Leadership Likes: Mr Murphy
Assistant Head (Digital Strategy) and Head of Computer Science, Mr Murphy, looks to answer the question, “Is binary the new lingua franca of the world?”.
Read MoreWeekly News
Assistant Head (Digital Strategy) and Head of Computer Science, Mr Murphy, looks to answer the question, “Is binary the new lingua franca of the world?”.
Read More“Is binary the new lingua franca of the world?”
This interesting question was posed recently when I was discussing my job with a friend of a friend. Despite knowing that I worked in a school as an Assistant Head (Digital Strategy) and Head of Computer Science, this unsuspecting individual was not quite ready for the length and sheer enthusiasm of my answer!
However, it really is an intriguing idea to explore, with more companies and prominent individuals championing the positive effects of programming and computational thinking.
Lingua franca is defined as; “a language that is adopted as a common language between speakers whose native languages are different”. With the ever expanding reach of the internet bringing communities from all over the world together into one shared space, there is something to be said for its language, binary, as being regarded as the common language. However, this belies the fact that as users of the internet we are currently blissfully unaware of the 1’s and 0’s that underpin the environment that we use every day. To produce this machine code we have used programming languages and maybe it would be better to see these as the “common languages” of a technologically advanced society.
Digital technology is driving extraordinary global change, so much so that the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy and the World Economic Forum are calling it the Fourth Industrial Revolution. And education has been charged with developing and equipping our future generations with the skills that they will need to navigate this new technological world.
The national curriculum makes it clear that “computing” is mandatory at Key Stages 1 to 4 and that ‘a high-quality computing education equips pupils to use computational thinking and creativity to understand and change the world’. At Croydon High School we have been leaders and innovators in this field since 2018, creating an entirely new subject, Enterprise Technology, to prepare our girls for a digital world that might be very different to the one we, as parents and teachers, grew up in. Our bespoke curriculum has allowed our students to be creative users of technology, whilst also instilling in them the core skills needed in the field of Computer Science. Over the past few years we have had students go on to leading universities to study the subject due to their outstanding results, with last years cohort achieving 100% A*-A grades …and this year’s cohort aiming to maintain this trend.
Python often comes out top in polls for the most used and most loved programming language and is studied in our school as early as the Junior School, alongside block-based coding such as Scratch. Junior pupils have programmed articles of wearable technology, created websites and educational quizzes and so much more under the fantastic guidance of Mrs Krishnamurthy.
In the Senior School, pupils move away from block-based coding and the focus on Python as well as exploring HTML, CSS and some javascript. This year we have launched a Competitive Coding club for Year 10 and above, where students work individually or in small teams on various challenges, trying to devise the most efficient solution to a set problem. A select group of our Lower Sixth students have also decided to lead a Year 7 and Year 8 Coding Club to help pass down their skills to the younger year groups.
So when reflecting on the original question, I do not think that binary has become the new lingua franca of the world, but I do hope that Python is becoming the new lingua franca of Croydon High School. To put it more succinctly, I would like to share an exchange with my Upper Sixth class from earlier in the year.
Upper Sixth: Sir, there are 10 types of people in the world. Those who understand binary and those who don’t!
Mr Murphy: Well done girls! Do you know why I appreciate that…because I’ve got 1100011 problems, but binary ain’t one.
Mr Kevin Murphy
Assistant Head (Digital Strategy) and Head of Computer Science
This week we had a Q&A session with alumna Claire Stranack, Class of 2018, to discover her journey in becoming a Design Analyst at Deloitte Business Consulting and Services.
Read MoreClaire Stranack Class of 2018
What led you to study Internet Design?
I had a keen interest in both design and computer science while I was at school and wanted to pursue both in university and in my future career.
What was your top achievement at university?
My proudest achievement at university was probably graduating with first-class honours and completing my industrial placement year. My course consisted of such a range of modules that it’s hard to pick out specifics. Still, one of my favourites was a final year project where we were tasked to create a real-time interactive environment that would provide a memorable experience for users. This was by far the most creative project I did at university.
My peers and I created an artistic installation in which users could stand on wooden honeycomb-shaped platforms, which would influence sounds and visuals projected around them. The more people interact with the installation, the more intense the visuals and audio. This was supposed to represent a beehive and how it relies on teamwork to thrive. You can read about it in more detail here, where I documented the process: (warning it’s a very long read!) This is the promotional video/teaser trailer we created for the project.
Although a lot of the skills I picked up in this project aren’t directly transferable to my current role in consultancy, such as soldering circuits, or laser cutting, it was such an enjoyable module, and I’m so glad I was able to do something so creative while I was at University.
What was the highlight of your time at university?
There were so many that it is hard to choose, I’ve covered a lot of the academic achievements, but on a more personal level, university will be an experience I will always cherish. Moving away from home felt like a huge step, but in hindsight was such an opportunity. The experience pushed me out of my comfort zone considerably. I feel like I gained significant confidence and human skills, which I would have missed out on going straight into work.
You have done so well to gain employment at Deloitte. Can you tell us more about the process and what led you to such an accomplishment?
I completed a placement year between my 2nd and 3rd years of university. I started at a digital transformation company called Keytree and worked in the marketing department focusing on digital and graphic design. It wasn’t exactly what I wanted to do as a career, but I thought the experience would be worth it. After a month of working there, Deloitte acquired the company, where I completed the remaining 11 months of my placement. This was a pretty drastic change, moving from a smaller company of about 200 people to one with well over 200,000!
The whole year took place through various lockdowns, meaning a lot of Zoom calls and virtual events, I secured an employment offer once I graduated. This brought significant pressure off my final year at University and landed me the role of a UX (User eXperience) design consultant, which was much more in-line with what I wanted to do after university. Since being back at Deloitte, I have thoroughly enjoyed my work, and I am so happy I made the most of my placement year.
You are Co-Founder & Design Lead at Wireless Waiter. Sounds very interesting… Can you tell us more about this venture?
This was a project I got involved with on the side of my placement; I helped a small start-up by creating a website. Not only was this a fun and exciting opportunity, but it also helped me keep many of the coding skills I’d learnt at university fresh going into my final year. Since then, I also created a (much better) website for my sister’s business.
What is your fondest memory of Croydon High?
I have so many memories from my time at Croydon High after being there for ten years, I think one of my favourite memories was creating the beautiful stained-glass window, which (hopefully still) resides opposite the staff room. That was such a fun experience to be part of celebrating the 140th anniversary of the school. I also absolutely loved my time in Sixth Form. I took part in the Fashion Show, having almost free reign of the design workshop, and conducting all sorts of artistic experiments. I also sincerely appreciate all the teachers who made my experience so wonderful.
How do you think Croydon High shaped your future and what would you say to your 14-year-old self?
Croydon High really gave me a sense of confidence and a space where I could explore my strengths and passions. Being dyslexic made some areas of school challenging, but I never felt disadvantaged as I was always encouraged to do my best.
Looking back over all I’ve achieved in the last eight years I have to say I’m pretty content; I’d probably let her know she’ll be just fine, keep doing what she’s doing, so long as she makes the most of all opportunities that come her way.
What are your aspirations for the future?
I want to finish the graduate scheme at Deloitte and move from analyst to consultant in just over a year from now. I want to build on my career to succeed in my field of work. I would like to continue travelling and exploring the world; I’m particularly excited to visit America for the first time next year. I’m also keen to move house in the near future, my partner and I currently live in a wonderful flat in Canary Wharf, but we’d love more space, mainly to get a dog!
Considering that you are a 5th-generation pupil, do you feel a special connection to Croydon High?
Yes, I often speak with my grandma, who is an active alumna, about our time at Croydon High. Her years there were always so special to her, and I love that my sister and I can share those memories.
Liz Smith, Head of Art & 3D Design told us…
“Claire was always fascinated by Enterprise Technology and 3D Design. For her Upper Sixth 3000-word critical essay and her ARTiculation presentation, Claire spoke about the Elytra Filament Pavilion. Elytra was a responsive shelter that grew over the course of the V&A Engineering Season. Sensors in the canopy fibres collected data on how visitors inhabited the pavilion and monitored the structure’s behaviour, ultimately informing how and where the canopy grew. During a series of special events as part of the Engineering Season, visitors had the opportunity to witness the pavilion’s construction live, as new components are fabricated on-site by a Kuka robot.
Claire loved this idea and was inspired by self-tiding chairs plus self-driving cars and the way engineering, design and technology can work together. For her final project, Claire designed and created a to-scale working moving model, which was designed and coded by Claire (bringing both her passions together) to help the elderly queue. She was inspired by her Grandad who loved to travel but found queuing at the airport difficult. Like a true designer, Claire found the problem and decided to solve it! She was a fantastic 3D Design student, and we love catching up with her when she comes back to visit our yearly summer exhibition. We are extremely proud of all her achievements.”
Mrs Karen Roe
Alumnae Relations Manager
Award-winning author and performance poet, Valerie Bloom MBE, came to visit the Juniors. Valerie delighted the girls with stories of life in Jamaica and the children helped perform 'The Mouse's Song' and 'Pinda Cake'.
Read MoreDid you know that World Book Day is marked in over 100 countries? At Croydon High this week, we were once again part of this global celebration of books and reading.
Our Junior pupils enjoyed a range of activities including a book quotes scavenger hunt and book tasting sessions. Our traditional character dress-up saw Mary Poppins rub shoulders with Gangsta Granny in the classroom whilst the playground was over-run with tigers, dalmatian dogs (not quite 101!) and enthusiastic wizards. It was an impressive array of costumes from everyone.
The highlight of World Book Day was a visit by the award-winning author and performance poet Valerie Bloom MBE. Valerie has written nine collections of children’s poems, two novels and edited several poetry anthologies. During her KS1 & 2 sessions, she delighted the girls with stories about life in Jamaica and her poetry performances. We all learnt some words in Jamaican and everyone enthusiastically participated with sounds, words and actions. The highlight of the day for Year 4 was a poetry writing workshop. Under Valerie’s guidance and inspiration, every girl created a poem about a special person using metaphors which they proudly read out at the end of the session. A great day was had by all.
Mrs Karen Bower and Mrs Jane Monaghan
Junior School Teachers
Our participants had the time of their lives making new friends, learning about German history, applying their language skills in real life scenarios and being immersed in German culture for a week.
Read MoreWe travelled to Bonn to experience a bit of what life is like in Germany. On the first night we spent in Germany, my friends and I spent some time walking around Bonn with our exchange partners, and got to see the university of Bonn. Over the following days, we climbed cologne cathedral, went to the Haribo factory, visited a Nazi victim memorial centre, explored a sports museum, experienced a day in German school, and much more.
Over the weekend, my exchange partner and I attended a carnival widely celebrated in Germany, where we got to collect sweets, toys, and other souvenirs. On Sunday, we met up with some other girls and boys on the exchange and went bowling.
Overall, I found the trip very fun and it was really interesting to put the language we were learning to use. Although we were in Germany, we also talked about life in England and realised there were many similarities between the two countries. During this trip I got to learn a lot more about the history of Germany, as well as being able to pick up German phrases you would not necessarily learn in class.
Beyza C
Year 9
A group of German students from Croydon High met at school bright and early on 8 February so we could catch our flight to Bonn for the second part of our exchange. Over the course of the week, we spent lots of time exploring German cities, visiting museums, trying new food and drink, and of course, speaking lots of German!
Upon arrival, we greeted our exchange partners and host families after months apart and set off to our new ‘homes’ for the week. The following day we headed straight into action and spent the morning in German lessons, then the afternoon in the House of History, a museum where we learnt about different movements that have happened in Germany from 1945 onwards, such as the hippie and feminist movements. As someone who is excited to study A-Level German next year, I was very interested to learn more about the history and culture of Germany, as well as even more about the language.
On Friday, we took an exciting trip to Cologne with our exchange partners. Arguably the most tiring day; in the morning we visited the El-De House, a museum dedicated to the memorial of Nazi victims and teaching about the lives of those imprisoned in the old Gestapo prison. Whilst this was a very heavy topic for all of us, seeing the real inscriptions of old prisoners was a very eye opening and raw experience. Then, in the afternoon most of us took on the challenge of climbing all 533 steps up the Cologne Cathedral. Of course, we were greeted with a beautiful view over the city from the top – the pain of climbing up was definitely worth it!
For many of us, the weekend was the highlight of the trip as we got to experience a very special piece of German culture – der Karnevalsumzug (carnival). We all dressed up in fancy dress and joined masses of people as we watched the floats go past and listened to the bands perform the traditional carnival music.
One of my favourite parts of the trip was being able to listen to and try to understand natural conversation in another language. I found it fascinating to hear the many different conversation fillers and idioms used – they helped me to learn how to make conversation sound more fluent and I’m excited to start using some new ones in GCSE speaking and writing tasks!
The final two days were again filled with much exploration and adventure as we took walking tours around Aachen, a historical and pretty city to the West of Germany, and then a hike up the scenic Drachenfels mountain, where we could experience the sunshine and see views of Bonn from 321 metres up.
On our final morning in Bonn we said some emotional goodbyes to our exchange partners and headed off again to return back to England. Overall, the week was lots of fun and not only did it benefit us hugely in our understanding of German, but it provided us with new experiences and friendships that we will have for a long time – some of us have already made plans to see our partners again in the future. Thank you to Frau Sigusch and Mr Symes for taking us on the trip and for allowing us to fully immerse ourselves in such a great culture for the week!
Louise R
Year 11
The students spent four jam-packed days in Madrid, from indulging in Spanish cuisines to revelling in their history.
Read MoreOn the last Friday of half-term, we set off from London Gatwick after months of excitement! Upon arriving in Madrid at about 4pm after a short flight, we were greeted by sunny blue skies, which was perfect weather for the four busy days to come. We arrived at our hotel room which we loved because it had a balcony. After settling in and unpacking, we strolled around the bustling “Gran Vía” and, of course, indulged in classic Spanish tapas for our dinner – we needed this food for the strenuous walking ahead of us!
After waking up replenished on Saturday morning, we set off for the day, beginning with a trip to the beautiful and thriving ‘El templo de Debod”’ and ‘El Palacio Real’, which provided stunning views of Madrid. A personal highlight was visiting the cathedral, ‘la Catedral Almudena’, which held breathtaking architecture as well as representing a rich history. After our fun-filled morning, we stopped for a much needed lunch, before continuing on to visit “La Estación Atocha”, a beautiful metro station with foliage and greenery embedded throughout. The night concluded with a delicious dinner and a trip to the cinema – watching a film that wasn’t in English was challenging at times, but we all thoroughly enjoyed it.
Sunday provided as much exhilaration as the day before. Our first stop was exploring ‘Mercado San Miguel’ for breakfast, a vibrant market selling an abundance of amazingly crafted food, including the best almond croissants we have ever tasted. We visited the thriving “El Rastro” street market, each purchasing unique souvenirs and gifts to remember the memories we made on the trip. Little did we know our sporting abilities were about to be tested; upon the beautiful lake of “El Parque Retiro”, we hired a boat for the four of us, and to say the least, some were more skilled at rowing than others. The experience was made unforgettable due to the beautiful sunset we observed from the river.
On our final day, we had the opportunity to visit ‘La Reina Sofía’, a popular museum in Madrid. Amidst the different rooms of art, the most famous piece we saw was the ‘Guernica’, by Pablo Picasso. This was fascinating to see in real life, and was a lot larger in person than what we had all expected. Disappointingly, we were not permitted to take any photographs of this historical artwork (despite Felicity’s attempts). The art was extremely powerful, containing moving messages written on placards, which had been taken from protests.
After four action packed days, filled with countless unforgettable experiences, it was with great sadness that we left sunny Madrid and returned to London Gatwick. It was so exciting and rewarding to be able to put our Spanish speaking skills into real life scenarios, and we can all say that we will cherish the memories and experiences gained from this trip. We are so grateful to have been given this opportunity and could not have asked for better teachers to accompany us!
Thank you so much Mrs Maquiera and Ms Diez – from Faye, Sophia, Amelia and Felicity.
Faye P
Upper Sixth
Instrumentalists and vocalists from Years 3 – 6 performed in some after school Informal Concerts to parents in Holt Hall.
Read MoreOn Thursday 9 February and Thursday 23 February, instrumentalists and vocalists from Years 3 – 6 performed in some after school Informal Concerts to parents in the Holt Hall. The audiences enjoyed listening to music in different styles played on a range of instruments, including violin, piano, flute, clarinet, trumpet, harp, acoustic guitar, bass guitar, drum kit, as well as some vocal performances. This was a valuable experience for the musicians in helping them to build their confidence at performing in front of a small, friendly audience. For some girls it was their first time.
Congratulations to all the girls involved and thank you to their instrumental and vocal teachers who prepared their pupils for this event. Learning to play a musical instrument can be so much fun and has many benefits – whether it’s building your confidence, organisational skills, enhancing your memory, relieving stress, or widening your social circle. We are pleased that so many of the girls in Junior School learn an instrument and our orchestra is already starting to grow!
Miss Sarah Delany
Head of Junior School Music
Students in Years 9 – 11 took the UKMT Intermediate Maths Challenge.
Read MoreStudents in Years 9 – 11 took the UKMT Intermediate Maths Challenge on Wednesday 1 February. Solving problems such as:
“The mean of 𝑝 and 𝑞 is 13; the mean of 𝑞 and 𝑟 is 16; the mean of 𝑟 and 𝑝 is 7. What is the mean of 𝑝, 𝑞 and 𝑟?”
And
“Jill was given a large jar of jam. She gave one sixth of the jam to Jan. Jill then gave one thirteenth of the remaining jam to Jas. Jill was left with 1 kg of jam. What was the weight, in kg, of the jam in Jill’s jar at the start?”
All without the use of a calculator!
The results have come back and 26 students achieved a Bronze award, 14 a Silver. Congratulations to all who achieved these awards.
Also to be congratulated are Prakruti, Khadeejah and Charlotte who all got a Gold award.
Charlotte achieved so well that she has been selected for the Grey Kangaroo challenge later this year.
Mr William Leonard
Second in charge of Mathematics
Four STEM Sixth Formers took part in a first aid course organised by Biology teacher Ms James.
Read MoreOn Wednesday evening, four STEM Sixth Formers, Sibel K, Treasure A, Anya P, Gaji M took part in a first aid course organised by Biology teacher Ms James. The two teams ‘Bromine Water’(consisting of Sibel and Anya) and ‘Alkenes’ (Gaji and Treasure) competed against each other, accumulating points for correct answers but Bromine Water took the lead, by 2 points, winning first aid kits. As well as the competitive element, the group had the opportunity to learn CPR, participating in practical work as well as learning theory which included how to react in emergency situations (including seizures) and the contents of a first aid kit. One of the participants, Treasure, ‘enjoyed learning about the different procedures performed in emergency situations as I feel more prepared should anything happen’.
Tabitha P
Sixth Form
A group of sports scholars from Years 8, 9 and Lower Sixth travelled to Sutton High School for the Annual GDST Day of Sport.
Read MoreOn Friday 10 February, a group of sports scholars from Years 8, 9 and Lower Sixth travelled to Sutton High School for the Annual GDST Day of Sport. It was a really fun day that gave us knowledge on all different aspects of sport!
The day began with all of the GDST schools gathering in the sports hall which was a really great experience to be able to come together with our sister schools for the event. Once everyone had arrived, we were given goodie bags, with a water bottle and resistance band, which some of us would be needing later on. Next, there was a really interesting talk from Eboni Usoro-Brown, a former England Netball player, who spoke to us about her journey to the England Team, and how setbacks are often a very good learning opportunity.
Throughout the day, we met with lots of other high-performing athletes across a wide range of sports, attending two workshops in the morning, and one workshop in the afternoon. There was a huge range of activities on offer; from hockey, cricket, netball, swimming and strength and conditioning (many with England players), to talks about learning styles, sports media, podcasting and female athletes’ menstrual health. All activities were interesting and informative in their own way and the athletes spoke with energy and enthusiasm.
In the practical sessions like hockey, netball, swimming and cricket, we did many drills that we can share and take back to training with our teams inside and outside of school to help us improve together, and we were encouraged to partner up with girls from other GDST schools. The sessions were 50 minutes long and we did them for most of the day, with a lunch break in the middle. After lunch, we had a talk with Limitless, the providers of our school sports kit, and we all enjoyed looking back at a timeline of sportswear for women. We all agreed that it has come a long way since the 1800s, where women played in long dresses and bonnets.
The day was productive and we had lots of fun, thank you to Miss Whittingslow and Mr Claydon for taking us and we hope to have more fantastic opportunities like this in the future, to help us improve and progress even further in sport!
Isy P and Sophie C
Year 9
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.