same stiffness and boldness in her voice. I wasn’t crying but water was pouring down my eyes. The page to that memory suddenly opened “mum” I screamed. Until I realised I was missing her.

Prableen Gurwara (year 10)

When a human is born, they have no responsibilities. How could they? Babies have no duties they must attend – it’s beautiful. I grew up with people looking at me with fear. They knew… they knew I could destroy their pathetic lives; due to this I lived a secluded life. Now I’m missing. I lived in the lap of luxury, I had safety. When I ran, I gave up so much… a fool I was, now all I have is a bounty on my head. I’m a curse to my family name, for I’m the one that got away.

Gobind Virk (year 10)

The Day My Dreams Went Missing The day I lost my life and everything I dreamed of, all my dreams went missing the only one left was me. I was sweet and humble, innocent not guilty, why does it only happen to me. It all started with my dreams, all of them went missing in one second. One ferocious sweet night a dusk black rose was found in my journal, the place where my dreams lived. All my pages were shattered into pieces except one, a picture of me. Why that page? Like the spider in your bedroom or that tiny creak you will always have in a dream.

Ashvika Jaitly (year 7)

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#

IT & COMPUTER SCIENCE

Headquarters trip Pavneet Syan is a Cranford Alumnus who works for Amazon. She contacted the school to promote the Amazon national competition for year 8 students which involves designing an App for their school or local community. The winning App design will then be brought to life by the experts at Amazon. The aim is to promote more girls into computing and all groups included at least 50% girls. Pavneet was invited to speak to the year 8 students in assembly where she talked about her career at Amazon and introduced the competition.

Students were organised into groups and started working on their App ideas, meeting up every Thursday period 0. A selected number of participants from each group were invited to the boot camp at Amazon HQ in London which took place on Thursday 17th October 2019. They worked with Amazon Web Services Ambassadors and Future Foundations coaches to develop their ideas and learn about all aspects of designing an App. On the day, the selected group of students were very excited and ready to share their ideas with the AWS Ambassadors. They took part in different activities and learned about the stages of designing Apps including a presentation session to help them improve their presentation techniques. All in all it was a very enjoyable and productive day.

Working at the Amazon HQ made the competition that much more real.

Sukhjeet Kudhail (Head of IT and Computer Science)

When we went the European Amazon Headquarters on the 16th October 2019, I knew it would be a day to remember, and I was right. We had an amazing day finding out how to create Apps so that we are ready to go if we win. We also had a class on how to lead a presentation in front of an audience. What I liked about it was that it was a good way to meet students from other schools and it helped us to bond with other people in our year group. Thank you for this amazing experience.

Isabel Ortega (year 8)

I really enjoyed the trip to the Amazon Headquarters and it was a great experience. We got to meet people from other schools, learn new things and had great support with developing ideas. We learnt the story behind the competition. My favourite part was the afternoon session because it really helped to improve our presentation skills and we did a lot of activities to boost our confidence before presenting our ideas. ​M uqadas Saleem (year 8)

Thank you for taking me to the Amazon Headquarters.

It was really fun and I enjoyed it a lot. It was a great experience as I learned new things and it was not only learning, it was also fun. Thank you, Ravjot Matta (year 8) 88

Amazon Get IT App Competition Selection Cranford was able to submit 2 final ideas from the 15 year 8 students who participated.

We arranged for the groups to pitch their ideas to a panel of judges; Pavneet Syan former student and Amazon employee, Alan Fraser Assistant Headteacher-Director of Community Partnerships and Mrs Jenny Lewis, Chair of the Academy Trust Board.

This took place in Conference Room 2 via a video conference. Students put in a vast amount of hard work and time preparing for the presentation of their ideas. All the judges were very impressed with the ideas, presentation skills, confidence and the ability to take on feedback and answer questions.

Sukhjeet Kudhail (Head of IT and Computer Science)

The AWS competition was an amazing experience as I have never done anything like this before. The competition was to design your own App idea and present it to an audience at Amazon. If you get chosen, then your app idea gets made into a real App. Our concept was an App that lets you book school facilities and book teaching sessions. Teachers can also login to remind students to hand homework in on time or remind them of sanctions. We prepared a 20-slide presentation with the vital data. We also did a few surveys in our form class. I was nervous as this was my first video conference however there were no issues. We got positive feedback and our group got chosen to move forward in the competition along with another group.

Caylan Rebello (year 8)

When the days were becoming closer and closer to the day of the presentation we got a bit nervous and started to do everything in a hurry and thinking that our App wasn’t good enough. When there was one day left one of our team came and told us that he had completed everything. The day we had to present we were apprehensive. We had to remember a lot of the information and make a good first impression. This was a scary experience but I tried to stay confident till the end. We all put in a lot of effort into the project.

Victoria Albu (year 8)

Taking part in the Amazon competition has been an amazing experience. Our group really enjoyed working as a team, using communication skills and listening skills. We were all nervous at first when presenting but when it was our group’s turn we took a deep breath and made sure we put 100% effort in to it. We were excited to receive Pavneet’s feedback on how we could improve our work. Throughout the whole competition we have had some great feedback from Pavneet and have tried our hardest to action it.

Amani Salim (year 8) 89

BBC 500 Words Competition 2019/2020 BBC 500 Words is the UK’s most successful short story-writing competition for children between the ages of 5 and 13. It was launched in 2011, after the radio presenter Chris Evans had a dream of getting children excited about reading and writing. He wanted to involve all children: no matter what their ability, experience, or background and since its launch, the competition has received over 912,986 short stories.

All entrants have to write an original story, no more than 500 words in length, and submit it online. It can be about ANYTHING you want – space-ships, grannies, insects, time travel. The list is endless and this year we had some amazing entries from our Cranford story tellers. Here are just a few of the wonderful stories submitted by our young authors.

Katherine Pedersen (English Department)

Mystery of a town This story is about a town and a few people in the town. The name of this town is Greendale. In Greendale, a lot of unexpected things happen, no one knows why these things happen, some say the town is cursed, others know but they wouldn’t say anything. It was a normal day, people were going to school or work, nothing weird was going on. There were 10 teenagers, they were always in all the things that happened to the town, there were others. That day, they went to school, there was something about these teenagers, something they didn’t know.

That morning, at school some were talking about what’s new, others talking about the things that happened to them in their summer holidays. Kat, she is one of the 10 teenagers that have something weird, well Kat, she is the mean girl you see in the movies and her family is the richest in Greendale. Max, he is in the football team, Sam, she is the smartest, Nick, he writes music, these four have a lot to do in the town, and the other 6, are Jess, her mother is the Mayor, then there is Tom, he is the quiet one, Sabrina, she is an artist, and the twins, Jake and Ben, they are Kat’s siblings. That day they went to school, something was in Nick’s backyard at his house, he didn’t know, infected. Noone knew what happened, because no one was at home, everyone was at work or school. The town was small but, it was very rich, and some say dangerous. When Nick got home, he found out what happened. Before he went to look at it, he called Max and asked him to come over at his house and help him find out what happened. Max came over to Nick’s house, they both went to find out. They found a garden house that was never there, they opened it and they found a note in the box. Nick started to read, it said ‘Nick you know me we have met once, I want you to do something, don’t you dare tell anyone if you do I will know, I want you to get me the town’s most precious thing which is the diamond. If you don’t, someone you know is going to die’ Nick and Max called everyone that can help them find out who it was and why they wanted the diamond. They had a meeting and they made a plan. Jess’s mum is the mayor of the town, so Jess would know how to get the diamond, and Nick would get the diamond and make a copy of it, and Max, Kat, Sam would be looking at the CCTV cameras, and Tom, Sabrina and the twins would be hiding. If the plan doesn’t work they are to do something like call the police. The plan worked they called the police, but the person disappeared, with Nick, Max, Kat, and Sam.

By Gresha Leitao (year 8) 90

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Shadow I dragged my heavy felt feet down the lonely hallway.

Staring forward into nothing like I was being hypnotized. Every step I took the more I felt my heart ache. I was alone, there was no one else around, and it was strange because it was only 8:30 at school, normally there is a swarm of people and an echo of voices around the halls.

Everything went black. I closed my eyes and listened carefully. There were no voices except from whispers.

I was what I thought a normal teen, I was tall, I had quite a lot of friends, and I had light brown hair.

However, I didn’t have normal human eyes. I had fiery red eyes that if you stared too long into, it seemed as though they were a dancing flame drawing you closer to hell.

“I don’t know who they are.” I mentioned.

My school isn’t the same one you would see in a romance film or one in your ordinary life, my high school is magical…

All of a sudden people came crashing down the hallway like a sea of terrified people. I rushed past the force of the ocean all the way to the end of the hall. I stopped in my tracks when I saw creatures just like me, but one was a devil and angel hybrid and the other was a dragon king.

“Hello Alpha.” They both said synchronised.

“I know you are the strongest.” said the echoed voices.

“Who are you?!” I shouted questioningly.

“I command you to kill Lunar and Axel.”

“The angel-devil hybrid and the dragon king.” Their voices quite annoyed.

“Yes master.” I answered like a puppet.

I stood silently. Having my claws ready to strike.

“Alpha fight it.” said Axel the dragon king “We are one of you.” They smiled softly.

I walked to them and hugged them, back to normal, and in my normal form. I smirked and my eyes were still green.

Clink! Slash!

“Argh, why?” they questioned in pain.

“I-I think you’ve got the wrong person,” I said while I laughed nervously, “I’m Shadow…”

“You should know a hybrid of my kind can change their eye colour” I grinned like a maniac. Suddenly, I fell to the ground unable to move.

“Oh we know Alpha.” They said with a grin.

“Mwhahahahahahha!”

They disappeared…

“Who are you and why can’t I move?” I asked angrily.

I quickly transformed into one of my wolf forms as a wolf-vampire hybrid and followed their scent. ‘They lead me to the field?’ I thought kind of confused and then I saw it.

“Your worst ni…” The voice said unfinished.

Kirsten Woodward (year 8)

A hell demon, a demon sent from the devil normally to do his bidding, but what does he want to do with the school. Then flying out of nowhere they fought the devil’s minion. Quickly I joined in to help.

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World Clean Up Day: Supporting our global community On Saturday 21st September 2019 we collected just over 50 bags of rubbish and had over 45 volunteers taking part including many families and young children! We tackled the Redwood and Brabazon Estates and the horrid Henlys Alley. Great effort was put in by all and the residents are very grateful to everyone who attended. We are doing our bit for World Clean Up Day. A big thank you goes to our cooking club participants for preparing our lunch alongside Manju Malhi and also to BTS Hounslow and Hounslow Highways. Well done to all the other fantastic community groups in our borough for engaging everyone and doing their part for World Clean Up Day including Heston Action Group and Cranford Community College.

Big Local and Heston Action Group’s Spring Community Clean Up with the Mayor of Hounslow Before the lockdown over 40 volunteers attended our Big Local and Heston Action Group Community Clean Up on Sunday 8th March 2020. ​We tackled the Brabazon Estate and Henlys Alley despite the showering hailstones. Great work and excellent teamwork was displayed by everyone and a big thanks goes to all the amazing volunteers for their support. Also a special thank you to the Family Healthy Cooking Club participants with Manju Malhi for making a scrumptious lunch for our brave volunteers.

We would also like to thank the Mayor of Hounslow Tony Louki and our local ward councillor and Deputy Leader of the Council Lily Bath for their support.

In addition, we would like to thank Igor and his team at Leecliffe Big Local and Rachel at CPP Hounslow for coming along and showing great community spirit and also all our incredible Big Local volunteers and Heston Action Group not forgetting Hounslow Highways for providing the equipment and picking up the bags. Watch our highlight film on YouTube at: https://youtu.be/lhi-ykXXTDw

“Portrait of Place”

Our Big Local community quilt displayed at Gunnersbury Park Museum for all to enjoy On Monday 14th October 2019 we were invited to Gunnersbury Park Museum’s private viewing of their new exhibition titled ‘Treasured Threads: Unpicking Gunnersbury’s Quilts’. After months of hard work and dedication we were proud to see our ‘Portrait of Place’ quilt designed by the wonderful Big Local participants & volunteers alongside the Deaf & Hard of Hearing Women’s Group in Ealing. This project was supported by Ekta Kaul, Sharan Walters & the team at Gunnersbury as well as our own volunteers. It is amazing to know our piece of artwork will be displayed for many visitors to enjoy over the next few years at the museum.

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Donating and Delivering Christmas Joy to Local Families We would like to give an indebted thank you to the Metropolitan Police for generously donating Christmas gifts to our community, especially to the families who have benefited from the Heston West area. On Sunday 22nd December 2019, our team of enthusiastic and dedicated young and adult volunteers delivered the gifts to the Redwood, Brabazon and Harlech Gardens Estates. All the families really appreciated the gesture and the gifts. Our Big Local volunteers also enjoyed the experience and felt really proud delivering the gifts and seeing the reaction from the families.

“A massive thank you to the police officers who have gone above and beyond their duties to provide for our community and enhance the relationships in our tight-knit family. We appreciate your commitment to create the best backdrop for our youth to prosper in safety and access opportunities”.

Twinkle Sood, age 16

Big success at our Ugandan inspired Community Theatre performance of

“Together We Are Stars” with Bantu Arts

On Friday 29th November 2019 an incredible community intergenerational play was performed by our fantastic volunteers and participants in partnership with Bantu Arts. In our Ugandan inspired performance ‘Together We Are Stars’, we highlighted social concerns and issues surrounding online bullying, body image, Brexit and climate change. The play was written and directed by Big Local youth volunteer Sharanjit Kaur, 16, and this was the first time she ventured into the dramatic arts and what a wonderful job she did!

In our first story, Juhi Kumra (long-standing volunteer for the Big Local and now a university student studying Theatre and English Literature) was brilliant in her role as the shy but stubborn Tina Rajput. Tina is struggling with social anxiety, online bullying and with her body image, and suddenly finds herself involved in the dark world of knife crime. The story focuses on how a combination of low self-esteem, the pressures of looking good online and peer to peer bullying can lead someone to take the wrong path with devastating consequences. ​

​ ur second story told a tale of the impact of Brexit O and how the referendum result had divided our society rather than uniting it. Our final story highlighted the real concerns of climate change and what we can do to help. We heard from giant Tortoises explaining how plastic waste is destroying their habitats, killing innocent animals in the process. The audience were given tips on how to reduce waste, save energy and tools to protect their local environment.

Despite the heavy social topics, the performance was inspiring, captivating, colourful and entertaining.

Through the art of Ugandan music and dance, our performers were able to bring the topics to life, wowing the audience during the evening. Overall, all performers and crew did an exceptional job bringing joy and laughter to the audience. Big congratulations to all at Bantu Arts, our talented performers, volunteers and their families for their involvement and also to our excellent audience for showing their community support. We look forward to starting a new intergenerational theatre project with Bantu Arts in the New Year, so watch this space.

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Heston West Big Local Community Volunteer Awards Celebration

On HWBL finalist in the Best Community Group Contribution to Community Cohesion National Awards On Thursday 21st November 2019 we attended a prestigious ceremony at the Royal Horse Guards Hotel.

Heston West Big Local was amongst 30 nationwide community organisations nominated for the National Community Group Awards, shortlisted from 720 organisations. Although we did not win the main National Community Group Award for Community Cohesion it was a great testament to the work of our Big Local charity to have made it to the last 30 for this fantastic award and we are very proud of our community achievements to date.

Congratulations to all the other nominated groups and the worthy winners across the UK. ​In addition, a huge thank you goes to Groundwork UK for organising a brilliant event. ​We are getting ready for next year.

Heston West Big Local featured live on BBC Radio London’s Robert Elms Show in November 2019 In November 2019 Taz Virdee and Youth volunteer Serena Lola, 17 were invited to be interviewed by legendary presenter Robert Elms on BBC Radio London about the work of the Big Local. The interview focused on volunteering, our community projects and our legacy: You can listen to this interview on YouTube at: https://youtu.be/05TAjbWOK7E 94

Friday 6th December 2019 we held our fourth Heston West Big Local Community Volunteer Awards Celebration.

This year we also presented our Brian Clark Community Leader and Community Young Leader Award in recognition of outstanding community leadership and work. This award was dedicated to the memory of our late volunteer and community hero Brian Clark. The awards were presented by Sadiq Khan, Mayor of London, Philip Keith-Roach, Former England 2003 Rugby World Cup Winner and Brian Clark’s daughter, Debbie Siminson and son, Darrell Clark at Cranford Community College.

Brian Clark Young Community Leader of The Year 2019 In recognition and celebration of exceptional youth leadership and helping to transform communities and lives.

Layba Nisar Big Local International Community Development Award 2019 In recognition of exceptional contribution working on behalf of the Big Local to develop international community relationship with the city of Vienna, Austria.

Hitendra Parmar, Debbie Noad, Ruby Bharaj, Nafeesa Nisar, Kapil Lund, Serena Lola, Juhi Kumra, Megha Dahdrai, Callum Wills, Layba Nisar, Sharanjit Kaur and Anjali Kumar

Big Local Youth Legacy Award 2019 In recognition of our first group of dedicated young leaders and volunteers who paved the way for our successful youth engagement programme in the local community Amrita Tar, Juhi Kumra, Abbie McFerran, Harpreet Kaur, Simran Bangar, Anjali Kumar, Megha Dahdrai, Kulbir Maras, Baljinder Padda, Rajan Sandhu, Lucy Tirahan, Huzayma Khamis and Caitlin Poon

Mayor Of Heston West Award 2019 Awarded for outstanding contribution, commitment and leadership to help transform our local community.

Callum Wills

Big Local Community Role Model 2019 In recognition for inspiring and encouraging residents to get involved with Heston West Big Local and serving as a positive role model in our local community.

Muna Abdulahi

Big Local New Music Talent Award 2019 Recognition of new musical talent in our local community.

Luliya Jemal, Lovell Nanditta and Brooke Smith

Big Local New Film Talent Award 2019 Recognition of new film talent in our local community.

Arfhan Razak and Kulbir Maras 95

New Community Podcast “Hey I’m Tarek Mrad! I am 22 years old and have Cerebral Palsy. Despite my disability I am heavily involved with the local community and enjoy volunteering. I recently joined the Heston West Big Local Board. My aim is to help inspire others like me to also get involved with volunteering and community work. My goals for this year are to find parttime employment, complete my Level 2 ICT Qualification and grow my community podcast show!”

During the COVID-19 pandemic we wanted to share stories and experiences of lockdown, volunteering and community work locally and beyond. We interviewed local residents, community partners and young people about how they have been coping and thriving during this period.

To listen to our community podcasts please visit:

www.hestonwest.org/community-podcast.html

Maria’s Story / Maria Pedro Documentary “Maria Pedro fought her way through many barriers to live a truly incredible life making a real difference to many lives...”

Maria Keith-Roach or as many of us knew her Maria Pedro (1952-2018) lived a remarkable life. From the most challenging background she fought her way through many barriers to live a truly inspirational life. This film brings together some of the people who were influenced and inspired by her. We held a Zoom premiere of the documentary on Friday 22nd May 2020 (which would have been Maria’s birthday) with over 100 people in attendance across three showings, ranging from the US, Saudi Arabia and Europe. Watch the full documentary here:

https://youtu.be/v01pGyVPf1o

We are deeply grateful to Baroness Floella Benjamin, OBE DLV, Michael Caines, Seema Malhotra MP, Sir Kenneth Aphunezi Olisa, OBE, Khalid Ahmad, Paul Lynch, Capt. Priscilla Ledlie, Haroon Lukka, Anjali Parmar and Steven Curran. In addition, we would like to thank The Warrington Hotel (Maida Vale, London), The Queen’s Head Pub (Cranford, Hounslow), Cranford Community College (Hounslow), the House of Lords (London), Lympstone Manor (Exeter) and Restoration Partners (London) for providing us with the free filming locations.

Our special thanks go to Philip Keith-Roach. The film was directed and edited by Blaise Singh; produced by Alan Fraser, Taz Virdee and Kelly Tennison; camera work by Arfhan Razak; and presented by Serena Lola.

It was created in partnership with Heston West Big Local and Cranford Community College.

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“Hard to Reach” Documentary Launch Young People’s views of Hounslow

Last summer Heston West Big Local’s MADE in HESTON WEST Youth Film Production Club teamed up with London Borough of Hounslow’s Community Partnership Unit team to develop the “Hard to Reach” documentary. We engaged with young people across the borough to gather their views and make sure that their voice is heard by the leaders and staff of Hounslow Council but also by our residents.

Our team of young volunteers asked these three questions:​ • What are your hopes?

• What are your fears?

• What would you like to tell the leader of the council?

On Friday 21st February 2020, we were invited by the London Borough of Hounslow to the launch of our documentary at Hounslow House. We were joined by several councillors including Steve Curran (Leader of the Council), Lily Bath (Heston West Ward and Deputy Leader), Katherine Dunne (Communities and Climate Emergency), Guy Lambert (Highways, Recycling and Companies) and Hanif Khan (Transport and Corporate Property). The Mayor of Hounslow, Tony Louki and Feltham and Heston MP Seema Malhotra were also in attendance.

Big Local Youth volunteer and Film Club member Serena Lola delivered a short speech about the documentary project which was followed by the official screening ending with a panel discussion with Youth Board Representatives Layba Nisar and Taz Virdee. The film was well received by the council leaders and they have agreed to take action on the suggestions made by the young people in our borough. Overall, it was a positive experience for our Big Local volunteers and participants and we are extremely proud to have been given this opportunity to make this film with the London Borough of Hounslow.

We would like to thank all the incredible young people involved with this film, we appreciate and value your time and support. To watch the film please visit: https://youtu.be/oSfrojWSsUA

For more information about Heston West Big Local please visit our website: www.hestonwest.org Contact Mr. Taz Virdee / E-mail: t.virdee@berkeleyacademy.org.uk Phone: 078 40047771

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# INTERNATIONALISM

Erasmus Visit to Norway

During February 2020 we were fortunate to undertake an Erasmus visit to Kvaloya upper Secondary School in Norway. The school is located on whale island ‘Kvaloya’ and the closest city is Tromso which is the largest city in northern Norway and also known as ‘the gate to the Artic’. The area in which the school is located in the region of Troms og Finnmark is beautiful. The winter snow which engulfed the school and surrounding city looked magical. We were very fortunate as we experienced some of the ‘Sami’ traditions such as ‘Mushing’ and were given a cultural tour of the local region.

The focus of the visit was to gain knowledge and insight into the excellent Norwegian vocational education system and how it was implemented in this setting. The school has 520 students and 100 employees with specialisation in general studies.

A large number of students undertake vocational courses. The knowledge we gained was very insightful and definitely informative for our development of the T Level courses and the delivery of a broad and balanced curriculum.

On arrival we received a friendly welcome from our host Snorre Brathen, (Headmaster) and the Norwegian Erasmus participants. We undertook the visit with our Erasmus colleagues from the Netherlands and started with a tour of the school. It was really encouraging to see how practical work-based skills were being delivered and how mathematical and scientific skills were integrated into the practical implementation. The experience was really useful as it allowed discussion of direct comparatives between the different educational settings and enabled us to investigate how we approached teaching in a vocational context.

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- February 2020

It was a great opportunity to gain an understanding of how students keep motivated in the vocational setting and the flexibility it creates for future career pathways. Here are two accounts of students’ experiences of vocational education: “In my first two years of upper secondary I studied to become an electrician. I decided to do the additional year to go onto university. I could also go back to an apprenticeship and then go on to be an engineer which makes me more attractive to employees. I knew I could fall back on coming here. The one year makes it more motivational as it’s shorter. Mathematics is the most difficult subject, coming back to do maths at a higher level is difficult. It is always nice to have all these options when deciding what to do next”.

Student 1 (Kvaloya Upper School)

“We decided to go into healthcare but we switched in our third year. It is kind of hard but it means we can complete the supplementary year to go to university.

It’s a good opportunity if we change our mind in the third year and decide to choose another pathway. I can work alongside my study and it also allows me to go back to do a three-year apprenticeship. It’s easier if you have an interest in the subject”.

Student 2 (Kvaloya Upper School)

We undertook a visit to the apprenticeship employer and construction site managed by BYGGOPP where 10 out of the 45 employees were apprentices.

BYGGOPP students on this placement came from the plumbing and concrete courses at Kvaloya. Students are identifiable on the building site by a reflective strip on their hat which distinguishes them from normal workers. We were able to get a good insight on how BYGGOPP and other training professionals manage and support the apprentices.

On day three we visited the County Municipality. It was good to have had the experience of visiting the municipality offices. The talk was informative and helped to understand the different aspects and official bodies involved in the education process.

We also visited Ishavsbyen and Breivang Upper Secondary Schools. This experience was again insightful as the focus was on different crafts.

The visit to Ishavsbyen was helpful because it was really obvious that the students were motivated and clearly happy to be following their career path. They all took a lot of pride in their craft. We were welcomed to a silver service dining experience that was professionally executed by trainees on the Catering course.

Students delivered service at a very high level and created dishes to a professional standard. We then went to a presentation confidently delivered by students studying for the Health Services. Students were very articulate about their experience and how they developed through the education they had received.

The visit to Breivang was refreshing as it was clear that students were working with a lot of independence and trusted to pursue their chosen career pathways. It was also helpful to see how functional spaces were used within Hairdressing, Graphic Design, Media and Art. The environment was open plan and studios in the new modern building were well equipped. There was a shop unit selling products created by students. We then visited the media room where a group of students were working on a project together. They informed us that they had set up their own Media Company and covered both Media and Graphics. It was clear that an ethos of entrepreneurship was encouraged through vocational learning and that this was building confident students.

We investigated how the vocational courses are assessed and marked. It was interesting to see how teacher assessment is paramount in both the Dutch and Norwegian system and how online systems are being used to record each student’s journey.

This visit was most valuable as it really helped us to see examples of good practice which we can use to support our students’ learning and development. It will help us to innovate within our own curriculum design thanks to a greater understanding of the international approach to vocational education. It also created cohesion and fostered good communication between our schools and foreign colleagues.

Pam Hunt (Digital, Video and Media Department)

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# DIGITAL VIDEO MEDIA

Digital and visual trip to Framestore

On

Tuesday 19th November 2019 Cranford Community College teamed up with Screen Skills to offer an exciting opportunity for year 7 students at Framestore in London, where students were able to participate in a ‘Discover! A Creative Careers Workshop’.

Framestore is an award winning British animation and visual effects company based in Chancery Lane in London. They are known globally for visual effects, and have a proud history of creating extraordinary images and scenes for some of Hollywood’s biggest pictures.

The students were given the opportunity to visit the Framestore Headquarters in London and participated in a workshop. The workshop explored ways in which we can use our creativity to promote positive change, either globally or within our local communities.

Students spent the day formulating an idea and completed a presentation about a campaign that either raised awareness of or actively challenged the issue that they had chosen to focus on.

It was a great opportunity for students to get an insight into the industry and gain knowledge and understanding of how global campaigns are launched. They also gained valuable experience working in a professional digital environment.

Pam Hunt (Digital Visual & Media Department)

I had an amazing time on this trip. We got to compete against lots of different schools. We wrote articles about how we can solve global issues. In my group the issue we picked was to save the Amazon Rainforest and we made a presentation about our campaign. After everyone had made their presentation in front of each other we got the result and found out that we WON! In my opinion this was a really fun and helpful trip.

Sukhdeep Toor (year 7)

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The trip to Framestore was fun as well as educational. I learnt that there were more jobs than I knew in the Digital and Visual Industry. We made presentations to each other.

The focus of our presentation was about recycling. Our team motto was ‘Beat the Plastic’. Many other schools came up with their own slogans. It was good that our presentation was one of the best as we came second. The best thing about the trip was that there was competition between the schools.

It was good to share ideas about how to save the planet. I would really recommend this career to others and it was a great opportunity to be involved.

Nasra Hashi (year 7)

I had an amazing trip to the Framestore as we were involved in spectacular activities, writing articles about how we can help solve global issues. In my group we made a whole presentation on how we can help save the Amazon Rainforest. This was an excellent trip and our stimulating idea won. I would love to go on an amazing trip like this again.

The trip to Framestore was really good as we got an opportunity to present in front of other schools. It helped us to gain confidence in public speaking. It was good to learn about issues such as knife crime, saving the environment and staying safe. The best part was standing in front of others and discussing the topic that worked hard on. The people at the Framestore were very nice, especially the people who worked with our team.

Aaisha Akbar (year 7)

Nilab Walimohammad (year 7)

Years 12/13 - Media

British Film Institute

The M

edia Department organised a series of study day trips to The British Film Institute (BFI) on the Southbank in November and December 2019 and in early January 2020. The objective was for students to develop and reinforce their learning on a range of topics including Historical Print Media, Video Gaming, Critical Theory and the Newspaper industry. We were astounded at the quality of student contributions during the study days and the opportunities to have Q&A sessions with professionals from the Film Industry.

Sharandeep Saroya (Digital Video & Media Department)

Each of the study days was extremely helpfulas we were able to recap previously learnt content in detail. The topic days that the teachers had picked for us to take part in were topics that the teachers knew we had struggled to grasp in the past. This was a great help as we were not only recapping, but filling any gaps that we had. In November the Year 13 media class took part in the BFI session on the Newspaper Industry, an area I have always found hard to comprehend.

However, once the brilliant speaker had completed his lecture and the guest speaker had explained her experience in the industry, I had a much better understanding of the sector. Suzannah Hussain (year 13)

During our trips to the BFI studios over the winter term we attended three workshops in which we focused on different aspects of media studies.

The first one was focused on newspapers and took place in a large theatre in which multiple schools attended. This allowed us to broaden our knowledge of the newspaper industry and develop our analytical skills whilst learning in a fun and interactive way including from other students at different schools. Our next trip was much more intimate with us being one of only two schools that attended which meant we were stretched further in order to develop our media skills. The responsibility for this independent trip as well as the lecture style format of the workshops helped prepare us for independent study at university. The third and final trip was centred around gaming and was also attended by Year 12 Computing students who were studying gaming at the time. Because there were fewer students it allowed for more engagement and intimate discussion. Furthermore, all three workshops ended with guest speakers from the Media Industry related to the subject area we were focusing on. This gave us a glimpse of potential careers we could go into and we were able to ask them questions and gain further knowledge both in and outside of our examination specification.

Taking part in the three study days was a fun experience that really let us expand our previous knowledge as well as learning on a different level with many other students who attended. The insight into the other examination specifications also helped as we learnt new terminology and were able to take a lot from this.

It was definitely a fun and productive trip.

Serena Lola and Ayesha Bhatti (year 13)

Atanas Aleksandrov (year 12)

Diogo Atouguia (year 12)

The BFI study day for Video Gaming was interesting as it allowed us to get a better understanding of the Gaming Industry in terms of how games are produced and how they are released.

We were also introduced to Chris Filip,a game designer, who gave us a lot of inside information on how they worked at Ubisoft, a giant in the industry. I learned a lot from this session as I do aspire to become a game designer at some point in my life.

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# CHARITY

Christmas Jumper Day & Christmas Market

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uring the Christmas period everyone is busy excitedly preparing their Christmas trees, decorating their homes, buying and wrapping presents and indulging in food. The Charities committee felt it was extremely important to acknowledge and help those less fortunate young people whose Christmas may not be as bright and festive as their own. The Charities committee was keen to support ‘Save the Children’ and ‘EYH – End Youth Homelessness’ and decided to run two events in December to raise money for these charities.

We set sixth form students and teachers the target of raising £300 to participate in the Save the Children Christmas Jumper day. The target was smashed as we raised £596.04 through donations from year 12,13 and staff as well as the Arts and Culture Committee’s contribution from donations given at the end of the Cranford’s Got Talent Show. Cranford’s staff and sixth form donned their festive jumpers on 12th December, and as they walked in through the gates they were reminded of the cause they had contributed to as our staff carollers held placards promoting messages from Save the Children.

The Charities committee also worked hard to organise a Christmas Market to raise money for End Youth Homelessness.

Students set up a Tombola stall (which sold out within minutes of opening), sweets and baked goods stalls, hot chocolate & mince pies stall, pin the nose on the reindeer and even a penalty shoot-out against Santa. The atmosphere was amazing and lifted further when Santa joined students on the concourse for a whole school rendition of ‘Let it go’. We raised £381 for EYH and would like to thank all the staff and students who supported the event especially Ms Prunty for her work behind the scenes.

Sharandeep Saroya (on behalf of the Post 16 Charities Committee)

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Overall in my opinion the market was a great success and a great way to include and welcome the year 7s into our community at Cranford by allowing them to help us out with the event. The year 7 classes were all extremely enthusiastic and eager to help out with creating posters, promoting the event to the whole school and taking part by buying things from the market such as hot chocolate and mince pies. It was also extremely heart-warming that 6th formers who were not part of the charities committee offered to help out at the market and this really showed the sense of community and respect members of Cranford have for each other. As an added bonus we were able to raise lots of money for the End Youth Homelessness charity.

Shanan Bhamra (year 13 Charities Committee)

It was an honour to host the Christmas market with year 8. It was astonishing to see how engaged the year 8 students were in decorating their stalls and bringing in some food items for their stalls.

During the Christmas market, we laid out 7 stalls on the concourse, that offered a range of food and activities. We also played some Christmas songs and the best bit was when the whole school came together to sing “Let it go”. This showed that the school is truly one community and we managed to raise many and awareness for the End Youth Homelessness charity. Overall, it was a good way to end the year on such a positive note.

Sajneet Bagga (year 13 Charities Committee)

Staff that run together!

On

Sunday 1st March 2020, 4 intrepid members of Cranford staff set off for Eton Dorney on a sunny but very cold and windy morning for their own little date with destiny. For Vinay Dokia and Randeep Sidhu this was their very first race, and for Jescynda Savige only her second. As the elder statesman of the group this was by no means my first rodeo, though it was certainly the coldest start to a race I’ve ever had.

So cold and windy was the start that we all spent the 45 minutes before the race started huddled in the club house. Once we all got going though it became very strictly a race of 2 halves, into the wind was hell - out of the wind a slightly easier hell.

A little under two hours later with medals around our necks and warmed

by Eton Boating House’s finest coffee, the pain was forgotten and we were basking in the euphoria of a race well run and the feeling that it has all been worth it.

We all said we would be back again and will welcome anyone else brave (or foolish) enough to join us for our next adventure when conditions allow.

Simon Watton (Head of year 11)

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# SPORTS Sports Leaders

Cranford Sports 2019/2020

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ranford PE Department and Sports Leaders have worked hand in hand for over 10 years. Each year students from year 9 and 10 are given the opportunity to further develop leadership skills working with Luri from Sport Impact. Leaders then provide support for many of the local sporting events such as primary school sports day, athletics and football competitions that Cranford hosts for local primary schools.

This year we have used over 40 leaders across many events with our students – Thank you for all your hard work dedication and help. You have kept the Cranford Community Legacy of successful sports leaders going and we look forward to another successful year ahead.

Hounslow Primary Sports Day

On

Monday 21st January 2020 Cranford hosted and ran the Cranford Hounslow Primary Sports Day for year 2 in the Cranford Superdome.

Twenty one year 9 & 10 Sports Leaders assisted with the day, managing activities and encouraging the participants. This is one of the many Primary Sports events hosted by Cranford during the school year. The Sports Leaders did a great job and all felt they had gained from the experience.

Hamesh Rattu (Director of Sports and Community Wellbeing)

Here is just one example of the benefits there are to being a Sports Leader.

“My experience as a Sports Leader has been very humbling. Every time I do a Sports Leaders event, it is very thrilling. I love to work with children and I love seeing the children’s’ faces light up when doing the activities. Setting up and cleaning up can be a bit tedious but it is all worth it to make sure the children have a good time. Personally, I know that I love to help out, especially with these sorts of things, as sports are my passion and I aspire to be a PE teacher later on in life. It is very inspiring to be able to be a part of such great events. One of my personal favourite leadership roles is being umpire at tennis events. The children are really polite and it is such a great experience working with people that inspire me. Also, I love to support children at the Sports Day event as I can see my younger self in many of them. I love to encourage them to do their best”.

Sanjana Bhola (year 10 Sports Leader) 104

Year 7 and 8 Netball

On

Tuesday 28th January 2020 the year 7 and 8 netball team played in a netball tournament against multiple schools in the borough. The girls did absolutely brilliantly considering this was the first real competitive tournament as a team and as individuals with a team of mostly year 7 students competing against year 8 students.

The girls played several games trailing different positions they had been practicing and refining during their period 6 lessons.

Our current junior netball team has shown that they know how to work hard at training and play hard in competitions. The mini bus journey back to school after the tournament was full of exhausted girls who thoroughly enjoyed their first tournament and are ready for more next year!

Jescynda Savige (PE Department)

This Basketball is back

year saw the resurgence of Basketball at Cranford. The club had over 50 regular students both male and female spread over two days each week throughout the year. Their dedication and discipline was phenomenal with students in the Sports Hall from as early as 7.30am practising shooting and 1v1s. A special mention to Ibrahim Hersi and Aman Sangha in year 11 who helped coach the Key Stage 3 students every Thursday showing just how much students care for each other at Cranford. I am very much looking forward to the next season.

Basheak Bussue (PE Department)

Break 2 Sports Club

This

year saw the return of Break 2 Sports clubs run by the PE Department. The team were able to offer a variety of sports such Basketball, Dodgeball, Futsal and Badminton. Students who attended the clubs thoroughly enjoyed the opportunity to have structured physical activity provided for them.

The teachers have seen a significant improvement in PE lessons from students with their technical and tactical ability. The sports clubs had a massive impact on extra-curricular student participation numbers with weekly numbers averaging 300+ per week across key stages.

Congratulations to all those who consistently attend clubs, your dedication has not gone unnoticed – keep it up!

Mary Elder (PE Department) 105

Youth Forum

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World’s Top Airport Terminal for Terminal 2 World’s Best Airport Shopping Best Airport in Western Europe World’s Top 10 Airports

eathrow Airport approached Cranford about setting up a Youth Forum to discuss the expansion of Heathrow Airport. The approach we decided to take was a pilot project where students would shape the new Youth Forum which would be rolled out to all the boroughs that are impacted by Heathrow. It was identified that in order for students to be able to do this they needed to be up skilled and a programme was agreed between the students which saw them going airside and working on a project with a budget to bring benefit to the community. Our students were also invited to attend the reception for the launch of Heathrow’s Apprenticeship scheme. There they had the opportunity to meet and talk with John-Holland Kaye, CEO Heathrow Airport Limited.

Alan Fraser (Assistant Headteacher - Director of Community Partnerships)

The Heathrow Youth Forum is a great initiative to engage young adults with the chance to see behind the scenes in a busy workplace, and I was fortunate enough to be chosen to take part.

Throughout the course of the project, we were delegated certain tasks focusing on a particular aspect of either Heathrow or Cranford, and worked in small groups to research and present our findings.

Not only did I gain an insight into the various operations at Heathrow, but I also became more knowledgeable about different options after finishing as an alternative to university, such as a fulltime job or an apprenticeship. We were entrusted with a lot of responsibilities in regards to improving our area, and our most significant task was working on rebuilding the appeal of three locations in the local Cranford area. This was really enjoyable as we worked alongside Keep Britain Tidy and stuck to a specific budget to ensure we achieved positive, tangible results. My favourite part of the entire programme was going on an airside tour of the Heathrow runways. We drove around the land in a minibus, and it was incredibly fascinating seeing aeroplanes from such a short distance. We got to see a unique perspective of the airport.

Anjali Bhambra (year 12) 106

As a plane enthusiast, I thoroughly enjoyed the whole experience with Heathrow Youth Forum. I never would have thought that I would have the opportunity to be a part of Heathrow, especially the chance to go airside. We designed and presented to the Heathrow Academy about apprenticeship schemes as well as planning and implementing projects to improve the communities in Hounslow in collaboration with Heston Big West Local and Keep Britain Tidy. The experience will be unforgettable.

Abraham Mathews (year 12)

During the Autumn term, Heathrow Airport pioneered a project where a group of year 12 students could become a part of the decision making behind some of Heathrowâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s activities in the local community. The idea was that we, as members of the community, should have a say in how the areas that we live in can be improved, as we can bring in new perspectives to pitch to Heathrow. Through the Heathrow Youth Forum we were given the means and materials to actually spend on improving the quality of the environment for a given area. The original plan was for our term as the pilot group to be over at the end of the school year, but with the effects of the pandemic, our ideas were unfortunately halted before they could be put in place. However, during the planning stage, we all still got to develop our skills in research, teamwork and the presentation of our ideas to a panel. Getting the chance to talk to the different members of staff in Heathrow (plus a guided tour of the runways!) also proved to be an incredibly valuable experience for our journey into the world of work.

Guy Boonyarakyotin (year 12)

When I first applied to the forum I was a bit unsure as to what I had signed myself up for. After arriving at the site and meeting the staff running the programme I was quickly relieved of my uncertainties. Everyone I met on the day was polite and knowledgeable and proved to be very helpful when completing tasks that were assigned to us. Everyone was enthusiastic and ready to get involved. The overall experience was extremely fun and a a nice break from the stress of starting A levels. The Heathrow Youth Forum encouraged me to get involved in more extra-curricular activities and exposed me to the world of opportunities available to me at the airport. It was an eye opening experience and I am grateful I had the chance to take part in it.

Naman Salaria (year 12)

The Heathrow Youth Forum has been an interesting and exciting opportunity for me. There are always new challenges ahead every month, from working with the CEO of Heathrow to working with environmental officers. We have managed as a group to make our community a better place. There were amazing airside tours and we got to see certain hangars and certain planes such as the historic Concorde. I have managed to improve my communication, teamwork and coordination skills during this period of time. I highly recommend joining the Youth forum as we will expand in the near future.

Jagdeep Singh (year 12)

Hi Alan, Thank you for allowing your students to come to our National Apprenticeship week. Your students carried themselves very well and all personally held conversations with our CEO John Holland-Kaye and Lord David Blunkett.

Also we held the airside tour yesterday which I think they all enjoyed.

Our next session is on the 26th of February where we plan on tasking them with a challenge from the Community team.

Kind regards Thomas Elliott Education & Skills Officer 107

# YEAR 12 COMMITTEES Well-being Committee

The

Well-being Committee is one of the newer committees which was established this academic year, alongside the other five committees. As a group of ‘well-being ambassadors’, our core aim is to increase students’ awareness of the importance of positive mental health and well-being while supporting them with strategies. We worked closely on a project with the year 9 students by initially delivering an assembly to the year group, explaining the importance of mental health and wellbeing. Following this, each committee member visited the year 9 form groups and worked with the students in completing a self- reflection task. The students were provided with a template of the brain, whereby the outcome of the activity was to enable the students to identify their stress triggers and how they can manage them. In the new academic year the committee intends to continue promoting positive wellbeing and providing a range of strategies and opportunities to support and improve the mental health of all students at Cranford.

Prabhleen Ghattoray (Head Girl, year 13)

The unexpectedly successful event that was the year 12 inter-form took place this year on Wednesday 26th February 2020. The Sports Committee discussed and brainstormed endless ideas and options for ways we could target the new Sixth formers, in order for them to show a higher level of interest in their physical health.

We came to the conclusion that a mixed football Inferform would be ideal as who doesn’t enjoy the thrill of team playing and running around after a ball? Not only is football a leisure activity it is also seen as a way to promote healthy lifestyles, discipline, teamwork and other areas of social development.

The Sports Committee and I were patiently waiting at the entrance of our breath taking Cranford Superdome, feeling hopeless. As time ticked, we progressively thought ‘everyone’s decided to go home’. The moment it hit 3:40pm, there was an influx of students wearing brightly coloured football kits running towards us with smiles, ‘There’s still hope’. The excitement on their faces was refreshing, everyone was extremely keen to go up against other forms and finally settling the battle of the strongest form!

We were able to quickly begin the matches. Each form had 8 players and competed in a minimum of 3 matches against different teams. All the players pushed themselves to the limit and took this event very seriously, conducting themselves politely and honourably.

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This

year the Sports Committee and STEM committee joined forces to develop the ‘NERDLETICS’ event (logo designed by Onkar Riyat), which was held in the upper gym on Friday 13th December 2019.

Nerdletics was designed as an inter-form competition aimed at year 12 students to test their STEM knowledge and sporting skills in a tutor group battle. Each tutor group nominated two of their brightest and most sporting students to represent them with prizes including £10 gift card for Bronze Place, £15 gift card for Silver Place and £20 gift card for Gold Place. The students were challenged with buzzer rounds, kick-up challenges, a cup-stacking challenge, picture round, multiple choice round and even a wheel barrow obstacle race. The atmosphere was fun and exciting as the competition heated up to reveal our two winners Guy Boonyarakyotin and Rhiannon Pateman 12W. The committees came together with students in year 12 to share a slice of cake and talk about their passions…it’s not surprising that many who took part in the event went on to join committees themselves.

Sharan Saroya and Ria Kalia (year 13 Deputy Head Girl Chair of STEM Committee)

Football is a clear passion in our Sixth form and we were able to explore the talent at Cranford with this event. It is one of the most popular and social pastimes yet as the pupils I discussed the event with stated ‘it’s hard to organise a big event like this outside of school, it costs lots of money and everyone’s too busy with schoolwork’. So what more perfect way than having a tournament after school, allowing the students to be productive and full of endorphins when they study at home. This was aimed at reigniting the Sixth formers passion for exercise, as it can be a difficult shift between GCSE to the more intense world of A Levels, where sports may no longer be seen as a priority. We, as a Sports Committee are here to change this; the inter-form was the first step towards our goal. The tournament was received enthusiastically and all the participants were thankful and excited for more upcoming events.

We had several rounds and then it quickly reached the very intense finals between 12R and 12U. These are both amazingly powerful teams, with great stamina and control throughout all of their games. In the end 12R won the cup (well technically a box of Chocolates) with perfect finesse in the last few seconds of this heated match.

Overall, the Inter-form competition was an absolute success. Everyone was extremely supportive including the lovely teachers that volunteered to supervise, the friends that came to watch and the participants. We have planned several other events due to the positive feedback we received on this first Sixth form inter-form. We aim to keep up the fun and emphasize the importance of sports at Cranford.

Aya Sadouki (Deputy Head Girl and Chair of Sports Committee)

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C

ranford celebrated the new year with our annual awards evening held at the Riverside on Thursday 9th January 2020, a fitting setting for such a prestigious event in our school calendar.

The Evening was a huge success with recipients of awards sitting down to celebrate with parents, staff and guests to a meal and entertainment. As is the tradition, the evening is a packed programme of speeches, awards and entertainment ably hosted by the student leadership team led by the Head Girl, Prabhleen Ghattoray and Head Boy, Rohit Bhullar and an opportunity to look back over the success of the previous academic year and to share some delicious Indian food.

We were delighted to welcome as our guest speaker Lady Frances Sorrell, chair of The Sorrell Foundation and The Saturday Club Trust who was delighted to present the various awards to students. In her speech she spoke of her joy in working with such an outstanding school over the years and how important it is to continue to encourage young people to engage with the arts.

There were a number of special awards presented including The Pride of Cranford award, which was awarded to two year 10 students, Mahwish Khan and Eduarda Silva. They had the presence of mind to take the number plate of a vehicle involved in a domestic

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situation which was then dealt with by the police who praised them for their quick thinking response and for their outstanding act of community service. The Services to the Community Award went to Rachel Doherty for her work with the community particularly through holiday projects and working with the Heston West Big Local and the Rod Lewis award was given to Chester Aitken year 9 for his outstanding all round progress, in spite of many challenges.

The evening’s entertainment was truly diverse and of a very high quality including an extract from “The Merchant of Venice” by the Shakespeare in Schools group, a solo performance of an original song by Kavleen Aurora year 11 entitled “Trust You”; “Lane Boy” performed by Adi Asskoumi, Alexandru Marinescu, Mikael Sohail, Samuel Ubhi, and Corben Smith ended the programme with an original bhangra jam created by year 11 RSL students. But it was the stunning performance of “My Shot” from the musical Hamilton performed superbly by Adi Asskoumi, year 11 which stole the show.

After much applause, inspirational speeches and prize giving, everyone enjoyed a chance to catch up with the prize winners and their families, many of whom are now at university. The evening was a great opportunity to remember and celebrate all the happy memories of Cranford 2019.

Jessica Joyce (Event organiser)

Dear Jess a nd Pirmjeet , I just wante d to congra tulate you o it was wond n all the arr erful, all the angements fo young peop the presente r last night, le came up a rs were exce nd shook ha ptional and n ds so well, the entertain The atmosp ment was ou here for the ts tanding. whole even be with you ing was so all. positive, it was a joy to Many thanks too for the b eautiful flow ers and the book - grea t choice!

Warmest wis hes and tha nks The Sorrell Lady France Foundation s Sorrell / The Saturd ay Club Tru st

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2019

On

Thursday 21 November 2019 the entire staff came together for an award celebration event at the Heston Hyde Hotel: The Cranford Oscars was an opportunity for the staff to celebrate all the amazing things that go on at the school and to appreciate individual and collective achievements.

A total of 15 different awards were presented for categories ranging from Outstanding Trainee Teacher to Outstanding Whole School Contribution. All winners received a glass trophy to take home.

On arrival guests were greeted by the classical melodies played by the London Niche Stringed Quartet, as well as some stunning interpretations of modern music creating a magical start to the evening.

The presentations of the awards were followed by a delicious dinner and dancing to live music. This was appreciated by the staff who made considerable use of the dance floor for the rest of the evening.

Veronique Gerber (Associate Headteacher)

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2019

The award winners included: Outstanding department or team Science Department Outstanding In-class support Satpal Nagpal Outstanding extra-curricular Mahavir Ladwa Outstanding trainee teacher 2018-19 Priya Agarwal Middle leader award Kerry Mulhair Outstanding contribution to the local community Priscilla Ledlie Outstanding NQT 2018-19 Milton Venacio Ferreira Outstanding Tutor Barbara Lodge Outstanding staff mentor Aastha Swaminathan Innovation award Luke Joyce and Rory Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Hare (Music Department) Senior leader award Ruth Painting Outstanding support staff Bernadette Moir Outstanding teacher Kristy Foale Outstanding whole school contribution Julie Prunty Outstanding contribution to the school community (In memory of Claire Ghazi) Alan Fraser 113

Climate Conference 2019

On

Friday 22nd November 2019, six year 11 students, with an interest in the climate crisis and five year 12 A level Geography students set off for the new Hounslow Council Chambers.

The 111 bus brought us quickly to Hounslow.

When we arrived, we were all immediately impressed by the new council building, both the architecture and all the facilities.

The first half of the meeting took place in the Council Chambers in the style of a Global debate on ‘Climate Change Negotiations’. We split into 2 groups and each group was given a country to take a position in the debate. The year 11 students had Fiji and the year 12 students Nigeria. The debate was very informative, with the whole experience of using the council chamber and the facilities it provides being a highlight. We also learned in the process to negotiate with the other countered representatives to try and get the result we wanted and to have a prepared, evaluated response to present to the whole group.

The second session was themed ‘Local Action’ and took the format of a marketplace. In this session we had the opportunity to see what local groups and businesses were doing to help the local environment and to help Hounslow address climate change at a local level. We picked up some really useful ideas that we hope to be able to implement at Cranford when the situation allows.

All in all, the day was very worthwhile. I and the students gained a great deal from participating in this kind of debate and we all left the meeting have learnt something new and with a greater understanding of the issues involved both locally and globally.

Simon Watton (Head of year 11)

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Winter Wonderland Reward Trip

M

onday 16th December 2019 marked the rewards trip to Winter Wonderland for a group of dedicated year 13 students, who put hard work and effort into their roles of responsibility as committee members and prefects.

Accompanied by Ms Saroya, Ms Sidhu, Ms Nandra, Mr Singh and Mr Ferreira we kicked off the afternoon by grabbing our skates and experiencing the outdoor ice.

Despite some of us being complete beginners, it was quite entertaining to watch. After an hour of skating, we explored London’s biggest Christmas markets, relishing the food (most importantly the famous churros) and enjoying the evening lights of Hyde Park, before it was time to head back home. Overall the afternoon was one of the great examples of how Cranford rewards students for their hard work. A big ‘thank you’ to Ms Saroya who organised such an exciting trip and to all the teachers who came along to experience the day with us, we all had a great time.

December 2019

Prabhleen Ghattoray (Head Girl, year 13)

The Winter Wonderland experience was amazing as it helped to reduce the stress of the upcoming mock exams, which was really needed at that time. It celebrated the success of our hard work and determination for running the different clubs and achieving the goals we had set. The ice rink brought everyone together, as everyone helped each other getting up, when they fell on the ground which was often. Overall, the experience was fantastic.

Sajneet Bagga (year 13)

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Year 7

Year 8

A Message from Mr Venâncio Ferreira

A Message from Ms Painting, Mr Seijas & Mr King

In

Whilst walking down the corridors I would often be stopped by members of staff raving about their year 7 classes and how wonderful and respectful they are.

Highlights of our time as Heads of year 8 included seeing our students act as amazing ambassadors for the school on Open Evening, give incredible performances at the talent show, get involved in creating an app with Amazon, write beautiful stories and poems for the Young Writers competition, complete the British Red Cross Heart Start first aid certificate, contribute to the 100 years of Women in the Met event, achieve amazing distances in the One World Marathon and of course, demonstrate outstanding attitude to learning, day in, day out.

July 2019 I had the privilege of welcoming year 7 to Cranford Community College for their Taster Day. It feels like a life time ago that they first stepped in through our blue gates. Then, in September, we officially welcomed them as fully fledged members of our community. During that first welcome assembly I saw in front of me a group of exceptionally talented young men and women with such incredible potential. Through the use of our bespoke Character Development Programme, which aimed at supporting transition and developing crucial skills for a successful academic and work career, our year 7s slotted seamlessly into Cranford’s way of life. They made strong friendships and connected easily with their teachers.

Kindness is a key characteristic in our year group. We have established a system whereby we focus on selflessness and support for one another. You will often find our year 7 students supporting each other with work, uniform, social times and even identifying subtle acts of kindness. We have also developed a year group that is aware of its own mental and emotional health needs and then gave them the tools to be able to communicate those needs to members of staff.

Throughout the year, our two power words were TEAM WORK and OUTSTANDING. I wanted a year group that was a team with an overarching goal: to achieve ‘outstanding’ in everything they did, both academically and also in their day to day lives. The focus was being the best version of themselves. Naturally I had very high hopes, but I couldn’t have predicted the heights that our year 7s would reach. From participating in not one but several charitable projects (eg., The football interform competition and the Christmas market) to achieving an incredible 82% ‘Good and outstanding’ attitude to learning across the curriculum.

During lockdown we have had students completing high quality work, checking in on their teachers and even putting their creative skills to the test by designing videos like Youness Goudari in 7Y who helped spread hygiene awareness and posters designed to celebrate our incredible NHS like the one created by Tashmin Kaur in 7T. I am incredibly proud, privileged and excited to be able to share this stellar achievement. I am looking forward to the next chapter.

To the year 7s I would like to say, ‘Thank You’ for an incredible year, stay safe and let’s make next year even more incredible.

Miton Venâncio Ferreira (Head of year 7) 116

It

was an absolute pleasure and privilege to look after year 8 up until the amazing Mr King could take over. During the term and a half, we saw the year group get involved with so much – wherever you looked, Year 8 were there, making us proud.

We know that you will go from strength to strength with Mr King to lead you and, although you won’t see as much of us, we will be watching from the side lines because we can’t wait to see what you achieve next.

Ruth Painting and Uxio Seijas (Previous Joint Heads of year 8)

Having nearly reached my threemonth milestone as the Head of Year 8 I have to say how impressed I am with the attitude, mindset and resilience shown by our year 8 students both before and during our operation as a virtual school. I knew that year 8 were a year group with a huge potential and they really have proven that to be a fact with the approach to the challenges that the school closure has forced them to face. I cannot wait for normal service to resume again. More to come from us all in 2020-2021.

Bradley King (Current Head of year 8)

Year 9

Year 10

A Message from Mr Nation-Tellery

A Message from Ms Sidhu

The

year 9s, what a phenomenal year group! I am so proud to be their Head of Year as I watch them go from strength to strength. They are dynamic, unique, funny, brave, energetic, creative, ambitious, kind and talented. I have seen them acting, singing, dancing, painting, studying, competing, socialising, baking and they take everything in their stride. Like any group of people there are ups and downs, but these students always bounce back even higher than they were before.

I had the privilege of taking a group of students from the year group to the Christmas markets in Germany in December. It was a long coach journey but everyone was in such high spirits that even the travelling was part of the fun.

We packed in lots of activities in to a short period of time and despite the cold, we spent the entire time smiling and laughing.

That all seems like a bit of a distant memory now but since we have been at home they have been showing off their creative skills by competing in Mona Lisa and ninja art challenges and sending me their pictures. I had no idea just how talented some of them were.

In

September 2019 I remember welcoming my year group back after their summer break as GCSE students. It felt as though they had all suddenly matured from children to young adults with clear goals set out for the next two years as they recognised the hard work, motivation and dedication that lay ahead. Our aim for year 10 was to provide students with the tools they will need for the rest of their academic and professional lives. Tools such as: resilience, motivation, drive, work load management, independence and academic curiosity. It is certainly fair to say that many of our year 10 students have been striving to master these skills as they have challenged themselves by leaping into brand new subject areas and impressing members of staff with their thirst for knowledge and drive for academic excellence.

This academic year has been one full of opportunities for year 10 as, although they have their eyes set on their exams, they are also starting to think about professional industries. We have worked with CISCO, Speaker’s Trust and KPMG to expose our students to as many opportunities as possible to allow them to flourish into confident and first class candidates for the world’s leading careers. Students were able to complete work experience placements and public speaking workshops to prepare them for the wider world. Unfortunately, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the KPMG Future Leaders Technology programme for Girls has been postponed but organisers were impressed with the 17 students who applied as they expressed enthusiasm and creativity by designing a possible ‘next big invention’ as part of the application process. Namely, Shamaila Baig impressed the leaders of this initiative at KPMG with her creation of an app to encourage healthier food choices and reduce our use of plastic in the environment.

During lockdown I asked year 9 to fill in a questionnaire and I received an astounding amount of replies. There were a wide range of answers, some were short and sweet, others were more elaborate but they were all very reflective. There were a few consistent themes in their answers. The vast majority wrote that they missed their friends and teachers. I think if teachers were given the same questionnaire, they would also say that they missed their colleagues and the students too.

As their Head of Year, I am incredibly proud of the hard work and dedication our students have put into the first year of their GCSE’s. We have had a mixture of students who have strived to push themselves to achieve nothing but the best, whilst others have worked tirelessly to improve their work ethic and focus on a growth mindset – it truly has been a year of overcoming fears, growing up and rising to the challenge of GCSE’s. This determination to improve and progress is evident in our ongoing termly reviews of the year group’s overall Attitude to Learning data, whereby the number of students who are demonstrating an Outstanding ATL across the board is ever increasing. As with adults, our students have risen to the challenge of remote learning during the lockdown as they continue to persevere and propel their way towards their goals of being high achievers.

But we will be back together soon and as year 9 move to year 10 I am sure I will continue to be proud of my phenomenal year group.

To the year 10s - I would like to say that I look forward to another year filled with exciting milestones and celebrations of success with you!

Matt Nation-Tellery (Head of year 10)

Randeep Sidhu (Head of year 10)

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Year 11

A Message from Mr Watton

Year 12

A Message from Mr Singh

It

would have been great to do this in person, having the opportunity to speak to you all directly, but sadly that is now not possible.

Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s been 6 years since you started at Cranford and in that time you have grown immensely. From the small children I met all those years ago to the incredible group of young adults I have had the pleasure of supporting over the past year.

I have tried to support you all, treating you the way that I treat myself: being tough, pushing you and challenging you to be better, holding you to account and not allowing you to make excuses for yourself, but always with your best interests in mind.

Year 11

you will forever be unique in the history of the school as being the first year 11 group not to sit their GCSE exams and the first year 11 group to get their results based upon centre assessed grades. But to me and your form tutors, Ms Brooks and Mr Bina original tutors, Ms Awuah and Ms Manole who have been with you since year 8 and Ms Lodge and Ms Sheikh later but much appreciated additions to the tutor team and not forgetting Mr Rattu, head of Year and then back as form tutor; you will always be unique for far more than just that.

You are unique for your sense of humour, your kindness, your freedom of spirit and your generosity. You are unique for your adaptability, as you have shown in this period of lockdown, your teamwork and your ability to make me smile. You are unique for your talents in music, art, sport, drama and in your creativity and you are unique for your intellectual curiosity and ambition.

I know you will use this uniqueness over the summer to ensure that regardless of the lockdown you are the best prepared year group ever to start your Sixth Form courses at Cranford. I look forward to seeing you all when we can meet again and know that for the vast majority of you, I will enjoy even more the next 2 years of working with you in our Cranford Sixth Form. We are the class of 2020.

Simon Watton (Head of year 11) 118

I hope that I have shown you all that I care, not always by words, but in a practical way, by taking action and doing things to support you, providing opportunities, encouraging you to take chances and do something different.

I do hope that over the last 6 years you will have had a great experience at school that helps set the foundation for your future.

You are the year group that achieved the best ever GCSE results at Cranford for which you deserve to be very proud.

The winds of life and living will blow you all in different directions, away from what has been and is now; some directions expected, others less so. You will remember your school years forever, those first formative years that made you into the person you are now, the person you are becoming and the person you will be. Make sure that person is someone you would look up to now and youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll be doing just fine.

Goodbye and good luck.

Aaron Singh (Head of year 12)

Year 12

Christmas Foodbank Collections 2019

Cranford Community College and Hounslow Community Foodbox continued to work together to develop their long standing relationship in the past year with another drive amongst students and staff to raise donations. Foodbox is a volunteer run registered charity (1170666) which provides emergency food, support and advice to those who are in need and live in the London Borough of Hounslow. The run up to Christmas saw staff and students alike raiding their cupboards, managing to gather together over 900 items and requiring multiple vehicles to transport the collection. Year 12 students undertook to organise and manage the collection and assist with the distribution. Yet again, the students and staff of Cranford showed their commitment to the community and really came together to demonstrate the values we prize and have come to expect from those working and learning at the school.

Aaron Sohi (Head of year 12)

Farewell to Year 13

A Message from Ms Patel

On

Friday 20th March 2020, schools across the UK closed their doors to most pupils due to the lockdown. For 18-years-olds schools were suddenly out.

Friday 22nd May 2020 would have been the final day for our year 13 students who are bidding farewell after seven years of learning at Cranford to embark on the next stage of life in education, training or employment with an extraordinary range of memories to remember.

Over the past two years Cranford students have studied hard to gain their A Levels and further their aspirations towards their chosen career. It has been a roller-coaster journey of highs and lows and as I say my farewell from a distance it is with tears of joy knowing these wonderful young people will go on to make a great future for themselves. I had been planning my farewell speech for a while, but no words could describe the way I feel as I say good bye to the mature young adults you have become. From the bottom of my heart I wish you all the best for the future and please keep in touch. You will always be part of the Cranford family.

Bharti Patel (Head of year 13)

Quarantine / Life on lockdown with Class of COVID-19

119

Message to Year 13 from the Student Leadership team 2019-2020 Dear year 13, Although our time together was not supposed to end so quickly and unexpectedly, we have finally made it to the end of the race. Our teachers always said that â&#x20AC;&#x153;year 13 would be a year to rememberâ&#x20AC;?, but who would have thought that we would be remembered as the year group to not sit our end of year exams! Whilst our time at Cranford has come to an end and it has been a roller coaster of a journey for all of us, we are going to be starting a new, exciting chapter of our lives. It has been a privilege to have been a part of an amazing year group and to share unforgettable memories over these past years.

Thank you to all the staff at Cranford who have supported us unconditionally to the very end face to face and through the virtual school.

As we embark on a new journey, I wish you all the very best for whatever you choose to pursue in life; we are all going to go ahead and achieve great things. Farewell and best wishes Class of 2020!

(Prabhleen Ghattoray, Head Girl 2019 -2020)

During my 7 years at Cranford Community College, I have learnt a huge amount, not just about the world around me, but also about myself. I have had opportunities to cross paths with a multitude of

120

extraordinary people, students and teachers alike, all of whom I have learnt a great deal from. I have been privileged to receive endless support from everyone around me. I have felt appreciated and accepted as part of what has become like a family to me, with the reassurance that we are all in this together. I have had several memorable opportunities that have aided my personal development and taken part in lessons that will forever stay with me and guide me through life.

Thank you Cranford.

Rohit Bhullar (Head Boy 2019 -2020)

Our sixth form journey was cut short but the valuable skills and memories we acquired will last forever.

Being deputy head boy has been a challenging but rewarding undertaking. It has given me the opportunity to meet enthusiastic individuals across all years and to work with the greatest teachers. It is a shame to say goodbye but I wish everyone good luck and success as they start on their new pathways.

Sukhjinder Padda (Deputy Head Boy 2019-2020)

I cannot believe that an unforgettable seven years at Cranford have come to an end. I have never been fond of endings but what excites me is that we are all able to move onto new adventures and new beginnings.

The countless opportunities I have been given at Cranford are absolutely phenomenal. I really cannot

thank all my teachers enough as they have inspired us all to become better individuals and have always encouraged us to strive to do our personal best. They have influenced me in a positive way which has molded me into the confident and determined person I am today. Most importantly, I am so grateful to have made such amazing memories which I will cherish, be proud of and will never forget.

Nabeeha Ali (Deputy Head Girl 2019-2020)

As much as it hurts to say goodbye to the last 7 years in such a sudden way, it is important to keep all our memories alive. Never forget the first days, the reunions after long breaks or the amazing school trips.

Our cohort is a strong one: we have been through a lot together and we will continue to succeed.

I am so thankful for the people who shaped my journey, from the teachers who have taught me for years to the ones who though they did not teach me never failed to lift my spirits. Most of all I want to thank my peers: the class of 2020 has been really fortunate to be filled with such funny and charismatic people. I will not say I shall miss you because I know our paths will continue to cross for years from now.

What I will say to you is good luck for everything else life throws at you - never stop trying your hardest no matter what and keep up hope.

Ria Kalia (Deputy Head Girl 2019-2020)

I have thoroughly enjoyed my time at Cranford.

Moving schools was a massive decision that truly paid off...I have had a blast. The way the school ended was not ideal. However, it does not take away from all the unforgettable experiences I have had over the last two years. Becoming Deputy Head Girl as well as the Chair of the Sports Committee was an absolute highlight. I feel so honoured to have had the opportunity to represent our school and hopefully improve it. I was able to make speeches and presentations across all year groups about topics I am passionate about.

I also had the chance to host the annual awards event alongside the talented student leadership team which was a big achievement and extremely rewarding. The sports committee and I were able to organise several events throughout my time at Cranford. This has helped many students to understand the importance of sports in their daily lives and how it has the ability to promote both physical and mental health. A huge success was the final Year 12 interform event which took place in February and was received extremely positively by all participants. Overall, I loved every second of my time at Cranford and look forward to what comes next, confident in the skills set I have built up during these amazing two years.

Aya Sadouki (Deputy Head Girl 2019-2020)

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Introducing

The Student Leadership Team 2020-2021 The new Student Leadership team has now been elected and we are delighted to introduce them to you. They have already been busy setting out how they want to support you in the coming year. Check out their new site on FROG:

https://frog.cranford.hounslow.sch.uk/152231922904df07a71827a1cc442beb Sharandeep Saroya (Post 16 School Improvement Team)

Since year 7, I have witnessed Cranford Community College and its students grow as one entity. The school has offered a multitude of opportunities throughout the years and has always encouraged me to be the best version of myself. I want the next generation of students to feel the same. As Head Girl, I aim to work with the rest of the student leadership team, committees and prefects of year 12 to ensure Cranford continues to thrive and bring positive change to the wider community. I am studying A Level Biology, Chemistry and English Literature as I hope to pursue Dentistry at university, and I believe the role of Head Girl will enable me to develop vital skills for the future. It is both a great privilege and responsibility to represent the student body at such a level, and I am excited to work with pupils and teachers across the school in the coming year.

Anjali Bhambra (Head Girl - Chair of Charities Committee)

My main role as Deputy Head Boy is to work alongside the whole sixth form team and to provide support and be a strong role model to younger students. My main aim for the Arts and Culture Committee is to raise peopleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s awareness about the wide range of cultures within our community as well as to increase student participation in the creative arts. It is a great way to display the huge talent pool at Cranford and to increase the involvement of all students in shaping their school.

Ashley Shoy-Skepple (Deputy Head Boy - Chair of the Arts and Culture Committee)

Both my roles as the leader of the Environment Committee and sixth form prefect have provided me with a strong teamwork ethic. This will allow me to make positive changes to the environment in Cranford with the help and support of my team. As Deputy Head Girl, I relish the responsibility to help my school achieve even higher standards and an even greater reputation in the community.

Jasneet Gaba (Deputy Head Girl â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Chair of the Environment Committee)

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Student Leadership Team 2020-2021 Like many things that I do in life, I am writing this caption without much of an idea and the same goes for me undertaking the role of Head Boy. But like many things in life, I believe that the most educational experiences are the ones that we undertake together with other people, who are probably also as confused about the meaning of life as we are. I will be looking forward to working with the Cranford community (including, but not limited to, everyone currently reading this paragraph) during the next year, and to make this a valuable experience for us all.

Guy Harit Boonyarakyotin (Head Boy - Chair of the STEM Committee)

Having been elected as Deputy Head Boy and leader of the Sports Committee, I will ensure that student feedback is actively listened to and acted upon within the school. Whilst studying is an important aspect of my life, I also partake in many extra – curricular activities and have represented the school in various cricket tournaments as captain. I have also been a leading member of a cricket club for almost 10 years. This has made me understand the crucial role that sports can play in developing and increasing a person’s skillset.

I am a hard working, conscientious individual with the passion and desire to help provide greater sports facilities for students. I also want students to get involved by helping the committee organise interactive inter – form competitions for everyone to enjoy. I am open to any sensible suggestions and will aim to work in collaboration with the PE department to create a high number of fixtures for all of the school’s sports teams.

Ruhaan Mughal (Deputy Head Boy - Chair of the Sports Committee)

Being a student at Cranford since Year 7 has helped me grow as a person and has definitely shaped who I am today. I am both privileged and proud to undertake my new roles as Deputy Head Girl as well as leader of the WellBeing Committee. In this position, I hope to inspire those who are struggling with their well-being and to motivate them by providing activities that help build the required skills needed to live a full and happy life. Moreover, it is important to raise awareness about different topics and ensure that Cranford is a safe space for everyone to feel welcome and be open about themselves.

Jaineet Soni (Deputy Head Girl - Chair of the Well Being Committee)

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Cranford in Lockdown

â&#x20AC;&#x153;Many of my friends and I have been watching the news and actually paying attention.

Not because we are mandated in school or told to by our parents but because we are finally curious about what is happening around the worldâ&#x20AC;?.

â&#x20AC;&#x153;Another thing I will always remember about this dark time is how the whole world has come together to support one another in this difficult time â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Like bees in a hiveâ&#x20AC;?.

Manpreet 11Z

Yuvraj 11V

On

20th March 2020, Cranford closed its doors to all but the most vulnerable students and those with key worker parents due to the Coronavirus pandemic.

For many years, we have heard students every winter asking each other about potential snow days and the answer is always the same: â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Whatever else is happening with local schools, Cranford never closesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;.

It took a global crisis on an unprecedented scale to shut our doors, but as is true across the UK and indeed the world, it is often only in genuine adversity that you see the true strength and spirit of a community and that has certainly been the case at Cranford. The following pages will hopefully give you a glimpse of some of the care and creativity, innovation and inspiration in the most challenging circumstances, which our students and staff have exemplified. It has without doubt been, as Ofsted once so wisely put it â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;beyond outstandingâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;.

Cranford prepared for the pandemic early, with purchases of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) in mid-January that were later passed on to West Middlesex University Hospital to be used by our heroic frontline colleagues in the NHS. When the Prime Ministerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s instruction to close schools came on March 18th 2020, we were as ready as we could be and there was still time for staff training on Thursday 124

19th March 2020 on virtual learning and our online learning platform FROG, before final assemblies for year 11 and year 13. There were tears and fond farewells but hugs had already been replaced by elbow taps and socially distanced waves and good wishes. This was an end of term like no other. It was also the beginning of an entirely new chapter for the academy and the community.

At the heart of our virtual school have been two priorities: innovative and exciting learning and teaching and the highest quality pastoral care. Form tutors have made weekly phone calls to all students, with some more in need in daily contact, and the stunning collaborative leaps forward in teachersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; (and studentsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;) use of technology has made remote learning ever less remote.

Powerpoint presentations on FROG have moved to learning mats and live lessons on MS Teams and weekly tutor calls have become video group chats with the chance for students and staff to see each other and share learning and laughter, even in this most difficult of times.

Alongside our academic provision, Cranfordâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s partnership with Heston West Big Local leapt into action and the pop-up foodbank has been providing food parcels to 120 families throughout the lockdown.

Social Skills lesson.

Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m thankful for my cats, Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m thankful for my afternoon tea, Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m thankful for blue skies, Etc. I owe great respect to our doctors, And a handful of actors,

â&#x20AC;&#x153;Cranford is also something I miss: coming to school laughing with my friends and enjoying the canteen food.

Oh, the canteen food! Deliciousâ&#x20AC;?.

Iman 11W

This group of volunteers, including staff, students and community members, have been joined each Tuesday by increasing numbers of colleagues organising the printing and mail-out of work and resources to 100 students. More recently we achieved full connectivity for our whole community by delivering laptops and, to date, 92 of the academyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s own desktop PCs along with internet dongles to ensure that everyone is now online and connected. We may have been locked in but no child has been locked out of their learning or our community and we have remained fully inclusive.

At the same time, students and ex-students have been going above and beyond. A new student leadership team, elected during lockdown, have produced their own web pages, videos and challenges. Our alumnae, led by Magic Singh and Esther Nicholls, have given their time to making uplifting and thought-provoking materials for our current students, from magic shows to lift spirits to guides on what to read and how to prepare for university degrees.

The work students have been producing is the most spectacular of all these achievements. There is more than enough unbelievable poetry and painting to fill a gallery when we return. From year 10s using their daily exercise time to keep running logs with the PE department; the year 11 bandâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s followers on social media topping 100,000; English You Tube channels; year 9 rainbow ninjas; individual Physics tutorials;

But I owe it all to our bus drivers Who get us from A to B safely.

Without our key workers we would all be in a pickle, As they keep our earth turning without a tickle! Â We have one planet that was handed to us, And we need to do our best with it.

But if we do not comply, We havenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t done our bit.

Daniel 10U

Geographyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s exploration of rainforests; the School Counsellorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s mindfulness activities; the list is endless and things to make us proud are everywhere. Students and staff have been baking, building, sewing, cycling, writing, drawing, singing and learning their socks off.

Staff have never worked so hard recording assemblies and lessons, marking and feeding back to students in ever more creative ways and donating ipads, bikes and above all their time across evenings, weekends and holidays.

We are now busily planning our return to real school life. All year 6 pupils have been interviewed online and exciting transition activities are available for them, alongside the transition sites for year 11 and year 13 full of engaging activities, opportunities and stretch.

Whatever difficulties are to come, we can be proud of all we have achieved and confident in our futures.

In the words of one year 11: â&#x20AC;&#x153;I will always remember about this dark time how the whole world has come together to support one another â&#x20AC;&#x201C; like bees in a hive.â&#x20AC;? Nowhere has this been truer than at Cranford Community College.

Rob Ind (Joint Head of School)

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Lockdown Food Bank

Where a Community Comes Together

At

126

the start of lockdown in March 2020 we realised that many vulnerable households did not have the means or ability to feed themselves. Government and Local Authority schemes were not in place and many people could not go out because of shielding. Add to that the shortages of food on supermarket shelves and the situation did not look good. As a result, the Heston and Cranford community came together to help feed the vulnerable in our community. This pop up foodbank delivery service is being led by Heston West Big Local and Cranford Community College. The initiative is being supported by our partners Berkeley Academy, Heston Royal British Legion, Heston Action Group and Seema Malhotra MP for Feltham and Heston.

After 11 weeks of deliveries we have delivered over 1000 food parcels bringing food to over 430 people in the Heston and Cranford area on a weekly basis.

We were able to secure the supply of food from Chartwells Catering Company with each household receiving a pack of food to the value of between £40 and £50 including items like rice, pasta, tinned tomatoes, tuna, corned beef, beans, milk, bread, cereal, tinned fruit, eggs and toilet roll, for a week.

There are many things to worry about at this difficult time so let’s try and make food something that people do not need to worry about.

A huge thank you to the amazing volunteers who have given up their time including bank holidays to make this all happen. We have had over 40 people volunteer to either sort the deliveries or to deliver. In addition to community volunteers we have had Cranford staff and students all working together to support their community. A particular big shout out to Ryan and Damon who have been stunning working two days a week right from day one.

Alan Fraser (Assistant Headteacher - Director of Community Partnerships)