Long Live The King
As King Charles III is crowned, let’s take a moment to consider how we can all contribute to the ultimate legacy of the Carolean Age.
Read MoreWeekly News
As King Charles III is crowned, let’s take a moment to consider how we can all contribute to the ultimate legacy of the Carolean Age.
Read MoreBefore we all headed off for (another!) Bank Holiday last week, Miss Pendleton and Ms Davies delivered assemblies in both the Junior and the Senior schools, in recognition of the historic events that were about to unfold.
The Coronation of King Charles III meant different things to different people of course, and certainly at Croydon High there was no expectation as to how we should individually respond. But what these assemblies did so effectively, was to emphasise the importance of legacy and to encourage us to consider our own place in history, and to think about how we will be remembered both as individuals and as a school community.
In September 2024, Croydon High will celebrate its 150th Anniversary and it was fascinating to listen as Ms Davies took us through a whistle stop tour of those years, in relation to the different leaders occupying the thrones of Buckingham Palace and Croydon High School! And yes, we do have a throne, a beautiful wooden one complete with carved ivy leaf, which appears on High Days and holidays!
In 1874 of course, when Dorinda Neligan opened her school for girls in Croydon, Queen Victoria was already almost 40 years in to her reign. Much was achieved in the Victorian era of course, including the abolition of slavery (1838) and, incredibly, the opening of the London Underground in 1863. Just two years after Croydon High opened, Alexander Graham Bell patented the telephone (I always wonder who he called first!) but it was another four years before education became compulsory for children under 10 in 1880. In her own empire, Miss Neligan was introducing fundamental change too, providing unheard of opportunities for girls to receive an education previously reserved for their brothers. This included the study of Chemistry from 1885 – regarded as very dangerous for young women!
It was Princess Louise, Queen Victoria’s daughter who presented the awards at the infamous first GDST Prizegiving when Miss Neligan plucked ivy from the school walls and instructed her girls to wear it in their hair to ensure they stood out as Croydon High girls. Queen Victoria died in the same year as Miss Neligan retired, both having established themselves as strong and inspiring female leaders operating very much in a male dominated world, both associated with expansion and particularly significant progress in education. I think they would have got on well and their legacies undoubtedly live on.
King Edward VII and Miss Marion Leahy both ascended the respective thrones in 1901 and whilst the King’s reign was relatively short, only until 1910, he still oversaw significant world events such as the first trans-Atlantic radio transmission and the first manned aircraft flight. For Miss Leahy, her time as Headmistress would undoubtedly be forever framed by the impact of the Great War from 1914-18. Croydon High alumnae certainly played their part and our school archives hold fascinating stories of inspirational women who served. One such example is Kathleen Mary Leeds, who was both pupil and teacher at Croydon High, who helped establish the School War Savings Association in 1916 and was also a member of the Croydon Women’s Patrols. The Kathleen Mary Leeds Award for Sciences And Mathematics is still presented at our annual Sixth Form Prizegiving event. Her legacy lives on.
Readers will be relieved to hear I don’t intend to work my way through the entire 150 years here, but as we heard about the many landmark moments that our monarchs and our Headmistresses have faced, have overcome and have led their communities through, the real importance of strong leadership and the desire to bring about positive change became clear. It was also very striking that in 148 years, the school has been led by only thirteen Heads, all of them women who left (or are leaving!) their own individual mark on this school, facing challenges and leading by example in good times and bad. Each of them leaves a legacy and whilst the responsibility as Head will always be to shape that legacy, it is ours, individually, to contribute to it and ensure that generations to come will look back and identify what Croydon High School, in 2023 stood for.
We hope that pupils and staff will keep their Coronation Coins safe and that, in years to come, they will be seen as an important memento of a strong and diverse community, supporting aspiration and achievement in equal measure and always prepared to stand up and speak out for what is right. And let us all hope that the legacy established by King Charles III in what might be known as the Carolean era will be underpinned by these same values.
Mrs Fran Cook
Director of Philanthropy and External Relations
In this week's Alumnae Spotlight, we interview Dr Shola Apena Rogers, a Chartered Forensic Psychologist, Lecturer at the University of Birmingham.
Read MoreDr Shola Apena Rogers is a Chartered Forensic Psychologist, Lecturer at the University of Birmingham. She began higher education in 1998, gaining a Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology with Human Resource Management at Middlesex University and a Master’s in Forensic Psychology. Shola went on to achieve a PhD in Forensic Psychology when she undertook a research project with the British Transport Police (BTP), which aimed to explore the characteristics of perpetrators of sexual assaults on British transport, specifically the tube and trains.
Shola has worked as a practitioner and researcher within various contexts, including the criminal justice system, Children’s Social Care, NHS and the voluntary sector, to achieve impact and positive outcomes. She is also a Consultant Trainer delivering Motivational Interviewing, Adolescent Mental Health and Trauma Informed Practice training programmes.
Shola is a co-founder of the African Caribbean Education Network (ACEN). ACEN was founded in 2019 by the parents of African Caribbean heritage children, all of whom attend leading academic institutions. ACEN addresses inequity and racial justice by improving Black underrepresentation and experiences in influential education and workplace environments. She is passionate about working to support and empower young people within the community.
Shola is on the trustee board of StreetDoctors. This national charity puts young people at the centre of emergency first-aid provision and empowers them to become part of the solution to violence. She is dedicated to working with organisations like StreetDoctors, which harness their volunteers’ potential to make a difference.
We were delighted to welcome Shola back to Croydon High recently.
“It was an absolute pleasure to return to Croydon High School and meet with the current Head, Annabel Davies, to think about what the school would like to achieve in relation to embedding anti-racism approaches within the school community. Having not been in post long, Annabel conveyed the importance of listening keenly to the student voice as the first step on this journey. This was echoed by a group of Year 10 girls from Black and South Asian heritage, who I saw whilst on a tour of the school. They spoke about the positive impact of having various societies established to provide feedback on the needs of diverse student populations. I hope that ACEN will be able to support Croydon High to achieve tangible actions to ensure that all experience equity, diversity and inclusion.”
We asked Shola about her time at Croydon High.
“All of my fondest memories are netball related. When I was on the netball court, I was most certainly my happiest. Being a part of a team and the wider school netball community when we travelled overnight for tournaments was simply the best. I attended a lunch last month inspired by the amazing Liz Robertson, attended by over 100 past netballers from Croydon High (some were winning trophies before I was born) – how amazing is that?! It truly is an incredible bond, which has fired a passion for netball which continues until today, as I still play in a county-level league, although I’m not quite as spritely.”
Shola told us,
“I had a unique experience being the only Black student in the school for almost the entire time. This brought awareness of being different for myself and others, which was not always embraced, understood or a positive experience for me. Whilst microaggressions was not a word of that time, some interactions I had with teachers and my peers would certainly have been categorised as such. Despite this, my time at Croydon High instilled a strong sense of self-confidence and belief that I could achieve whatever I put my mind to. This has meant that I have always been driven, but more importantly, when I have experienced setbacks or challenges in life, I have been able to show resilience and draw on those strengths and beliefs that are at my core. I think it also helped to see, from an early age, female leadership being role modelled, demonstrating that females can occupy those spaces as the norm and not the exception. This was 30 years ago, and I thought things would have progressed, but we know that there is still significant inequality and inequity in terms of gender, race and other protected characteristics.”
Regarding enjoying her spare time,
“Apart from netball, I enjoy going to the theatre. There are some really good shows around at the moment with a good level of diversity – from old classics such as Dirty Dancing to new poignant narratives, such as For Black Boys Who Have Considered Suicide When the Hue Gets Too Heavy – there really is something for everyone. I also like to read and have recently finished ‘Manifesto On Never Giving Up’ by Bernardine Evaristo, who has such a remarkable way of storytelling. Whilst I also enjoy family time with my husband and sons (11 and 13), this mostly seems to equate to being a chauffeur (for the latter) to different sporting and social events, which eats into my spare time.”
We asked Shola what you would say to your 15-year-old self,
“Ah, this is a question I use as an icebreaker when delivering training to professionals on Adolescent Mental Health, as it helps everyone stop and reflect back on a time which is generally challenging for everyone. For me, I would say to trust myself and not let the external messages about who people think I am and what they think I will achieve frame the decisions I make. The self-confidence I had was sometimes met with an equal measure of self-doubt. I think the most important thing is being kind to yourself as you find your identity and what is important to you.”
And finally, we wanted to know her aspirations for the future,
“I am lucky to have but few regrets, and I know there are many factors that have contributed to this, which included family, education and a clear sense of social justice. Therefore, I want to further these themes through my work with ACEN so that other Black children can have greater opportunities to occupy leadership on different platforms so that society can have more diverse thoughts and actions to address societal challenges that we face, such as poverty, criminal justice, health and climate change.”
We look forward to welcoming Shola to school again in the very near future.
Mrs Karen Roe
Alumnae Relations Manager
Crystal Ivies is the name we give to the girls who have been at Croydon High since either Nursery or Reception right through until the Upper Sixth.
Read MoreCrystal Ivies is the name we give to the girls who have been at Croydon High since either Nursery or Reception right through until the Upper Sixth.
This year’s Crystal Ivies, Amba, Amelia, Amy, Katherina and Rianna were treated to a special celebratory lunch and trip down memory lane with Ms Davies, Ms James and Mrs Gower, as well as their nursery class teachers (from 2008!) Mrs Pickett and Mrs Grinham and the then Junior Head, Mrs Wilson. They brought photos from their first year at Croydon High, and stories were shared with plenty of laughter.
After lunch (and several photos), they travelled the short distance to Juniors, greeted by the nursery girls excited to sing the ‘The Tiny Caterpillar’ song. The Crystal Ivies stayed to play with the nursery girls with great enjoyment, so much so that it was hard to tear them away. The Nursery girls loved having the Crystal Ivies with them to play in class. One girl said, ” I loved colouring with the big girls, they’re fun. I wanted them to stay in Nursery forever!”
Amelia said she was very moved to return to where it all began. She remembers taking home the class teddy bear, going on little adventures with it over the weekend, and then recounting her weekend in front of the class on Monday morning! She told us that three-year-old Amelia would never have imagined that she would be where she is now, planning to read languages at Oxford University.
Our Crystal Ivies have now become part of the Ivy Link Alumnae network alongside all their Class of 2023 cohort. We wish them all well and look forward to seeing this exceptional year group at future reunions and events. Once a Croydon High girl, always a Croydon High girl!
Mrs Karen Roe
Alumnae Relations Manager
Year 5 had an enjoyable morning on Wednesday 10 May presenting their wearable technology ideas and products to the competition judges, Ms Davies, Miss Pendleton and Mr Murphy.
Read MoreYear 5 had an enjoyable morning on Wednesday presenting their wearable technology ideas and products to the competition judges, Ms Davies, Miss Pendleton and Mr Murphy. They used the BBC Micro:bit to program their wearable tech and did an amazing job with their product design, programming and presentation.
The winners from 5B were Aarya, Shanaya, Siyaa and Alina for their design of ‘Bag Universe’, a bag that is packed with features including a step counter, clap lights, music, a game of rock paper scissors etc.
The winners from 5W were Arya, Nicole, Rachel and Tabitha for their design of ‘Micro Bracelet’, a bracelet made out of recycled fabric and programmed to have a range of features as outlined in their poster below.
Ms Maya Krishnamurthy
Enterprise Technology Teacher
Drama Scholars performed a devised piece ‘We Are Displaced’ and ‘A series of public apologies (in response to an unfortunate incident in the school lavatories)’.
Read MoreThe Croydon High School Drama Scholars performed two pieces as part of their annual performance evening. Years 7, 8 and 9 performed a devised piece ‘We Are Displaced’ based on real stories published in the Nobel Peace Prize winning book by education activist and author Malala Yousafzai. Our Year 10 and Lower Sixth scholars collaborated on a performance of ‘A series of public apologies (in response to an unfortunate incident in the school lavatories)’ By John Donnelly. A satirical play with no allocated characters, they worked well in forming their own roles, and brought the chaos of ‘Cobble Brick Academy’ to life in an exceptionally energetic manner.
Here is what some of our fantastic Drama Scholars had to say when reflecting on the experience:
“I enjoyed making friends with other year groups as well as devising a piece with a lot of different elements of theatre.”
Ava G, Year 9“It was amazing to see our ideas come to life when we created the piece. It gave me a good insight into what refugees may have been through and inspired me to find ways we can support refugee families better, working in small groups really helps our creativity, everyone at Ivy Players loves drama so much – it makes it fun and rewarding.”
Kyla R, Year 8“It was amazing to work with Year 10’s I hadn’t met before. I learnt to let loose and have fun with the performance we were creating.”
Sophia J, Lower Sixth“Overall, I really enjoyed performing in this year’s Ivy Players performance because we not only got to organise and assemble the play independently but also got to work with all the different year groups. It also taught me about the life of a refugee and how life throws challenges at people and how they have to get over them. I am so grateful for being able to participate in this year’s performance and can’t wait to see what we are going to get up to next time!”
Naima B, Year 8“It was really fun to work with other years and I learnt a lot through our performance and it was very eye opening.” Emily R, Year 9
“I really enjoyed doing this performance. It was my first time doing a piece with the other drama scholars and it was so great to be able to get to know them as well as working on something that they loved as much as I did. As well as this, the piece we did was extremely eye opening and I learnt a lot about the experience of refugees.”
Eva A, Year 7“I love being able to work with a group of people who are as passionate about drama as I am. I enjoyed working together to devise the choreography of the play as to give a visual framework for the play.”
Matty M, Year 7“It was amazing to work with students from different year groups, that I would definitely not otherwise talk to. As well as making friends, it was an opportunity to be inspired and motivated by everyone else. It was also so fun because everyone loved drama as much as I do, and that just created such a positive and happy atmosphere.”
Tabby T, Year 7
Thank you to all who came to watch and support their performances!
Mrs Morgan-Collins
Head of Drama
Last week, Year 5 took a tour of the The Globe Theatre where they learned of its history and participated in some workshops.
Read MoreWe began our day with a tour of The Globe. Our expert guide brought to life the thrilling story of the iconic wooden ‘O’ and the history of the original theatre. We then experienced an impressive sword fighting session which showcased the agility, skill and stamina which actors display during stage combat. Later, Year 5 took part in two lively workshops which enabled them to discover the language and themes of Shakespeare. Pupils explored female roles in Shakespeare’s plays, their characterisation and relevance to our lives today. The day ended in the Sam Wanamaker Playhouse where we were entertained by a unique and dramatic storytelling of Hamlet.
“I did not know that Shakespeare’s Globe was so adventurous! The storyteller was very talented to play more than one role. The theatre is beautiful and one of London’s best landmarks.”
Cherry K“We had the most fun and even got to stand on stage! The sword demonstration was amazing. My favourite part was reading aloud parts of Hamlet with other GDST schools.”
Zara A
Mrs K Bower
English Subject Leader
The class have been incredibly excited with their latest arrivals, caterpillars and duck eggs!
Read MoreEarly Years have been excited about lots of new arrivals in class recently. Over the past two weeks the girls’ have been watching with great curiosity the changes that have been happening to our caterpillars. They are currently in the stage where they are in their chrysalises inside the butterfly habitat. They are nearing the end of their 7-14 days and we will soon observe the painted lady butterflies emerge.
This week we have also had the arrival of 5 duck eggs from Incredible Eggs. We have been observing the eggs in class and can see movement and hear some cheeping inside. One duckling has hatched! There are a few holes in the other eggs as the ducks work hard to peck hundreds of times to get out of the egg using their ‘egg tooth’ (sharp point at the end of their beaks). We look forward to updating you on their arrival next week.
Mrs Amanda D’Aranjo
Reception Teacher
We were very proud and excited this week to hear that alumna and former Head Girl, Rhea Dillon (Class of 2014) will be exhibiting at Tate Britain as part of their Art Now series.
Read MoreWe were very proud and excited this week to hear that alumna and former Head Girl, Rhea Dillon (Class of 2014) will be exhibiting at Tate Britain as part of their Art Now series which showcases emerging talent and highlights new developments in British art.
Rhea’s collection of work titled An Alterable Terrain brings together new and existing sculptures, examining material and colonial histories and considering the formation of British and Caribbean histories.
Rhea’s extraordinarily powerful portrait of her grandmother still hangs proudly in our Senior Hall as a constant reminder not only of her talent but also, I always think, of the positive influence of strong women as role models. I have always loved that this portrait keeps company with the one of our founder Dorinda Neligan in the same Hall! A very proud Mrs Smith who, along with Mrs Palmer and Ms Duyt, nurtured Rhea’s talent while she was here at Croydon High, was in touch with Rhea this week to congratulate her and reports that Rhea is keen to invite current art students to her exhibition which will be a wonderful opportunity for them.
Not many schools can boast not one, but three alumnae who have exhibited at The Tate, amongst other prestigious institutions.
Croydon High is also very proud to claim Barbara Jones (Class of 1931) who was an artist, writer and mural painter. She is known for curating the Tate exhibition Black Eyes and Lemonade (1951) and for her book The Unsophisticated Arts (1951). At school, Barbara became friends with a girl called Joyce Drew who became known as Jane Drew, the highly renowned architect and town planner and it seems they influenced each other’s careers.
In addition, Helen Chadwick (Class of 1971) was a renowned sculptor, photographer and installation artist and one of the first women artists to be nominated for the Turner Prize, in 1987. Helen was known for “challenging stereotypical perceptions of the body in elegant yet unconventional forms” whilst Rhea’s work in her upcoming exhibition has been described as a conceptual fragmentation of a Black woman’s body. What a shame the two never met as Helen sadly passed away in 1996 at the age of just 42. Co-incidentally 1996 was the year Rhea was born.
Rhea Dillon: An Alterable Terrain at Tate Britain 23 May 2023 – 1 January 2024
Mrs Fran Cook
Director of Philanthropy and External Relations
Silent Auction - 4 ball at Royal Cinque Ports Golf Course in Deal, Kent
Read MoreAs part of our fundraising for the forthcoming netball and hockey tour to South Africa later this year, we are running a number of events to help raise money for the trip.
I am delighted to announce a highly desirable item for all those golfing fans out there! We have received a generous donation of a 4 ball at Royal Cinque Ports Golf Course in Deal, Kent, one of the top golf courses in the country (to play this course currently, green fees are £210 per person per round).
As two time host of The Open Championship in 1909 and 1920, Royal Cinque Ports is a truly magical golfing destination on the Kent coastline.
Tall dunes, pot bunkers and a strong crosswind all contribute to the challenge that awaits as you make your way round.
“I consider the last four holes at Deal to be without doubt, the finest four consecutive holes on any course in the world.”
GARY PLAYER
Open Champion 1959, 1968, 1974“One of my favourite links courses. Straight out and straight back, the inward nine, especially if there is a wind against, is perhaps as formidable as anything in British golf.”
PETER ALLISS
Ryder Cup Player, Television Presenter & Honorary Member
If you would like to bid for this amazing item, please complete this form by Friday 26 May at 4pm.
Please note there are some conditions, stated below associated with this auction item.
Winning bid – after the deadline on Friday 26 May at 4pm and as long as the reserve has been made, I will contact the winning bidder with further details on this auction item and how to book the 4 ball.
I would like to take this opportunity to thank the family who have made this generous donation and I wish you all the best of luck in your bids!
Mrs Sue Beck
Teacher of PE & Head of Community
Congratulations to Sophie L (Year 5) who was a runner-up for the Under 12s category in the 2Animate competition.
Read the full press release here.
Nursery | Evyn for being a brilliant role model and always trying her best.
Ruby for always being kind and helpful. |
Reception | Inayah for always being an excellent role model in class, completing her work to the best of her ability and being a kind friend.
Jia for consistently showing 100% attention in all phonics lessons and doing some amazing learning. |
1W | Tanvi for working hard in all subjects this week. She joins in with every lesson and is always focused. |
1H | Olivia has been working hard on improving her Maths Key times. She has been practising hard at home to improve her speed of recall. |
2C | Riya for receiving Music Star of the Week |
2M | Coralie for trying so hard to get changed quickly and be better organised with her possessions. Her English creative writing has also been outstanding. |
3V | Bela for composing a fantastic piece of creative writing using fronted adverbials and synonyms for ‘said’. |
3J | Astrid for excellent work on telling the time and full marks on her Maths Key test this week. |
4M | Olivia for persevering with tricky parts of Maths this week.
Saranya for working hard to improve her handwriting. |
5B | Hannah H for her perseverance and improved effort in lessons.
Amelie A for working hard to embrace and use new vocabulary in written work. |
Artwork of the Week | Marnie G (Year 1) has created an energetic mixed media piece in response to the theme Under the sea. (See Weekly Art) |
Music Star of the Week | Riya D (Year 2) for singing our songs about Australia so beautifully and for making a great sound on her recorder during the Year 2 music lessons. |
Isobel (Year 5) will be playing ‘Young Princess Fiona’ in Shrek the Musical at the Churchill Theatre, Bromley.
Book your tickets today.
Camp Beaumont will be running their holiday camp this Easter – simply quote CHS23 and receive 10% off your booking.
Book onto Camp Beaumont
The Kenley Holiday Workshop of Chitty Chitty Bang Bang will be directed by our very own Croydon High alumna and School Governor, Ros Broyd.
The organisers need more 9-13 year olds to sign up to take part in the two-week workshops (rehearsals start on 29 July).
If you are waiting for further information, please email Sallydallosso@googlemail.com
Our School Minibus service offers an efficient and flexible option designed to help families with journeys to and from school. Minibus travel is offered to pupils in Year 3 and up.
The service is managed on our behalf by Vectare, a specialist school transport management company. All bookings for our school bus routes are made via our online booking system, which can be accessed at croydonhigh.vectare.co.uk.
The website allows you to book travel 24/7 from anywhere, meaning that if you need to leave early for work one morning or are running late and you would like one of our students to travel on a school bus as a one off, you can make a booking right up until the route is due to depart. Payment for the school bus service is made at the time of booking, so there is no need for pupils to carry cash.