The strap line of last week’s International Women’s Day (March 8 2023) ‘embracing equity’ prompted a raft of conversations between teachers and pupils about the differences around equity and the much more pervasive equality. (See how Croydon High celebrated International Women’s Day 2023).

In our society, we often hear the two terms used interchangeably to describe fairness and justice. However, these terms have distinct meanings. Equity refers to justice that is based on individual needs and circumstances, while equality is based on treating everyone the same regardless of their differences. Equity recognises that everyone has different needs and circumstances, and therefore, requires different resources to achieve fairness and justice. Equality, on the other hand, assumes that everyone has the same needs and circumstances, and therefore, requires the same resources to achieve fairness and justice.

It is important to note that equity and equality are not mutually exclusive. In fact, they are interdependent and complementary concepts. While equality strives to provide everyone with an equal opportunity, equity aims to provide everyone with an equal outcome. In other words, equity ensures that everyone has access to the same opportunities and resources to achieve a desired outcome.

Understanding the difference between equity and equality is crucial to creating a more just and equitable society for all. Without this understanding, we may unintentionally perpetuate systemic inequalities and discrimination. For example, if we treat everyone the same without considering their individual needs and circumstances, we may end up excluding marginalized groups from accessing the resources they need to succeed. In contrast, if we provide everyone with the same resources without considering their individual needs and circumstances, we may end up perpetuating existing inequalities. Therefore, it is important to take a nuanced approach to fairness and justice by considering both equity and equality. This requires us to recognise and address the ways in which systemic inequalities and discrimination affect individuals and groups differently.

^{Equality vs Equity – MPCA photos, Flixr}

In education, equity and equality can be applied to ensure that every pupil has access to the same opportunities and resources to succeed. This may involve providing additional support and resources to students with particular learning needs. By doing so, we can ensure that every student has an equal opportunity to succeed in school and beyond. For me, that is why the work of our Academic Support department is so crucial to the academic function of the school.

Despite the importance of promoting equity and equality in society, there are many challenges that prevent us from achieving this goal. These challenges include systemic inequalities and discrimination, lack of resources and support, and resistance to change. To overcome these challenges, we must work together to address the root causes of inequality and discrimination, promote awareness and education about equity and equality, and implement policies and practices that promote diversity and inclusion for all.

Dr Philip Purvis
Deputy Head (Academic)

To celebrate International Women’s Day, the annual WOW conference was held in London’s Southbank Centre. The event lasts one weekend. It is jam-packed with inspirational speakers, and fun, interactive activities to inspire girls to celebrate and support one another.

The Friday began with a welcome talk, led by WOW’s director, Jude Kelly. She invited Verna Eggleston on stage who leads Bloomberg’s Philanthropies’ Women’s Economic Development Initiative. From the moment she stepped on stage, she was truly captivating. She moved with confidence and spoke with power. Her presence filled the auditorium with inspiration to rise above society’s expectations. She spoke of growing up as a black girl, having to face two barriers put in place by an unequal society. Her passion when speaking was extraordinarily motivational. Eggleston undoubtedly encouraged young girls, like myself, to use my gender as a motivational tool, rather than a burdening restriction.

Following on from Verna Eggleston’s galvanising speech came former Australian Prime Minister, Julia Gillard. She discussed facing misogyny in politics and spoke of how she learned to stand out in a male dominated field. Her speech on misogyny has become one of her most well-known moments, yet she claimed to have made it up on the spot. She mentioned how the improvisation of it allowed her to speak from the heart. As the first, and only PM in Australian history, she clearly exemplified her role as an inspiring female leader.

The final part of the morning included various accomplished women, including that of Laura Bates. She is the author of books such as Everyday Sexism and continually uses her writing to provoke activism in others. She spoke more on the sexism in politics. She highlighted the importance of our knowledge that a large sum of our current government has been accused of sexual assault. Bates’ work is incredibly influential in educating the public on important matters that we must acknowledge. To have so many people in power who do not respect women is, without question, an issue. The WOW conference displayed a range of so many incredible women. Every person who we saw spoke on issues that mattered to them. They all also inspired every attendee to hold the same care that they do.

The power and passion shown by these women is what drives feminism.

The second talk of the day was ‘Bringing the Pankhursts to the stage’ which was all about a new musical called ‘Sylvia’ at the Old Vic in London. The musical is a fascinating capture about Sylvia Pankhurst, a well-known historical figure, and the family dynamics that came from clashing beliefs about women rights. The Pankhurst family was at the heart of the Suffragette movement, but the play explores themes of race within the play and how as a whole, history has excluded the poor as well as people of colour even when they are a driving force of change. Beverly Knight was one of the guest speakers who played the mother of Sylvia, Emmeline Pankhurst, and she spoke of how black women are often neglected throughout history, specifically in the Suffragette movement. Additionally, one of the directors, Dannielle ‘Rhimes’ Lecointe, also was a speaker who talked through the production of ‘Sylvia’ and explored how each character interacts with one another. Finally, on Zoom, there was one of the descendants of Sylvia, Helen Pankhurst, who spoke of her experience with her family history being out in the public and her thoughts on the play itself, which was all positive. However, one of the best things about this talk was the interaction with the audience.

One of the most informative sessions on Friday was ‘WOW big ideas’ where 4 speakers were invited up on stage and each talked about what they specialise in. Firstly, Kate Parker, a lawyer, came and spoke about the Schools Consent Project which is a charity that teaches young children about how consent works and the law surrounding it as well as the MeToo movement and other demonstrations like that. Afterwards, Ebinehita Iyere was invited to speak on her work that she published, Girls Unfiltered, and the charity she created, Milk Honey Bees which is dedicated to bringing forward the voice of young black girls and helping them as a group. Following this tough speech was psychologist Phillippa Diedrichs who spoke on the prevalent issue of body image and how it is affected by the sports industry and specifically she researched the effects of sports on mental health, which is positive, but conflicts with the data that young girls are not being in sports or quitting their previous sports. Last but not least, the influential Shani Dhanda spoke on the struggles of having Osteoporosis Imperfecta, more commonly known as Brittle Bone disease, and how the world has a dire need to be more accessible. Something that hit hard was how as a society, we are quite intolerant of others and their needs, even though we use products designed for people with disabilities all the time, dropped curbs and electric toothbrushes to name a couple.

The WOW conference made it apparent that feminism is something that should be talked about openly. It also emphasised that young girls should be aware of misogyny to spark some of the same passion. As an all-girls school, this trip was very motivating. We learned to call out misogyny, and to never be afraid simply because we are women. The WOW conference is an unmissable event. No matter what gender you are, the WOW conference can, and will inspire everyone to rise above the challenges of society.

Chloe W and Isabella VR
Lower Sixth

While the Geography Department loves exploring destinations further afield, with an awe and wonder trip planned to Iceland in 2024 and a new residential introduced for GCSE geographers to Southwold, our aim is to embed local fieldwork opportunities into as many of our topics as possible!

Year 7 visited the high street to explore the extent to which Selsdon is a ’20 minute neighbourhood’.

Year 11, to help them prepare for Paper 3 in their GCSE, investigated the extent to which the ULEZ is needed.

Both groups maximised opportunities to speak to local residents and find out their views and we received some lovely feedback from members of the public about our students. More local fieldwork will take place after Easter when our Year 12s head to Selsdon Woods to investigate the carbon cycle.

We are very fortunate to have fantastic fieldwork opportunities right on our doorstep at Croydon High!

Mrs Alice Mollison
Head of Geography

Founded by Siena Castellon in 2018, Neurodiversity week is celebrated every year to raise awareness of neurological differences and challenge stereotypes and misconceptions. It is hoped that by opening up discussions about topics such as Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, Autism Spectrum Conditions, Dyslexia, Dyspraxia, Dyscalculia and Tourettes, children, parents, schools and organisations will support neurodivergent individuals and recognise their many talents and advantages.

Mrs Harley set a competition in the Junior school to create a piece of artwork, comic strip or poem to celebrate neurodiversity. The winning entries, which are due in next Thursday 23 March, will be displayed on a giant canvas and hung within school for everyone to admire. Some of the previous winners are shown here:

The Juniors also took part in small group activities within their classes to showcase the difference between fairness and equality. They were all given the same task but some children were asked to do it one handed or blindfolded. The ones who finished first were declared the winners. Discussions ensued about whether the winners were the best or whether the task had been fair. Year 3s cards are shown here:

There are many different ways to learn and the children have been having very mature conversations about the areas they find difficult, collaborating and finding ways to support each other. Being neurodiverse is seen as a strength and we have been learning all the ways in which this can be celebrated. This is a theme which will be explored further in the Senior School next week.

Mrs Andi Harley
Head of Junior Academic Support

After the two very successful GDST rallies held this term so far, our teams were all prepared for the last one of the term. We entered teams for every category and age group and although the weather was touch and go, the rally went ahead and was thoroughly enjoyed by all.

The U11, U12, U14 and O14 cross country teams all ran brilliantly over an extremely muddy course and we were delighted to regain our overall best school trophy from 2019 when the event was last held! Overall GDST Cross Country Champions sounds good!

The U18 netball tournament went ahead with a reduced match timetable because of the awful conditions. We finished 2nd in our group and proceeded to the quarter finals where we were very unlucky to lose after extra time and golden goal.

The U11, U14 and O14 gymnastics teams all performed really well on both floor and vault and it was wonderful to witness some Regional/National standard gymnasts performing for their school.

The U13 football team, playing in the very muddy conditions, gave everything they had and like all the other Croydon High girls, were real ambassadors for their school.

There is something very special about our pupils – they always work hard, play hard and are humble in both victory and defeat. Well done, everyone!

Mrs Libby Head
Director of Sport

Spirits were high as 17 of us from Year 6 gathered in the Discovery Zone with our luggage for the long awaited Condover adventure! When we arrived at the coach, we met the Year 8s and bustled on together. The journey was long but we kept ourselves busy by chatting, playing games and watching films. When we stopped at the service station, we were able to buy some snacks and stretch our legs before the journey continued.

Seeing the gates to Condover Hall, we all shouted with excitement and couldn’t wait to explore. Once we had been shown to our dorms and been given a tour, we were able to take part in different activities around the grounds. I couldn’t believe the variety, which ranged from crawling through tunnels to climbing the high ropes. My favourite by far was the leap of faith (where we had to test our nerve by climbing up a high pole to a small platform and jumping out to catch a hanging bar).

Next up was dinner where we enjoyed a lovely meal of fish and chips with all the other GDST schools who were going to be competing in the netball tournament the following day. Afterwards, we were able to enjoy abseiling, ziplines and trapeze. By the end of the evening, we were all exhausted and ready to collapse into our beds.

Saturday morning was very busy! After a breakfast of toast, cereal and pastries, we set off to Shrewsbury Leisure Centre where both our U11 A and U11 B teams played six exciting netball matches. We were really proud of how we did: our A team won all six and our B team won 5 and drew one.

Saturday afternoon and evening were spent doing laser tag, dancing at the silent or not-so-silent discos or relaxing in our rooms. Unsurprisingly, after such an eventful day, and to the relief of our teachers, we dropped off to sleep with no trouble at all.

Sunday breakfast was a tasty array of yogurts, beans or egg on toast and more cereal. First thing in the morning we did yet more outdoor activities, whilst our Year 8s were off battling for first place in their netball tournaments. Later, it was our turn to go into battle. Our B team played three more matches, winning two and losing one of them. Meanwhile, our A team won two more matches to progress to the semi-final of their tournament. This was a particularly tense game; we were losing but made a brilliant comeback, eventually winning 5-4 against Wimbledon High! We then beat Kensington Prep 11-6 in an exciting final, ending the day as A team champions and the B team runners-up. We were delighted with our efforts but were sad that such a fun, memorable and successful weekend was all over. Thank you to all our teachers for training us and giving up their time to make this possible.

Naomi T
Year 6

How many pieces could you rip an A4 piece of paper into?

Was that really King Arthur’s round table in a town hall in Winchester?

On Wednesday 1 March, these problems were solved by Year 9 pupils, in the Royal Institution Mathematics Masterclass at Croydon High.

Using powers of two and logarithms, pupils investigated the use of indices in the way that they can be used in everyday life.

When not ripping up paper, pupils learnt about log tables and what a half-life is. They used it to discover if King Arthur’s round table is really in Winchester Hall (the answer is sadly no!).

Here is what one of our Year 9 pupils thought about it:

“For the past few Wednesdays, Maths masterclasses have been hosted in school by different maths teachers. Both sessions were about different riveting topics around Maths and Science. During the sessions handouts were given out to test the participants knowledge on the subject area. The sessions were an all-round success and pupils were enriched with knowledge!”

Amy C
Year 9

This past week, the Maths Department has been celebrating Pi Day! Pi Day occurs on the 14^th of March, as the numerical date represents the first three digits of Pi (3.14). Pi is a constant, that shows the ratio between, a circles’ circumference and its diameter.

In KS3, Years 7 and 8 spent a lunchtime creating their own Pi-Lines; these are skylines, with each skyscraper, being as tall as a digit of Pi. All pupils also had the opportunity to munch a pie of a sweeter variety too!

Some Year 7 pupils conducted an experiment measuring the circumference of circular objects along with their diameters, before plotting their findings in a graph. The gradient of their graph was of course Pi!

Miss Neha Ahmad
Teacher of Mathematics

In the past few weeks Mrs Conrad and Mrs Leppala have challenged Year 7 and 8 Junior Scientists to build paper helicopters and blow bubbles inside bubbles. In the helicopter challenge, pupils were tasked to make and modify a paper helicopter to either have the best spin or to stay in the air for the longest time.

In the bubble challenge, Junior Scientists mixed caster sugar, washing up liquid and warm water to make a special bubble solution. They then used a straw to blow a big bubble, followed by blowing another bubble inside it – and then another bubble inside that bubble, and so on. The most number achieved was four bubbles inside each other.

Well done in all challenges Junior Scientists!

Mrs Sari Leppala
Teacher of Chemistry
Innovation & Enrichment Lead (Science)

On Wednesday 15 March, I took five Year 5 students to the Royal Institution for the GDST Junior Science Conference. They joined students from other GDST schools to take part in lots of different scientific investigations. They learnt how to extract their own DNA strands and transferred them to a pendant. They also took part in The Great Crash Test challenge where they had to design a vehicle that could not only survive a crash test, but, most importantly, keep their passenger (a chocolate egg) safe.

We listened to two PhD students discuss their scientific research and what inspired them to become scientists. We took a journey around the Ri and explored the paintings and artefacts. We even played The Periodic Table game. The children were fascinated to learn that ten of the elements were discovered at the Royal Institution! We uncovered facts about Humphry Davy, James Dewar, Michael Faraday and Kathleen Lonsdale to name but a few! Finally we watched a spectacular interactive Science show in the theatre which got extremely messy. All in all a fantastic day!

Effie Nathanael
Year 6 Teacher
Science Co-ordinator

Students were asked to research, write and reference an article about any scientific, technology, engineering or maths topic they found interesting…in 700 words or less.

We had lots of great entries from our students and Mrs Conrad was really impressed by the quality of the writing as well as the range of really interesting topics – from AI to Genetic Engineering to the reasons behind the dramatic decline in bee populations.  However, the rules stated that we were only allowed to submit 2 entries for each Key Stage in the different categories, which made selection really challenging. It was great when we were told that four of our students submissions had been selected to be in the final.

During the celebration evening the external judges who all worked in the STEM professions spoke to the finalists and their guests about their career and advice they would give to students wishing to work in similar fields. Hollie Burrell-Saward was the Science judge, Nina Pimblett the Maths judge and Camilla Carson the Technology and Engineering judge.

We would all like to congratulate all our entrants, but particularly the finalists.

Science
U16 category: Penelope P – The Higgs Boson and Vacuum decay: 3^rd place
U19 category: Chloe W – Are Genetically Designed Babies In Our Future?: 1^st place

Maths
U14 category: Honor J – What Impact Has Data Had On English Football: 3^rd place
U14 category: Arwa K – How to find a partner: the 37% rule: 2^nd place

Mrs Rachel Conrad
Head of Science

Last week a team of six Year 8 pupils took part in the regional heat of the SATRO Problem Solving Challenge at St Philomena. They had 90 minutes to plan, design, build, test and adjust a device to move 16 Lego pieces from water to an egg box. They were allowed to use the materials in their competition pack only. To make the challenge more difficult, teams were given extra credit for materials left over at the end. The device had to be one-piece with moving parts, operated by one member of the team and held in place by another.

Our problem solving team did amazingly well showing enthusiasm, resilience, teamwork and positive attitude all through the challenge. Most importantly the whole team – and Mrs Leppala – had so much fun! The team kept smiling the entire time! Well done to Anaiya, Emily, Eshana, Ahaana, Alisha and Lorelei.

Mrs Sari Leppala
Teacher of Chemistry
Innovation & Enrichment Lead (Science)

We have been working tirelessly during our GDST LEAD journey to ensure that we develop a strong and sustainable product. After a plethora of meetings and brainstorming ideas, we finally found our product: DropCycle. Dropcycle UK is a company committed to improving recycling in public spaces, starting with the aviation industry , in this case, Biggin Hill Airport as directed by our mentor, the Head of HR: Natalie Smith.

Dropcycle UK plans to help reduce general waste by creating recycling incentives that encourage people to put in the extra effort, helping reduce unnecessary landfill. Our product is a website and QR code that will be placed above bins in Biggin Hill airport, for the staff and customers of the airport to use, where they will be able to scan the QR code, scan the barcode of the bottle to be recycled and earn a reward in the form of points. After consumers of our product receive enough points they will be able to have a tree planted in their name.

In order to gain investment from other companies, our mentor organised a meeting with the CEO of Biggin Hill Airport, David Winstanley. We spent the day at the airport, learning about the layout of the site and how recycling took place within the airport, taking note of the number of recycling points that were needed and the general use of plastic and paper within the airport. After a tour of the airport, which featured the runway as well as the main site of operation, we were introduced to the biofuel company ‘Sustainable Aviation Fuel’ (SAF), which is sold to users of the private airport as a fuel alternative. Learning about the fuel allowed us to understand the environmental impact within Biggin Hill Airport at a more in-depth level, with a clearer comprehension of what the Airport was actively doing to reduce its influence on climate change and how this could assist with our business, DropCycle. What was evident at this visit was that the airport had no recycling points. We knew our business idea would be effective at improving this problem.

We also did a Bake Sale at school to further increase our funding. We were grateful enough to raise over £100 from this PR event.

As well as this, we held a fun treasure hunt for the Ivy Club in which they had to seek the little logos of our business which we had previously hidden around the playground.

Mrs Serradilla says, “The girls have been working extremely hard to get their business idea off the ground”.

On Thursday 23 March the GDST Drop Cycle Team will set off to LSE to complete their final pitch. They will be competing with all the other GDST schools for the final awards.

GDST Drop Cycle is looking to donate their fundraising total to their school community and Woodland Trust.

If you would like to make a contribution, please visit their GoFundMe page.

Safa H, Nur- Aleena H and Ambreen H
Lower Sixth

Year 11 student Tara has brought home the Chrystall Prize trophy to Croydon High following a triumphant win at the GDST wide Chrystall Prize public speaking competition. Her speech was entitled ‘Degrowth is needed to save the world’.

The esteemed Chrystall Prize competition brings together Year 11 students from across GDST schools to voice their opinions on the most prevalent debates in modern society. Set up in memory of former GDST Deputy Legal Secretary, Chrystall Carter, the competition holds extra meaning for the girls. Chrystall had a strong belief in the power of reasoned argument, and this competition provides a platform for girls to build confidence and have their voices heard.

After participating in an extensive audition process in school and speaking in assembly, Tara competed in the semi-final at Sydenham High against four other GDST schools from South London. After winning this round of the competition, Tara progressed to the overall final at Sheffield High GDST. After a long but comparatively smooth journey to Sheffield High with Ms Howie, Tara wowed the judges and audience alike. She discussed the importance of developing stronger social connections within communities, considering how greater cohesion can fuel degrowth in more developed economies, as people can value and share commodities equitably. She also considered the importance of the developed world empowering developing economies – yet to have their boom – to have sustainable, green growth. 

Sheffield High students were amazed that Tara does not study Economics and the judges praised her passion for the subject and her level of understanding – a testament to the importance of wider reading and following your interests beyond the core curriculum. The judges also commended Tara for her ability to engage the audience and the wide range of strategies she used to keep them engaged. Tara used powerful, personal anecdotes from the stories she has been told by her Grandmother to engage the audience of Y10 students from Sheffield High.

We are incredibly proud of Tara and look forward to following the journey of future Year 11 students in the competition next year. Croydon High looks forward to hosting the national final of the GDST Public Speaking competition next year.

Ms Kitty Howie
Second in Charge of English and Academic Scholars’ Coordinator