Cranford Review 2015

Cranford
High
Achievers
Programme
in Full
Bloom
After 3 years the High Achievers Programme, is now in full bloom; seeing some of its first participants
achieving far beyond expectations. The High Achievers Programme has enabled students to adopt a new
perspective on learning, seeing it not as something that they can gain just from lessons but rather by
participating in the wider world. After our trip to Oxford University we were told that learning had to be intrinsic,
that a student’s innate love for their subject is what makes them stand out. This is what I and Mr Biggs have
encouraged in students over the past few years.
Such a desire can be found by considering our first young fellows group which is now embarking on new and
exciting journeys to some of the best universities in the UK and Worldwide, I am especially proud of Gugandeep
Banga who achieved a full international scholarship to New York University after completing a Sutton Trust
International Summer School. Our second year young fellow participants have been spending much of their free
time attending summer schools at the top universities: Oxford, Cambridge, Eton and University College London,
They gained knowledge that will be passed on through young fellows’ dinners next year, while our young year
9 scholars have been accepted onto the year 10 UCL scholars programme after completing both their first and
second years with flying colours. Here they will be able to explore medicine, astro physics and engineering in
greater depth and our year 8 scholars will follow suit.
Three of our High Achiever writers have won themselves a place at the First Story writer residential this summer,
an opportunity to work with prestigious published authors. We have also been lucky to have taken part in an
exploration day lead by a PhD student from Cambridge, where our AimHigher year 12 students were able to discuss
in-depth ‘Platos Meno’ and whether in fact goodness can be defined.
The High Achiever group has taken part in the prestigious Benjamin Franklin debates at the US Embassy, and
the participated in the prestigious international essay writing competition for the Living Rain Forest. We have
also been out of school on several discovery days with year 9 students at University College London, looking at
engineering, physics and humanities, to encourage learning through exploration. Such a desire to learn has been
furthered through the key stage 3 Theology Book club and Philosophy Boys and Girls who over the past three
years have grown in true awareness of the ultimate questions that surround us.
For me the High Achiever Programme continues to be a driving force behind my love of education and indeed
behind my belief that through encouragement and opportunity a child regardless of background or ability can
achieve far beyond their own and others’ expectations.
Katie Hibbins (High Achievers Co-ordinator)
Jacinta Noel
(Law)
Roshini Lal
(English)
Mumtaza Ahmed
(Biological Chemistry)
Nabila Hiyati
(Biological Chemistry)
Alexinder Riyat
(Chemistry)
Janvi Poddar
(Chemistry)
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