The Cranleighan 2018

THE

CRANLEIGHAN ISSUE 3 – The 2017/18 Academic Year in Review

ABU DHABI

Images featured on the inside front and back covers, and on the pages that divide magazine sections, are abstract photographs of work completed by IGCSE Design and Technology and GCSE Art students

“Education is like a lantern which lights your way in a dark alley.”

Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan 2018 marks 100 years since the birth of the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, Father of the Nation, and was declared the Year of Zayed by His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the United Arab Emirates.

We are proud to be working in collaboration with the Ministry of Tolerance to commemorate the Year of Zayed, through the creation of a new opera, Water in the Desert: A Zayed Legacy. Detail on page 122.

In this, the third issue of The Cranleighan Abu Dhabi, the story of our remarkable school continues. It has been a year of growth and change and will be memorable as a result. We said goodbye to Founding Headmaster Brendan Law and his family at the end of the Spring Term and welcomed the news that Michael Wilson, currently Headmaster at Cranleigh Prep School in the UK, will take over the reins from Matthew Ford, who has done a sterling job as Acting Headmaster during the Summer Term.

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

We opened our new Sixth Form Centre and Year 12s have embraced the outstanding academic and skills-based leadership programme they are following as the school’s inaugural Sixth Form cohort.

Graphic Design Shane McManus www.volumedesign.co.nz

Our ownership structure changed and we now operate as part of Aldar Properties PJSC, which brings with it significant opportunity and a strong, shared vision for the future as articulated by Chairman HE Mohamed Khalifa Al Mubarak in the Educational Perspectives section of this publication.

Educational Perspectives Brendan Law Michael Wilson HE Mohamed Khalifa Al Mubarak Gavin Anderson

Finally, this has been the year that we witnessed the opening of the extraordinary Louvre Abu Dhabi. We have watched its progression from the windows of the Senior School building and are revelling in the fact that students have finally been able to immerse themselves in its architectural and artistic excellence as so beautifully captured on our front cover.

Editor Vicki Butcher

Special thanks Orsolya Dobos-Pelikan

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Educational Perspectives

Academic Journey

Learning for Life

Academic Enrichment

The Hidden Curriculum

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Ex Cultu Robur

Sport in Action

Cranleigh Houses

Cranleigh Community

Awards

to focus on collaboration. You cannot be a good leader if you cannot collaborate. You would have to lead in total isolation, which is not possible. Amongst others, Mr Law has collaborated with teachers, parents, pupils, trustees, the school’s owners, royalty, Cranleigh UK, security, maintenance staff, police, ADEK, government officials, fellow headmasters, architects, suppliers, caterers, inspectors, project managers, medical staff, sponsors, university academics, lawyers and many more besides.

Good Morning Everyone, Mr Law teaches you every day. Yes, Mr Law teaches you every day. Now, I know what you are thinking.

“He’s not on my timetable, I am never taught by Mr Law”.

Mr Law employed all of your teachers and wrote the policies of the school. As our leader, Mr Law sees that the teachers and all of the other staff in the school work together to achieve his vision for you. Your experience of Cranleigh, which I hope is a very happy one, is not just because of the excellent teachers you interact with every day, but it is also because they are delivering Mr Law’s vision.

So how does one man see that some 200 people actually deliver what he wants them to? Well, it is not by shouting at them and threatening to do what you say, or else... That is very ineffective. There are better ways.

Some of you will know one of Aesop’s fables, in which the wind and the sun agree to have a competition to see which could force a man to take off his coat. The wind went first, and blew as hard as it could. Harder and harder… All that happened was the man wrapped the coat about himself ever more tightly and gripped it so firmly that the wind could not remove it. Then it was the sun’s turn. The sun shone brightly, and after just a few minutes, the man removed his coat.

Gentle warmth won the day, rather than cold aggression, and gentle warmth is a quality that we all see in Mr Law.

Be Respectful, Resilient and Responsible

A good Cranleighan is Respectful, Resilient and Responsible. I am sure you will agree that Mr Law has always treated you with respect and is responsible, but let us focus on resilience. The picture shows the school much closer to its opening date than you might imagine. This can happen with building projects, as we all know. People might start to doubt a project will ever happen. They get cold feet and run. When the going gets tough, they give up. But resilient people stick with it, and take the knocks.

The school did open on time… just! We had one building, no air conditioning and it was late August. All of us who were there during those incredibly challenging days had resilience, but none more-so than that shown by the man who led us, Mr Law.

Leadership is a surprisingly subtle art, and it is about bringing people along with you. For this to happen, they need to believe in your vision, and to believe in you as a person. That is why the school reflects so closely Mr Law’s vision, and it is why Mr Law teaches you every day.

What he wants for you is opportunity and happiness. A safe place in which you can excel in all manner of things, and a place with a warm community in which people are considerate and respectful.

You will know the Cranleigh Code. On paper, that is a statement of Mr Law’s vision for the sort of person he wants you to be. Nobody would take that seriously if he himself did not live up to that code. So, let’s see how he does!

Goodbye to Mr and Mrs Brendan Law It was a great privilege to deliver a farewell speech for Founding Headmaster, Brendan Law and his wife Linda, at our whole school final assembly at the end of the Spring Term. It was a chance to reflect on the tremendous legacy they have left and to celebrate the journey we have travelled together.

Brendan joined TDIC in 2012 to work on the Cranleigh Abu Dhabi development project as Director of Education. He became the school’s Founding Headmaster when it opened in 2014 and under his leadership, we have flourished to become one of the best schools in the UAE. His decision to move on to GEMS Education was not taken lightly but as we all know, Brendan relishes big challenges and the opportunity to work with a portfolio of British schools is an extremely good fit for his skills set.

Since Brendan left, it has been my pleasure to fulfil the role of Acting Headmaster, working closely with Michael Wilson, our incoming Headmaster who joins us from Cranleigh Prep School in Surrey in the summer, bringing with him over 30 years of top class British educational experience.

Matthew Ford, Acting Headmaster

Have Acceptance and Adaptability

A good Cranleighan has Acceptance and Adaptability.

Schools are incredibly complex places. If you include parents, we are talking about thousands of people with different needs, expectations and competing demands. There is a lot to go wrong. Things will not always go exactly the way the Head wants. In fact, they will hardly ever go that way. And that is in an established school! You must have acceptance. Now think of the transition from the school that opened less than four years ago (remember the previous picture) to the school

Be Creative, Collaborative and Courteous

A good Cranleighan is Creative, Collaborative and Courteous. Mr Law is certainly all of those, and I am going

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that won the award for the Best School in Abu Dhabi, and the Best new British International School of the Year. Think of everything that has happened to get from those concrete pillars, to this, in such a short amount of time. Someone who cannot adapt cannot cope with such change, and so cannot bring it about. It takes a special leader to preside over that.

A good Cranleighan has Empathy and Enthusiasm. You, the pupils, are foremost in all of the decisions Mr Law takes. In his decision making, he is always thinking about what would be best for you, because that is what motivates him. He empathises with you. And Mr Law is not short on enthusiasm as you will know if you have ever had a discussion with him about food, sailing, sport, South Africa, stand up paddle boarding and any number of other areas. He even manages to look quite enthusiastic about the prospect of being hit in the face with a wet sponge!

Be Honest and Helpful

A good Cranleighan is Honest and Helpful. Mr Law is a man of great integrity with a strong moral compass. He believes in what is right. And he believes in helping people.

He would never stand by and watch someone struggle. He is hardwired to help and support.

Be Kind and Nurturing

A good Cranleighan is Kind and Nurturing. I have not seen a Head as kind and nurturing as Mr Law. Doing good by people, especially (but not only) children is core to Mr Law’s DNA. It is what he does. I think it is what he lives for. You have all benefited because that is the driving force behind everything he has done in leading this school for you, the pupils.

Well, the risk has paid off spectacularly Mr Law, and you have managed to have a lot of fun along the way, and we have enjoyed sharing that with you.

So, in a sense, Mr Law is the Cranleigh Code, and the Cranleigh Code is Cranleigh. It is the framework of what we all aim to instil in you. It is the vision of the school, it is the direction of the school, and it is his.

But there is at least one person without whom I don’t think Mr Law could have done this and that is, of course, Mrs Law. I hope my speech has given a sense of the challenges and pressures of such a job, and few could manage that without massive support at home.

Be Inspirational and Inclusive

A good Cranleighan is Inspirational and Inclusive.

Another reason your teachers do such a good job and follow Brendan’s leadership is because he inspires them, and I am sure he has inspired you too with many powerful assemblies and much else besides. Every single one of you, bar none, is as important to him as any other, so he is most certainly inclusive.

Think Carefully before you Act

A good Cranleighan thinks Carefully before they Act. Well, perhaps the less said about that one the better!

Many Headmasters’ wives are expected to appear at the big moments, to be seen with the great and the good and to smile at Speech Day and perhaps hand out the odd prize. But Mrs Law has been far more than that, and she has done far more than that. She has been an integral part of the community for staff and pupils alike, and embraced everything about this place. She has shown a real passion and love for all of you, and she has shared so many of our smiles and tears.

And so, the sad, but inevitable moment has nearly come.

We will soon be a totally lawless school (don’t get any ideas – I mean without the Laws rather than an unruly mob)!

Love to Learn and Listen carefully

A good Cranleighan Learns and Listens carefully. One of the great things about teaching is that you learn every day. Yes, your teachers learn from you; you would be surprised. Teachers listen and they learn, because you cannot have a good teacher who neither listens nor learns. Mr Law is a great listener, and he is forever learning.

But, despite the sadness in losing your presence, Mr and Mrs Law, we are actually quite relaxed about it. And why?

Because your vision and example have made us great at adapting, showing resilience, supporting one another, taking risks, aiming high and achieving great things. I don’t think you would have left if you did not know we are ready to build on your remarkable success to achieve even more in the years to come, and our pledge to you is that this is precisely what we will do.

Be Giving and have Gratitude

A good Cranleighan is Giving and has Gratitude.

Mr Law has given so much of himself so that we can all enjoy this wonderful school, but he is always grateful for those around him, and mindful of his blessings.

He is a real community man, always looking to give and share happiness. This picture shows a gathering of the youngest members of the school community on his roof garden!

Takes Risks and Has Fun

This is an abridged version of the speech delivered by Matthew Ford at the final assembly for Brendan and Linda Law

A good Cranleighan is Unique and Open-Minded, and a good Cranleighan Takes Risks and Has Fun. Well, what a risk to sign up to a job to take on a barely developed patch of sand on this island, sell a vision to staff and prospective parents, to say, “Yes, I can do this”, and know that failure is not an option. What a risk indeed!

Have Empathy, Energy and Enthusiasm

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Educational Perspectives

Courageous Education In this, The Year of Zayed, it is entirely appropriate to take stock of our visionary leader as we consider the future of education in the United Arab Emirates and the global skills we need to be developing in the next generation. The late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, the Founding Father of the United Arab Emirates, was a leader well ahead of his time, not least because he understood the value of tolerance, endeavour and human capacity.

On the real wealth of a nation, he stated: “Wealth is not money. Wealth lies in men. This is where true power lies, the power we value.” He understood the real spirit behind progress: “No matter how many buildings, foundations, schools and hospitals we build, or how many bridges we raise, all these are material entities. The real spirit behind the progress is the human spirit, the able man with his intellect and capabilities.”

It is in this spirit that visionary education leaders need to shape the future for our schools. The focus in recent times internationally has been an obsession with assessment, which has led to narrow national curriculums and inspection frameworks that give little credence to the values which Sheikh Zayed held so dear.

Don’t get me wrong: academic attainment remains a key measure, as does the use of data in all its forms to inform learning and teaching. However, this must be balanced with equal weighting being given to the ‘soft’ skills, which in themselves are often difficult to measure and yet are intrinsic to personal development. It concerns me that subjects like Humanities and Modern Foreign Languages which build global citizenship skills, Fine and Performing Arts which build creative and collaborative skills, and Sports which build teamwork and tolerance, are barely considered in the current assessment standards. The pressure on attainment in core subjects often leads to a dilution of the breadth of curriculum: schools are faced with tough choices and too often activities which build teamwork, collaboration, interpersonal and other global skills are reduced, to the detriment of holistic education and increasingly, to the detriment of student wellbeing.

In a world of artificial intelligence, it has never been more important to ensure that we re-establish the value of subjects and activities which develop the ‘human spirit’, the ‘real spirit’ as defined by Sheikh Zayed. It is vital that the balance of our overall school curricula provide our youngsters with a breadth of development well beyond the cognitive and problem solving skills needed to cope in the Fourth Industrial Revolution. It is heartening that the PISA assessment this year will incorporate a Global Competencies assessment. It remains to be seen whether or not these can be effectively measured, alongside ‘grit’ and other vital future workplace skills. Does it really matter whether or not they can be ‘assessed’? Whatever the outcomes of the assessment process, it is vital that schools take the lead in a brave new world by being courageous in providing programmes which provide personal development, regardless of whether or not they can be measured and counted towards inspection and other outcomes. This is the spirit of innovation in education and Cranleigh will continue to lead the way.

Brendan Law, Vice President – British Cluster Lead, GEMS Education Brendan was Cranleigh Abu Dhabi’s Founding Headmaster, a role he held until April 2018. Having joined TDIC in July 2012 as Director of Education, he was instrumental in the school’s strategy and vision, leading it during its exceptional, award-winning first years. Brendan left Cranleigh to join GEMS Education in Dubai where he now leads a portfolio of its British schools and continues to champion the power of the British Independent School model.

Sheikh Zayed with map of Delma Island Courtesy Maha Al Suwaidi Lest We Forget Archive

One Cranleigh to Another I am sitting at my desk at the dawn of a typical English summer day. The sun has just risen and the dew is still fresh on the lawn. In a few hours the sound of the drills and saws will start up again, as the contractors race against time to have the new Cranleigh Prep STEM building ready for Speech Day next weekend. There has been little time to reflect on my 25 years at Cranleigh UK or indeed to respond to the jokes about whether I will return for a fifth time! The reality is that there is something quite special about the place, which has drawn Carolyn and me back each time from Kenya, Thailand and other schools in the UK. From inception in 2011 the aim was to make sure that Cranleigh Abu Dhabi felt the same.

To do so we had a few basic principles: • We wanted the staff to be on site, so that they were available for a long day and there was a sense of community at the heart of the school • We wanted an intimate feel albeit in a big school, hence the small class sizes • We wanted a skills based curriculum which reflected that children can learn the same skill on a different platform. You can learn to concentrate in a classroom or on a cricket field!

• We wanted the school to reflect its motto, ‘Ex Cultu Robur’ (from Culture comes Strength) • We wanted everything to be child centric Brendan Law, in his piece for this magazine, talks about the need for ‘soft skills’ to go alongside academic attainment. The ability to communicate, to empathise, to listen, to collaborate, to respect, to be honest, to be kind and to tolerate are all human qualities that we admire and aspire to. In addition, our children will also need to become more resilient and to do so they will need to learn to make mistakes and at times to fail. All too often we protect our children from learning this vital skill, without which everything else will come tumbling down.

At the start of each year we review our Aims and Ethos. Many years ago, to make it easier to distil, we condensed this into the simplified version outlined below, written on two chalk boards. I will bring one of these with me to Abu Dhabi in July. You will see the similarity to the Cranleigh Abu Dhabi Code.

Carolyn and I are looking forward to building on the excellent foundations that Brendan and his team have given us and getting to know the Cranleigh Abu Dhabi community better.

Michael Wilson, Headmaster – Cranleigh Prep School UK Incoming Headmaster – Cranleigh Abu Dhabi Currently Headmaster of Cranleigh Prep School in the UK, Michael Wilson has played a pivotal role in the foundation and development of Cranleigh Abu Dhabi, and has been a Board member since 2014. Runner up in the Tatler Best Prep School Head Award in 2016, Mike brings with him over 30 years of top class British independent school experience. He has been a Headmaster for 16 years and has worked in the UK, Kenya and Thailand.

Ambitious for Education Our vision for Abu Dhabi and the UAE is ambitious and proudly so. The fact is, when you have world class expectations, world class delivery is not far behind. If you set your expectations low, then the outcome will be mediocre. We are only limited by our imagination and courage – and by our appetite for hard work of course.

A critical success factor in the long term realisation of our national vision – the one so powerfully shaped and articulated by our Founding Father, Sheikh Zayed – rests on how well we prepare the next generation to continue our journey.

Education therefore, plays a pivotal role. We are a small nation in world terms, but our aspirations are anything but small. We need to develop our educational practices in line with these aspirations.

Welcoming Cranleigh Abu Dhabi into the Aldar family this year has been a strategic move for us. Its brand symbolises a lot of what we believe education should be and adds an important flagship school to our portfolio.

We fully support Cranleigh’s commitment to educational excellence, not only for its own community, but for the Emirates as a whole and look forward to working further with incoming Headmaster, Michael Wilson, to build on successes and break new ground.

Resting on our laurels is not on the cards. The biggest disservice we can do for our children is set the bar too low. Children are smart, creative and naturally curious. Their potential is huge. If we believe in them and give them the confidence to aspire and the tools to deliver, they will all surprise us.

These days, what children learn at school has to embrace social, cultural, physical, technical and academic skills. The old fashioned ‘three Rs’ of teaching – reading, writing and arithmetic – are no longer enough. The role of teachers has evolved in line with globalisation. Today, citizenry is as important as any other subject on the timetable. Teaching children about ethical conduct, nurturing their ability to form and manage positive relationships, helping them understand their responsibility to themselves and one another, should all be inherent.

The best schools deliver a rich and varied curriculum, focusing on creativity and innovation, blending technology with art, character with sport and fostering understanding through dialogue.

The best teachers are role models, leading by example, motivating and inspiring pupils through their enthusiasm, intellect and compassion. Their influence and impact cannot be underestimated.

Education must bring people together. An appreciation of our shared human history – our shared humanity – and our shared future as a race, sits at the heart of progress. If we accept any kind of divisive behaviour, we are not being true to our children.

Schools in the UAE understand their responsibility to teach children about our rich history and culture and do a great job. However, there is a need to find better ways to ensure Arabic is taught effectively and with passion. For Emirati and other Arab students this is critical and for expatriates, it should be a true differentiator that they can take with them when they leave our shores. This is a focus in the year ahead.

HE Mohamed Khalifa Al Mubarak is Chairman of Abu Dhabi Tourism & Culture Authority and an appointed member of the executive committee of the Abu Dhabi Executive Council.

Among other senior roles, Mohamed is also the Chairman of Aldar Properties PJSC, Abu Dhabi’s leading Property Development and Management Company, Chairman of Miral Asset Management and Chairman of Image Nation Abu Dhabi. Mohamed is a graduate of Northeastern University (USA), with a double major in Economics and Political Science.

Future Skills You’ve probably heard the statistic that 65% of future jobs haven’t yet been invented. Sometimes the figure quoted is 85%. Whatever the real percentage, we know that as the world heads into the Fourth Industrial Revolution, jobs are changing massively and rapidly. And many jobs are simply disappearing.

The World Economic Forum (WEF) estimates that nearly half of all jobs in the UAE are susceptible to automation over the next 20 years.

So, what is the right set of skills and knowledge to focus on now in order to thrive in that uncertain future?

At the British Council we recently authored a report looking at Future Skills in the UAE. Ensuring that youth are ‘future ready’ is one of the biggest challenges the UAE is facing, and we wanted to offer our contribution to that challenge.

We looked particularly at the employer perspective – conducting surveys and interviewing a range of business leaders from different sectors across the Emirates, to see what they were looking for in the next generation of employees.

Some 77% of our respondents focused on the importance of core Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths (STEM) skills, topped only by the 83% who focused on strong English language skills. We also asked about the WEF’s ‘Future Skills’ – their set of transferable skills, behaviours, and attitudes. Perhaps unsurprisingly, UAE business leaders are looking for people able to work with others, to collaborate and communicate across borders. Those who are capable of flexible, creative approaches.

Creativity is of particular interest as a way of thinking that is developed and nurtured over many years. The underlying themes that enable creativity to flourish are open-mindedness, curiosity, tolerance, and diversity. It is these areas that an education system can focus on to nurture creativity in future students. Perhaps over time, employers’ focus on STEM will broaden out to STEAM (Arts) to reflect that. A recent study by Michigan State University showed that Nobel prize-winning scientists were nearly three times more likely than the average scientist to have an artistic hobby, and cited that hobby as a strong contributor to their professional success.

One clear priority identified in our report is the need for employers to be able to engage in regular and open dialogue with educational authorities and institutions. New analysis in the UK has demonstrated an explicit link between employer engagement with higher education institutions, and improvements in students’ employability. Such links should ideally be formally structured and incentivised. Having the ‘demand’ side of employers more clearly connected to the ‘supply’ side of education institutions will benefit the whole of the UAE, by offering students the opportunity to gain work-relevant skills, experience, and knowledge, and in some cases professional qualifications and accreditation. For employers, it will allow the creation of ‘work-ready’ graduates, equipped with the skills, knowledge and experience required to succeed in the future workplace.

The Future Skills UAE report can be found at: britishcouncil.ae/en/uae-future-skills-whitepaper

Gavin Anderson – Director, British Council UAE Gavin has over 20 years of experience in leading multi-cultural teams across East Asia and the Middle East, supporting educational, scientific and cultural exchanges. He is a fluent Japanese speaker, and can get by in several other European and Asian languages.

After starting his career with Accenture, he joined the British Council in Japan and has since worked in China, Korea, Malaysia, Oman and UAE, as well as the UK.

Academic Journey

From the Head of the Pre-Prep School From the very beginning in Pre-Prep, we encourage children to be curious learners, asking questions, taking risks and making mistakes. The skills of empathy, relationship building and coping when things go wrong are all part and parcel of growing up. This ethos of developing the whole child is central to what we do.

We help our pupils reach their potential academically largely because we also focus on the development of critical life skills, such as questioning, creativity and perseverance. In all areas of their school life, children are regularly being challenged to solve problems which cultivates their ability to reason and understand. As the oldest in Pre-Prep, we offer Year 2 pupils roles of responsibility such as House Captain and Listener to help the children understand the importance of leadership and teamwork.

We value the combination of the academic, the creative and the technological, knowing that a broad curriculum builds self-confidence which, in turn, allows children to embrace the opportunities presented to them. The performing arts – Music, Drama and Dance – play a very important role in all of this. Recent research shows that participation in the arts improves children’s abilities to concentrate and focus in other aspects of their lives. By working together and sharing responsibility they begin to understand that their input is necessary for the success of the class and that their contributions have value even if they don’t secure the biggest role.

When children practise creating something collaboratively, they get used to the idea that their actions affect other people.

This year, Ballooning Around the World gave equal parts to all 109 Year 2 pupils who performed on the main stage with professional lighting and sound. There were also Musical Showcase concerts by each year group and performances from our Year 1 and 2 singers. On a smaller scale, weekly class assemblies have helped the children become more comfortable in front of an audience. Whether it’s under the stage lights or in the classroom, we work to ensure pupils appreciate that wonderful performances are the result of lots of practice and dedication. Rehearsing for events such as these takes children out of their comfort zone, allows them to make mistakes and to learn from them. The process gives them confidence to perform to an audience which is an important life skill. By practising something that ends in a performance and putting effort into its success, children learn to associate hard work with a feeling of accomplishment – their reward being the audience’s warm appreciation, whether that is parents or their peers.

Our focus on performance this year has been complemented by a raft of other experiential learning opportunities. From beach and theatre trips to author talks and creative projects, Pre-Prep pupils have been stretched and inspired across a range of topics. We continue to embrace technology using our green screen regularly to transport the children into virtual worlds and, in Term 3, we collaborated with NYU Abu Dhabi on a robotics research project exploring the use of haptic technology in the development of handwriting skills.

We aim to nurture genuinely individual children and our ongoing focus is on developing every child with high expectations. That way, when they leave us to join the Prep School in Year 3, they are equipped with the basis of the skills they will need on the next stage of their educational journey.

Tania Moonesinghe, Head of the Pre-Prep School

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The Early Years – FS1 and FS2 In laying the foundations of learning for our littlest Cranleighans, the Early Years curriculum places a great deal of emphasis on our core values which include kindness, honesty, enthusiasm and collaboration. In combination, these values provide a powerful framework within which we nurture our children as they become confident and independent learners.

As always, in the first term we focused initially on transition, accommodating the needs of each child as they all settled into school life. Our topic based approach saw FS1s starting the year working with Nursery Rhymes, a theme chosen because of their familiarity and simplicity which embolden children to join in. Participation builds confidence, allowing them to explore rhythm and rhyme, and helping them to tune into sounds in preparation for more formal phonics teaching in the second half of the Autumn Term.

Our Bears topic focused on exploring nature, habitats and the wider world, as well as linking to the children’s experiences and feelings in relation to their own teddy bears. As in previous years, the Teddy Bears picnic on the grass was an absolute highlight for all of us. The visit from Posh Paws animal sanctuary was another memorable highlight and provided a valuable hands-on experience during our Amazing Animals topic. At this stage in their development when children are still so egocentric, opportunities to think about how we care for others – whether that is soft toys or animals – play a fundamental role in the building of empathy. Our Food topic encouraged the children to explore new tastes and think about how our diverse range of friends might eat differently from our own families; understanding one another’s cultures is so important in the world today.

Elmer Day saw FS1s dress like Elmer the patchwork elephant in David McKee’s story, consolidating and extending their learning during their Creative Colours and Playful Patterns topic.

Meanwhile the FS2 year started with a Super Me topic that focused on what makes each of us special and how we can be kind, caring and helpful.

This topic nurtures self-awareness as well as an understanding of others, allowing for learning to spring directly from the children’s own experiences.

On our Farm Trip in the Spring Term, the children discovered that fruit and vegetables grow from the earth and learnt how food is farmed. Back at school, they were each given a flower pot to decorate, in which they planted their very own sunflower seeds. The patience and enthusiasm they displayed as they responsibly looked after their plants and observed them growing underlined the power of experiential learning.

Our Pirate topic had more of an historical angle. Pupils thoroughly immersed themselves in the lives of these infamous buccaneers, using their imagination as they chose names for their role-play pirate ships and made model boats. In contrast to our earlier Space topic, through which the children absorbed fascinating facts about our universe, their Fairytales topic allowed for an exploration of fantasy. The interactive puppet theatre performance of Jack and the Beanstalk was a wonderful way to help them understand storyline and characterisation, whilst their Fairytale Ball at the end of the year gave them a flavour of medieval life and the chance to assume a royal character.

The two years of the Foundation Stage are marked by a huge transformation – physically, socially and academically. Children develop as little thinkers, readers, writers and problem solvers and we are fortunate to have the facilities, expert staff and supportive parents to nurture that in a very childcentred, developmentally appropriate and positive way.

Emma John, Head of Early Years

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FS1 Posh Paws visit

FS1 Posh Paws visit

FS1 Classroom Activities - Fine motor activities

FS1 Elmer Day

FS1 Food Festival

FS2 Pirate Day

FS2 Classroom Activities - construction

Fairy Tale Ball

FS2 Classroom Activities - Circle Time

FS1 Classroom Activities- fine motor control colouring

FS2 Pirate Assembly

Key Stage 1 – Years 1 and 2 In Years 1 and 2 we believe that children learn best when enthused by a subject. To this end, we teach through carefully chosen topics that engage pupils in the knowledge and skills they need to progress and be successful.

Each topic has a title or theme, and a key question to base the learning on.

Year 1 kicked off the year with a Flash, Bang Whizz, Kaboom! – finding out what it takes to be a super hero. Pupils read super hero texts and learnt how to write captions, labels, speech bubbles and lists, culminating in writing their own fantastic superhero stories. The grand finale was a Super Hero Day at school when they put their skills into practice and became superheroes in training. Their next topic focused on In the Deep Dark Woods

by British author Julia Donaldson. Here they had great fun developing their geographical skills to work out Where could you find a Gruffalo?

The second term in Year 1 saw the children immersing themselves in Sand, Sand, Sand, to find out What is in the desert? This was followed by what was unsurprisingly their favourite topic of the year, Mmmmm Chocolate.

Pupils developed their scientific inquiry skills carrying out lots of chocolaty investigations, designing and making their own chocolates plus a box for them to go in. They also discovered where chocolate comes from and about the lives of workers who farm cacao pods.

In their final term, Year 1s went On Safari to learn about the Maasai tribe of Kenya and the animals of the African Savannah. Using a variety of Art and DT techniques, they produced amazing pictures and models of African animals. The year finished with a journey of discovery to find out Where do polar bears and penguins live? Here they learnt how animals in cold places are adapted to their environment, how people live in the Arctic Circle and all about the brave journey of Captain Scott.

Year 2s began their year with a focus on healthy eating – Scrumdidlyumtious!

They tantalised their taste buds trying a variety of delicious fruits and vegetables that linked with key texts for that half term. Next was What Lurks Below the Waves? – a topic that saw the children writing their own sea poems and learning about the oceans and continents of the world.

Term 2 kicked off with an exciting topic all about the Great Fire of London which developed valuable research skills to find out Why did Samuel Pepys Bury his Cheese? The children enjoyed creating journals about the Great Fire and finding out what it would have been like to live at that time in history.

They particularly enjoyed a flying visit from Samuel Pepys himself! The Spring Term ended with a topic about Castles and Knights and of course the Year 2 production of Ballooning Around the World which developed many valuable skills including confidence and stage presence.

In Term 3, Year 2s were Marooned on a desert island where they availed of their geographical and historical research skills to find out where pirates sailed and what their lives were like. Science lessons focused on what animals may live on a desert island and included making Top Trumps cards full of animal facts.

The end of term saw our Year 2s prepared for their transition to the Prep School in September. We will miss them in the Pre-Prep but are confident they are ready to fly in Year 3!

Claire McGrory, Head of Years 1 and 2

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Year 1 Safari Day

Year 1 Superhero Day

Group Work

Designing a chocolate wrapper

Problem Solving

Learning through play

Year 2 Island Adventure Day

Ballooning Around the World

Ballooning Around the World

The Great Fire of London

Cranleigh Friends Forever

From the Head of the Prep School At Cranleigh, we hold dear the values on which Prep Schools were established: high quality academic rigour as well as a place that feels like home – an extension of the family, if you like.

Educating the whole child is at the heart of a Prep School education. In fact, as we often say to prospective parents, by the time their children leave the Prep School, they should have found their particular interest and talent, be it sporting, artistic, technical, performance-based or academic. The variety of clubs and activities we offer remains impressive, with some pupils here for early morning swimming at 6.30am and not finishing their day until 6.00pm, having completed an after school activity in anything from football to engineering.

Naturally not all children want or are able to deal with such long days and herein lies another of our key objectives – to treat each child as an individual. Our small class sizes mean teachers and tutors get to know their pupils very well and can ensure they stretch children when required. It also means they notice when anyone is looking a little tired or out of sorts and may need to take things a little more slowly. We will be further refining our ability to tailor the timetable to individuals in the year ahead with a new shape of the day designed to even better meet the developmental needs of each child.

This personalised approach is particularly important given the context of the modern child who is different from all those that have gone before.

The modern child is a digital native, never having known an age without iPhones or the internet. Whilst this has brought many advantages both educationally and otherwise, it has also brought its challenges. Children these days can find it hard to disconnect. Anonymous unkindness is more prevalent and the stresses and strains of not being able to switch off are seen in schools and families everywhere. We are in an age where educators need to be proactive in equipping the children for a world where technology changes faster than ever before.

In the context of this, our pastoral care programme continues to be a top priority and this year, saw an even greater profile. The Cranleigh Code remains our central pillar and is now totally embedded as a key tenet of Prep School life. In addition, we celebrated Kindness Day in style again and also introduced a powerful and impactful new wellbeing initiative, Mindful May. Alongside all of this, we have also relied on our Prep School leaders to be role models and proactively monitor behaviour and mood on campus. A special congratulations to this year’s Head Boy, Gabriel Zur Hausen and Head Girl, Ahvia Ahmad, who have carried out their responsibilities with maturity and diligence. Well done too to our Cranleigh Listeners, House Captains and members of the Cranleigh Voice student council.

As always at the end of the year, we say goodbye to a number of pupils who are returning to their home countries. Whilst it is sad to say goodbye, it is always rewarding when they secure places in their first choice school and, in particular, when they do so with an accompanying scholarship.

Particular congratulations to Alicia Reeves-Toy who has been awarded both academic and musical scholarships at Wellington College in Berkshire, and to Lucas Dent, who will join Reddam House in Berkshire on a Sports scholarship. Other overseas schools that our children have gained entry to include Uppingham, King’s Canterbury, Winchester College, King’s College School (Wimbledon) and Cranleigh UK. A testament to the standard of education children receive here in Abu Dhabi.

Simon Kenworthy, Head of the Prep School

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Joining the Prep School – Years 3 and 4 Years 3 and 4 act as the gateway to the Prep School as we prepare our seven and eight year olds for the next important step of their educational journey. Everything we do is contextualised by the Cranleigh Code which embodies our key values and provides a platform to build independence, resilience and responsibility.

Leadership is an important focus and by giving Year 3 and 4s the opportunity to try out for and represent their class in Cranleigh Voice, our school council, all pupils learn about what leadership is and why it is important. Joining one of our four Prep School Houses provides a further opportunity to take responsibility as part of a team and compete in inter-House challenges.

At all times, we deliver the curriculum creatively, finding imaginative ways to inspire curiosity. There could be no better example of this than our Year 3 Roald Dahl Week which featured lots of reading and a theatre trip to watch George’s Marvellous Medicine. The week culminated in a dress up day when the children became their favourite character, made dream jars, dream catchers and indulged in a Roald Dahl inspired feast.

Similarly when learning about the Romans, the children assumed the role of Roman soldiers, making clay army ID tags and creating their own shields.

With everyone in costume, each class learnt their own battle formation which they re-enacted on the school field before tucking into a Roman feast. At the end of the topic we invited parents to visit our pupil-curated Roman Museum, filled with artefacts that the children had researched and replicated.

Independence is nurtured in Year 3 through the introduction of specialist lessons for French, Drama, Music and PE. As they move up into Year 4, pupils are further prepared for Year 5’s full specialist teaching model through the introduction of Design and Technology, Computing and Art. As their independence grows, Year 4 children are confident enough to put on their very own drama production. This year it was Aladdin Trouble set in the exciting world of 1001 Arabian Nights. In this brilliant modern take on the original story of Aladdin, the young cast skilfully delivered the catchy songs, making the audience boo, hiss, laugh and cheer in support.

Also in Year 4, we focus on teaching through inquiry, preparing pupils for lifelong learning and triggering their ability to question. One of this year’s favourite topics was: Why did they build the pyramids? In order to imagine the life of an Ancient Egyptian, pupils unearthed evidence in an archaeological dig, practised their mummification skills and wrote hieroglyphics. Throughout all our topics, children are encouraged to consider the different lives of people around the world. To that end, our: How did they change the world? topic focused on the lives of Nelson Mandela and Martin Luther King. Venturing a little further back in history, Victorian Day immersed the children in the lives of Victorian school children and included a street party with cucumber sandwiches, Victoria sponge and lots of late nineteenth century games.

In Years 3 and 4 we actively embrace the hidden curriculum. Alongside their academic grounding, children are also taught the importance of how to interact with others, how to be resilient and how to creatively solve problems. Their end of year cross-curricular projects focusing on the conservation and sustainability themes of our Water in the Desert Opera Project were a wonderful example of this. Children learn what they live, and at Cranleigh Prep, they live a well-rounded, busy and productive school life.

Laura Oliver, Head of Years 3 and 4

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Recorder Club

Year 3 French Breakfast

Learning is fun

Bridge Building in D&T

Year 3 and 4 Debating

Year 4 Aladdin Trouble Production

English lesson

Year 4 Victorian Day

Year 3 Roald Dahl Day

Year 3 Roman Day

‘Wrap a Mummy’

Becoming Independent Learners – Years 5 and 6 The road to becoming an intrepid and independent learner is fully mapped out when the children reach Years 5 and 6. Not only do they receive the highest quality lessons from specialist teachers, they are also given a huge amount of freedom to allow them to develop and build their character. However, with freedom comes responsibility and with that in mind, we ensure our young explorers are well supported throughout their learning journey.

During the first term we saw the appointment of the Year 5 and 6 Leaders and Librarians who form part of the Cranleigh Service portfolio of positions of responsibility. The objective of the Leaders is to develop a positive playground environment for children in Years 3 and 4, while Librarians have the important mandate to develop the library environment, ensuring it is as engaging and welcoming as possible.

Leadership roles were created specifically for Years 5 and 6 to prepare them for other more responsible roles later on in their Prep and Senior School careers. A rigorous and formal interview process took place and two successful teams of children were appointed for each role. A full training programme was implemented as well as a contract to ensure that they would uphold our high expectations.

The journey then continued on with the Year 5s showcasing their first Humanities Extended Prep at ‘The Cranleigh National Museum’. Prep (the supervised homework session that takes place in school) is one of the many adjustments that can be quite new and daunting to Year 5 children and parents alike. However, they were not at all phased when they were asked to create replica Stone Age Weapons that could have been used for hunting.

Museum exhibits were erected and an official opening by Mrs Law took place. Rumour has it that even the Louvre Abu Dhabi wanted to purchase some of these intriguing and ancient relics!

In the Spring Term, the children took part in their annual Adventure Day. This saw Year 5 and 6 children pushing themselves out of their comfort zones, taking risks and most importantly having fun. The children completed several different activities at Al Forsan including archery tag, paddle boarding, kayaking and rock climbing. Many of these activities required them to work collaboratively, helping to build their listening and teamwork skills. In addition, the day provided a real opportunity to see how much the children had grown in confidence over the year. Their problem solving and resilience was challenged through many of the activities but their tenacious and determined mindset meant that no challenge was too great.

Towards the end of the Spring Term, Year 6 unveiled The Great Souk, a crosscurricular project involving Science, Drama, Art, Dance and Humanities. Not only did they learn all about The Golden Age of Islam, they also created beautiful charcoal drawings of Wilfred Thesiger’s stunning photographs and studied the intriguing adventure of Bertram Thomas, the first documented Westerner to cross the Empty Quarter.

Finally, after the rigour of formal end of year exams, Years 5 and 6 pupils had the chance to get involved in a cross-curricular project in support of the school’s Opera Project, which will be performed in Term 1 next academic year. The project theme of Water in the Desert provided a terrific platform for pupils to explore Sheikh Zayed’s vision for a green desert and the importance of water in the arid UAE environment.

Rachael Tinkler, Head of Years 5 and 6

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Stone Age tools

Cranleigh Voice pupils

Year 6 assembly

Modern Foreign Languages fashion show

Adventure Day at Al Forsan

Adventure Day at Al Forsan

Voting in the Cranleigh Voice elections

Perfume making

Computer Science lesson

Stone Age tools

The Great Souk

Working for Common Entrance – Years 7 and 8 Sitting at the top of the Prep School, our Year 7 and 8 pupils are role models.

We expect them to set behavioural standards, positively influencing the rest of the school. This year’s cohorts have risen to this challenge admirably, demonstrating their potential as self-directed leaders and learners.

Year 7 launched their first term with some intense detective training at ‘CSI Cranleigh’. After reading Roald Dahl’s gruesome tale Lamb to the Slaughter, they needed all their skills of deduction and teamwork to solve clues linked to the poem About his Person, by English poet Simon Armitage. Some might say the English Department extended the summer for Year 8s as they embarked on an Island Project. Imagining themselves stranded, pupils worked together to form their own community, writing creatively for a range of purposes and audiences. Year 7s ended the term with some outstanding work on their Urban Settlement Projects. Lifelike models took over the Atrium and we are pretty sure we saw some developers sneak in to steal the ideas of our budding architects.

Term 2 started with a bang with Exploding Dots in Mathematics. This revolutionary concept of solving basic number questions can also be applied to more complex algebra problems and beyond. We have an investigative approach in Maths that encourages new, innovative ideas. As we say, no one told Einstein how to solve it! In a further Term 2 STEM focus, students had the chance to learn about the physics behind astronomy from NYUAD astrophysicist Dr Daniel Bramich, whose solar telescope allowed them to safely observe the sun.

Whilst some renowned world athletes were preparing for the PyeongChang 2018 Winter Olympics, our Modern Foreign Language (MFL) Department was not to be outshone. New language concepts were taken out onto the field as children competed in Houses, enjoying games from around the world in our MFL Olympics. Meanwhile, the focus in Year 8 English was Murder, Mayhem and Macbeth, which saw students use various dramatic techniques to get into character and enact different scenes from the play.

Adventure Day brought students together beyond the campus, with Year 7 spending an activity day at The Club and Year 8 travelling to Umm Al Quwain for an overnight adventure. These events created lasting bonds and friendships as the children worked together, pushing personal boundaries in a fun and challenging environment.

Pupils continued to work hard across all aspects of the curriculum during the Summer Term. From Page to Stage Drama finals and soundtrack making, to the construction of headphone packaging and the study of energy use in the UAE, no minute was wasted.

With end of year exams behind them (including Common Entrance level papers in core subjects for Year 8), the year groups collaborated, acquiring valuable business and philanthropic skills under the guidance of Sixth Formers, as they prepared for the launch of their Year 3 and 4 Enterprise Fair. In a further collaborative initiative, they worked on cross-curricular projects linked to the Opera Project’s theme of Water in the Desert, focusing on Identity in Year 7 and EcoTourism in Year 8. A group of intrepid Year 8s travelled to Sri Lanka, to experience a new culture, push themselves beyond their comfort zone and experience a trip of a lifetime.

Finally, in celebration of their last year in the Prep School, our Year 8 Formal was held at Saadiyat Beach Club. Galaxy was the chosen theme this year and it goes without saying these children will go down in school history as most definitely ‘Out of this World!’

Siobhan Bee, Head of Years 7 and 8

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Year 7 Urban Settlement Projects

Year 7 Urban Settlement Projects

Modern Foreign Languages Olympics

Head Girl Ahvia Ahmad and Head Boy Gabriel Zur Hausen

Acting out scenes from Macbeth

Silent movie making

Voting for Cranleigh Voice

Happy pupils at the beginning of a new school year

Intense detective training at ‘CSI Cranleigh’

Sri Lanka trip 2018

Mathematics lesson

From the Head of the Senior School As we reflect on the most significant developments of our fourth year in the Senior School, there is much to be proud of. The year started with the news that our first ever IGCSE cohort achieved an impressive set of results. With over 90% A* to C and over 50% A* to A, these placed us among the best in the UAE and significantly above both UK and UAE national averages. We were particularly proud of exceptional individual achievements: Highest mark in the world in English Language, Tanisq Kumar; highest mark in the Middle East for Spanish, Jose Moles Jover; highest mark in the UAE for Geography, Xinji Zhu; highest mark in the UAE for Chemistry, Liam Patell; UAE High Achievers Awards in Latin, Liam Patell and Music, Hanna Wu. We are now getting to be a substantial section of the school and with scale comes the opportunity to introduce further meaningful enrichment initiatives to complement the already strong academic programme. The Duke of Edinburgh’s International Award team continues to expand with a further seven staff having completed specialist training and 24 students working towards their Bronze and Silver Awards.

Our trips roster – such an important part of young people’s development – has been extended with the choice and calibre of options now among the best in the region. There were two tours to Cranleigh UK. The first was for Lower Sixth students who spent time getting to know and study with their Surrey counterparts, attend careers sessions and visit universities, as well as soak up some of Britain’s rich culture. The second saw our most accomplished musicians spend the best part of a week on a Music Exchange when they had lessons and gave multiple performances with their UK peers. Other regional and international trips included the character-building trek in Borneo, an exhilarating ski week in Kitzbuhel and environmental expeditions to Sir Bani Yas. Our ongoing focus on delivering a rich choice of experiential learning opportunities is in line with our strategy to ensure students push themselves beyond their personal comfort zones, opening their minds to the world around them, and developing key life skills like resilience and teamwork.

Our biggest news of the year was without doubt the opening of the Sixth Form Centre. They say good things come to those who wait and indeed that was the case for our Year 12s. While delivered rather later than expected, the much anticipated Centre is every bit as special as promised.

A standalone building neatly situated at the Western end of the campus, it features contemporary, university-style work and leisure spaces, stunning Art and Design Technology studios, 12 Harkness teaching rooms and two state-of-the-art conferencing rooms. It was indeed, worth waiting for.

A special congratulations to our Head Boy, Omar Zaghloul and Head Girl, Kenza Glendinning. As the first students to take on these important leadership roles, they have fulfilled their duties admirably. In particular, their speeches at the final assembly for Mr and Mrs Law were very well constructed and delivered.

Down time has an important role to play in the context of a busy academic and co-curricular timetable. To that end, we have continued to enhance recreational spaces in the Senior School, adding table tennis, table football, a giant chess board and other communal games to the courtyard outside the Atrium. The House Café on the second floor has also become a popular hub, now serving hot and cold food at lunch and break times for students in Year 9 and above.

Mathew Ford, Head of the Senior School and Acting Headmaster (Summer Term 2018)

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Preparing for IGCSEs – Years 9 to 11 Entering the Senior School in Year 9 brings with it heightened personal responsibility, building on the foundations laid in the Prep School. There is less school-to-parent intervention as we purposefully raise the bar, helping students take control of both their time and their workload. This year’s cohort has enjoyed the step-up and ended the year noticeably more mature and independent.

In their first formal IGCSE year, our Year 10s have also demonstrated new levels of maturity, many revelling in the fact that they are now specialising in the subjects that interest them most. And for Year 11s, it has been a year of focused study and exam preparation culminating in what has been, for most, their first really meaningful set of public examinations.

With much of the old coursework removed in the new, revised IGCSEs, a great deal rides on the final papers themselves. The exceptions are Design and Technology, Art, Dance and Drama where practical coursework or performance remain. Our annual Art and Design showcase in Term 3 – The Renaissance of New Beginnings – displayed a very impressive body of Year 11 work and received rave reviews. And the hours of preparation invested by both Dance and Drama students saw them develop and deliver strong performances which were shared at the Senior Finale, also in Term 3.

The years leading up to IGCSEs are the most academically intense yet. Most students – particularly in Year 11 – reduce the number of extra-curricular interests they pursue, focusing in on their studies which is appropriate. In the context of this more intensely academic timetable, experiences continue to play an important role. The fact that academic work has to be a top priority does not mean that students become one-dimensional. Quite the reverse. In Years 9 to 11, we continue to expose students to a broad range of experiences so that they can create reference points and begin to transfer and deepen their understanding. This approach helps to develop their character skills which in turn, supports the maturing of their overall academic journey.

A varied, experiential approach to teaching and learning has been very much in evidence this year. For Year 9s, this included rocket testing in Physics, poetry analysis presentation projects in English, participation in the UK Intermediate Maths Challenge, the creation of model racing cars using 3D design software in DT and an architectural challenge that linked with the Opera Project theme of Water in the Desert. In preparation for the addition of Economics to the IGCSE roster in September, Year 9s also attended pop-up Economics classrooms hosted by A Level students who clearly did a great job, as 47 students have chosen to take this subject next year.

In Year 10 Spanish, pupils celebrated the Día de Muertos (Day of the Dead) by baking Empanadas de Camote while in Moral Education classes, they researched and presented on the history and value of money, with a special focus on philanthropy. In Biology, students gained hands-on experience of how to use surgical and dissection tools as they explored the structure of the lungs, and the relationship of structure to function.

We prepare students for exams through a variety of different methods. No two teachers teach the same, no lesson is replicated, so that by the time students sit their exams, they have a varied and unique set of experiences that in combination, ensure they are well placed to perform optimally and are also well prepared for what the Sixth Form has to offer.

Damien Ward, Director of Teaching and Learning

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Year 9 DT lesson

Year 9 Art lesson

Year 10 assembly presentation

In the classroom

Year 11 Mathematics lesson

Sixth From Economics presentation to Year 9 pupils

Practical Biology lesson

UK Intermediate Maths Challenge

F1 in Schools

Science lesson

Year 11 Art

Sixth Form and Beyond Our inaugural Year 12s have made their mark on the Senior School this year, paving the way for future years by embracing a raft of progressive new initiatives and investing effort and energy to benefit from what they offer.

Sixth Form is a place where pupils specialise, both academically and through extension programmes. As our students have been finding out, A Levels are a step up from IGCSEs, requiring a more sophisticated level of study, analysis and interpretation. In order to support this, we introduced Harkness-style classes for the first time which has seen many lessons led by the students and all classes adopt a debating and discussion-led approach which encourages inquiry-based learning and higher level thinking.

Beyond A Level work, all students have been immersed in their Extended Project Qualifications which form an integral part of their Sixth Form programme. This independent research project evidences critical thinking and independence that universities value in candidates. Whether studying the effects of bilingualism, the conspiracy theories surrounding the Kennedy assassination, game theory, or the influence of the Louvre on multiculturalism, all of the Extended Projects have sparked fascination and debate. Additionally, ten of our pupils completed the Columbia Business School pre college course and gained a certification from this prestigious Ivy League institution.

Outside the classroom, Sixth Formers have spent the year engaging with the whole school in all kinds of different areas from mentoring lower years as they organised their Enterprise Festival to refereeing a badminton tournament, hosting a Ramadan discussion event and coaching in Maths Clinics.

An impressive careers programme has placed a particular focus on the application process for university. Students have attended university fairs, enjoyed guest speakers including a Rhodes Scholar, a representative from Oxford Summer Academy, an admissions officer from NYUAD and many more. The trip to Cranleigh UK in the first term included university visits as well as time with British peers and careers experts.

In other areas of careers, our Year 12s are expected to do a minimum of two hours a week of work experience for 20 weeks, and this has seen students completing internships with companies such as Saab and PricewaterhouseCoopers. Internships are individually tailored to pupils, reflecting their university and ultimate career aspirations. This approach is unique in the Abu Dhabi secondary education landscape and has proved extremely beneficial for students and host organisations alike.

In 2018 we moved into a brand new state-of-the-art building. Independent study areas with modular furniture surround a courtyard for pupils to relax.

We have two conference rooms beside our breakout space, large Design Technology and Art studios and 12 Harkness classrooms upstairs.

Next year we see the introduction of new A Level subjects – Psychology, Design and Technology, French, Drama and Government and Politics. We are also introducing a Law Society which will bring in guest speakers, hold legal analysis debates, mock trials and provide introductory law courses and events. Our new Biomedical Society will focus on a range of broad intellectual and academic skills which are a pre-requisite for a successful Medicine, Dentistry, Veterinary and Biomedical candidates. The aim is to provide pupils with access to medical experts, have them practice interview skills, complete personal statement writing and a range of other important components to prepare them for university applications in the Upper Sixth year.

Sixth Form is a place for leadership. Seeing the building vibrant and alive, filled with intrepid students actively making their community a stronger place, is inspiring, Morgan Whitfield Carney, Head of Sixth Form

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Discussion in Class

Harkness Maths Class

New Sixth Form Art Facilities

Head Boy Omar Zaghloul and Head Girl Kenza Glendinning

Careers Sessions

Sixth Form Cranleigh UK Trip

Sixth Form Ramadan Discussion Circle

Sixth Form Centre Opening

Sixth Form BBQ

First Day of Sixth Form

Enterprise Day Preparation

Learning for Life

Pre-Prep Listeners Pre-Prep Listeners are Year 2 pupils selected by their teachers as children who consistently bring our values to life. Their role is to attend the Foundation Stage playtimes, role-modelling respectful and kind play and ensuring that none of their younger peers feel isolated or lonely.

“To be a Pre Prep Listener you have to be kind, responsible and playful. My favourite thing to do is to choose activities to do and the FS1s like it too.” Lauren Schaaff, 2AW “My favourite part about being a Pre-Prep Listener is making new friends and playing games with the younger children and chatting. I love being a Pre Prep Listener.” Nailah O’Brien, 2BB “From being a Pre Prep Listener I learnt that you should always be kind. You need to make sure that the FS children are always happy. I recommend to the next Pre-Prep Listener that you read to them, and you should read the books that they like. If someone is hurt, help them up and be very responsible.” Jasper Farley, 2NA “I like to play in the water tub with them. I like to draw and be responsible for the FS2s. My favourite game to play is tag and I run slowly so that they can catch me. You must be helpful and playful to be a Pre-Prep Listener.” Alek Stosic, 2BB “To be a Pre-Prep Listener you have to be responsible, kind, helpful, listen, and very playful. You also have to remember your duty and get used to it. Sometimes you will have meetings, so you have to take it seriously.” Anemone Pulkkinen Longstrup, 2SJ

Learning for Life

Pre-Prep Voice

The Pastoral side of life at Cranleigh is a very significant part of who we are. We work to ensure its presence is felt in the corridors, behind the smiles, through every connection and in every helping hand. Ultimately, it is at the heart of what we do day-to-day to make sure that our children are flourishing. It is not an add-on. Rather it underpins our ethos, feeding our culture of promoting positive, supportive relationships alongside the development of personal, social and emotional skills. Pastoral care is woven into the academic programme, equipping the children with the skills they need to be successful in and outside of the classroom and to be the best version of themselves.

This year we were proud to introduce Pre-Prep Voice, a council put together of Year 1 and 2 pupils, voted in by their peers after giving a candidate’s speech. They represent their class by attending regular meetings where they share and discuss ideas.

As councillors, they need to take on board the suggestions from their classmates via suggestion boxes in the corridors, and decide as a group what can be put in place within Pre-Prep.

Pastoral programmes run through the school via our hidden curriculum, giving children the opportunity to develop holistically, learning about others, the community and the world around them. Most importantly, it allows them to build their own tools to succeed and continue to grow throughout their learning journey. Some of the past year’s specific pastoral initiatives are described on the pages that follow.

Deputy Heads, Pastoral Wayne Davis, Senior School, Natassja Williams, Prep School and Nancy McManus, Pre-Prep School

“My favourite job is sorting through the suggestions from the suggestion boxes. Some of them are really funny, like ‘Can we please have pizza with chocolate for lunch every day?’ That would not be healthy!” Lana Burton, 2CM “I really enjoyed sorting out the lunchtime music and setting it up on Thursdays. It wasn’t normal and everyone just started dancing. Even the Year 3s and 4s came over to our playground to join in.” Eva Coles, 2SJ “I love being kind and putting music in the playground and making Pre-Prep a happier place.” Maximilian Hill, 1SK

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Building Character in the Prep School

Moral Education in the Senior School

This year in the Prep School we have had a strong sense of building character, using The Cranleigh Code to hone in on the virtues and assets needed to be successful in and outside of the classroom. Pupils have spent time looking deeper into character strengths, exploring them through assemblies, Thoughts for the Week, Moral Education lessons and also through themed days and weeks. They have been presented with opportunities to take time to understand the language, meaning and need for these character strengths and have worked hard shaping and developing their own personal life skill ‘toolboxes’.

After having been selected last year as a pilot school for the UAE’s new Moral Education Programme, we have used this year to further embed and enhance our provision in this area. There are many facets to our Moral Education Programme, which include a rotating Value of the Month, Thought for the Week, tutorials and assemblies based on the year’s selected values, and classroom sessions based around the four MEP pillars of teaching and learning: Character & Morality, The Individual & the Community, Civic Studies and Cultural Studies.

They have also had numerous opportunities to put their tools into practice by presenting in assemblies, participating in House events, performing in Yoga classes, completing mindful colouring, creating their own Moral Compasses and training as Listeners and Playground Leaders to name but a few.

Some of these sessions have taken place within Social Studies lessons, and others in our designated Learning for Life tutorial slot. Specific topics covered in Learning for Life have included such diverse areas as: financial awareness; UAE laws and customs; valuing diversity and challenging prejudice; dealing with conflict; relaxation and stress busting techniques; study skills and examination preparation; social media and its effects on relationships and healthy eating.

The holistic educational experience in the Prep School is one that focuses on care, support, nurture and the importance of relationships, so children can be happy and have fun as they grow into healthy, balanced young adults.

It is about ensuring the children are readying themselves for their futures, breaking down barriers, speaking wise words, creating opportunities, and most importantly, building the resilience, adaptability, kindness and creativity that will empower them – the next generation – to effect positive change personally and at a societal level.

So why do Prep School children think The Cranleigh Code and moral education are important? And what do they think the point of building character is?

“It forms the person we are going to be.” Adil Al Hashim, Year 8 “It makes up who we are as a Cranleighan.” Saif Al Owais, Year 8

To further develop our community awareness, as a Senior School we all participated in group projects such as our entrepreneurship charity fair for the Red Crescent-backed Bangladeshi charity Choice to Change and the virtual stock exchange Stock Brokers’ Cup competition. These projects encouraged team work and cooperation, while also building new skills, awareness and knowledge. Finally, our MEP programme encourages initiative, self-confidence and leadership skills, in offering various opportunities to the students to present moral topics on stage to their peers.

“The Moral Education Program is important because it can teach us ethics and also because we can learn the skills of tolerance and compassion which are very important within UAE and world society.” Jimin Lee, Year 9 “Moral Education has allowed us to explore concepts such as teamwork, leadership, entrepreneurship and citizenship.

It is a journey of moral discovery through which we learnt, not only about our community, but also about ourselves.”

Caterina Gandolfi, Year 9

“It improves our sense of self and builds your morals to enhance your personality and growth. We can then figure out who we are and who we want to be.” Adam Ouertani, Year 8

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Kindness Day

Mindful May

The whole month of November saw a special focus on kindness and culminated in a dedicated day of events designed to focus pupils’ attention on the power of being considerate and how small acts of kindness can make a big difference to someone.

Mindful May saw a whole month of special focus on consciousness, wellbeing and mindfulness. Consciousness is an underpinning value of the Moral Education programme and wellbeing is certainly valued here at Cranleigh, particularly with the extra pressures today’s busy society brings.

Our value of kindness aligns perfectly with World Kindness Day and Anti-Bullying Week, which also fall in the month of November. Most of our values follow a biennial focus, however, we place an emphasis on kindness each and every year, as it is so critical in ensuring happy and thriving pupils.

“No act of kindness, no matter how small, is ever wasted.” Aesop The day was awash with pink, smiles and compassion. As the children arrived at school they were greeted at the gate with upbeat tunes from the choir as well as the opportunity to take part in a range of fun activities at the stalls. These included signing our Kindness Pledge with a thumbprint, writing a kind note, having their pinky fingernail painted and receiving a specially designed wristband. The children and staff alike were invited to come to school wearing pink in an act of solidarity in support of nurturing a kind and caring environment for all.

Random acts of kindness had taken place all month as well as the exchanging of kindness tokens. Pupils in the Prep School worked hard to fill in their Kindness passports where the aim was to complete as many acts of kindness as possible. Year 8 Listeners came down to spend some time reading and playing games in Year 1 and this added to the atmosphere.

The fun and varied programme, for both pupils and staff, featured a number of workshops and events which served as an opportunity to learn a new skill, to try something different and broaden horizons. African drumming, positive psychology, high-intensity fitness classes, yoga, art and knitting were amongst the many sessions made available and run by dedicated staff and parents.

To help set the tone for Mindful May, pupils had fun slipping off their shoes and sliding on their slippers before entering the classroom during our Slippers at School event. Teachers also embraced the opportunity to swap their work shoes for slip-ons and everyone enjoyed the added comfort and calm that it evoked.

Extra mindful tepees popped up around the school filled with cushions and the opportunity to escape the rush of the day while reading or simply reflecting for a few minutes.

A highlight for many was the pupil yoga series that saw over 400 Prep School pupils simultaneously executing yoga poses in the Sports Hall under the guidance of our school Librarian/ yoga instructor, Helen McGougan. The children in Pre-Prep also enjoyed a 30 minute yoga session with Amanda Paar and Lee-Anne Harper to help them find calm and focus during what is a very busy time of the year.

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Academic Enrichment

Weekly Enrichment Enrichment sessions are offered throughout the Prep and Senior Schools to students who demonstrate an outstanding level of commitment to learning and wish to explore beyond the curriculum. For the Senior School’s Purvis Society, staff were invited to share their insights and passions engaging students in topics that they would not necessarily explore in class. Paul Dunne’s talk about the race to the Moon was followed by Eddie Moran looking at the importance of authorship in Art and Literature, Rory Gallagher questioning the impact of colour and Adam Jolly discussing the ethics of organ donation. During the second two terms, students worked on developing debating, discussion and research skills. In a new initiative, a small group of six Year 9 students also started a Higher Project Qualification (HPQ), which will be developed and completed in Year 10. The HPQ is similar in concept to our Scholars Showcase project but is worth half a GCSE. In the Prep School, Enrichment pupils worked with tutors to research and develop their Scholars Showcase – an in-depth project on a subject of their choice. This year we had over 30 entrants whose subjects included solar power, ant farming, oxidation of food and water scarcity. Honourable mentions for outstanding projects go to Andy Fandino, Jonathan Yang and Mahed Bajwa in the Year 5 to 6 category; and to Shinho Lee, Valentina Topalovska, Prachet Poddar and Kaiwan Taqdees in the Year 7 to 8 category.

Open Minds Talks

First place in the latter group went to Imen Masmoudi for her wonderfully presented and passionately championed project looking at solving the biggest global problems we face today. Our Year 5 to 6 and indeed, overall winner was Ellery Haykal for her amazing project investigating urban agriculture.

Our Open Minds series hosts an expert speaker followed by an often lengthy Q & A session opened by Enrichment students. The series is designed to help our community learn from national and global and thought leaders.

Term 1: ‘Carrots, Spiders and Red Salt.’ Professor Anthony Watts - British biochemist and Professor of Biochemistry at the University of Oxford In this talk we learnt how purple carrots, spiders and red salt are linked due to complex Physics, Chemistry and Biology – specifically how sight can be linked to deep things that we cannot see. We learnt about retinal, which is a natural biochemical that helps our eyes detect huge ranges of light at a resolution and precision that far escapes any known man-made device. Even simple organisms that use retinal produce electrical energy from the sun at efficiencies that far exceed any solar cell. Personally, I loved the fact that we had just learnt the topic of light in physics and this gave us a chance to explore deeper questions such as how our brain recognises the difference between colours and why some people recognise certain colours in a different way…

Akio Shirali, Year 9 Term 2: ‘The global refugee crisis in an era of conflict and climate change.’ Toby Harward - Head of Office, UN High Commission for Refugees Toby Harward spoke about how the world urgently needs new ideas and innovative solutions to ease the humanitarian crisis brought on by displacement and answered a number of challenging questions. Athos Trigkonis in Year 9 contributed that more than 150 000 people had entered Europe by sea in 2017 and explored with Mr Harward what might be done about the ongoing small boat problem that sees refugees crowd into poorly maintained boats, often drowning before they make it to shore. Year 10 student Adam Vandebril asked how the UAE can help more with the global refugee crisis. Mr Harward explained that the UAE is already giving significant supplies to many of the worst affected countries, including Syria. He suggested that a strategy of trying to support refugees through employment programmes would also be of great benefit.

Term 3: ‘Masks and Perceptions.’ Russell Dean - Artistic Director of Strangeface Theatre Company Russell Dean is a British mask and puppet maker, writer and performer. He has made masks for Channel 4 and ITV and created the giant Margaret Thatcher puppet for the West End production of Billy Elliot. Mr Dean has a long held fascination with how the brain processes and acquires information. In his words, he explores what masks and puppets can teach us about how we really perceive the world and the tricks our brain plays to convince us that what we see is ‘real’. His Open Minds talk focused on the link between masks and various aspects of psychology and neuroscience, as well as just wearing masks for fun. Students and parents alike enjoyed his insights and also the chance to try out the masks for themselves. Hugo John, Year 9

History Bee and Bowl We were delighted to host this year’s UAE History Bee and Bowl Championships against Brighton College, BISAD, Raha International, Belvedere College and Dubai’s Jumeirah English Speaking School. Competing head to head with fingers on buzzers, quick fire questions were on places, events, people and objects.

Our Year 8 team, Cathy Xu, Imen Masmoudi, Noelle Darts and Joshua Lee, put up a good fight but were eventually beaten 2-1 in a tight contest with BISAD in the Middle School section. Meanwhile, Year 9 students Karl Dumasia, Caleb Patell, Ralph Amos and Saaim Bajwa progressed to a final in the Junior Varsity section, where they initially fell behind to a lightning start from the opposition. Undeterred, they demonstrated their knowledge on a variety of topics from the Cold War to Mayan Civilisation to come from behind and seal the trophy with a late surge. This victory was especially impressive as they were playing up an age group, against students who are already studying for their IGCSEs. Further glory was sealed by Caleb in the Middle School History Bee as he narrowly held off five opponents to claim first place and a gold medal. Karl and Josh also featured in the final six competitors out of over 20 from the qualifying stage.

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World Scholars Cup 2018

Change the World Model United Nations at NYU Abu Dhabi

While most students were beginning their well-earned Spring break, 27 of our most dedicated and enthusiastic Cranleighans from Years 7 to 11 took part in the Dubai regional round of the World Scholars Cup.

The United Nations provides a vital platform for delegates from all countries to debate key issues. The goal is to reach decisions that will provide a stable environment for the resolution of conflict and the progress of humanitarian issues. The Change the World MUN mirrors this by engaging young people in real life processes and setting challenging scenarios based on real life events.

Students started with a test of their understanding of issues such as human relationships, diplomacy and the entanglement of art and music. They also wrote a themed essay before moving on to team debating sessions. Scholars Bowl on the second day tested knowledge of an eclectic range of topics from Sherlock’s memory mind palace to a map of the Arab League, and from gunboat diplomacy to anterograde amnesia. Every student secured at least one medal and the combined count was over 80. Special mentions go to Year 11s Lameece Bouarroudj and Amira Al Hendi, who gained individual and team debate medals alongside Samy Bouarroudj from Year 9, who performed above his level in the senior category. In the junior category, Lila Sen, Ralph Amos, Gabriel Zur Hausen, Imen Masmoudi, Nils Bertoli, Alicia Reeves-Toy, Kaiwan Taqdees, Karl Dumasia and Caleb Patell all featured in the top 100 out of over 400 participants. The top performing team comprised of Ralph, Karl and Caleb, picked up several trophies in the separate events and second overall in the team competition.

“From the adrenaline of the Scholars Bowl, to the thought-provoking Scholars Challenge, passing through the mystical, mind-twisting debates, this was a truly unforgettable experience with alpacas! Their fluffy and therapeutic heads left us with memorable souvenirs”. Lila Sen, Apolline Mutin and Yasmeen Abouelseoud, Year 9 “On my third time returning to the Scholars Cup, I felt as if rainbow alpacas, debate and large academic competitions were almost normal. The ambience of the event was brilliant, and even though I am a relative veteran, it never gets old and I will definitely attend next year and advise anyone who is thinking of it, to do so as well…” Karl Dumasia, Year 9

At this stage it looks like we will have two teams competing in July’s Global Round in Barcelona. We wish them every success in their bid to gain more medals and alpacas!

In November, 24 Cranleigh students from Years 8, 9 and 11 travelled the short distance to NYUAD to enter the adult world of politics, diplomacy and bargaining. Their mission was to determine the outcomes of discussion ranging from nuclear and cyber terrorism to dealing with a crisis off the coast of Iran.

After two intense days of debate, where every student contributed points based on position papers, reached agreement over press releases and passed a number of resolutions successfully, the results of their endeavours were announced. Our students were awarded many of the top prizes. Samy Bouarroudj and Max Podolsky were named as the best delegation from over 50 countries, representing Egypt in the High School Atomic Energy Agency. Caleb Patell won the best delegate award on the High School Security Council for representing The Russian Federation, whilst Akio Shirali and Saaim Bajwa gained an honourable mention for representing Japan. Although she did not gain the official award for best delegate in her committee, Esha Saigal did win the accolade from the votes of her fellow delegates as she more than held her own as a 16 year old among University students.

“MUN gives a great insight into world politics. Over two and a half days, we collaborated to create a resolution on the topic of cyber-security. During this time, the whole mock Security Council discussed, and at times argued rather ferociously, the best way to resolve the issue. I was allocated a powerful country with veto powers: Russia. This really made me think about the ways in which hierarchy plays out everywhere, especially the United Nations”. Caleb Patell, Year 9 “MUN has given me a chance to see first-hand the precarious nature of world politics. In our day and age, MUN is becoming increasingly important with the teen activism movements all around the world as it helps empower students and make them confident that they can make a difference in world issues. Certainly for me, I left with a great sense of achievement and pride knowing that I had represented a foreign country (China) to my best ability and had a chance to be a part of something bigger than myself.” Esha Saigal, Year 11

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The Hidden Curriculum

Co-Curricular One of our most passionate philosophies as a school centres on the power of a truly holistic approach to education. What happens beyond academic lessons is hugely important for the development of so many of life’s most critical skill sets, from confidence to courage, and tenacity to teamwork.

We believe that an engaged, busy child is more likely to progress well in lessons and that cocurricular activities are an important and valuable adjunct to the academic curriculum. With this as context, it is not surprising that our co-curricular programme is broad and enriching.

There has been a huge array of different opportunities on offer over the past year, allowing pupils to take up a new sport or hobby, or further specialise in an existing interest. There are too many to list here, but some of the most engaging have been Brownies, Engineers to Be, Ballet, Green Power Racing, Beach Cross Country, Film, Karate, Baking, MAD Science, Public Speaking and Trampolining. Our Dance Companies, Drama productions and Music bands, choirs and ensembles have also been very popular, as were all the core competitive sports of course.

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Computer coding

Karate

Haddins Fitness

Y5-6 Baking Club

Quran reading

Gymnastics

Turning Pointe Ballet

Green Power Racing Club

Romeo and Juliet

Year 5 and 6 U11 Netball

Y5-6 Arabic play

Rainbows

Haddins Fitness

Y10 Duke of Edinburgh

Cross Country running on Saadiyat Beach

Baking Club ASA

Green Power Racing Club

Bilingual production of Cleopatra

Romeo and Juliet

Contemporary Dance

Y5-6 Art ECA

Y7-8 Rugby Club

Trips Trips, excursions and adventure days are an important feature of a Cranleigh education and form an integral part of our overall co-curricular offering.

Putting students in out of the ordinary situations serves to broaden their minds through new experiences, enhancing personal and social development and giving meaning to learning.

When young people try new things, their confidence grows. Here at Cranleigh, we put emphasis on building character alongside achieving good academic results, as we believe this is a key component of future success.

For our youngest pupils this year, the campus has become the inspiration for many adventures including an animal ‘safari’ and a ‘dragon’ obstacle course! Off campus, older pupils have been on theatre and museum outings, curriculum-specific visits and outward bound style off-sites. The newly introduced Senior School Enrichment Week in February proved extremely successful, giving students the choice of more exotic and challenging international trips from skiing in Austria to learning more about environmental issues in Borneo.

The year’s highlights are documented in the pages that follow.

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FS1 Adventure Days

FS2 Planetarium

Year 1 Chocolate, Chocolate Everywhere

Year 1 Umm Al Emarat Park

FS1 finished off their Amazing Animals topic with a visit from the petting zoo, Posh Paws. The children had the opportunity to hold and pet many of the lovely creatures that they had learnt about through their topic work. They also headed out on a ‘safari’ around the school using the binoculars and cameras they had crafted as well as all their imagination.

Adopting a musical focus, each class had a special Music session in which they learnt new animal songs and listened to animal sounds.

FS2 had a lot of fun exploring the wonderful world of stars, planets, and the solar system during their visit to a Planetarium which was brought into school in November. The dome, equipped with movable state of the art technology, projected 360 degree images and videos to capture the minds of our young learners. At times the images seemed to come right down to meet us and the children, quite literally, tried to touch the stars. It was a wonderful way to further excite the children about their topic To the Moon and Back.

Year 1 had a very chocolatey series of adventures in support of their Chocolate topic. Pupils learnt how to melt chocolate and use their favourite sweets to create brand new flavours.

Like real chocolatiers they needed beautiful packaging so they devised names, logos and designs while learning about different 3D shaped nets which then formed their new boxes. A messy chocolate music workshop saw the children drawing musical notes in chocolate syrup, making chocolate playdough musical shapes and learning a chocolate song and dance. They also had the chance to go the theatre to watch the musical film, Tom and Jerry – Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory. Finally, they had a special swimming session which involved team challenges including finding the sunken ‘chocolate’.

One of our Year 1 topics focused on the Desert this year, and to enhance the children’s learning, we made the short journey across town to Mushrif and the beautiful Umm Al Emarat Park. We are so lucky so have such a wonderful resource so close to school with the park rangers leading a wide selection of environmental and educational activities.

The children enjoyed making water filters, learning about desert plants and meeting some special desert animals. No trip to the park would be complete without a picnic and when asked the best part of the day, one child said: “…eating lunch outside with all my friends.”

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FS2 Farm Trip

FS2 Pirate Day

Year 1 Lost and Found

Year 1 Gruffalo trip

In the Spring Term, FS2 had a wonderfully educational day out at the Zayed Agricultural Centre to see first-hand how plants are grown and animals farmed. Our first stop was the goat enclosure where we got to hold some baby goats. Next, we saw the nanny goats being milked and then went to the cheese-making room. Afterwards we visited the free-range hens and even managed to collect some warm, newly laid eggs. In the greenhouses we discovered how cucumbers grow then we just had time to go and see the tomato packing area before heading back to school. What a great day out!

FS2 children were introduced to their topic It’s a Pirate’s Life for Me! by the swashbuckling Pirate Pete! The children had drama workshops and cooked pirate food in the Home Economics room. Throughout the day they completed an Arabic treasure hunt as well as being put through their pirate paces in an obstacle course. During their swimming session they got to look for treasure, sail a pirate ship and those brave enough even walked the plank!

In the last term of Year 1, the children were lucky enough to go on their second theatre trip of the year. This time we set off to watch Lost and Found, the story of a lost penguin based on a much loved book we used in our final topic, Polar Worlds. The story was very well told with songs, audience interaction and even involved a super soaker where everyone got wet! The children had a wonderful time and said: “…the story is so much better with real people.”

There was much excitement among Year 1 children as they boarded the bus for their first outing of the year and travelled to the theatre to see the The Gruffalo live on stage.

The production helped to enhance our Julia Donaldson topic by seeing their favourite character come to life on the stage.

The trip led to some brilliant creative writing back in the classroom and one child even said the Gruffalo looked so soft and cuddly that he should have come back to Cranleigh with us!

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Year 2 Saadiyat Beach

Year 2 and 3 George’s Marvellous Medicine

Now a firm favourite in the Year 2 calendar, the 2018 Saadiyat Beach excursion proved to be as successful as in previous years. The children took part in a variety of activities including making sand sculptures, gathering ideas for poetry writing and, of course, paddling in the sea! All of this led towards writing and reciting their own sea poems which they were then able to perform for parents at the Year 2 Poetry Café.

November in Year 2 and 3 started off with a trip to Abu Dhabi’s National Theater see George’s Marvellous Medicine

by Roald Dahl. The play was performed by the Birmingham Stage Company and adapted for the stage by award-winning children’s theatre director, David Wood. The children were on the edge of their seats as they watched the story unfold and found out what happened when George decided to make a special medicine for his ghastly granny…

PREP Year 5 Adventure Day, Al Forsan “Spectacular” was a word used by Laura Annon to describe her experience on the Year 5 Adventure Day 2018. This is an apt description for the kayaking, raft building and archery activities that the Year 5s enjoyed throughout the day. Allegra Navarro enjoyed the raft building activity, where she got to build a raft and test it out on the water, whilst trying to avoid Mr Henwood and his attempt to splash them. James Wild “had some great laughs” throughout the day and said he enjoyed the experience most because he got to try new things and take risks.

PREP Year 6 Adventure Day, Al Forsan Johnathan remembers arriving at Al Forsan early in the morning. “A sense of excitement filled the air, ready to embark on the adventure ahead. The day was a blast! We started with rock climbing. It was exhilarating to step out of my comfort zone and climb to the top.” Collaboration and teamwork were key for Freya, as she had to depend on her team to master the stand-up paddleboard. “And yes, in case you were wondering, we splashed water at each other, and it felt so refreshing. After an enjoyable lunch in a cabana, it was time for a quick attempt at archery tag; let the Hunger Games begin! At the end of the day, we reluctantly bid goodbye knowing that it would be another whole year until our next adventure.”

Johnathan Yang and Freya Faulkner, Year 6

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Year 2 Dragon Adventure

Year 4 Day Without Walls

Year 7 Adventure Day, The Club

Year 8 Umm Al Quwain Residential

Year 2 were taken back to a time Long, Long Ago when knights battled fire-breathing dragons to protect their kingdoms. Some of the children’s activities included making dragon slime and creating their very own version of a firebreathing dragon. They also tackled a challenging obstacle course called ‘Stay Dragon Fit’, which, alongside helping their fitness, taught them that important life skill of how to track a dragon by examining its droppings! Finally, the topic closed with a literacy focus when the children attended and took part in fantasy writing workshops led by visiting author, Laura Wall.

During Term 1, Year 4 pupils enjoyed an environmental day kayaking in the Abu Dhabi Mangrove National Park. On three consecutive days, two forms each learnt to paddle and manoeuvre a two-person kayak, making their way around the fascinating waterways of the Eastern Mangroves and going ashore at intervals to study the water, soil, flora and fauna.

The main focus was on observing and logging species on iPads for a national database to be used in research.

With the weather at its most beautiful in mid-February, Year 7 pupils travelled a short distance over the Sheikh Khalifa Bridge to The Club to take part in a day of challenging outdoor pursuits. An ambitious carousel of activities included: climbing, archery, volleyball, stand-up paddle boarding (SUP), an inflatable obstacle course and a dhow boat trip. Fuelled by a delicious lunch and regular energy snacks throughout the day, the children were a credit to the school with both their behaviour and participation within the activities. Everyone pushed themselves beyond their own personal comfort zone and embraced the opportunity to work with others outside their usual friendship groups.

February saw the Year 8s embark on an adventure to the Umm Al Quwain Marine Club, hosted by the brilliant team at UAQ Adventure. The club is a mini oasis, hidden away on a stunning stretch of coastline. The aim of the residential is for students to develop self-confidence, perseverance, team work and overall character, while completing a range of fun filled activities. This year the students went kayaking, zip lining, did archery, completed the ‘Leap of Faith’ as well as enjoying a trip on the house boat. This trip is the highlight of the year for many pupils, guaranteed to create fond memories that stay with them for a long time to come.

“The leap of faith was our favourite because it was a different experience, action packed and our adrenalin was pumping!’” Augustin Raess and Alex Zur Hausen “The house boat was an amazing time for building friendships and being able to slide off the boat!” Mia Anthony

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Cranleigh UK Music Exchange

ISTA Festival

Year 9 to 12 Ski Trip

Year 9 to 12 Borneo Eco Trip

The biennial Music Exchange with Cranleigh UK began in 2016 when a group of UK musicians came to Abu Dhabi to share in a week of music making with our students. This year, it was our turn to journey to Surrey and enjoy a new musical experience with our friends in England. The aim of this year’s exchange was to give 21 selected Abu Dhabi music students the opportunity to interact and perform alongside Sixth Formers and more experienced musicians, focusing on jazz and Big Band repertoire. Not only was this great fun, it also served to further boost our jazz programme here. Our young musicians rose to the challenge of performing more advanced pieces to an audience who are used to the standard of music produced

by Cranleigh UK, quickly demonstrating they have the same high levels of talent and ability.

March 2018 saw 20 Year 8 and 9 pupils journey to Bahrain to take part in an ISTA Festival. ISTA is the International School Theatre Association, which hosts Drama festivals all around the world. This year is ISTA’s 40th year and Cranleigh’s second year of being involved. Pupils were treated to workshops and ensemble projects that included character work, puppetry and breakdancing. A trip to the Bahrain Fort linked to the theme of “The Pearl Adventure” that connected the ensemble workshops. This was a wonderful opportunity for pupils to work with peers of similar dramatic interests in an exciting and dynamic environment. The Cranleigh Drama Department is looking forward to hosting an ISTA festival in March 2019 and looks forward to offering the same warm welcome to other schools that was offered in Bahrain.

The ski trip to Austria was the most fun I’ve had in a long time.

I never thought that by day five I would be doing red runs, especially since I’d never skied before in my life. I even did a slalom race down a beginners red run and came second!

We also skied a kilometre down one of the mountains, to the gondola station. Although, as I’m sure a few people will be able to recall, I did spend a decent amount of that time on my side, edging my way down a relatively basic blue run.

That being said, every second of that trip was awesome, and I definitely hope to be able go again next year!

Our trip to Borneo was so much more than an environmental educational trip. It started with arriving at the airport on Friday evening to discover that someone had left their passport at home, and ended with everyone returning to our cozy homes with a head full of memories and experiences. It opened up our privileged minds to a new atmosphere, teaching us to adapt to different situations and surroundings. No matter the year group or age, everyone came together to conquer any situation our demanding yet supportive teachers put in front of us. From the early mornings catching a beautiful sunrise to stepping in sewerage drains, each person supported the next as we all came out of our safe and pampered shells to experience a trip like no other. Our teachers were not only there to monitor our behaviour, they also helped guide us with their expertise and care. I am sure I speak for everyone who came on the trip when I say I am proud to have been part of Borneo 2018.

Oliver Cartwright, Year 9

Jaiden Matharu, Year 10

PREP/SENIOR The STEM Challenge Our team of Akio Shirali, Allie Franks, Duco Van Hellenburg Hubar, Alicia Reeves-Toy, Zayna Madanat and Prachet Poddar travelled to Emirates Golf Club in Dubai to take part in the Phillip Harris STEM Challenge 2018. ‘Water, water everywhere’ was a challenge aimed to find the most innovative solution to conservation of water in each team’s school. Our entry involved some serious scientific research and was very well received by judges and peers alike. We came away with the much coveted Pupil’s Choice Award, and won a telescope! Well done to all involved and here’s to next year.

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Year 9 Eco Trip, Sir Bani Yas Trip

Year 10 Abu Dhabi Art

Year 10 Louvre Abu Dhabi

During October half term, Year 9s travelled to Sir Bani Yas Island off the Abu Dhabi mainland for a cultural, history and ecoscience trip. The Island was established as a wildlife reserve

by Sheikh Zayed in the 1970s. The conservation work carried out on the island has been extraordinary, saving at least three species from extinction. Students saw a variety of species roaming freely, including the previously endangered Arabian Oryx – one of the Island’s conservation success stories. Sir Bani Yas is also home to some of the oldest archaeological sites in the UAE, including ruins of a 7th Century Christian monastery.

I loved going to the Abu Dhabi Art fair which takes place just across the road at Manarat Al Saadiyat every year. There were many pieces of beautiful and very valuable artwork for sale, even some that were priced at over a million dollars. The detail in some of them was astonishing and really inspired me. Many galleries from around the world showcased artists’ work, but the renowned Lisson Gallery was my favourite.

Our trip to the Louvre Abu Dhabi was a totally inspiring experience. We went as a GCSE art group and spent time looking at and sketching famous artworks. We also took photographs – I took my DSLR to capture the event and my favourite exhibits. The portrait of William Welby and his first wife, Penelope playing chess by eighteenth century English painter Francis Cotes was my favourite and I spent time rendering the image in my sketchbook. Also, the architecture itself and the light it creates was really inspirational and motivated us all to produce some of our best work. It was a great privilege to be in a world class gallery with my fellow classmates and have the time to draw and observe internationally acclaimed paintings and sculptures from different eras throughout history. I can’t wait to go back and will have my sketch pad in my bag!

Pupils were also able to play a small part in the Island’s ongoing conservation programme by planting mangroves to protect its coastline. After all their hard work, students enjoyed channelling their inner warriors with archery and letting off steam with some beach games! Evenings were spent around the camp fire enjoying barbecue under the stars.

We got to meet one of the artists who gave us an impromptu talk about his work. I was also surprised and intrigued by the digital artwork exhibited, particularly the pieces that used virtual reality. I am really looking forward to going again in November.

Merla Elakkad, Year 10

Rachel Hannah Tracy, Year 10

SENIOR Year 11 Borouge Innovation Centre In January, a group of Year 11 IGCSE Design and Technology and Chemistry students enjoyed a visit to the Borouge Innovation Centre in Abu Dhabi. Borouge is a joint venture between the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC), one of the world’s major oil and gas companies, and Austriabased Borealis, a leading provider of chemical and plastics solutions. Borouge prides itself on its ground-breaking work at the forefront of the next generation of plastics innovation.

The visit gave us a real insight into the research, development and manufacture of plastics and how these materials are used to make products ranging from food packaging to under-sea pipelines. It was fascinating and surprising to see just how complex the process of making plastic actually is.

SENIOR Year 12 Visit twofour54° The creative lab at twofour54° – Abu Dhabi’s media zone – is a hub for anyone interested in the creative media industry. It is specifically designed to encourage creativity, collaboration and innovation amongst teenagers in Abu Dhabi. In Term 1, a group of us in Year 12 were invited to volunteer at an event for aspiring entrepreneurs and also to visit the lab and learn about its wide array of creative resources including its extensive recording and post production studios. It was a real eye opener, really helping us to understand the scope and opportunity for careers within the creative field.

Kaluba Mulemba, Year 12

Bradley Lenard, Year 11

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Year 12 Abu Dhabi International Book Fair

Year 12 Cranleigh UK Trip

As one of the MENA publishing industry’s most ambitious and fastest growing regional events, the Abu Dhabi International Book Fair provided a great chance for some of us to find out more about the independent publishing marketplace as well as discover the latest in new thinking when it comes to the business of writing. The Fair says it sets out to reward innovation and excellence, develop the voices of tomorrow and feed independent expression through educational programmes from storytelling tours to creative writing workshops. I would say that it delivers on these goals and is a very enriching experience as a result. I saw many famous and interesting Arabic novels, as well as the really well known Egyptian critic and writer, Salah Fadl. I would highly recommend a visit to the Fair to get a first hand sense of what’s happening in the publishing world here in the region. It’s definitely an exciting sector.

A group of Year 12 students travelled to the UK to experience life in the Lower Sixth at Cranleigh School in Surrey. They spent the week visiting universities such as the London School of Economics and University of Surrey, attending careers sessions and taking classes while staying on the Cranleigh campus.

Samiha Hamze, Year 12

Beyond Cranleigh, the group was able to soak up some of Britain’s rich culture, for some pupils this was their first trip to the UK. This included a visit to Windsor Castle where they explored the famous baroque State Apartments and saw many of the incredible works of art in the Royal Collection.

They experienced the markets and ice skating at Winter Wonderland in Hyde Park and then went on to Piccadilly Circus in take a show.

Borneo Eco Trip

Duke of Edinburgh’s International Award The Duke of Edinburgh’s International Award is the world’s leading youth achievement award, run in over 140 countries and territories across the globe. Working towards the Award is a significant challenge. It pushes young people to their personal limits and recognises their achievements consistently. The Award encourages young people to design their own programme of activities, set their own goals and challenge themselves to achieve their aims.

Since its launch over 60 years ago, the Award has inspired millions of young people to transform their lives. This is done by creating opportunities for young people to develop skills, get physically active, give service and experience adventure. The Award can play a critical role in development outside the classroom, helping to equip young people for life. It also allows their achievement to be consistently recognised worldwide, resulting in international accreditation for their experiences.

The Award is comprised of three levels – Bronze, Silver and Gold – and four sections. Participants complete all four sections at each level in order to achieve their Award. At Gold level, participants also complete a Residential Project.

The Physical Recreation section aims to improve health, team skills, selfesteem and confidence in participants through training and perseverance in their chosen activity. This section is based on the belief that a healthy body is a good achievement in itself and can often help to develop a healthy mind. This year’s students have been involved in lowering golf handicaps, improving football, rugby, hockey and netball skills within local Abu Dhabi teams, competing in fencing at a local and national level, cycling at the Yas Marina Circuit and improving swimming fitness and speed.

The Service section provides a young person with a sense of worth, from having given service to others and their community. This year’s students have been involved in mentoring and managing the score boards at the Abu Dhabi HSBC European Golf Tour Championships on a world stage.

Also, coaching younger students in school fitness extra-curricular activities sessions, volunteering at the Shahama Equestrian Club and assisting in the education and development of sign language with young people.

The Skill section encourages the development of new interests or the development of existing ones and practical skills. Participants learn by embracing the Award’s methodology for experimental learning. This cultivates skills such as leadership, teamwork and co-operation, as well as communication, which not only appeals to employers but which can also drive job creation and socio-economic empowerment. This year’s students have been working on skills in music, web design, cooking, foreign languages, sailing, media, photography, art and design.

Finally, perhaps the best known section is the Adventurous Journey expedition. We have run a number of expeditions this year and each has required students to leave school at the crack of dawn to travel to the rocky terrain of the Hajar Mountain Range in Ras Al Khaimah and Fujairah. A successful trek requires communication, teamwork and navigation skills and all the students who attended both practice and qualifying journeys completed this demanding section. Esha Saigal, a Silver Award student said: “We have with us the memories we made on this trip, new friendships, and the idea that we were stronger than we thought we were.” Kirstine Thygesen, a Bronze Award student said: “All in all, the trip was fun and the views were amazing. It was tiring but a real break from busy Abu Dhabi life, modern-day comforts and technology.”

John Burton-Gow, Head of The Duke of Edinburgh’s International Award

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Bronze pupils take a break with a view

An evening round the fire on Silver Expedition

Hiking through the Hajar Mountains

Silver Award students practising tent pitching skills

Team report to Cranleigh pupils

Ready to Hike on Silver Expedition

Camp cooking lesson with Mr. Hay

Presentation to parents

Post Qualifying Journey report

Bronze pupil at building team moral at their lunch stop

Introduction of expedition overnight accommodation

HSBC Golf Volunteering After the roaring success of our volunteering work at last year’s HSBC Abu Dhabi Golf Championships, we were invited back again this year to run the scoreboards across the course for the duration of the four-day tournament in January.

The Championships form one of the biggest events on the PGA European Tour and this year, saw defending champion and 2017 European Tour prize money winner Tommy Fleetwood return on fine form to retain his title against stiff competition from world number one, Dustin Johnson, and fourtime major winner, Rory McIlroy.

Over 80 students from Years 8 to 10 were present during the high profile weekend event and were tasked with ensuring the tournament’s scoreboards were kept up to date and fully functioning each day.

Having been through extensive training sessions at school, students were well prepared and worked incredibly hard for the four long days. They were a credit to both themselves and the school, and their efforts were recognised by all in attendance.

“Your support and organisation before and during the event was a massive help to us and we have had nothing but positive feedback from the team about your students.” Angela O’Shea, IMG Volunteer Coordinator “Everyone performed brilliantly!” Ian Macmillan, Chief Marshal

Indeed, the students performed so well that we have already been invited back to fulfil the role again for the 2019 tournament.

The group was largely made up of Year 9s for whom this volunteering opportunity was an integral part of their personal, co-curricular development. The team also included a number of Year 8 leaders as well as a group Year 10 students who were using it as part of their Duke of Edinburgh’s International Award qualification, where it forms part of their Service requirement. To meet the Award guidelines, Year 10 students had to undertake a 13-week programme leading up to the event during which they developed and delivered training courses to help younger students practise the skills that would be required over the weekend.

These courses focused on building teamwork skills as well as developing problem solving and time management abilities. Before the actual event, our Year 10s were involved in much of the preparation work that goes into organising an event of this magnitude and, during the weekend itself, they were given the roles of Team Leader for their respective scoreboard. It must be said that their commitment was exemplary and they attended every session throughout the 13-week build-up which resulted in all of them attaining the credit needed for their International Award qualification.

“It was a unique experience. It showed us the ins and outs of a real job.

You really had to know what you were doing.” Lila Sen Y9 “We had to keep accurate scores for really famous golfers at a high profile Championship. It was a significant responsibility that we had to take very seriously and I think we all grew up a bit because of that.” Thalia Harward Y9 “It was a great experience to work as part of a team of people, sharing the responsibility for organisation and developing so many important skills such as collaboration and communication.” Izzah Abbas Y9

Finally, a special mention must go to Beatrice Geissinger Cutchins in Year 9 who worked as our own media representative and is responsible for the fantastic photos that capture the spirit of the event.

Ryan Copley, Maths Teacher and HSBC Golf Project Lead

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Arabic Week As part of the Abu Dhabi government’s vision to build communities and foster a love of the Arabic language along with all its associated values and traditions, the Arabic Department made sure we celebrated Arabic Week in style this year.

The team planned an ambitious programme designed to engage pupils, parents and staff in a shared appreciation of this country’s rich national identity.

The week kicked off with an impressive tasting table of delicious Arabic treats including some beautifully decorated cakes and sweets. Passersby were also offered an Arabic coffee, one of the many symbols of Arab hospitality, served from a beautiful dallah, a traditional Arabic coffee pot.

The freshly brewed coffee filled the Senior School Atrium with the lovely smell of cardamom – an aroma that forms such an important part of Middle Eastern culture.

School activities throughout the week ranged from classroom language games, art workshops and singing sessions. Pupils cooked some of their favourite national dishes, sharing them, and their particular story, with their peers. The calligraphy classes proved particularly popular and saw pupils producing some very beautiful designs with great skill.

In this, the Year of Zayed, Arabic Week gave us a particular opportunity to place a special focus on commemorating the life and work of the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, the Father of the Nation. 2018 marks the 100th anniversary of Sheikh Zayed’s birth and we, along with the rest of the country, are proud to honour his incredible legacy. Pupils discussed Sheikh Zayed’s vision for the UAE, describing their own their own individual experience of the impact he has had on all them personally. They then designed and produced some wonderful posters and artwork which were displayed for everyone to see during the week.

It was great to be able to involve parents as part of the event and we were delighted to welcome Dr Fatima Al Aydaroos, Tamara Hamed and Rana Madanat, who took part in reading for pupils in Year 7. A special thanks must go to Ahmed Al Marzooqi, Noura and Kholoud Al Daheri who invested their time coming in to talk to Year 5 and 6 children about their career and the importance of the Arabic language in their respective fields.

Non-Arabic speaking staff were challenged to learn ten Arabic words per day over the course of the week. In a reversed role scenario, they were then tested by pupils see if they had done their homework! In addition, all staff were given a mug with their name written on it in Arabic as a gift. This was a total surprise and very much appreciated.

Finally, a group of Year 12 students travelled to the Abu Dhabi International Book Fair at the National Exhibition Centre here in the capital. The Fair is one of the largest in the Middle East, providing fascinating insights into how the region’s independent publishing industry works and highlighting the importance of developing the Arabic literary voices of tomorrow.

Abdallah Al Sarhan, Head of Arabic (Senior) Nahed Tuffaha, Head of Arabic (Junior)

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Science Week Science is the study of the structure and behaviour of the physical and natural world through observation and experiment. It can take you into many diverse fields from medicine to astrophysics and engineering to oceanography. It touches all our lives all the time and is one of the most engaging of all school subjects. No surprise then, that Science Week in January was such a well-attended event.

Over the course of the week, Years 3 to 8 pupils got involved in lots of different scientific activities. The week started with some visually exciting demonstrations in Prep School assembly. Two A Level chemists, Omar Zaghloul and Xinyi Zhu, showed how filling a balloon with water helps it absorb heat and prevents it from popping when it is exposed to a flame.

They also demonstrated the concept behind hot air balloons by causing an empty teabag to float up in the air – much to the delight of the audience!

During break and lunch times, there were clinics and workshops designed to help inspire, inform and most importantly, bring science to life. Practical scientific skills are a focus of our curriculum and pupils were given many opportunities to develop these skills while learning something new. Some tried their hand at measurement and mixing while others improved their knowledge of how to use scientific apparatus including the much-loved Bunsen burner. For the adventurous, there was messy slime and ‘boogie gloop’ where coloured gloop was made to dance using speaker vibrations.

For those who preferred to observe, demonstrations included exploding alkali metals in water which was definitely a favourite.

Another favourite was the Design a Rocket contest. Using a set of provided materials, competitors designed, constructed and then launched their own personal rockets. Some very well constructed machines were launched with Aoife Enright in Year 5 winning the launch height event. The best design award went to Pamir Deren in Year 5.

There were two further competitions, the first involving finding 15 hidden scientist plaques around the school. Once pupils had discovered all 15, they researched how each had contributed to their fields. From Helen Sharman, a female astronaut, to Alexander Fleming who discovered the first antibiotic, pupils learnt about many important scientific advances.

Congratulations to winners Marcus Goodman and James Prince in Year 3, Yoora Jeong in Year 4, Monjoon Kim in Year 6 and Joana Corcelles and Nis Sen in Year 7. The second competition was a videoed ‘kitchen table’ experiment challenge. Impressive video entries included lava lamps, erupting volcanos and self-inflating balloons and our winners were Oliver Hamilton in Year 6 and Diletta Martella in Year 5.

Not to be outdone by the older pupils, Pre-Prep also celebrated all things scientific during their own special Science Day in December. Everyone came to school dressed as mad scientists, astronauts and more. They were lucky to have such a brave presenter as Jemi Patel, who managed to collect and bottle some dragon’s breath! With a whoosh, she ignited the bottles and we witnessed a tall spurt of flame lick the air. Terrifying! Adam Jolly was up next with some balloons. However, these were no ordinary balloons. With a long stick and a glowing ember attached to the end, he popped the balloons which exploded with a BANG! and an accompanying fireball. The final act was Paul Dunne, accompanied by a group of Sixth Form physicists, who had been busy creating rockets. The rockets were placed on the launch-pad and fired up into the sky using air pressure. One even managed to land on the roof of the Junior School building and is probably still up there now!

Matthew McNaught, Head of Science

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Flying rockets at the Pre-Prep Science Day

Pre-Prep Science Day

Making slime

Investigating pressure

Pre-Prep Science Day fun

Creating gases

Watching explosive reactions of alkali metals

A Level chemists perform an experiment in Prep School assembly

Slippery slime

Making gloop dance

More fun on Pre-Prep Science Day

World Book Day World Book Day 2018 saw all our pupils, from the youngest to the very oldest, sharing a love of books and a passion for reading. There was a cosy celebration of books in Pre-Prep, an action-packed adventure in Prep, and a veritable feast in the Senior School!

Pre-Prep children celebrated the day by coming to school in their pyjamas, with their favourite book. They had a wonderful time reading stories – some with Prep School pupils – and did literacy based activities including poetry writing and reciting, sharing story tins and making their own books and bookmarks.

In the Prep School, an animated opening assembly laid out a mystery surrounding the whereabouts of the World Book Day Trophy – an historic, invaluable artefact, originally found in the Great Pyramid of Khufu. Having passed through many illustrious and prestigious events and areas of the world, rumour has it that the Louvre Abu Dhabi kindly donated the Trophy to Cranleigh to honour World Book Day! The assembly ended by laying down a gauntlet that tasked Prep School pupils with myriad missions from making music to engaging in the noble sport of Quidditch. All activities secured vital clues (and House points) and ultimately, the recovery of the illusive Trophy.

In the final standings, things were pretty tight but Etihad stole ahead due to their excellence on all aspects of the day, as well as in the preceding writing competition. From costumes to clue-solving, they were worthy champions for World Book Day 2018.

Year 7 pupil Isabella Cartwright writes eloquently about the day: “As I stepped outside into the cold, morning air, vibrant colours met my eyes.

Everywhere, all across the field, so many pupils were dressed in elaborate costumes. From dresses to cloaks, and wigs to detailed props, everyone was wearing something completely unique, including me. My black horns stuck out of my small head like poles, and my long cape flowed behind me in the soft wind.”

Hadi Doha, also Year 7, particularly enjoyed the Reading Together on World Book Day student film, which featured pupils from all ages and nationalities reading their favourite books. He says: “The video changed my perspective of what books from around the world, written in different languages, mean to different people. It also displayed the ethnic diversity in our school community, reminding us that we can understand other cultures simply by reading a good book.

“World Book Day reminded me about the importance of books. Whether I’m reading non-fiction and learning new important information, or reading an amusing fictional book that will engulf me in a world of wonder and allow me to leave my worries behind, reading is important and should not be dismissed.”

In the Senior School, students created ‘Read’ posters before the event, encouraging everyone to spend more time in the library. On the day, the Bake-a-Book House challenge result in an array of the most extraordinary literary cakes. We all gorged upon a smorgasbord of Harry Potter treats along with Diary of a Wimpy Kid, The Chronicles of Narnia, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory as well as a creepily-constructed offering based upon Stephen King’s It. The culinary skills of West House saw them to victory in this most delicious of contests. In English lessons, House games ranged from Taboo, to artwork and Twitter-based literature. From a fairly even playing field, North House was victorious, pipping South and East by just one point.

Edward Moran, Head of English

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Thing One and Thing Two up to more mischief on World Book Day!

Reading to Pre-Prep students

A team effort of The Chronicles of Narnia

Entertaining some Pre-Prep students with a great read

Paddington Bear had marmalade sandwiches in his lunchbox!

The Cat in the Hat and The Highway (Wo)Man

Reading together on World Book Day

Pre-Prep pupils relaxed in their pyjamas and enjoying a good book

A special appearance for the day’s events

Senior pupils at the book photo booth

Thankfully Maleficent was on her best behaviour for the day‌

Ex Cultu Robur

Drama This has been another exciting year, with many rich opportunities for enthusiastic Cranleigh pupils. A particular highlight was The StrangeFace Theatre Company visit in April, when British artist and puppeteer, Russell Dean, reminded us that story-telling is ingrained within us all. Russell gave an Open Minds talk as well as a pupil workshop, and both events were hugely engaging as pupils (and parents) experimented with masks, communicating with audiences in strange and wonderful ways. Russell taught us to value the body as much as the head, and reminded us to communicate with our whole forms to connect properly and meaningfully.

The Autumn Term saw the performance of The Trial in the Atrium. This was our first Senior School production and saw pupils from Years 9 to 11 bring Berkoff’s version of Kafka’s renowned novel to life. The Senior Dance Company and GCSE Music students supported the cast to create the eerie world of The Trial. Amy Mackay directed and produced the play and Senior School students enjoyed being challenged to take on an increasingly stylised form of acting.

Term 1 also saw a Year 5 and 6 performance of Cleopatra. This was our second bi-lingual Arabic and English play. Eman Sukker and the cast worked especially hard to ensure that the language was clear for the audience. The performance was enhanced by beautiful Egyptian style set and costumes.

The Diary of a Wimpy Kid Prep School show was a fun, high energy performance. Philip Brooks directed the cast of nearly 50 pupils. Audiences were fully entertained by the antics of Greg and Rowley as they journeyed through their first year of middle school. Mr Law came to watch this performance in his final days as Cranleigh Headmaster and took to the stage himself to join the cast for a final encore dance!

This year, the ISTA (International School’s Theatre Association) festival was in Bahrain. Twenty pupils attended and thoroughly enjoyed the ensemble workshops, which explored pearl diving. The trip included an excursion to the Bahrain Fort, which inspired the devising process. We are very excited to be hosting the ISTA Festival in March 2019 when we will welcome the region’s schools to Abu Dhabi.

The Summer Term saw our younger thespians take to the stage. Year 2s delivered an enchanting performance of Ballooning Around the World, where explorers landed in various different countries. Their entrance into the auditorium with flags waving was captivating and the audience were hugely impressed with the professional nature of their performance.

Year 4 followed with their panto of Aladdin Trouble. The set and stunning costumes were the icing on the cake of this fun, all singing all dancing show. The comic timing was especially impressive and audiences booed, hissed and cheered at the appropriate moments as they enjoyed watching a-lad-in-trouble!

After the incredible success of the 2016 Beautiful World Opera Project, we were delighted to welcome back the UK team for a second time. The new production, Water in the Desert: A Zayed Legacy, is a collaboration with The Ministry of Tolerance, and will be presented in partnership with The Arts Center at NYU Abu Dhabi. The devising process started in June, when 80 pupils worked with the UK creative team to develop storyline, musical and design ideas that will lead to the final performance in October 2018 on the stage of NYUAD’s Red Theater. It is wonderful to offer our pupils such exciting opportunities.

Joanne Lee, Head of Performing Arts

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Senior Scholars Showcase

The Trial - Senior School production

Diary of a Wimpy Kid - Prep School production

Ballooning Around the World - Year 2 production

The Trial - Senior School production

Silent Movies project

Aladdin Trouble - Year 4 production

StrangeFace mask workshop

Diary of a Wimpy Kid - Prep School production

Open Minds talk - puppetry demonstration

Diary of a Wimpy Kid - Prep School production

Dance Dance has a universal language that can connect children creatively, culturally and socially. It has the power to build relationships, promote selfbelief and embed discipline.

Since the seeds of our Dance programme were sewn in 2014, the Department has evolved and taken shape, guided and influenced by both the pupils – whose abilities, personal experiences and artistic talents have so much to offer – as well as by the dynamic cultural scene in Abu Dhabi.

Our passion for and commitment to this powerful art form has inspired us to reach out even further beyond our own four walls this year, to connect with other schools and communities in a shared celebration. The highlight of this was the inaugural British Schools in the Middle East (BSME) Dance Invitational which we hosted at Cranleigh in February. Working closely with the BSME to shape an inspirational and progressive three-day programme, we broke new ground and have now established Dance firmly within the BSME’s annual events calendar.

Our objectives were to create a platform where young people of different ages, abilities and cultures could join together to share and extend their dancing passion and skill. The reaction was hugely positive and we welcomed more than 130 students from nine schools across the region – including Pakistan and Oman. Schools were asked to come prepared with a response to the stimulus Seen and Unseen. This response took the form of original choreographed pieces symbolising personal and collective journeys of culture, values and character.

The event was structured to allow for workshops, rehearsals and performances – as well as recreational time to get to know each other. We brought in four extraordinary practitioners to help dancers explore and learn different approaches and styles which ranged from lyrical to Hip Hop. Final pieces were uplifting and inspiring, clearly demonstrating that the personal and artistic journey children go on using Dance develops their skills as performers, and more importantly, their self-assurance as individuals. We look forward to hosting the second BSME Dance Invitational next year before handing it over to another school to host in 2020.

Dance features as part of our PE curriculum and we also create regular cross curricular opportunities to help pupils mature as performers.

Platforms this year have included the Winter Concert, Year 5 and 6 Souk and the Year 4 production of Aladdin Trouble which was a burst of creativity, flair and inspiration. Dancers revelled being on stage for Cranleigh’s Got Talent at the end of Term 2 and were thrilled to work on the choreography for next year’s opera, Water in the Desert, at the end of the final term.

Outside school, the Abu Dhabi dance scene continues to evolve, providing rich opportunities. Early in the year, Year 10 GCSE dancers performed a group dance on ‘limitations and restrictions in society as we grow,’ at NYUAD’s Attitude Dance Recital. Dance Scholar Gabriella Saxon did a pure dance piece focusing on expressive and physical skills. In January, a larger group returned to NYUAD for a workshop with award winning contemporary British dancer, Aakash Odedra, to work on rhythms, footwork and arm movements inspired by classical Indian dance styles such as Kathak. This was followed by a Louvre Abu Dhabi workshop with a professional from the South African dance company Via Katlehong Dance, which explored key moves from the company’s original style based on the energetic township dance form, pantsula. Finally, ballet enthusiasts enjoyed a masterclass at Emirates Palace with lead dancers from the Bolshoi Theatre, Ivan Vasiliev and Maria Vinogradova, and were honoured to meet the first Emirati Ballerina, Alia Al Neyadi.

Natassja Williams, Head of Dance

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Nader Musharbash leading a BSME Dance workshop

Dance Company performing in the Winter Concert

GCSE Year 11 dancers group performance exam

Senior Dance Company performing in BSME Dance

BSME Dance workshop

Workshop at the Louvre Abu Dhabi

Gabriella Saxon Dance Scholar

Rehearsals in swing for Senior Dance Company in the Trial

NYUAD workshop with Aakash Odedra

BSME Dancers learning opening number

Ballet masterclass at Emirates Palace

Music As part of our ambition to make music available to all, we have continued to broaden the range of musical opportunities on offer, placing a particular focus on performance.

The first assembly of the year featured Performing Arts scholars, Lily Brewer and Ahvia Ahmad, singing How Far I’ll Go from the movie Moana, which set the tone for all of us. The rest of the term provided a number of opportunities for musicians to add richly to community spirit. From Kindness Day to the Winter Festival, and from the high octane Hip House Holler to the festive end of term sing-alongs, our bands and vocalists played and sang their hearts out in front of appreciative audiences.

On a cross-curricular level – setting the scene for their focus on Gothic literature in English and soundscapes in Music – Year 7s were treated to a melodramatic recital of Edgar Allan Poe’s The Tell-Tale Heart, by Jo Lee and Wendy Doubell. Further up the school, Year 11s co-wrote and performed the incidental music for this year’s Senior School play, The Trial, helping to carry the storyline and add tension to the plot.

The last major event of the term was the Winter Overture, our annual performing arts showcase, which included powerful pieces by Music scholars, Shinho Lee and Alicia Reeves-Toy, as well as engaging performances from ensembles and choirs, as well as Dance and Drama pupils from the Prep School.

The second term started with our biennial Music Exchange which saw 21 selected musicians travel to Cranleigh UK to work and perform alongside their peers. Workshop sessions and rehearsals culminated in rousing performances at the highly successful Big Band Supper Dance. We are already looking forward to hosting the next Exchange here in 2020.

Our Informal Recital Series ran throughout the term, giving musicians the chance to perform for friends and family in a relaxed environment, building their self-confidence and stage presence. Year 5 pupils shared some of their curriculum work when they played Ukulele and Drums for parents and pupils as they arrived at school while our Senior Soiree formed part of International Day celebrations. The second term ended with the Senior House competition – Battle of the Bands – which featured some electrifying live performances that raised the roof!

We continued the year’s performance focus in the final term, entertaining parents and pupils with morning concerts by both the String Ensemble as well as the Concert Band. A highlight of the summer was our first Prep School House Music Competition. Following tough auditions, finalists gave a formal recital, revealing a great deal of musical talent and potential.

Congratulations to winners: Obie Gillam, Saxton Patrick, Alicia Reeves-Toy, Lavinia Neal, Guilia van Wagensveld and Edward Kou. Our Pre-Prep musicians have also had a busy year with many concerts and assembly performances. Nurturing a love of music is an important part of Pre-Prep life and this was particularly evident in the Music Showcases held during Term 3, as well as in the highly successful Year 2 production, Ballooning Around the World, when the children wowed audiences with their focus, confidence and delivery.

A line from one of the songs in Moana states: “…there’s just no telling how far I’ll go.” This sums up the year very well. All our musicians – whether they were one of the 30 who took and passed external music exams from ABRSM and Trinity College, or whether they performed publicly for the very first time – have risen to the challenge of each occasion, showing tenacity and determination, performing with sensitivity and musicality. Congratulations to one and all.

Wendy Doubell, Head of Music

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Ukulele and Drumming

Cranleigh UK’s Chapel of the Holy Child dates from 1869

Year 2 Choir

Remembrance Day Band

Winter Overture

Winter Overture

Music Class

Prep House Music Competition

Informal Recital Series

Music Exchange

Informal Recital Series

Water in the Desert: A Zayed Legacy Who would have thought, back in 2016, that our first Opera Project, Beautiful World, would lead to a collaboration with the Ministry of Tolerance, for the creation of a second original operatic piece.

But that is exactly what has happened. After many months of planning with the Office of the Minister of Tolerance, and indeed meetings with HE Sheikh Nahayan bin Mabarak Al Nahyan personally, work on Water in the Desert: A Zayed Legacy, commenced in June and our joint celebration of the Year of Zayed was born.

The first stage of the project – the devising – saw around 80 students aged 10 and above spend three and a half days working with British Director Karen Gillingham, her extraordinarily talented European team and our own Performing and Creative Arts Departments.

They began their days of research with a stream of questions: What was Sheikh Zayed’s environmental vision? Why was he so passionate about ‘greening’ the desert? What is water really? Where does it come from? Do we value it highly enough?

From these questions, and with the help of the professional opera-making team, students set about devising an original story encompassing the environmental issues, cultural memories and technological advancements associated with water and its place in Abu Dhabi’s past, present and future.

To help inspire and inform them, we brought in two external partner organisations, Lest We Forget and Goumbook.

Lest We Forget is a fascinating archival group that explores tangible and intangible culture through memory, reflection, research and artistic expression.

Creative Director, Dr Michele Bambling and her team shared water-related Emirati stories to help students understand what life used to be like when water was less accessible, and therefore more highly valued as a precious commodity.

In order to bring modern day environmental issues into the creative process, we were joined by Tatiana Antonelli Abella, Founder and Managing Director of Goumbook, a social enterprise dedicated to raising awareness on sustainability and green living. Year 6 pupil, Andy Fandino, also shared his outstanding research on desalination, cloud seeding and cloud creation, which he had completed as part of his Enrichment project.

With their heads full of new information and insights, energy and engagement levels were high as students co-wrote beautiful lyrics and melodies with Composer Hannah Conway. Working with Librettist Peter Cant, the storyline evolved and took shape and the Art studio was abuzz with innovation and imagination, as costume and set design ideas were formulated under the direction of Designer, Rhiannon Newman Brown. In the Dance studio, we were joined by Dubai-based choreographer Nader Musharbash, whose charismatic style and dynamism helped stimulate some impressive dance compositions. We were delighted to welcome a number of dancers from BISAD and Brighton College who are working with our own students for the duration of this amazing project.

It was always the intention that our second opera would initiate a series of crosscurricular activities to engage the whole school. Its theme has opened up a huge array of different possibilities for this and alongside the main workshops, devising partners also engaged with pupils in Year 3 and above, who then went on to work on projects as diverse as modernising the falaj system, creating family memory books, building strategic business plans for a new eco-resort and the development of water saving innovations in architecture and buildings Our second opera, Water in the Desert: A Zayed Legacy, is a collaboration with the Ministry of Tolerance and is personally supported by HE Sheikh Nahayan bin Mabarak Al Nahyan, who has contributed to the development of the story

Joanne Lee, Head of Performing Arts.

The musical composition and libretto for the opera will be finalised over the summer, ready for rehearsals to start in September. The opera will be presented in partnership with The Arts Center at NYU Abu Dhabi in October 2018.

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Director Karen Gillingham

Core company singing rehearsal with Hannah Conway

The value of water

Puppet making with design group

Explaining the sound world of water

Lest We Forget

Dance company with Nader Musharbash

Dance company - The desert comes to life

Falcon Wings

Cloud making experiment

Dr Michele Bambling describing the Lest We Forget book Emirati Adornment

Creative Expressions A Rose By Any Other Name Gunshots ring through the empty hallways, a Person of insanity, using blood to create a rose.

A rose of terror, a rose that was created by That barrel of death. Any Issue that formed these many roses, other Than this one, would be solved, would be called by name, Would be eliminated. Would Be ended. But the smell Of blood isn’t potent enough, it isn’t strong enough as That false sense of freedom, that sweet Distorted sense of power. So, Are we all Romeo?

Misled, wronged by the people who would Mistakenly let us die. Were They only more decisive, more collaborative, that mad rose makerHe Could not, would not Make us all Romeo.

We would not be to the afterlife call’d. a rose by Any other name Would smell as sweet.

So Romeo would, Were He not Romeo call’d.

Beatrice Geissinger Cutchins, Year 9

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Dementia

Dear Future Me

You ask me what I mean

I am writing to you from February 16th 2018 – sitting in my room by the window – looking out through the glass at the blooming petunias and waving palm trees. I hope that wherever you are in twenty years, whether you stuck with the plans I have in the present or if you veered off in another direction, the view is as lovely as this one.

By saying I have lost my map What would you do If your map suddenly disappeared You don’t know where to go If you lost your map Would you be stuck In the vast ocean You forget how to speak You forgot who you are Who are you? Why are you here?

Your map leads the way. Without it you are lost.

Do you become anxious, Or scared? You can take photos of your map, But you will not understand it, No matter how you look at it, When you die, your map is your legacy, With no map is there a reason to live?

If you forget how to speak If you forget who you are You can’t tell the difference between a fish or a cat, or an apple or an orange.

So what I mean by saying I lost my map is that I have lost my legacy, my reason, my memory

Amaan Sheikh, Year 9

“Have courage and be kind” – that’s the advice my mum always gives me. More has changed on our Earth in the last twenty years than in the hundred years before that, and the older I get, the faster the change will come. So you need to decide how you are going to face all the curves and bumps in the road. There are times for running and times for walking. Your goal is to be able to tell the difference between them and to be content with both! You will see that the world has become even more real, more multi-dimensional and more vivid than you’ve ever known.

At my present age (10) my dream is to become an astrophysicist. Did that dream come true? Are you currently looking through a telescope, staring at the wonders of space? I hope you accomplish ALL of my present goals and dreams. I want you to make sure that you go forward without fear and not be scared of failure. I want you to always try your best and put your entire effort into everything. In my Humanities teacher’s room there is a quote on the wall that says “Put in half your effort but only if you’re ok with half the results.” Remember that.

Here’s something I want you to know. Own less, buy less, and use less. Fix more, re-use more and learn more. I want you to know that you have a responsibility to play a huge part in protecting and preserving our home – the Earth – and its environment. In 2015, at the Paris Climate Accord, a famous author wrote the following, “Scientists are working on genetic editing that will bring back the heath hen, a bird that went extinct almost eighty years ago.” Did we succeed? Do you have heath hens squawking across the sand plains that sustain them? If you do, it means that the idea of repair caught on in time, and that their habitat was restored instead of being squandered. As Gandhi said, “Earth provides enough to satisfy every man’s needs, but not every man’s greed.”

So, in closing……. I hope you have found your happiness and managed to make a difference along the way. I hope you wake up each day filled with hope and gratitude. Remember - Sundays are for doing art and reading books (maybe you’ll be drinking coffee by then!) I wish you laughter, happiness and adventure, but above all a life that you love.

Love from ten year old Ellery.

PS: Remember me – the younger version of yourself, look back and be proud!

Ellery Haykal, Year 5

Memories 10th September 1984 Dear Diary, It happened again today. On my first day at this new school. My stomach rumbled so loud everyone turned around and looked at me. I was mortified.

My new teacher is Mrs Pierce. She’s old but she has kind eyes and a warm smile. She heard the excruciatingly loud noise reverberating round the classroom too but she didn’t laugh.

Later on, as I was packing up to leave she asked, “Did your Mum forget to pack you lunch today Betty? Would you care for an apple?”

My earliest memory is of being hungry. Not just a little bit peckish, like you wouldn’t mind a slice of chocolate cake or a packet of crisps. Really hungry.

Starving.

You know those kids that say, “I don’t like tomatoes- they’re disgusting!” I am not one of those kids. I’ll eat anything.

I looked down at my desk and nodded. I didn’t mean to lie but I don’t want other people to know that: • •

I don’t live with my Mum; and My aunty didn’t ‘forget’ to pack me lunch. She mashed up the last slice of bread with milk to feed the baby and payday is not until Thursday.

14th September 1984 Dear Diary, She knows. Someone has been discreetly leaving a sandwich or a packet of crisps in my locker. I’m too embarrassed to even thank her properly. When I grow up I’m going to be a teacher and be kind to people too.

5th September 2017 Dear Diary, You know you’re due for retirement when your old students turn up as newly minted teachers at their old school. The only thing is, retirement is a distant dream since I mortgaged the house to pay for my treatment. I don’t know what I’m going to do. It’s getting harder and harder to keep up appearances. No one is saying anything but some of them are starting to look at me with that condescending look of pity in their eyes. I’d rather starve than ask that lot of vultures for help.

1st Person Post-Apocalyptic Description Coursework Fixed on the outskirts of the city, the grimy river that runs down beside the city that was once clear and pure has a dreary aspect seeping out of it.

The overwhelming stench filled the city with a nauseating aroma. I used to despise the constant thought of the rowdy roar of the city, but now it is all I could think of. The thought of kicking a can just to hear how it echoes against the broken city sent indescribable wonders through my head.

Yet, the city managed to drain all sense of hope and joy from me. Sunset, the only bright thing left this world, sunk beneath the collapsing buildings, going to brighten another poor city. The city that in the past stood so proud and preeminent, now a shadow of what it once was, no longer protecting people within its assuring walls, but now holding only fear and sadness. Weather adding to the already daunting atmosphere, as the gloomy clouds cascaded above me, threatening to pour their hatred and animosity down upon us. An overcoming stench wafted within the air, filling my senses with disgust and fear. How beautiful the city once stood, now reminded me of dread and death. Rotting corpses lay haphazardly across the street, leaving only the reminisces of a putrid fetor. Looking up, I wished that a storm could wash away the damage done to the city, but nothing could reverse the destruction and suffering that has been set upon the world we live in.

Standing on the street, isolated and drifting on the edge of madness, I witness the carnage and horror of what humanity has done. The chaos that was once hidden behind the sight of happy lives is now heaved across the Tender moss oozed from cracks and holes, crawling up the spine of buildings and coating the idle cars. Closing my eyes, I remember how alive the city was - heavily populated by fatigued and overworked citizens. It’s ironic, streets for all to see. Luckily, there were no more to witness it. Silence and the gentle rustling of plastic bags in the wind are all that could be heard. Roaming through the now darkened city streets, the sun had vanished with the moon slowly taking its place, rising into the starry sky, although still clouded with despair and depression. The smell of rotting corpses beclouded my senses with abhorrence and disgust.

Areas around the city have become bare, slowly recalled by mother nature. In a way, it shows the potential of civilization rebuilding: back to basics. Even in a place of despair, there still manages to be a crisp smell outside the city. It’s a relief to not breathe in the overwhelming stench of decomposing corpses. Quietly listening to my surroundings, I hear only silence. However, the tiny sounds of small animals scurrying bring hope to what little is left. The scatter of footprints across the muddy pathway carry relief and a somewhat satisfaction. Listening closely, I hear the hushed chirp of the birds upon their sturdy nests. Tall trees circled me, with branches reaching out and remaining in place. The forest always brought me warmth and comfort – even in the darkest of days.

Looking back at the city seeing streetlights blinking, I closed my eyes and remembered how it looked, only to open them again and see the doomed city trying to cling to life. The moon was now high in the sky, enlightening the remains of the collapsed city. Walking away from the wreckage, I hear only silent footsteps and a broken world.

Dear Diary, She knows. Someone’s been leaving pots of chicken soup or pasta outside my front door. Every single day. She pretended to not know what I was talking about but I know it was her. That scrawny girl with the glasses, Betty. I wonder if… she remembers?

What was once an inviting and pleasant city, is now a doomed arena of death. I grew up here. The place where I was raised, where my family nurtured and cared for me – is now the definition of hell. Thinking back, tears rise and a lump in my throat grows like a tumor. Every time I think of my family, I feel isolated, alone; desperate for help. My mind goes somewhere else and my body stays transfixed. I remember strolling through the park, gazing at the beautiful lake that once elegantly swayed through the city center. Now, it is contaminated with a repulsive olive green coating, emanating an odious scent. The building I once considered home is crusted in foul moss, and my family – my family is gone. Looking up, emotions ruling my sense of vision, but I could make out smoke dispersing itself within the solemn air. There’s someone else out there – and I doubt they are friendly…

Ava Clara Eshragi, Year 5

Jaiden Matharu, Year 10

12th September 2017

Sport in Action

Pre-Prep School Sport Pre-Prep children have been super busy this year in their Physical Education (PE) and swimming lessons. They have also enthusiastically embraced a raft of sports-focused after school activities (ASAs) and absolutely loved their Sports Days in the Spring Term.

PE classes for our youngest pupils concentrate on fundamental movement as well as fine and gross motor skills. There is a particular focus on hand eye co-ordination, teamwork and ball skills. Dance is woven into the timetable as it is a particularly effective way of giving children a platform to develop their creativity, self-expression and poise. By presenting them with a measure of freedom in their movement, they have to make choices and use their imagination, which supports their emotional as well as physical development.

In swimming, FS1 and FS2 children have increased their water confidence and learnt about water safety. By the end of the year, most could jump into deep water from diving blocks and safely swim back to the edge using a pin drop. They have practised floating skills and learnt both freestyle and backstroke. Years 1 and 2 have become much more self-assured, floating and developing their strokes. They have been working on their freestyle, backstroke and Dolphin kick, along with somersaults and tumble turns.

They have also been practising different types of water entries including diving in the deep water and even played some water polo!

Our PE programme ensures children acquire the key building blocks that will allow them to have the confidence and competence to try out and enjoy lots of different physical activities. It is our aim that they leave the Pre-Prep ready to put their newfound abilities into action in the Prep School, where they can join competitive teams. We also teach them about the importance of sporting values including courage, discipline, risk taking and respect. Our goal is for them to learn to be brave, challenging themselves as individuals while also spending time focusing on how to motivate and encourage as part of a team.

There was much excitement in January as the children prepared to take part in their annual Sports Days. Despite the FS1s only having been in school for four months, they were able to showcase their burgeoning sporting talent along with the FS2s at their very own Sports Day. The event was lots of fun and for many, a memorable ‘first’ in their school life.

The Year 1 and 2 Sports Day was held the following morning. Having taken part in at least one of these events before, pupils were wonderfully focused.

Racing for individual place stickers as well as for valuable House points gave the competition an extra level of dynamism. All the children should be very proud of the Cranleigh values they displayed. It was so rewarding to see how many of them have discovered that while winning is not always possible, trying your best is, and leads to positive experiences.

Many of the Pre-Prep children have taken advantage of our ASA programme and, depending on their year, have built skills in a range of sporting activities including rugby, football, hockey, karate, ballet, fitness and gymnastics. A good number of pupils showed tremendous tenacity, pursuing the same activity throughout the year, which has really enabled them to develop and extend their proficiency in that discipline. Some very keen hockey and cricket players have emerged and we look forward to working with them as they build on their sporting talent in the years ahead.

Deborah Gillam, Head of Pre-Prep Sport

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Dip for the finish line

Gap student leading the way

FS2 Beanbag Hoop Race

Year 1 sprint race

Sports Day fun

Egg and Spoon joy

FS1 first Sports Day

Pirate treasure obstacle hunt

Space hopper fun

Year 1 girls Tangled dance

“I can win this� Year 2 skipping race

Prep School Sport Prep School sport has gone from strength to strength this year. We have provided more opportunities for young people and won more trophies and medals than ever before. Our focus has been on providing pupils with high quality coaching opportunities in a supportive, structured environment, and in a fun and progressive manner. This focus has meant that when faced with a completive match or tournament, the students are well equipped with the tools they need to succeed.

Our facilities continue to host increasing numbers of high quality sporting competitions and the year has seen hundreds of young people come together here on campus to compete to the best of their ability. A particular highlight was the ADISSA Mini Olympics which we hosted in December.

Our U9 and U11 athletes competed in a day of swimming, athletics, netball (girls) and football (boys). Pupils had trained for well over a month at lunch times and after school and all their hard work, dedication and determination paid off – their performances were outstanding with both age groups ending the day in first place.

Several pupils have made their mark in other prestigious, local sporting forums. Our Year 7 swimming scholar, Layla Al Khatib, was recognised in the UAE Teen Awards for her outstanding swimming talent: winning a silver medal at the awards ceremony in Dubai, while three Prep School pupils, alongside two Senior School students, were selected for the prestigious Daman Future Champions Programme. This innovative initiative is a yearlong scheme focused on preparing children for all aspects of a career in professional sport. Training and mentoring clinics ran throughout the year, hosted by Dame Kelly Holmes and ex-international rugby star Thinus Delport. Congratulations to Year 8 pupils Harriet Norman, Lily Brewer and Ahvia Ahmad as well as Year 11 pupils, Rama Al Souqi and Brad Lenard who all completed the programme successfully.

Our sporting achievements this year: U9B Boys Football League Champions U9A Girls Netball Tournament Winners U9B Girls Netball League Champions U11B Girls Netball League Champions U12A Girls Football League Champions U12B Girls Football League Champions U9 and U11 Boys & Girls ADISSA ‘Mini Olympic’ Champions

Term 1 U9 A Boys Touch Rugby League Champions U9 A Boys Touch Rugby Tournament Winners U9 B Boys Touch Rugby League Champions U9 C Boys Touch Rugby Tournament Winners U9 A Girls Football League Champions U9 B Girls Football Tournament Winners U11 B Girls Football Tournament Winners U12 A Girls Netball Tournament Winners U13 BSME Netball Tournament Fourth Place Term 2 U9A Boys Football League and Tournament Champions

Term 3 U9 A Girls Basketball Tournament Champions U12 A Girls Volleyball Tournament Champions U12 A Girls Badminton Tournament Champions

In swimming, the year saw the Junior Swim Squad move from the ADISSA B league to the A league. This tested swimmers’ commitment as the competition became much harder. However, as we had hoped and predicted, they rose to the challenge admirably showcasing not only their swimming ability, but also their resilience, perseverance and team spirit.

The ADISSA league was held over the whole school year, with an all school swimming meeting at the end of the season where we had some fantastic results including: five individual gold medals, three individual silver medals, three individual bronze medals and one freestyle relay bronze medal. Beyond the local league, six Prep School pupils along with one Senior School student travelled to Dubai to compete in the BSME’s 2018 Swimming Championships in April where they all achieved personal bests! Congratulations to Layla Al Khatib, Sudki Al Khatib, Amelie Pulkkinen, Declan Simpkins, Freya Faulkner, Praveen Rajanikanth and to Year 10 student, Rachel Tracy. Particular mention should go to Layla who won two medals, Amelie who was the fastest in her year group in three events and Declan, who knocked an incredible nine seconds off his personal best for the 50m breaststroke.

Shaun Gillam, Head of Prep School Sport

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BSME Netball Tournament

U11 ADISSA Games

U9 basketball tournament

U9 ADISSA Games

Swimming

U9 Touch rugby champions

BSME Netball Tournament

U9 and U11 Mini Olympic Champions

ADSSA Swimming Championships winner Amelie

Celebrating the BSME Swimming Championship

Gymnastics lesson

Senior School Sport Senior School sport at Cranleigh is maturing year on year. As student numbers grow, so does the pool of talent, enabling more and more successes. For the first time, ADISSA split its competitive leagues into two geographical groups – on and off island. This allows for more comprehensive coverage of all sports regardless of the season, with an allschools end of season tournament in the final week of each term.

As per the Abu Dhabi tradition, Term 1 kicked off with the boys football and girls netball seasons. Both the U14 and U16 football teams had a tough set of matches with an exceptional level of talent on display. The U14 and U16 girls netball teams were up against an equally tough set of opponents. After a hard fought season it was the U14 netballers who eventually finished as league runners up.

The U14 boys cricket team used the first term to display some absolutely outstanding performances in their league, going on an undefeated run that culminated in being crowned league champions.

Term 1 also saw our inaugural participation in the U15 BSME Games, co-hosted alongside NYUAD. The three-day event featured volleyball and football (boys), netball and football (girls) and athletics. The level of ability from competing Middle East schools was nothing short of phenomenal. Mia Anthony gave a flawless performance in the final of the 800m, winning gold, and the netballers were outstanding throughout, eventually wining gold in a tense final against British School Kuwait. The squad was awarded the BSME Sportsmanship Award, a testament to their hard work, conduct and attitude throughout.

Representative sport is becoming increasingly important with Cooper Head, Christian Perry and Theo Ulander selected for the ADISSA U14 Boys Football Squad that came out on top against an Ajman representative team. Mia Anthony, Siena Sanna-Martin, Harriet Norman, Nancy McAlister and Jaya Mitchell were all selected to represent the ADISSA U14 Netball Squad which won convincingly against EISSA. Term 2 saw the girls football and boys rugby seasons get underway, with seven teams taking to the field each week. The U16 and U14 boys rugby teams trained exceptionally hard which paid dividends with both finishing league runners up. The U14 girls also did well, with both the A and C teams finishing as runners up in their respective leagues. The U14As built on a hugely successful league season by going on to win the end of season tournament, achieving gold after a nail biting penalty shoot-out in the final!

Term 3 saw a complete change of sports for seniors, with girls volleyball, boys basketball and mixed badminton the main focus. Despite the change in sports, competition was at a high-level. The U14 boys performed brilliantly, finishing as tournament champions, and the U14 girls badminton team emerged victorious at their tournament too.

The swim squad competed in the ADISSA B league across the whole academic year which has required dedication, perseverance and team spirit.

They opened the season with a win at their first gala, and continued to collect valuable points in all subsequent events. Many personal best records were broken as the season progressed, and the year culminated at the ADISSA end of season gala, with many students placed in medal positions.

Finally, outside of school the reputation of Cranleigh students continues to grow. Nine students were honoured to be flag bearers for the FIFA World Club Cup, with three invited to attend the final between Real Madrid and Gremio FC. What an experience!

Leo Milton, Head of Senior School Sport

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Y9 Inter-House Badminton

Inter-House Netball

One of our Sports Scholars in action for the U14 cricket team

U15 Girls BSME Tournament

Selected pupils - U14 ADISSA representative netball team

Boys football action from the U15 BSME Games

U14 Cricket champions (unbeaten)

Senior Inter-House Boys Football

U15 BSME Games 2017 Fairplay Award

Senior Inter-House Boys Rugby

Track & Field events were a huge part of the U15 BSME Games

Cranleigh Houses

PRE-PREP SCHOOL HOUSES It has been another spectacular year for the Pre-Prep children and their Houses.

They have so enjoyed taking part in all the different events and competitions.

The 2017-18 House calendar launched in style with the mini Bake-Off in Term 1, which saw all pupils designing their own biscuit. After a tough decision, the finalists were picked and took part in the actual decorating and building of their designs. The House Captains showed their support and encouragement throughout, with Dolphins named as the final winners.

The children love talking about the different Houses they belong to at school and wearing their House colours to participate in the various events.

Sports Day is always a highlight and this year was no exception. Everyone practised hard in advance of the big day and couldn’t wait to get onto the field to earn those all-important House points. It was an exciting and competitive event, with the Dolphins coming out on top.

Next was our celebration of World Book Day, when Years 1 and 2 held a House poetry competition. We had some very talented writers create their own verses as well as some wonderful recitals of famous poems from around the world. Gazelles and Falcons performed exceptionally well and ended up sharing the top position.

Not all House events are contests. We award points for excellent behaviour as well. Each month sees a focus on a different value and the children work together to earn as many points as possible. At the end of the month, the House Captains get together to tally up the scores and the winner is revealed in Thursday assembly. This year Dolphins won for Gratitude; Gazelles for Kindness and Mindfulness; Turtles for Co-operation and Risk Taking and finally, Falcons for Enthusiasm, Respect and Honesty.

Our House Captains have done a fantastic job all year, counting House tokens each month and supporting their members each term. We have had two sets of House Captains, all elected following a series of incredible presentations. Everyone showed great courage, confidence and enthusiasm in their speeches and we hope they are as proud of themselves as we all are. Their reflections on the year follow: Gazelles

Dolphins

“I loved being a House Captain, I felt proud to lead my team to victory for the month of Mindful May.” Alexis El Zyr 2CM “I felt proud that I did my speech in front of everyone and I liked helping with the Bake-Off.” Milan Van Der Westhuyen 2SB “I liked helping to count up the House tokens, it was tricky but good for my maths.” Abdulla Al Rayssi 2HB “I liked to help count the tokens each month and helping on the Bake-Off day.” Pedro Lopez-Estevez 2HB

Turtles “I’ve loved being a House Captain. It is very exciting every month finding out the winners.” Alfred Mourey 2AW

“My favourite part of the year was collecting the trophy on Sports Day, it was the best thing. I really, really enjoyed collecting House points for the different values.” Isabella Deady 2AW “I also liked counting the tokens. It was kind of tricky to earn them but I enjoyed being a role model.” Hamdan Al Adwan 2SJ “I liked helping others understand the values.” Jinan Altalib 2CM “It was great to wear the hats so people knew we could help them. I really enjoyed being House Captain for the Dolphins, especially on Sports Day.” Haya Ahmad 2BB

Falcons

“It is really nice to be a House Captain, I enjoyed being part of a team and being a role model to others.”

Caliana-Grace Lambert 2HB

“I loved counting the House points. Getting to wear the House hat is good. They are way more comfortable than the normal ones!” Ali Mounib 2CM

“I liked counting the House tokens and going to the different classes to help. I liked feeling responsible.”

Hazel Palmer 2SJ

“I liked being a House Captain and counting the House points. My favourite event was the poetry competition.” Karim Shahin 2HB

“I liked the event when it was Maths Day, I like being a House Captain so I can support the different teams, even if it’s not my team I’ll support the other teams.”

Noah Al Shamsi 2NA

“I liked counting the House points.” Lana Raja 2NA “I liked being a House captain because I wanted to learn how to help other people and support them in my team.” Livia Beraldi 2BB

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Running for House Points on Sports Day

A member of the Dolphins carefully making her Bake-off biscuit

A group of Gazelles sharing ideas

FS2 working in their houses to create a spectacular biscuit design

The Falcons concentrating of key ingredients to include

A Gazelle concentrating on the race

Discussing a story

Gazelles, Falcons, Dolphins and Turtles lining up to race

Teamwork to win some points

Turtles House Captain helping a fellow team member

The House Captains working together to add up all the house points for the month

PREP SCHOOL HOUSES Zaeem – House Captains: Mansour Al Blooshi and Paulina Hedrich Zaeem has continued to demonstrate the meaning behind our name, Leadership.

We are a very competitive house but being a leader does not mean that you always have to win. It means you pave the way for other people’s successes.

Like John C. Maxwell once said “A leader is one who knows the way, goes the way, and shows the way”. Every single student wearing red in inter-house events exceeded expectations. We deserved it when we won and did ourselves proud when we didn’t. A highlight was World Book Day, when we worked together to figure out where the Trophy was hidden. Other memorable victories included the Spelling Bee and many Inter-House team sports. We just missed out on our goal of defending our Hip House Holler title and we were a very close second at Junior Sports Day. Most importantly we have had great fun this year and shown wonderful team spirit. As Mother Theresa said: “I can do things you cannot, you can do things I cannot, together we can do great things”.

Etihad – House Captains: Imen Masmoudi and Lorenzo Bandini “Union is Strength.” These are the words that Etihad members used to finally bring success to our House, after nearly four years without the taste of victory! After Term 1 wins on National Day and in Theatre Sports, Term 2 saw us triumph in Netball, Football, Touch Rugby, Year 3 and 4 FIFA and the Sketch-Off. We even won Sports Day with our message “You’ve got to be in it, to win it!” The feeling of lifting the House Dhow trophy was amazing and showed our persistence and resilience. True to the Cranleigh Code, we never gave up hope. We also shared triumph on the stage when both Romeo & Juliet (Prachet Poddar and Asia Bandini) are in Etihad. New members like Mayan Olsson in Year 3, represented our House in almost every event possible. We are really proud of everyone in our House. They are all so special, to us it is like a second family. Well done to everyone and we hope for more victories in the years to come.

Al Sharaf – House Captains: Adam Ouertani and Peyton McNeil Three words that sum us up are: Teamwork; Competitive and Resilient. We win and lose together, as a team. When the situation is tough, we still embrace it with positivity. What a proud moment in Term 1 when we won the House Cup having given our all to secure the Hip House Holler. In Term 2, we were joint MFL Olympic champions and also received an overwhelming response to Cranleigh’s Got Talent auditions. Finalists rehearsed for weeks and performed like stars. While we didn’t win, we gave our best. On Sports Day, we arrived at NYUAD early, united and ready for a day of competition. Even though we were short of event participants, we covered for each other. Sadly, we didn’t win the trophy, but we definitely had lots of fun. Other highlights included winning the Bake-Off and the amazing Theatre Sports contest which required improvisation skills to understand each other and cooperate. Even though we didn’t win the contest, we definitely won as a team through our collaboration and enthusiasm.

Sadeeq – House Captains: Charline Mousavi Fatemi and Abdalla Thabet Wow! Where do we start? What a superb year. From the beginning to the end, we have lived up to our name by being great friends. In the face of setbacks, we have smiled, held our heads high and been there for each other. Even in the face of defeat, we have picked ourselves up, smiling through our losses.

In the Autumn Term, we had some great victories, as well as some defeats.

A highlight had to be our minion performance in the Hip House Holler! The Spring Term saw Sports Day looming. Whilst we didn’t come home champions, we broke many school records and achieved bronze, silver and gold medals.

More importantly, we lost our voices cheering on our teammates! Further great moments included winning the FIFA Tournament and being joint MFL Olympic champions. The term culminated with Cranleigh’s Got Talent, with over fifty scorpions auditioning and taking the stage with poise. And so, as the sun sets on the Summer Term, we are proud to have surpassed our own expectations.

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NYUAD track

Sketch-Off

House Debating Competition

Prep School House Captains

Sports Day

FIFA

MFL Olympics

Cross Country

Debating

Houses united

Swimming Gala

SENIOR SCHOOL HOUSES North – House Captain: Jasmin Mismar Starting the year with the Senior School café proudly displaying the North banner reminded us of last year’s success so we were on a high…but with South, East and West hot on our tails. Striving to be the best, we worked hard, finishing a close second in Sports Day and winning both the National Day and House Drama events.

My favourite event of the year was Battle of the Bands because it allowed students with different talents to shine. In Term 2 we were runners up in both the Enterprise and Debating competitions which fuelled our hunger to finish the year strongly. We are a competitive and supportive family, always striving to encourage each other’s strengths and develop these wherever we can. We have enjoyed another fantastic year celebrating our successes over the delicious House Breakfast, BBQs and many other social events. We are more than just a House, we are a family, united to be the best we can be… with the overall aim of winning!

West – House Captain: Katya Vendebril This school year has been one of huge triumphs for West; success in various competitions has contributed to a heightened level of House spirit and enthusiasm.

We started the year on a low, failing to win the House Drama, a competition we had won last year. This was quickly followed by a third place finish at the end of an amazing Sports Day. These experiences reminded us that winning isn’t everything and however sweet victory may be, lessons and togetherness formed by the competition are far more fulfilling. Having said that, success quickly followed in Debating and further victory in Battle of the Bands was an incredible moment.

Laila Kheriba, Deputy House Captain and I sang a rendition of ‘Counting Stars’

by One Republic; a song about fighting over hardships. This victory was made even sweeter when we were announced as the overall winners of Term 2, with the Senior School café named after us in honour of our achievements. We have high expectations of finishing the year as House champions!

East – House Captain; Rama Al Souqi East House students value cooperation and teamwork. With House spirit and dedication, we have competed well in a vast array of school events and competitions this year such as Debating, Battle of the Bands and Sports Day. Our year started brilliantly and we were enthralled with our Sports Day victory in the first term. With this as a backdrop, we met every subsequent challenge with our heads held high even if our winning streak did not continue. Not only did we, as a House, represent what it means to be a Cranleighan through dedication and resilience, but we also did so with a smile on our face and the enjoyment of one another’s company. Through commitment and hard work, we were able to grow together as a House and capture the true meaning of unity. With the expansion of Cranleigh and the student body, it is guaranteed that next year will be equally exciting, and hopefully more successful for East House!

South - House Captain: Chloe Depolla South House boasts an array of engaged and well-rounded students with a variety of nationalities and talents. Although we haven’t won as many competitions as we would have liked to this year, the effort has been outstanding and everyone has played a really important role as part of the overall team. We are renowned for winning multiple academic awards, as well as having many skilled athletes who have represented their House exceptionally well throughout the year in events such as Sports Day. We are also a very competitive House when it comes to Battle of the Bands, and we are fortunate to have many talented musicians. Aiming to repeat last year’s success, students rehearsed through multiple breaks and lunch times to pull off a remarkable final performance that we can all be proud of. Led by Mr Copley our Housemaster, our South House family has grown in stature this year; incredible team spirit and leadership were shown, and we are striving to be at the top of the ladder next year!

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Senior Sports Day

Battle of the Bands

House chess competition

North House BBQ

Battle of the Bands

Senior Sports Day

Enterprise Day

Battle of the Bands

Inter-House cross country

Inter-House quiz fashion round

Inter-House Touch Rugby

Cranleigh Community

Community Appreciation During the blessed month of Ramadan, the Arabic Language and Islamic Studies Departments once again organised our Ramadan Appeal. In this, the Year of Zayed, the Appeal took on an even greater significance, as we remembered the core values that this nation was built upon under Sheikh Zayed’s leadership – in particular, his passion for respect, tolerance and charity.

This annual initiative presented an opportunity for all of us to take some time to reflect on just how important our support staff are in the smooth running of the school. Their contribution to campus life is huge. It is thanks to them that we all enjoy a safe, clean and secure environment every day.

Designed to engage the whole school in the spirit of giving, pupils and their families were invited to donate essentials such as clothing, toiletries and sundries. The items were then gifted to the team at the beginning of Eid. Earlier in the year as part of Kindness Week, our Year 8 pupils were also able to recognise our many support workers. Through a series of ‘random acts of kindness’, students expressed their gratitude, giving Kindness Kookies and hand-written words of thanks to both the facilities team and the construction workers employed on the Sixth Form building.

Winter Festival “We’ve been talking about it for months, let’s have a Winter Festival this year!” This is how the Cranleigh Community Committee embarked on their Winter Festival planning adventure. Once we set the date, there was no turning back. We wanted to get Cranleigh families together.

So off we went with meetings, surveys, posters, volunteers, purchases, suppliers, ticket sales, snowmen cut-outs… We had a full-time job on our hands.

Saturday, 9th December came sooner than expected, with its unplanned gusts of wind, (and little doses of stress), we had to reshuffle most stall allocations, moving equipment indoors – with only a couple of hours before all volunteers were due to arrive. We were off to a good start!

Despite the gusty winds, parents, teachers and pupil volunteers worked their magic. The courtyard and the Senior School Atrium came to life. Three o’clock came in the wink of an eye. The first families arrived, children rushing in. It was a wonderful and joyful afternoon, filled with arts and crafts activities, face painting, tattoos, henna, games, vendors, photo booth, amazing selection of sweets and savouries prepared by parents, fresh popcorn, hot cocoa and more. The Brass Ensemble, perched on the central staircase, played engaging festive tunes under Mr Lane’s guidance.

We can’t thank the people enough who made it possible: over 60 relentless volunteers, Imdaad support staff, a Cranleigh music band, over 25 stalls, and oh so many hours of planning and preparation… It was well worth it!

By Lydia Vosgimorukian, on behalf of the Cranleigh Community Committee

Philanthropy & Business Our new Head of Economics, Business and Careers, Elizabeth Kelleher, has made her presence felt this year. She is passionate about her subjects and also about preparing young people for their futures. It has been under her guidance that two House Enterprise Fairs have taken place.

The main objectives of the Fairs were to highlight the importance of philanthropic work and raise money for charity, to develop business acumen and entrepreneurial flair, and finally, to provide leadership development opportunities for our students.

The first event was in Term 2 when Year 9 and 10 students worked under the mentorship of Sixth Formers to host a Fair for Years 5 to 8 pupils. The second, in the Summer Term, saw our Prep School leaders, Years 7 and 8, manage a similar event for the Year 3 and 4 children.

All proceeds from the Fairs have been donated to our chosen Red Crescent charity, The Choice to Change Foundation (www. thechoicetochange.org) which works to lift children in the slums of Dhaka out of poverty through education.

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Afghan Carpet Weavers

Stitching Hope with Syrian Refugees

One of the most memorable events of the year was a very special visit from the Fatima Bint Mohamed Bin Zayed Initiative (FBMI). FBMI is an innovative social enterprise that harnesses the traditional skills of the Afghan people to produce beautiful hand knotted carpets, embroidered furniture and local handicraft at fair market wages. Members of the FBMI team gave an evening talk and were also able to spend time with many of our pupils the next day, helping them to understand how carpets are made and the importance of the Initiative for so many Afghan people.

We were proud to work with Al Ghadeer UAE Crafts again this year, this time on its new Stitching Hope programme, an innovative initiative designed to support Syrian refugee women and children. Stitching Hope provides the equipment, materials and training required for quilt making, empowering refugees who have been displaced from their homes and jobs to create a new, sustainable life for themselves, earning a living through craft.

Since it was established in 2010, FBMI has employed over 4,000 Afghans – 70% women and 35% widows – at its dedicated production centres in Kabul and Jalalabad.

100% of FBMI products are sourced and produced in Afghanistan. They are then marketed to international consumers through two retail showrooms in the UAE, a wholesale showroom in London. Plans are also being developed to establish a retail presence in the USA. As a dedicated social enterprise, FBMI makes important contributions to the social welfare of its employees, their families and their communities. The organisation provides free education to the children of its employees. In fact, enrolling children in full-time education is a mandatory requirement of taking part. To date, more than 7,800 Afghan children have been enrolled in school through FBMI. In addition, dedicated health clinics co-located at its production centres provide FBMI employees and their families with free health check-ups, basic medicine and immunisations, while an ambulance service delivers urgent supplies and assistance to local communities.

As part of the programme launch, a number of our pupils drew pictures representing love and peace. Children in Jordan did the same. The women in the refugee camp incorporated these pictures in their designs – one on each side – resulting in a collaborative quilt ready for community own use or for sale. Abu Dhabi World magazine picked up on the story quoting Year 2 pupil Aurelia Legler Leal: “We need to share more and help them. I think their hearts are broken and sad.”

The article also included thoughts from Noelle Darts in Year 8 who said: “I want the people of Abu Dhabi to know that we should all be doing what we can to help refugees, no matter how small it may seem. It makes me feel happy that I can help and that the quilt will not only keep them warm but also hopefully bring them some comfort and joy.”

In association with Stitching Hope, our community also rallied behind the Dream Box scheme which raised funds to provide necessary quilt making training and materials. Pupils purchased Dream Boxes and decorated them. They then filled them with writing paper and materials. Both the boxes and the funds raised were sent to the camp in Jordan.

It is estimated that FBMI has benefited more than 25,000 people in Afghanistan through its employment initiatives and social services since 2010.

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National Day Our celebration of UAE National Day at Cranleigh Abu Dhabi was, as always, a very special experience for our whole community.

The event marked the 46th year since 2nd December 1971, when the seven Emirates were united under the vision and leadership of the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, Father of the Nation.

This year, it was the job of the Senior School’s Emirati students to host the whole school assembly. To us, this didn’t mean only representing Emiratis, but representing all UAE citizens; people who have lived in the UAE for years and now call it their home.

I was personally thrilled to be on the stage talking to everyone about what being an Emirati means to me and my fellow classmates. When I volunteered to speak in the assembly, I realised that I was going to be speaking in front of all the pupils, teachers and other school staff! But knowing that I was up there representing my country, my people, and my home, all the anxiety went away. Seeing everyone standing and singing the National Anthem loud and clear gave me goose bumps, because I knew that not only I was proud to be singing the national anthem and representing the UAE, but each person who was around me felt the same way. Our National Anthem, Ishi Bilady, has a really moving melody and lyrics. Translated into English it means: Long Live my Nation.

Everyone wore either the traditional clothing of the UAE or the colours of the UAE flag adding to the festive feel of the day. This was a great opportunity for people to really share in a joint celebration because on that day it didn’t matter from where you came from, or even your religion. This was a day of unity – people coming together because that is the true meaning of the United Arab Emirates: Unity.

Throughout the school day there were lots of different activities for people to participate in, many which had to do with the UAE’s culture and tradition.

I participated in the House Bake-Off, Arabic Delights, where I had to bake something UAE themed. The school hosted a variety of activities for each year group, for example Building a Dhow for Senior School students where we worked together, in our Houses, to construct a Dhow using the equipment provided. The aim of the activity was to get as many pupils on the Dhow as possible and then ‘sail’ it down the length of the school swimming pool.

My personal favourite activity was the Abu Dhabi Advert session. In this activity, students needed to work together to create an advertisement for our capital city, Abu Dhabi, to celebrate National Day which really focused our minds on all the amazing sights, scenes and opportunities the capital has to offer.

I think that overall the main goal of all the different activities was for people to work together: problem-solving and team-working.

To finish off our day we had an extraordinary, delicious and appetising traditional Arabic feast which was laid out on beautiful long tables. Our parents and families joined us for the feast and the feeling of shared community celebration was so strong. There is nothing quite like Arabic hospitality to bring people together.

Overall I think that this year’s National Day was fantastic and we are already looking forward the next one.

Fatima Al Ameri, Year 9

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International Day

International Day was, once again, a feast for the senses. Flags from over 60 countries flew proudly over the field while children and parents alike were resplendent in their national colours or costumes. Traditional dances and games from all around the world kept everyone entertained, while musical performances helped to create a carnival atmosphere. The Jamaican ‘Usain Bolt sprint challenge’ was particularly popular!

As always, parents excelled in their preparation and dedication. Stalls were richly decorated and laden with delicious sweet and savoury delicacies from Japanese sushi to French cheeses and South African boerewors to British cucumber sandwiches – crustless of course. It was a particular honour to welcome a group of Chinese Youth Ambassadors who showcased some of their arts and craft skills.

This celebration of our multi-culturalism has become a much anticipated event. Not only does it highlight just how rich and diverse our community is, it also provides pupils with an opportunity to learn about other cultures whilst remembering and sharing their own traditions and heritage. Special thanks to Linda Law and Laura Rigon, as well as to our amazing parents, for another memorable experience.

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Awards

DUKE OF EDINBURGH Duke of Edinburgh International Award – Silver Level Duke of Edinburgh International Award – Bronze Level

PREP SCHOOL

Amelia Cowie

Attainment Awards

Adam Vandebril

Abigail Yoo

Hannah Davidge

Alizeh Kizilbash

Adele Marshall

Isabella Cartwright

Aditya Doshi

Jonathan Yang

Alicia Reeves-Toy

Kaiwan Taqdees

Allegra Navarro

Kimaya Jayatunga

Andrea Thomas

Menna El Gamal

Anna Gould

Milla McIntosh

Amber Neal Bradley Lenard Esha Saigal Ethan Tesdale Imogen Andrews Katya Vandebril Kirstine Thygesen Mia Vosgimorukian Thea Rosen

SCHOLARS

Asia Bandini

Minho Sung

Ava Suri

Noelle Darts

Bahia Werne

Obadiah Gillam

Bianka Majdaniuk

Oliver Hamilton

Caitlin Conrad

Oliver Maxwell

Cara Frank

Oscar Yu

Cassis Knott

Prachet Poddar

Christopher Yang

Samuel Marshall

Edward Kou

Sandra Li

Ellery Haykal

Valentina Topoovska

Ahvia Ahmad

Performing Arts

Arabic – Native Speaker

Abdulla Al Dhaheri

Alicia Reeves-Toy

Music and Academic

Arabic – Non Native Speaker

Harriet Norman

Amman Ibrahim Ahmed

Design Technology

Art

Emily Postolovska

Bailey Head

Sports All Rounder

Biology

Alicia Reeves-Toy

Cooper Head

Football

Chemistry

Alicia Reeves-Toy

Daniel Okanome

Rugby

Computing

Alicia Reeves-Toy

Elysia Dent

Drama

DT

Victoria Lewis

Esha Saigal

Academic

Drama

Lily Brewer

Gabriella Saxon

Dance

English

Alicia Reeves-Toy

Harriet Norman

Netball

French

Gabriel Zur Hausen

Imogen Andrews

Academic

Geography

Noelle Darts

Layla Al Khatib

Swimming

History

Imen Masmoudi

Lily Brewer

Performing Arts

Islamic Studies – native speaker

Imen Masmoudi

Shinho Lee

Music

Islamic Studies – non-native speaker

Kaiwan Taqdees

Latin

Alicia Reeves-Toy

Mathematics

Pierre Victor

Music

Lily Brewer

Physics

Alicia Reeves-Toy

Social Studies - Native Speaker

Ohoud Al Dhaheri

Social Studies - Non Native Speaker

Alicia Reeves-Toy

Spanish

Ahvia Ahmad

Overall Academic

Alicia Reeves-Toy

Co-curricular Drama

Ahvia Ahmad

Co-curricular Dance

Siena Sanna-Martin

Co-curricular Music

Alicia Reeves-Toy

Co-curricular Overall

Lily Brewer

Sportsman of the Year

Sudki Al Khatib

Sportswoman of the Year

Harriet Norman

Spirit of Cranleigh (Male)

Akshay Paul

Spirit of Cranleigh (Female)

Lily Brewer

PREP SCHOOL Tutor Awards Abigail O'Connor

Lisa Mary Paul

Ali Al Dhaheri

Lucy Greenhill

Amelie Kari

Marc Dackiw

Arta Mousavi Fatemi

Mayan Olsson

Ashely Kang

Natalie Tuyen

Baptiste Raess

Nayesda (Nadya) Postolovska

Clemency Jancy

Nelly El Shawarby

Deema Al Athba

Niamh Evans

Emily Postolovska

Nils Sen

Emma Pieterse

Paulina Hedrich

Freya Faulkner

Rawan Al Amereyyeh

James Wild

Rohan Sadasivan

Joshua Lee

Scarlett Glendinning

Kenzie Vichion

Shahad Al Hadari

Kiara Baranet

Shinho Lee

Lily Anthony

Zayna Madanat

Lily Brewer

Zuha Abbas

SENIOR SCHOOL Contribution to House Awards Apolline Mutin

Maryam Al Yazdi

Bailey Head

Natacha El Asaad

Emma Bjorn

Robert Godfrey

Jaiden Matharu

Soleiman Al-Garousha

Katya Vandebril

Thalia Harward

Kirstine Thygesen

Thea Rosen

Laila Kheriba

Academic Effort Awards Adam Vandebril

Imogen Andrews

Ahmed Shehata

Jasmine Hewartson

Athos Trigkonis

Lila Sen

Beatrice Geissinger Cutchins

Rama Al Souqi

Caterina Gandolfi

Xinyi Zhu

Esha Saigal

Yasmine Abouali

Ethan Tesdale

Attainment Awards Arabic – Native Speaker

Omar Zaghloul

Arabic – Non Native Speaker

Kaluba Mulemba

Art

Imogen Andrews

Biology

Esha Saigal

Business

Maria Daher

Chemistry

Wilson Huijsmans

Computing

Wilson Huijsmans

DT

Bradley Lenard

Drama

Katya Vandebril

Economics

Xinyi Zhu

English

Imogen Andrews

French

Esha Saigal

Geography

Kenza Glendinning

History

Esha Saigal

Islamic Studies – native speaker

Maha Al Mheiri

Islamic Studies – non-native speaker

Laila Kheriba

Latin

Ashleigh Kirby

Mathematics

Maria Daher

Music

Jose Leon Reyes

Physics

Imogen Andrews

Spanish

Bradley Lenard

Dance

Rama Al Souqi

PE

Bradley Lenard

Overall Academic (9-11)

Imogen Andrews

Overall Academic (6th Form)

Xinyi Zhu

Spirit of Cranleigh (Male)

Bradley Lenard

Spirit of Cranleigh (Female)

Katya Vandebril

Senior Drama Performer of the Year

Thalia Harward

Senior Dance Performer of the Year

Bella Van Wagensveld

Senior Music Instrumentalist of the Year

Hugo John

Sportsman of the Year

Bradley Lenard

Sportswoman of the Year

Rama Al Souqi

Senior School Co-Curricular Award

Elysia Dent

Cranleigh Abu Dhabi Staff Team 2017/18 – Abigail Alcantara • Adam Tesdale • Adam Jolly • Adballah Al Sarhan • Agnes Fabian • Alicia Hermosilla • Alison Armstrong • Aly Baker • Amanda Maxwell • Amanda Els • Amanda Paar • Ammar Yousef • Amy Mackay • Angie

• Marilyn Dillon • Matthew Ford • Matt Sewell • Matt McNaught • Matt Demetriades • Maureen Villapando • May Pagatpatan • Meghan Costello • Melody Guinoo • Merly Macandog • Michael Armedilla • Miriam McCulloch • Mona Halabi • Monica Guelas • Morgan

Hawkins • Anna Lord • Annette Nelwan • Arceli Domingo • Arlene Lucero • Asma Zabin • Whitfield Carney • Muna Amireh • Nadine James • Nancy McManus • Natassja Williams Beccah Barton • Ben Moores • Bianca Beckett • Brendan Law • Brid Tierney • Carl Gropp • Carmen Clavel • Charlotte Lewis • Cheryl Farofaldino • Chrissie McCreath • Christa Scholtz

• Nelson Mitchell • Nihad Al Nader • Nisreen Al-Ahmad • Noor Jihan • Olive Francisco •

• Claire McGrory • Clare Johnson • Clare Gilmartin • Claudia Hudner • Colette Bruton •

Ons Robbana • Orsolya Dobos-Pelikan • Paul Storey • Paul Dunne • Pauline Maribbay •

Craig Nicol • Curby Schafer • Damien Ward • Danny Curran • David Gibson • Deborah

Peter Caumban • Philip Brooks • Phoebe Roberts • Priyanka Miranda • Rachael Tinkler •

Gillam • Deborah Storey • Denzil Coulson • Edward Moran • Eliz Dadson • Ellie Harding

Rachel Ferry • Raghad Ellayan • Rebecca Hunt • Rebekah Hazen • Riaan Visser • Rich

• Eman Al Zubaidi • Eman Sukker • Emily Spencer • Emma John • Erica Bester • Faisal Henwood • Richard Hay • Robyn Cullen-Hafkamp • Roma Palmera • Ron Moonesinghe Udoh • Felina Georfo • Fiona Coles • Gail Timmis • Gareth Box • Geraldine Palmer • Gill • Rory Gallagher • Rose Prince • Rosie Tubera • Russell Venter • Ruth Mpofu • Ruth Vierstraete • Graham Robertson • Hanan Atieh • Hannah Conn • Hayley Milne • Heather Scott • Heidi Andrews • Helen Board • Helen Currie • Helen B O’Connor • Helen McGougan

Papeleras • Ryan Copley • Sahar Sozan • Saida Abu Hassan • Sam Gallagher • Sana

• Heloise Benecke-Gropp • Hiba Qureineh • Holly Brewer • Inah Domingo • Jancy Korah •

El Oun • Sana Daher • Sandra Azrai • Sandra Annon • Sara Velasquez • Sarah Smith

Jeannette Kamber • Jeannie Diesto • Jemi Patel • Jenn Hutchinson • Jo Stapley • Jo Lee

• Sarah Allen • Sarah Groves • Sarah-Jane Jones • Sharron Okanome • Shaun Gillam •

• Joey Markham • John Carney • John Burton-Gow • John Paul Buenconsejo • Juda Arda

Sheena Peripoli • Simon Kenworthy • Simon Johnson • Sinead Kelleher • Siobhan Bee •

• Judith Jordan • Julian McGlashan • Julian John • Julie Fairbrother • Julien Candaner • Sophia De Lee • Stephen Deady • Steven Beckett • Steven James • Sumaia Yousef Abu Karen • O’Gara • Kate Lane • Katrina Sewell • Kelly Box • Kerry Hagey • Kerry O’Driscoll • Kevin Luswata • Khan Brewer • Kieran Hogg • Lamis Shalan • Laura Martin • Laura Rigon • Laura Copley • Laura Oliver • Lee-Anne Harper • Leo Milton • Leola Agua • Liezl Venter • Lily Chen-Tesdale • Linda Law • Liz Kelleher • Louise Davis • Maricris Austero

Saleh • Suzi Patrick • Sylvia Sagar • Tania Moonesinghe • Teresa West • Tom Brown • Vanessa Hay • Vicki Butcher • Victoria Walsh • Victoria Santos • Wafaa El Najami • Walter Alonso • Wayne Davis • Wendy Doubell • Yahya Al Jidi • Yvonne Bustos • Zaid Al Amri