Editorial
by Kevin Prunty (Executive Headteacher)
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elcome to the Cranford Review of the academic year 2011/2012. It is amazing to reflect upon the enormous range of curricular and extra-curricular events, activities, trips and enrichment opportunities that have helped to develop and realise the potential and the differing talents that exist within our student and staff population. I can hardly believe that we achieved all of this (and so much more) within just one academic year. This brochure, whilst only snippets, gives a real sense of Cranford and, in my judgment provides strong evidence of Cranford Community College as an ‘OUTSTANDING’ school. Thanks are due to the dedicated staff who make this rich mix of learning experiences happen and to pupils, parents and ‘friends of Cranford’ who participate so enthusiastically. I am particularly proud of our ‘Class of 2012’ students on their excellent performances in GCSE and A level exams this summer which has meant that examination results at Cranford Community College in 2012 were the best ever and further extend the high achievement and very rapid progress that the pupils and the school now make relentlessly year on year. I encourage you to visit our website www.cranford. hounslow.sch.uk to see more detail on the examination results. These outcomes have set a new standard and challenge for students in lower years and their staff to plan to surpass. These qualifications and skills represent a real asset for our young people in a very competitive academic, economic and employment climate and yet they only describe part of the picture. This brochure perhaps describes a more complete landscape. As you will no doubt be able to tell from this digest, Cranford has a great ethos, is bursting with aspiration and is a happy place to be, exemplified for example, by the outstanding levels of pupil attendance across the school, excellent pupil retention rates and the very low turnover of teachers. When Cranford became an academy, we decided to adapt the curriculum in a number of ways. 2
We chose to use some of the new funding from being an academy and from the pupil premium to support initiatives aimed at nurturing High Achievers, those with untapped potential and talent. This year’s GCSE and A-level results will inspire us to continue this investment. I am delighted that in the coming year 2012-13 for example, amongst a range of new initiatives and opportunities to support High Achievers, we will include the following targeted programmes. Programme 1: The ATB has provided funding for 2012-14 to support projects for those students choosing A level in sciences (and related subjects) who wish to pursue competitive science degrees such as medicine, dentistry, pharmacy, particle physics, aeronautical engineering, etc. This will enable a variety of projects linked to higher education and the cutting edge, including a project with CERN where the recent experiments supporting the existence of the Higgs Boson has initiated the dawn of a new age of scientific knowledge and breakthroughs as well as links with companies like Airbus & Boeing and universities specialising in Engineering, Medical Physics, Medicine and Dentistry, Ophthalmology, etc. Programme 2: Following a successful KS2 High Achievers Summer School, teachers are currently being appointed by the ‘Cranford Group of Schools’ for the new ‘KS2 and KS3 High Achievers Centre’ which is scheduled to open in late Autumn 2012/early spring 2013 at the Globe. The High Achievers Centre will be developing able and talented students in Key Stage 3 that attend Cranford Community College and in Key Stage 2 that attend nominated local primary schools and providing a range of aspirational and higher learning (stretch) opportunities. The ‘High Achievers Centre’ will act as a hub for acceleration activity and will aim to engage external providers such as universities, businesses and private providers to expand capacity and opportunity. I hope you enjoy reading this diverse and gripping digest of 2011/12 and I’m confident that you will understand why I remain so proud of the school, its students, and its community.
Cranford Community Hub
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hat a wonderful year it has been, not only for Cranford students, parents and staff, but for the entire community. There have been so many big events but I’ve selected some of my highlights. In addition to the fabulous school events we have had many great community events which have welcomed tens of thousands of community users to the school site and made excellent use of the facilities. In October 2011, for example, Colva Union held an annual ‘Get together’ for people who originate from an area in Goa. This was swiftly followed by the annual International Kendo Championships in November 2011 with the world’s 70 top teams from competing for the whole weekend. This year’s competition was more special as our home team, Mumeishi Kendo, won the tournament. Congratulations to the Mumeishi club that have been based at Cranford Community College from its very beginnings. In January 2012, we played host to the Pakistan Welfare (Hounslow) Association’s Annual Dinner, prior to the all-important elections for committee positions in February 2012. I don’t think I’ve ever seen so many candidates and such a wonderful turn out of voters. Democracy is clearly alive and kicking in our community. Similarly, the Indian Association, Puthohar, came to Cranford in May 2012 for their annual event. Then in June 2012, we were musically entertained by the National Children’s Orchestra. They came to Cranford for a long weekend of rehearsals in preparation for the Queens Diamond Jubilee. Those of you that were lucky enough to see them here or on TV or at the Diamond Jubilee itself will testify to the high quality and talent of the youth orchestra. They are world class. I was very proud when I saw them on television playing for the Queen. Our next community organisation was the Gunatit Mission who was celebrating the birthday of one of its religious leaders. Next, a film crew arrived mid-June 2012 led by ex-pupils making a pilot short film about teenage issues called ‘Pre-Mature’. It is great to see successful former students returning to Cranford Community College for a range of diverse projects. Before the end of June 2012, we had the Balkunji Gujarati School with their end of year programme followed by a weekend with the West Drayton Youth Football Tournament. The BA Softball tournament was also great fun at the end of June 2012 and then in July 2012, the Goan Association had their big annual event which this year, in the strong sun, attracted nearly 10,000 people with plenty of entertainment, food and drink to go round, including a fun fair for the children (well mostly for the children). It just felt like a giant family party and everyone, no matter their background, was made very welcome. The Goan community followed this up with another children’s event in the middle of August 2012. Cranford has also hosted a myriad of smaller community events including numerous weddings, parties and other celebrations. This is on top of all the regular sport, music, dance, community groups and learning that takes place regularly within the ‘Cranford Hub’ and all the outreach activities that we are involved in out on the estates and in the local community. What a great year. As Hub Manager I get to meet such interesting and diverse people who are all working together supporting their community and I think next year will be even better (It always is!).
By Jo Pearson (Hub Manager) 1
Cranford’s visit to Tianjin It
wasn’t the smoothest of landings, indeed our arrival in Beijing was greeted by combined relief as the plane touched down at Beijing Capital International Airport. It had been a long flight via Munich, where we had a 3 hours stop over, but the whole experience was to prove it was worth every minute of the return flight. A delegation from Cranford last visited Tianjin in 2008, although in between, Mr Prunty (Headteacher) and Mr Dobison had visited China in 2010 to reaffirm and sign the friendship agreement between TIFERT (Tianjin Institute for Economic Relations and Trade, recently renamed Tianjin College of Commerce) and Cranford Community College. The delegation of 32 staff, students and parents, was delighted by the very warm welcome received from everyone. Since the last visit, Tianjin has continued to develop and the small road outside the college is now a 6 lane highway, typical of the city today. The College is due to move its location to an Educational Park near the coast and we were able to visit the site – currently an area under construction, but already housing a technical college with the an amazing level of engineering technology for students to learn with. This will soon be where the new college buildings will be, due for completion in December 2013. The groups had the pleasure of visiting 2 primary schools, arriving at break time or rather morning exercise time. What a sight greeted the group as they walked into the school…some 2000 primary school students all exercising and working together. The performances we saw inside the school of dancing were astonishing and clearly represented many hours of practice. We were able to visit a clothing factory and saw how China is making goods for all the world. A walk up the Great Wall is a must and most of the group managed to reach the top (well the highest we were allowed to go) despite the heat and duly bought their “I have climbed the wall” T-shirt. Beijing offered its Olympic heritage to us and we were able to visit the Bird’s Nest close up and saw many of the modern buildings that now dominate the Beijing skyline. The final evening was a great time to celebrate the close collaboration and friendship between the two institutions, with good food, songs, dance and performances, speeches and gifts. It is clear that this is a friendship that is set to last. By Philip Dobison (Assistant Headteacher)
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-April 2012-
To visit China was an experience of a lifetime
When I arrived in China I was very surprised to see such modern buildings and so many of them. I was expecting everything to be much more ancient. I was faced with a gleaming city with fabulous infrastructure. We did see some of the most beautiful buildings both ancient and modern that were amazing. We visited schools, colleges and factories and did quite a lot of shopping, but the best thing about China was the people. I know I’ve made friends for life. By Jo Pearson (Hub Manager)
Before I arrived in China I had no idea what to expect, I thought it would be very like Hounslow or Hayes but, in fact, it wasn’t at all. The lifestyle of the people in Tianjin is very different to ours. I went to China as part of a group of staff and students; we flew out from Heathrow on a 2 hour flight to Germany then had a 9 hour flight to Beijing. When I arrived I was totally drained and I think the people at the college that we stayed at were very nice, they decided to let us rest first. The first day was very daunting, we were introduced to the college given our schedules and our rooms and told where everything was. Then the excitement began. During the first week we were introduced to some students, my partnerstudent and I were taken in to the ‘big city’ for a meal and I also went to his house and met his family. They were very welcoming people. I have also learnt that life’s hard for other people (they didn’t even have T.V’s) and to appreciate what you have and what you are given. The city of Beijing, I would say, is the biggest city ever, packed with shops, entertainment, loads of people and it was actually making me feel claustrophobic at times. After visiting the city, shopping malls and the families we were taken to one of the most famous sites in the world, the Forbidden City. It was the best place I have ever seen, crowded with people and they even took us on a tour. Could you imagine seeing a real Emperor ’s living quarters? It was very opulent, with engraved doors, it was also very colourful. The rooms were humongous. If I had a dream bedroom I would choose his! If you are visiting China I advise you to go and visit the Forbidden City. On the last day, we visited The Great Wall of China this was really the highlight of the trip, it was the best accomplishment I have ever achieved, and it was absolutely gigantic (although I found out it is a myth that about seeing it from the moon). In all of my life I have never seen anything like it. To experience walking The Great Wall was the best (although quite hard at times). In conclusion I wouldn’t have asked for any more from my first visit to China. I was glad I studied Mandarin in Year 7. To visit China was an experience of a lifetime. By Vincent Gill (year 8) 3
Our
The Awesome Kingswood Trip 2012
experience of Kingswood was awesome, we hadn’t even imagined that we would have so much fun and experience such a range of activities to challenge us and help us conquer our fears. We took part in many activities like: 3G Swing, Go Karts, Zip wire, Swimming in addition to many more. There was not a minute when we were not doing something; as our days at Kingswood were full with activities. We had a unique learning experience as every day we were in Kingswood’s high tech ICT rooms making our own interactive computer game. Starting with a base map, we built a series of doors and rooms, designing the worlds in which our characters will interact with others to complete their secret mission. We developed our I.T skills through the 4 lessons we had of Mission Maker. The skills we learnt over our 3 day stay at Kingswood varied from co-operation to teamwork. Everyone shared rooms with people in Year 8 and we all developed social skills. We had an awesome time and wish we could do this again. By Mandip Gill and Anaya Sharma (year 8)
“I was scared to jump to go on the zip wire but my group persuaded me to face my fears to do it and it helped my self-confidence”
“In Kingswood I learnt how to take on many different roles, such as group work, co-operation and leadership. These skills are very helpful and I will need them a lot in my life. I would love to experience this again.”
“I managed to conquer my fears”
“Kingswood is the best trip I’ve ever been on. My best thing that I have done is going on 3G Swing”
Cranford are pleased to announce the arrival of Frog, our new virtual learning environment. Frog will provide us with a set of online tools to help connect staff, student and parents. This is a long term project that will take several years to fully develop. Frog will allow students easy access and distribution of homework giving them a portal to receive important messages and briefings and safe social network tools. Staff will be able to set and mark homework online and provide access to more media rich resources to help students learn anytime and anywhere. Parents will have access to Frog’s parental portal. The parental login will allow parents to view their child’s attainment, achievement and attendance as well as monitor homework and rewards. By Barbara Lodge (E-Learning Co-ordinator) 4
Welcome
Saujanya Natarajan, Sameer Monir, Chelsea-Ann Cook and Richa Meggi went through the following selection process in the lead up to being appointed as’ The Quartet’. They were nominated by their peers, they wrote a letter of application to the new to Mr Prunty, they led 5 sessions Leadership during the year 11 into 12 Taster day, they interviewed students Team to find out what they wanted Quartet from the school and the 2012-2013 prospective Head Boy and Head Girl, wrote a manifesto.
On Thursday 5th July 2012 interviews were held. The panel included a representative from each year group, Nazir Qanai, Abrar Al-Habtani, Rufeiya Abdulrehman, Tupeka Sachdeva and Aadil Awan. All of the candidates interviewed extremely well. The final outcome was Sameer Monir been elected as Head Boy, Chelsea-Ann Cook as Head Girl, Saujanya Natarajan as Deputy Head Girl and Richa Meggi as Deputy Head Girl. We are delighted with the outcome and very confident that we have an outstanding Quartet who will work very well together to represent all students at Cranford and make an invaluable contribution as members of the Leadership team 2012-2013. Well done. By Rita Berndt (Assistant Headteacher)
“Applying for this honourable post is one of my greatest achievements so far. This role is going to equip me with invaluable skills that will always be an asset to me. From the process of drafting my letter of application to answering questions with the interview panel, it was all very encouraging and helped me convey my thoughts and ideas. Essential skills like communicating, leadership and management and organisation are all integral to this role and I am really looking forward to displaying these skills. It is time for me to give back to the school the outstanding support that is extended to me, and to the school community overall. Cranford is another home besides our own”. By Saujanya Natarajan (Deputy Head Girl 2012-2013)
“When Ms Berndt announced me as Head Boy I couldn’t believe it. I am glad I was able to join Cranford from the ILU and achieve this great honour and responsibility. I am going to do my best to follow each step that I said in my manifesto and also to achieve every goal which I have set to help make sure that Cranford Community College remains the best of all possible schools, academically and as a community, during my leadership year”. By Sameer Monir (Head Boy 2012-2013)
“Achieving Deputy Head Girl is very exciting and I am looking forward to the year ahead and all the great opportunities being part of the quartet will bring”. By Richa Meggi (Deputy Head Girl 2012-2013)
“Becoming the new Head Girl for Cranford Community College is a unique opportunity which will allow me to use all of my best qualities and skills as a representative for student voice and to work alongside the Leadership Team. It is a chance to help out around the school at different events and meet new people and show how stunning Cranford is as a school. When I found out that I was to be the new Head Girl I was over the moon as this is something which I wanted to become since I started year 7. Now that I am in this role I have set myself a few goals which I would like to achieve before the end of the year. I will be working alongside three amazing individuals who help to make up the quartet. We will make a great team for a great school”. By Chelsea Ann Cook (Head Girl 2012-2013) 5
First Story Festival
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irst Story is a national charity that was founded at Cranford Community College by Katie Waldegrave (former Head of History at Cranford Community College) with the support of best-selling author, William -September Fiennes. Mr Ind is one of the Trustees and 2011Mr Prunty is a Member of the Advisory Board of this excellent charity which now works with young people in school located in areas of disadvantage in various cities. It inspires young writers to showcase their talent and creativity in writing through weekly sessions held at the school. A group of students from years 9 to 13 were selected from Cranford to go to a festival at Lady Margaret Hall, Oxford University, organised by the founders of First Story. The purpose of the trip was to encourage younger writers and ‘would be’ writers to become part of the First Story group when in the sixth form. Famous authors such as: Philip Pullman, Michael Murpurgo and Mark Haddon spoke to us about their journey to becoming a writer and ways we could improve our writing. This was followed by a question and answer session where we were able to find out any additional information. After lunch we toured the castle, and then we were directed to an exhibition called ‘Poetry Circus’. Here, we were given the choice of one of the four elements: air, water, fire and earth. There was a battle (in terms of poetry, of course) to determine which we needed the most. This activity enabled us to interact with people that we did not know and develop our poetry skills. Some wrote comical poems and some wrote dark, horrific texts. However, everyone had a chance to present their work and was brave enough to stand in front of a large group. As well as being highly educational, it was an entertaining event complimented by the perfect weather and landscape. Everybody gained something from the day and we look forward to further events that First Story and Cranford Community College has to offer us. Read more about First Story at www.firststory.org.uk By Alexinder Riyat & Mariyum Mahmood (year 9)
First Story Open House: Broodings from Room B006
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his year the First Story annual Open House event on Thursday 28th June 2012, was entitled “Broodings from Room B006”. The inspirational writings from students across the year groups once again delighted an audience of parents, staff and fellow students. Some of the writings were inspired by our writer in residence Daljit Nagra, himself a poet, and focussed upon world issues close to their hearts; other writings used personal experiences and anecdotes to entertain the audience. One memorable piece entitled “Tristan and Jane” amused everyone with its clever parody on the wonderful Jane Austen novels. Broodings from B006 is our fifth anthology publication and like the others before it, well worth the read. Kirstie Miller and Michael Bedo from First Story congratulated the students and Lindsey Chatralia and Luisa Ara, who have been running the programme for the past two years, on another stunning year with First Story. 6
By Jessica Joyce (Assistant Headteacher)
Hounslow Teenage Read 2012 On Tuesday 20th March 2012 a selected number of year 9 students attended an award ceremony at the Paul Robeson Theatre, to be introduced to author Karen David. Karen was shortlisted last year for the Hounslow Teenage Read Award and gave a speech about her journey. Her speech gave us an idea of how hard it is to get work published, as well as how much money you actually get when one book gets sold. The trip was very enjoyable as we were able to meet students from other schools and talk about what books they enjoyed reading. The winners for the Hounslow Teenage Read 2012 were then announced: 1st:The Double Life of Cassiel Roadnight by Jenny Valentine 2nd: iBoy by Kevin Brooks 3rd: Boys Don’t Cry by Malorie Blackman
Some year 9 students had been on the judging panel for Cranford and had voted for the winners too. Karen started a book signing for any students that wanted to buy books; this was very successful as a lot of students wanted to find out more about Karen’s books. The trip was very interesting. By Hana Rehman, Keren David, Bismah Babar and Jagmit Kaur (year 9)
T.. . B U Z Z IN G A B O U
Hounslow Speed Read 2012 On 9th February 2012, six students from Cranford Community College took part in a “Speed Read”, which was held at the Paul Robeson Theatre. Fizza, Mariyum, Pariksit, Amy, Eren and Saginthan. To prepare for the event we had to pick a book that we had enjoyed reading and practise talking about why we liked it and why we would recommend it to someone. When we arrived, we were introduced to Tony Dallas, the man behind this event. First he had made everyone do an activity where they would get to know everyone better. For example, he would tell us to find someone with the same shoe size as you and we would have to stay with them until told otherwise. Later on we got to do the “Speed Read”, The Librarians described the activity like speed dating, I had picked “The Birth of a Killer” by Darren Shan to recommend. The boys went first, so they were the ones talking, while the girls were moving around. After that we were told to vote for the book that you thought was the best presented. I voted for “The Surrogate”, I liked the mystery in it. After this, it was the girls’ turn, which meant that it was my turn. Some people (from other schools) didn’t even know who Darren Shan was. The whole event was enjoyable and I wouldn’t mind going on this trip again, actually, let me rephrase that, I would LOVE to go again. By Fizza Amjad (year 9)
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he Times Spelling Bee is a really enjoyable activity. When I was asked to attend the Spelling Bee competition, I decided to give it a try and I really had a great time; it was a fun, learning experience. There were three LRC helpers from year 8 who had been chosen to take part in the spelling bee the year before and two 6th formers as mentors to encourage us to be confident and enjoy the time spent practising. Only the best spellers in year 7 are chosen to represent the school. We had to attend for one hour after school twice a week to practise our spellings in order to take a test. This takes you to the next level against all the students taking part representing their schools in the whole of Britain. You are given a user name and password in order to enter The Times Spelling Bee website, which has a variety of games and activities to enable you to spell more words correctly. The website also keeps track of how many points you are earning for each word correctly spelt, that total goes towards becoming rated on a league table out of all the students chosen from schools in Britain. I, myself, in less than 4 months gained an immense 66369 points and was rated on the league table 22/9950 of students nationally. You can also give and receive messages and challenges from your fellow teammates that you can accept to try to win against them and earn more points. If you are chosen to take part in The Times Spelling Bee, I thoroughly recommend you try it, I enjoyed it very much, along with the members in my team who took part and we got quite far in the 2012 competition. It will be a fun and fantastic experience that will definitely raise achievement and confidence in you to spell in front of your spelling bee group and other audiences. I would like to say well done to my fellow students who took part and performed in the spelling bee; Hamza Mohamed, Shivam Vegad, Mohamed Gulaid, Divan Odedra. By Carmen Gaur (year 7) 7
Young Carers at Cranford “The Young Carer’s project was brought to Cranford by Andrea Charman, an Educational Consultant who has worked with Mr Prunty at Cranford and other schools over several years. It was sponsored by the RSA (Royal Society for the encouragement of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce): an enlightenment organisation committed to finding innovative practical solutions to today’s social challenges, with cameras provided on loan by Olympus (although Mr Prunty convinced them to give the cameras to the students that took part). The RSA seeks to understand and enhance human capability so we can close the gap between today’s reality and people’s hopes for a better world. I just want to thank everyone involved for choosing our school to be the first in this project. It has given us, Young Carers, a chance to have fun and learn new fun things. Thank you for giving us the opportunity to do this. It has given me personally, more inspiration to have a career in Photography. I want to thank Olympus for giving us the cameras; they were excellent quality and great cameras. Lastly thank you to Patrick, the professional photographer that came in to teach our group the skills that he had learned and the lady from RSA that came to the formal presentation and buffet ceremony”. By Danielle Devine (year 10)
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In consultation with Kevin Prunty, the Headteacher, Cranford Community College was the first school to take up this young carer initiative. The project team selected photography as the vehicle to achieve positive outcomes for student carer participants. Photography gives an empowering voice to young carers enabling them to experience equality as members of their communities.
In the pathway 3 course for students in year 10, students have developed skills relevant to work and getting ready for jobs. The work they have done has included setting up their own business and visiting Hounslow Business Partnership where students continued to develop their employability skills. Students also took part in work experience and have run charity events within school. At the end of the summer term 2012, we held a celebration and awards event to share with students and their families the success of the course. The whole group took on the challenge of organising this event including making the refreshments and putting up displays of their work. By Kevin Biggs (Joint Head of ICT and Business Enterprise)
I enjoyed these lessons. We always do different things. In Business Studies we have done a Macmillan Coffee morning, a cake sale and car wash and for Interpersonal Skills course we made a booklet and we put pictures of different places in the school for new students who can’t speak English to find their way around. By Dorjan Hyseni (year 10)
In the last year we did the coffee morning; we set up the food and the tables. We did a car wash to help us set up a business and we did an ice cream sale. We also went to the Hounslow Business Partnership. We were learning about enterprise and we also learnt about what we shouldn’t do at a job interview. We learnt how to give a hand shake. Collage Arts has boosted my confidence in lessons and I take part more. I used to be scared to go up in a group and talk about stuff but now I am confident By Shabaka Bernard (year 10)
Every Wednesday I have Collage Arts, it is a fun and encouraging lesson. We do different projects: Making a short video, making a rap, how to design shirts etc. It boosted my confidence performing in front of people and helped with other lessons. Now in lessons I feel like I’m learning more and I’m taking part more often because of Collage Arts.We have two lessons a week of Enterprise skills, I learn a lot in that lesson about business skills and selling techniques like offers and persuading people. It is good because it’s more practical than written. We put what we’d learnt into action when we sold lollies and offered a service for a car wash. We learnt how to advertise with posters, website and email; we have also helped charities like a coffee morning and we are in progress of helping another one. By Dalip Alhuwalia (year 10)
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Respect Week
On 17th and 18th June 2012 students from year 8 and year 9 took part in a Respect Week. ‘Tip of The Iceberg’ Theatre Company visited us and put on two fantastic shows which really grabbed students’ imagination and threw up some interesting topics for debate. On Monday 17th June 2012 The Company performed “Network”, a play which, through the lives of the characters, explored key issues that we care about; family networks, social networks, emotional ties and also the modern relationship with mobile and internet networks. In the show everything and everyone was interlinked which highlighted the fact that what we do impacts on others – and our responsibilities to ourselves and to others. We also saw how what goes on inside the mind and heart of a person is not always what they show or what others see. The performance was followed by workshops with the actors and supported by classroom work in tutor groups which explored rights and responsibilities, relationships and communication and emotional and physical development in decision making. The students related to the characters and could understand their feelings. One year 8 student said “The effects of prejudice and bullying can lead to suicide and doing things you regret. We can stop bullying by telling people we trust.” Another said; “I learned that even though people are different you should respect them, not judge them.” 10
On Tuesday 18th June 2012 Year 9 watched “The Sex Factor.” The play followed the lives of three friends growing up together and their relationships and experiences towards the end of their time at secondary school. Throughout the play the friends fall in and out of love, have their first experiences of relationships and sex, experiment with drugs, and struggle with their identities. The main focus of the play was taking responsibility for choices and actions, to examine the issues of safe and unsafe behaviour and exploring how young people deal with their own personal boundaries. In the workshops students discussed being empowered to make informed and educated decisions about their lives and responsibilities, how to access accurate information about sexual health, sexual matters, substance use, and crime. The students were totally engaged with the play and workshops and displayed genuine interest in how the characters were behaving. “Louise’s character touched me because she was going through so much, and wanted to die. This made me feel very sad.” Another year 9 student reflected; “One thing I learned was to make decisions clearly and whatever I do now will affect my future.” Thanks to the ‘Tip of the Iceberg’ actors for two great shows. By Cath Goold (Careers and Education Guidance)
A Year 11 Prom full and Oscar Sparkle
of Glamour Cranford held its first official Year 11 Prom at Riverside in June 2012, which proved to be full of glamour and Oscar sparkle. The inspiration behind the event came from the BBC programme ‘Dragon’s Den’. Each tutor group were given six weeks to plan, market and present their ideas to Mr Prunty of what and where their perfect prom would be. After seven very interesting and enthralling presentations, Mr Prunty had a difficult decision to make to choose the winning group to head the committee and organise our first ever year 11 prom. Mr Prunty was particularly interested in how the teams would delegate tasks, ensure health and safety, organise the finances, make it a night to remember and ensure the o rg a n i s a t i o n o f the event did not interfere with the last stages of GCSE revision. In true Cranford style we came, we saw, we achieved and produced a night to remember by all, proving to be a great achievement in every single way. From the prestigious Oscar themed night, to the gorgeous dresses and fantastic tuxedos we all looked the part and celebrated in true style. The venue was stunning and wowed staff and students alike, the food tingled every taste bud and the music kept feet dancing all night. The class of 2012 definitely brought something new to the end of a chapter at Cranford and not only did we dance the night away, win Oscar awards, crown our very own Prom King and Queen, we also celebrated a hard academic year in a new way with true grace and winning spirit. The prom itself defines the year group who are obviously very close to each other but full of talent, intelligence and charm. Year 11 have worked hard to succeed and partied the chic way showing that they are something special as a year group and always go above and beyond normal expectations. Not only are the class of 2012 bright individuals but collectively they shine so bright that they make you smile endlessly and make you so proud to be their Head of Year and to be associated to such wonderful, amazing young adults. I am also delighted to find out that the venue owners were so impressed with the behaviour, maturity and community feeling that they wrote to Mr Prunty afterwards to say how Cranford’s Year 11 Prom stood out from all the others. Well done!. By Kuljit Suri (Head of year 11)
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Year 12 Higher Education and Careers day
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n Friday 22nd June 2012, Cranford Community College hosted a large number of visitors from the local community and further afield for the Year 12 Higher Education and Careers day. Many students braved the bus strike to attend school and to find out information about various options after finishing at Cranford. Two students from Brunel University gave a great talk about student life and answered lots of questions about finances, accommodation and the social side of university life. We had specialist speakers who told the students about how to write great personal statements, how to choose university courses, and details about student loans and grants and Connexions provided information about how to gain qualifications by studying part-time. There was information about how to make excellent use of a gap year by working and volunteering overseas. For those who are not thinking about Higher Education there were great workshops looking at apprenticeships and interview skills and advice about applying for jobs. Many students took advantage of the chance to do a mock interview and received feedback about their performance. In addition a group of students spent the day at Reading University and took part in campus tours and taster lectures, and I believe some spent some time sampling what the Student Union had to offer. Feedback from the day was very positive from students, staff and visitors and we look forward to hosting another event next year.
By Cath Goold (Careers and Education Guidance)
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hursday 31st May 2012 we held our annual Year 13 Celebration Evening at the BA Club. Students, staff, parents and friends joined together to celebrate the end of the year 13 students’ time at Cranford and to wish them well for the future. Mr Kevin Prunty, Executive Headteacher praised the year group on their excellent progress and contribution to the school during their time in the sixth form and for many, during the seven years they had been a student at the school. As each student received their certificate of achievement it was inspiring to witness the numbers going on to top Universities and the diversity of courses they were undertaking. After an emotional speech by Ms Bib, Year Manager for Year 13 and wonderful performances of “Knocking on Heavens Door and “The Time of Your Life “ by Sujan Gurung, “I’m Still waiting” written and performed by Joseph Barrett and a beautiful rendition of “Footprints In the Sand” by Alka Masson and Simarpreet Bhamrah, everybody danced until late and wished each other a fond farewell and every success for the future. By Jessica Joyce (Assistant Headteacher)
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Cranford Community College - A Giving Community 2011-2012 has been an amazing year for Charity initiatives at Cranford Community College. Students and staff have raised an outstanding £ 5731.89 through various projects both in and outside school. A fashion show, sports competitions, donations on mufti days and cake sales, to name but a few, are just some of the events which helped to raise money in support of a variety of Charities. These included; Comic Relief, The Shooting Star Children’s Hospice, Save the Children, St. Mungo’s Charity for the Homeless, BBC Children in Need, National Aids Awareness, Cancer Research, Great Ormond Street Hospital, The Alzheimer’s Society, The National Kidney Foundation, Sports Relief and sponsoring the care of wild birds at a local Owl Sanctuary. But this care for others went beyond the national Charities in the UK. We were able to help the River Salle School in Grenada by sending books and IT equipment across the sea to help the school rebuild its resources after two hurricanes hit the Island. PC Danny McIntosh, Cranford’s Safer Schools Officer visited the school and saw for himself the effect this aid provided. Again the generosity of everyone demonstrated that Cranford is clearly a giving community School. By Jessica Joyce (Assistant Headteacher)
Great Ormond Street Hospital -A little charity goes a long wayA grand total of £832.67 is making its way to Great Ormond Street Hospital, and it’s all down to the hard work and sheer determination of Gulvant Atwal, Karishma Lall, Sabahat Mahmood and I to help those less fortunate than ourselves. It took us a period of two years to get here, and we’re really happy we did. It all began with us thinking about how we can give back to society, and after looking long and hard we found Great Ormond Street Hospital. Although there were other very deserving charities we felt we could relate as this charity was for young children. It touched our hearts even more because they were suffering from life threatening conditions. Once we had decided on the charity, it was time to start making the money. We began by letting Cranford know that Great Ormond Street Hospital was coming, we held assemblies, stuck posters on walls and held workshops. One day I even dressed up as a clown to make people laugh and donate. It took time, but from bake sales with chocolate fudge brownies and vanilla cupcakes to creating custom made t-shirts... we finally made our first hundred. From then on it was just pure dedication to the charity and soon we were almost there. Fundraising for Great Ormond Street Hospital was one of the best experiences of my life. On one side it helped me make great friends and learn new skills such as teamwork and leadership, but at the same time it showed me how important our role as human beings is to help others. It was a memorable experience and we hope that others in the future will do the same. 14
By Milan Parmar (year 13)
River Salle School Grenada Project Grenada is a small Caribbean Island approximately 133 square miles, with a population of 100.000. Eight years ago the Island was struck by two major category five hurricanes, ‘Emily’ and ‘Ivan’. The hurricanes resulted in severe damage to the whole of the island and consequently a number of schools on the island were damaged and equipment and books destroyed. River Sallee, London Connection, is a group that has been in existence for a year and was established by expatriate Grenadians living in London. The aim of the group is to assist communities in Grenada. It was decided to establish links with the River Sallee Government School in Grenada. Cranford Community College was approached by PC Danny McIntosh, who is a member of the RSLC committee, and asked if they would contribute any unwanted items to the school in Grenada.
In spite of the constant rain, Cranford staff and students were determined to celebrate the Queens Diamond Jubilee. Luckily the sun shone on Tuesday 29th May 2012 so we got out the BBQ’s, hung the bunting and filled the concourse with tables. Great fun, great food and great atmosphere.
Cranford Community College donated books and three computers. The items were shipped out to the school and were put into use straight away. Mr James, Headteacher of the school wrote a letter of thanks; “I wish to express my gratitude in advance to you on behalf of my staff, students and members of the River Sallee community for your generous offer. The school has a roll of 200 students, and 12 teachers. We teach the full curriculum including Woodwork and Home Economics. Beginning this term we have started the teaching of Information Technology as a result your donation which will definitely enhance the process. It is my expectation that your donation will help to establish a close relationship between the two institutions. By Ian James (Principal) and Danny McIntosh (Safer Schools Police Officer)
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Cranford Science Champions at the BP Young Scientist Competition 2012
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arch 2012, the Science Department took the opportunity to enter year 9 and year 10 students in an online Biology Challenge competition. Approximately 30,000 students from various schools in England also took part. The idea behind the competition was: 1. To encourage an interest in biology beyond the school curriculum and stimulate curiosity in the natural world. 2. To involve as many pupils as possible in a challenging and interesting biology competition. The Biology Challenge competition consisted of two 30 minute papers. The questions set were not only from the school curriculum but also covered questions that tested students’ knowledge of the subject obtained by wider reading of science books and magazines, watching natural history programmes, taking notice of the news media for items of biological interest, and general awareness of our natural flora and fauna. We are very proud to report that two of our students Aliyah Butt and Sapna Gupta were declared winners in the competition organised by The Society of Biology. Aliyah and Sapna came 30th out of some 30,000 students. Aliyah and Sapna were invited to attend a highly prestigious awards ceremony at The Royal Society to collect their award in June 2012. Well done to Aliyah and Sapna for a fantastic achievement. Congratulations to everyone else in year 9 and 10 that took part in the competition. This is what Aliyah and Sapna had to saw when they learnt they had won: “We decided to do the Biology Challenge because we thought it was a good opportunity to be involved as we enjoy Biology and we like a challenge. We were really surprised to find out that we had won and were being invited to an awards ceremony. We were thrilled because we feel that we’ve made our families and school proud by receiving this award. We are also grateful to the Science Department for giving us the opportunity to take part in the competition and who have always encouraged us to be interested in the subject beyond what we learn in school. We were really excited to attend the Awards Ceremony with our parents.” By Aliyah Butt and Sapna Gupta (year 10)
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On
Thursday 5th July 2012, six of our a s p i r i n g Ye a r 9 Engineers participated in the BP Young Scientist Challenge competing with over twenty five other schools in the Borough. They came in first place, with an ingenious design. The students were given the task of designing and modelling an Oil Rig Platform, given a specific choice of various materials. The time limited competition enables students to show what they can do in terms of scientific thinking, creativity and problem solving. They demonstrated wonderful team work as well as imagination. Well done to Hodan Jama, Zahra Butt, Fizza Amjad, Yusuf Ali, Luke Fernandes and Conner Mille. The first place trophy is now proudly displayed in The Science Department. By Amrat Atwal and Philip Hawley (Joint Heads of Science Department)
Cranford’s Brilliant Mathematicians
Mohamed Gulaid (Year 7) Best in School Award, Best in Year Award and Gold Certificate
Vignesh Kannan (Year 7) Silver Certificate
The Junior Maths Challenge (year 7 and year 8) held on 26th April 2012 made Cranford very proud with so many students winning awards. Congratulations to the year 7 Maths Challenge team (Mohamed Gulaid 7W, Baljinder Padda 7U, Arun Sharma 7X and Vignesh Kannan 7U) who then competed in the Hounslow Borough Maths Challenge in July 2012 and came third. They certainly did the school proud.
Anjitha Anilkumar (Year 7) Silver Certificate
Aadil Awan (Year 7) Silver Certificate
Hamza Mohamed (Year 7) Silver Certificate
Baljinder Padda (Year 7) Silver Certificate
Divan Odedra (Year 7) Bronze Certificate
Unza Ahsan (Year 8) Best in Year Award and Bronze Certificate
Arun Sharma (Year 7) Silver Certificate
Awards for Cranford students in the United Kingdom National Maths Trust challenge 2012 Over the year students have taken part in the United Kingdom Maths Trust (UKMT) junior, intermediate and senior maths challenges. The UKMT Individual Maths Challenges are lively, intriguing multiple choice question papers, which are designed to stimulate interest in maths in large numbers of students. The three levels cover the secondary school range 11-18 and together they attract over 600,000 entries from over 4000 schools and colleges.
We would like to congratulate Jai Paul (year 9) who won a Bronze Award in the Junior Maths Challenge 2011. We apologise for publishing the name incorrectly in the previous publication.
BEST JUNIOR Gold, Junior Challenge
Mohamed Gulaid (7W)
BEST INTERMEDIATE Gold, Intermediate
Aliyah Butt (10Y)
Students from all over the country participate in the challenges, with the top 40% of all students being awarded certificates (around 7% achieve gold, 13% achieve silver and 20% achieve bronze). Over 100 pupils from Cranford Community College participated in the challenges this year and we are delighted to celebrate some amazing successes. By Luisa Ara (Head of Maths Department)
BEST SENIOR Silver, Senior Challenge
Maninder Bhambra (13W) 17
Study India programme In
July 2012 our teacher, Ms Kaur, organised the Study India Programme workshop. Students from year 12 attended the workshop run by Eleanor Salt, Co-ordinator of Summer Programmes at King’s College London. Imran Ali from the British Council and Vincenzo (an Italian Accountancy student who undertook this programme last year) also attended to share their experience of the different opportunities available as a university student. This programme engages students from different backgrounds to visit India for a few weeks to learn about the economy and learn additional information about the culture and lifestyle of Indian residents. The workshop was held to inform us about different career opportunities available around the world and how it will benefit us as student in the future economic climate of the UK. The talk was very informative and interesting as images and videos were shown about past trips and experiences of other applicants and how their life has changed since the experience. It shows an aspect of diversity through those who visit and those who live in India. The talk has inspired us all and hopefully will be a good opportunity to consider whilst studying in the coming years By Rupinder Girn and Amardeep Rajah (year 12 )
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Year 7 & 8 trip to Boulogne On Wednesday 4th July 2012, 34 students from years 7 & 8 got up bright and early to travel all the way to France and back in one day! Accompanied by Ms Painting, Mr Gutierrez, Ms Kolhatker and Ms Kaher, the students were and excellent ambassadors for Cranford Community College. After a quick journey to Folkestone, the students were amazed to be getting on a train whilst still on a coach and travelling under the sea! On arrival in Boulogne we visited the historic old town with its medieval walls, pleasant cafĂŠs and souvenir shops. There could be no question of which country we had been to visit as the students left the old town draped in model Eiffel Towers, berets and Tricolores! Perhaps the highlight of the day was our picnic by the sea where we took advantage of the glorious sunshine to eat our sandwiches alfresco, build sandcastles and burn off some excess energy. After this it seemed almost a shame to leave the outdoors for Nausicaa Sealife Centre but it soon became clear that this would be well worth it as we witnessed sharks up close, saw very playful sealions and stroked some very friendly stingrays! Finally, there was just enough time for students to practise their French in the all important task of buying an ice cream before it was time to get back on the coach for a return journey, tired but happy to think of all we had experienced in one day. By Ruth Painting (Modern World Languages Department)
“Another whirlwind tour of Paris: the Champs Élysées, the Arc de Triomphe, place de la Concorde, les Tuileries, the Eiffel Tower, Parc Astérix, the Tour de Montparnasse, and cruise on the River Seine….
Paris in a day…. A whirlwind experience
It
was Friday 6th July 2012: this was the day that I went to Paris, France for the first time. I was so excited because I was going with all my friends and I always wanted to go to Paris; it’s such a nice place.
A big ‘thank you’ to Ms Ledlie, Mr. Parris and Mr. Seijas and all the students for making the trip such a success”.
When we got to Dover we were very excited. We all rushed to the top of the ferry to look at the sea and the view from up there. The ferry journey finished and we were in France. We went to Notre Dame cathedral we had a good time, the place was beautiful. We then went up to the top of the Arc de Triomphe. It’s a great place and the view from the top was enhanced by the beautiful weather.
By Susie Edwards (Modern World Languages Department) “You see so much in a short period of time. What an amazing experience and it made me fall in love with the city. I will be going back there again.
The second day was the best day on the trip because we went to Park Astérix. It is such an amazing theme park, the rides are awesome and the place itself is beautiful. I went on many rides with my friends and the time we spent in Park Astrix was epic! After that, we headed into the centre of Paris and we went to the one of the highest towers in Paris, the Tour de Montparnasse. The view is FANTASTIC and I took some pretty amazing pictures from up there. Unfortunately the shops were closed, so no shopping. Then we all were exhausted so we went back to our hotel to get a good night’s sleep.
By Priscilla Ledlie (Year Manager for Year 9)
“I thought the Paris trip was a brilliant way to get out of my safety zone and into a city of brilliance.” By Prasin Gurung (Year 10)
The third day was equally awesome. Early in the morning, we went on a “baâteau mouche” for a river cruise, and we saw such nice places in Paris. After an hour or two, we made our way back to the coach and travelled to Dover. Because we didn’t get a chance to buy anything from the shopping centre in France apart from the little things, we bought things from the ferry.
“I had an amazing trip to Paris with students from years 9 and 10. The weather in Paris was like a monsoon when we arrived, after a long Journey from the UK, but as we arrived in the centre of Paris the sun appeared. We were able to visit some of the classic sites such as L’Arc de Triomphe, the LouvreMuseum, Notre Dame Cathedral, Champs Elysées and take a River Cruise.”
Overall, I think that the trip was an amazing experience for not only the students but for the teachers as well because it’s not often that you get to go to such a beautiful place with your friends. The trip was a huge success and I personally enjoyed every bit of it. By Farah Fadhluddin (Year 9)
By Richard Parris (Three Bridges Twilight School)
“I would like to use Thomas Jefferson’s words: “A walk about Paris will provide lessons in history, beauty, and in the point of life.” And add “A walk with Cranford Students in Paris will provide lessons in pride, respect and many, many laughs”
By Uxio Seijas (Modern World Languages Department)
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Duke of Edinburgh Award Scheme 2011-2012 ‘Duke of Edinburgh was an amazing experience. It has taught me many new skills and the camping trip has brought everyone together.’
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his year saw Cranford Community College running the coveted Duke of Edinburgh Award Scheme. Mr. Dean took on the role of overall organiser as he knows the year 10 students very well. There was an excellent response from the students and we had a big cohort of 37 with all the students showing great determination and enthusiasm throughout the year.
Aliyah Butt
Students had to do three months, learning a new skill and three months, learning a physical activity which were both done during the W Factor programme. In addition, they had to do sixth months of volunteering, either in school or somewhere in the community.
‘Duke of Edinburgh was very fun and amazing. I had a good experience and I enjoyed it a lot.’
The part of the course that the students looked forward to the most was the expedition. In May 2012, we organised the practice expedition near Box Hill in Surrey. Students on the Bronze Award have to complete two days of walking (approximately 6 hours of activity per day) and camp overnight. The first day was fantastic but all the groups managed to get lost on the second day.
Amadziar Panazada
‘Duke of Edinburgh taught me lots of camping skills. It was an amazing experience and I’ve enjoyed working with my groups.’ Sarah Chebrolu
‘Dof E was a great experience where we got to learn many skills that we will benefit from in the future.’ Farah Hedayt and Gursharan Seera 20
The assessment weekend was late June starting from Newlands Corner near Guildford. The students were divided into six walking groups and camped overnight at Bentley Copse campsite. It was great to see the students put into an environment that was so much outside their comfort zones and to see the way that they handled the challenge. The students were fantastic all weekend and showed how much they had learned over the year in terms of camp craft as well as map and compass skills. It was a thoroughly enjoyable weekend with all students passing their assessments. At one point during the weekend when the rain was hammering down, Dalip asked “Ms Hibbins why did you order the rain for us?” I would like to thank all the staff who have given up their time to help us organise and run the course this year: Ms Hibbins, Mr. Biggs, Ms Ledlie, Mr. Sohi, Ms Mehay, Mr. Kelly and Ms Cousins. I would also like to thank Paul, Brijinder and Harmeet from the cadets for all their hard work and time they have given us this year. Finally, I would like to thank all the students for their hard work and commitment throughout the year. By Simon Dean (Assistant Headteacher: Duke of Edinburgh Award Team leader)
Dear Mr Dean,
We h e a rd fr o m S u ry a th a t h e st u d e n ts h a n d th e o a d a v e ry th e r in te re st in e n jo y a b le g, deman c a m p in g d in g a n d tr ip p a c k le ss . H e su g g fo o d n e x t e st e d th a t ti m e . A s a he h e sa y s I n a n x io u s h a d lo a d e m o th e r d 4 ti m e s b u t, o f c o th e a m o u u rs e , th e y n t re q u ir e h a v e to c tr e k k in g !! d a rr y th e ir ! H e m is se packs wh d h o p e o th e a w a rm h e n a t v e ry m r st u d e n ts u c h so I w il l le a rn . H e is a ll se t to g o fo r th e S il makes us v e r a w a rd v e ry p ro u a ls o w h ic d. h Thanks a lo t fo r y o u a n d C ra e x p e ri e n c n fo rd fo r e fo r o u r th is w o n d so n a n d th e rf u l e o th e r c h By Padma il d re n . Va ra th a ra ja n (p a re n t)
of f.’ ar d wo rk pa id M s Le dl ie – ‘H ?” ha t’s a co m pa ss M r. Ke lly – “W fin al ly go t d te ar s! An d we an t ea sw , od lo in g. D ur in g M r. Bi gg s – ‘B ne ss an d wa lk er ld wi e th io ns to d ou r ex pe ct at st ud en ts ou t in th e ts fa r su rp as se en ud of st l gs al in t ak en m an d th e m th e fin al as se ss m p wi th gu st o ca t d en an pm lk lo ve wa e de sh ow n re al an d ta ck le d th te am s. ’ St ud en ts ha ve ng s. ro er st e lk ak wa m al to pr of es si on fo rm in g bo nd s e ye ar an d ar e th ro ug ho ut th n? ” e m ap go ag ai ic h wa y do es th wh s gg Bi r “M M s H ib bi ns – en vi ro nm en t e pu pi ls in an th e se to ly re su wa s a pl ea m e of th em re al M r. So hi – ‘I t go od to se e so so al s wa It . sc ho ol ot he r th an th e ’ lv es to su cc ee d. se em th g in pu sh bu t no th in g tr ai ni ng fo r it s ek we t en sp he st ud en ts we re su rp ri se d M s M eh ay – ‘T pe di tio n. Th ey ex st fir e he r th r th em fo su pp or t ea ch ot co ul d pr ep ar e le ar nt ho w to ey wo rk Th d d. ar en H e by th m ak in g it. an d wo rn ou t th em se lv es fo r of ll d wi ou ey pr y th el at ce th an d we re ex tr em wa s an ex pe ri en io n pa id of f it st ro ng er. Wel l em th e ak m ll an d de te rm in at wi at th ng hi d so m et ne ve r fo rg et an !’ 10 yr do ne s t th e D of E wa ur ite th in g ab ou r vo ei fa th y g ‘M in – ar s oo l’ by we M s Co us in ts tr y to lo ok ‘c en ud !’ st de e si th ck ng ba wa tc hi do wn th ei r tto m s ha lf wa y wa te rp ro of bo
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“The Olympic week was an amazing week for Cranford Community College to be able to experience the five values of the Olympics. These were courage, enthusiasm, loyalty, friendship and excellence. We had this week because Cranford wanted to celebrate the Olympic values and to show that the Olympics where coming to the U.K. An example of this is when we had sports day; we showed friendship by helping each other win games. I got to know people that I wouldn’t normally talk to so I think it was good for me and the person I got to know. In my group we were nice to each other, I think we showed everyone what friendship was and team work and this is why I enjoyed Olympic week. Also, I think we should have something like this again so that the people of Cranford remember the values of the Olympics because this very important to everyone and to remember the countries from around the world”
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ranford Community College celebrated the Olympics by running its own Olympics Festival week from 9th-13th July 2012. The school timetable was collapsed for the week and a programme of day long projects inspired the competitive spirit and the Olympic values. The projects included; a Curriculum Day where students in years 7 & 8 prepared an opening or closing ceremony performance using dance, drama and music; and students in year 9 & 10 worked on maths and science in sport looking at drugs testing, accuracy in goal shooting in hockey, hoplitodromos, a Greek soldier race from the original Olympics, testing speed with and without armour and using Newton’s laws of motion and the science of friction in preparation for a Tug of War contest between tutor groups. The Mega Mall project was really exciting where tutor groups had to create a stall or game and compete to be judged the best; literally Cranford meets the Apprentice. The Values/Mural Project was divided into two parts with students creating a tile with flags of the world to form part of a giant Mural to go at the end of the school building in celebration of the Olympics. In the second part students worked in groups to look at different aspects of the Olympics Values and were allocated a country to represent. The Sports Day project involved both competitive athletics races in the afternoon and in the morning a carousel of team sports including volleyball, ultimate frisbee and rounders. The week finished with Cranford hosting a Primary School Olympic Sports competition morning for five of our feeder primary schools; Springwell, Berkley, Cranford Park, Cranford Primary and Norwood Green whilst Cranford students enjoyed their DREAM Rewards day. It was a wonderful week where staff and students had fun together and where the real Olympic Values and competitive spirit shone through.
By Jessica Joyce (Assistant Headteacher)
“On the third day of the Olympic Festival. I was wearing a silver top because it was Mega Mall day and we had to wear the colour of our team. There was a shop which we had to buy thing we needed for our stalls. Our first stall was ‘Gladiator’ and our second stall was ‘Hoops and Cups’. I had so much fun. This will be the best time of our life as groups with teachers and students together”. By Halima Monir (year 8)
“We had Olympic week to inspire the students about the Olympics. We also had some days to enjoy and do some activities that they would in the Olympics (sports day). The activities we did were fun and different each day. On Monday we created an opening ceremony about the London 2012 Olympics. On Tuesday we had sports day and we went to the B.A. club and did different sports. On Wednesday we took part in mega mall - we had to come with an idea to get the most tokens. On Thursday it was mural day were we had paint on a tile of a country that will take part in the London 2012. On Friday it was rewards day and it all depended on our dream points and the students had choices where they wanted to go: Thorpe Park, Coral Reef, Science Museum, London Zoo, or to watch Magic Singh at the B.A. club. We should have something similar to Olympic week next year but name it something else, for example Cranford Fun week. We should always keep the Olympic values in mind, whether the Olympics are happening or not”. Mohit Meggicala (year 8)
“Olympic week was a week where everyone took part in fun activities such as the opening and closing ceremonies as well as sports day and many more. On Rewards Day students got to go on trips based on their D.R.E.A.M. points. I think the week was so great that we should do it next year, but with a different name as it won’t be an Olympics year”. Zahra Ahmed (year 8) 23
Cranford Staff achieve Masters Degrees
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ongratulations to the eight members of staff who have recently completed a two year MA course with St Mary’s University in ‘Leading Innovation and Change’. The course was delivered at Cranford and participants were required to complete six written module assignments and deliver three assessed presentations. All participants were successful, with six achieving a Distinction overall. Part of the MA requirement was to create and implement a policy proposal and action plan to ensure that research findings could be used to share good practice and influence future developments across the school. This process has already begun and participants will continue to share findings and support others who wish to trial new strategies within their departmental areas.
By Tracey Chapman (Assistant Headteacher) 24
Sharandeep Saroya (Head of Media / Creative and Media faculty) Topic of research: Can blogging improve student motivation and results in Creative and Media Diploma? Type of research: Action research “I believe that it is one of the most challenging tasks I have set myself in recent years and like others there were several occasions when I felt I might not get through it but the support of friends, family and colleagues meant that I have managed to come out the other end with an MA with distinction and a huge sense of relief and achievement.”
Pirmjeet Mehay (Art Department) Topic of research: What is the effect of new media on engagement in Art and Design at KS3? Type or research: Action research “I have always wanted to do a Masters and it was a great opportunity. It was a difficult two years trying to fit in the research project with work commitments, I lost all my weekends but it was worth it. I feel that I have benefitted greatly from the experience and have made myself and my family proud. I have learnt how to overcome barriers and it has raised my confidence, especially with public speaking. I am also more able to take risks, to make improvements and am now a better teacher because of it.”
Amrat Atwal (Joint Head of Science Faculty) Topic of research: Can Building Learning Power improve achievement in year 8 Science? Type of research: Action research “I found the MA to be an amazing experience, it gave me the chance to develop professionally and engage with cutting edge literature in a myriad of fields. It also enabled me to work collaboratively across departments with great individuals. The high level of support meant that you never felt on your own. It was a truly worthwhile investment which I would recommend to all.”
James Kelly (Head of Year 10/ PE Department) Topic of research: Does the use of mentoring improve performance in a year 11 Physical Education theory class? Type of research: Action research
““When I told my wife that I was going to complete the second year of my Masters she nearly went into early labour. Given that she was 6 months pregnant at the time she was not looking forward to me dedicating every weekend to carrying out research and typing up my dissertation. Despite all this, it didn’t actually work out too bad and I am proud of the fact that I achieved a Distinction.”
Percival Ennis (Maths Department) Topic or research: How can student motivation be improved in KS4 Maths? Type or research: Action research “The Masters course was both rewarding and fulfilling. I was exposed to the enormous reservoir of research and literature dedicated to improving teaching. It has improved my level of confidence and it has impacted tremendously my teaching.”
Tracey Chapman (Assistant Headteacher/Creative and Media Faculty) Topic of research: What are the key factors influencing staff wellbeing at this school? Type or research: Grounded Theory “Having organised the MA Course from St Marys to be run at school for a group of colleagues, I decided to do it myself as I had put off attempting an MA for a very long time. This was quite scary at first as at first as I had not written an essay of any kind for many years. It was a great experience, however and I particularly enjoyed working with a group of fun and supportive people who I would normally not have much opportunity to spend time with. It was a challenge to get everything done at times, but well worth the effort.”
Kuljit Suri (Head of Year 11/ English Department) Topic of research: What is the impact of mentoring on the motivation/behaviour of underachieving boys? Type of research: Action Research “The MA was a challenge and a half but the satisfaction of completing it with a distinction made the journey worthwhile. It was an amazing and life changing opportunity. I have accomplished a lifelong ambition at Cranford and am forever grateful. I never thought I’d write another dissertation – how wrong was I.”
Simon Dean (Assistant Head teacher/ PE Department) Topic of research: What is the impact of a KS4 buddy system in improving PE theory results? Type of research: Action research “I thoroughly enjoyed the Masters course I did and the main reason was the time I spent working closely with my colleagues. I a c t u a l l y m i s s t h e We d n e s d a y sessions now it is all over.”
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I found this book really interesting! It explains the science of religion and Hawkins writes of a theory called the M Theory which is an infinite from which all theories derive. I also read ‘Through a Glass Darkly’ which was a fun but sad read. It was the story of a young girl who was dying yet trying to understand the meaning of the universe. It made me ask a lot of philosophical questions about why we exist and why we have to die. I can’t wait for book club next year we are going to be reading Charles Darwin’s ‘Voyage of the Beagle’; I find science interesting so I can’t wait. By Faheem Uddin (year 8) on Stephen Hawkins ‘Grand Design’
Tomorrow’s Best Philosophical Thinkers The Theology Book club is aimed at students who show a real vitality and interest in all things philosophical. As a teacher I wanted it to encourage my younger students to be involved in theological literature that would push them to be aware of the ultimate questions in life but even more I wanted them to attempt in the existential sense of the word to answer the unanswerable. To introduce such an idea we have read ‘Sophie’s World’ by Jostein Gaarder, a philosophical text that takes you through all western philosophers in a narrative tale of a young girl who finds random letters from a secretive philosopher. We also had an opportunity to read some of C.S.Lewis’ ‘Abolition of Man’, which looks at right and wrong and why in effect man allows wrong to happen. The students show a true understanding and sincerity of thought which has made this club such a wonderful one to be in. Next year looks set to be Charles Darwin’s ‘Voyage of the Beagle’ and C.S Lewis ‘The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe’. Watch this space for tomorrow’s best philosophical thinkers By Katie Hibbins (RE Department)
This was an interesting book and after discussing it with Ms Hibbins I realised it was on the theology of death and existence. At first I thought it was sad but then I realised that with belief and with faith we hope in something just like the girl in the book. It made me want to find out more about people’s belief in Angels, God and the ‘why?’ questions. I found that this book helped me to understand my RE assessment on Tawhid (the belief in one God) as it made me think about how many people think different things about God. I’m now motivated to read more widely around my learning and I’m so excited for next year as I think hopefully we will be reading even more and discussing the books with others.
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By Bhavini Deuchande (year 8) on Lewis Carol ‘Through a Glass Darkly’
The Jack Petchey Awards
The
annual Jack Petchey Awards held at the Paul Robeson Theatre in Hounslow on Tuesday 17th April 2012 was an evening of great pride for Cranford. This award ceremony recognises students for their special talents and achievements nominated by teachers and the adult award is in recognition of an individual staff member ’s contribution to the life of the school, also nominated by their peers. The evening is a great opportunity for family, school and friends to share in their success. Our year 11 band helped make the evening go with a swing playing to entertain everyone. Since the beginning of January 2012 new nominees (listed below) have been recognised for their achievements and will attend their awards ceremony later this year. Well done to everyone. By Mr Dean (Assistant Headteacher)
Isabella Bruno - Age 15 - February 2012 Isabella is a hardworking and dedicated student in the Art Department. She completes all work set and more. She is a polite and patient student. She will take notice of all advice given and is constantly trying her best and never gives up. Whenever possible, Isabella will help to explain things to students on her table and in particular to EAL students. She will always offer her help in setting materials up and helping to organise materials around the room.
Kyle Powell - Age 16 - April 2012 Kyle always inspires both staff and students by his resilience and determination in spite of his disability. He is an outstanding role model not just for sport but in his approach to school as a whole. Kyle is an extremely personable young man, modest, caring, and polite with never a bad word to say about anyone and approaches whatever life throws at him with a smile on his face. We are so proud of him and his athletics achievements.
Chelsea Ann Cook - Age 17 - January 2012
Sameer Monir - Age 17 - March 2012
She endeavours to do the best she possibly can academically speaking.Â
He endeavours to do the best he possibly can academically speaking.
Attendance is excellent. Excellent Ambassador of Cranford who always puts 100% effort into everything she does. Chelsea always offers her help during primary school interviews, year 11 interviews and any other after school events and she is a fantastic organiser and credit to the school.
Attendance is excellent. Excellent Ambassador of Cranford who always put in 100% effort into everything he does. Sameer always offers his help during primary school interviews, year 11 interviews and any other after school events and he is a fantastic organiser and credit to the school.
Tupeka Sacdeva - Age 13 - June 2012 Tupeka is a courteous, polite and very hardworking student who is diligent and an excellent member of her tutor group. Tupeka has participated in numerous open evenings and is a member of the student council. Recently Tupeka was involved in the fashion show where they raised money for charity. Tupeka has helped in the Student Support office during her breaks & lunch times. Tupeka is an asset to our school.
Khalid Butt - Age 15 - May 2012 Captain of the year 10 cricket team. Khalid always helps to organise, train and play for the team. He is an inspirational leader. He is a true role model to others in terms of commitment and effort alongside his vast tennis commitments.
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The Greatest Show on Earth comes to Cranford Community College
J
ugglers, colourful clowns, marching bands and historical characters from the world of the circus came to Cranford Community College week beginning Monday 2nd July –Thursday 5th July 2012 as we staged an exciting and energetic production of Barnum the Musical. Cranford is known for staging large scale musical productions and community events, and this production was no exception. This amazing production which students and staff rehearsed for over five months brought to the stage the story of P.T. and Charity Barnum and his story of creating the greatest show on earth. The two central roles were shared by George Streather and Surya Varatharajan playing PT Barnum and Jade Roopraye and Sobia Khan in the role of Charity Barnum his wife. Surya’s wonderful comic timing and George’s outstanding characterisation ensured the show ran with pace and energy. Jade and Sobia’s performance of “The Colours of My Life” showed off their
vocal ability as they sparred with their on stage husbands. Tom Thumb’s number “Bigger isn’t Better” performed by Hassan Ali Syed supported by the clown chorus, captured the imagination of the audience, as did Alice Kerr, playing Jenny Lind the ‘Swedish Songbird’, with her beautiful rendition of “Love Makes Such Fools of Us All”. There were so many standout performances, including the amazing chorus, in a show full of wonderful music, dancing and circus routines. But praise must be given to the brilliant back stage team who made the whole show come together from the costumes, set, lighting and sound to the makeup artists who night after night made up a cast of forty performers. Recognition must also be given to the fabulous staff band who helped to bring to life the many well-known numbers including; “Join the Circus” and “Come Follow the Band”. Congratulations to the Creative and Media Faculty on giving us a show to be proud of and something for all the family to enjoy. By Jessica Joyce (Assistant Headteacher)
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Barnum was an amazing production. The thrill of acting in front of hundreds of people is unexplainable. It was a great opportunity for me to improve my acting skills and understand how much effort and work goes into making a production. I personally think that Barnum was a great success and I would love to do something like it again. I remember everyone being sad and upset when we finished our last performance because we enjoyed it so much. Every time we performed, we got better and better. The last performance, we had very little technical issues and the production ran very smoothly. Overall, Barnum was a fantastic production which I learned so much from. I just wish I could do it all again.
I really enjoyed participating in the musical “Barnum” because it was a new and exciting project that helped me gain more skills. I could show off my drama skills which I have developed over that past year. I felt very pleased and grateful for the opportunity to take part in the musical that went extremely well. “Barnum” helped me socialise and make more friends with people from different year groups.
By Karanveer Kang (year 10)
I felt slightly nervous in the beginning, however the adrenaline inside me helped me to perform better and be more confident to give an outstanding performance. I felt I participated well in the musical. It was a very enjoyable experience and a great opportunity. By Abrar Al Habtari (year 10)
The school play Barnum has given me an opportunity to reach my full potential, I have never had a major role before so this was really exciting for me and it gave me a chance to get to know more people in different years and build my team working skills. I have also developed more acting and singing skills. I will never forget this opportunity and I am definitely going to audition next year. By Jade Roopraye (year 9) 29
Water’s edge: What to make of Brighton Beach
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riday 13th July 2012, a day that’s supposed to bring bad luck and bad karma for everyone, turned out to be the best day my life. It was the most magnificent thing I’ve ever seen. I was scared of going anywhere near the ocean in case its wide mouth swallowed me, but somehow always managed to be fascinated by it too. After staring at it for a while debating on whether or not I should take my chances I finally told myself, ‘you’re either going to experience that ocean or walk away back to your busy life and never have an opportunity like this again’. I kept chanting as pebbles crunched under my feet as I made my way to the shore.. I took a deep breath, closed my eyes and held my hands out wide. A shy breeze lightly brushed my face sending a ripple of goose bumps all over me. It wasn’t half as bad as I had thought; in fact it felt nice and cool. I could taste the salt in the air which seemed to linger at the back of my throat as I breathed.
Rewards Day 2012
O
ur second D.R.E.A.M. Rewards day on Friday 13th 2012 provided a great way to celebrate achievement at the end of our Olympics week. Students from year 7-10 enjoyed a variety of trips and visits including, Thorpe Park, Brighton Beach, the Science and the Natural History Museum, Ice-skating, training to be a magician’s apprentice and London Zoo. Allocation to trips was based upon each student’s number of D.R.E.A.M. points awarded during the year for, Discipline, Respect, Enthusiasm, Achievement and Maturity. Here are just a few examples of what the students’ thought about Rewards day.
By Rob Ind (Senior Teacher for Pastoral Care)
I felt like I was flying soaring high above water and land. I felt happy, really happy. I’ve always wanted to go to the beach but never had a chance and here I was standing with my eyes closed looking like I was recreating a scene from titanic feeling like the goddess of the ocean and the luckiest girl on earth. Standing there I felt so free like I can fly with the wind with no gravity to hold me back; I can do anything I want and nobody was going to stop me. Something about this makes it look enchanting; it could be the seagulls that cry up ahead or the water that seemed to stretch far and endless. Something about the shy breeze and the oh so silvery-blue water made this beach all the more magical. I could feel the damp and coolness of the water around my feet. A hard stone-like object washed up next to my toes. Leaning down I picked up a small beautifully shaped sea shell and held it to my ear. They say you could hear the cry of the ocean through a sea shell but all I could hear was the quiet howl of the wind and the laughter of the sea. I always knew the ocean had secrets and at that moment it felt as if it was opening a box of secrets to me. If you listened closely enough, you could hear it sing, not cry, a silent song to your soul drawing it in then intertwining it in a web of total peace, calm and serenity.
“Today was the best day of the week. I met Magic Singh. He did really cool tricks and he taught us some too. I took a picture with him and I got his autograph”. By Amnol Talwar (year 8)
Something caught my attention, a massive pier stood tall and proud looking out to the sea. I saw in the middle of the pier were massive fairground rides, arcades, aquaria, museums and shops which seemed to excite many people but nothing could excite me better than the vast stretching ocean of Brighton beach. I could feel my face relax and the edges of my lips curve into a smile, one that meant happiness. Even though we humans change and evolve, the wind and ocean will never change. A hundred years from now the same waters will be here just as a hundred years ago. My experience at Brighton beach has been what I always imagined it to be. Thank you to all the teachers who planned and took part in this wonderful trip. My good wishes are with you all. By Hibo Awil (year 10)
“I personally enjoyed Rewards Day because I had a chance to go ice skating, however if you trip you could get hurt easily, and it is really hard to get back up. Overall I enjoyed it because my friends were with me and helped me every time I fell over on the ice” By Zahra Ahmed (year 8)
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On
Monday 9th July 2012, sixth form students were seen rushing out of school as fast as possible bursting with energy. Well the secret behind it all was, we were on a mission. This mission was something we had never done before. All the students were asked to meet the teachers in the LRC, knowing very little about why and the mission they were to be given. The challenge was so well designed; Ms Patel decided that the form with the highest number of D.R.E.A.M. points get to leave for the mission first and then going down to the form with the lowest number of points. I think that was a very fair way of deciding which tutor group should be able to leave first. We were told we would be playing Monopoly. When you hear the word ‘Monopoly’ the first thing that comes to mind is a board game, buying properties and buying houses. But imagine being able to do a monopoly challenge without the board, cards and cash. Each group had a copy of a monopoly board that the staff designed for the mission. To secure our place we had to visit all the landmarks shown on the monopoly board and take pictures to prove we completed the challenge, however to make sure the pictures were taken on the day and weren’t just any old pictures of past visits to central London each group was given a mascot for identification.
A Day full of Magic
Another amazing bonus to this challenge was the experience we gained from visiting these different famous places in London. In addition we were able to win extra points if we could find a celebrity. This was a difficult and challenging, but it made the whole mission even more exciting.
M
agic Singh (a now famous ex-student who practised his magic and learnt his performance skills whilst at Cranford Community) arrived with an aura around him and the experience was just magical. The students worked in groups of 10 and were taught a magic trick by Magic Singh himself as well as how to perform and promote their magic campaign to the audience. The students worked well as a team and showed their imaginative skills as well as impressing Magic Singh and his guest star ‘Madhu’ part of “Signature” from Britain’s Got Talent. The winning group received a signed pack of playing cards from Magic Singh and it was an all-round success ending with lots of photos and autographs. The day was full of magic, fun and excitement. By Kuljit Suri (Head of year 11)
I found the challenge amazing, even though we didn’t win I’m so glad we took part. It was not only a mission but was something I learnt a lot from because I got to find out more about the routes of the underground network around central London, learnt what Beefeaters are and other aspects of London history and architecture and also how difficult group work, keeping everything organised and keeping time limits can be. Yes, we had a time limit; our mission was to complete the task of visiting as many landmarks as possible, get as many points you can and still get back to school by 3:00pm, if you were late points were deducted. We had a great day out; all the sixth form deserved something like this after months of slogging, revision and exams. I would also want to say thanks to Ms Patel and Ms Knights for designing such a great trip and also other members of staff that helped with the challenge. By Anu Malhotra (year 12) 31
A day that will be remembered forever
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arrying the Olympic Torch was definitely an amazing honour, it went by so quickly. I was up from 4 .00am and had to be at my meeting point in Kingston by 7.00am. I drove along my route and nerves grew stronger. We got there and I saw the Olympic bus, things all of a sudden felt very real. I was briefed by the staff, given the uniform and given a model torch to hold. This was the first time I held the torch, it was quite heavy. All the torchbearers for my stretch of the route then went outside to have some photos taken in front of the bus. When we left the centre and went to join the convoy of 15 vehicles, the scale of this event materialised. We were right at the front and behind us we could hear cheering and music. There were so many people on the side of the streets, we were just waving. As the torchbearers got dropped off to our start points we would cheer them, which was amazing and got us excited.
When it was my turn to be dropped off, out of the front window I could see my family and friends waiting. I got off the bus and jumped with joy. It was so exciting seeing all my family, friends, colleagues, and representatives from the charities and organisations I volunteer for there to support me. Afer all the sponsors’ vehicles had passed and the media vehicle, I knew the flame was next. I saw my fellow torchbearer running towards me and was asked by the police officer to move into the middle of the road. Then our torches joined together and my torch lit up! It was happening. I began to jog with the torch, it went by so quickly. There were so many people on the sides of the road cheering me on. I was just waving and jogging. Before I knew it my 300 meters came to an end. It was a magical morning. I was very lucky indeed to have so many supporters and be privileged enough to carry the Olympic torch. A day that will be remembered forever. By Mahavir Ladva ( Acting LRC Manager) 32
2011-2012 will be remembered as a year for many wonderful achievements and events at Cranford Community College and it will also be remembered as the year we as a school and community took time to remember those students, colleagues and friends who were no longer with us. Our newly designed and community sponsored Memorial Garden area named, ‘The Circle of Life’ created a beautiful setting for the inaugural launch and service on Tuesday 8th May 2012, attended by many friends, families and colleagues of those we were remembering. Readings and anecdotal stories were shared by family and colleagues who touched our hearts. At the end of the service, the sun came out and guests took time for a quiet moment in the new garden area as the beautiful silver water feature glistened in the sun light. Lest we forget: Jagdip Randhawa (Oct 2011, aged 19), Tracy Murphy (Oct 2011, aged 40), Mohammed Kahin (July 2011, aged 58), Amardeep Gill (June 2011, aged 24), Puneet Sharma (2010, aged 28), Rod Lewis (Feb 2010, aged 63), Heena Parmar (Aug 2009, aged 17), Craig Buckley (Aug 2009, aged 28), Leighanne Charge (April 2009, aged 19), Tracy Fletcher (July 2009, aged 42), Kathryn Oates (May 2005, aged 35), Festus Anakwue (Nov 2003, aged 58), Mohamed Imran Sheikh (Sept 2003, aged 20), and Malkiat Singh Bhalla (Aug 2002, aged 22). By Jessica Joyce (Assistant Headteacher)
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Wednesdays got the WOW
Factor
So
what makes Wednesday Wo w ? I t ’s l i s t e n i n g to students at the beginning of the day chatting excitedly about what they will be doing period 5; it’s the tannoy announcement reminding everyone about timings and meeting points; it’s the busy bustle at the start of lunch when the Know Your City group and the Volunteering in the Community group make their way to the mini bus whilst bumping into those eager to join the swimming group or the film club or those doing cooking. It is 2.05pm when staff and students are preparing for WFactor and it is the sense of “Wow” as you walk around the site observing staff and students having fun doing things together you would not normally see in a traditional school curriculum; circus skills on the concourse, snakes and exotic animals in the art room next door to a water colour painting class on one side and props for the school show being created on the other. It is kick boxing in the squash courts and handbag and T-shirt designing in the ‘Gok Wan’ Sensational Designs workshops or Astronomy and DJ Rapping or British Sign Language, creative writing and puppet making. Maybe it is Board Games, or Yoga or Zumba or rounders or cricket or cycling proficiency or..… ….and the list goes on.
“In my few weeks at photography club, I have learnt many tricks of how to edit and take pictures. This was a great opportunity for me and my fellow friends Harsimran & Samiya. We had a great time in Photography and enjoyed every minute of the hour. We are very upset that we had such a short time but me and my friends can guarantee that we will try it again next year. We would like to thank Ms Jaura and Ms Sond for having us and giving us a beautiful experience.”
Cranford’s WFactor, introduced in September 2011 has taken off big time. Over 40 different activities on offer delivered by teaching, non-teaching staff and approved external providers often doing something completely outside their comfort zone, has become what makes wonderful Wednesday WOW. By Jessica Joyce (Assistant Headteacher)
I did Volunteering in Community for WFactor. In this project we helped make ’The Hounslow Badminton Centre’ which was full of weeds into a nice and safe place to go to relax. The people at the centre wanted to transform this space into an open community space. During the first week, Anna from ‘The Conservation Volunteers’ who led the project asked us to survey the site. We drew a map of the space and looked at some books for ideas on what kind of things we could put there. For the next two weeks after this, we cut down neck high weeds so that we could have a blank surface. After we were done the space looked completely different. Parents from the neighbouring schools were even looking through fencing to see the change. On the last few weeks, we created some high beds that are accessible for pram and wheel chair users, added some support using rubber and logs to the apple tree, turned the soil and also dug some soil to make space for a pond. I really enjoyed this project. It has made me think about doing some volunteering in the future. By Julie Clarke (year 8) 34
By Hodan Yousuf (year 7)
“We think that it has been very useful learning sign language as it will enable us to communicate with different types of people using non-verbal language skills. Learning BSL has been a great experience; not only fun, educational and a great skill to learn; it’s also helped us develop our leadership skills as sixth-formers working with younger students”. Kirandeep Kular and Laiden Fahan (Year 12)
“You might be wondering what BSL is. Well, it stands for British Sign Language and that’s what I’ve been doing for W Factor this term. I thought it was where you learnt the alphabet every single lesson. Well, I was so wrong. It took us literally 10 minutes to learn the alphabet, then we moved on to everyday words and phrases such as you?, do, did, does, done, what, how, town, yes, no , how are you?, what is your name? and so much more. All in just ONE LESSON. We moved onto colours in the second week, then we started learning songs that we could sign along to. I did not know where the time went- was it an hour or 10 minutes? As they say, ‘time flies when you’re having fun’. I think learning BSL is a useful hobby, a great opportunity, and in the future I will be able to write on my CV that I know sign language. I would recommend this to anyone because it’s AWESOME: 100%. Just a special thanks to Mrs Judkins for teaching us and Ms Joyce for starting W Factor” By Tupeka Sacdeva (Year 8)
“I really enjoyed this experience as I learnt many things throughout this course, from measuring ingredients to decorating and presenting. I picked cooking because I wanted to develop my skills and expand my knowledge on different cultural food and also because cooking is an essential skill which can be used in everyday life”. By Abrar Al-Habtari
“As part of WFactor the SEN Department decided to offer a Life Skills group to some students. The aim of this was to give students the confidence and ability to be more independent in home situations. The sessions largely consisted of preparing, cooking and then eating different types of food, followed by washing up and clearing away. As we were based in the Globe we were also able to use the washing machine, put washing out to dry, make beds and generally think about keeping a home clean and tidy. For the food element we decided as a group what we were going to do. Some weeks it was basic making sandwiches and tea or hot chocolate. On another week we compared fast food so we had some ready prepared basic chicken nuggets and then we made some using fresh ingredients – everyone agreed that the fresh homemade were by far the tastier and really enjoyable to make. All of the students would now be able to prepare basic food for themselves. Everyone was very keen to make me a cup of tea each week and by the end of term they were all able to make a really good cuppa”. By Vanessa Tutt (SEN Department)
Cranford Students and the “Sow Good Garden Project“
During the summer term, 15 students had an opportunity to become Community Champions for their local area by becoming Conservation Volunteers for the ‘Sow Good Garden Project’ at the Hounslow Dome Badminton Centre on North Hyde Lane. Students really enjoyed the buzz of the activity and their ideas helped transform the front garden from a rubbish filled weed patch into a beautiful and welcoming community garden for both young and old alike. It was a tough start with lots of rubbish, dumped builder’s rubble and weeds such as nettles and brambles but the students pulled on their ‘wellies’ and had fun whilst making a difference and this has inspired some to continue volunteering and improve even more green spaces across Hounslow. The project officer for the Hounslow Dome Badminton Centre is on site on Wednesdays between 10.30 – 4.00pm and would welcome more volunteers to join and continue to improve the site, all training and equipment is provided and you don’t need to be a gardening expert. By Charlotte Meek (Volunteering in the Community Project) 35
T alented with a sense of humour A dventurous to find everything out T rustworthy person I dealistic person A musical person N octurnal person {Always awake and excited!} A mazing person to be with!!
K ind person, L ovely girl. E njoyable to be friends with, A ctive at everything. By Klea Koxha (year 7)
By Tatiana Baiden (year 7)
J ust outstanding A mazing ! S uper!!! P erfect R espectful E nthusiastic E nergetic T errific
A lways happy :D L ovable and caring E njoys hanging around with her friends E legant all the time N ice to everyone A lways making friends laugh. By Aleena Akbar (year 7)
By Jaspreet Mann (year 7)
C alm and caring is who I am, A thletics and fitness is what I like , R unning around and riding on my bike, M arvellous and fun is what I like to be, E nthusiastic and courageous is what I like, N ice and happy is who I am, G enerous to everyone, A s happy as can be, U nhappy is who I’ll never be, R acing to win. By Carmen Mya Gaur (year 7)
Love Poem When I wake up I`ll see you, Whenever I see you I’ll wait for you, My ears wait for you to speak, My heart is here, my soul is yours
Visit to the Globe Theatre “The trip was a fantastic experience. We saw the theatre and a rehearsal on Hamlet. That was my favourite part because we learnt how an actor rehearses”. By Baljinder Padda (year 7)
When we entered the Globe Theatre the atmosphere was incredible. We were taught about the history of the theatre and how it was rebuilt. Then we were put in a fun workshop and were taught about different acting techniques. It was a great experience and I would love to go again”. By Suraiya Baig (year 7)
My love is true. When I close I my eyes I`ll dream of you, My ears are open to listen to you My love is strong, Are you dreaming too? By Thinekitha Mathybalan (year 8) 36
“My trip to the Globe theatre in London was fascinating. Inside the Globe was so interesting that I took lots of photographs. I found out that a man called Sam Wannamaker rebuilt the Globe Theatre to recreate Shakespeare’s memories”. By Prerna Sengupta (year 7)
Tower Poetry Competition Two budding Cranford Poets Ilwat Abukat (year 12) and Nargis Ghowsi (year 11) were entered in the Tower Poetry Competition- the most prestigious student poetry competition in the UK (run by Oxford University). The theme this year was ‘Voyages’. Ilwat’s piece is a metaphysical poem, with an emphasis on metaphor, and Nargis’s poem is structurally-driven (each stanza has a different formthe middle is a sonnet and she had a go with a bits of a villanelle). Both poems demonstrate the talent of our two young poets. By Lucy Judkins (English Department)
Pathway Separation was unbearable. That voyage marked only the birth of our love, Every word said: simply unforgettable; The bond of two souls promised faithfulness and trust. And that look... Yet I was just a chapter in the book.
Champions Who will fight the Spanish? Will you my chum? Who will get ready to vanish? Will you my chum? Who’s ready to begin? Who is going to win?
My promising future, my first blossom,
Who’s going to save their precious skin?
Whose eyes replicated the moon with one look,
Will you my chum?
Giving me strength whilst love gave me wisdom, Lies, defiled roses, slowly lips overtook.
Who will scare them away? Will you my chum?
Just a dream- then a prayer- now, reality…
Who would make them pay?
You whispered gently ‘’til death do us part’.
Will you my chum?
Your mere existence gave me my identity, The support to every step- since lost on my feet-
Who will make it right?
Yet still it’s the answer to every question,
Who will use their might?
The soothing rhythm of every beat. Flashback of memories- false illusionsNot just words, memorized, And my head: trespassed.
Who will make it tonight? Will you my chum? Maathula Kagenthirarasa (year 8)
‘Forever is just the beginning’ (deviant lies). My eyes seek for you but yours seek for her. My heart beats for you but yours beats for her. My every breath is for you but you breathe for her. Regret is my pathway, burdened and shamed, Watching you walking away...with her. By Nargis Ghowsi (year 11)
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Targeted Intervention Days -May 2012-
On the 1st – 4th May 2012 Cranford Community College held four Targeted Intervention Days. These targeted days were an opportunity for teachers to work with students on other aspects of their learning with a focus on raising achievement through a variety of sessions. For years 10, 11, 12 and 13 there was a more exam focussed programme. This was a chance for them to improve their coursework and complete controlled assessments or spend time preparing for the up and coming summer exams. Sessions included; Aiming High – activities designed to look at their curriculum, choices, grades and focus students on their actions now and the impact it will have on future options. Enquiring Minds – this was a chance for students to look at topics they are interested in and ones that we might not have the capacity to study during the normal school timetable.
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Ethos of Positive Behaviour – this was a chance to reflect on ensuring high levels of positive behaviour within the school. This was a practical workshop where students looked at the impact of positive and negative actions inside and beyond the classroom. Diversity – this was a short study celebrating the different cultural backgrounds of students within the school. A r m y a n d Te a m B u i l d i n g – a n opportunity for tutor groups to work together in a competitive and cooperative environment to build a strong team spirit. Body Confidence – Students analysed the media and the impact it has on their view of how they should look. This workshop focussed upon improving students’ self-confidence and how they see themselves. It also challenged the negative aspect of the media. Film “Son of Rambow” – Students watched “Son of Rambo” and created a quality piece of work based on themes within this film and developing their own film ideas. These targeted intervention days were a fantastic way for staff and students to explore different ways of learning. Everyone had a great time and learnt a lot. By Maria Bramhall, Rita Berndt and Kevin Biggs (Raising Achievement and Raising Aspirations Team)
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A Time To Remember Bitter Black Death
Miraculous medicine
Beware of Black Death, a terrible disease it’s coming your way, spread by fleas.
Herbs and plants were prehistoric remedies which decreased the number of people in cemeteries. Medicine men would provide medical care, Magicians would give charms to wear.
A punishment from God Is what they believed you’ll start to rot and smell and find it hard to breathe.
Egyptians believed their gods could do anything, they used to wear charms, bracelets and rings. They used to believe their bodies were like the Nile to prove this theory wrong, it took a while!
If you got the plague you were seen as a bad Christian with a life threatening fever affecting your nervous system.
The Greeks believed in the supernatural, and their remedies weren’t so factual. People believed in religious ideas, This would last for 1500 years.
Huge buboes in awkward places, never look into the eyes of victim’s faces.
Hippocrates created the four humours, they believed it could cure anything, even tumours. the humours were yellow bile, phlegm, blood and black bile, Again like the Nile, to prove it wrong would take a while!
But before you rush to shut your doors I should tell you a little something more.
By Mariyum Mahmood, Jacinta Noel, Alisha Qaddoos and Xhesika Koxha (year 9)
It wiped out half of the country Leaving us in stress No safety or no cure Britain was a mess So next time you leave your home Beware of the Black Death! By Lucy Thompson and Lucy Tirahan (year 7)
‘Do we need God?’ Sixth Form RE Conference -2012-
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his was the first time I had experienced the annual 6th Form RE Conference. At first I had mixed feelings about the day, however as the day progressed I became more and more interested and involved in the workshops and especially the end of day debate. All the workshops were great fun and very interesting but my personal favourite was the workshop called ‘Do we need God?’ This was the workshop that got me thinking and was when I got fully involved. It then lead to a very interesting debate about different beliefs. The panel activity after lunch had to be the highlight of the day because it gave me the opportunity to debate with my teachers about controversial topics. Overall the event was a great success which I enjoyed very much By Nazir Qanai (year 12)
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Year 12 Swanage Field Trip
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March 19th 2012, the Geography department, Ms Cousins and its year 12 A-level students set off for a three day residential field trip to the south coast of England. This fieldwork and research trip was to help students in their exams in May. After a fun coach ride down, we stopped at Swanage Bay to conduct our first piece of fieldwork: field sketches. This being a geography trip to the coast, naturally we were greeted by classic British weather, as we stepped off the bus and into the freezing cold, but this never brought down anybody’s spirits. We finished off and headed further into Swanage to our accommodation, with everybody tired after the long journey. After dinner, we all sat down and worked hard into the late hours of the evening, before heading off for some much-needed sleep. The next morning we headed off to the Jurassic Coast, to conduct fieldwork research. After a steep, long walk along the coast through the muddy walking path, we found Old Harry’s Rocks, a landmark along the Jurassic Coast, formed over many years of erosion. Afterwards we went back
Visit to the Victoria and Albert Museum On Thursday 19th July 2012, 19 students went on a trip to the Victoria and Albert Museum. We really enjoyed our time there and learnt a lot about the different types of art and design from around the world. The museum had lots of works which were several hundred years old and were very fragile. We got to see the fashion collection and see how fashion has changed over many years. We got to see and read about unique outfits and materials used to create amazing designs and see the Gold, Silver and Precious stones collections which were amazing, especially the rubies and diamonds. The best part of the trip was the spinning chairs in the outside courtyard; we had such a fantastic day – A big thank you to Miss Kerai and Mr Kemp for organising such a great trip. By Tapinder Sran and Jaslin Aurora (year 8)
down to Studland and conducted beach profiles up to the sand dunes at the back of the beach. We then set off again and arrived at Lulworth. After lunch, we climbed the steepest path of the trip, tiring with each step, only to be rewarded with the spectacular view of the ocean, and could even see the rainclouds rolling inland off the sea onto the hills, which was incredible to witness. We walked along the steep walking path all the way to Durdle Door, and saw first-hand how this Jurassic Coastline landmark had formed over 140 million years. We then headed back the other way and up the hill to the very top and observed the amazing 360 degree panoramic view of Lulworth and the sea, before heading off to Lulworth Cove. We finally returned to our accommodation. After dinner, we worked again through to the late evening, before calling it a night after what was a great day. The next morning we packed up and headed off to Boscombe to study the rebranding on the coastal town. A tiring but ultimately rewarding three days. It was a fantastic experience and highlighted how brilliant it is to study geography. By Shiv Bhatt (year 12)
s and w n u G Ne gs, “Gan ference: A ?” on e C m a e G Crim tion a r e n Ge
When I attended the “Gangs, Guns and Crime: A New Generation Game?” Conference at the Civic Centre, I learnt a lot about the lives and the struggles of ex-gang members. They spoke to us about their life in the gang and what they did as well as how they managed to break out of the cycle. There was a question and answer session at the end where people would write questions down and the ex- gang members would answer them which made it interactive and it changed my ideas quite a bit; I learnt that gang life was not worth the pain and suffering, as all it did was cause harm to those that belonged to gangs as well as their family members. After listening to former prisoners, prison life is nothing you would ever want to experience – it made me think twice. By Mohammed Mallah (year 11)
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Exhibition 2012
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hursday 5th July 2012 saw the annual Art, Design and Technology Exhibition. Each year the exhibition follows a theme and this year the theme was ‘Darkness’. This was a celebration of students’ achievements in their examination courses in year 11, 12 and 13. It is a tradition across the faculty to display work from every student who has completed an examination course and this year was no exception. The variety of work displayed was really exciting; particularly the range of ceramic and 3D design work. Staff; students, parents and guests alike expressed their admiration for the quality of work on display. Mr Kevin Prunty, Executive Headteacher said; “Each year the ADT department exhibition demonstrates the amazing talent of our students. The work just gets better and better. I would like to thank all the students and staff who have put in so much hard work to make the evening such a success.” By Ruby Qureshi (Joint head of ADT department)
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Poster Design award for talented Art students
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Thursday 5th July 2012 Satvinder Buttar from Hounslow Race and Equality Council joined us in celebration of the work produced by our students. He joined us to hand out certificates to Manisha Kumari, Samar Ali Khan and Inderpreet Bhupall commending the posters that our students produced for the 2010 Equality act. Mr Buttar said: ‘The standard of work here is excellent. I am glad that I was able to come and hand out the certificates personally as I do not usually get to visit schools. It was good to meet the students.’ Manisha was the Winner of the Competition open to all Hounslow schools. Her poster focused on a range of issues in society covered by the Act such as: Age, Race, Sexual Orientation, Religion, Belief and Disability. Her poster was a mixed media piece; she worked under limited time to complete it for the submission deadline. Samar Ali Khan and Inderpreet Bhupall were also selected as runners up in the competition. Manisha said: ‘I am so happy; I have never won anything before. It is really good that I got a certificate and a prize. I was so surprised when I heard the news because I did not have enough time to get it perfect. I am so happy’. Samar Ali Khan said: ‘I can’t believe that I came runner up, I like art and try hard but didn’t think that this would happen. My mum is so proud of me. I will definitely try to continue with art.’
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“I was incredibly impressed by the presentations by our Chinese visitors. I learnt a lot about Shanghai and the different areas of the city and the events that go on”.
“It was fantastic, the whole class was enthralled by their ability to speak English and they gave a lot of useful information on their background. I would welcome more guest speakers like that”.
By Mark Kemp (Humanities Faculty)
By Mathew Southern-Mayers (Humanities Faculty)
Cranford Community College welcomes visitors from Shanghai
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hanghai is probably the most vibrant and exciting city in China today. With a bustling population of 23 million, and a skyline worthy of any modern city, it boasts a growth rate of 19.2%. It was to this city that Kevin Prunty went to begin research into international school systems and here he was introduced to the South Dong Chang Middle School. It was 15 students and 5 members of staff from this school that were greeted at Heathrow’s Terminal 3 on 25th June 2012, resplendent in their new red tartan uniforms. The group had waited patiently having cleared passport control with unexpected speed. Once at school, the delegation settled quickly into the Globe and set off early the next morning, despite jet lag to explore London. The students were all 14 years old and showed an amazing command of English. This was particularly clear during their very interesting presentations to our students from year 7, year 8 and year 12 who were very appreciative of the information given about Shanghai, its culture, its history and its tourist sights. The Chinese students were able to answer questions fluently and quickly. The insight gained into Shanghai and its people was fascinating, especially of interest was the lesson ably taught by one of the Chinese staff on the correct use of chopsticks. Each participant received a set of chopsticks to practise with and a small gift, which they had to pick up using their new found dexterity. One of the high spots for the group was their involvement in the W factor on Wednesday afternoon, when the Chinese students joined whole heartedly into improving their circus skills, set about winning hands down on the Wii playing tennis despite never having done it before, but most importantly engaging in real activities with Cranford students. A second highlight was the visit to Berkeley Primary School, which they found delightful and felt so welcomed. They loved meeting the younger primary pupils. At the farewell dinner, Kevin Prunty, Headteacher, was presented with a beautiful model horse, which represents courage and it was clear to all those who had met the group from South Dong Chang Middle School, that not only were both students and staff excellent ambassadors for their school, but that this was the beginning of a long and fruitful partnership between Cranford Community College and South Dong Chang Middle School. By Philip Dobison (Assistant Headteacher)
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2011-2012 has been another amazing year of outstanding performances by the drama department. Year 12 A/S Level students kicked off the year with their performances of “Metamorphosis”, full of stylised characterisation and physical theatre; a joy to watch. This was followed in December when the year 13 A Level students devised their own theatre projects on the theme of ‘Resistance’, tackling very challenging and relevant topics including, schizophrenia, child grooming and mental health. The performances demonstrated how talented the group were as actors and their incredible level of maturity in dealing with these difficult s ituations and storylines.
In March 2012 year 12 A/S level students put on a stunning production of “Light Shining in Buckinghamshire” by Caryl Churchill demonstrating their versatility and talent, bringing from page to stage a story which depicts the eternal battle between revolutionary idealism and political pragmatism. In May 2012 the year 11 GCSE students proved they too are incredibly talented with their devised performances dealing with topics including; political intrigue; surrogacy; relationships and loss. The stunning Creative and Media production “Cell Block 33” in February and the recent “Barnum” production has proved once again that it has been a very busy and successful year for our students treading the boards. By Barry Bray (Head of Creative and Media Faculty)
“The psychiatrist scenes were very effective as they allowed the audience to track Leah’s progress through the piece. As some of the psychiatrist scenes involved direct confrontation with the audience many felt threatened by our approach”. By Dean Blake (year 13) ‘Forever Autumn’
“The audience understood the symbolism of the chess set. They said it made them realise how the female character was manipulated and controlled. They understood how there was competition between both sets of imaginations, good and evil, as these characters were playing the game on the smaller chess set”. By Milan Parma (year 13) ‘Checkmate’
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Our
annual whole school end of year assembly is always a great way to look back over the year and celebrate all the great achievements of our students. This assembly was no exception. Kevin Prunty, Executive Headteacher opened the assembly with congratulations to everyone on another outstanding year. He referred to just some of a huge list of memories and we all applauded. Year 10 students Danielle Devine and Rebecca Green performed; ‘Lego House’ by Ed Sheeran, followed by a Rap version of ‘Written in the Stars’ performed by Olusegun Babatunde, Imran Noorabdul and Surjeet Sohal and an extract from Barnum by some of the cast made a hat trick of excellent entertainment. Roger Owen, Chair of the Academy Board Trust who joined us for the celebrations, presented prizes to the winning tutor group in each year for the Olympic Sports Festival week and Values Certificates were awarded to individual students who had demonstrated outstanding achievement in each of the values. At the end of the assembly he congratulated everyone for all their achievements and wished them a safe and happy summer holiday.