Leadership Likes: Mr King
Mr King discusses the similarities between jigsaws and life!
Read MoreWeekly News
Find out what is happening at Croydon High this week.
In the space of a few hours this week, the analogy of jigsaws was evident to me on several occasions.
During my individual PPA meetings (Personal Progression Adviser) with Years 9 & 10, more than once our conversations resembled putting together a jigsaw by wanting to combine all the elements of school which they enjoy into a package which they can rely on to serve their needs in a few years’ time. Similarly, Lower Sixth pupils are, this week, trying to flesh out their personal statements for UCAS, selling themselves and their potential. The challenge here is for pupils to appreciate quite how much they have they can write about; things which they assume every applicant will be able to say, which in fact are only possible as a result of their commitment to Croydon High School over the previous years to this point.
The thing about a jigsaw, of course, is that the pieces which come together are often very different. No matter how big or small, each piece is necessary, and being without just one of them will diminish satisfaction at the end. The analogy deepens, of course, when one considers how to conquer a puzzle, as one is often looking for something very small on one piece that will perfectly match the majority of what one already has in hand. It doesn’t need to be a perfect match across the whole piece, but looking for a shared element such that, when the two pieces are placed together, they complement one another and are more useful in the bigger picture of the entire puzzle. Is this not what we do in our everyday lives? Do we not look for people with shared interests or experiences? It is certainly encouraged here at school – try something you like, or might like, and share an experience with your peers. From here, it is much easier to see that we are each formed of several different parts, some shared and others not.
Year 10 had a session with me on speed dating! Well, that’s not entirely accurate – we used a speed dating technique to examine active listening and consider the effect we have as listeners on making and maintaining friendships/relationships. It was networking practice too, of course, and a reminder of some of the “soft skills” which will progress them through life stages long after their Croydon High School years.
And lastly, as the Art & 3D Exhibition is wound up for the year, the Art department and site team will be folding up hours and hours of lovingly, sometimes frustratingly, crafted work which perfectly illustrates another unseen lesson pupils can develop at school – planning, patience and perseverance. A jigsaw over time. The work on show was delightful, thought-provoking as ever, and wonderfully varied. I look forward to the pieces “graduating” to our living gallery of artwork around the school.
I would hesitate to say life is a jigsaw – that suggests we have a fixed role to play. But I’m comfortable knowing that Croydon High School offers plenty of ways in which pupils can understand what it is that makes them individual, and also appreciating some of this can be found in other people too, to a greater or lesser extent.
Finally, when I returned home having seen metaphorical jigsaws all day, I was met with a 500 piece 3D Mandolorian puzzle to attempt with the family. It was a jigsaw too far for that evening, but my children will no doubt be forced to listen to several of the comments above when we do eventually tackle it!
David King
Deputy Head (Pastoral)
We are delighted to announce that Croydon High’s incredible alumna Susie Ma has been selected as a finalist for the GDST Alumna of the Year Award! You can vote for Susie to win Alumna of the Year here on the GDST website. Voting closes Sunday 3 July.
Susie Ma is an award-winning entrepreneur and philanthropist. She is the Founder and CEO of Tropic Skincare and a dedicated philanthropist with a keen focus on creating a healthier, greener and more empowered world. Tropic Skincare has been recognised at numerous stages so far including ‘Fastest Growing Skincare Brand in the UK’ in the Sunday Times Virgin Atlantic Fast Track 100 league table for five years running. Most recently, JP Morgan has ranked Tropic Skincare the 14 best female-powered company in the UK.
Its commitment to sustainability and disrupting the industry has also been widely recognised including Best Carbon Neutral Brand’ in the Marie Claire’s Sustainability Awards. In 2021, Tropic Skincare was awarded 100/100 on ‘The Good Shopping Guide’s Ethical Accreditation Index’, a high accolade highlighting their commitment to meaningful change.
Susie Ma is an inspiration to many: in 2018 she secured a place on Forbes 30 Under 30 list, specifically for her work in the Retail and E-commerce category. Susie’s personal philanthropic pursuits are deeply embedded into the ethos at Tropic Skincare. With her leadership, Tropic frequently raises funds for brilliant causes including the Trussell Trust, United World Schools, Beam and Eden Reforestation Projects. This year alone, Tropic has funded a year’s worth of education for 4,000 children in rural Asia, who’d otherwise not receive one. Tropic Skincare also funded and opened a new forest with Forestry England in Hampshire, free for the public to visit.
Susie has even taken part in three Strive Challenges, pushing herself to the limit physically and mentally to raise funds for Big Change, an education charity focused on enabling young people in the UK to thrive.
We are really proud of Susie and all she has achieved!
You can vote for Susie to win Alumna of the Year here on the GDST website. Voting closes Sunday 3 July.
Mrs Roe
Alumnae Relations Manager
On Monday 13th June 2022, Year 3 went to Harry Potter World in London. It was a really long drive but it was worth it. When we arrived we were very excited. We took many photos and had lots of fun! It was much bigger than I imagined!
First we got Harry Potter passports and we had activities in our passports and we found out that we had to look for golden snitches around Hogwarts. My friends and I explored different places. The tour was brilliant. We watched a short clip then the cinema screen went up!
The gates for the Great Hall appeared…
There stood the actual scenery of Hogwarts used for the film Harry Potter! We took our time looking because it was amazing! Next we saw a stamp and we stamped our passports. After that we were going to the Death Eaters display. It wasn’t that scary.
We also went into the Forbidden Forest. There were spiders everywhere and white mist, which made it super scary! Finally we reached the end of the Forbidden Forest! My heart was pounding after that. We reached Platform 9 ¾ and the Hogwarts Express and after a few more attractions it was time to go home.
My favourite place was everywhere to be honest with you! I would love to go again and do everything in Harry Potter World.
Hana A, 3J
An adventurous trip for our Nursery pupils to Bocketts Farm!
Read MoreNursery enjoyed a wonderful day at Bocketts Farm on Monday. The sun was shining for the parent accompanied trip to the farm. We started the day off with a pet handling session. This included, giant rabbits, rats and guinea pigs. After this, we enjoyed a bumpy ride on two large tractors with trailers for a trip around the field to see the Shetland ponies, horses, pigs, goats, deer and sheep. There was plenty of time to enjoy the large play areas, where lots of girls went on the climbing frames and slides. The whole group met for lunch. Lots of girls’ were very brave and enjoyed using the animal feed provided to feed the goats and sheep inside the barn. Afterwards, we attended the very popular Pig Racing. We cheered on ‘Ariana Grunte’, but on this occasion, Porkahontas won the race. We met for a group photo before parents and teachers were due to leave. We cannot thank the parents enough for attending the nursery trip, without them, a trip with this age group would not be possible.
Mrs D’Aranjo
Reception Class Teacher & Early Years Leader
Thank you so much to our PTA team for an incredible Summer Fair enjoyed by all!
Read MoreTracey Smith-Robinson (Chair of PTA Committee) would like to say a big THANK YOU to EVERYONE, and appreciation to all the volunteers who supported us with making Summer Fair a special event! Thank you to the girls who made decorations and donated gifts. Glad to see everyone pulling together (especially in the Tug of War!). Also, a special thank you to PTA committee members (Nasreen, Vanessa, Yogeesh, Sheena, Babita, Reema, and Janick). An extra special thank you to the planning team (Emma, Divya, and Jio), to Kimberly and her raffle team, to Mrs Beck, to Lawrence Mutti and his team, and to all those that helped to decorate the school grounds. Our last thank you goes out to all of you who supported the event. The energy and participation were amazing. We are already looking forward to our next event, so please come forward with any ideas to make the next event even more special!
We raised £3,001.54!!
PTA Team
This Wednesday, when Zoolab came to visit Year 7, we all held, stroked or looked at a giant African land snail, tarantula, a leopard-spotted gecko, two (clean!) rats, a corn snake and a cockroach.
I really enjoyed interacting and learning about all the animals and how they survive in the wild. We learnt about a giant African land snail, a corn snake, a leopard gecko and the most adorable rats! I especially enjoyed meeting the two rats Rex and Raptor, they were so cute, cuddly and curious. It was such an amazing experience and was so enjoyable.
Coralie P, 7S
I personally love most animals (except for spiders and tarantulas) and thoroughly enjoyed this visit. Hopefully, in the future, we could do more of this as I know that most (if not all) loved this experience. When I am older, I would like to work or look after animals but I would not like to be a vet!
Aleena B, 7S
When Zoolab came to school this week, we got to touch and hold some amazing animals. I especially loved this because when I am older I would like to be a vet. Another reason I loved this opportunity is because outside of school I volunteer at an animal centre where I give animals medication and food. The lady from Zoolab took the animals around the class while telling us lots of interesting facts about them.
Holly I, 7S
Thank you to Mrs James and anyone else who organised this amazing experience for Year 7 to enjoy.
We are pleased to have been part of this year's fundraising for Orpheus Centre where we raised £1266.80.
Read MoreJune 2022
Dear staff and students of Croydon High School,
On behalf of the staff and students here at the Orpheus Centre, we’d like to thank you for the fantastic amount of £1266.80 you so kindly raised from taking part in Repeat the Beat. We were so delighted when we heard you would be involved and really appreciate your time, talent and hard work. We hope you enjoyed taking part in this too.
Every donation we receive goes towards helping our wonderful students gain the basic life skills they need on their journey to independent living. Your donation will help The Centre to continue teaching and supporting our students through music and the arts, nurturing their skills, building confidence and keeping their passion alive.
We really couldn’t do what we do without the support of people and organisations such as yours, and really appreciate your support.
Many thanks and very best wishes,
Nicky Fennell
Fundraising Admin at Orpheus
Aspiring writer and Lower Sixth student Shriya started Croydon Chronicles.
Read MoreAspiring writer and Lower Sixth student Shriya started a journalistic initiative with a friend last year, which they have called the Croydon Chronicles. The articles they write cover a wide variety of topics that interest them and their peers and include articles written by friends and teaching staff, including our own Dr Purvis.
Click here to read the full report.
Episode #21 –In Episode 21 of Raise Her Up our expert guest talks us through how to approach cyber-security in our homes and with our families. As BT’s Director of Security Michala Hart works with governments and businesses across the globe. Her work as a cyber-security expert has also led her to co-found E-Aware, an organisation which works with parents and schools to help teach their children and young people to stay safe and confident online and to thrive in a digital age.
It’s a fantastic episode and we’re sure everyone will be wishing Professor Regan was their doctor – we sure do!
Listen on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcast.
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.