On Thursday 25 January, the GDST welcomed over 400 students from GDST schools around the UK for the annual GDST Swimming Championships in Guildford.

20 pupils from Croydon High competed in the event and we are incredibly proud of all of our swimmers for becoming junior, senior and overall GDST Swimming Champions!

A special mention must go to the following pupils who broke long standing GDST records yesterday; what an outstanding achievement!

U11B butterfly – Audrey
U14 breaststroke- Josie
U11B medley relay (Emiola, Audrey, Florence and Bella)
U14 medley & freestyle relays (Leonie, Charlotte, Josie and Kaweng)

Ms Libby Head
Director of Sport

The Stay and Play sessions provide a great opportunity to invite our families into the classroom so our pupils can share their morning routine and settle to an activity. It is wonderful to see so many parents and even grandparents attend and support. The girls were proud to walk their adults around and show off their Proud Pegs, personal pegs and trays before ‘getting busy’. We saw the girls engaging in puzzles, writing, play dough, building and role play. Thank you to all the families that could attend. We look forward to opening our doors again in the summer term.

Mrs Amanda-Jane D’Aranjo
Reception Class Teacher
Early Years Leader

This week the Early Years pupils and Year 6 buddies were delighted to see one another again but this time venturing out to Forest School on the lookout for birds. This was inline with the RSPB ‘Big Garden Bird Watch’ where we observed and recorded the birds we saw for the national wildlife survey.

The Year 6 girls worked with their young buddy to create bird feeders, go bird watching and matched-up bird pictures in the Forest School. The older girls naturally acted like a big sister, from helping the little ones do their zip on coats to holding their hand around the site, crouching down to their height and engaging them with the task. The little ones responded brilliantly to their Year 6 buddy and the afternoon was full of laughter, fun and joy of one another’s company.

On Thursday 25 January, 18 instrumentalists from Years 3 and 4 performed in an after school Informal Concert to parents in Holt Hall.

Sara M (3B) opened the concert with a rousing rendition of Pirates of the Caribbean on the piano. Izzy (2C) appeared as a special guest to play a moving and expressive Vltava (Smetana) on her cello.

The audience was entertained by some toe-tapping jazzy pieces from some of our pianists, including Hannah’s (4DJ) Groovy Movie, as well as some thoughtful and reflective pieces such as Amelia’s (4AJ) Little Whale Explores The Calm Sea.

We were impressed by our violinists, including Suri (3M) playing Gavotte (Becker) from memory and Lesi (4AJ) Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, to name a few. It was wonderful to hear Alice (4AJ) play Noche de Fiesta (Alfredo Rolando Ortiz) so beautifully and with exceptional skill on her pedal harp. Victoria (4DJ) closed the concert with her outstanding piano piece Solfeggietto (CPE Bach).

Playing in the concert was a valuable experience for all the musicians involved, helping them to build their confidence at performing in front of a small, friendly audience. For some pupils it was their first time. We are extremely proud of everyone who took part and look forward to hearing our Year 5 and 6 instrumentalists performing in their informal concerts after half term.

Miss Sarah Delany
Head of Junior School Music

The January blues are almost over, as we soon head into the month of Fit Feb!

We would like to invite the whole Croydon High Community to Move More in February for Fit Feb and make every metre count. For those not in a house, we have added a Croydon High School group so your kilometres will count as well. For those wanting an individual challenge – it is an Olympic year, with Paris being the host city.

Challenge – can you accumulate 350 km (distance between Croydon High and the Stade de France, Olympic Stadium) in February?

How to take part

Whether it’s running, Yoga, HIIT or golf, you can rack up those kms or convert your workout using our activity conversion chart. At the end of each week, please submit your distances.

Pupils and staff can fill out a weekly Google Form and those without access can email fitfeb@cry.gdst.net

Please include the following information in your email:

• Distance (km)
• House or Croydon High School Group
• Evidence (screenshot of the fitness app workout or photo of details on the fitness machine)

Google Form* and email submissions dates and times:

• Sunday 4 Feb by 3pm
• Sunday 11 Feb by 3pm
• Sunday 18 Feb by 3pm
• Sunday 25 Feb by 3pm
• Thursday 29 Feb by 11.59pm

View all information about Fit Feb here and be ready to get active!

_{*Google Forms will be sent out for each week, so keep an eye out in your emails.}

Mrs Sue Beck
Head of Community & PE Department

Sophie Jones(Eynon), Class of 2000

Sophie is a behaviour change expert who, after leaving Croydon High, studied psychology and sociology at the University of Surrey. She then gained a bachelor’s degree at Kings College London in Geography (Human Behaviour specialism) and, more recently, a course in Digital Marketing at London Business School.

Sophie’s first position after leaving Kings College was on a Graduate Marketing Scheme at AstraZeneca (the Anglo-Swedish multinational pharmaceutical and biotechnology company), where she held a series of positions including Scientific Publications, Brand Management and finally Global Insight. After completing her graduate training programme, she decided to move into the agency world, where things were a little more fast-paced. She started at a global medical communications agency (Adelphi Communications) and worked her way up to Business Development Manager, where she learned the skills needed to sell communications services to the healthcare industry. After several years, she joined Spirit Medical Communications (as employee number 7!), where she built the business development department and marketing (including a new website). The company increased dramatically in size, and after five years, she started looking for a new challenge. This led her to an Italian agency (Infomedica), then finally settled at Alpharmaxim in her current role as Director of Strategic Development.

Alpharmaxim is a healthcare communications agency on a mission to disrupt habitual approaches to medical marketing, enabling biopharma companies to better communicate with healthcare professionals to challenge and change behaviours and improve clinical practice. They use the principles of behavioural science to build strategic narratives and medical marketing communications that educate key stakeholders and ultimately shift physician mindsets to improve patient outcomes. They want to make a real difference to patients, families, and professionals by helping biopharmaceutical companies fulfil their promises through great narratives that will challenge and change behaviours. (Bio-pharma is the application of living organisms or extractions, by-products, or components of living organisms to prevent, relieve, or treat diseases.)

What aspects of Croydon High School did you enjoy and find most rewarding?

I was part of the swimming team, hockey team, choir, and orchestra. I loved being part of a competitive sports team, supported hugely by the amazing staff who nurtured each and every one of us to help us fulfil our potential. The drama and music department was like a second home to me, leading me to achieve Grade 8 in both flute and piano (whilst working towards my A-Levels!) I loved being part of drama performances where I made lifelong friends, particularly my role as Mercedes (Carmen’s best friend) in the production of Bizet’s Carmen with the boys from Whitgift!

What did you aspire to whilst at school?

Whilst I didn’t really know what career I wanted to pursue, I knew I wanted to do something that enabled me to maximise my creative abilities. For a while, I wanted to focus on a music career, but having achieved great A-Level results, I took myself off to University to study psychology and sociology. I then transferred to Kings College in London to read Human Geography (for no other reason than I excelled at Geography in school – thanks, Mrs Parker!), but during my 3-year degree, I rediscovered my interest in psychology and behaviour, which led me to explore a career in marketing.

How did Croydon High School empower you for your future?

Croydon High allowed me to grow in all aspects of life. They supported my education, pushing me to achieve more than I ever thought I was capable of whilst continuing to nurture my love and flair for music and drama. I swam competitively for Croydon High for most of my time in Senior School, winning meet after meet. I learnt how to strive for better, to believe in myself, to push myself. I learned to be competitive. I learnt to win. And I am now leading all the sales and marketing efforts for a fantastic global company.

What has been your proudest moment?

Proudest? Well, there have been many. But a real highlight was achieving Grade 8 flute (distinction) and Grade 8 piano (Merit) in the same year as achieving ABB at A level. My parents would say their proudest moment was when I was the narrator at a school play in the Junior school…

What are your hopes for the future?

I now have two sons, Samuel and Frederic, and if I can give them half the motivation and aspiration that Croydon High gave me, I feel I will have succeeded as a mum! Career-wise, I’m building up my understanding of strategic marketing and trying to build a sales and marketing team that will vault Alpharmaxim to new heights of success.

What would you say to your younger self?

Enjoy every minute. Don’t overthink. Believe in yourself. You are stronger than you feel and capable of more than you think.

Mrs Karen Roe
Alumnae Relations Manager