The Cranleighan 2017 by Cranleigh Abu Dhabi

THE

CRANLEIGHAN ISSUE 2 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; The 2016/17 Academic Year in Review

ABU DHABI

Editor Vicki Butcher Photo Editor Linda Law

Educational Perspectives Brendan Law Headmaster, Cranleigh Abu Dhabi

Photographers Julian John (School Photographer), Craig Nicol and Cranleigh Staff

Tariq Mana S. Al Otaiba Senior Associate, Office of Strategic Affairs, The Crown Prince of Abu Dhabiâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Court

Graphic Design Shane McManus VolumeDesign.co.nz

Sir Anthony Seldon, FRSA, FRHistS, FKC Political historian and Vice-Chancellor of the University of Buckingham

Contributing Editors Cranleigh Abu Dhabi Heads of Department

Adrian J Lajtha, MA, FCIB Cranleigh UK Chairman

Special thanks Lydia Vosgimorukian

Bernardino LeĂłn Gross Director General of the Emirates Diplomatic Academy

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Educational Perspectives

Academic Journey

Moral Education

Ex Cultu Robur

116 130 156 170

Sport in Action

Hidden Curriculum

Cranleigh Houses

Cranleigh Awards

Educational Perspectives

The Power of Diversity At the end of this, our third year, I am reminded of Mahatma Gandhi’s words: “Our ability to reach unity in diversity will be the beauty and the test of our civilisation.” The strength of any school lies in its community, and the diversity of our Cranleigh population makes us all the more ready to tackle the challenges of a fast moving global society. The world is shrinking even as its population burgeons. The more able we are to collaborate across nations, regardless of ethnicity, religion and socio-economic status, the better equipped we will be to tackle global issues. The responsibility we carry as a school is significant. It is our duty to raise up global citizens of the future, each with unique skills built upon the foundations of tolerance, mutual respect and common decency. A hundred and fifty years of tradition has certainly ensured that this moral code is alive and well in the British setting with our fellow Cranleighans in the United Kingdom, and I believe that Cranleigh Abu Dhabi has enhanced the breadth and depth of opportunity in this regard. With 65 nationalities represented in the 1100 or so children educated on our Abu Dhabi campus in 2017, there is certainly much to share in terms of celebrating diversity within the pursuit of excellence. We are proud that, among the many accolades heaped upon the school in just eight terms, Cranleigh Abu Dhabi was awarded New British International School of the Year 2017, in a strong field of British Curriculum schools opened worldwide in the past three years. The award, given by British International Schools Magazine, noted in particular our impact upon the local community. Cranleigh Abu Dhabi has forged close links between Western standards of education and Middle Eastern values, culture and heritage. As His Excellency Sheikh Nahayan Mabarak Al Nahyan, Minister of Culture, and Knowledge Development, noted in response to our cultural masterpiece, Beautiful World, which was performed in his presence as part of the 45th UAE National Day celebrations: “This production, which received outstanding community reviews, was created and supported by a true community spirit reinforcing the principles upon which our precious nation has been founded. As we progress together, we look forward to continuous collaboration that can only enrich, foster harmony and inspire our future generations to create and grow with no limits for the betterment of all cultures and societies.” This, alongside our selection as a leading pilot school for the development of the new Moral Education Programme in the UAE, as initiated by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, makes it clear that the Cranleigh ethos is having a significant impact on the growth and development of national and international relations. Brendan Law Headmaster, Cranleigh Abu Dhabi

Moral Education What it means to be a citizen of the world has changed much in our time. People are connected; cultures intertwine and learn from one another. Information and news is instant and easily accessible. This has led to the emergence of a generation that will outshine any we have ever seen. The burden of our expectations on this generation is heavy, and we who are now preparing the world for them to take over, have a duty to enable them to reach their potential. We are no longer a civilisation that measures success through acumen, but are now looking to fulfilment, happiness and mastery. Education has not changed much in most places; it needs to adapt, to evolve, and decision makers will need courage to push it to the level where our children have the environment they need and deserve. In the summer of 2016, based on the directions of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, work started on introducing Moral Education in the UAE. The course had to be universal; appropriate to everyone, and it had to encourage rather than impose. Through consultation with schools, parents, academics, experts, and officials, we developed four pillars: Character & Morality, The Individual & The Community, Civic Studies, and Cultural Studies. The units in these pillars do not impose ideas or ways of thinking, but rather they build in students the tools they need to come up with their own opinions on complex situations they find themselves in. The course also champions the importance of culture, not just from the UAE, but from around the world. It provides students with lessons that encourage them to think about the deeper significance of our universal heritage. To ensure that the programme was thoroughly vetted before its full launch, 19 schools across the Emirates and across socioeconomic backgrounds were selected for a pilot scheme, among them Cranleigh. Part of the culture of the Moral Education Programme is collaboration, and schools were encouraged to share amongst themselves their best practices. We encouraged schools to design an implementation plan that ensured the learning outcomes were met. Cranleigh, through its existing curriculum, had already met most of the outcomes, and has become a champion of the course, presenting the schoolâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s unique approach and its findings from the pilot at the first annual Principals Symposium, and accepting requests from principals across the country to visit and benchmark its approach. Values and character based education is now internationally recognised as the future. It is a new way forward, for a new culture. Collaboration, open mindedness, acceptance and commitment from schools, parents, students, teachers and government will ensure that we successfully meet the challenge of our duty to generations to come. Tariq Mana S. Al Otaiba Senior Associate, Office of Strategic Affairs, The Crown Prince of Abu Dhabiâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Court Tariq is a member of the Moral Education Committee that is managing the development and launch of Moral Education in the UAE. A graduate of the University of British Columbia in Vancouver with a degree in Political Science, he specialises in social policy, including education and healthcare, and in security policy.

The Future of Education While there are many examples of outstanding educational practices in schools today, there remains a need for a profound shift in approach. Too many children are still taught by a system that evolved in the 19th century. ‘Factory’ schools were homogenised conveyor belts and required passive learning along with the regurgitation of facts. Passive learning worked when our economy was based upon large-scale employers, mass production and repetitive work that didn’t require employees to think very much, merely carry out instructions. But this kind of learning only covers a very narrow range of what it is to be a human being. I ran schools in the UK for 20 years, Brighton College and then Wellington College, and during that time I tried to take my pupils toward a 21st-century model, based on the work of Howard Gardner, the American development psychologist who devised the theory of multiple intelligences at Harvard. At my schools, we adapted his work by identifying eight different forms of intelligence. Imagine these forms of intelligence as points on an octagon. There are four pairs: personal and social, creative and physical, moral and spiritual, logical and linguistic. Teaching them all will draw these different types of intelligence out of every child. If we don’t, they may well remain dormant. Most schools merely pay lip service to the first six and only concentrate on the last two. This is wrong for a number of reasons. Not least because the two intelligences being concentrated on are, ironically, the two most easily replicated by machines. Algorithms and artificial intelligence are outperforming human beings on most aspects of logical and linguistic intelligence. The very skills around which we have designed our schools and our exam system are the very ones that will be rendered redundant within the next 20 years. They should be concentrating their resources instead on the first six intelligences or aptitudes that are uniquely human. This century will see the creation of many small companies, which will need to be entrepreneurial and creative to thrive in a rapidly changing world. Entrepreneurialism, active learning and creativity should therefore be developed at school. Pupils should be taught the six aptitudes of personal and social, creative and physical, moral and spiritual intelligence. To do that there needs to be a change in attitude. Schooling today is still too much about learning the right answer. The schools of tomorrow should be about teaching pupils that there are no right answers, there are only better and worse answers, and good and bad questions. We should be encouraging them to come up with their own answers. Sir Anthony Seldon, FRSA, FRHistS, FKC Anthony is a political historian and commentator on British political leadership as well as on education and contemporary Britain. He is also Vice-Chancellor of the University of Buckingham. This is an edited version of an article first published in School House Magazine (www.schoolhousemagazine. co.uk/education/anthony-seldon) and is reproduced with the kind permission of the author..

Education, Value and Values Schools the world over are under remorseless pressure to reduce the true richness of a full education to simply a training in technical skills, learned mechanistically and in a manner which precludes individual creativity or open exploration of alternative perspectives. If education is to be more than simply a training in rote learning and technical competence, it must embrace the spheres of the ethical and the creative and engage not simply with knowledge but also with the unknown. This idea is of course not new. The pattern for education of this kind was laid down by Socrates (one of my heroes from my days as a Classics student at Oxford), who taught that the unexamined life is not worth leading and that wisdom is not knowledge but an understanding of its limits. In short, education is more than an economic necessity: it is an ethical enterprise, one that equips the young with knowledge but also forms in them the strength of character that will enable them to lead flourishing lives in a complex world. In this context, I salute the vision of the UAE in introducing the new Moral Education Programme into schools from September and, on behalf of the Cranleigh UK family, I congratulate Cranleigh Abu Dhabi on being chosen as a pilot school for this profoundly important programme. At Cranleigh in the UK, we are embracing ethical education through our emphasis on an approach to learning that begins with questions, proceeds by means of dialogue and aims to equip students with the capacity to think for themselves. In practical terms, our focus on project work and philosophical enquiry is providing Cranleighans with the chance to begin to find their own answers to questions about ethics, about humanity’s place in the scientific world and about human nature itself. How should we live in the light of the technological revolutions which are transforming society more rapidly than ever before? What does it mean to be a good human being? Where should we find our values and personal identity? Can we still believe in objective standards in a world of competing value systems? These questions are not simply academic: they arise in the form of practical challenges society has to confront on a daily basis. We are not offering Cranleighans answers. We are offering them tools for thinking and a supportive, reflective, communal space to begin exploring these questions for themselves. Our aim is that Cranleighans leave their time with us with an understanding of how to find their own answer to Socrates’ great question ‘How, then, should we live?’ We appreciate that there will be as many answers to that question as there are Cranleighans to ask it, be they in our UK or our Abu Dhabi families. Adrian J Lajtha, MA, FCIB Adrian Lajtha, Cranleigh UK Chairman, was educated at Uppingham & Pembroke College, Oxford (MA in Classics). He is a former senior partner and Chief Leadership Officer at Accenture.

A Shared Responsibility Education is a basic human right and an essential tool for developing a nation capable of preserving a sustainable future. Historically, a good education system was the basis for the development of strong and influential societies thus was the case in Pericles’ Athens. Moreover, historical universities such as Oxford, Al Quaraouiyine, Paris, Al Azar, Salamanca and Bolonia, or the Muslim Cordoba library, all of whom paved the way for Renaissance and modernity, were able to maintain fruitful dialogue between different scholars who surely influenced their development. Ibn Rushd and Thomas Aquinos are examples of such successful exchanges. Renaissance was not only about science and knowledge, also about tolerance, eclecticism and ethics, as De Cusa or Pico della Mirandola show. In today’s complicated world it is essential to provide future generations with the necessary tools to embrace and tolerate global societies. This task requires highly trained educational staff, it requires reflection, knowledge, dialogue and action. Aristotle emphasised that knowing what is good and doing what is good are of equal importance, the difficulty is surely in ‘doing what is good’, as actions require critical thinkers, effective decision makers and mindful leaders. One of the greatest struggles for future generations is the prevailing wave of the ‘politics of negativity’. Despite knowing the historical implications of a society blaming a particular group of people on the base of religion or ethnicity for domestic problems, in the 21st century we are still confronted with politicians who fight against the social dimension of globalisation. The only way to resolve our problems is through lucid and mature response strategies, with a positive view on all aspects of globalisation, and this can only be achieved in solidarity. It is necessary for future generations to understand that we are all ethically responsible for this world. His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyans’ initiative to introduce a new Moral Education Programme (MEP) is a great step towards developing a future generation of global citizens. The elements of ethics, personal and community development, culture and heritage, civic education, and rights and responsibilities are necessary tools for combating radicalisation and extremist ideologies which have immense effects on future generations. Educational institutions play a pivotal role in developing our children’s mindset, and it is vital that they provide an environment that cultivates an ethos based on tolerance and dialogue alongside quality education. A great idea requires great implementation. Cranleigh is a perfect platform and potential model for developing the MEP. However, it is equally important that the parents and community understand that they must also play a role in supporting this project. The world’s future is at stake. Bernardino León Gross A career diplomat with rich international experience spanning more than 25 years, Bernardino León was appointed the first Director General of the Emirates Diplomatic Academy in December 2015. Before coming to the UAE, he was Special Representative of the United Nations Secretary General to Libya and European Union Special Representative to the Southern Mediterranean countries.

Academic Journey

PRE-PREP SCHOOL Our mantra in the Pre-Prep is to focus on giving Cranleighans a well-rounded education, including exposure to a range of high-quality experiences and opportunities, so that we help to build the kind of life skills so essential to every child’s success, as well as further support their academic development. This year has certainly seen the children enjoy many new experiences, some of which have involved all four year groups. Activities such as Curriculum Days, Sports Days and performing in the auditorium all give pupils the chance to develop leadership skills, encourage cooperation among peers, and begin to better understand how their individual contribution can make a real difference to the lives of others. We see Curriculum Days as an important part of the overall school experience. These days give pupils the opportunity to take part in activities focused on a whole school theme. Such days present challenges that are different to normal everyday lessons which helps children to develop skills such as creativity, problem solving and risk taking. Science Day this year was a good example as it exposed our pupils to a series of different experiments, opening the door to an exploration of the scientific principles behind each. The fascination and joy on the children’s faces was wonderful to see. Innovation Day saw our youngest children in FS1 discuss ways of moving oranges around an obstacle course using different forces, while FS2 children were challenged to use their engineering skills to construct a tower using skewers and marshmallows. Year 1s found an inventive way to design a container to carry water over a short distance and pupils in Year 2 created musical instruments and built hovercrafts. Activities which focus on our Cranleigh Code help to instil moral values such as respect, compassion and gratitude. For ‘World Kindness Day’ Pre-Prep thought about how they could be considerate and made each other kindness tokens. The Year 2s were visited by the Year 8s who gave up their time to share a story and play a game. A sense of accomplishment boosts self-esteem and assurance, and that’s what the children benefitted from when they performed for their parents, in either class assemblies, their end of year performances, or the Year 2 production. A common thread that ran through all of these platforms was the amazing sense of composure and poise which each child displayed; a truly astounding achievement in children so young. Their teachers could not have been more proud to watch them take the stage and showcase their talents. Our Pre-Prep children have continued to develop and build upon their abilities in all areas of school life this year and have gained independence and self-confidence. They have also been very enthusiastic about their lessons, showing all the early signs of becoming life-long learners. Our central aim is to foster confident pupils with a firm sense of belonging and wellbeing, whilst enabling them to make the smooth transition to the next year group and then into the Prep School. None of this would be possible without the dedication of our amazing team of staff and the ongoing support of our parents. Finally, we are incredibly proud that the foundation stage was given particular mention in our school inspection earlier in the year for the quality of children’s education: “Outstanding teaching at the foundation stage (FS) gives children a real enthusiasm for learning.” Abu Dhabi Education Council Inspection Report, Academic Year 2016 – 2017

PRE-PREP 1.

Pre-Prep Innovation Day

Slipper Sunday

Pre-Prep Listeners

Pre-Prep performances

Science Day

Pre-Prep performances

Kindness Day

Science Day

Top Table

10.

Pre-Prep performances

FS1 + 2 We welcomed our third new cohort of 90 children through the doors of our FS1 corridor in September with well-rehearsed systems in place to help new pupils get settled – which they did extremely quickly. Last year’s FS1 children moved up to FS2 with a similarly smooth transition and have adapted to the demands of the year well. We try to find a balance between formal teaching and play-based learning throughout the Foundation Stage at Cranleigh, allowing fun to be at the forefront of a rigorous and stimulating curriculum. We have brought learning alive again this year through a series of special events in both year groups. FS2s have been able to venture out on three wheels on our new bike track. Further enhancements to the external play area have been made through generous donations from parents, allowing the children more opportunities for varied outdoor play. The Humpty Egg Drop is always a highlight of FS1’s first educational topic and this year saw some wonderfully inventive ideas for how to protect Humpty when he falls off the wall. Children were asked to bring in their teddies as part of our ‘Bears’ topic, and we all enjoyed a picnic on the pitch. Later in the term, the same teddies had a sleepover inside cosy, sleeping bags made by the children themselves. Much to their amazement, we found out the next day that those cheeky teddies had been up to all sorts of mischief whilst the children were at home! Our annual visit from Posh Paws animal sanctuary provided a valuable hands-on experience as part of our ‘Amazing Animals’ topic, whilst our Food Festival gave us the opportunity to explore the diverse culture here in Abu Dhabi, by tasting and discussing a selection of different of dishes. Meanwhile, in FS2 the ‘Super Me’ topic allowed pupils to focus on what makes each of us special and how we can be kind, caring and helpful, like a Superhero. The children spent a week preparing their very own Superhero wristbands, masks and capes which they wore on ‘Superhero Day’. In the Spring Term each pupil was given a flower pot which they decorated beautifully and used to plant their very own sunflower seeds. It was lovely to see the children’s excitement, patience and enthusiasm as they responsibly looked after their plants and observed them growing. When they discovered that it was not only plants that grow, but also fruits and vegetables, the children all brought in their favourite fruits which they used to make a delicious fruit salad. The children’s imaginations came alive as they immersed themselves in the lives of pirates for their next topic. Each class selected a name for their role play pirate ships, such as: The Naughty Noones or Swallows and Amazons. They also completed a special challenge at home, where they had to use recycled materials to create their own pirate ship, thinking carefully about how to ensure their ships would float. Ending the topic with a bang, the children dressed up for ‘Pirate Day’. The little pirates were sent on a proper treasure hunt around the school, in search of treasure chests which were overflowing with delicious booty. The hunt ended at the swimming pool where all the ships were put to the test, to see if they could survive the ocean. It has been a busy year for our youngest learners, and we are delighted with the social, emotional and developmental milestones they have achieved through their varied and engaging life at school.

FS1+2 1.

Porridge making

FS1 Food Festival

Caring for each other

Animal dress up day

Humpty Dumpty making

Posh Paws visit

Name Writing

Porridge making

Teddy Bears Picnic

10.

Class Assembly

FS1+2 1.

FS2 Pirate Day

Classroom activities

Giant garden collage fruit and veg printing

Pirate Day ship floating challenge

Investigating ourselves

Playing together with Pre-Prep Listeners

Number sentences with Numicon

Innovation Day

Reading time

10.

Using iPads for phonics

YEARS 1 + 2 In Pre-Prep, we believe that an innovative, exciting curriculum is the pathway to an enthusiasm for lifelong learning and that’s exactly how we have structured the year for our Year 1 and 2 children. Year 1 pupils started in the first term by becoming superheroes for the day which saw them completing a superhero obstacle course, making miniature superheroes and designing superhero gadgets. In November, they went on a theatre trip to the Officer’s Club for a memorable production of The Gruffalo’s Child. The children were very excited to venture into the Deep Dark Wood and it was the perfect way to begin an exciting learning journey exploring and developing map work skills, linked to position and direction work in Maths and creative writing in Literacy. As part of their topic ‘What’s in the Desert?’, Year 1s visited Umm Al Emarat Park in Abu Dhabi where they found out about Bedouin life, met native UAE animals and learned how desert plants are adapted to life in a hot climate. The children picnicked on the grass and enjoyed using the play equipment before their return to school. Continuing the spirit of stimulating learning, Year 2s enjoyed a visit to the Beach linked to their ‘Over and Under the Sea’ topic. The children sketched shells and built a word bank of sensory adjectives. The blue waters set the scene for a wonderful morning; the waves were but a small challenge for testing the boats the children designed from recycled materials and still there was ample time for splashing, sand castles and sharing the sunshine with friends. Back at school the children drew on their beach experiences by creating poems which were recited for parents in the Year 2 ‘Poetry Cafe’ showcase performances. Amongst the fun of an Island Adventure day, a trip to see Fantastic Mr Fox and numerous other events, Year 2 pupils were also lucky enough to take part in a voice workshop. The workshop was run by two professional singers working on the Opera Project with our older students. The children demonstrated impressive musical skills, learned new songs with actions and asked some pertinent questions about performance. Running throughout the Year 1 and 2 curriculum is the Cranleigh Code. Development of the children’s social and citizenship skills underpins all that we do in Pre-Prep. Year 1 children grow in their independence as the school year evolves and the Year 2 children have the chance to consolidate their position at the top of the Pre-Prep by becoming Listeners and House Captains. Pre-Prep Listeners have an important role to play, spending one lunch time each week in the Foundation Stage playground ensuring all of the children have friends to play with, whilst also encouraging respectful play. House Captains assist the House Masters in running House events. All children who put themselves forward for these responsibilities showed courage, confidence and enthusiasm, making speeches explaining why they should be chosen for the role. Once elected, they all continued to carry out their jobs with remarkable maturity. 2016-2017 has been a fun, active, successful year for our Year 1 and 2 pupils. After beginning the year learning about superheroes, the children have come to realise that what makes a superhero isn’t having the power of flight or x-ray vision, but possessing qualities such as kindness, courage and honesty that make us all real life Cranleigh superheroes!

YEARS 1+2 1.

ICT lessons - Scratch on iPads

Innovation Day

Year 1 assembly

Year 1 performance

Story time

Using iPads to support Maths learning

Year 1 theatre trip to Gruffalo’s Child

Year 1 Arabic

Creative Writing

10.

Superhero Day – Kevin our Super Hero!

YEARS 1+2 1.

Arabic Week celebrations

Year 2 Adventure Day

3D shape investigation

Tuishi Pamoja Show

Year 2 performance

Pre-Prep Listeners

Year 2 trip to Saadiyat Beach

Year 2 Poetry CafĂŠ

9. 10.

Healthy Me topic Investigating circuits

PREP SCHOOL One of the things that a school can struggle with in its first few years is the fact that it does not have any history. This might sound blindingly obvious, but parents, children and staff are all human and like to know what to expect from each school term in advance. Now we are at the end of our third year, we have successfully established many important processes, events and routines. Examination and reporting schedules are well known, as are the House and tutor systems. Over the past three terms, our Heads of Year have taken a much more active role and thanks must go to Geraldine Palmer, Rachael Tinkler and Siobhan Bee for their significant work behind the scenes. The tutor-parent relationship gets stronger each year and it was encouraging to see so many parents at the start of year coffee mornings run by our very effective Parent Reps who play such a key role in our ongoing evolution. Academically, our eldest Prep School pupils worked hard towards Common Entrance at 13+ (the end of Year 8). These are tough exams and the whole process prepares the children well for their GCSEs in Year 11. Most of our pupils seamlessly enter Cranleigh’s Senior School, set to continue with the outstanding education provided here. However, some have made the move overseas and the following, in particular, have done exceptionally well, gaining entry to their Senior School of choice in the UK: Alex Cowie, Denstone College; Barnaby Strong-Stretton*, Stamford School; Will* and Theo Mathers-Jones, Hampton School and Ali Macun, Sevenoaks. Outside the classroom the children are just as busy as ever, taking part in events such as the World Scholar’s Cup, the History Bee and Bowl, Scholars’ Showcase, ADISSA sporting events, plays, musical events and charity drives. Cranleighans can never claim to be bored! We had our second Adventure Day in February which was a huge success. It is days like this that give children the kind of soft skills they need in the workplace such as teamwork, resilience, leadership and grit. Taking this a step further, we were delighted to see Year 8s travel to Nepal after their exams in Term 3 on our inaugural post Common Entrance trip. Their experience is one they will treasure for years to come. This year saw us start some new traditions. We installed a trophy cabinet in reception as well as Honours Boards. Both these initiatives help to encourage children to keep trying their best, knowing that formal recognition is given to those that are truly outstanding in their field. Being an exemplary Cranleighan is not only about what you do – it is about what you become. Our aim is that by the time the children leave the Prep School, they should be turning into confident young individuals who are unafraid to take on the challenges that life throws at them. They should have discovered the areas of school life where they can succeed and shine, and they should be working on strategies for those areas that they find more difficult. Our aim is not just to prepare them for the Senior School, it is also to prepare them for their life beyond it. *Pending results from Common Entrance

YEARS 3 + 4 At Cranleigh, we aim to find a balance between high academic standards and the ‘hidden curriculum’ which is reflected in our varied and creative curriculum approach. The first term saw all Year 3 and 4 pupils work together on the spectacular musical production of ‘Alice of Wonderland’. Everyone practised diligently to perfect their singing, dancing and acting, resulting in a high quality performance. In the Summer Term, they had the opportunity to perform again, this time through the art of debating when they competed in Houses on two school-related motions. Zaeem emerged victorious, arguing against the motion: ‘This house believes that school uniform should be banned’. In Year 3, the children learnt about the Vikings in History and Geography lessons, finding out about their invasion of the British Isles, their settlement and subsequent way of life. This linked well to English, where the focus was on the works of Roald Dahl during a whole week of immersion. ‘George’s Marvellous Medicine’ was a class text and pupils were thrilled to attend a wonderful theatre performance of ‘Fantastic Mr Fox’ as well. Later in the year, Year 3s enjoyed a term-long topic entitled ‘What did the Romans Leave Behind?’ Geography lessons focused on volcanoes and earthquakes, which linked beautifully to the English text ‘Escape from Pompeii’, where the children were fascinated to learn about the eruption of Mount Vesuvius and improve their descriptive writing. With the anticipation of inviting their parents to a ‘Roman Museum Showcase’, the children worked enthusiastically researching and recording aspects of Roman life. Roman Day saw all of us dress up and become a Roman for the day. Pupils used Roman shields they had made in DT to create protective formations as they were put through their paces practising drills, and enjoyed sampling the culinary delights of a Roman feast. They also developed their craftsmanship, making clay Roman ID tags engraved with their Latin names as well as lucky Roman ‘bullas’. Year 4s began the year with ‘Ice Trap’, a story of Shackleton’s legendary journey to the South Pole linked to our topic ‘How do they survive?’ We explored this question further in Science as pupils learnt about animal adaptations and habitats. The mangroves of Abu Dhabi became a classroom as pupils spent the day kayaking, learning about the plants and animals of this special ecosystem. The next Year 4 topic, ‘Why did they build the pyramids?’ focused on a cross-curricular enquiry centred on the life of the Ancient Egyptians; children used their research skills to develop their understanding in Humanities and explored non-fiction texts in English. They were excited to down their pencils and pick up their shovels to gain an understanding of how historians learn about the past. Through the premise of an archaeological dig, the children succeeded in unearthing ancient artefacts such as a canopic jar, Eye of Horus amulet and even a spinning top. History was further brought to life on Victorian Day, as Year 4s travelled back in time to experience life as a Victorian child in our topic ‘How did it change?’ This included the ‘Three Rs’ taught a very strict school master, as well as parlour games and a dramatisation of Alfred Lord Tennyson’s ‘The Charge of the Light Brigade’. Throughout the topic we explored the impact of the Industrial Revolution and how it changed the life of Victorian people. In preparation for this day, pupils modernised a Victorian invention such as the train or telephone. Their entries were judged in an assembly attended by Queen Victoria herself! Year 4 gained a valuable insight into the life of a Victorian school child and came away thankful for the advances that have been made in education since then!

YEARS 3+4 1.

Year 3 Roman Showcase

Year 3 classroom learning

Year 3 Roman Day

Year 3 Roald Dahl Day

Year 3 Roman Showcase

Year 3 Roald Dahl Day

Year 3 Roman Day

10.

Year 3 Roman Showcase

YEARS 3+4 1.

Year 3 and 4 Production of Alice in Wonderland

Year 4 Victorian Day

Year 3 and 4 Production of Alice in Wonderland

Year 4 Victorian Day

Year 3 and 4 Production of Alice in Wonderland

Year 4s

Year 4 classroom learning

Year 3 and 4 house debating competition

10.

House poetry competition

SENIOR SCHOOL It’s hard to believe we have been in the Senior School building for less than two years. The place is awash with positive energy and its role as a centre for showcasing the breadth and depth of our academic, enrichment and cultural programmes is now well established. One of the most exciting things about the Senior School is that it is still growing. The Pre-Prep and Prep Schools are now well established and consolidating – building on existing strengths. The Senior School, by contrast, continues to expand into new year groups. Our Year 11 students have led the way, of course, with the first major run of (I) GCSE public examinations having taken place in May and June. A great deal of time this year has been spent on the shaping and development of our new Sixth Form Centre which opens in September. The building plans are in place, Harkness table designs are in and lengthy lists of science and art equipment, books, subscriptions and furniture have been ordered. The architect’s images of the building are larger than originally envisaged and it promises to give students a very special space for their final two years of school. Since original plans were announced, we have been able to add Art and Spanish to our first year provision, with Design Technology and others to be added in 2018. However, it is not just about the A Levels themselves. The wider package we have on offer, and our ability to offer a bespoke programme to a privileged first cohort, are what makes the Sixth Form at Cranleigh so exciting. We have an innovative schedule built around the core academic content, and the ideas from our staff and their eagerness to get involved is at times overwhelming. Morgan Whitfield Carney is to take on the role of Head of Sixth Form in a well-deserved promotion. Morgan’s proven academic strengths and her infectious energy and creativity set the bar high and we have every confidence in her ability to take both staff and students on an exceptional Sixth Form journey. She is joined by Rory Gallagher who will lead the Extended Project Qualification programme and we are also welcoming a number of new staff members who, along with current Senior School teachers and tutors, make a team that will be among the very best anywhere. Of significant note is the fact that Cranleigh Abu Dhabi students due to graduate in 2019 will be eligible for lifetime membership of the Old Cranleighan (OC) Society, giving them access to its worldwide community from the beginning of their Sixth Form Programme. The OC Society was formed in 1897 and today, comprises almost 6000 members across the globe. Membership of the OC Society brings with it access to the Cranleigh Network, a ‘careers-for-life’ programme which is intended to provide OCs with practical support and resources to help them make the transition from school to university, and then into employment or through career change. So, one extraordinary year draws to an end, and an even more extraordinary one is to come. Something we would all agree on is that Cranleigh years pass quickly indeed. We will miss our leavers very much, but look forward to welcoming new Cranleighans to join us in writing our next chapter.

ARABIC Like the rest of the school, the Arabic Department works according to Cranleigh’s value system, which is consistent with Abu Dhabi’s 2030 vision, promoting human and moral values based on a unique and competitive academic approach capable of overcoming challenges. Our classes are composed of Arabic and non-Arabic speaking students. We aim to prepare students linguistically for the requirements of secondary school certificate equivalency and have also, this year, prepared our first group of Year 11 students for their Arabic GCSE examinations, both first and second language papers. In the first term of the year, we worked closely with our Performing Arts colleagues on two projects. First of all, as part of the school’s Beautiful World opera, the Arabic Department was invited to run a training workshop that coached performers to perfect their reading of the original Arabic poem, ‫دنيــا محــا وطرهــا‬, which was written by the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan – may God have mercy on him – and was the inspiration for the entire project. Secondly, we worked closely with our colleagues in the Drama Department on our first ever bilingual Arabic-English theatrical production. The Bee Hive, ‫ خليــة النحــل‬was a visually rich show put on by pupils in Years 4 to 9 and performed to proud family and friends in December 2016. One of our highlights again this year has definitely been the challenging and actionpacked Arabic Week which took place in the last week of April. Our objectives were to enhance the Arabic language skills of our students and raise their interest in both language and culture. Activities included henna, calligraphy, bookmark design, Arabic letter cookies, story elements as well as writing students’ names in Arabic and creating an event logo. We also ran competitions for both parents and teachers which were greatly enjoyed by all participants. Pupils have been engaged in a broad range of activities throughout the year including events outside school. Three Cranleigh pupils participated in the Native Arabic reading competition sponsored by Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum. Earlier in the year we held a Speaking Competition in which Year 6 children conducted interviews with professionals about their jobs in order to develop their classical Arabic speaking and listening skills. And in Year 5, native speakers competed for the best piece of Arabic fiction and submitted an exciting and impressive range of entries. On a day to day level, all pupils in their respective sets have been progressing while at the same time enjoying a rich diversity of activities and teaching approaches including integrated ICT based learning, games and drama – techniques we use to try to create a stimulating learning environment.

ARABIC 1.

Year 3 story writing

Year 8 Arabic Week

Making Arabic letter cookies

Year 3 story writing

Year 7 Arabic Week

Year 8 Arabic Week

Parent and children competition

Year 8 Arabic Week

Year 3 story writing

10.

Year 7 Arabic Week

COMPUTER SCIENCE It has been another great year for the Computer Science Department. We have continued to engage our learners with an exciting curriculum using a wide variety of software and hardware. The result is that pupils remain at the cutting edge of technology, regularly exposed to new and innovative programmes, systems and devices. Pupils are taught to apply 21st century principles within the new Computer Science framework. This year Firefly, our virtual learning environment (VLE), has taken prominence in the curriculum and we use it in most lessons. Pupils in Years 10 and 11 have found it to be a really useful tool, using it for independent learning, collaborative working and submission of prep. In addition, teachers have effectively used the VLE to share feedback and assign tasks. Early in February, pupils in Year 5 and above marked Safer Internet Day. The theme was “Be the change”, and preparation in the weeks prior to the day itself saw pupils working on activities to become familiar with the issues. IGCSE Computer Science students worked collaboratively with Year 9s to lead an assembly which was presented to the Senior School. The pupils showed wonderful creativity when presenting their poems and role plays on a range of topics including cyberbullying, how to stay safe, being an agent of change and the impact of their digital footprint. In the Prep School, children had the opportunity to explore these matters in a safe supportive environment. They worked in groups to create resources and analyse videos and also took time as individuals to reflect on key strands of the theme. This year also saw the introduction of Adobe’s Photoshop software to the curriculum for pupils in Years 8 and 9 which opened the door to discussions on important, ethical issues including the impact of retouching on the print media industry as well as implications for self-image and self-esteem in the social media age. Powerful debates and discussions were held around topics like, “What percentage of images in the print media are real?” Pupils were highly engaged and responded very positively to these new units. In other year groups, coding has continued to be a key focus. Programmeming lessons present a level of challenge to all pupils and that triggers troubleshooting skills which promote high academic standards. Pupils develop resilience and try to find solutions themselves when faced with difficult scenarios. In Years 4 to 9, pupils engaged with different programmeming applications working at varying levels. They employed critical thinking skills and adopted problem solving approaches to their learning. Pupils in Year 5 learnt how to use Kodu to create a game and those in Year 5 used Scratch to design simple animations. Pupils in Year 7 and 9 learnt how to write programmes in Python. We continue to work hard in developing the analytical skills of our pupils further through debating and this year, Year 8 pupils held a fascinating and animated debate about whether “Computers will take over the world”. The Computer Science Department continues to encourage a hands-on and creative approach to learning. IGCSE pupils enjoyed their lessons on computer architecture and took a computer apart and then reassembled it. This was very much a pupilcentred session which saw them work in groups, applying their theory and knowledge in a practical lesson. Our vision is to continue to equip pupils with the thinking skills, as well as the knowledge, which will make them confident users and learners of technology.

COMPUTER SCIENCE 1.

Spreadsheets – the intensity and engagement!

Research project

Teacher and peer assessment – E-Safety

What is inside a computer?

Paired work: Impact of Social Media

Giving and receiving feedback on an independent project

Peer presentations on an independent project

Magazine – Desktop publishing

Assessing coding project

10.

Group work

DESIGN TECHNOLOGY It has been a momentous year for us in the Design and Technology Department, a year which saw our first ever Year 11 cohort successfully complete their two-year IGCSE course. We had 18 IGCSE students, each of whom undertook extensive study in Product Design and Resistant Materials theory. In addition, each delivered a major project worth half of their final mark. The Department guided pupils through their choice of project area, encouraging a theme of storage solutions, and then worked closely with them from conception to completion. Once final, the projects were internally marked by the teachers and externally moderated by the exam board. Work was produced in the form of an A3 folder and the ‘made product’. The use of Computer Aided Design and Computer Aided Manufacturing (CAD/CAM) was encouraged to assist with the realisation of the final solutions which were then tested by the target user, in the relevant intended environment. Working with the Art Department, we celebrated our IGCSE students’ work with an exhibition in the Senior School Atrium in May. The event was called ‘Catalyst’ and, alongside recognising the achievements of our Year 11 Art and Design Technology students, we also hope it was successful in inspiring younger Cranleighans understand more about how it is possible to problem-solve through Design. Alongside our IGCSE focus, the Department continued to work energetically with pupils in Year 4 and above, instilling confidence in and understanding of the core elements of the design process, from safety in the workshop to how to use the latest 2 and 3D technologies. Our pupils, or our ‘mini-designers’ as we like to refer to them, follow a traditional problem solving approach, using the design process to create a viable and successful solution. Working from the initial need and brief, to the development of a prototype or working solution, they investigate through research and explore ideas through sketching, drawing and modelling. They then manufacture their ideas before finally testing and evaluating their product. Year 4 pupils started the year with bridge building before moving on to a musical instrument project that helped to develop accuracy when working with different materials. In Year 5, pupils made a tea light stand and honed their woodwork skills for the Great ‘Egg-Scape’ buggy. Year 6s made a solid fuel camp-stove and worked with wood and plastics to create a travel puzzle, while Year 7 children created torches and worked on a headphone packaging project. They also enjoyed their plastics project which yielded an amazingly creative set of acrylic clocks. Our Year 8 pupils made a wooden lap joint box and then moved on to electronics and plastic with the steady hand game and in Year 9, classes worked collaboratively on a project from the Design Museum London, as well as on a STEM based assignment that saw them design and make a catapult to fire a projectile accurately. Year 9s also enjoyed an introduction to IGCSE DT level work, using plastic and CAD/CAM to produce a desk organiser. Year 10 pupils have successfully completed year one of their IGCSE course. This included an introduction to the major project, focusing on the development of assessment objectives which are firstly to identify a need and brief; secondly to research the design brief; and thirdly, to generate and explore design ideas. Pupils have developed content to support the manufacture of a prototype/fully operational product, which – with the supportive design folder – will provide the foundation for their final IGCSE grade.

DESIGN TECHNOLOGY 1.

Year 7 pupil using the Hegner Saw

Mohamed Abouali – Skate board maintenance station

Year 9 pupils undertaking the Lap Joint Box Project

Year 4 Bridge Structural Testing

Rodothea Papachristoforou – Modular make-up storage device

Year 11 pupil using CAD (Computer Aided Design – 2D Design)

Year 11 pupil using CAD (Computer Aided Design – AutoDesk Inventor)

Year 4 pupil undertaking the Bridge Building project

Joachim Sjodin – Mixed martial arts training kit storage device

10.

Year 4 pupils undertaking the Bridge Building project

ENGLISH In the English Department, we opened our year with a celebration of poetry in its spoken and written forms. School competitions were launched encouraging student engagement which led to a plethora of wonderfully crafted verse. We were also able to enjoy two tremendous recitations in Senior and Prep School Assemblies. Other highlights of Term 1 included a fiercely fought Prep School Spelling Bee. High standards and intense focus resulted in fraught nerves and challenging words being swatted away with ease. The level of vocabulary our students took on was made all the more impressive due to the cool manner with which they stood on stage in the auditorium facing a large crowd as well as the keenly listening judges. In Term 2 there was a tremendous buzz of activity emanating from Years 8 and 9. In exploring the works of William Shakespeare, the Department took full advantage of the facilities afforded to us here at Cranleigh through weekly workshops. Active engagement with the words of the Bard was encouraged and these lessons developed into small group study within classrooms. We ensured that each section we approached began with active reading and a focus upon the physical aspects of the worlds created in ‘Romeo & Juliet’ and ‘Macbeth’. Year 9’s course focused upon bridging the gap between their past triumphs at Common Entrance and their next challenge of IGCSE study. A remodelling of the curriculum brought in a much greater emphasis upon the assessment styles they will encounter in the coming years. Along with some of the course content, it is most reassuring to see our students rising to the challenge and embracing the kind of analytical skills previously only expected of our Year 10 and 11 students. Their independent study projects from Term 2 were celebrated in April with a “Poetry Digest”, when they presented their excellent work along with a cake inspired by their chosen author. The first Thursday of March, as always, brought with it World Book Day. A flurry of entrants to our “Get Caught Reading” competition gave Mr Coulson quite the headache in coming to a final decision of a victor. The Prep School was awash with quirky characters and crazy costumes as we all celebrated our favourites from the day. The English Department helped create a video highlighting a small number of the many languages that make up Cranleigh Abu Dhabi and the books that make us who we are. Reading and book culture have been further encouraged this year through our Year 5 project of making books to read to friends in Year 3, our House reading competitions in Years 5 up to Year 8, and our ‘Shadowing Carnegie’ schemes for students in Year 8 and above. Our Year 11s worked hard and consistently all year preparing for their IGCSEs. Some excellent coursework was delivered and we are optimistic that they will achieve the grades they deserve. Further down the school, our entrants for Level 2 Common Entrance along with a select group completing the Scholarship Examination have also applied themselves well and we expect their work to pay off through a set of strong results.

ENGLISH 1.

World Book Day reading

Too many Trunchballs

Warrior Masks

World Book Day winner

Year 8 Macbeth collaboration workshop

Year 11 IGCSE revision

Peer learning

Reading project

Year 9 Romeo and Juliet workshop

10.

World Book Day

HUMANITIES “In the teaching of geography and history, a sympathetic understanding should be fostered for the characteristics of the different peoples of the world.” The words of Albert Einstein neatly encapsulate the aims of the Humanities Department and have taken on new resonance this year as we have embraced teaching Social Studies to non-native speakers as part of the nationwide Moral Education Programme (MEP). The Programme incorporates key pillars of learning about the UAE including the Governance and Culture of the country, as well as developing important ethical values. Social Studies and the Moral Education Programme: Assuming the responsibility for teaching the MEP as one of the pilot schools in the region has been a great source of pride for the Department. From Year 5 to 9 we have enjoyed exploring the society and culture of the UAE, whilst examining a range of complex issues such as globalisation, energy, governance and philosophy and ethics. We have also taken the opportunity to build up key writing, debating and evaluative skills that are associated with the traditional Humanities subjects. Year 5 and 6 Humanities: The focus for Year 5s this year was on the legacy left by civilisations such as the Egyptians and Aztecs. We made our own perfume according to ancient recipes, opened a Cranleigh Museum exhibiting Stone Age artefacts and even built a traditional Souk. Our Year 6 Edible Plate Tectonic Competition proved to be a resounding success, leaving the judges impressed with the imaginative creations that demonstrated a clear understanding of how our planet is structured on all levels. Year 7 to 11 Geography: In Year 7, pupils created ‘green’ cities of the future by making innovative Settlement models. Meanwhile Year 8s investigated sustainability by designing eco-friendly hotels. They also attempted to solve major world problems of both a human and physical nature by studying issues such as Global Warming and Human Rights abuses in favelas. Year 9 geographers demonstrated a deep empathy with citizens across the world through their focus on Human Rights, development and globalisation. They also produced fantastic Three Gorges Dam presentations and studied China’s one child policy. Our Year 10 and 11 IGCSE pupils have covered a broad range of topics from volcanoes in Iceland to aging populations in Japan, and from the Himalayan Mountains to the corals of the Great Barrier Reef. They have also learned how to conduct investigations using enquiry, practical and presentation skills. Year 7 to 11 History: Year 7s began the year by creating their own personal memory boxes. They have gone on to study the Romans and Medieval life from the Battle of Hastings to the Black Death. The videos they made relating to this have been highly informative and entertaining! Year 8s learned about world changes between 1500 and 1900. Role play trials of King Charles I were particularly memorable. They have recently studied the impact of the British Empire and key revolutions in America and France that have shaped the modern world. Year 9 historians focused on the causes and consequences of the World Wars and a depth study relating to Russia. Meanwhile IGCSE students in Years 10 and 11 have also been investigating the Modern World, including the Cold War and a depth study relating to Germany from 1918-1945. We have been enthused by the performance of our students in the History Bee and Bowl in Abu Dhabi, the World Scholars Cup in Dubai and the Middle School MUN conference in Qatar. It is no surprise that leading Humanities students thrive on these opportunities and with the addition of A-Level Geography and History we are looking forward with great optimism!

HUMANITIES 1.

Year 10 Geography discussion

Year 6 Souk

Stone Age tools

Tectonic plates project

Stone Age lesson

Tectonic plates project

Senior School Geography display

10.

History GSCE Cold War lesson

ISLAMIC STUDIES Cranleigh’s Islamic Studies Department follows a curriculum that is in full compliance with Ministry of Education requirements. Islamic education is taught by qualified and experienced teachers to all Muslim children from Year 1 up. Native Arabic speaking students are instructed in Arabic whilst non Arabic speakers are instructed in English. Quran recitation and Islamic ethics are encouraged and reinforced through our dedicated Islamic Clinic. Students have made exceptional progress in Quran recitation this year, in part due to the variety of creative teaching and learning strategies employed by the Department’s staff. These have included role play and debate, research and drama. We have also encouraged pupils to present in front of their peers as a way of challenging them to go beyond their comfort zones and gain maximum understanding and enjoyment from their Islamic lessons. Our growing Islamic Studies Department aims to nurture the spiritual, moral and ethical development of Muslim students and is intrinsically linked to the school vision of providing a holistic based education, in a caring and enlightened environment. We aim to raise the profile of Islamic education and promote key Islamic values thereby fostering students to have the courage of their convictions and to develop a positive attitude. We do this through stories from the Quran and the life of the Prophets (peace be upon them), who serve as role models, helping students learn the values of respect, truthfulness, obedience and forgiveness among others. Self-reflection and critical analysis help the children to further explore important lessons from the lives of the Prophets and key historical Islamic events. Asking questions and seeking answers are an intrinsic part of Islamic lessons. When students are encouraged to express and exchange their thoughts and opinions, their understanding is enhanced making it more likely that they will adapt and continually improve their own behaviour and actions. This year, our Department in the Prep School has focused on the significance of religious practices. Students have been encouraged to participate in some of the important Islamic celebrations which has helped them to feel part of, and take responsibility for their religion. An example of this was the occasion of Eid Al Adha in the first term, when students made biscuits and decorated the school as a way of honouring and sharing this important holy ‘Festival of the Sacrifice’. In preparation for Ramadan in the summer term, we worked with Year 5 and 6 children to help them learn about Suhoor, the healthy meal eaten before sunrise during the holy month. Pupils enjoyed a carousel of activities that explored traditional Suhoor and how it differs in varying regions of the Middle East. This was followed by some Arabic storytelling as well as Ramadan reflection letters. Just before the end of the school year, we worked with our colleagues in the Arabic Department to launch our Basket of Giving idea to engage students with the values of charity, mercy, love and benevolence for those in need. The whole Cranleigh community was galvanised into action and gave in abundance; all our valued campus support workers received a wonderful bag of gifts as a result. The Basket of Giving initiative formed part of our Ramadan focus and was also inspired by His Highness Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan’s announcement of 2017 as the Year of Giving, the goal of which he described as: “… to make a difference in the lives of those we care for, and in ourselves.”

ISLAMIC STUDIES 1.

Taking part in Salaat Al Istisqaa â&#x20AC;&#x201C; praying for rain

Islamic Studies lesson

Learning about Suhoor

Learning about the importance of Ramadan

Quran recitation

Learning about the importance of Ramadan

Islamic Studies lesson

Quran recitation

Taking part in Salaat Al Istisqaa â&#x20AC;&#x201C; praying for rain

MATHEMATICS It is well known here at Cranleigh that our mantra in the Maths Department is: Maths is Fun. Usually it takes new pupils and staff a little while to understand our approach but this year, the Department’s fun-loving personality was showcased very early in the first term when Head of Department, Mr Henwood, was obliged to honour a rather unusual pledge. During the final term of last academic year, Mr Henwood made a commitment to the five Year 10 students sitting IGCSE Maths early, that if they all achieved an A* grade, he would shave his head. When the results came through revealing an amazing list of straight A*s, Mr Henwood’s haircut was scheduled as the highlight of the first assembly of the year. The now infamous event is captured for posterity among the photographs on the pages that follow. At the beginning of Term 2, number-savvy volunteers from Years 8, 9 and 10 were afforded the opportunity to manage the scoreboards during the Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championship. It was the first time this serious responsibility had been given to a single school. We were extremely proud that at the end of the four-day tournament, the PGA European Tour organisers confirmed that based on the exemplary behaviour and high standard of work they witnessed, Cranleigh will be asked back next year as the event’s exclusive score boarding partner. Another highlight of the past mathematical year was our third Cranleigh Abu Dhabi Maths Day in April. All Prep School students were off timetable and took part in a series of Maths-based challenges. The theme for the day was MARVEL and both students and staff came to school as super heroes and heroines of note. Activities included MARVEL Mystery which required pupils to solve a series of maths puzzles. Answers to these puzzles created a code that then needed to be found and solved. Falcon Gliders demanded the use of forces and angles of depression to create gliding devices with the aim of transporting a MARVEL toy across the atrium; while Cerebro used angles, forces and teamwork to successfully re-create the Avengers tower. Of course, most of the work of the Maths team takes place in the classroom where we continue to integrate technology into teaching and learning, to complement traditional approaches. Mangahigh remains an important resource. Its adaptive, games-based approach engages students, encouraging them to compete against other schools in the region and once again, we were winners of the Middle East North Africa monthly challenge throughout the year. MyiMaths online learning website continues to serve us well as does Socrative, which we introduced last year. Mathematics lends itself to competition and we take advantage of opportunities where we can. This year pupils took part in four competitive challenges: • UK Intermediate Maths Challenge sat in February Year 9 and 10 (plus select students from Year 7 and 8) 2 gold, 4 silver and 10 bronze certificates • US Maths Challenge sat in March at NYUAD - Year 9 and 10 • On Pi Day, March 14th, it was Elly Son (Year 7) who was our top scorer for the second year in a row. This year, she recited 280 digits! • UK Junior Maths Challenge sat in June 2017 - Year 8 (plus select students from Years 5, 6 and 7)

MATHEMATICS 1.

Mr Kenworthy educating Year 8 students in the Finance 101 module

Miss Bee helping Year 11 students prepare for their IGCSE exam

Who thought Maths could be such fun?

The Maths department â&#x20AC;&#x153;strutting the boardsâ&#x20AC;? on MARVEL Maths Day

Year 5 students celebrating Pi Day

Collaborative learning in Year 11 Further Maths

Code Breaking on Maths Day

Maths skills being utilised on the leaderboards at the Abu Dhabi Golf Championships

Shinho Lee in Year 6 shows how many digits of Pi she can recite

10.

Mr Henwood keeping his 100% A* promise

MODERN FOREIGN LANGUAGES & LATIN Modern Foreign Languages – We welcomed three new MFL teachers this year who settled in effortlessly, and whose contributions have added immense value. We now number eight full-time teachers – a strong, diverse and skilled team. The academic year began on a high with the news that our first IGCSE candidates, who had taken their exams a year early, had all achieved A* grades. We welcomed 19 Year 10 students to MFL at IGCSE, which means that 69% of our current Years 10 and 11 students are studying French or Spanish. In another first, we have had two GCSE Italian candidates this year and one for IGCSE German. These students have worked extremely hard outside of the timetable to ensure that their language skills are formally recognised with a qualification, and that their CVs are as rich as they can be. French and Spanish pupils have enjoyed getting to grips with new personalised, interactive online learning tools such as Memrise, Duolingo and an improved Quizlet. Pupils can now take their vocabulary learning with them wherever they go and know that even five minutes a day can make a huge difference. In addition, the classroom experience in MFL has been flipped somewhat, with pupils taking even more ownership of their own learning. Collaboration has continued to be a huge focus for both pupils and staff, and our teaching and learning workshop for the MFL and Arabic Departments was evidence of this. We have continued with what we now see as established traditions; the French breakfast for our Year 3 classes, who were delighted to have the opportunity to ask for and sample traditional French menu items, and the MFL Olympics when, despite the bad weather, Prep School pupils enjoyed activities such as French Pétanque, Colombian Box Ball and Spanish Yincana (treasure hunt). As we look towards next year, we are thrilled that we have a number of Sixth Form students who have chosen to study A Level Spanish. Our biggest goal remains, as it always will, to deliver the best possible experience to our pupils, maximising their enjoyment of language learning and building their confidence to enable them to use these skills in the wider world. Latin – Now moving into its third year, Latin is well and truly embedded with nearly 60 students enrolled for 2017/18. Our first Year 11s concluded their IGCSE studies with further development of their syntactical and lexical understanding and study of both prose and poetry set texts before sitting their final examinations. We look forward to taking our second IGCSE cohort through next summer. Year 7s enjoyed meeting the family of Lucius Caecilius Iucundus and learning more about life in ancient Pompeii in the period preceding the AD 79 eruption of Vesuvius. Through the Latin stories, they gained valuable insights into another place and time, while improving their grammar and vocabulary. The provincial town of Venusia and the early life of the poet Horace were the focus for Year 8, while Year 9 picked up Horace’s story as he left for Rome to continue his secondary education before moving on to the Academy in Athens. Year 10 students followed Horace’s decision to join Brutus’ army and also his return to Italy when the army was defeated and he became one of the leading poets of his time. Lastly, a highlight this year was our trip to NYUAD to see Denis O’Hare’s captivating solo performance of “An Iliad”– a new composition based on Homer’s epic poem of love, battle, gods and honour.

MFL + LATIN 1.

Year 11 Latin class

Year 3 students solving some puzzles before being served their French breakfast

Year 3 French students giving a weather forecast to their class

Pupils in Year 7 learning how to play boules at the MFL Olympics

Year 7 Latin class

Year 3 students solving some puzzles before being served their French breakfast

Latin pupils with An Iliad programme

Year 9 Spanish role play

9. 10.

Latin students examining Roman artefacts Year 3 pupils enjoying their French breakfast

ENRICHMENT The Cranleigh Enrichment Programme (CEP) provides a platform for pupils who are willing and able to take on academic extension work beyond the core curriculum. Based on last year’s uptake and success, we have expanded this year, opening the programme up to Years 5 and 6, increasing the numbers in Years 7 and 8, and unveiling the Purvis Society for Senior School pupils. This continues in the tradition of Cranleigh UK where the Purvis Society was formed in 1939 to cultivate academic scholarship. CEP involves tailored prep time sessions with an enrichment tutor and features three major strands: Academic Extension augmenting the prescribed school curriculum, Skills Development through extra-curricular activities and events, and a platform for Independent Study that, for most pupils, culminates in the Scholars’ Showcase. Academic Extension is open to all as well as to those pupils who take part in the full CEP. We encourage children to indicate their enthusiasm to go deeper into a subject and to demonstrate their effort in the areas in which they are particularly interested and strong. Typically they are asked to undertake extension work in class and/ or at home in order that their intellectual curiosity and ability is constantly ignited. The Skills Development strand sees us engage pupils in debate and critical thinking by exposing them to new ideas and entering external competitions. This year, we hosted guest speakers on engineering, social responsibility and career guidance. In addition, our formal lecture series, Cranleigh Open Minds, provided an opportunity for scholar involvement. The series opened in Term 1 with former British Ambassador and Visiting Professor at NYUAD, Tom Fletcher, speaking on how to meet global challenges in the digital age. In Term 2 we hosted financial expert and best-selling author, Andrew Hallam, who spoke on financial and investment theories. And in Term 3, Professor Tony Watts of Oxford University talked about his fascination with light capture in biology. Enrichment pupils took an active role in these events with a number taking the podium to ask challenging and insightful questions. At the International Change the World Model United Nations we had 34 pupils act as delegates. Senior pupils also entered into the University committees, acting alongside undergraduate political scientists. Liam Patell was awarded Best Delegate and had the honour of being asked to be Secretary General for the 2017 conference. Humaid Adil dominated his committee with an Honourable Mention for his work. In March, we sent Year 8 and 9 delegates to Qatar to take part in the THIMUN conference organised by The Hague. At the World Scholar’s Cup, Cranleigh achieved an incredible set of results, coming home with many individual and team medals. Esha Saigal and Nicholas Wilkes attended the prestigious World Scholar’s Cup Tournament of Champions at Yale University in January where they were among the Silver Medal teams in the Scholars Bowl, and their individual category wins included a Gold medal for Collaborative Writing and a Silver for Debating. The final CEP strand, Independent Study, forms CEP’s centerpiece and culminated in pupils presenting their Scholars’ Showcase – the product of a yearlong independent study project focusing on innovation. Pupils were able to choose any topic that ignited their curiosity and were then guided to complete an investigation. In weekly sessions, pupils were coached to develop research skills which saw them develop surveys, hold meetings with university professors, interview experts and in one case, observe laparoscopic surgery. Topics this year ranged from water scarcity to the international war on drugs, from Cloud Seeding to the Colonisation of Mars, and from Nanotechnology to the Age of Automation.

ENRICHMENT 1.

Year 5 Scholars’ Showcase presentations

Model UN in Qatar

Year 5 and 6 Scholars’ Showcase

Masdar Institute youth circle with HRH Prince Charles

Cranleigh Open Minds with Tom Fletcher

Year 5 and 6 Scholars’ Showcase

Year 5 and 6 enrichment sessions

Guest speaker on social responsibility

Year 5 and 6 enrichment sessions

10.

Headmaster’s Meritus Awards

SCIENCE The vision for Science at Cranleigh is simple; we want to provide students with a practical based learning experience to equip them with the tools they need to be able to explore and understand the world around them. We try to create an environment that will allow students to be curious and engage with their learning. Building on the success of last yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Turtle and Dolphin projects, we have introduced another three enquiry based learning projects: A Question of Sport in Year 5; Forensics and The Perfect Mashed Potato in Year 6. Each of these posed open questions and enabled students to use their practical investigation skills to plan unique and creative investigations to help provide data and justification for their theories. Most notably, some of our Year 6 students have concluded that the best way to cook mashed potatoes is to use orange juice. They found that the citric acid causes the potato cells to become denatured and therefore easier to mash. To date no restaurants have taken on board our recommendations. We are not sure why! This year also saw the launch of Science Week. Our focus was on sustainability and many of the activities during the week highlighted how we can be more creative with the Earthâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s natural resources. The most popular activities during the week were definitely cloud seeding and rocket building. Well done to everyone who participated especially in the paper recycling competition which was won by Zaeem House. They recycled 25.6kg of paper over four days. There was much excitement within the Science Department towards the end of Term 1 as three of our students were shortlisted as Genes in Space finalists. For this project Akio Shirali, Wilson Huijsmans and Matteo Sottocornola took on the challenge of coming up with a unique experiment to be carried out on the International Space Station. The boys devised the idea all on their own and represented themselves and the school exceptionally well during the final presentations in front of world renowned scientist and astronauts. We are extremely proud of the boys and eagerly look forward to their next project. We restructured Years 7 and 8 this year to create more time for students to explore the fundamentals of scientific principles, whilst also preparing for Common Entrance. Although we knew this would be a positive change we did not expect the level of success it has brought. Science lessons in these years are packed full of investigations, creative thinking and student-led learning. Every student has a portfolio of evidence outlining their progress which makes for very impressive reading at the end of a long academic year. As always, in the Senior School the focus shifts towards examinations. Students in Years 10 and 11 have worked well preparing for their GCSE exams. This is a demanding and academically rich course which naturally compliments our vision of exploring the world around us. The knowledge and learning skills they develop over their two GCSE years help them to prepare for the next stage of their educational journey which we in the Science Department hope will include the study of Sciences at A Level. Indeed, this is the next stage of our journey and we have a rich and diverse A Level programme planned across all three sciences which will challenge students well beyond their comfort zones and further help us deliver our vision.

SCIENCE 1.

Year 9 Biology students investigating respiration

Year 10 student exploring static electricity

Testing rockets as part of Science Week

Year 6 students observing how equipment should be set up before they carry out their investigation

Year 6 students working collaboratively on separating techniques

Good scientists record their observations

Students from Years 3 and 4 visit the labs to carry out some important research!

The dramatic final of the balloon car racing

9. 10.

Precision is key Our Genes in Space finalists putting the final touches on their presentation 5

Moral Education

MORAL EDUCATION In July 2016, Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, launched a plan to introduce a Moral Education Programme (MEP) into UAE schools. He said that the creation of a nation remains contingent on how well that nation preserves its values and morals, regardless of the level of achievement and sophistication it has attained. The MEP is a journey that pupils embark on to become global citizens. Units are fascinating, ranging from Equality and Justice, Governance, and Globalisation, to the Preservation of Cultural Heritage. We were honoured to be asked to be a pilot school and since January, have been fine tuning curriculum content, sharing it along the way with other pilot schools in a collaborative model. We have found that the MEP’s objectives and structure are a natural fit with almost all of our existing educational model as well as with our ‘whole child’ philosophy. The Programme comprises four pillars, two of which we have delivered academically through Social Studies: Civic Studies and Cultural Studies, and two pastorally, through our Learning for Life (LfL) sessions: Character and Morality and The Individual and The Community. In Social Studies, we have been able to integrate the first two pillars quite naturally. For example, by linking our study of Early Islamic Civilisations and the UAE to the way philosophers, mathematicians and scientists had to work together, we have been able to demonstrate how collaboration contributes to the creation of a great nation. By comparing the leadership styles of Sheikh Zayed and Sir Wilfred Thesiger, pupils have been able to discuss leadership versus exploration. They have also looked at how Sheikh Zayed’s role changed the path of the UAE, drawing comparisons between what the country is now, as a result of his proactive and constructive vision, and what it could have been like without his foresight. The MEP actively brings ethics into the classroom which is incredibly powerful. Finding and exploring examples of moral dilemmas that the UAE faces today, for example desalination of water and the impact on the marine wildlife, has helped pupils consider what solutions there might be, using fair and equality-based options. The Programme also encourages experiential learning. In looking at historical trading and trade routes, our Year 6s created their own Souq and experimented with perfume making in the Science labs. The linking of the MEP’s Character and Morality and The Individual and The Community pillars with our LfL has also been very successful, complementing and deepening how we use our Cranleigh Code to bring alive important social values. Our pastoral structures create ideal platforms for Moral Education. One-to-ones between tutor and pupil allow for the building of relationships and the development of upstanding behaviour. This, in combination with our House system and roles as Cranleigh Listeners, Cranleigh Voice and Student Councillors, all ensure there are opportunities for children to put their learning into practice and be recognised for doing so. Finally, our school events calendar is structured to support values-based learning initiatives. This year these included November’s Pink Shirt Day which featured a host of creative activities in support of Anti-Bullying and Kindness; Remembrance Day; Commemoration Day; National Day; charity events including the Senior students’ Red Crescent fund raiser in February and the Arabic and Islamic Studies Departments’ wonderful Basket of Giving initiative in June. Assemblies and off-campus experiences such as trips also provide regular platforms for the discussion of the kind of values, skills and behaviours young people need to become open-minded 21st Century citizens.

MORAL EDUCATION 1.

Year 7 assembly - turning problems into strengths

Year 8 assembly

Cranleigh Prep School listeners

Cranleigh Kindness Day

Year 6 The Grand Souk

Mr Law receiving a thank you from Al Ghadeer gifts

Breakfast with the Stars

Prep School Listeners training

Cranleigh Voice election day

10.

Senior School charity day

MORAL EDUCATION 1.

Prep School Head Girl and Head Boy

Senior School Council

Discussion in Moral Education

Cranleigh Kindness Day

Year 5 assembly

Prep School Cranleigh Voice Senior Council

Learning for Life

Cranleigh Kindness Pledge

9. 10.

Remembrance Day Year 11 Learning for Life

Ex Cultu Robur

DRAMA The Dracula Spectacula programme quoted Aristotle: “The whole is greater than the sum of its parts.” This has been true both when seeing our end of year musical come together as well as for the Drama Department throughout the academic year. And what a year it has been, culminating in the high profile industry award, “Drama & Arts Programme of the Year 2017”, presented by Education Journal Middle East for the Beautiful World opera project. The year began by welcoming two new teachers to the Drama Department, Phil Brooks and Amy Mackay. The new team has taught pupils from Year 3 to Year 9 enabling Creating, Performing and Responding skills to be developed in a vast range of projects from Romans in Year 3 to Technological Addiction in Year 9. Weekly lessons form the backbone of Drama at Cranleigh. They are pure Drama-in-Education, not aimed at public performance but at shared collaboration within peer classes. The work that happens in these lessons allows pupils to build confidence, teamwork and analytical skills. Our first Year 11 cohort completed their IGCSE Drama this summer setting the standard for Drama as an academic and examination subject. Drama for public performance is created during extra-curricular, after school and weekend work and is made possible by the incredible dedication of staff, pupils and parents alike. IGCSE pupils enjoyed a workshop with Complicite practitioner Eric Mallet in October. This was a fantastic opportunity for them to work with other enthusiastic drama pupils from across Abu Dhabi. Eric taught us about ensemble performance and physicality in an entertaining manner that enabled exaggeration and creative risks. In March, a group of Year 7 pupils travelled to Muscat on our first International School’s Theatre Association (ISTA) trip. ISTA hosts festivals around the world. The theme in Muscat was “Water Water Everywhere” and we started with a trip on a Dhow for pupils to encounter Omani nature. This inspired fantastic ensemble performances, featuring music, choral speaking and imaginative movement. New friendships were developed with other drama pupils from Oman, Beirut, Malaysia and Tanzania. We hope to make this an annual event and look forward to hosting an ISTA Festival in the future. Dracula Spectacula has been the big musical of the year, featuring over 70 pupils from Years 5 to 10. The cast, crew and creative team spent from January to May rehearsing for the final production. Choreography, singing, acting, lighting, costume, set and make-up all came together in a fang-tastic show. The cast was complimented for the slickness and pace of performance. We were incredibly impressed with the professional manner in which pupils dedicated themselves to the after school and weekend rehearsals, juggling their time within their busy Cranleigh schedules. The Beautiful World opera in Term 1 has become a defining event for Performing Arts. When we embarked upon the project, we were ambitious, excited and hopeful, but none of us realised how magical and inspirational the process and final performance would be. The intensity of the five day project was fueled by the focus and energy of pupils and staff alike. Seeing the different areas of Art, DT, Music, Dance and Drama all come together was truly remarkable. Working with the UK creative team was a joy. Ultimately, it epitomised our moto, Ex Cultu Robur – From Culture Comes Strength – and has set our standards for the year to come.

DRAMA 1.

ISTA Festival Oman

Having fun with masks

Dracula Spectacula – Positive action man

Complicite workshop NYUAD

Dracula Spectacula – Glubicks

Dracula Spectacula makeup

Dracula Spectacula cast

Dracula Spectacula Miss Nadia, Hansel and Gretel

Rules of mask

10.

Dracula Spectacula Master Landauv

DANCE Dance has continued to influence the learning journeys of many of our Cranleigh pupils this year, enriching and developing their creativity, self-belief, resilience and adaptability. As in previous years, our approach remains to encourage and empower the children to guide the creative process themselves, alongside the teacher. It is this that allows performers to have autonomy; a voice and a chance to bring their cultural differences and personal styles to the studio space. The highlight of this academic year was the incredible Beautiful World opera in the first term. The Dance Department was overwhelmed to be part of such an innovative and cultural movement in Abu Dhabi and the UAE. The young dancers not only learned how to devise, choreograph and stage a production in five days, but most importantly they grew as young people and young performers. The process was key for them; their patience, bodies and minds were tested. It truly was an experience that will stay with them forever. We were delighted that our call for Dance Company auditions in September resulted in the biggest numbers yet and we have to admit to taking some measure of pride in just how integrated, valued and established dance has become within the curriculum in such a short time. The objective for each Dance Company is to develop creative processes where pupils are not just increasing their technical ability, but also evolving as individuals. Allowing them to have a hand in the creative process allows them to voice their values and opinions, as well as contribute to the choreographic intent and stimuli explored. A further mechanism that supports our holistic approach to education is cross-curricular work which gives pupils the opportunity to develop their knowledge and understanding in different contexts and through different mediums, allowing the learning process to become three dimensional. Examples of this include Year 5 and 6 Dance Company, who worked extremely hard on their performance for the schoolâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s National Day celebrations in December which focused on the values inherent in Emirati culture, and how these link to very own Cranleigh Code. Years 5 and 6 had the opportunity to further explore cultural heritage through their exceptional site-specific performance at the Souk celebration run by the Humanities Department in Term 2. Years 7 to 11 Dance Company got straight into creating in Term 1 and were honoured to be invited to perform in the Drama Departmentâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s outstanding end of year musical, Dracula Spectacula. This academic year we saw the first cohort of Year 11 GCSE dancers pave the way for future aspiring performers. Their passion, dedication, humour and resilience will be sorely missed by the Department and their legacy as Cranleigh dance pioneers will live on. Their final pieces were technically strong and exceptionally meaningful, exploring complex personal, cultural and political arenas. Over their two year course, these young people were encouraged to open their minds to thinking beyond what seemed obvious, to allow both the freedom and discipline of dance to impact their educational journey with purpose and reasoning beyond pure performance. With our next GCSE cohort, current Year 10s, already working at a high level, Dance at Cranleigh is set to continue to inspire our next student generations, breaking down barriers and ensuring the learning process is led by the most important people â&#x20AC;&#x201C; the children themselves.

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DANCE 1.

Year 7 and 8 Dance Company

Year 10 dancer learning Jazz

Year 10 dancer performs at the Manarat Al Saadiyat

Year 7 dancers

Year 10 GCSE dancers

Dance Fusion

Year 9 dancer

Year 10 GCSE dancer

9. 10.

Dance t-shirts worn by all GCSE students Year 10 GCSE dancer

MUSIC Over the past academic year we have revelled in watching our young musicians continue to grow in independence, self-confidence and imagination â&#x20AC;&#x201C; as well as in their own musical journeys. We welcomed two new teachers to the Department in Miss Hazen and Ms Patrick who have both made their mark in the most positive of ways. In class teaching, we have continued with our mantra of â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;music for allâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;, ensuring the promotion of musical understanding through performance, composition and listening. This year there has been a specific focus on World Music across many of the year groups, an approach that allowed us to use the power of often unfamiliar instruments, rhythms, melodies and arrangements to help pupils discover and appreciate different cultures. Year 9 studied different cultural dance forms before impressing teachers and peers with their research-based presentations. Lower down the school, Year 4 focused on the pentatonic scale while Year 5 learned about chords and playing the ukulele. Year 6 explored African drumming and the djembe while Year 7 had a look at The Blues and Gumboot Dancing. Prep School pupils were able to show off what they had learned through a series of performances. Years 3 and 4 performed in concerts in the Auditorium while Year 5 pupils played their ukuleles for parents and fellow Cranleighans during morning drop off. House music competitions were a highlight this year and we had a lot of fun supporting the Prep School Hip House Holler as well as the Senior School Battle of the Bands, both of which revealed the enormous talent pool that we have here at Cranleigh. On the instrumental side, we were pleased to present 60 students for the external examinations of ABRSM and Trinity College in the summer. From a performance perspective, there has been a marked increase in standards as a result of good lesson attendance as well as diligent individual practice. All pupils participating in individual lessons were able to hone their performance skills through the relaxed and supportive environment of the informal Lunchtime Recital Series that ran in Term 2. Ensembles have also continued to progress and we have had numerous performance opportunities where audiences were delighted by our Concert Band, Senior Wind Band, Junior Wind Band, Brass Ensembles and String Ensembles. We are grateful for the support from our band and ensemble parents given rehearsals took place before school this year. The good news is that the early starts have absolutely paid off, as has been clearly evidenced by the standard of performances we have all enjoyed. Our concert series kicked off with the annual Winter Overture in which soloists and ensembles from both Prep and Senior Schools performed. The second term saw our first band-only concert, Bandtastic, which gave our bands a platform to showcase their skill and talent. In addition, ensembles and soloists have performed at many school events such as assemblies, Remembrance Day, National Day and Speech Day. We seize every opportunity to musically inspire the whole school community by featuring their work. It was also such a pleasure to see some our staff members join in the performances of the Concert Band and we were particularly delighted to have a staff band accompany the Hip House Holler songs in Term 1 and also perform on their own on International Day.

104

MUSIC 1.

Informal Solo Recital

Winter Overture

Year 6 music concert

Senior wind band trumpets

Winter holiday sing-along

Year 5 Ukuleles

Concert Band lunch time recital

Instrumental lessons

Senior Wind Band

10.

Bandtastic

ART “Education is really aimed at helping students get to the point where they can learn on their own.” – Noam Chomsky This quote has been the mantra of the Art Department for some time but it has been this academic year that has really seen it come alive. In particular, our Year 11 GCSE groups applied themselves with self-discipline, zeal and maturity, producing an impressive body of work which was showcased in our end of year art and design exhibition, Catalyst. Across the school, all students have enjoyed a variety of pace and challenge tasks in class, as well as extended projects, which have encouraged them to explore their own abilities and potential. They have taken responsibility for tracking progress through the use of their art guide and learning blogs and have also celebrated their work on the Art Department’s Instagram and YouTube platforms. Our reciprocal learning buddy system and SID marking (strength, improvement and dialogue) have helped students peer and self-assess. As always, drawing has been a main focus and we have seen some outstanding progress in baseline assessments using the 4 Principles of Drawing. Our curriculum is an active user of the Student Competency Framework which has introduced compulsory ‘split screen’ teaching to schools in Abu Dhabi. This is where expertise and content are taught alongside transferable skills such as perseverance, creativity, collaboration and inquisitiveness. After school and extra-curricular lessons were very well attended, generating work that has given the learning environment of the school a real aesthetic boost. The use of the 4 Principles of Drawing has also had a particularly positive effect on drawing standards in the Prep School and the addition of Jennifer Hutchinson to the team has been tremendous. She has bought with her a wealth of knowledge and great energy. “Creativity takes courage.” – Henri Matisse This year has seen the development of new and exciting art techniques which have further encouraged children to extend themselves beyond their comfort zones – so important in their creative and personal development journeys. Students from most year groups are producing work using the flatbed printer, dry point etching, collagraphs and string prints. They have also been using local and stoneware clay with glazes. Next year will see the introduction of silk screen printing. This is another advance which will bring our curriculum ever closer to that of Cranleigh UK. Ultimately our goal is to offer all the art mediums and techniques that our sister school offers. The Art Department has continued to develop photography and now boasts several photography clubs, including Camera to Canvas as well as Junior and Senior Photography. Looking ahead, we are excited that the next academic year will see the introduction of Fine Art A Level. The course has a strong emphasis on drawing skills and the ability to interpret and convey ideas through visual means. Students will develop their imaginative and creative powers as well as experimental, analytical, and documentary skills. They will be encouraged to reflect on their work and that of other artists using specialist vocabulary and a critical eye, ultimately gaining insight into the meaning of art and the context in which it was created.

108

ART 1.

Year 5 tackle Edvard Munch using oil pastels

Year 9 Ceramics 1/2 sized heads

GCSE pupil with Mr. Johnson

Liam Patell’s stunning 10 hour GCSE exam

Mrs Hutchinson with Year 7

Year 6 hard at work

Shamma Al Shamsi’s outstanding GCSE exam

Anton Neubauer’s masterful 10 hour GCSE exam

Junior School pupils in their baseline assessment

10.

Year 7 Theo Ulander tackling Impressionism

BEAUTIFUL WORLD OPERA Beautiful World was a ground breaking educational project in the first term, driven by our Performance and Arts teams – Music, Drama, Dance, Design & Technology and Art. From the outset, its aspirations were ambitious, focusing on two key goals. Firstly to find a new and innovative way to celebrate UAE culture; and secondly, to inspire and develop children through performance and visual arts. The project was a pilot and, based on its success, the vision is that the model will be extended to involve and engage a broader section of Abu Dhabi’s educational and cultural community in the future. It all started with the moving poem, Beautiful World, written by the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, Father of the Nation. Beautiful World became the muse for talented Emirati-born calligraphy artist, Narjes Noureddine, and resulted in the creation of a new and exquisite collection of artworks which were exhibited at Cranleigh in association with Abu Dhabi Art in November. Narjes’ exhibition was opened by His Excellency Sheikh Nahayan Mabarak Al Nahyan, Minister of Culture and Knowledge Development. It was presented in collaboration with, and curated by Zayed University’s College of Arts and Creative Enterprises, where Narjes is a fourth year student. With Narjes’ artworks and the poem as the starting point, the second part of the project saw Karen Gillingham, freelance music educationalist and Artistic Director of the Youth Opera Company at London’s Royal Opera House, bring together a hugely talented creative group comprising a music director, choreographer, designer and two opera singers. Narjes joined this dynamic, professional team and together, they worked intensively with 80 students and Cranleigh’s own performance and arts faculties to devise, shape and stage a unique production. Everything, from set design to costumes, and dance choreography to musical libretto, was created by the students themselves, in less than five days. The power of the project lay in the journey; in the lessons of teamwork and leadership, of tenacity and collaboration, commitment and self-expression as well as in the subject matter, which fused the rich heritage and beauty of the UAE with a Western operatic performance style. The Beautiful World performance was so moving that it captured the heart of the Ministry of Culture and Knowledge Development who requested that a revival be staged as part of its 45th National Day celebrations at Abu Dhabi’s National Theater in December. This included the installation of Narjes’ exhibition and a second performance of the opera under the patronage and in the presence of His Excellency Sheikh Nahayan Mabarak Al Nahyan, Minister of Culture and Knowledge Development. The opera became part of No Limits, a powerful trilogy celebrating ‘Heritage, Harmony and Human Potential’ – an evening that concluded with a standing ovation led by Sheikh Nahayan himself. This extraordinary pilot project was recognised nationally in May 2017 when it won the Education Journal Middle East award for “Drama & Arts Programme of the Year 2017”.

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Sport in Action

PRE-PREP SPORT Our Pre-Prep children were again able to showcase their developing sporting prowess at this yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Pre-Prep Sports Days. FS1 and FS2 kicked off the first event with bags of enthusiasm and a real determination to do their very best in all their competitive activities. These ranged from sack jumping and egg and spoon, to musical spots and learning how to work as part of a team turning over cones in the hard fought Dishes and Domes game. Next up were the Year 1s and 2s who were wonderfully focused as they tackled their races and contests. These included skipping, javelin throwing and hurdling, but also what it means to be a team player in the Rob the Nest game. Children were competing for individual place stickers as well as for valuable House points. It was very close, but in the end Falcons were the overall winners narrowly beating Gazelles into second place. The children should be very proud of the Cranleigh values they displayed over the two mornings and it was great to see that many pupils have discovered that while winning is not always possible for every person every time, trying your best is always possible and leads to happy outcomes. A high proportion of pupils have taken advantage of our after school (ASA) programme this year. Much of what is on offer is sports-based, provided by both outside partners and by Cranleigh teaching staff. Depending on their year group, pupils had the chance to build their skills in a range of sporting activities including rugby, football, hockey, karate, ballet, dance fusion, aerobics and gymnastics. Many children have pursued the same activity throughout the year which has really enabled them to develop and extend their skills in that particular discipline. The cricket ASA proved particularly popular and our horse riders are really coming on after their lessons at Mandara Equestrian Centre. Swimming ASA is also well attended and compliments the timetabled swimming lessons our Pre-Prep children have all year round. Children are split into groups according to their ability and moved through the levels as soon as appropriate skills are met. FS1s and FS2s have been busy increasing their water confidence and learning all about water safety. They are now able to list all of the pool rules and follow them. By the end of the year, most of our youngest swimmers were able to jump into deep water and safely swim back to the edge using a pin drop. They have been practising their floating skills and exploring different ways of moving through the water. Our more confident children have already started learning their strokes on both their front and back in the main pool. Year 1s and 2s have become much more self-assured in the pool, floating and developing their strokes. They progressed enough to take part in distance swimming, an exercise that challenges them to continuously swim as far as they can using a recognisable stroke. These distances have ranged between 5m and 600m depending on ability. We have also introduced the children to water polo this year with the intent of providing them with basic skills and understanding of the sport in a recreational format. Although water polo is known for its toughness and endurance, our sessions harness all the fun, dynamic aspects of the game in a safe, easy to learn aquatic experience that we hope will motivate them to swim and stay fit.

118

PRE-PREP SPORT 1.

Cricket ECA

Pre-Prep Sports day

Poncho towels are a welcome addition to the swim kit

Pre-Prep Sports day

10.

FS2 swimming lesson

PREP SPORT It has been a busy year for Sport in the Prep School with some outstanding achievements. We have seen an increase in competitive fixtures across the Emirate which is good news for our budding athletes. Over the past three terms we have run over 35 teams across ten different sports and are starting to gain a reputation for hosting high quality sporting events where young people can come together and compete against other schools. This year we hosted a number of exceptional competitions and tournaments for the Abu Dhabi International School Sports Association (ADISSA) including: U9 girls and boys football competitions; U12 rugby competition; U11 girls netball league; U14 cricket competition; U9 girls and boys football tournaments and the U9 and U11 girls basketball tournaments. We were chosen as the pilot school for the first ever gifted and talented ‘Mini Olympics’ competition for Year 5 and 6 pupils. This event in February saw four schools come together to compete in athletics, swimming, football (boys) and netball (girls). It was a team competition where points were awarded for the best placings across the chosen disciplines. It was a great spectacle and while we were not the winning team on the day, the children benefitted hugely from the experience. The Cranleigh pool hosted Junior and Senior swimming B League galas and what a great year it has been for our swimmers. During the cooler winter swim season while many of us were still in our beds, our students braved the dark and often chilly winter mornings to train diligently. Their resilience and teamwork are to be applauded and the results of their dedication were evident in a marked improvement in technique and speed which resulted in both Junior and Senior squads winning their ADISSA leagues. This means we now move up into the A League for the year ahead which is a tremendous achievement. For non-competitive swimmers, timetabled PE also included lessons in the pool. Pupils in Year 3 and above have been swimming on a six week rotation, focusing on all four strokes as well as on diving skills and using the correct starts and turns. In addition, we have focused on the development of skills for personal survival and water safety. These include floating, treading water, sculling and experiencing what it is like to swim fully clothed. Through our co-curricular programme, pupils have had the opportunity to develop their water polo skills and have played a few friendly games at Raha International School – something we would like to develop further next year. On the field and in the Sports Hall, PE lessons have continued to focus on acquisition of new skills for all pupils across a range of disciplines. And for those who like to compete, performances in local fixtures have given us all much to celebrate: U9 A Mixed Touch Rugby Tournament Winners

ADISSA Competitions U9 B Girls Football League Champions

U9 Girls Basketball Tournament Winners

U11 B Girls Football League Champions

U11 Girls Basketball Tournament Winners

U14 B Girls Football Tournament Winners BSAK 7s Football Tournament

U11 B Boys Football League Champions U12 B Netball League Champions

U12 Girls Tournament Winners

U11 A Netball Tournament Winners

U12 Boys, U14 Boys and Girls Runners Up

Behind the scenes, we have been developing our links with local sports clubs to provide our students with high quality coaching opportunities as we work to enhance the development aspect of our Sports programme next year.

122

PREP SPORT 1.

U11 Netball Squad

Junior Swim Squad

U9 Touch Rugby

U12 Football Team

U11 Football Squad

Yoga

Badminton Squad

U11 Basketball Team

9. 10.

U11 Football Squad Year 7 Gymnastics display team

SENIOR SPORT We were pleased to be included in SchoolsCompared’s April 2017 article on Top Sport Schools in Abu Dhabi as follows: “Cranleigh, as a relatively new school, is clearly already in the fight for top honours and as the school reaches maturity with the addition of their Sixth Form, we expect to see some tough competition from them.” The article is accurate. We are starting to make our presence felt across a range of competitive disciplines. We are thrilled that our Senior Swim Squad and U16 boys rugby both ended the year as league champions, and in a number of other areas, our teams are right on the heels of the more established schools in the capital. Term 1 saw the boys football season kick off with the U14s and U16s participating in the Abu Dhabi International Schools Sports Association’s (ADDISA) competitive leagues which aggregate some of the finest talent from across the city. The boys worked hard in training which resulted in a marked improvement in their overall play. This contributed to some great results and both the boys teams ended the season runners up in their leagues. The first term also saw the girls start their netball season, again entering highly competitive leagues with an outstanding standard of netball displayed on a weekly basis. Much like the boys, the determination and attitude exhibited by all of the players was commendable. In spite of their sterling efforts, they were unfortunate not to win any accolades this year but thoroughly enjoyed their matches. The annual BSAK 7s rugby tournament held at Zayed Sports City was a welcome distraction from the football field for many of the U16 boys. The team performed extremely well on the day with some great wins under their belt, narrowly missing out on a trophy in the final. The boys U14 cricket team also had a positive season, playing well all term and securing a place in the final here at Cranleigh, in which they just lost out to a strong BSAK side. Tremendous effort and terrific to be runners up to one of Abu Dhabi’s strongest sporting schools. Term 2 saw the boys rugby and girls football seasons get underway with five teams from Cranleigh taking part in the girls U14 and U16 football leagues. It is great to see the sport rising in popularity with our girls. The U14 squad was lucky enough to have coaches from Manchester City FC hold a coaching clinic to help the team improve their play. This had a positive effect, with the U14B team finishing as runners up in their league, as were the U16A team. The Boys U16 rugby team had better luck on the field, walking away as league champions and Joachim Sjodin being voted Player of the Season. Term 3 saw a much more ‘developmental’ approach to sport from all Abu Dhabi schools, with senior students competing in one-off tournaments in basketball, badminton and volleyball. All tournaments were great successes, allowing pupils to try out different sports in semi-competitive environments which resulted in improved gameplay across the board. The Senior Swim Squad had a phenomenal year, with many of the squad ‘swimming up’ from their Prep School age group. The league was a yearlong competition with galas held termly. The Senior Squad was dominant throughout the year and ended up deserved champions.

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SENIOR SPORT 1.

Senior boys inter-House football

U16 girls football squad

U14 boys rugby team

U14 cricket team in action

Senior volleyball practice

U16 girls volleyball team

Senior cross country competition

Cranleigh representatives for the Daman Future Champions Programme

9. 10.

U16 girls netball team in action Man City coaches working with the U14 girls football squad

Hidden Curriculum

DUKE OF EDINBURGH It is just over 60 years since the Duke of Edinburgh Award was launched in the UK and at Cranleigh we are proud to offer our students in Year 10 and above the opportunity of joining thousands of students before them in achieving this prestigious accolade. The Award has three levels: Bronze (Y10+), Silver (Y11+) and Gold (Sixth Form+) and is aimed at young people between the ages of 14 and 24. Each Award has four parts and we provide support for students in the form of teacher supervisors who help monitor progress in the Service, Skills and Physical Recreation sections. In the Skills category, this year we had students who learned how to cook, took up photography and further honed their expertise in dancing. In the Service section, focus areas ranged from coaching youth sports teams to helping out in the school library. For many, Physical Recreation meant representing the school in football, rugby or netball, whilst those less involved in team sports started running or training at their local gym, pushing themselves to create and meet a set of personal targets. The fourth section, the Adventurous Journey, is probably the best known aspect of the Award. At Cranleigh, we train our students in small groups of four to seven people to undertake a practice expedition and then a qualifier between January and March, before the weather gets too hot for walking. The location for both our Bronze and Silver expeditions this year was Ras Al Khaimah’s (RAK) Hajar Mountains. Home to the tallest mountain in the UAE, Jebel Jais, the Hajar Mountains offer a range of terrain like no other. These mountains were formed over 70 million years ago, reaching a height of 2,000 meters above sea level. Bronze Expedition: In February, 16 intrepid adventurers set out for the northern mountains to complete their Adventurous Journeys. They had already learned much from their practice in January, such as how much food to pack, how to take compass bearings and navigate using contours, how to cook on trangias and how to work as a team. The qualifier tested all of these skills, whilst allowing the students to enjoy a range of scenery from mountains to wadis and much more. The highlight was the evening campfire as the groups bonded under a beautiful star-filled sky. Much was learned about themselves and each other and all who took part were successful in their venture. Silver Expedition: Mr Tesdale, who led the Silver Qualifying Expedition in March, had this to say: “The three-day journey challenged each group member physically, mentally and emotionally. In order to survive, each student carried a rucksack that supported them over the entire route. Throughout the journey the students overcame many obstacles and many times they were taken out of their comfort zones and into a place where they had to push themselves physically. Every single one of them showed so much resilience and determination. I can say that everyone went away with many experiences and memories that will be engrained into every aspect of their lives.” Finally, we are delighted to congratulate our first successful team from the 2015-16 season on completing their Bronze Awards. Well done to Xin-Yi Xu, Hanna Wu, Amelia Cowie, Sabrina Benni, Sebastian McAlister and Alex Wallace.

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DoE 1.

Learning to camp cook

Bronze group setting off on day two

Nearing the end of the trek in RAK

Camping on rocky ground

Silver group starting their trek

Bronze briefing session

Silver group still in good spirits

Preparations at school

Checking bearings and directions

10.

Stories and singing around the campfire

CO-CURRICULAR “Extra-curricular opportunities are outstanding. These include sports such as sailing, golf and horse riding.” Abu Dhabi Education Council Inspection Report, Academic Year 2016 – 2017 As a school that believes in a truly holistic approach to education, it is not surprising that our co-curricular programme is broad and enriching. The schedule this year has again been divided between Extra-Curricular Activities (ECAs) and After School Activities (ASAs). ECAs are contained within the normal timetable, whilst ASAs have been optional. Pupils in Years 3 to 11 have attended weekly ECAs which have included options such as chess, food technology, dance, backstage crew, arts and crafts, survival skills, coding, film, debating, fashion design and many more. The benefits of our ECA programme are endless, providing an opportunity for pupils to enhance their skills outside the classroom as well as give them an energising break from their studies. With two years of experience behind us, we now have an excellent insight into what activities the children particularly enjoy and have fine-tuned our programme accordingly. The most popular choices in terms of numbers this year were our end of year drama production, the musical Dracula Spectacula, and our Dance Companies which saw the highest yet numbers of children audition and take part. Alongside these, gymnastics, trampolining, recreational football and swimming were also in high demand. Parkour, which focuses on freerunning, tricking and stunt work, has become a firm favourite as has Beach Cross Country Club which sees our runners enjoy the beauty of Saadiyat Beach sunsets as they train each week. Rainbows and Brownies continue to be hugely popular and this year was a particularly memorable one as British Guiding in Foreign Countries celebrated its 50 years of Guiding in the UAE. To mark the event, Cranleigh Brownies and Rainbows joined 200 fellow Guiders for an amazing weekend camping at Arabian Nights Village in the Al Khatim Desert. Our Karate club, which is run by Emirates Karate Centre Abu Dhabi, has a loyal and growing following and in April, we were delighted to be able to host the 10th Annual Emirates Clubs Karate Championship in our Sports Hall. Also very popular is WeDo Robotics run by Computer Explorers who work with the children to help them build and programme their own robotic creations. For our musicians, we added a Concert Band to provide a more challenging platform for our most accomplished musicians. Concert Band joins the Senior Wind Band, Junior Wind Band, our Brass Ensembles and String Ensembles as we continue to extend our performance repertoire. Sport plays a huge role in the co-curricular programme and this year has seen an increase in our participation in competitive fixtures and leagues through the Abu Dhabi International Schools Sports Association (ADISSA). We also became a member of the British Schools Middle East (BSME) which opens the door to a host of sporting opportunities – including the U15 BSME Games – next year. Off campus, golf, horse riding and sailing go from strength to strength with our sailors on the podium again this year after the final regatta of the Inter-Schools Sailing Series in May. Our philosophy through the ECA and ASA programme is for pupils to strive for excellence through participation in a range of activities developing the whole child. The enthusiasm and personal achievements that pupils gain from their co-curricular exploits promote resilience, leadership, confidence, self-awareness and ambition.

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CO-CURRICULAR 1.

F1 in schools

Dance during Cranleighâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Got Talent

Perfecting the shot during Photography Club

Pre-Prep ballet dances perform The Nutcracker

Rainbows

Year 5 book reviews

Karate

9. 10.

Brownies and Rainbows camp in the desert Year 5 book reviews

CO-CURRICULAR 1.

Gymnastics club

Year 5 book reviews

Cross Country on Saadiyat Beach

Pre-Prep cooking club

Year 5 book reviews

The Cable newsletter editorial team

Ballet

Arabic Drama performance

Gymnastics end of year performance

10.

Karate

NATIONAL DAY This year’s celebration was yet another remarkable festival, full of rich cultural heritage and a fitting way to mark the United Arab Emirates’ 45th National Day. The atmosphere was celebratory as every pupil and member of staff – over 1300 people in total – gathered in the Sports Hall for a whole school assembly. Everyone had gone to enormous effort to dress in national colours and national costume and the Hall was a sea of red, green, white and black, symbolising Arabian unity. Proceedings started with the Brass Ensemble’s rendition of the National Anthem after which Mr Deady formally opened the assembly, talking about the birth of this wonderful country 45 years ago, and its subsequent and extraordinary evolution. The Headmaster Mr Law, then went on to speak about the amazing achievements of the Rulers and the Emirati people. He highlighted that the UAE is now ‘home’ to so many people from all corners of the world and encouraged all of us to remember just how lucky we are to live in such a diverse and peaceful society. The school then swept into a plethora of National Day themed activities, the variety of which is what makes our National Days so special here at Cranleigh. After our now traditional whole school photograph on the pitch, this year in the shape of 45, the fun started in earnest. Activities were run by both staff and parents, each one sharing the same objective – to commemorate the UAE’s proudest day through entertaining and informative learning activities. We had a dance performance from the Year 5 and 6 Dance Company as well as a traditional Yola dance from four of the Year 8 boys. All pupils took part in House competitions and class activities, which ranged from racing radio controlled toy Land Cruisers to creating sand sculptures, and from designing traditional handicrafts to playing Arabic games. The build a dhow challenge was a particular favourite and saw pupils pull together and work as teams in their quest to get their vessel ‘seaworthy’ and into the swimming pool first. Activities were engaging and the element of inter-House competition helped to raise the bar, resulting in pupils producing some outstanding work. At lunchtime the day changed focus as we welcomed the greater Cranleigh Community to come along and celebrate as one in the sunshine of a beautiful November afternoon. As friends and family arrived, they were amazed by the field and in particular, by the stunning 50 metre banquet table laden with traditional Arabic and Emirati cuisine which was a feast for the eyes as much as for the body. Families joined together to enjoy the delicious lunch and then spent time leisurely visiting the Heritage Village, reminding themselves of how life used to be here in the Emirates. The field was buzzing and the barasti stalls saw a constant stream of visitors as people browsed the displays of traditional handicrafts, henna, pearling and falconry to name but a few. The school as ever received tremendous support from parents and the greater Cranleigh community to make this day such a success. We look forward already to next year’s 46th celebration. It is quite remarkable what this young nation has achieved already in less than half a century.

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INTERNATIONAL DAY A Community Comes Together: International Day – 9 February 2017 7:00 a.m. The pitch is already buzzing with Cranleigh and Sigma staff. Tables, gazebos, boards, benches, chairs, parasols… it is a symphony of equipment being assembled on the lawn. While the Music Department sets up the performance stage, the PE Department uses all its might to help carry around tables, benches and parasols. At the East end of the pitch, the UAE tent is being filled with large pillows and rugs. Everywhere else, the gazebos provide shade to the tables where parents will shortly set up the stands for their countries. Twenty-five will be represented. As the morning progresses, volunteer parents start arriving and are directed to their respective stalls. Clearly, judging by the abundance of food, drinks, decorations and prizes that these wonderful parents are bringing along, nothing is too much to make this a very special day. Soon, the pitch is transformed into a feast of colours as parents create wonders. Surrounding the stage, the fences have been decorated with a myriad of flags, representing the diversity of our Cranleigh Abu Dhabi community. In the background, one can hear the staff band practicing their tunes. The atmosphere is picking up. After just a few hours and a lot of work, the Cranleigh pitch is finally ready to greet its guests. Families and staff start to appear, all curious to see what this year’s Cranleigh International Day has in store for them. Surely, they will not be disappointed! Every country has outdone itself, to name some and omit a few, will not give anyone justice. The enthusiasm and energy around the school is contagious. Children are running, playing or attending the many activities organised by each country. Parents, staff and older pupils stroll leisurely around the different stalls, sampling delicious foods. Some stalls encourage further participation with prize draws. The staff band is playing a wonderful selection of international songs and some pupils entertain us with some great performances. As expected, the sun is shining and it is warm… While Mr Law addresses the audience gathered around him, unbeknownst to him, a very large cake is discreetly being brought to the stage. To his great surprise, the staff band starts singing Happy Birthday, very promptly joined by the voices of our Cranleigh community. Indeed, the red velvet cake is here to celebrate Mr Law’s 50th birthday with his extended Cranleigh family! The afternoon is well underway, and it is now time to start heading home. For the families at least. The ever so dedicated volunteer parents, Cranleigh and support staff start disassembling all they had spent the morning setting up. As the pitch empties out, the remaining stage, tables, and flags remind us of what a fantastic day it was. This year again, our community had come together to celebrate International Day in a true Cranleighian fashion: “a soul and a spirit that inspires, with kindness and tolerance, with courtesy and respect, with safety and enthusiasm, with honesty and humility...” Cranleigh Abu Dhabi Vision, Aims and Ethos. Article written by Lydia Vosgimorukian, (Ella, Year 8 and Mia, Year 10) on behalf of the amazing team of parents who worked so hard and together, made this year’s International Day the best one yet.

146

TRIPS “Man cannot discover new oceans unless he has the courage to lose sight of the shore.” – Andre Gide Life is full of challenges and we owe it to our children to equip them with the skills to recognise risks, assess them sensibly and react in a positive manner. While in-school and classroom teaching covers a great deal, there can be no substitute for hands on experience out in the real world – this is where school trips come in. Our Prep and Senior School trips programme has been extended this year with a number of wonderful additions including our first ever Senior School ski tour and, for Year 8s, an incredible week exploring Nepal. Pre-Prep pupils have also had opportunities to venture off campus and their excursions are covered within the PrePrep reviews earlier in this magazine. In Term 1, Year 4s spent a day kayaking in the Mangroves which linked to their Science topic on animal adaptations and habitats. Also in the first Term, Year 5 and 6 pupils enjoyed a day out at Yas Waterworld after the end of their first set of exams. Early in the New Year, a group of Senior School students travelled to the French Alps for a week of skiing. Our beginners showed enormous improvement and gained great confidence, pushing themselves out of their comfort zones in true Cranleighan style. The intermediate and advanced groups took on red and some difficult black runs and impressed onlookers with their aerial skills before making their way up to the glacier. February saw Year 5 to 8s adventuring here in the Emirates. Year 5 and 6 pupils travelled to Al Forsan where Year 5s got to practice their archery and kayaking skills and finished the day collaborating in teams to build rafts. Year 6s were daredevils when it came to rock climbing and paddle boarding. There was no evidence of anyone being afraid of heights on the day as the students scaled high walls. Dodging arrows was the name of the game in tag archery as students and teachers alike, tried to aim and fire whilst avoiding incoming shots from opposing teams. Our Year 7 trip was a day in Abu Dhabi’s Eastern Mangroves. This was a fun and challenging outing with a kayak tour around the island, learning about navigation and shelter building as well as how to survive in harmony with the natural marine ecosystem. Pupils were adventurous and their team work was phenomenal. Year 8 boys and girls travelled to Umm Al Quwain for two days of outward bound challenges. From zip lining to archery and kayaking to leaps of faith, the children rose to every challenge with spirit and gusto and came home exhausted but very happy. In March, Year 7 drama students travelled to Muscat, Oman, to take part in an International Schools Theatre Association (ISTA) Festival. ISTA runs workshops all over the world for drama enthusiasts and is well known for its highly interactive and participative approach. Perhaps the most exciting new trip this year was the Year 8 expedition to Nepal at the end of the summer term. The one week adventure saw 35 boys and girls fly to Kathmandu where they were immersed in its rich cultural heritage before taking a beautiful three-hour ride to their camp at The Last Resort, located on top of a river gorge close to the Tibetan border. They then spent an amazing five days testing their personal boundaries and working in teams as they rock climbed, hiked and white water rafted through the stunning Nepalese landscape. This part of the trip also gave students the opportunity to visit a local school where they spent time with the children and helped with vital project work.

150

CRANLEIGH TRIPS 1.

Year 5 and 6 outing to Yas Waterworld

Year 7s learn survival skills

Year 5 and 6 adventure day

Year 8 camp to Umm Al Quwain

Year 7s learning how to use a compass

Year 1 theatre trip to The Gruffaloâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Child

Trip to Mushrif Park

Senior Ski trip to the French Alps

Year 5 and 6 adventure day

10.

Year 5 and 6 adventure day

CRANLEIGH TRIPS 1.

Year 7 survival skills

Senior Ski trip to the French Alps

Year 4 outing to the mangroves

Year 5 and 6 Adventure Day

Drama trip to Oman for the International Schools Theatre Association

Year 8 Camp to Umm Al Quwain

Year 5 and 6 Adventure Day

Year 7 Adventure Day

Year 8 trip to Nepal

10.

Year 5 and 6 Adventure Day

Cranleigh Houses

PRE-PREP HOUSES It has been an exciting year for the Pre-Prep Houses and we have seen the children work together to create a wonderfully respectful and cooperative atmosphere around the school. Competition sits at the heart of House activities and its gentle introduction at an early age is, we believe, an important step in setting children up for wins and losses later in life. Competitive activities develop important skills like taking turns, empathy, resilience and tenacity. The Autumn Term began with some very enthusiastic and courageous children standing up in front of their peers and teachers to present a speech about why they would be a good House Captain. We had many of the Year 2s present their speeches and we couldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have been prouder of each and every child who stood in front of us, each showing great confidence and independence. House Captains took on extra responsibilities such as snack time duties, attending meetings and helping to count the House points each month. All of the House Captains have been exceptional at fulfilling their roles. The first competitive event of the year was our logo competition. All pupils had the opportunity to design a logo that would represent their House for the year. We had a wonderful response and saw some amazing designs by all who entered. After much deliberation, the four winners were chosen and their logos are now used for House events and displayed on our House notice board. They are also pictured on the pages that follow. The second, eagerly anticipated event was our Pre-Prep Mini Bake-Off. We had a great many entries from FS1 all the way through to Year 2 and all those who entered showcased surprising levels of creativity and wonderful artistic skills. The finalists were chosen and they then brought their design to life in a nail biting final where the winners and runners up were crowned: a taxing job for our judges. Sports Day was next on our calendar, one of the biggest occasions of the year. All the children in Pre-Prep took part in different races and games with Years 1 and 2 earning those essential points for their Houses. Everyone had a wonderful day and showed great competitive spirit in each of the events. Once all the year groups had participated, the points were collated and counted and the winner revealed in assembly. This yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s winners of the Pre-Prep Sports Day cup were the fabulous Falcons. Each month in Pre-Prep, we learn about a new Cranleigh value. We discuss what it means and in what way we can bring it alive in our everyday life. The children work hard to demonstrate the value and in turn collect tokens for their House. At the end of the month the House Captains come together and help count out all the tokens for each House and add them together. The winning House each month is revealed to a very enthusiastic and excited crowd in our Thursday assembly. Over the months we collect the points and add them to a running total. The overall House winner had not been announced at the time of going to press.

158

PRE-PREP HOUSES 1.

Winning House logo for Dolphins

Winning House logo for Falcons

Pre-Prep Mini Bake-off, Turtle house members

FS2 Mini Bake-off, Dolphin house members

Sports Day House Winners, Falcons captains holding the trophy

FS Pre-Prep Mini Bake-off, Gazelle members

Winning House logo for Gazelles

Winners and Runner Up of the Pre-Prep Bake-off

9. 10.

Winning House logo for Turtles House Captains

PREP HOUSES Inter-House competition is the most intensely fought one that we have at Cranleigh. The children all love going up against their rivals in other Houses in a safe and fun environment. This year we have had about 40 different House competitions, varying from sport to debating and sketching to cooking, which gives each child the opportunity to try something new and also reveal unexpected talents. Al Sharaf – House Captains: Alex Cowie & Ella Vosgimorukian Al Sharaf’s House spirit is the epitome of power and resilience. Just like the Alligator mascot on our logo, we come out fighting for each competition. Honour sits at the heart of Al Sharaf, with all members showing team spirit, support and integrity. We won the House cup in Term 1 which sent thrills of joy throughout the theatre. Al Sharaf competed well on the sports field and in the Arts as well as in the academic realm. We did particularly well in House debating, poetry recital, collage and building the reading wall with House bricks. Next year promises to be equally as exciting, with competitions reaching an all new level giving us the chance to build on the House identity already formed, ensuring Al Sharaf continues to represent honour, teamwork and fun. Etihad – House Captains: Barnaby Strong-Stretton & Riley Fewer Etihad students exemplified House Spirit again this year as they competed in an array of competitions ranging from academics to the creative arts. We were runners up for Term 1, doing particularly well in touch rugby, football and netball. A special mention has to go to the Year 3 and 4 teams as they competed with tenacity and determination to collect a vast amount of points. During the course of the year we have had joint House assemblies to share important messages and results of competitions. These assemblies created a community feel where Houses supported each other both on and off stage. There is a lot to look forward to and be excited about in the next academic year; as Cranleigh Abu Dhabi grows the House competitions grow with it. Sadeeq – House Captains: Ali Macun & Carolina Peret All members of Sadeeq, Arabic for friend, have flown their House flag high this year. As ‘scorpions’, we have shown we work well in challenging situations. We enjoyed our victories but more importantly, developed strategies for dealing with near wins or losses. Our members are kind in the face of disappointment and have proven they are valuable friends wanting the best for everyone. Sadeeq has had a sensational year, coming home with all three Sports Day trophies, winning the swimming and athletics competitions in Years 3 and 4, as well as the Year 5 to 8 athletics. In addition, Zayna Madanat led the Year 5 and 6 House Debating team to victory. She also acted as sous-chef, alongside head chef Mia Van Hellenberg-Hubar, who delighted judges with a delicious chocolate fondant topped with raspberries to win the Bake Off. Zaeem – House Captains: Athos Trigkonis & Sienna Button Like all the Houses, pupils in Zaeem, Arabic for leader, have shown amazing House spirit this year. We are a very competitive House which was obvious most especially when it came to sporting events. However, in spite of the natural desire to win, Zaeemers show tremendous support not only for those wearing red, but also for pupils competing in other House colours. This proves the great value in the House system at Cranleigh. It grows a wonderful spirit of camaraderie between all of the pupils in the Prep School. Our highlights of the year include winning Hip House Holler, Cranleigh’s Got Talent and most recently, the overall prize for Maths Day. Next year we hope to continue to build on the brilliant spirit which we have seen this year and look forward to defending our titles while also working together to take a few of the sports trophies.

162

PREP HOUSES 1.

The new Housemasters

The Pompoms are out for Al Sharaf

Zaeem win the Hip House Holler

Working out the clues…

Sadeeq win the double on Sport Day

The house sketch-off starts to take shape

Will he catch him…?

The Great UAE Bake Off

FIFA Football was a real winner

10.

Etihad sing their hearts out

SENIOR HOUSES This year saw the introduction of new Senior School House names – North, South, East and West. These reflect the Cranleigh UK model, but with the all new Cranleigh Abu Dhabi colours of sea green, orange, turquoise and maroon respectively. Competitive House events have ranged from sport to drama, music to poetry and baking to entrepreneurship. As always, House points were also awarded in recognition of individual effort and positive contribution to the school community. The English Department provided the first opportunity for points by hosting poetry reading and writing competitions giving pupils a platform to demonstrate their literacy skills. Predictably they did not disappoint, scripting some outstanding poems and delivering many meaningful readings. North took first place, setting a benchmark for the others to follow. Sports competitions have always featured heavily in the House programme and this year was no different. In Term 1, pupils competed in football, netball and rounders, followed in Term 2 with cross-country, athletics and touch rugby. The final sports event of the year saw House teams compete for top spot on the basketball court. Every event saw an abundance of energy and passion as pupils applied high levels of effort and ability. House Captains led by example as individuals and teams produced outstanding performances to secure vital points. Each House enjoyed success but a special mention should go to North who won the athletics competition at NYUAD, an amazing spectacle that was enjoyed by the whole community. One of the highlights of the year was undoubtedly the “Battle of the Bands”. Each House was set the task of forming a band and selecting a song. After an intense rehearsal schedule, the performances were hugely entertaining and rich with talent. It was a tough decision for judges and after much deliberation, South was awarded a well-deserved victory. This year’s Drama competition will live long in the annals of Cranleigh history. A highly entertaining event, when each House re-created a scene from The Simpsons in a live performance. Pupils took on various roles including musician, sound technician, light technician, costume designer and, of course, actor. The audience was treated to a spectacle of comedy alongside some fine acting. In the end, it was West who stole the limelight. Pupils showed off their culinary skills during the Cranleigh Bake Off. Challenged with the task of making a cake that delivered on taste and represented their House in presentation, bakers wowed the judges with their expertise. In a closely fought contest, South narrowly took the points. National Day presented further competitive opportunities. From dhow building and sand sculptures to sketch offs and dune buggy racing, in total eight different activities were judged with South and East sharing first place. The inaugural House charity event in Term 3 called for entrepreneurship skills as the objective was to raise money for the Red Crescent. The Senior School pulled together to organise a fun afternoon for Prep School pupils with each House managing four to five different stalls and activities. These included face painting, sponge the teacher, cross bar challenge, slip ‘n’ slide, penalty shoot-out, water fights and obstacle courses. A great time was had by all and it was West who raised the most money, securing more valuable House points in the process.

166

SENIOR HOUSES 1.

North win House sports day

Simpsons scenes

Cross Country

Sports Day relay

House BBQ

Senior debating

Inter-House netball

Inter-House football

Badminton

10.

Battle of the bands

Cranleigh Awards

SENIOR SCHOOL

HEADMASTER’S AWARD Year 11

Liam Patell

Year 10

Esha Saigal

Year 10

Nicholas Wilkes

DUKE OF EDINBURGH Duke of Edinburgh International Award – Bronze Level

Arabic – Native Speaker

Omar Zaghloul

Arabic – Non Native Speaker

Liam Patell

Art

Indigo Butcher

Biology

Liam Patell

Chemistry

Hanna Wu

Computing

Tanishq Kumar

Amelia Cowie

Drama

Kenza Glendinning

English

Humaid Adil

French

Liam Patell

Geography

Xinyi Zhu

History

Tanishq Kumar

Xin-Yi Xu

Islamic Studies – Native Speaker

Omar Zaghloul

Hanna Wu

Islamic Studies – Non Native Speaker

Nourdin Mismar

Amelia Cowie

Latin

Nadia Balzani-Zamir

Sabrina Benni

Mathematics

Hanna Wu

Sebastian McAlister

Music

Hanna Wu

Alex Wallace

Physics

Tanishq Kumar

Spanish

Martina Rahn

SENIOR SCHOOL Contribution to the House Award Abdalla El Hassan

Chloe Depolla

Jaiden Matharu

Esha Saigal

Fransisco Cigarro

Bailey Head

Laila Kheriba

Hanna Wu

Amira Al Hendi

Kaluba Mulemba

Jasmin Mismar

Humaid Adil

Dance

Razz Jones

Martina Rahn

Overall Academic

Liam Patell

Spirit of Cranleigh (Male)

Joachim Sjodin

Spirit of Cranleigh (Female)

Kaluba Mulemba

Senior Drama Performer of the Year

Esha Saigal

Senior Dance Performer of the Year

Holly Odblom

Senior Music Instrumentalist of the Year

Ben Gorham

Sportsman of the Year

Ben Elliott

Sportswoman of the Year

Rama Al Souqi

PREP SCHOOL

Academic Effort Award Rachel Tracy

Chloe Depolla

Alizeh Kizilbash

Katya Vandebril

Kirstine Thygesen

Martina Rahn

Adam Vandebril

Paulo Cigarro

Rama Al Souqi

Amelia Cowie

Mia Vosgimorukian

Tanishq Kumar

Arabic – Native Speaker

Ali Abdelaal

Arabic – Non Native Speaker

Yasmeen Abouelseoud

Art

Malak Elhalangi

Computing

Ali Macun

Nancy McAlister

Drama

Carolina Peret

English

Beatrice Geissinger Cutchins

French

Ali Macun

Geography

Caleb Patell

History

Karl Dumasia

Islamic Studies – Native Speaker

Maha Al Mheiri

Islamic Studies – Non Native Speaker

Eya Ibrahim

Latin

Caleb Patell

Mathematics

Eisa Al Mazrouei

Music

Yasmine Abouali

Science

Karl Dumasia

Social Studies

Beatrice Geissinger Cutchins

Spanish

Allison Frank

Overall Academic

Beatrice Geissinger Cutchins

PREP SCHOOL Tutor Award

ENRICHMENT Year 7 – Bronze

Imen Masmoudi

Nadine Trigkonis

Isabella Mason

Year 7 – Silver

Sienna Sanna Martin

Iris Hallsworth

Richard Son

Year 7 – Gold

Alicia Reeves-Toy

Sofia Economidou

Shinho Lee Akio Shirali

Itzel Melgares Montano

Maya El Hendi

Year 8 – Bronze

Daniel Avis

Tanya Zaki

Year 8 – Silver

Izzah Abbas

Andreas Peters

Tala Qatanani

Year 8 – Gold

Tejas Gajarawala

Sofia Tate

Charline Mousavi Fatemi

Allegra Navarro

Lily Brewer

Senior School – Bronze

Rama Al Souqi

Thalia Thesleff

Sif Storm

Senior School – Silver

Jaiden Matharu

Yaseen Omran

Zara Kizilbash

Senior School – Gold

Andre Borde and Max Ullander

Shrouq Al Hadari

Paulina Hedrich

Lucy Greenhill

Ella Campion

Katrina Grandon

Sienna Button

Clementine Martinez

Izzah Abbas

Carter Kroh

Salwa Kanaan

Scarlett Glendinning

Allison Frank

Deema Al Owais

Attainment Award Asel Alibekova

Hannah Davidge

Bianka Majdaniuk

Agam Marwah

Lucia Lopez Estevez

Zayna Madanat

Nelly El Shawarby

Julius Kulla

Leo Faulkner

Olympie Milliet

Abigail Yoo

Isabella Cartwright

Niclas Pueschel

Alicia Reeves-Toy

Aditya Doshi

Ahvia Ahmad

Oliver Madden

Noelle Darts

Ellery Haykal

Georgia Andrews

Rohan Sadasivan

Harriet Norman

Raghav Sondhi

Eisa Al Mazrouei

Freya Faulkner

Caleb Patell

Scholars’ Showcase – Senior Adam Vanderbril

Alizeh Kizilbash

Azamat Alibekov

Kimberly Stoddart

Andre Borde

Rachel Tracy

Max Ulander

Alessandro Benni

Jaiden Matharu

Caterina Gandolfi

Francisco Cigarro

Esha Saigal

Flynn Donnelly

Rama Al Souqi

Ethan Tesdale

Amira Al Hendi

Federico Benni

Scholars’ Showcase – Year 8 Izzah Abbas

Tejas Gajarawala

Amaan Sheikh

Saaim Bajwa

Maximilien Glendinning

Akio Shirali

Anna Thygesen

Mercedes Ong

Eya Ibrahim

Yasmeen Abou El Seoud

Scholars’ Showcase – Year 7

Edward Kou

Anna Thygesen

Jonathan Yang

Yasmeen Abouelseoud

Imen Masmoudi

Pierre Victor

Shamsa Al Mheiri

Maia Butcher

Ahvia Ahmad

Caitlin Conrad

Carl Thygesen

Dance - Performer of the Year

Phoebe Bikaki

Drama - Performer of the Year

Hugo John

Instrumental Musician of the Year

Shinho Lee

Sportswoman of the Year

Yasmine Abouali

Duco Van Hellenberg Hubar

Gabriel Zur Hausen

Siena Sanna Martin

Zara Kizilbash

Cathy Xu

Abdalla Thabet

Akshay Paul

Theo Ulander

Alicia Reeves - Toy

Sportsman of the Year

Daniel Okanome

Overall Co-Curricular Award

Lily Brewer

Alexander Mitsis

Julius Aarup

Spirit of Cranleigh (Female)

Nancy McAlister

Ozzy Larmer

Shinho Lee

Spirit of Cranleigh (Male)

Athos Trigkonis

Theo Hallsworth

Scholars’ Showcase – Year 6

Scholars’ Showcase – Year 5 Marc Azar

Andy Fandino

Edward Kou

Lisa Mary Paul

Mahad Bajwa

Henry Smith

Dhillon Matharu

Matteus Stearns

Miles Baker

Toby Conrad

Jonathan Yang

Lukas Schwab

Oliver Hamilton

Cranleigh Abu Dhabi Staff Team 2016/17 – Asma Abdelhadi · Saida Abuhassan · Leola

· Richard Henwood · Alicia Hermosilla · Garry Hogg · Kieran Hogg · Jennifer Hutchinson ·

Agua · Zaid Al Amri · Yahya Al Jidi · Abdallah Al Sarhan · Sarah Allen · Francesca Alonso

Steven James · Stephanie Jenkins · Noor Jihan · Emma John · Julian John · Claire Johnson

· Walter Alonso · Muna Amireh · Heidi Andrews · Juda Arda · Michael Armedilla · Hanan

· Simon Johnson · Judith Jordan · Sinead Kelleher · Simon Kenworthy · Mai Kerdi · Shazia

Atieh · Sandra Azrai · Harriet Baker · Maria Baker · Steven Beckett · Siobhan Bee · Heloise

Khan · Katherine Lane · Brendan Law · Joanne Lee · Anna Lord · Jean Lugg · Kevin Luswata

Benecke · Bianca Berglar-Beckett · Erica Bester · Melissa Black · Isabel Blanco · Helen

· Merly Macandog · Amy Mackay · Susan Hamilton · Pauline Maribbay · Joey Markham

Board · Gareth Box · Kelly Box · Holly Brewer · Khan Brewer · Philip Brooks · Samantha

· Laura Martin · Mai Mattar · Amanda Maxwell · Christine McCreath · Helen McGougan ·

Brusse · Colette Bruton · John Buenconsejo · John Burton-Gow · Yvonne Bustos · Vicki

Claire McGrory · Nancy McManus · Matthew McNaught · Katherine Merrick · Hayley Milne ·

Butcher · Julien Candaner · John Carney · Peter Caumban · Li Chen · Tatia Chkheidze ·

Leo Milton · Priyanka Miranda · Nelson Mitchell · Ron Moonesinghe · Tania Moonesinghe ·

Carmen Clavel Cremades · Fiona Coles · Hannah Conn · Laura Copley · Ryan Copley ·

Edward Moran · Ruth Mpofu · Reem Mubarak · Annette Nelwan · Kerry Hagey · Craig Nicol

Marites Coronel · Denzil Coulson · Joseph Creal · Robyn Cullen · Helen Currie · Stefania

· Helen Noone · Helen O’Connor · Karen Ogara · Sharron Okanome · Laura Oliver · May

Cusati · Eliz N Dadson · Diana Damato · Mehr Darr · Louise Davis · Wayne Davis · Sophia

Pagatpatan · Geraldine Palmer · Romalyn Palmera · Suzanne Patrick · Sheena Peripoli ·

De Lee · Stephen Deady · Matthew Demetriades · Jeannie Diesto · Orsolya Dobos-Pelikan

Rose Prince · Melinda Prinsloo · Hibatullah Qureineh · Laura Rigon · Ons Robbana · Phoebe

· Arceli Domingo · Inah Domingo · Lesley Donnachie · Wendy Doubell · William Downes

Roberts · Graham Robertson · Leanne Robins · Sylvia Sagar · Victoria Santos · Curby

· Sana El Oun · Raghad E’Layan · Amanda Els · Alzubaidi Eman · Agnes Fabian · Julie

Schafer · Christina Scholtz · Heather Scott · Katrina Scott · Greg Scrivin · Katrina Sewell ·

Fairbrother · Cheryl Farofaldino · Rachel Ferry · Matthew Ford · Olive Francisco · Wlede

Matthew Sewell · Lamis Shalan · Fiona Sharpe · Smitha Singh · Sarah Smith · Eman Sokker

Frankfort · Rory Gallagher · Samantha Gallagher · Leanne Gallard-Coetzee · Felina Georfo ·

· Sahar Sozan · Emily Spencer · Joanna Stapley · Deborah Storey · Paul Storey · Adam

Heyam Ghanem · David Gibson · Deborah Gillam · Shaun Gillam · Clare Gilmartin · Amanda

Tesdale · Brid Tierney · Gail Timmis · Rachael Tinkler · Rosie Tubera · Nahid Tuffaha · Nishi

Gray · Carl H Gropp · Sarah Groves · Monica Guelas · Melody Guinoo · Nina Haque · Ellie

Tyagi · Liezl Venter · Russell Venter · Maureen Villapando · Riaan Visser · Victoria Walsh ·

Harding · Lee-Anne Harper · Richard Hay · Vanessa Hay · Rebekah Hazen · Alison Hemple

Damien Ward · Teresa West · Morgan Whitfield Carney · Natassja Williams · Ammar Yousef

Year 5 Haikus