As the Spring Term draws to a close, and the days are getting lighter, I have been taking the time to reflect upon the many achievements of our pupils. 

It has been a busy half term and I am very proud to have the opportunity to celebrate so many of these successes, alongside the sustained focus from our examination year groups, who are staying resilient and positive as they prepare for their public examinations. There are so many moments I could highlight, but here are just a  few I would like to mention in particular. 

Croydon High came out top in the prestigious GDST Chrystall Prize for Public Speaking, with Tara in Year 11 crowned as the competition’s overall winner, delivering her speech entitled ‘Economic degrowth is needed to save the world’ with confidence and remarkable maturity. We also enjoyed success in the GDST STEM writing competition with Chloe in our L6  being the overall winner, again across the whole Trust, with the fascinating essay title “Are genetically designed babies in our future?”

We were delighted that Drop Cycle from Croydon High School won the Best Financial Performance Award in the GDST LEAD Final Showcase. The Sixth Form group had to present their sustainable business ideas, mentored by LSE alumni, and judged by entrepreneurs and experts. The Lower Sixth pupils raised over £950 sales revenue and £910 in net profit, for their charitable organisation Woodland Trust and for our school community. 

We also continue to dominate in the sporting arena and I am delighted to hear of the huge number of pupils who have taken part in sport this term. Some have tried new activities or have represented the school for the first time and others have built on their previous achievements and continued to shine. As standout highlights, our combined Junior and Senior school cross country teams became GDST Champions and our Year 7 Sportshall athletics team became London Youth Games champions! At Condover Hall, our Year 6A netball team became champions and our B team finished as runners-up of their respective tournaments and our Year 8A team finished as runners-up and the B team champions in their tournament. In biathlon, our Year 7 and Year 10 teams both finished with bronze medals at the National Biathlon Championships and Year 8’s Josie Lawn won bronze at the English Schools’ Swimming Championships. Finally, our Under 18 water polo team finished in 2nd place at the National Plate Water Polo Finals, an event that we entered for the very first time this year.

As a member of our diverse community, I was delighted to attend my first Iftar at Croydon High on Monday evening. This was, I understand, the third time we have hosted one at school, and the first where we were able to invite families.

As ever, it was great to see our Sixth Formers leading proceedings – thank you to them for guiding the non-Muslim attendees through the evening, advising and organising the event, and for sharing their experiences with us and their wishes for Ramadan. It was a hugely uplifting evening. I hope the upcoming break from school is welcome, and provides time and energy to prepare for Eid al-Fitr upon our return to school. Until then, Ramadan Mubarak.

Amongst all of these successes, there is no doubt that it has been a desperately sad time for our community, following the deaths of Mrs Pattison and Lettie. It has been extremely challenging for us all, as we navigate the  feelings and emotions we have experienced. For me, personally, one of the most humbling moments was speaking to the Head Girl Team who said to me, ‘we are who we are because of Mrs Pattison’. These girls, in our Upper Sixth, were in  Year 7 when Mrs Pattison joined the school, so they went through their whole senior school journey with her. The pupils of Croydon High are Mrs Pattison’s legacy and I know she would be so proud of all that they are and all that they achieve.

With this in mind,  I would like to make you aware of an event that we are planning to celebrate the lives of Mrs Pattison and Lettie. This will take place on the afternoon of Sunday 25 June 2023 and I do hope that many of our community will be able to attend. Current pupils, parents, staff, alumnae and friends of the school will all be welcome, and the event will take place, rain or shine (!), in the school grounds.

It will be a chance for us to be reminded of some of the music and drama performances that Mrs Pattison and Lettie enjoyed during their time at the school. We hope this will include reprises from alumnae as well as new pieces from our current pupils.  There will also be time for us to simply come together, to remember them both and to hear about the plans to commemorate their on-going legacy at Croydon High.

I would like to wish you all a wonderful Easter break and look forward to seeing many of you soon at an event next term.

Ms Annabel Davies
Head

Chat-CHS: In the dawn of AI how do we really define intelligence?

Within a week of its launch Chat-GPT had over a million registered users and currently it is estimated that over 96 million visit its website every month. For those who are uninitiated, Chat-GPT is an artificial intelligence language model that is most commonly accessed as a chatbot. It currently has the internet ablaze with people envisioning it changing multiple areas of work and how we live our lives. Every day someone new is trying to push the limits of its capabilities from programmers writing code with it, users asking it to explain difficult concepts and even chef’s using it to design new dishes. Is this something that will change the way we live and do we need our students to understand this technology in more detail so they are able to utilise it in the best way possible as it grows in prominence and capability?

The history of chatbots dates back to the 1960s, with the development of the first chatbot called ELIZA. ELIZA was a computer program created by Joseph Weizenbaum, a computer scientist at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). ELIZA simulated a conversation between a human and a computer by using a simple pattern-matching technique to respond to user inputs.  It worked by parsing user input for keywords, and then using a set of pre-programmed rules to transform those keywords into responses that mimicked a therapist’s probing questions. For example, if a user said “I am feeling sad today,” ELIZA might respond with “Why do you feel sad?”. ELIZA was not designed to provide meaningful or accurate therapy, but rather to demonstrate the limitations of language processing and the potential for computers to mimic human conversation. Despite its simple programming, ELIZA was able to fool many users into thinking they were speaking with a real human therapist. However, it was obvious that there was no real “intelligence” in this approach, but how would we measure this in a scientific way?

In 1950 Alan Turing, the famous British mathematician, proposed a test to determine a machine’s ability to exhibit intelligent behaviour equivalent to, or indistinguishable from, that of a human. The test involves a human evaluator who engages in a natural language conversation with two entities: another human and a machine. The evaluator is unaware which of the two they are speaking with, and must determine which is the machine based solely on the conversation. If the machine is able to convince the evaluator that it is human, it is said to have passed the Turing test. It has been the subject of much debate and criticism over the years, with some arguing that it sets an impossibly high bar for machines, while others argue that it fails to capture the full range of human intelligence. Based upon the Turing Test, the Loebner Prize is an annual competition in artificial intelligence that tests the ability of a computer program to exhibit human-like intelligence in conversation. Since the inception of the Loebner Prize in 1991, no chatbot has actually won the grand prize, which is a gold medal and $100,000. However, several chatbots have come close to winning, and in some years, a cash prize has been awarded to the best performing chatbot. It is not clear if Chat-GPT or a version of it will be entered into this competition as its goal is not necessarily to prove intelligence but instead to provide a robust, usable natural language model.

Next term some of our students will be working on creating their own chatbots using the skills they have gained in the Python programming language. We will be looking back on some chatbots from the Loebner Prize and identifying the techniques they used to try and win, hopefully incorporating some of these into our own designs.  If we are able to simulate human-level conversation (which is still yet to be seen) then move over Chat-GPT and make way for…Chat-CHS!

Note: Can you tell which parts of this article were written by me and which were written by Chat-GPT?

Mr Kevin Murphy
Assistant Head (Digital Strategy)

Dr Suze Kundu 2001

This week we are delighted to introduce Dr Suze Kundu, a nanochemist, both literally and professionally as she herself always says in reference to her diminutive stature!

From an early age, she tells us she was breaking things apart to find out how they worked – whether that was her Dad’s turntable needle, her Mum’s face creams, or her long-suffering Barbie dolls. Suze decided not to channel her curiosity into a career in medicine, instead choosing to focus on chemistry to try and find the answers to all of her (often quite literally) burning questions.

Suze is fascinated by breaking down the building blocks of life into its fundamental components and building them back up again, better than before. Luckily, science has enabled her to turn this destructive curiosity into a career. She has a BSc in Chemistry, an MSc in Analytical Chemistry, and a PhD in Nanomaterials Chemistry from University College London. A passionate educator, she has also studied for a PGCE in Senior School Science and an MEd in University Learning and Teaching while she was a lecturer at Imperial College London. After six years lecturing in the Department of Materials at Imperial and at the University of Surrey’s Chemical and Process Engineering Department, she became the Head of Public Engagement at the technology company, Digital Science, where she continues to research interesting topics within chemistry and materials science, but also the broader research landscape. At the end of last year, Suze became Director of Researcher and Community Engagement, continuing at Digital Science.

Suze is a cheerleader for greater diversity in science and is also an experienced science communicator, delivering live shows and demo lectures, as a science presenter on the Discovery Channel, Curiosity Stream, National Geographic and more, and as a science writer for Forbes. Suze is also a Trustee for the Royal Institution of Great Britain.  In her spare time, Suze loves attending live gigs, especially of her favourite band, Muse, and enjoys learning different dance styles, having first started ballet classes at the age of three. Suze is a ‘parent’ to Faraday and Bellatrix, her two tuxedo kittens.

Suze is no stranger to present-day Croydon High; she has supported us at numerous career events and was a keynote speaker at one of our Prizegiving ceremonies several years ago.

We wrote to Suze and asked about her fondest memory at Croydon High…

“Picking one fondest memory of my time at Croydon High is a tough ask, as there have been so many. I have fond memories that span from Junior School Colours Days, where we would play sports tournaments in our house teams (go yellow! I believe that is now Seacole House?), all the way through to the simplicity of grown-up freedom of the Sixth Form Suite. Many of these memories remind me of how lucky and privileged we were, whether it was the perfection of sitting outside surrounded by greenery on a summer lunch break or the experience of visiting so many places across the world for educational purposes, be they music trips to Barcelona, geology trips to Iceland or snow sports trips to Vermont. I would perhaps say, though, that my fondest memory was meeting Dr Daniela Kirwan at the age of eight in Mrs Holland’s art room. We were making papier mâché puppets for our performance of Peter Pan and got chatting while washing up at the sink. I knew her from ballet classes with Miss Penny, but she was in a different grade to me, so we would only ever wave when she left, and I was arriving for class. Having bonded over our somewhat misshapen head creations, we have remained friends for over three decades. Danni was even a bridesmaid at our wedding, and will always be one of my favourite humans, so I think she takes the top spot of fondest memory for me.”

“When I think about it, I realise that attending Croydon High has played a strong part in allowing me to pursue my chosen career path. I write this on International Women’s Day as a woman in science and research that didn’t realise that certain subjects were as socially gendered as they have been. I perhaps would not have pursued a career in chemistry, physics, engineering, and research if I had been aware of this. Attending Croydon High also instilled in me certain values of community, collaboration and inclusion of everyone, no matter their background or demographic characteristics, which has spoiled me a little in wanting to seek out universities and workplaces whose values align with these. It is, therefore, perhaps no surprise that I went on to UCL and am now enjoying a career at Digital Science. I think that my time at Croydon High also helped expose me to a range of interests and opportunities, supported by my amazing parents and their encouragement to learn as many things as possible to find those interests that spark joy and fulfilment. As a result, my ability to have a conversation with absolutely everyone in a room full of strangers about something or other we have in common, has been remarked upon by my friends and colleagues alike. Never underestimate the power of empathy and interest in networking, as those fascinating people you meet will remember you when an exciting opportunity comes up. That could open doors to a place you never knew you could go.”

We asked Suze what she would say to her 15-year-old self.

“I’d say hang in there because GHDs are on their way! I spent the middle part of my teens battling my hormonal hair. It was so known that it was even commented on in my yearbook. I’d also tell my 15-year-old self that you can make all the plans to study chemistry with management as you like, but you’ll get to university and have your mind blown by the possibilities that lie ahead of you, so don’t sell yourself short with that career in finance you think you’ll end up in. Dream even bigger, be even bolder and take even more chances because you have no idea how much power you possess and how you can choose the kind of career you want to have without compromising on fun or fulfilment. You really can have it all!”

And finally we wanted to know Suze’s aspirations for the future.

“I think that my ultimate goal has never changed. I would like to leave some positive impact through the work I do and the interactions I have with people. If that means continuing to support Digital Science on its mission to ensure that research is the single most powerful transformational force for the long-term improvement of society, I’ll be very happy. If it means continuing to break down stereotypes of who does science through my TV presenting, science writing and shows for public and school audiences, I’d be thrilled, as even changing one person’s perceptions is a successful outcome. I’d also like to work more in building back critical thinking in society, especially when it comes to science and research, and to help build people’s confidence in not just engaging with scientific research but also in playing a more active role in securing and shaping the global science roadmap to best benefit all of society.”

And that is the powerhouse that is Dr Suze Kundu or as her Twitter handle describes her, @FunSizeSuze. We look forward to welcoming Suze back to Croydon High soon, once a Croydon High girl always a Croydon High girl!

Mrs Karen Roe
Alumnae Relations Manager

Last week, Ms Davies hosted her first annual Tea Party for senior alumnae and former school staff, an event that is always one of the year’s highlights. The tables were set in the Holt Hall foyer with a delicious traditional afternoon tea and bunches of daffodils everywhere. Umbrellas were on hand for a particularly rainy spring day; we have had sunshine at all nine previous parties!

Our guests enjoyed reacquainting themselves with old friends and classmates and sharing memories. Lower Sixth girls mingled well with our guests, engrossed in tales of Croydon High in bygone days.

After the most delicious afternoon tea, our visitors made their way to the Holt Hall, where Ms Davies gave a warm welcome, assuring us how much our community appreciates the support of the Ivy Link.

Entertainment followed with Year 4 girls performing extracts from their Peter Pan production, including ‘Wendy House’ and ‘Don’t Look Down’. Delilah, Vahini, Audrey, Evie, Sanaa, Sophia, Maggie, Arrietty, Misha, Siya and Maya came in costume and delighted our audience. Sixth Form students followed with Aila singing ‘Pilate’s Dream’ from Jesus Christ Superstar. The final two songs were ‘Stand By Me’ by Ben E King and ‘Twist and Shout’ by The Beatles, performed by Olivia and Talia. Our guests clapped along to the beat and thoroughly enjoyed returning to the swinging sixties.

Thanks to all who came and all who worked so hard to make this such an enjoyable occasion. Particular thanks as always to our catering team, premises team, Year 4 and our Sixth Form girls.

“Thank you so much for the wonderful Tea party yesterday. A very uplifting experience, so enjoyable. Please thank everyone involved. The Tea was delicious, and I so enjoyed the entertainment. What talent there is in the School. It was great to talk with the prefects and discuss 1950s Croydon High with the present-day school. And, of course, to meet Ms Davies.”

“I was absolutely blown over by the event; you certainly all gave me a wonderful and memorable afternoon.”

“How kind of Croydon High to invite me to yesterday’s celebration of spring! It was the best of afternoons that sped by all too quickly. Congratulations to all concerned for organising such a fabulous afternoon tea! The sandwiches, cakes and attentive service were all second to none and could easily rival what top London hotels offer. The musical entertainment was such fun, and I was thrilled to talk to Olivia and Talia afterwards to congratulate them on their performances in Jesus Christ Superstar in February, as well as learn more about their plans.”

“What a lovely afternoon. The food was delicious, as always, and the girls were so chatty and full of confidence. And as for the entertainment – super!”

Mrs Karen Roe
Alumnae Relations Manager

Early March, Year 11 students had an opportunity to stretch themselves by taking part in the Intermediate Physics Challenge. They did amazingly well in the very challenging paper. Congratulations to Ananya and Meg, who achieved the Gold and the Silver Award, respectively. A big well done to all students achieving either the Bronze Award and a Commendation.

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

Congratulations to Darshali in Upper Sixth! She did very well in the 55th Annual Chemistry Olympiad run by the Royal Society of Chemistry. She showed resilience, determination and excellent problem solving skills in an extremely challenging paper. Everyone in the Chemistry department is very proud of Darshali!

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

ICE CityZen Award is a Civil Engineering Competition for Sixth Form students. Our team, Electron City, took part in the competition, which ran throughout the autumn term and well into spring term. The team needed to show excellent team working, critical thinking, communication and problem solving skills. They were supported by a STEM Ambassador and Mrs Leppala via weekly meetings.

The competition consisted of four rounds of a civil engineering game with variety of tasks ranging from building bridges to planning and constructing housing, and a video project to pitch their idea of how civil engineering could be used to improve our local environment.

Our team concentrated on improving West Croydon by tackling congestion, improving sustainability and increasing happiness. Their video received excellent feedback from the judges with some suggestions on how to develop their ideas further.

Well done Anya, Gajivana, Treasure and Sibel!

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

Last week saw the third and final Royal Institution Mathematics Masterclass take place at Croydon High School. We were delighted to welcome Amy Hooker from the Royal Institution, who introduced the world of fractals to ten of our Year 9 pupils, and to over thirty pupils from other local secondary schools from across the Borough of Croydon. The session focused on introducing and exploring the concept of Sierpinski’s Triangle, with pupils delving into the world of logarithms to find connections.

Here is Anya’s experience of the three different sessions:

‘Over the past few weeks, Year 9 had the opportunity to take part in a series of three Mathematics masterclasses. Each week, we learnt different things: from the Sierpinski Triangle, to how to work out 6-digit equations using the powers of 2.
I found these masterclasses really interesting and informative because many of the things I had never learnt about before, for example the log function on a calculator. I think that these sessions were extremely useful for all of us who attended and that they gave us more understanding about Mathematics and Physics in the real world.

Thank you to all of the teachers who organised and ran the Maths masterclasses, they were very enjoyable, and we all learned a lot from them.’

• Read Part One of the Mathematics Masterclass
• Read Part Two of the Mathematics Masterclass

Mr William Leonard
Second in charge of Mathematics

Lower Sixth students from across the GDST family came together at London School of Economics (LSE) for the GDST LEAD Final Showcase on Thursday 23 March 2023, to present their sustainable business ideas, mentored by LSE alumni, and judged by entrepreneurs and experts.

Drop Cycle from Croydon High School were delighted to win the Best Financial Performance Award. The Lower Sixth students raised over £950 sales revenue and £910 in net profit for their charitable organisation Woodland Trust and our school community.

Mrs Serradilla says, “We are incredibly proud of our pupils and the hard work that Drop Cycle have done, to create a sustainable business idea that can make an impact for our local community”.

“LEAD was a very beneficial experience that opened my eyes into how a team works to run a business.”
Kiera M

“LEAD has allowed me to develop and learn skills  that would not only be beneficial in business but in all aspects of life.”
Sibel

“My favourite part of  LEAD was the opportunities given, especially with being able to socialise with students from other GDST schools. It was a great experience and has made me more confident as a person”
Safa H

GDST Lead Lower Sixth Team – Ambreen H, Serena C, Safa H, Isabella W, Sasha G, Nur-Aleena H, Sibel K, Gajivana M, Keira M, Anya P, Tabitha P, Shafia S

Mrs Serradilla
Head of Business and Economics

Our Upper Sixth Hispanists were thrilled to have the opportunity to see their A Level set text La Casa de Bernarda Alba come to life in an adaptation performed at the Cervantes Theatre in Southwark.

In the intimate setting of the Cervantes Theatre, where you sit mere metres from the actors themselves, we were transported to 1930s Andalucía to witness Federico Garcia Lorca’s tale of oppression, fear and rebellion. The story relates the struggles of 5 daughters who live under the dictatorial rule of their fearsome mother during an 8 year period of mourning that follows the death of their father. Our 6th formers’ linguistic skills were put to the test as the entire play was performed in Spanish. The all-female cast gave impressive performances and really succeeded in making the characters that we’d read about come alive. The pupils have gained a new appreciation of the play and our trip will have set them in good stead for their upcoming A Level examination in which they will have to write a detailed analysis of the text. Good luck, girls!

Mrs Primrose Wood
Teacher of Spanish and French

GCSE and A Level artists took part in a life drawing workshop run by multi-award winning artist Paul Brandford. The day consisted of a series of relaxed and informative exercises that encourage a confident approach to creating drawings full of atmosphere and life. Students were encouraged to look in new ways observing shadows, pressure, and tension across the figure. His dynamic techniques made for an exciting day and will have a lasting impact on students’ work, encouraging them to take risks, explore possibilities and be decisive.

Ms Laura Palmer
Teacher of Art and 3D Design

Year 10 and Lower Sixth Art & 3D Design students were busy last week in their mock exams, all together they completed 30 hours of exams. They have all worked incredibly hard on their projects, developing ideas, researching artists and designers, experimenting with materials and refining before finally creating a personal response. The work is incredible, and we are so proud of them all, I only wish I could share it with you but the exam boards to not allow this, so here is just a sneak peak and it won’t be long before they are showing their work in their summer show in 2024, which if their mocks are anything to go by it will be sensational.

We now wish our Year 11s and Upper Sixth the best of luck as they head into the Easter holidays, their epic 50 hours of practical exams between them start soon after Easter and we cannot wait, they are so ready for this!

‘Creativity takes courage’
Henri Matisse

Mrs Elizabeth Smith
Head of Art & 3D Design
Director of Teaching & Learning

The inaugural GDST Biennale will take place later this year, with 25 prestigious Awards up for grabs! There will be 13 trophies, 12 Certificates and lots of superb Art material prizes. Not to mention your chance to attend the Awards ceremony at Dulwich Picture Gallery and the prospect of your work being immortalised in print on the GDST Biennale Calendar!

Our judging panel of professional Artists will carefully select the finest work, focusing on creativity and originality.

There are four Awards:

1. Portraiture
2. Landscape & Nature
3. Sculpture & 3D
4. Abstract

Each Award has three age categories, one for each Key stage; 3, 4 and 5. Twelve Awards, each with a runner up and a Best in Show prize as well.

The 24 finalists will be invited to the Awards Ceremony to enjoy a guided tour of the fabulous Berthe Morrisot Exhibition and a Watercolour Workshop with their teachers. Lunch will be provided and there will be a Prize Giving Ceremony in the early evening with fizz, tea and cake.

Key dates for the Awards:

• 31 May (12pm) – submissions deadline
• 9 June – Shortlist announced
• 30 June – Awards ceremony

Download your giraffe template and get started today

Deadline: Monday 24 April 2023
Hand in your entries to Mrs Smith, Mrs Palmer or Mrs Bird

This half term, Reception have focused on the topic, food.

Over the last four weeks, Reception have taken it in turns to write a shopping list in class, buy the ingredients in Sainsbury’s, and make the recipes back in class.

The themes have included:

• Pancake Day
• Fruit kebabs
• Mother’s Day cupcakes
• Gingerbread men.

This hands-on learning is so important to us in the Early Years and making learning real and purposeful. Each group thoroughly enjoyed the shopping trip, ticking off their items on their clipboard. We know they also enjoyed making and eating their creations!

Mrs Amanda D’Aranjo
Reception Teacher 

As part of our Science topic on plants and animals, Year 1 were lucky enough to visit Gatton Park. The morning session focused on amazing animals. The girls handled a range of items from the different animal groups including an emu egg, the backbone of a grass snake, a dried seahorse, and the skulls of a range of mammals. The girls looked carefully at the teeth to identify what sort of diet the animal may have eaten. They found out lots of fascinating facts! We then explored Gatton Park’s grounds and identified the best habitats for a range of English wildlife.

Following a very exciting packed lunch, the afternoon session focused on plants. The girls pretended to be squirrels and hid some seeds very sneakily to eat over winter, which they weren’t allowed to find until later in the day. Some squirrels found more seeds than they buried which left some very hungry friends! The girls then learnt how to pollinate flowers with mini pipe cleaner bees after Mrs Redmond had been lucky enough to have the first bee of summer land on her.

Mrs Jo Harrison
Year 1 Class Teacher

This term Year 3 and 4 have been working on a production of Peter Pan. It’s a new version of the well-loved story with sparkling tunes and magical locations and our Junior girls have thrilled everyone with their performance skills. We’ve had Warriors and Pirates, Lost Boys and Fairies, Mermaids, the Darling family and of course Nana the dog and the infamous Croc!

The whole process has been collaborative with staff across the Juniors creating scenery and costumes and girls in Years 4, 5 and 6 coming together after school to make props and staging in our lively Props Club.

We’d like to thank all the staff and parents for their support in making this show happen and once again say a huge, wonderful well done to Year 3 and Year 4 for their amazing Pan-tastic performances!

 

“I really liked my character Tiger Lily because she’s very fierce, brave and commanding. I feel like I am a strong person just like my character.”
India, Year 4

“I really liked being Smee because it was a funny role. I enjoyed performing my song and the rap!”
Olivia, Year 4

“I really enjoyed being Hook because I feel like I fit the role. It was fun to play a character who I wouldn’t normally play. My favourite moment was the scene when Tiger Lily got released and I was fighting Peter Pan.”
Amara, Year 4

“I really enjoyed being John Darling because I’m different to him and it was challenging to be someone else. My favourite moment was when we sang Wendy House because it was a beautiful song.”
Audrey, Year 4

“I really enjoyed the experience and I don’t think I’ll ever forget it! It was really fun and we had to take lots of responsibilities for ourselves. My character was Seashell the mermaid. I liked singing the song and doing the pose at the end.”
Myra, Year 4

Claire Kirkby
Junior School Drama Teacher

A select audience of Year 9 Latin students were treated to a captivating production of Perseus and Medusa by pupils in Years 4-6. We were particularly impressed by the pitch perfect pronunciation as well as by both the bravery of Perseus and the highly convincing and rather terrifying Medusa.

Mr James Loudon
Head of Classics

Pupils in Years 5 and 6 continue to write to their French pen pals in Orléans. Recent letters have focused on family and food, and we have also recently enjoyed making Easter cards!

Joyeuses Pâques!

Ms S Mannooch
Teacher of Languages

RHS scientists have found that gardening can help to reduce stress levels and that people who garden daily have a higher wellbeing than those who never garden. This might explain why the junior school gardening club is having so much fun even through these grey early months of the year.

‘I like gardening club because it’s fun and practical. I have learnt how to make a map of the garden and plan where things will grow. I have enjoyed sowing the seeds. It’s like a gardening club family.’
Éowyn (Year 6)

This term we’ve been planning and preparing our beds ready for the sowing season as well as planting a blueberry bush. The girls have been mapping our space and excitedly making plans for what they’d like to sow. With the help of premises, we have installed raised beds and constructed our very first compost heap. The students worked tirelessly and with great enthusiasm to fill wheelbarrows and transport compost across the playground to the beds. This is an impressive feat for our small group and young gardeners. As well as being great physical exercise, it has stimulated interesting conversations about the life within the soil, particularly worms and bacteria. While some students are still a little caution of the humble earthworm, we’re all learning to respect and enjoy the natural cycle that exists within our environment.

‘I like growing my own vegetables because I like knowing I’ve made it.’
Lotti (Year 5)

‘I really enjoy gardening club because I always wanted to grow my own vegetables but I didn’t know enough, and now I know about different types of vegetables.’
Arya (Year 5)

In the weeks to come we will be making our own biodegradable newspaper pots, sieving compost, and sowing seeds for a variety of edible plants and pollinators. We will also be taking part in the RHS Big Seed Sow so watch this space for opportunities to sow with us and random acts of kindness that will spread the joy of growth.

The floral tributes that were laid for Mrs Pattison and Lettie at the entrance to the school were placed at the bottom of each of our raised beds and have been covered over with peat free compost. In time these tributes will break down and continue to feed the soil and plants that we have grown there. It is warming to think that from the loss these flowers represent, they will bring new life and be a part of our environment.

‘I really like gardening club because it makes me happy being outdoors.’
Bela (Year 3)

Gardening Club takes place on Thursdays 3:30 – 4:30pm and is open to Years 3 – 6.
Download the Juniors Summer 2022/23 Co-Curricular Programme.

On Tuesday 28 March, Maddy P, Anika J & Sophiya R (Year 8) went to GDST Head Office in London, to represent Croydon High at the GDST’s inaugural scrabble tournament. The day was structured around four games, each half-an-hour long, with competitors facing off against one another one-by-one. Competition was tough and facilitators from the Association of British Scrabble Players commented on the high-level of game play that was employed across the day. Croydon High was by far the youngest team – sometimes playing against opponents four years their elder! In one particular game, Maddy P was able to beat her Year 12 opponent by playing just a four-letter-word “quay” (which scored her 54 points!).

For their efforts, Sophiya, Anika and Maddy each walked away with a Scrabble dictionary of their own, and the pride of having faced off against the best of the best. Bravo Sophiya, Anika and Maddy!

Mr George Flower
Teacher of Classics

The Year 9 Scholars curated and presented an exhibition of their very best work and learning to budding scholars.

Of course there is a lot of hard work behind the scenes. The group initially met in January to brainstorm ideas of how to project manage and pull off a successful and engaging exhibition.

Since then, scholars have worked hard independently to decide the themes for their curation as well as select the work they would feel most confident discussing at length with staff, parents and friends.

The group worked brilliantly and collaboratively on the afternoon of the event – last minute dashes to the printer aside – and parents and staff alike commented on the real positive energy and buzz in the room.

Erin said, “I really enjoyed this experience as it allowed me to broaden my creative abilities and long term management skills. I also valued being able to view my peers’ impressive work.”

Emily said, “It was actually very fun and it’s a really good way of displaying our work. After covid, our parents haven’t been able to see much and I feel proud to inspire the younger years to achieve high marks in their upcoming exams.”

Ms Howie would like to thank all the students and parents for their support of this successful event.

Ms Howie
Second in charge of English and Academic Scholars’ Coordinator

Earlier this month, for International Women’s Day, we ran a range of activities for the students to take part in. Art ran a session on typism in which Art scholar, Ella M (Year 8) created a beautiful piece of artwork which did not go unnoticed as it was retweeted by International Women’s Day (@WomensDay). The Tweet has received almost 100 likes!

It’s been a busy term in Progression and Futures. A thoroughly enjoyable whirlwind of events that have been exciting and eye-opening all at once.

This term I have had the pleasure of working with the whole of the Senior School through a number of streams. First, through PSHE lessons with Year 7s, 8s, 9s and Year 10s, where we have covered everything from squiggly careers to Money and Business Etiquette. Second, through the Future Thursdays and Skill Up programme where we have covered thought-provoking questions in tutor time and lectures in everything from How to Disagree to How the Economy Works and more. 

Simultaneously, we’ve had Firm and Insurance discussions for the Upper Sixth, Personal Statement writing for the Lower Sixth, PPAs for the Year 10s, the Oxbridge Club for Upper Sixth in full flow alongside the GDST Medical Conference, a GDST US Diplomat visit with Q&A and a visit by a member of the Foreign Office to talk to some girls about future careers in this domain. 

It’s been a relentlessly exciting term and there is yet more in the planning for the Summer and Autumn Term ahead.

Dr Lakha-Kassam
Head of Progression and Futures

The whole Croydon High community were treated to an array of singing talent in aid of the charity, Red Nose Day for Comic Relief. Several staff from both the Senior and Junior staff kindly volunteered to take part in Croydon High School’s Masked Singer. As per the TV program, contestants/staff hid their identity with a variety of masks and sang their songs. Due to the popularity of the competition (17 contestants and 2 guest appearances), pupils were treated to two semi-finals and were given the opportunity to vote for their favourite performers. The conversation around school throughout the week was pupils and staff guessing which member of staff was which contestant!

On Friday 17 March, the senior and junior staff and pupils gathered in their respective assembly halls to watch the much-anticipated Grand Final. Those who hadn’t made the final were revealed to much amusement and joy from pupils, then our finalists performed their second song. All pupils and staff voted for their favourite singer with results being announced at the end of the day.

During lunchtime 9B, under the leadership of Sophie and her dedicated team (Isabel, Zoe, Prisha, Ria, Janice, Prajnaa, Jiyaa, Megumi, Stella, Poppy, Amy, Charlotte, Emily, Rika, Sharani and Suvasthiga) ran a fantastic cake sale also raising money for Comic Relief.

As the day came to a close, pupils and staff gathered in their form rooms to watch the results. In true Masked Singer tradition, chants of ‘take it off, take it off’ and cheering was heard around schools as our finalists were revealed and the winner was announced.

Many many congratulations to this year’s Masked Singer Champion – Formula 1 driver (AKA Ms Harley from our Junior School) who sang Easy On Me and Mamma Mia during the competition.

A massive thank you to all the staff who took part in this year’s competition and special mention to Alan Bishop, who once again worked his magic in producing several amazing video productions.

Finally thank you to all those pupils, parents and staff in supporting this charity event and together we raised an amazing amount: TOTAL: £1,417.77

Mrs Sue Beck
Head of Community and Teacher of PE

A small window of fine weather on Monday meant the Amnesty International & Activism Club could set up stalls outdoors for our fundraising event.  Thanks to the sunshine and enthusiasm of all club members (made up of girls from across the year groups) we managed to raise £400 by enticing our friends to: try their luck in a chocolate raffle; enter our name-the-cuddly-toy competition; have Henna art on their hands; buy ivy-printed hair bands and laser cut keyrings; buy cute bead bracelets; decorate a tote bag and, of course, buy cookies and cakes!

We were reminded why fundraising is an important part of our work to support human rights by inviting our friends to sign Urgent Action letters addressed to the Thai government. The letters ask them to stop taking criminal proceedings against children under 18 and sentencing them to prison for simply exercising their human right to be able to protest peacefully.

Thank you to everyone for supporting us. Look out for our next event in the Summer Term!

Ms Yam, Ms Tooke & Amnesty & Activism Club Members.

Ms Carmel Tooke
Head of Year 11
English & Latin Teacher

Congratulations to Sofia (Year 1) for being Purley Food Hub’s star supporter! Sofia, supported by her sister Layla A (Year 4) and cousin Maya (Year 6) donated food and helped fundraise £600 for the charity. Well done girls, an amazing effort!