Year 5 had an enjoyable afternoon on Wednesday 24 April 2024, presenting their wearable technology ideas and products to the competition judges, Mr David King, Head of Digital Operations, Formula 1 and Miss Lucy Abisogun, Senior Delivery Manager, Formula 1.

They used the BBC Micro:bit to program their wearable tech and did an amazing job with their product design, program and presentation.

The winners from 5M were Sanaa, Maggie, Nayonika, Yasmin and Alisia for their design of the ‘Mini Micro Bracelet’, a versatile fashion accessory made from recycled materials and packed with features including a step counter, a couple of games and a compass.

The winners from 5W were Saranya, Siya, Anika, Ellie and Alara for their design of ‘Tech Bit’, a pouch made from recycled fabric and programmed to have a wide range of features, including a countdown timer, a game, dice, compass, direction determiner and a light sensor.

Mrs Krishnamurthy
Head of Junior School Enterprise Technology

On Wednesday 1 May, Year 2 travelled to the British Wildlife Centre in Lingfield. We spent the day with our keeper, Claire, who took us on three different journeys exploring the centre. We saw a huge number of different animals: owls, rats, mice, foxes, frogs, pine martens, hedgehogs, Scottish wild cats, badgers, deer, and otters.

Claire gave us interesting facts about the animals. We watched her feeding the otters and she let the hedgehog run from the centre of our circle to choose who smelt the most delicious! We were incredibly lucky to be able to see badger cubs sleeping in their sett.

Mrs Nikki Crossfield
Assistant Head (Pastoral and Outreach) of Junior School and Year 2 Teacher

“GDST Lead was a fantastic way to get a taste of the entrepreneurial world and learn from inspirational women. It was empowering to see our product come to life and see the social change we were able to bring about in our community.”

^{-Alice and Lexi, Lower Sixth}

Participants are challenged to establish an entrepreneurial venture, devising a sustainable product or service to support a charity of their choice. The program provides mentorship, with guidance from entrepreneurs and advocates for social justice.

On Thursday 25 April, Croydon High LEAD team, Signify, showcased their project at the Final Showcase event at LSE, attended by pupils and staff from 30 GDST schools.

The judges were highly impressed with both their concept and presentation and were given an honourable mention.

As a team, Signify was passionately dedicated to bridging the gap between deaf and hearing children, recognising the overlooked importance of inclusivity in both media and education. Their collective focus was on providing children aged 4-8 with an engaging platform to learn and practice sign language fundamentals, fostering meaningful communication among all youngsters. The team offered two integral components: an interactive workshop and a captivating storybook.

The Team has raised over £400 for The Elizabeth Foundation.

A heartfelt thank you is due to the entire school community for their unwavering support for this cause.
Well done to the GDST Lead Team for their exceptional dedication and hard work over the past eight months.

_{GDST Lead Team: Lexi R, Alice C, Lucy M, Milly C, Anaya P, Sofia G, Beatrice P, Aashka P, Prakruti S, Ananya V, Gisela C and Isla M.}

Mrs Serradilla
Head of Business and Economics

Last week saw the Art & 3D Design department start and finish the week off with 50 hours of public examinations for the Year 11 and Upper Sixth pupils, and what a week it was! The pupils did themselves proud with exciting, thought-provoking, risk-taking pieces. Unfortunately, we cannot show you their final pieces as these are their exam pieces, but we would love you to join us at our annual summer exhibition for the private view on Wednesday 12 June at 4.00 – 7.00pm in the main school hall to see what incredible work they have created.

The creative journey they have been on over the last two years has been incredible. Mrs Greaves, Mrs Palmer and I are delighted with their outcomes and proud of them for how hard they have worked, we promise you it will be the best exhibition you will see this summer!

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

Are you aged 15-18 and interested in finding out more about creative careers?

At NPG, we work alongside colleagues with different interests, skills and journeys – all of whom help look after the Collection, deliver programmes and exhibitions, and welcome visitors every day.

This 3-day insights programme offers behind-the-scenes access to NPG, where you will meet and work with different teams across the Gallery, gaining a deeper understanding of what type of careers and pathways are available.

Going Pro is an open call for ten young people. Read on to find out more and apply. Applications close on 17 May, 12 noon.

Find out more

Book your place today