“Tradition is not the worship of ashes, but the preservation of fire.”

Regular readers (ha!) will know that I love to start my Leadership Likes contributions with a quote and this one from Gustav Mahler, the Austro-Bohemian Romantic composer, and one of the leading conductors of his generation, really inspired me this week. Tradition has been all around us over the last few days and it has been ‘awesome’ to use the word in its proper context, to observe the rituals and ceremonies that have surrounded us since the death of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II on 8 September.

For many people, the tradition, pomp and circumstance we have witnessed goes to the root of what it actually means to be British. The organisation, the military precision and attention to detail, the respect, honour and tolerance, all of these are associated with what are often called core British values – not exclusive to British people or indeed universal in Britain, sadly, but certainly recognised as representing a form of Britishness. Oh, and the queuing of course.

Someone once famously said, “An Englishman, even if he is alone, forms an orderly queue of one.” (That someone had clearly never been anywhere near Croydon High at lunchtime.)  But, we must all surely agree, that the queuing has been magnificent, both in the way it has been organised and also in the way those who are lining the banks of the River Thames to pay their respects are conducting themselves. It is really so poignant to hear of friendships forming over many long hours in waiting, and then to see the genuine emotion on the faces of the mourners as they each spend just a brief moment in quiet reflection once they reach the end of the queue and stand beside the catafalque (as I have learned the raised podium is called). It has also been so striking to see the diversity amongst those who have chosen to make this pilgrimage; true diversity of age, gender, race, and creed united in a wish to honour

(But back to the queuing – that really has been the stuff of dreams for many Brits. At one point today the number of people logging on to see the live queue tracker was almost as high as the number logging on to witness the live cam situated at Westminster Hall – 1.3M people had viewed the queue tracker by Thursday afternoon apparently. Now that is dedication.)

Going back to tradition, it’s important to recognise that just because something is traditional, that alone is not sufficient reason to continue doing it. But how do we make decisions about which traditions we preserve and which we leave behind? This is a crucial part of any organisation’s development – the ability to move with the times when necessary but also to retain those core values that make us who we are. Queen Elizabeth is regarded as a monarch who was not afraid of side stepping tradition when she felt it was appropriate and thereby leading the Monarchy itself into a new century with a great deal of success. While the Queen was renowned for always putting her duty above all else, she also believed in breaking with convention and modernising protocol where she saw fit. This is a major contributor to her personal popularity and the respect she earned, at home and abroad. Whether it was joining the military herself, talking about politics on occasion, or allowing members of the Royal Family to marry divorcees, Queen Elizabeth recognised that the world changes and sometimes we must change with it.

This week marked Croydon High School’s 148^th birthday – the school opened in Croydon on 14 September 1874 and it is interesting to consider how many of the earliest traditions are still in place. At first thought, one would imagine not too many, but on greater consideration, core attributes of Croydon High and more importantly, Croydon High pupils, remain intact. Fundamentally, the school was established to provide the very best in educational opportunities for girls from the local area. We may go about it in different ways and the opportunities themselves are certainly more exciting and varied than those on offer in 1874, but the emphasis on developing independent, forward thinking young women, who are well qualified in every sense to take on the challenges of life, this remains at the heart of what we do today.

Welcoming our new Head, Ms Davies, to the school presents the opportunity to reflect on our traditions as we introduce her to the things that are important to us, the way we do things and why. It would be so interesting to find out which traditions the community would happily lose and which are non-negotiable! I know the pupil body feel strongly about fish and chips on Friday, singing Summer Holiday at the end of the summer term and the squadron relay at Sports Day! It has been heart-warming to watch videos of new friendships blossoming at Skern this week, including ones where Year 7 sang songs around the campfire led by a member of staff who had herself gone to Skern in her day! That is certainly a tradition that I hope will never change.

It was hugely significant, I thought, that on Ms Davies first week in school, we received the news that Queen Elizabeth had died. Just like one of her predecessors, the formidable Miss Margaret Adams (Head from 1939 -1960 ) in February 1952 on the occasion of King George VI’s death, Ms Davies first reaction was that it was important to call the pupils together, deliver the news and mark the historic occasion with appropriate respect. The assemblies last Friday, in both Senior and Junior schools, were very moving and will no doubt long remain in the memories of those who attended. Members of our Ivy Link (alumnae) community shared their memories of the day the King died in this year’s Ivy Link Magazine. Members of our Senior School will be writing about their own reactions to the news delivered by Ms Davies and it is inspiring to imagine future generations reading about how we marked the day.

We will continue with the traditional approach next week, providing opportunities for pupils and staff in both the Junior and Senior School to sign a book of condolence. We will take care to ensure that pupils have the opportunity to reflect and prepare whatever they would like to write and we will be aware that not everyone will wish to do so. I believe this is one of many things that reinforces the values of tolerance and respect we know will always be associated with Croydon High: recognising that every individual reaction and response to any situation might be different. As we move forward in to a new school year and a new chapter in the school’s history, I hope that together we can preserve the Croydon High fire and ensure it burns as brightly for generations to come.

Last Friday morning we took the coach from Croydon to Birmingham excited for a full itinerary of academic and social activities. We arrived at the campus of the University of Birmingham at around 12:30 where we were greeted by a group of university ambassadors who took us up into the Arts block of the University passing the iconic clock tower beneath which no student stands as the clock strikes, in fear of failing their finals! Here we enjoyed listening to a series of presentations and university style lectures on how to choose a university, information on courses, how to apply to a competitive university, open days, and what university life can be like. After this, we split into two groups of either sciences or arts courses based on our interests and were taken around to look at the campus.

Following this, the group had a lecture based on their interests. Both lectures, given by energetic current academics, were on challenging and interesting topics “What is Populism and Why is it so Popular?” of “Preventing Heart Attacks by Stopping the Humble Platelet” and after the lectures, we all went to our hotel to see who we were sharing rooms with (students new to the school were paired with already existing students). After getting acquainted, we travelled to the Bull Ring to buy food and look around the shopping centre.  It was during this time that we found out that Queen Elizabeth II had died. The walk to the theatre was rather quiet, but Derren Brown’s “Showman” perked our spirits up. The show was an incredible experience for both teachers and students, especially Maddie W who actually went on stage to help Derren with his baffling heads or tails mind reading act. The show closed the day very well.

The breakfast kickstarted our day and was made extra memorable as we joined the entire school back in Croydon virtually in our assembly tribute for Queen Elizabeth.  Once finished, Mrs Gower led us in a toast to the Queen raising a glass of Mock Buck’s Fizz (fresh orange juice and lemonade). After that, we all packed up and drove to Ackers Adventure Centre where we all participated in team bonding activities such as zip wiring and tubing. We were all encouraging each other and enjoyed the activities together as a year group.

Fortunately, the torrential downpours held off until we left Ackers. By 7pm on Friday we all arrived back at the school after having a very thrilling, informative, and enjoyable trip away. Thank you to all the teachers who made this happen.

Jane Elson is a multi-award-winning author who has won over eight awards for her writing, and twice been nominated for the prestigious Carnegie Medal. Her debut novel A Room Full of Chocolate was longlisted for the Branford Boase Award. When Jane is not writing, she is an advocate for many charities close to her heart, including All Dogs Matter – whose dog shows she has lots of fun judging! Jane is loud and proud about her dyslexia and when not writing likes to mentor neurodivergent young people and promote the gift of alternative thinking. In 2019, Women Beyond The Box honoured her as one of the Top 50 Influential Neurodivergent Women.

Jane will be delivering a fabulous interactive assembly based around her novel How to Fly with Broken Wings and Creative Writing Workshops for Year 7 throughout the day. We are very excited to have her!

Signed copies of Jane’s books are available to buy via ParentPay. The books are being supplied by the brilliant independent bookshop Tales on Moon Lane and will be available for pupils to collect at break time on the day, when they will also get the chance to meet Jane and ask her any questions.

The books cost £6.15 each and are all fantastic reads. Please make sure you place your order by Wednesday 21^st September.

We are looking forward to what promises to be an inspirational day.

Croydon High alumna Tasia-Jade Bogle who left Croydon High in 2021, was nominated through targetjobs UK for the Black Heritage Undergraduate of the Year Award 2022!

As part of the prize for making it so far through the competition, Tasia-Jade was invited to Sky’s incredible campus in Osterley, for innovation workshops, keynote speeches, and a tour of Sky Studios. Tasia-Jade commented:

“I had the wonderful opportunity to visit the Sky headquarters alongside the other Semi-Finalists/Finalists of the Black Undergraduate of the Year Awards 2022 courtesy of targetjobs UK. The day was fantastic! From engaging in an innovation workshop to touring the grounds and seeing the studios, we were inundated with empowerment left, right and centre. To say I left inspired would be to undersell a once in a lifetime experience. In a world that projects so many, often negative, perceptions of black individuals I was blessed with the opportunity to meet Black young people from all over the country who will be the change makers, the next leaders of our world. I had the privilege to meet many inspiring people. I would like to thank Jasmine Song for her constant encouragement, communication and relentless passion to make this day happen. Thank you to Sky and targetjobs UK for being so intentional about recognising black talent.”

Very well done Tasia-Jade, and we wish you the best in your career!

Traditionally, Early Years classrooms are full of bright, bold colour with busy displays and lots going on.

Recent research however has shown that highly decorated walls can actually be really distracting. Calm and neutral colours, with gender-neutral and environmentally friendly resources, encourages self-selection and independent learning. Our new environment offers opportunities for our youngest pupils to do things for themselves and prove to us all every day how capable they really are! Of all the new opportunities, it is certainly the workbench that has been the biggest hit! Mr Eaton, one of our Reception teachers reports that the girls are really loving learning new skills and are certainly not afraid to handle the hammers and saws! No gender stereotyping at Croydon High!