Cranford Review 2019

I
am delighted that you
are now reading our
annual publication of the
Cranford Review. Whatever
the political and economic
climate at Cranford we will always ensure that we
continue to support all the amazing opportunities for
students and staff which are exemplified in this year’s
bumper 120 page Cranford Review, the longest ever
in its 15th year of publication. The Review celebrates
our values, as well as the excellence, the community
and international dimensions of our unique academy,
and the enormous breadth of curricular and extracurricular
provision which is virtually unrivalled, in
the state and private sectors.
Editorial
This summer was another hugely successful year for
Year 11. Every performance measure improved even
above last year’s terrific record-breaking outcomes
and testify that Cranford remains outstanding in all
areas. We also celebrate the success of our Sixth
Form students who once again have gone on to study
at some of the most prestigious universities in the UK
including the Russell Group. I am immensely proud
of the academic success of all our students which
makes Cranford so popular across West London.
One key theme of this publication is ‘Partnerships’
and the list of international links continues to grow.
You will see the amazing number of visits and
exchanges Cranford staff and students took part
in this year involving many schools and education
professionals from around the globe including China,
Thailand, Korea, Norway and the United States. In
October I was delighted to join our inaugural student
trip to our partner school in South Korea which will
now become an annual event in addition to the other
international opportunities we already offer.
Another key theme for many years has been our
commitment to transforming the community. We are
a founding member of Hounslow’s Promise and chair
the Heston West Big Local, two major organisations
which focus on improving the life chances of
our young people through exciting community
improvement programmes. In this Review you will
see the difference our student volunteers and Sixth
Form committees make to their social and physical
environment through the many projects they lead.
Cranford Review 2018 / 2019
The astonishing range of wider curriculum
opportunities also includes specific projects which
deepen and enhance students’ learning experience
through performances, challenges, masterclasses,
debates, conferences and competitions as well as
clubs, trips, visits and lectures. Both the PSHCE
and Creative Arts programme were applauded by
the Leading Edge Assessor as examples of Best
Practice nationally. Cranford was also designated one
of the first national providers for the new T Levels
(Technical) qualifications being launched next year
in recognition of its outstanding track record.
This year showcased our first ever Cranford Opera
inspired by our partner the English National Opera.
On the sporting front, Cranford participated in the
first ever ‘One World Marathon’ an event launched by
Boston Marathon survivor Dave Fortier who visited
Cranford in the Autumn of 2018. The marathon
theme of ‘Bringing the World Together’ sums up the
cohesive ethos of the diverse community that makes
up Cranford, a perfect example of students from
different religious and ethnic backgrounds learning
side by side in harmony. Our careers programme has
again grown in size and quality with events such
as the UNIQ access residential programme run
by Oxford University, the University of the Arts
Insights initiative, the Eton College Summer School,
the Social Mobility Programme and University of
Cambridge Science Lecture to name but a few.
As a lead school for Teacher Training we are proud
of the increasing number of highly qualified former
Cranford students choosing to train with us in
order to become teachers at our school. Like me,
these Alumni want to give something back to the
community where they grew up.
This is my 18th year as Head Teacher at Cranford
Community College and I can wholeheartedly say
that each year, the school goes from strength to
strength. I am constantly energised by the sheer scale
of our staff and students’ achievements and I hope
you too can get a flavour of these when you read this
Review.
Kevin Prunty
(Executive Headteacher and
National Leader of Education)
“Cranford Review” is a publication of Cranford Community College © 2019, available in digital format at www.cranford.hounslow.sch.uk/newsletters-publications
Cranford Community College is a charitable company limited by guarantee registered in England and Wales under company registration number 7559818 at
High St, Cranford, Middlesex TW5 9PD | Editor-in-chief: Jessica Joyce | Graphic design: Enzo Gianvittorio | Printed by: Springfieldpapers.com

the schools, students
and teachers network
Cranford Community College wins Award from
the National High-performing Schools Network
Cranford Community College has been recognised
Once again, for its outstanding level of performance by Leading
Edge, a national network of exclusively high-performing secondary and special schools.
Leading Edge supports schools working in partnership to raise achievement, develop
innovative practice within and beyond the network.
Run by the Schools, Students and Teachers network (SSAT), Leading Edge is made up
of schools who have demonstrated statistically significant levels of progress because
their students perform well above the national average.
SSAT’s Chief Executive Sue Williamson said “We are delighted with Cranford
Community College’s membership of our Leading Edge network. It is a credit to the
hard work of all of their staff and students that they have been recognised as one of
the most high-performing schools nationally”.
In January 2019 members of the Senior Leadership Team attended a thought provoking
SSAT Masterclass in Leadership led by Astronaut Dr Michael Foale who works at
NASA on the Shuttle-Mir programme and carried out repairs on the Hubble space
station on several occasions.
The day was inspirational and covered these themes:
• How to Succeed in a Different Culture
• Leadership and Followership
• Benefits of taking on difficulties
• Practice for crisis management
• Effectiveness over Efficiency
• Successful teams stick together under duress
Veronique Gerber (Associate Headteacher)
1

the schools, students
and teachers network
Recognition for Cranford’s
Leading Edge Creative Arts and PSHCE Curriculum
On
29th March 2019
Angelina Idun visited
Cranford Community College to
look at excellence in Creative Arts
and PSHCE. She was extremely
impressed by the innovative work
to further enhance and develop
the curriculum offer for our
students.
She was fascinated to hear how
Luke Joyce’s experience and
connections in the music industry
as a member of a rock band has
brought new life and energy to the
music department. The tour of the
music area gave her a good insight
into how the department has been
transformed into an inspirational
learning environment that is well
used by students. The discussion
with Luke Joyce and Rory
O’Hare highlighted the focus on
helping students acquire some
of the skills the industry needs,
on giving students a real and
relevant learning experience and
an opportunity if they wished to
achieve alternative qualifications.
The student compositions were of
a very high quality and showed
the extent to which through this
subject students are being given
a voice and a chance to be totally
creative, writing lyrics for songs
and expressing themselves on the
issues that matter to them.
Angelina also spent time with
Barbara Lodge to take a detailed
look at the “real and gritty”
key stage 3 PSHCE curriculum
that she has designed and the
stimulating resources that have
been built up promoting active
learning, quality discussion,
independence and collaboration.
She was fortunate to see a
PSHCE lesson in action when
she visited with the delegation
from Colombia in November
2018 seeing a First Aid lesson
in process and witnessed firsthand
the buzz of the PSHCE
classroom. She also had a chance
to read some of the reflective
emails that students write at the
end of a session which powerfully
demonstrate the impact of the
PSHCE curriculum on students’
ability to keep themselves safe
and to address any concerns they
may have.
Other schools and academies
in the SSAT and Leading Edge
networks will be able to learn
about Cranford’s approach to the
creative curriculum and PSHCE
as well as other aspects of
excellent practice through blogs
and journal pieces.
Veronique Gerber
(Associate Headteacher)
2
“I really enjoy being able to
discuss important things, I have
learned how to listen to other
people even when I don’t agree
with them”. (year 8 student)
“I think that PSHCE is very
important to learn all the
skills we need through our lives
and not just for passing exams”.
(year 8 student)
“My favourite topic was equality,
I was shocked to see that there
are still so many inequalities
between men and women”.
(year 9 student)
“I feel that I can be more open about
being an LGBTQ+ ally in the world”.
(year 9 student)
“I like the chance we have to reflect
privately and ask Miss if we have
any questions we didn’t want to ask
in front of the class”. (year 9 student)
RSL overall has been an amazing experience. It offered
me opportunities to improve as a musician. Mr Joyce’s
expertise was highly appreciated and his wonderful
teaching helped substantially and inspired me to begin to
write my own music at home in my spare time. The facilities
available are amazing; The two studios, each fitted out
with professional software, the computer room and the live
drum kit has enabled, not just me but everyone around to
find their inner musician.
Zayia Berum (year 10)
RSL this year is an amazing experience and the teachers
and facilities they provided me with are extremely helpful
in allowing me to improve my musical skills. I’m thankful
for the support and help they have given me and I feel
I’ve grown more experienced because of it. I’ve been
given the opportunity to perform in front of the school
and for summer events which substantially improved my
confidence in front of an audience and allowed me to get
more creative with my own work. I’m extremely proud of
how far I’ve come since the start of the year and strive to
improve more next year.
Corben Smith (year 10)

“Just wanted to say how
amazing it was to see the
year 7s in action with
Creative Arts yesterday.
It truly was a breath of
fresh air. Thank you. Your
great relationships with the
cohort have obviously made
an impact on the passion
that they have for the arts.
Long may it continue”.
Year 7
Creative Arts Event:
Acceptance
Jasmeet Birdi
(Head of Year 7)
On
Wednesday 27th March 2019 the
Creative Arts team hosted an event
with year 7 on the theme of “Acceptance”,
celebrating their work in creative arts during
the spring term.
Guests including parents, staff, students and their
siblings were invited to watch performances and
take part in a carousel of music, animation, art
and drama workshops alongside year 7. During
the event the audience undertook a promenade
style experience, escorted by the year 12 Arts
and Culture committee through the different
creative arts spaces to see the work year 7 have
been doing in creative arts. This included; Pivot
animation with Art backgrounds including
Tracey Emin style textile work, Flipbooks;
Drama performances based on acceptance and
storytelling and a range of music performances,
including 3 original compositions and one
solo performance, and finally a stripped back
performance in the drama studio with animation.
“Please pass on my congratulations
and thanks to the Year 7s and your
Creative Arts team for a wonderful
event yesterday. The year 7
students were fantastic, giving
amazing performances. The
activities in Art were great and I
spoke to some of the parents who
were enjoying the “therapeutic”
glass painting and were so chuffed to be
taking their pieces home. The Sixth Form
helpers were such good ambassadors for
the school and the Creative Arts team and
it was lovely to see them there too. Many
thanks and well done to all”.
Maria Bramhall
(Assistant Head of School)
The event was well attended and the performances
were really well received. Parents in particular
enjoyed the opportunity to take part in the
art based workshops working alongside their
children and learning various techniques. They
said they welcomed more events like this as it
really highlighted what can be achieved and the
range of arts opportunities available to nurture
the talent and hard work of year 7 in their first
year at Cranford.
Jessica Joyce (Consultant - Creative Arts)
3

2019
When
I think of the
First Story 2019
cohort the first few words that come
to mind are creativity, trust and most
importantly, laughter. This was all
present every Thursday after-school
in A108 as a group of 14 budding
writers – inspired by author Ross
Raisin and each other – put pen to paper to create
the wonderful ‘Word Runway’. It’s a title which
connotes a sense of direction, a limitless future
grounded in the foundations of what is important
to us – our community and ultimately, this is what
First Story became for all of us – a community. It
was an opportunity to turn up to A108 and forget
the challenges of the day. Lessons (both learnt
and taught) which didn’t quite go to plan, PE kits
forgotten and friends not quite getting on were
all forgotten as soon as Ross was picked up from
reception and the creative juices began to flow.
All this hard work accumulated for the launch of
the anthology at our 2019 First Story Launch Event
on Wednesday 26th June 2019. It was a lovely
evening; attended by Executive Headteacher Kevin
Prunty and staff, invited guests from First Story,
parents, students and our visiting Shanghai student
and teachers delegation all there to celebrate the
wonderful achievements of this year’s cohort. We
heard all the students read their pieces aloud, ate
delicious snacks and wrote a collective ‘Mexican
Wave’ poem – led by Ross Raisin, our resident
writer – which definitely left everyone with a smile
on their face. The evening was enjoyed thoroughly
by all who attended.
If you are in year 10 or year 12 and want to take
part in next year’s First Story cohort – contact Miss
McConville for more information.
Aisling McConville (First Story Lead Teacher)
I Come From
I come from the dusty pink sky
that stares at me while I sleep.
I come from my wildest dreams
that carry me to another world
in my past, present and future.
I come from kindness.
I come from politeness.
I come from happiness.
I come from the ground that saw me fall
and helped me up again,
that taught me to walk,
yet put so many barriers in my way.
I come from my mistakes.
Simran Sanghera (year 10)
Corroding to Dust
I stretch out, hoping to break free of my prison, my shackles; my roots
dislocate, as I yearn to be free. I see the ravens in their flocks, yet I am forced
to be grounded below the sky. What is my existence? What is my meaning?
The clouds make a mockery of me, they are free from this life of chains. My
only solemn wish is to be set free. If only I could grasp and hold on to my
wish and make it a reality. But this battle that I face only has one conclusion:
impossible.
The sun comes and goes, like feelings of the heart. Stealing then evanescence.
Life drenched from the sky, cosseting her in scars, tearing her up, never to
be mended again. The stars cry as I watch them corrode to dust. The moon’s
beam now extinguished, allowing crimson blood to overflow. Gunshots like
lightning bolts strike my branches, tearing and slashing them.
I can feel the ricochet of fallen planets as they pass into oblivion, for ever,
ceasing to exist. If only I could run, fly, sink even, six feet under.
4
Shahneen Ramji (year 10)

The Thoughts Don’t Stop
The thoughts don’t stop in my head.
It’s like the traffic lights are consistently green.
No time to stop, think or reflect – thoughts forever
invading my space, zooming around in my head, causing
me insomnia.
I hear voices talking in my head.
There’s no space for quiet, no space for peace,
continuously speaking in my head – no space for
calmness.
A continuous battlefield in my mind.
I need peace, I need a calm and quiet place.
Words floating in my head – sad, depressed, stressed,
anxious,
nervous.
My thoughts are like a steam train not stopping at any
station.
Full steam ahead.
I need a calm and quiet space.
Gurshaan Ghattoray (year 10)
Life?
Some carve their path
whilst others stay in their lane.
Kids yearn for toys and wonder, ‘which one should I play
with today?’
Adults moan about work
and teens complain about their worth
whilst university students are slapped in the face with too
much
coursework.
Life is a never-ending story, always changing for each
being.
Some complain and some groan,
but at least we all have shelter…
Oh, wait, some don’t.
Some are fortunate and some not so fortunate.
We should be grateful for everything life has given us.
Lerin Bejaj (year 10)
Drifting
The Sun smiles warmly at the Moon and beams brightly at Earth, orbiting her alongside her seven other beloved planets.
I am left to embrace my hydrogen and rock, unable to sustain any life form;
no one to orbit me, beam at me or keep me warm. I have to lie here forgotten by the population of Earth, the robots of Mars,
the rings of Saturn and even the large mass of Jupiter.
They call me Pluto. I’m nothing but a dwarf planet, stripped of the title, no longer part of the Solar System – and drifting
further away to this day. Envy washes over me in shades of deep indigo and bright violet as I watch Earth’s twenty-four
hours of day while I’m stuck with my one hundred and fifty-three. Earth’s beauty lies nine and a half light years away but
every morning I can see his beautiful grey winds, changing seasons, vast oceans and green lands, and every morning I think
about how much of me I would give away to be a part of that.
They call me Pluto: the no-longer recognised dwarf planet, stripped of the title, no longer part of the Solar System – and
drifting further away to this day.
Asha Egal (year 10)
5

In
Memory
of
Hamza
Hussain
Students and staff at Cranford Community College were
shocked and deeply saddened by the sudden passing of
Hamza Hussain (year 12) in February 2019.
Hamza joined had Cranford in year 9 and it wasn’t long before
he was very much part of the Cranford family, establishing
firm friendships with many of the students in his year group.
A pleasant, upbeat and caring individual, Hamza was
respected by staff and students alike.
A memorial service took place at
Cranford in the Memorial Garden,
during the last week of the Spring
term, to celebrate his life and time at
the school. A bench was dedicated and
inscribed in his honour. The downpour
that ensued during the memorial,
perfectly captured the mood of all
those present, although it did little
to hide the tears. A special thanks to
Hamza’s friends and his father who
epitomise courage and stoicism.
Hamza would have been proud.
Mark Cripps (Head of Post 16)
A Level Trip to Osmington Bay 2019
Friday 7th – Sunday 9th June 2019 saw the annual A level trip to
Osmington Bay. Seven year 12 Geographers completed a 3-day
fieldwork collection at Lyme Regis, Weymouth and Chesil Beach.
Despite the blustery conditions, 990 primary school children dancing
to ‘Baby Shark’ and some reluctant questionnaire participants, the
students worked amazingly as a group to collect data for their research
projects, as well as for each other’s. They measured the success of
coastal management strategies along this historic coastline, as well
as deepening their understanding of the natural processes of erosion
occurring and the impacts of tourists on local residence. Time was
also made to sample the local bakeries.
A great team effort which no doubt will result in some fantastic
pieces of original research and great outcomes.
6
Ruth Ewing (Head of Geography Department)

• What if you
challenged yourself
every single day for
five days?
The Jamie’s Farm experience
2018/19
• What if you stepped
out of your comfort
zone on a daily basis?
• What if you gave up
your phone for five
days?
• And chocolate?
• What if you were not
allowed to be in touch
with your loved ones?
• Would you dare?
That’s what 24 of our students did in November
2018 and June 2019. They dared.
They took a leap of faith and were welcomed by
the fantastic team at Jamie’s Farm. Jamie’s Farm
is a working farm with both dairy and beef cows,
sheep, horses, chickens, dogs, ducks and a donkey.
It uniquely combines farming, family and therapy
into a 5-day residential with a focus on giving
children time to reflect, to renew and determine a
new path for themselves.
Our students (and staff) challenged themselves
on a daily basis. They worked outside in fresh air,
cooked for everyone, milked cows, collected eggs,
sawed wood, sang songs
around the fire, herded sheep, worked with
horses, helped delivering lambs, cleaned out the
pigsty, developed leadership skills, cared for the
animals as well as each other and grew up along
the way. The bonds our students made with the
staff at Jamie’s Farm, with each other and with
the accompanying teachers and TAs are a great
reminder of how important it is to step out of your
comfort zone every now and then.
It was a great privilege to be part of the journey they
decided to embark upon.
Alexandra Manole (Lead Teacher - Jamie’s Farm)
7

Cricket
at
Cranford
Community
College 2019
Another
year where Cranford were a
part of the U15 McKenzie
&CO Cricket competition competing against schools
in the region. This year we entered both the boys and
girls for the hardball tournament. The competitions
were held at Barn Elms Cricket pitches.
The boys were up first and again displayed their great cricket skills winning games including a victory over
West London Free Academy. This led to a semi-final game against Christ School which was an exciting
game that included some big hitting. Overall the boys finished 3rd but missed out on a place in the county
finals. However they will be back next year to win.
The girls were keen to follow the boys’ success and did one better, reaching
the County Finals. On the day they had to play 4 games with 3 wins required to
guarantee a place in the county finals. This is exactly what the girls delivered
with victories over local rivals Heston, Hammersmith Academy and William
Perkins. Overall all girls were outstanding both on and off the field but there
were some stand out performances from Avneet Bagri 10T with both bat and
bowl, Amneet Sangha 10Z as wicketkeeper with her catches and quick run outs,
and finally Areeba Ali 9U in Year 9 taking a hat trick against Hammersmith
ensuring our 2nd place finish.
Cricket with Wycombe House CC
This year our students were able to benefit from some professional cricket
coaching and player development. The coaches came from Wycombe House
Cricket Club who alongside the Eshaki Foundation were supporting the
development of both boys’ and girls’cricket in our local area. Students engaged
in fun, dynamic and creative training sessions learning techniques and skills
such as bowling, fielding and power hitting.
The coaches Prashant and Deepal were full of praise for our students, and
our students were full of praise for them and their knowledge, experience and
innovative sessions. Wycombe House CC is a local cricket club to Cranford
and it will be great to see more of our students both boys and girls joining
local clubs, taking their game to the next level.
And The Final Over...
In the final week of the summer term the year 7&8 cricket team played Rivers
Academy. They required 1 run on the final ball to win their league and are
now League Champions. The year 10 boys cricket team won their league and
will go onto play the final Hounslow League in September 2019.
Well done from all in the PE department and for keeping the Cranford name
held high on the cricket circuit.
Hamesh Rattu (PE Department)
“This year the girls in
Cranford Community
College received fantastic
opportunities to play cricket.
Through our hard work,
dedication and amazing
teamwork we were able to
qualify to the Middlesex
county finals. We had regular
training but before each
competition we trained
every-day for a week.
Our hard work payed off as
we came 2nd in the regional
tournament and finished 4th
in the whole of Middlesex
County. We could not have
done his without the amazing
Mr Rattu as he was very
organised and determined
to train us to be the best.
We enjoyed our cricket
sessions and were also lucky
Sir arranged to have a U21
Middlesex cricket player
come join us for a session to
help with our bowling skills.
We hope the girls in Year 9 and
below keep the girls’ cricket
team going from strength to
strength next year. Some of
us have been nominated and
invited for country trials to
play girls hardball cricket
which we are very excited
about”.
Karolina Mucko
(year 10 - on behalf of the
U15 Girls team)
8

Duke of Edinburgh
Award Expedition - July 2019
On
the weekend of the 5th and 6th July 2019 44 year 9 students embarked on
their Duke of Edinburgh Bronze award expedition to Chalfont Heights.
Using all of their map reading, team work and navigation skills they tackled a
challenging 24km hike over two days, encountering a range of challenges as they
did so! From tackling difficult terrain to dealing with the terrifying threat of horses,
all students worked incredibly well in their teams to support and motivate each
other. Weeks of classroom training were suddenly made very real when faced with
the outdoors, a map and a compass to get you back to the safety of the campsite.
After a challenging first day which included getting lost, many stinging nettles
and a horse rescue mission from Mrs Brooks, students showed off their well-honed
camp skills: putting up tents, cooking over their stoves and supporting each other as
they relaxed after a long day. Day two, and the teams had learnt from the mistakes
of day one and managed their day much more carefully; everyone managed to
get to the end point on time and achieved the aims of their expedition. Particular
congratulations go to group 1 – Angel, Nadra, Kinza, Amandeep, Aja and Isra –
who were the first to reach camp on day one and complete the whole route on
day two entirely independently. They showed incredible team work, supporting
each other through some very difficult moments, and were an absolute credit to
themselves and the school.
Massive thanks also go to the staff who gave up their time to support the students
in a number of ways, going well beyond the normal demands of the classroom
and demonstrating the dedication to the students which makes the Cranford staff
so special: Mr Venancio Ferreira, Ms Shaikh, Mr Bussue and Mr Lennon for
accompanying, assessing and supporting students throughout the expedition. Ms
Ledlie, Mr Dhokia and Mr Nation-Tellery for their help in the training process
(particularly accompanying the very wet training hike!) and Ms Bendix, Mr
Fraser, Ms Prunty, Ms Gladysz and Ms Brown for supporting the logistical and
administration side of the expedition.
Evelyn Brooks (2nd in English – Duke of Edinburgh Trip Leader)
9

1927 presents… “It was a really lovely trip - thank you
for arranging. Pupils were really taken
aback by the themes of the production,
particularly frustrated at the idea that
those living on the estate would never
leave the estate even though some had
high aspirations to do so. There were
lots of conversations about how they
would direct the ending if they had the
chance to do so”.
On
Wednesday 6th
March 2019 we
were privileged and fortunate
to be in invited to the Lyric
Theatre Hammersmith to see
an interesting new play. This
play promised to be different
combining animation with
stage production. The year
7 students who have been studying animation and drama in their
creative arts lessons took a swift commute to Hammersmith where we
joined an audience made of more schools and enjoyed this inventive
production.
The story took place in a cabaret style Russian inspired town where
the inhabitants lived in fear of the animals and children that lived
on the streets. We followed several characters who lived in the run
down city as they dreamt of escaping. It was beautiful to watch as
the actors brought large, odd characters to life and then inhabited the
strange setting. The whole play took place in front of a screen upon
which the city and elements were projected. For example; When a
character swept animated dust would blow in the background and
later the actors were chased by cartoon creatures.
Everyone left with different interpretations of the story and strong
opinions of what they did and didn’t like. It was amazing to hear the
discussions from year 7 about what bits were the best and why.
Dan Ramsden (Creative Arts – Drama & Animation)
Jasmeet Birdi (Head of Year 7)
“This performance was amazing. The
acting was really good and the audience
could interact a lot throughout the play.
The actors were funny and I feel like
everyone interacted and was able to
laugh and have fun. The scenes were
well structured. You could clearly see
the different scenes throughout the
play. I really enjoyed the experience
and I loved the whole concept of the
production as well as it being well
performed it was well rehearsed and
all the crew was friendly”.
Caitlin Pyatt (year 7)
“When I went to watch the play I thought
was going to be a lot more ‘childfriendly’
but I soon came to know that
it was a lot more ‘exposing’ than what
I expected, and a good play overall.
The play was about a town which was
corrupt with a woman making a sweet
that poisoned them and kidnapped them
for child labour. It was really thrilling
as I was surrounded by hundreds of
other people and school children”.
Ashwin Baiju (year 7)
“I found the play really interesting
because there was only one actor
playing loads of different characters.
This made the play really funny and
the people were dressed up and looked
really good. The cast were very friendly
and they were giving sweets to the
audience which was cool”.
Amy Moore (year 7)
10
Theatre
“The Lyric Theatre performance
was the full package of laughter,
feelings, entertainment and
of course sweets. For my first
ever time seeing a live theatre
performance I would rate it 10
out of 10 as every scene had a sort
of interaction with the audience
that made it more interesting
than just sitting there quietly.
I would totally recommend this
performance and definitely all my
class mates agreed that this was
an amazing treat organised by the
creative arts department”.
Alana Freitas (year 7)

On
the afternoon of Wednesday 5th
June 2019, we welcomed the
Freshwater Theatre Company to perform a
version of Don Quixote for and with our
year 7 Spanish students. The students got
to understand the story by playing different
parts, such as other characters in the play
and even objects like windmills.
The story of Don Quixote is not straight
forward. He is a middle-aged gentleman
from the region of La Mancha in central
Spain. He is obsessed with the chivalrous
ideals touted in books he has read, so he
decides to take up his lance and sword to
defend the helpless and destroy the wicked.
“When life itself seems
lunatic, who knows where
madness lies? Perhaps to be
too practical is madness. To
surrender dreams - this may be
madness. Too much sanity may
be madness - and maddest
of all: to see life as it is,
and not as it should be”.
Miguel de Cervantes
Saavedra, “Don Quixote”
Jayveer Singh 7Y said: “I liked the play
because it was funny and it allowed us to
actually watch a live play. I also got some
knowledge about the story”.
This production certainly brought to life
the complicated and complex story of Don
Quixote
Alexandra Manole (Head of German)
11

The Social Mobility Foundation is a charity which provides opportunities and
networks of support for young people from low-income backgrounds. Depending
on what programme you choose, they promise to help students until they get a job
after graduation. They provide students with mentors in the first year and throughout this
programme they also give young people an opportunity to do internships with the top
companies in the UK. The Social Mobility Foundation has organised meeting spots in central London for
big companies such as “White and Case” as it educates students to learn what different companies look for
and what you should wear to look professional and smart. This helps to make students feel comfortable in
business environments and make the best impression where they will be working in the future.
We are delighted to have secured twelve places on the SMF programmes, with the Sutton Trust and with
the Social Mobility Foundation. Here is a list of the students’ names and programmes they are on and a
selection of students’ accounts outlining their personal experience.
Mahavir Ladva
(Supervised Study Centre Manager / School Improvement Team)
I am participating in the Aspiring
Professionals Programme (APP), in
which I am given support and guidance
(via a personal mentor). Their goal is to help young
people, who do not currently have the means or the
networks to do so, to access professions in the sector they
are interested in. Internships, Open Day university visits
and many meetings in which they help refine your skills
in your potential profession are a few of the numerous
activities they offer you, free of charge.
I am currently enrolled in the Engineering & Physics
sector. So far, they have offered me visits to many different
University Open Days, and have given me the opportunity
to attend Engineering and Physics futures days at which I
will able to meet employers from the sector to get an idea
of the careers on offer. They have assigned me a personal
mentor who is in physics/engineering and has a plethora
of advice they can give me to further help me develop as a
person and get further involved in my chosen profession.
The mentors can also help you out with your transition
into university by offering you help with your personal
statements and clear up any confusion you have with the
whole process.
Perhaps one of the best support they provide you with is
offering you internships in your chosen sector. This means
you get work experience in your chosen sector with top
companies which can be extremely difficult to obtain in
many professions e.g. engineering and physics.
Overall, the experience is nothing short of amazing and
helped me immensely to get a grasp on the profession
in which I am interested. Also, I’ve received help with
my application to universities as well as developed vital
professional skills.
Saugat Dharel (year 12)
The Social Mobility Programme for Year 12
Saugat Dharel
(Physics / Social
Mobility Foundation)
I am currently on the Social Mobility
Foundation programme and I find myself
lucky to have this opportunity as it has
not only helped me to build up my soft and hard skills but
also given me an insight into accountancy and banking &
finance sector. When I was applying for this programme
I was sure that I wouldn’t get accepted because many
people were applying and the interview questions were
quite tricky and required critical thinking. I found out that
the interview questions were used to see what the students
thought and what mentor would be more suitable for them
in the future. They also help you to have a good mentee and
mentor relationship. Your mentor works in the sector which
the student wants to work in and they can offer you the
best information and resources that they have. I am really
excited to meet my mentor as my mentor can help me with my
personal statement and make it more relevant to my career
sector. This programme has given me the opportunity to
open up and understand the working lifestyle better as well
as how you can make more networking connections that will
help you after university.
We have attended a few sessions outside of school because
this programme makes sure that we don’t miss any school
days. We had a welcoming session, where we learnt about
the programme and what we would do in the future. This
allowed us to get together and make networking connections.
The next session was an accountancy future day at KPMG,
where we met different people from the accountancy sector
but also people who worked in KPMG. We met an ex-student
who worked with SMF and took an apprenticeship route
and we met another ex-student who went to university and
graduated who works there now. It helped us understand the
different routes we can take to get into accountancy but it
also made us familiar with real life experiences. They don’t
only offer you information and future days about your sector
but also about other career sectors that they cover. In the
upcoming weeks, most of us will be placed at a company
and do internships. This will give us an insight into work
life and how it differs from school.
Sajneet Bagga (year 12)
Sanjeet Bagga
(Accounting / Social
Mobility Foundation)
12

Mehardeep Singh
(Physics/ Social
Mobility Foundation)
Amrit Rai
(Roehampton/Law/
Sutton Trust)
Shariq Ahmed
(Digital/ Social
Mobility Foundation)
Maisie Mullens
(Roehampton/Law/
Sutton Trust)
Iqra Nadeem
(Roehampton/Law/
Sutton Trust)
Deeq Hersi
(Roehampton/Law/
Sutton Trust)
Aditya Kumar
(Accounting/Social
Mobility Foundation)
Kabir Johal
(LSE/Law/
Sutton Trust)
Aryan Sethi
(Roehampton/ Banking
and Finance/Sutton Trust)
Yusef Deria
(Roehampton/Law/
Sutton Trust)
Pathways to Law is a programme run by the Sutton Trust
(Social Mobility Foundation) involving students around
London with the aim to educate students about the different
sectors of Law, as well as the different pathways into Law.
Pathways has organised trips to universities to attend lessons
on the different sectors of law, the skills needed in Law. They
also organise trips to the Royal Courts and interviews with
various people in the law sector.
My experience with Pathways to Law has been informative
and enjoyable. I regularly attend seminars at Roehampton
University and have been given various opportunities to fuel
my interests in Law such as a trip to the Inner Temple and the
Royal Bailey. I also completed a week of work experience with
the prestigious corporate Law firm Linklaters, where I have
learnt about the various skills needed to go into law as well
as actively applying my skills in a pitch to a panel of lawyers.
I would recommend Pathways to Law to students, as it
enables you to learn about a potential future career as well
as educating students on the different Pathways into Law and
it contributes to UCAS and personal statement which will be
vital in the future years. ​
Initially I applied to this programme as I wanted to
enhance my knowledge of law to see if it was definitely
something I wanted to pursue as a career - it was. We
were given sessions and lectures by Law Professionals
at Roehampton University. In the very first session we
went to the Inner Temple which is one of the four Inns
of the court. There were three parts to this session,
in the first part we were given information about
what the difference was between a solicitor and a
barrister and the pathways to each career, we learnt
about the disadvantages and advantages about being
a barrister or a solicitor. In the second part I got the
opportunity to talk to some barristers and solicitors
who explained what they did on a daily-basis which
was very interesting. I initially thought that barristers
were mostly at Court but in reality, I found out that
60% of the time barristers are working with clients in
this firm and that only 40% of the time would be spent
in Court. The third part was my favourite part as we
got a taster of what kind of things lawyers deal with
and looked at a case study. We had to work in groups of
6 and discuss how we would deal with this case study
and our share views about this case.
Another session that particularly stands out was the
session where all the Pathways to Law programmes in
the UK attended Queen Mary’s University of London.
This session involved public speaking tips, networking
and talking to other firms. At this session there was a
woman who spoke about public speaking and gave tips
on how to do this well. Then we were encouraged to
talk to other people in the Law programme. Personally
this was a big milestone as it helped me improve my
confidence and interpersonal skills. Before I did this
law programme even the thought of speaking in front
of people made me feel nervous and anxious but this
programme helped me in terms of opening up and
giving my opinion. In addition, I got the opportunity
to talk to other firms such as Macfarlanes and Cooley
about the types of Law they cover and what their firm
deals with. This was useful as in a few months I will be
doing my Law work placement with one of these firms
so it helped me prepare effectively.
In addition, there was recently a session on Personal
Branding and Corporate Law. Whilst I knew from
the beginning that I was interested in Criminal Law,
Human Rights and Family Law I found that I quite
enjoyed Corporate Law. This programme has given me
the amazing opportunity to explore the different types
of laws and develop a profound interest in Corporate
Law. Overall, I would say that this programme enhances
not only your knowledge of the law but it also develops
your personal growth in terms of your confidence,
public speaking, interpersonal skills and forming
your own opinions. In addition, this programme offers
something called the National Conference which takes
place at the University of Warwick in July and you get
an insight into studying Law at university which is
very beneficial, I would personally recommend this to
anyone who is interested in pursuing a career in Law,
to take part in an extraordinary programme like this
as it really does show you in-depth how amazing the
world of Law is.
Amrit Rai (year 12)
Yusef Deria (year 12)
13

A Visit to
Number 10
On
Sunday 14th April 2019 we were invited to No10 Downing Street with BAFSA
(British Armed Forces Sikh Association) as a part of the Vaisakhi celebrations
(the birthday of Khalsa). One of our year 11 students, Jasdev Chana who is a cadet got to
meet with the then Prime Minister Theresa May.
Priscilla Ledlie (Assistant to Senior Teacher)
“I was lucky enough to visit 10 Downing Street as part of the Vaisakhi celebrations this year and it was
quite an experience. The day started with a rigorous security check before entry to Number 10 including
a search, passport checks and also certification of our invitations. Sadly, I was required to hand in my
phone so I was unable to take photos but the experience will stay in my memory. The building itself
was amazing. There were paintings, ornaments and beautiful objects everywhere. It looked more like
an incredible museum than a governmental building.
We went to the third floor where we were served food and drinks; I couldn’t believe it when the waiters
came out carrying Pakoras, Samosa and Gulabjaman from Brilliant restaurant in Southall. After we’d
finished, Theresa May came out and shook our hands, said hello then gave a speech about Vaisakhi.
The day was unbelievable and I feel incredibly lucky that we cadets were able to see 10 Downing Street
first hand. The building and the experience itself were unreal and if I ever want to relive the experience
then I just pop down to Brilliant restaurant in Southall.
14
Jasdev Chana (year 11)

Annual Borough Sixth Form RE Conference
“The RE Conference was an interesting, fun
and thought provoking day. I enjoyed listening
to different viewpoints on current issues and it
helped me increase my understanding of ethical
issues”.
Maisie Mullen (year 12)
“It was enlightening in terms of experiencing the cohesion of
different faiths as it is quite a contrast to what you see in the
media, which can be rather biassed. Through the conference
we could better understand different faiths through real like
experience.”
Ali Dhanani (year 12)
Cranford Community College is recognised for its outstanding delivery of Religious
Education and works closely with SACRE and the University of London Institute
of Education to organise this annual event for Post 16 students across the Authority.
The ‘Annual Borough Sixth Form RE Conference’ was hosted by CCC for the 5th consecutive
year. Students from Hounslow Borough Sixth forms were able to discuss, debate and reflect
on the theme of: “Religion: oppressive or liberating?”
The day consisted of interactive workshops run by students from the IOE and Roehampton
University. Students were able visit a variety of different workshops which ranged from ‘’
Is tolerance an oppressive force?’, ‘Is atheism as oppressive as they say religion is?’ and
‘Is religious upbringing indoctrination? Once students had an opportunity to discuss these
questions in small groups, they were then invited to participate in a Q&A session with expert
panellists.
The day concluded with a themed panel discussion in the Concert
Hall with community representatives from various faith
backgrounds. The panellists represented the
major world faiths, including
Judaism, Islam, Sikhism,
Christianity, and Hinduism
and students were able to gain
an insight on religious views
on questions such as ‘Why does
God send people to hell’, ‘How
can you know you are in the ‘right’
religion?’ and ‘Is God sexist?’
Students left the conference positive
and having enjoyed a day where they
could reflect on some of the bigger
questions.
Avneet Kang (Head of RE Department)
15

Avon Tyrrell
Summer School
August 2018
For
the second year running, Cranford
students joined their peers from Keio
University Junior High School in Tokyo, Japan
and from the County Upper School in Bury St
Edmunds for a week of outdoor activities, games,
quizzes and challenges. The summer school is
set in the magnificent house and grounds of the
present manor house, which was built in 1891
and located in the New Forest. The fairly remote
location makes Avon Tyrrell the perfect setting
and along with the glorious summer weather we
enjoyed last year proved to be a highly successful
week. Cranford students worked alongside their
Japanese and Norfolk counterparts with alacrity,
working out how to cope with the low ropes and then the high ropes,
meeting the challenge of building a raft from blue barrels, planks
and rope and trust walks. All the students have to “muck in” when it
come to clearing up and keeping their rooms tidy; rooms which are
shared by Japanese and English students. Meals are taken together
and with all the activity going on, all the students eat heartily. The
week included excursions to Durdle Door and a long walk down
to Lulworth Cove, which is always a delight, as well as a visit to
Salisbury and its amazing cathedral.
Inevitably when it became time to leave, there were tears at the departure followed
swiftly by sleep as the minibus made its way back to London. Our sincere thanks
go as always to Keio University Junior High School for the invitation.
Philip Dobison (Consultant – Internationalism)
Joto Senior High School
(A Global School), Ookayama, Japan
It
is now the 4th time that Cranford
Community College has hosted a visit
by Joto Senior High School from Okayama,
Japan. These visits included a day when the
Joto students had the opportunity for a great
level of collaboration with Cranford students.
It started with “speed dating” between the
two sets of students, so that they could get to
know each other quickly. Joto students gave a
presentation on a topic dear to their heart such
as the environment, youth culture amongst other
topics. The groups then combined to tackle a quiz
on Japan and the UK, with Joto students paired
with Cranford students, followed by riddles
and language games for all. As usual, a great
deal of learning took place. After each activity
the winning students were presented with medals. The Japanese
group was delighted with the tour of the school’s facilities and could
only look on in envy at the amazing site that Cranford enjoys – this
reminds us always how fortunate Cranford is to have a sports field
and of course the Cranford SuperDome at our finger tips. All too soon
the group returned to their base, but everyone agreed it had been an
amazing day.
16
Philip Dobison (Consultant – Internationalism)

Cranford’s research
into high performing
educations systems around
the world continued in
December 2018 with
Kevin Prunty, Executive
Headteacher, and Rob
Ind, Joint Head of School,
visiting Norway. Cranford
was selected in January
2018 by the Minister of State for Apprenticeships and
Skills Anne Milton MP, to be one of the first providers
of the new T-level vocational qualifications at Post 16,
and the purpose of the trip was to visit Technical and
Vocational colleges and Upper Secondary Schools in the
Scandinavian country widely regarded as having one of
the best technical education systems in the world.
We visited the capital Oslo, the industrial ‘Oil Capital’
Stavangar (Norway’s third largest city), the northern
municipality of Tromsø inside the Arctic Circle and were
welcomed into 4 different schools and colleges. With the
support of the British Council, we were lucky enough to
meet a range of students, teachers and education leaders
and learn about their approach to post-16 education and
the value they place on local industry partnerships and
technical competencies. The colleges were particularly
well equipped and investment in technical education has
clearly paid off in Norway.
Despite the darkness in Tromsø where it is only light for
an hour a day in December, the relationships between
staff and students were warm and positive and we were
impressed by the confidence of the students showing us
Cranford in the Arctic Circle
around, their independent learning skills and
the esteem in which technical education and
indeed teachers in general were held.
There was also an opportunity to take in
the aurora borealis but just as inspirational
were the things that chimed with Cranford’s
core values: the work Norway puts into
the rehabilitation of offenders, their focus
on immigration and integration and their
determination to ensure all students progress
to full employment.
We look forward to continuing our partnerships
with the educators we met and submitted an
Erasmus Plus bid to continue working with
them.
In August 2019 we were delighted to have
been awarded over 60,000 euros through
an Erasmus Plus grant (far in excess of our
previous record of around 40,000 euros) to
support a project which will see us continue
working with Kvaløya Videregående Skole in
Tromsø, alongside a regional college in the
Netherlands Stichting Regionaal Onderwijs
Centrum’s Hertogenbosch, on technical and
vocational education within the context of
a changing European landscape. Cranford’s
outward-facing international dimension
continues to grow and strengthen as does
our unwavering commitment to high quality
vocational as well as academic education.
Rob Ind (Head of School)
Teachers from Bogota, Colombia
On
22nd November 2018, Cranford Community
College welcomed a delegation of 13
teachers from Bogota, Colombia, who were in the UK
on a trip organised by the British Council and the SSAT
(the Schools, Students and Teachers network), to gain
a better understanding of the English Education system
in action. Their visit allowed us to showcase some
of the unique features of teaching, learning and the
curriculum at Cranford. The group wanted to engage
with senior and middle leaders to talk about their
strategic and operational roles, explore
how the school has led and sustained
successful improvement and importantly
gather students’ views about their learning and school
experiences. The group met members of the student
body, both formally and as their tour guides. The
delegation was very impressed and commented: “do
let the year 13 students who led the tour of the school
and spoke so confidently, eloquently and proudly about
life at Cranford how impressed everyone was by them”.
Philip Dobison (Consultant – Internationalism)
17

Trip to Korea
2018
In
October 2018, 32 students, Kevin Prunty Executive
Headteacher and 3 other members of staff set out on
an epic, one-in-a-lifetime journey to visit our partner school,
Ocheon Senior High School in Pohang South Korea to enjoy
the sights, sounds and sensations of Seoul, the capital of the
Republic of South Korea. Flying via Doha with a short transfer
time, meant the journey was lengthy but proved to be totally worthwhile.
The group was greeted in Seoul by Ocheon English teacher Marco who had
travelled from Pohang to support the group on this inaugural visit in Seoul.
In the capital, we experienced the palaces and the changing of the guard,
enjoyed Korean food including kimchee (a traditional side dish made from
salted and fermented vegetables which may not have been to everyone’s
taste), a Korean buffet organised by the Korean Tourism Organisation and
the amazing production “Nanta”. We travelled the length of South Korea on
the very exciting KTX (Korea Train Express - the high speed train service)
from Seoul to Pohang, where Cranford students and staff were delighted
to meet their friends and colleagues from Ocheon Senior High School in
Pohang, whom they had already met in July 2018. Accommodation was home
stay which gave everyone (staff included) first-hand experience
of real Korean home life. It is almost impossible to say what
the highlights were. There was the visit to the Demilitarised
Zone (DMZ) between North and South Korea and a walk down
the third tunnel, discovered on 17th October 1978 and dug by
North Koreans as a potential way of invading the South. The
welcome ceremony at Pohang was also amazing when the group
was treated to the most professional drumming performance
by Ocheon students, followed by joint learning and sporting
activities. There was the joint trip for both schools to Gyeongju,
known as the museum without walls, which is an area with
so many things to see: the Dongung Palace and Wolji Pond,
Cheomsongdae Observatory, the Bulguksa Temple, the Cheonmachong Tomb and the list goes on. The
trip also gave the opportunity for Mr Prunty, Executive Headteacher and Mr Park, Principal of Ocheon to
discuss the path forward for both schools in terms of future collaborative work, also a successful outcome.
The school is grateful to the British Korean Society and the Korean Tourism Organisation for their
support for this trip. Perhaps the trip and its success is best summed up by the words of two of the student
participants.
18
Philip Dobison (Consultant – Internationalism)

“Knowing we were in a new country
that had a different culture to ours,
it was important for us to learn and
try new things like their food; the
meal provided for us at the buffet
in Seoul was a chance for us to
try the local delicacies and their
traditional foods. Though it was very
different to what we would normally
have in London, we found that we
enjoyed the food we had tried such
as the Tteok-bokki (spicy rice cakes)
kimchee (often called the national
food of Korea) and bulgogi (grilled
beef)”.
Manriat Gill (year 13)
“During my visit to Korea I was extremely fortunate to watch the
spectacular ‘NANTA’. As someone who studies A level Drama and has
seen many West End productions I was stunned by the performance.
Initially the idea of a ‘mimed foreign comedy about chefs’ didn’t sound
very appealing, and I was not sure what to expect. It was soon clear
that the performance was to be an amalgamation of many hilarious
sketches relating to a team of chefs, linked together and forming an
over-arching narrative of a new worker who is desperately trying
to fit in. The characters spoke in gibberish, relying on the universal
language of facial expressions and physicality. The musical segments
were phenomenal, with music could made simply from cooking food
using kitchen utensils - inventive and unique. I have never seen a
performance that combines acrobatic stunts worthy of Cirque De Soleil,
non-verbal comedy reminiscent of Charlie Chaplin and drum beats you
would expect to see in a West End musical. As an avid spectator of
theatre I can genuinely say I have never enjoyed a performance this
much”.
Haashim Nasir (year 13)
19

Recognition
Cranford Community College has been
recognised as a World Class School
for many years and what makes
it special is the students who are judged
in this particular award, a level they have
achieved consistently. Last year, for example,
Cranford Community College joined forces
with Ocheon Senior High School, Pohang,
Korea, to become the first two schools ever
to be awarded the International World Class
School Quality Mark. As further proof of this,
at an Award ceremony in December 2018,
two of Cranford’s students, Kinza Butt and
Harit Boonyarakyotin, were nominated for
the World Class School Achievement Award.
Many congratulations to them both.
Philip Dobison (Consultant – Internationalism)
Jack Petchey Speak Out Challenge
On the 8th February 2019, thirty year 10 students, Mr Watton and
Ms Ledlie took part in the Jack Petchey Speak Out Challenge.
Expertly led by Carl we attended a fantastic work shop that
lasted the whole day and ended in a close-fought public speaking
challenge.
During the day we learned not only how to speak confidently in public but also how to present an argument
that was well structured and compelling. Everyone got the opportunity to practise in small groups, honing
their skills and getting used to the idea of talking about a topic to an audience. Then it was time to prepare
for the big speeches.
The competition was intense and there were some really excellent speeches from Layba Nisar, Kavleen
Aurora, Alex Hickey, Adi Asskoumi and an interesting one from Romeo Selamawi. In the end there was a
clear winner, Iman Jaura, whose speech on female empowerment was amazing. Iman then took her speech
to the regional final held at Heston Community School on the 7th March 2019. Although she did not win she
did the school and year group proud and we were all privileged to hear her speak powerfully in Assembly.
20
Simon Watton (Head of Year 10)

Cranford Hosts National Sporting and Arts Organisations
Over
the past year Cranford has played
host to several national sporting and
arts events. In December 2018 Cranford was used
by the National Children’s Orchestra for rehearsals
before performing
at Queen Elizabeth
Hall. The NCO supports
young musicians aged 7
to 14 and include in their
alumni winners of the
BBC Young Musician of
the Year Competition,
Guy Johnston (2000)
and Nicola Benedetti MBE (2004). Indeed, the
current cohort were delighted when Nicola Benedetti
came to Cranford and played for them before setting
off for their own performance. In the past NCO had
used Cranford for rehearsal prior to performing for
the Queen.
In January and
February 2019
Cranford hosted
the England Touch
Rugby squads who
held team selection
trials and training
sessions prior to taking part in the World Cup in
Malaysia. Touch Rugby is a fast growing sport
played in men’s, women’s and mixed gender teams.
England Touch Rugby’s current focus is very much
on supporting increased participation at all levels
but with a particular emphasis on youth participation
and development.
Cranford is also host to UK Ultimate Frisbee who
hold their indoor championships in the Cranford
SuperDome. Like Touch Rugby, Ultimate Frisbee
is a fast growing sport very popular with university
students and played in men’s, women’s and mixed
gender teams. Ultimate Frisbee is a fast-moving
team sport enjoyed by millions of players the world
over. Although it is frequently compared to sports
like football the difference is there are no referees.
Cranford is proud of its partnerships with these
national organisations.
Alan Fraser (Assistant Headteacher – Director of
Community Partnerships)
For over
three years Cranford has had representation on the
European Union’s Radicalisation Awareness Network
(RAN). The education part of RAN looks at the role education can play in reducing
the risk of radicalisation and Cranford is recognised as an international model of
best practice in this area. This role led recently to me being asked to represent
the EU at a meeting with Amanda Spielman, Chief Inspector of Education,
Children’s Services and Skills. meeting had an international dimension with
contributors from around the world plus the Home Office and Department for
Education.
RAN appointed Cranford to mentor some of their London based Young Ambassadors in a flagship pilot
scheme launched this year.
With the uncertainty around the UK position on Brexit, Cranford’s involvement in RAN is likely to come
to an end officially although we are confident that we will still keep in contact with the many good friends
and partners we have made over the past three years in Europe and world wide.
Alan Fraser (Assistant Headteacher – Director of Community Partnerships)
21

On
visit Cranford
Friday 14th June 2019, Cranford
welcomed the CEO of DHL’s supply chain
in the UK to the academy. Jose Nava met with year
9 and 10 students who have been involved with the
DHL careers toolkit this year completing workshops
on CV writing and employability guidance.
Jose Nava was accompanied by Sonia Chhatwal
the Director of the DHL Foundation who are a key
partner of Teach First and Cranford were delighted
to host the visit in support of Teach First who we
have worked with since their inception in 2003.
In total, six VIPs toured the academy visiting
lessons and meeting with the Senior Leadership
Team and couldn’t have been more impressed with
the students and staff. A group of year 9 and 10
students were also fortunate enough to hear from
Jose Nava about his own career journey from
Central America to London and asked challenging
and engaging questions.
We hope this will be the start of a new and exciting
relationship with another major multinational
company which will benefit our students. Thank
you to Ms Sidhu (Head of Year 9) and Mr Watton
(Head of Year 10) and all the students and staff
involved with the DHL toolkit this year for their
support. Vidhu Sood-Nicholls, Deputy Director of
Fundraising at Teach First said:
“To see the ethos and approach that you, Kevin
and the wider team are taking at the school was so
inspirational. Pupils at Cranford are very lucky to
have such a dedicated team.”
Rob Ind (Head of School)
Employability Workshops
22
Over tow sessions in March and May
2019, 50 year 10 students and Mr
Watton spent time working with a
number of DHL staff to develop their employability
skills. In the first workshop we looked at the types
of jobs that made up DHL in the UK and the rest
of the world. We then did some group work where
we looked at the skills that were needed for those
jobs and finished off looking at the career path that
one of the DHL team, an ex-Cranford student, had
taken in his career. Students asked lots of really
excellent questions and we were all considerably
more knowledgeable about DHL as a company and
the great range of employment opportunities that
they had available
Our second session took place in May and was very
much focused on what you needed to do to get a
job not only at DHL but anywhere. We looked at
how to evaluate your personal skills and then how
to use these to construct yourself a CV. We then did
some evaluation work and practised writing CVs,
giving us all the skills and knowledge to be able to
create our own when needed. The second half of the
session looked at the process of interviewing and
what sort of things you would/could be asked in an
iinterview, followed by some practice.
Both sessions were really informative with some
excellent activities and we learnt a great deal of
useful skills and information.
Simon Watton (Head of Year 10)

Cranford Bags the Medals at Borough Athletics 2019
The
1st May 2019 will go down in history as one of the greatest sporting achievements for Cranford
Community College. We entered the Year 10 Hounslow Borough School Athletics competition
held at Osterley Athletics Track and we did not leave empty handed. Over the course of the day we picked
up 8 medals, including 7 gold and 1 silver. This wouldn’t have been possible but for the tremendous attitude
and teamwork shown by each student on the day, in particular Yaseen Yusuf and Mahtab Uddin who did
not win a medal on the day but were racing around the running track and field cheering on the team giving
them the extra bit of motivation to succeed. All in all, the students carried themselves tremendously well
and showed everyone the meaning of being part of a team. Ocatavio Rodrigues, Emmanuel Adebowale
Szymon Gora and Ilyas Abokar have all been invited to compete and represent Hounslow in the County
Championship.
Basheak Bussue (PE Department)
Recognition Award for Priscilla Ledlie
On
Wednesday 3rd April 2019, Priscilla Ledlie,
Assistant to Senior Teacher Pastoral and long
standing member of Cranford Community College was
awarded a certificate in recognition of her outstanding
work in the community by the Mayor of Hounslow, Samia
Chaudhary.
Priscilla has been associated with Cranford for over 30
years, firstly as a student and now as a valued member of
the support staff. Her work has been far reaching touching
the lives of many young people from Cranford and the wider
community through her role as an Officer in the Cadets.
Priscilla said of the award; “This was awarded
for all the community projects I have been
involved in and my commitment to the Army
Cadet Force. It was a great honour and shock
to receive this award and I’m very grateful
to Seema Malhotra MP for nominating me”.
Well Done Priscila we are very proud of you.
Alan Fraser
(Director of Community Partnerships)
23

Weekend
October
2018
A group of forward thinking year 11 students took advantage of the free student tickets available for the
annual Battle of Ideas weekend at the Barbican in October 2018. This annual event has been attended
by a number of likeminded Cranford students over the years and this year was no exception. As a
consequence, they were able to sit in on academic debates on a number of themes which are highly
relevant to all citizens and perhaps young people more so. The topics covered included:
• Do we need a new curriculum for the 21st Century?
• Charities: Has the halo slipped?
• Social media corrupting young minds?
• If data runs the world, who is in control?
• What’s the point of feminism today?
Well done to the year 11 students who attended this thought challenging
event. They clearly gained a great deal from this experience. Here are
just a few examples of their responses to the topics covered.
Mehmoona Yousaf (Senior Teacher – Pastoral)
The battle of ideas was a great
opportunity for students to gain an
insight into debating with a panel
and the rest of the floor. One of the
most interesting debates was “do we
need a new curriculum for the 21st
Century?” which explored a large
spectrum of perspectives including
focussing on practical skills.
The new 9-1 GCSE system raised
many disagreements between the
panellists and the students present.
The panellists agreed with the new
style of GCSEs as in their opinion
“it fills students with knowledge”
whereas the students felt it was no
more than a memory test”.
Rajvir Sran (year 11)
The annual Battle of Ideas held at
the Barbican centre was a day of
many eye opening debates, in which
even the audience can participate. In
this rapidly changing world, I have
learnt from the Battle of Ideas that
debating ideas matters more than
ever. I was especially interested in
debates on the topic of our modern
education system and the debate
questioning whether advertising is
all powerful or overrated. It has
led to me gaining new insights on
the idea. It was interesting to hear
the many sides to arguments and
I feel that hearing others express
their views has helped me formulate
my own opinions so that I can
participate in future debates as well.
The programme also gives students
the opportunity to attend for free,
which is great. I recommend joining
in with next year’s Battle so you can
experience the range of interesting
debates like I have done.
Hussain Raza (year 11)
The school strongly recommended
me to go to the Battle of Ideas in
Central London, I was intrigued so
I went. It was really interesting and
fascinating hearing different people
talk about controversial topics,
like ‘Should medical drugs be
free?’ or ‘Should parents encourage
their teenagers to socialise, take
risks ad have lots of freedom?’.
The speakers were very passionate
about their topics and I loved how
I could choose which debates to
go to as there were a wide variety
of debates going on at the same
time. I met lots of new people who
had interesting ideas and I will
definitely be going again next year.
Salma Abdalle (year 11)
We are living in an era of great
changes. Technology is enveloping
our lives to the point where we can
no longer thrive without it. Life
expectancy is increasing due to
giant leaps in healthcare. Equality
may be only a few steps away. The
yearly Battle of Ideas addresses
these changes and brings to light
the various issues which come
with it. The programme also gives
students the opportunity to attend
for free, a great opportunity if you
want to join in next year. Debates lie
at the heart of the programme, the
audience members can join in and
give their opinions. We discussed
controversial topics such as the
Gender Pay Gap or the Effectiveness
of our School Curriculum, topics
which influence us all directly. It is
both important and enjoyable to be
able to listen to so many different
viewpoints, and the Battle of Ideas
was the perfect place to do just that.
Harit Boonyarakyotin (year 11)
Going to the Battle of Ideas was
a really prestigious opportunity.
Debating helped me to develop
essential critical thinking skills, the
ability to make reasoned and well
thought out arguments in addition
to questioning the evidence behind
a particular stance or conclusion. I
particularly liked the debate on the
country’s military which highlighted
nationalism, the recruitment system
and their pledges. Overall I found the
event extremely thought-provoking
and if it comes again I recommend
it to all.
Walid Fadie (year 11)
24

2018-2019
Nancy Harkous and Rui De Silva
(year 8)
Arushi Varshney and Prantanil Bhowmick (year 9)
Cranford students have been really impressive in Mathematics this year. In
August our year 11 students received excellent GCSE results with 76% of
students receiving grade 9 – 4 and 59% of students achieving grade 9 – 5, which
was a 6% improvement on the previous year 11 results. We are particularly
proud of our students who achieved a grade 9: Mohsin Ahmed, Faisa Ali, Subhan
Jaura, Ria Kalia, Aman Khan, Taniya Nizami, Ramez Rasikh, Onkar Riyat and
Haroon Lukka, who gained the highest score in the school, despite taking his
exam in year 10. We were also particularly impressed with year 13 students
Ahmed Fadhluddin and Baljinder Padda, who both scored A* in A
Level Mathematics and A in Further Mathematics.
Our students have also performed particularly well this year in the
UKMT Maths Challenges. In November 2018 students in year 11,12
and 13 took the Senior Maths Challenge, with Haroon Lukka gaining
a Gold Award, Teodor Jevtic, Rhea Rana and Subhan Jaura gaining
a Silver Award, and Jeevithan Thilaganathan, Maeve D’Souza,
Sukhjinder Padda and Neha Hussain gaining a Bronze Award. In
February 2019 this was followed by students in year 9,10 and 11
achieving excellent results in the Intermediate Challenge. We are
happy to announce outstanding results, with Haroon Lukka, Samha Lund, Neha Hussain, Nirujan Rajakumar,
Elina Gorjunova, Hamza Abdullahi and Ahmed Ali all gaining Gold Awards. There were also 13 students
who achieved Silver Awards and 23 Bronze Awards. April 2019 was the turn of students in year 7 and 8
to shine in the Junior Maths Challenge. This time Musa Raza, Nancy Harkous, Ishmeet Singh, Mohamed
Abdullahi, Hamidi Subhan and Krithik Balamuganthan all received Silver Awards and a further 15 students
received Bronze Awards. We are very proud of all the students who took part in all three Maths Challenges.
In addition, we had two teams participate in regional Team Maths Challenges, competing against a variety
of state schools and independent schools from London and the South East. Firstly, our superb senior team of
Rhea Rana (year 13), Teodor Jevtic (year 13), Onkar Riyat (year 12) and Haroon Lukka (year 11), travelled
to St Paul’s school in Barnes in December 2018 and came 5th out of 23 schools. This success was followed
in March 2019 when our junior team, consisting of Arushi Varshney (year 9), Prantanil Bhowmick (year
9), Nancy Harkous (year 8) and Rui De Silva (year 8) attended the Junior Maths challenge at West London
Free School in Hammersmith. We would like to congratulate both of our teams on the superb attitude
they displayed while representing the school, and for the fantastic amount of effort they put in, meeting
afterschool for weeks before their competitions to practise and hone their mathematical skills.
Sarah Brackley (Head of Maths Department)
A Bumper Year for Success in Maths
Haroon Lukka
Gold
Neha Hussain
Gold
Nirujan
Rajakumar
Gold
Elina Gorjunova
Gold
Hamza Abdullahi
Gold
Ahmed Ali
Gold
Subhan Jaura
Silver
Teodor Jevtic
Silver
Maeve DeSoza
Bronze
Sukhjinder Padda
Bronze
Samha Lund
Gold
Jeevanthin
Thilaganthan
Bronze
25

Cranford Students
open the
A
group of Cranford
Community College sixth
formers joined the exclusive list
of VIPs who have been invited to
open the London Stock Exchange
on Thursday 4th April 2019.
Akhil
Suresh
As part of a Hounslow’s Promise Masterclass, alongside local MP
Seema Malhotra and Hounslow’s Mayor, Samia Chaudhary, the
28 students were present for the opening of one of the world’s
oldest financial centres and were welcomed by the Managing
Director Robert Barnes before attending a Q&A session with
leading economists and entrepreneurs.
They were in for a particular surprise when the Exchanges’
current leading trader was introduced as Akhil Suresh, an ex-
Cranford student, who described his journey from classroom to
the trading floor.
It was a unique opportunity for all those present and Cranford are
grateful to Hounslow’s Promise and Seema Malhotra MP, who
shared the coach journey home with us even answering questions
on Brexit, for making it possible.
26
Rob Ind (Head of School)

“It was an exciting and once in a lifetime opportunity to open the Stock Exchange.
The event was a great opportunity to learn about the London Stock Exchange and
to see how it works. At the event we met some talented and experienced people,
who talked about the stock market and how you can become an entrepreneur. We
were introduced to a panel and asked them various questions too. This helped many
people to understand what the stock market is and how Brexit can affect it. We also
learnt about the process that the panel people had to take to become who they are
today. Before we left we were honored to write our names in the historical visitors
book for the Stock Exchange, which was remarkable”.
Sajneet Bagga (year 12)
27

“Small Island” Review
Cranford’s growing partnership with
the National Theatre has created
some excellent opportunities for
students this year including theatre tickets
at significantly reduced prices to see current
productions. In May, we were offered tickets
to see “Small Island” at The Lyttleton
Theatre based around the Windrush story.
A company of 40 actors tell a story which
journeys from Jamaica to Britain, through
the Second World War to 1948 – the year the
HMT Empire Windrush docked at Tilbury
Docks in London; A story which has been
very much in the news of late, looking back
over the challenges these people had to
overcome. Twenty students in year 9 and 10
were fortunate to attend this performance.
Here is just one students review and the
impact it made on the young audience who
learnt about a significant time in our history.
Deepak Bahra (Creative Arts –Drama)
The play ‘Small Island’ was an exceptionally
good one which was enjoyed by those of us
who love and appreciate theatre and those who
maybe don’t have as much knowledge of theatre
and want to be entertained. It is set in Jamaica
in the first act, where we are introduced to the
character Hortense who wants to please and
impress her clever cousin Michael. We see how
their relationship with each other developed from
childhood. Then we are presented with Queenie, a
fair young woman who escapes her life on the farm
in Lincolnshire by marrying Bernard, a rather
uptight man, who later leaves to participate in the
war (so does Michael). Our final main character
is Gilbert, who aspires to be a lawyer and joins
the RAF for the chance at a better life. We then
see how their lives intertwine as they journey to
the UK.
This was a play that showed the concerns about
the treatment of Britain’s black citizens, the heartbreaking
realities of the Second World War and
how the characters developed through their story.
It was really engaging with gasps of shock and
cries of empathy coming from the audience. It is
entwined with slots of humour, tragedy and rapid
scene changes. The characters are somewhat
dwarfed by the historical and scene backdrops
but also become a part of them. The use of scene
placement and stage positioning I found very
interesting and loved how smooth transitions
were. I am very quickly becoming invested in the
workings of the stage more. The acting of course
was amazing too; the atmosphere in the theatre
was great and was an all in all great experience.
28
Nikola Szczawinska (year 9)

War Horse at The National Theatre
In
December 2018 we were fortunate to secure 60 tickets to
take year 9 students to see “War Horse” at the National
Theatre. As an introduction to the production we were delighted to
welcome to Cranford the lead actor, Tom Dennis who played Albert
the central character who at the age of 16 joins the fighting in the
trenches during World War 1 to save his beloved horse, Joey. Tom talked about what it was like to work as
an actor, to play this role and about the challenges of the production. The students found him very engaging
and it helped prepare them for the production. What they found most fascinating was the mechanics of the
puppetry and the challenges of making the puppets feel real and believable. This production was also used
as a starting point for the year 9 puppet project in Creative Arts.
Jessica Joyce (Creative Arts)
Thomas Dennis
as “Albert”
War Horse Review
This
show was a spectacular,
tear-jerking performance which
captured the hearts of the entire audience, leaving
us speechless throughout the show. The story gives
an enchanting insight into the lives of the soldiers
during the First World War, reminding us of their
humanity as these people were not just machines
sent to kill, but people with stories and families. It
is often important to reflect upon and remember the
lives of people during wars and the sacrifices they
made during them for the greater good. Our school
got to receive the privilege of meeting Thomas
Dennis who plays the main character Albert which
was an amazing experience as we got to understand
the effort and hard work that was put into this play,
and the process of being in a professional theatre
production.
The way that the story was presented is very
interesting and unique as all of the animals in
the production were portrayed as puppets which
were run by puppet masters who were deliberately
exposed, showing the attention to detail within
the show and the hard work put in by the people
directing the puppets. I think this technique was
very intriguing and unique and made the animals
seem real in a way that you could not imagine.
There was so much detail within the puppets that
the people directing them never stopped working
throughout the entire play. Even at points where
the horse wasn’t doing anything, you could still
see it breathing or slightly shaking its head which
I think is one of the many factors that played into
this production being so spectacular.
Overall, War Horse is magnificent and honestly
one of the most spectacular productions I have ever
seen- from the characterisations of the animals,
to the music and repetitive song sung throughout
multiple scenes. This show is an ensemble of
brilliance which I highly recommend everybody
to see. One of my favourite scenes throughout the
play was when Albert and his best friend as well
as other soldiers were trying to go through a battle
and singing as they were dropping dead one by
one. This scene was so powerful that I know I, and
many others were brought to tears. The love and
care that the main character Albert showed for his
horse Joey in the play was portrayed so thoughtfully
and powerfully that at the end when the characters
reunited, it honestly felt like it was a real story and
the characters were real people with feelings which
was why that scene was so beautiful and exciting
to see. This entire play was a surreal, remarkable
experience that I and others will remember forever.
Aja Cundall (year 9)
29

On
Monday 12th November 2018,
The National Theatre touring
company’s production of “The Curious
Incident of a Dog in the Night-Time”
came to Cranford. The whole of year 9 and
students from the Picasso Centre attended
the performance and were absolutely
enthralled by their imaginative retelling
of the story through physical theatre. The
students did some follow up work in English
and Creative Arts including reviewing the
production. Here are some examples of
their reviews.
Kerry Mulhair (Head of ASD and Centre
Manager - English teacher)
The
play is based on the book by Mark
Hadden. This is the story of a boy
named Christopher Boon, who appears to be on the
autistic spectrum. He is traumatised when he goes
into his neighbour’s garden to play with the dog,
Wellington, only to find out that the dog has been
stabbed and killed with a pitchfork. Christopher
takes it upon himself to find out ‘Who killed
Wellington?’ He lives with his dad and has been told
his whole life that his mother has died in hospital
due to a heart attack. While Christopher is in Mrs
Shears’ garden mourning for Wellington, Mrs Shears
walks out and sees Christopher in the garden next
to the dog and assumes that Christopher has killed
the dog. He claims that he didn’t but Mrs Shears
calls the police anyway. Christopher doesn’t like
anyone touching him so his parents hold up their
hand for Christopher to touch their hand as a way
of communicating with him. The policeman comes
to take Christopher away but when he goes to arrest
Christopher, he violently attacks the policeman.
While trying to find Wellington’s murderer,
Christopher begins writing his book. Christopher
takes it home and his dad finds it. His dad hides
it and Christopher goes looking for it and finds
letters from his mother in a box. The dates show that
these letters were written after his mother ‘died.’
When Ed (dad) comes home, he finds Christopher
shaken so much that he cannot move, he curls up
and vomits and groans. Ed cleans up Christopher
and confesses to lying about his mother’s death,
as she left him and Ed to go with Mr Shears, and
to killing Wellington after a heated argument with
Mrs Shears. Christopher decides to leave and go
to stay with his mother and Mr Shears as he has
lost all trust in his father and fears that Ed will kill
him too. Christopher goes to stay with his mother
and Judy Boone who invite him into her house, Mr
Shears gets drunk and tells Christopher that he is a
waste of space, which causes Judy to move back to
30

“In my opinion, the play was one of the best plays I have ever watched- I was so into the play and
there were so many cliff hangers which wanted me to watch more of it. I also liked how Christopher
showed the audience how he got his maths level question. There was so much suspense and tension
in the play and that was one of my key points of the play. I would definitely recommend this play;
I think others would feel the exact same way about how I feel about this play”.
Saffiyaa Patankar (year 9)
“Overall, this was a very well-crafted
play and the use of lighting effects and
the stark stage helps show Christopher’s
struggles and mind-set as the play
progresses. The supporting cast as well as
the main cast is presented spectacularly
and realistically helping show how taking
care of a child like him really is. This is
a great play representing and promoting
the understanding of autism and other
mental illnesses and everyone should at
least give it a watch or a read. If you
watch it, I assure you the choreography
will impress and amaze you”.
Maryam Moeen (year 9)
Swindon. The story ends with Christopher getting a
puppy, and starting to rebuild the relationship with
his father.
The physical theatre by the ensemble of actors
intrigued the audience even more, as the lifts and
falls were very impressive. It is an abstract use of
theatre, which uses movement in a stylized way.
Actions make it easier for the actors to intrigue the
audience, rather than telling you that Christopher
was confused, they showed you. The lifts create
tension for the audience as we don’t know if
anything could go wrong and it shows Christopher’s
confusion. The use of the floor was very clever as
well; the floor was like graph paper to represent
Christopher’s mind. The actors sit around the set on
these blocks, which open up as storage, and pop up
as and when Christopher needs them. I also loved
how the audience were on all four sides, so we got
to see everything and feel engulfed as we become a
part of it. As an audience member, I felt like I was
a part of Christopher’s world and not just sitting in
the audience. The ending was really eye-opening as
Ed, Christopher’s father, gives him a dog. Instead
of having a fake dog, they brought out a real dog
and it was so adorable and everyone felt extremely
happy, just like Christopher. I feel privileged to
have been a part of ‘The Curious Incident of the
Dog in the Night Time.’ My favourite character is
Ed Boone, as he is caring and patient, as he puts
up with Christopher’s sometimes unusual habits
and behaviour. He is open about his feelings and
tells Christopher that he loves him. Ed is also fiery
tempered, as he hits Christopher but feels really
bad afterwards. I feel like you can really empathise
with Ed as he just exploded, dealing with something
that really hurt him all of those years ago. This
play is one of the best plays I have ever seen as the
characterisation in the play was fantastic.
Sanjana Bhola (year 9)
31

CRANFORD COMMUNITY COLLEGE
PRESENT
CHA S
Written by
Laura Lomas
Wednesday 3 rd April 2019 @ 16:00
Thursday 4 th April 2019 @ 17:00
In January 2019,
12 students from year 9 and year 10
were chosen to participate in the National
Theatre Connections Festival and were
cast to perform a new play called “Chaos”,
written by Lauren Lomas. At first we are all
astounded by the complex structure of the
play and all the disjointed scenes intertwined
with each other: it was all essentially chaos.
We were a group of students selected, not
very familiar with each other, however
we all had a passion for drama and were
incredibly enthusiastic, excited and eager
for this performance. As we attended our
weekly rehearsals, as well as becoming
more confident in our performing skills, we
gradually began to discover the links between
the scenes and found how the different
National
Theatre
Connections
Festival 2019
B004
Cranford Community College
High St
Hounslow
TW5 9PD
characters and abstract scenes connected with each other.
It was so disjointed, unstable and complicated that it was
like the scenes were a jigsaw puzzle: each piece completed
the story; almost as if the contrasting characters found
order within their own disorder.
In addition to finding links between the scenes, we all
found links between each other and formed close bonds,
a complete distinction from when compared to the
beginning of the process. It felt really exciting to go to
rehearsals after getting to know each other and as we got
nearer to the performance dates, we were all supporting
and encouraging each other, especially with learning lines
(which was probably the most difficult part of this journey
for me).
On Wednesday 3rd April 2019, it was time for our first
performance in school in front of the National Theatre
visiting Director and it felt nerve wracking and I felt light–
headed as if it was my first performance ever. The light
was yellow and intimate and I felt the vibrations of sounds
32
“I really enjoyed ‘Chaos’ the students
were brilliant at creating their own
individual scene of disorder but at
the same time working well together
as a cast”.
Bernadette Moir (Executive
Assistant to Executive Headteacher)
“I saw the Thursday production of Chaos and enjoyed it very
much. I was very impressed with how the students were able
to seamlessly move from character to character depending
on the scenario they were acting. As the scenes were very
dynamic they were great at showing their passion or confusion
or anger and they moved onto the next scene so professionally
as I can imagine this must be quite hard to do, having to
change emotions quickly and still making it believable. They
thoroughly immersed me in the play and I wanted to know
more about their characters and what might happen to them.
As there were many questions left unanswered it was really
thought provoking which led me to discussing it further at
home with my family that evening over dinner.
Please pass on my thanks and congratulations to the cast for
a superb performance”.
Maria Bramhall (Deputy Head of School)

“Overall, this production paid real service to Laura
Lomas’ words, allowing the text and the young cast’s
individual performances to take centre stage (so to
speak). The simple use of set and props (used sparingly)
within a black box space, quickly established that this
‘Chaos’ was one which put the text of the play and the
force of this ensemble’s camaraderie at the forefront –
playing entirely to the strengths of the cast. The simple
and effective design choices and slick transitions, all set
to a brilliantly curated soundtrack of music spanning the
decades and genres, added to the overall feeling of staged
cinematic vignettes cutting swiftly from one to the next”.
Elvi Piper (National Theatre Connections Director)
causing my heart to beat faster. Soon, however, I
felt all my anxiety flood out and it was absolutely
thrilling: I couldn’t have felt any happier.
In the twinkling of an eye, we came to the day of our
performance on Tuesday 30th April 2019 at the Lyric
Theatre Hammersmith. I felt about ten times more
anxious as I was in an unfamiliar environment and
out of my comfort zone but that quickly changed as
we started to rehearse. There was a beautiful garden
as well and it felt relaxing to just be able to look at
the city view, like a weight being lifted off of my
shoulders.
In the early afternoon, we were involved in a fun
workshop where we used the concept of Platform
Theatre by Jacques Lecoq. From being a police
officer to recreating a scene involving ruthless
bandits, crying toddlers and innocent villagers,
I myself and everyone else really enjoyed the
experience.
Soon it was half-past-seven in the evening, the
sun had set and it was nearing the time of our
performance. An abundance of minutes went by
and the lighting changed, all of us in the Cranford
Company stood up as the intro for “Thank u Next”
loaded. I was wearing a big and immediately
noticeable, pink robe and I danced without caring
about how ridiculous I looked and had fun living
the moment. A few moments passed by and it
was time for my monologue. As I performed my
monologue, it felt surreal being surrounded by an
engaged audience with pin-drop silence. There was
a bright, golden light on me, resembling a sun ray
and I couldn’t see anything except for the speckles
of dust floating around me. My body felt weightless.
As all the scenes finished and everything slowly
faded, all of our energies collected and we were
overwhelmed with joy and the whole experience
felt exhilarating.
Swarnali Acharjee (year 9)
“The understanding of the text, tempo and vocal projection
was of a high standard, and the attention and time spent on
textual understanding was evident. Each member of the cast
attacked their lines with an emotional truth and naturalism
that made us really care for these characters, whilst managing
to slip into the more abstract movement sequences and surreal
scenes (e.g. Dance) seamlessly. In further developing this
piece for its transfer to the Lyric Hammersmith, attention to
vocal confidence and projection still need to remain a key
objective for the different and larger playing space, whilst
maintaining the emotional truth, inflection, comic timing and
understanding conveyed in its delivery”.
Elvi Piper (National Theatre Connections Director)
33

Body
Mind
Soul
Learning a new skill or
taking up a challenge
can give you a sense
of achievement and
increased confidence.
Being physically
active is good for
your overall physical
fitness and also has a
positive effect on your
mental health.
Choose something
you like to do and share
this with others. As
shared interest helps
build friendships and
positive relationships.
In
addition to all the other exciting opportunities at Cranford, we have something entirely unique
on the curriculum on a Wednesday afternoon every week formerly known as W Factor, now
known as Mind, Body and Soul.
Mind, Body and Soul gives all students and staff the chance to learn something new with a focus on
stretching the mind, invigorating the body or enriching the soul.
This year students in Year 7, 8 and 9 have taken part in many different activities and the list is always
growing and changing. Students choose an activity each term which enables them to learn new skills,
experience sports and creative pursuits, have the chance to expand their horizons and the opportunity to
play an important part in their local community.
Here are just a few of the activities available – which would you choose?
Rita Berndt (Head of School)
34

Which
would
you
choose?
• English National Opera Project
• Rugby with Harlequins
• Art
• Sports
• Debating
• First Aid
• Duke of Edinburgh Award
• Typography
• Robots
• Swimming
• Chess and K’nex
• Book club
• Italian
• Paper Quilling
• STEM
• Group Singing
• Media Project
• Fundraising
• Global Project
• Creative Writing
• Coding
• Needlecraft
• Crocheting and Knitting
• Dance
35

BTEC Business and Technology - Managing an Event
The
year 12 BTEC (Business and Technology Education Council) task in November 2018 was
to organise an event as part of their ‘Managing an Event’ unit. We decided to organise a
football inter-form for year 7. This event was held in ‘The Cranford SuperDome’ and each form group was
competing with one another. This allowed students to gain social skills, make new friends and develop
their communication skills which in turn allowed them to boost their confidence.
We believe that in order to help new students settle into Cranford Community College, opportunities like
these are important. We also wanted to raise money for Children In Need: This is a charity that helps
children and young people that are less fortunate, disabled, living in poverty, seriously ill, or experiencing
distress, neglect or trauma. Our aim was to raise as much money as possible and provide year 7 Cranford
students with this amazing opportunity to get involved and have fun.
The winning teams received prizes; first prize was a trophy and pizza party which went to 7T, second
prize was Children In Need wristbands which went to 7X, and third prize was a box of chocolates which
went to 7W. These prizes were based upon how many points tstudents achieved. If their class peers came
to support as well as their tutor then more points were awarded. All students that took part were superbly
behaved and thoroughly enjoyed the event.
Gul Malhotra and Ritika Verma (year 12)
36

In
Chicago Visit by Hounslow’s Promise Delegation
October 2018 I joined a delegation from
Hounslow’s Promise to investigate some
of the community and school based programmes
that run successfully in Chicago. The delegation
was headed by Seema Malhotra MP and Chair
of Hounslow’s Promise. It was a packed three
days visiting 10 different organisations and
individuals. We learned a lot from the experience
and below are a few of the ways in which I think
we can learn from Chicago.
Now the hard work of implementing some of the
lessons learned in Chicago begins.
Alan Fraser (Assistant Headteacher – Director of
Community Partnerships)
Create opportunities and courses
with workshops. Volunteering is
a great way to develop skills for
success. Linking skills competencies
to volunteering to give greater
currency. Leadership should be a
strand which is developed through
volunteering opportunities.
Create case studies and ‘models’
of where this has been successfully
achieved and disseminate.
Set up a business and young
people’s forum.
Provide a summer programme of
paid internships for Hounslow
young people.
37

Post 16 / Year 12
On
Wednesday 3rd April 2019, Cranford held its Youth Talks event to an invited audience
including Executive Headteacher Kevin Prunty, staff, parents and students. The Youth Talks,
based around the TED Talks initiative offers students the opportunity to talk about topics which they
are passionate about, to raise awareness and to share their views with a diverse audience. Topics this
year included; “Self-worth and Self-love”,” Am I one? - Battling Islamophobia & Terrorism”, “Human
Trafficking”, “The Universe and our Environment” and “American Horror Story: Same Sex Love”.
The talks were interspersed with some music performances by Huzayma Khamis (year 13), Inayah Zai
and Aya Sadouki (year 12) and the screening of an original short film entitled “Social Media Collision”
by Jus Khera (year 12).
We were delighted to welcome back Amarpal Khuttan, former Head Boy and student of Cranford, now
working as a Digital Lead at ALNAP (Active Learning Network for Accountability and Performance),
Overseas Development Institute, who talked with passion about his time at Cranford, his career and
the importance of young people having a platform to share their views.
Kevin Prunty, Execeutive Headteacher said of the event; “This was a very inspiring and thought
provoking evening. It certainly gave me food for thought”.
Sharandeep Saroya (Post 16 – School Improvement Team)
38

“Nervous. Scared. Petrified all describe how I felt on
the day- public speaking has never been my strongest
quality but I thought through doing this I would be able
to work on it and build my confidence. Ultimately I
achieved that aim and was able to deliver a talk without
too many nerves. It also helped that there was free food
after!
The youth talk allowed me to develop not only my
written communication but my ability to verbally
communicate as well and enabled me to talk about
something I am passionate about which I previously
would never have had the opportunity to do. Overall, it
was a great learning experience and a lovely evening,
which brought a lot of our year group together as well
as teachers, parents and friends. I am glad I was able
to be a part of it and have this opportunity”.
Serena Lola (year 12)
“Youth talks was one of the best experiences of my life.
I was given the opportunity to talk about a topic that
I was passionate about. I chose to talk about human
trafficking, as it is something that is perceived as
uncommon in society by so many people whilst in reality
it is affecting 40 million people all over the world. The
whole process wasn’t easy because I was anticipating
waiting for the day to arrive when we would have to
speak in front of people. I even thought of dropping out
at some points, but I received so much support from Ms
Saroya who urged me and encouraged me to continue
and I cannot thank her enough because I am so glad I
didn’t drop out otherwise I would have regretted it. I was
essentially required to make a presentation and a speech
about human trafficking and this consisted of doing lots
of research on human trafficking as I wanted to educate
the audience on the significance of human trafficking
and how it is one of the most drastically increasing
crimes. Doing the youth talks was a big milestone for me
because I often felt anxiety and panic when speaking in
front of people. Being part of this incredible experience
allowed me to conquer my fear and encouraged my own
personal growth, as it enabled me to gain confidence
and voice my opinions in front of a crowd. I managed to
obtain so many skills such as confidence, communication
and public speaking skills which I greatly value. I would
personally recommend everyone to participate and be
involved in something as phenomenal as the youth talks.
I really enjoyed this experience as not only did I get to
improve my speaking and communication skills but I
made so many wonderful friends and I would love to do
the youth talks again”.
Amrit Rai (year 12)
39

Visit to the
Spanish and German Film days
At
the start of the summer term 2019 twenty
year 10 students took the opportunity to
experience a day at the British Film Institute (BFI),
to discuss films in German and Spanish and delve
deeper into German and Spanish film culture.
This trip was organised to help widen student’s
conversational abilities in Spanish and German in
preparation for their language orals as well as give
them an insight into different film industry genres.
In addition, they were able to learn more about the
history and culture
of the country and
the way films interpret different topics using both documentary style
and sometimes humour.
For those students studying Spanish the morning was conducted
mainly in Spanish. This was an interactive event looking at a variety
of suitable short films and clips from feature films of Spain and other
Spanish-speaking countries. Students had the opportunity to extend
their vocabulary and strengthen their listening, speaking, writing and
translation skills in activities linked to the films discussed. In the
afternoon, there was a full-length screening of the award-winning
comedy Campeones (Javier Fesser, 2018), followed by a Q&A session.
British Film Institute
“The trip was enjoyable and very
interesting as we were able to learn
loads of new vocabulary that is used
within the German film industry.
I learnt a lot about the history of
Germany as well. That was also
very informative. The activities we
did were also fun to do and helped
quite a lot in class. The film that
we watched was hilarious but it also
made me more aware of the mindset
of some in society as well as
social issues such as racism”.
Aamna Sheraz (year 10)
For those students studying German, the morning focused on short films
such as Schwarzfahrer (1992), and clips from suitable feature films such as Der Tunnel (2001) and Das
Leben der Anderen (2006). Film terminology was explained and demonstrated through textual analysis.
Current and historical social issues raised by the films were discussed encouraging students to broaden
their understanding of German culture. This was followed by a screening of a film and a Q&A session.
* For both days A resource pack including interactive activities was provided
Alexandra Manole (Head of German Department)
40
Middlesex Cricket Coaching for Picasso Centre Students
At
the end of the summer term 2019 Stefan, a coach from Middlesex Cricket came to
provide six Cricket taster sessions to the students in the Picasso Centre. Middlesex
runs many disability cricket programmes with the aim of getting more young people playing
cricket, giving them access to competition opportunities and encouraging sustainability by
training up both young people and staff to become cricket leaders within the group. Staff
and students came together to work as a
“Cricket was good for our
teamwork and helped our
confidence – it was great!”
Harmeet Kalia (year 9)
“I really liked batting,
it was fun!”
Chester Aitken (year 8)
“We worked as a team, and
had fun”.
Reyan Shah (year 8)
“My batting skills are now
better”.
Ayyan Akbar ( year 8)
team to develop students both socially
and physically.
This was an amazing opportunity
for the students and was thoroughly
enjoyed by all. England’s Cricket win
in the Cricket World Cup added to the
excitement and enthusiasm for the
sport.
Kerry Mulhair
(Head of ASD and Centre Manager)

On
Tuesday 13th November 2018 students from the Picasso Centre went to The Orange Tree
Theatre in Richmond to see a production of Shakespeare’s ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’. The
production was a specially devised performance created for young people on the Autistic Spectrum to become
participants in the performance. The actors encouraged students to become participants on a sensory journey
to unravel the story of ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’. EVERY student from the Picasso Centre attended
the performance and took part. All were on stage with actors delivering the story. The students absolutely
blew me away, boundaries and comfort zones were challenged and all were enthusiastic participants.
I never knew we had so many budding actors amongst us.
Kerry Mulhair (Head of ASD and Centre Manager)
A Midsummer
Night’s
Dream
“I think that the play is funny
because the actors doing different
moves and their performances
and we can take part in the play”.
Destiny Aslim (year 10)
“I am the type of person who likes
trying new things and seeing this
play is no exception. I was not
disappointed”
Daniel Ortega (year 9)
“I loved the play and I would like to go
next year. I loved the part when I went
on the stage and participated. There
were a lot of characters but I liked the
character of Puck as he was very funny
when he tried to use a magic flower to
make Titania fall in love.”
Shreyas Shikhare (year 9)
41

History Trip to
Battle Abbey, site of
the Battle of Hastings
Thirteen students made the trip with Mr. Rich and Mr. Watton to the
Sussex coast on Thursday 11th July 2019 to take in a number of sites of historical interest to
A-level historians who are studying ‘Anglo-Saxon England and the Norman Conquest’ in Year 12.
Battle Abbey, the remains of which are still more than evident at the site, was commissioned and built by
William the Conqueror to celebrate his famous victory over the Anglo-Saxons and King Harold II in 1066
at the Battle of Hastings. The Pope ordered King William I to build an abbey to pay penance for spilling
so much blood on that day in October 1066. It was, and is still, such an impressive building that it took 24
years to build and wasn’t finished and consecrated as a religious site until his son William ‘Rufus’ II was
king. Today it is a Grade I listed historical site operated by English Heritage.
Cranford Year 12 pupils were excited to see, in person, this historic location. We walked the circumference
of the Hastings battlefield itself, enjoying the figures erected by English Heritage to celebrate the 950th
anniversary of the Battle of Hastings last year. The remains of Battle Abbey were by far the most impressive
part of our tour.
Once we had finished touring the abbey and battlefield we drove to Pevensey Bay on the Sussex coast
where William landed with his invasion force from France in late September, 1066.
Did you know? The site of the ‘Battle of Hastings’ is actually 23 miles from the town of Hastings in what
is now the town of Battle – so-called after the enormous clash of armies that fought there on the 14th
October, 1066. Having landed at Pevensey Bay, William led his army inland from the coast to hunt down
the Anglo-Saxon army and this just happened to be the place where he met the Anglo-Saxon army which
had marched from London to defend King Harold II’s crown and the country from invasion.
42
Tom Rich (Head of History Department)

Year 10 - History trip to the National Army Museum
On
Friday 7th June 2019, a very wet and chilly Friday in June,
a carefully handpicked group of the finest history students
Cranford and year 10 has to offer set off on a journey back to the 1900’s
at the National Army Museum.
The invitation to attend this event came from the American Embassy
who were focusing its D-Day 75th commemoration activities on the
‘Donut Dollies’, a group of women from the American Red Cross who
drove in club mobiles to air bases across the country as well as on the front lines in France during WWII.
They played a really important role in raising morale in WWII as well as other wars.
The programme for the day offered various workshops including; Mission accomplished? Comparing First
World War battles; Recruitment and conscription; What is Total War?; ‘British Civil Wars: By land and
siege’. In addition, the National Army Museum is currently developing a ‘Cargo Drop’ workshop - linked
to science/engineering/design and technology, which involved exploring the history of parachutes and how
the Army uses them, then designing, making and testing their own parachutes in teams.
After consuming much needed coffee and donuts, we had an excellent tour round the museum which was
full of interesting and interactive exhibits. The museum told the history of the British Army from the point
of view of the men and woman who served in it and also how it developed and was viewed by the people
of the UK. There was lots to see and do, so much so that we had to drag some students away.
After lunch we took part in a very interesting and interactive workshop, which looked at how World War
One became the first ‘Total War’. We were able to link a wide variety of artefacts to various aspects of
‘Total War’ and to the work we had done on World War One in Year 9. As usual in this most ‘hands on’ of
museums we got to try out lots and lots of the artefacts – after we had had our safety briefing of course.
We had an amazing time at the museum, the staff were extremely friendly, knowledgeable and informative
and we were able to link real artefacts with our studies in a ‘hands-on’ way.
Simon Watton (Head of Year 10 - History Department)
43

A Christmas Carol
On
Wednesday 5th December 2018, the English
Department invited Ginficent’s performance of A
Christmas Carol to Cranford Community College – the second
year in a row.
Throughout the Autumn term, year 8 students had been studying
the timeless tale of Ebeneezer Scrooge and the many ghosts
of Christmas. It was a chilly, cloudy day, perfectly setting the
tone for the tale to be told as part of a live performance. The
students, a little unsure of what to expect at first, left the show
feeling happy and satisfied with what they saw. They loved
that the actors performed the characters with such zeal and
added humour to the show to really showcase what the spirit of
Christmas is all about. It was an interactive performance which
brightened the day and really did help emphasise the need for
dramatic performances of texts. Here is just one example of
how year 8 responded to the book and the performance.
Sahrish Shaikh (English Department)
In “A Christmas Carol”, the social hierarchy
is presented with the upper class having more
wealth and power as the lower class lived in
poverty. The wealthy (Scrooge) are shown
as mean, cold-hearted people as they have
no respect for the lower classes. Scrooge is
also mean to his own nephew who is rich
and loves Christmas, Fred is wealthy, but
Scrooge is wealthier. Charles Dickens is
trying to send a didactic message to the rich
in Victorian London.
A Christmas Carol is a good book. I also
thought the storyline was interesting and
unique. At the start, Charles Dickens
presents Scrooge as a cold hearted and bitter
character. When he is visited by the three
spirits he starts to change as he sees his
happy but also sad school life when he was
poor and isolated. At the end he is jolly and
happy and very charitable. We don’t think
A Christmas Carol is a good book for the
society we live in today. It mostly suits the
Victorian era, as the upper class did not care
for the working class. The message from the
book was to be grateful for what you have
and be charitable. The part that I like the
most was at the end when Scrooge changed
and is happy and charitable.
The play of ‘A Christmas Carol’ was very
good. We loved it as we could see what it
was like in a Victorian house and the place
where Scrooge worked. We also wanted to
see how he talked to his worker and the
people who needed to pay Scrooge and when
he died, seeing his future. The actors did a
good job taking the roles of lots of different
characters. The person who played Scrooge
did a brilliant job – he was very funny. The
part we liked the most was when Scrooge
changed and when he was jolly; it was
quite funny when you could see him shaking
everyone’s hands in the audience wishing
them a “Merry Christmas and a Happy New
Year!”
The saddest part of the play which was even
in the book was when tiny Tim died and
Scrooge felt sympathy for him. We think
it was an important turning point for his
character in the play and the text itself.
44
Taseen Ismail, Rosy Mustaffa, Jagveer Kang
& Zohaib Butt (year 8)

Cambridge
University
Lecture
On
Monday 10th June 2019, the Science department and Mr Cripps had the pleasure of welcoming
Dr Paul Elliot, an admissions tutor at the University of Cambridge who is also a science
specialist. He was warmly received by over 130 students from across year 9-12 and commented on how
impressed he was by our students and the high quality of their questions and answers. Students found
it be an amazing experience. Shanan Bhamra in year 12 describes it from a student view: “The level
of energy and enthusiasm generated by our esteemed lecturer was astounding and kept us all engaged
throughout the entire session. Within the few moments of silence you could feel the excitement from
the students eager to share their thoughts on what seemed to be complex questions and the echo of “oh”
and “that makes sense now” filled the room throughout. Having learned very interesting and odd ways
of what seemed to be courtship behaviour or competition between many different species I have gained
a deeper understanding of the A-level Biology content I have been studying and it had definitely helped
me understand most of the biodiversity content which has never been my strongest topic”.
Amrat Atwal (Joint Head of Science Department)
45

King
Lear
On
Shakespeare
in
Schools
production 2018
13 November, 2018, Cranford Community College students excelled at the Shakespeare in
Schools’ Festival in their tour de force performance of King Lear.
Over three months, 14 students brought this most famous of Shakespeare’s plays to life, exploring
themes of betrayal, justice, reconciliation and family. Rehearsals were both intensive yet fun. Students
learnt a huge range of techniques, including how to use stage combat for fights and physical theatre for
larger battle scenes. Rosy Mustafa, who played Edmund, says “It was brilliant learning how to stage a
fight; we can’t do that kind of thing in class so it’s really exciting to do it in rehearsals.”
The audience join the story as King Lear divides his kingdom between his three daughters. His two
eldest daughters flatter the King, telling him how much they love him, filling him with pride and vanity
but his youngest daughter, Cordelia, does not profess her love. Cordelia chooses to remain silent until
pushed into words: “I love your Majesty, According to my bond; nor more nor less”. This sends Lear
into a mad rage, he disowns Cordelia and gives his land to his two eldest daughters, Goneril and Regan,
and so begins his downfall.
Our performance of King Lear tapped into the tumultuous Britain present both in the time of the play
and contemporarily. Cranford’s modern staging of the play employed various contemporary references
including Reservoir Dogs and a politically-charged soundtrack, using songs from bands such as
Rage Against the Machine. The play was brought fully up to date with the use of modern dress, army
camouflage, brightly coloured suits and mobile phones.
King Lear was very well received by a 200-strong audience at Beck Theatre as well as home performances.
Nihal Kang (year 8) describes what it was like as a cast member: “We learnt a lot of new skills including
how to perform to a much larger audience. It was a really good experience and I hope I get more chances
to do it again”.
46
Katie Turner (Creative Arts - SSF Director)

My King Lear Experience
I participated in the “King Lear” production. This
was an exciting yet challenging task. It was my
very first time performing in the awkward silence
beyond the audience…
I found this production amazing. This helped
me boost my confidence and helped me work
with other young people. “King Lear” was
written by Shakespeare in 1606 so the script
at first was also very difficult to understand
but we got through thankfully. We needed to
understand what we were saying in order to
make those exact face expressions and actions.
Performing at the Beck Theatre was pleasurable.
In my primary school we had a stage and a hall of
chairs and benches, we performed for the children
and parents. But Cranford Community College
was surprising as they took me to a REAL theatre
to perform at. This sounded very professional to
me because you get the chance to express your
feelings and talent with a real audience sitting
at your feet. You could also learn specific drama
techniques like when to enter and when to exit.
We produced such amazing scenes that left the
audience in suspense. We had a scene where
there were lots of killing and scenes where all the
characters had to act foolishly for the audience.
Also, there was a scene that made the audience
laugh.
This was the best time I have ever had and I would
love to experience that again.
King Lear
by Cranford Community College
at The Beck Theatre, 13/11/2018
appraised by Robert Beck
I would like to extend my heartfelt congratulations to Cranford Community College for your fantastic
production of King Lear as part of the 2018 Shakespeare Schools Festival. It was a brilliant night of
theatre, and I’d like to highlight just a few elements that really stood out.
This was a mature handling of one of Shakespeare's more complicated plays. I love how you rose to
the challenge of performing it and bringing the story to life for us.
I want to highlight your professionalism as a company, both on and off stage, during your
performance day. You are an incredibly hard-working and supportive group that worked so well
together and your show is a testament to that. Your hard work throughout rehearsals was evident
and the result was both heart-warming and heart wrenching (in all the right places!) There was such
power and conviction behind the way you delivered your lines. You took the complex language of the
play and created meaning both for yourself and then for your audience.
Shakespeare works best when it embraces the spirit of ensemble, and this was clearly integral in
your performance. The ensemble sequences, such as Lear's descent into madness and the big battle
sequence, were so dramatic and Gloucester's blinding, in particular, was superbly horrifying and
thrilling – I doubt I’ll ever forget beholding that on stage!
A gripping and powerful performance by a professional and mature company. Well done!
Performing Shakespeare’s words on a professional stage takes courage, resilience, and imagination.
You and your teachers should all incredibly proud of what you have achieved.
I hope to see Cranford Community College in the Festival again next year!
Robert Beck
Dua Abbas (year 8)
47

On
Thursday 18th October
2018, 24 adventure seeking
students and 3 brave staff members set
out on a great adventure to China, little
did we know how great this would be.
After a delayed start to the flight at
Heathrow and a very rushed transfer
in the middle of the night at Doha, we
arrived at Beijing airport nearly 24
hours after we had left London. After
the long process of passport control
and collecting our luggage we were
met by Mark, our liaison from Tianjin
College of Commerce and got on the
coach for the final leg of our journey
to Tianjin.
Our
China
Trip
Adventure
October 2018
Our first full day in China saw both
staff and students trying to negotiate
the food and drink of a very busy
Chinese student canteen. Then off to
the ‘ancient shopping’ street we went,
‘paired’ with our Chinese buddies and
it was time for exploring and shopping,
followed by much needed rest and
recuperation.
Sunday was very special as we drove
up to the amazing Great Wall of China.
This was a truly awe inspiring day
and after 5 hours walking, photos and
shopping for souvenirs we left at the
end of it footsore but happy that we
had such an amazing time. Monday
saw most of the group having a really
interesting time in classes with their
Tianjin College of Commerce buddies.
48

On Tuesday we went to the naval
college that is part of the huge
campus Tianjin College of Commerce
is built on, some of the group learned
just how complicated steering a ship
is and others how many jobs are
involved in the running of a big cruise
ship. The afternoon was spent relaxing
and playing sports with our hosts
with much winning success.
Wednesday was a beautiful sunny
warm day spent shopping at a mall
followed by more sport at which
sadly we lost this time. On Thursday
we visited the Tianjin Yangliuqing
Historic town, giving us an idea of
what Tianjin used to be like before the
huge recent modernisation programme.
On our final day in Tianjin we spent
some time in the cultural zone at
an art museum and natural history
museum and finished off with some
more souvenir shopping. A final
meal and present exchange with our
wonderful Chinese hosts and it was
time for the long journey home. We
all had a fantastic time, culturally,
educationally, socially and our
memories of Tianjin will forever be
imprinted on our hearts.
Simon Watton
(China Trip Leader - Head of Year 10)
49

Football
for
Peace
50
On
Thursday 22nd November 2018, twelve year 10
students were selected to attend this prestigious
event at the Copper Box Arena, Queen Elizabeth Olympic
Park. The event was attended by His Royal Highness, The
Duke of Cambridge to showcase the work of the charity
delivered in recent ‘City for Peace’ projects in London,
Luton and Birmingham. The event marked the culmination
of the hard work and commitment from their new ‘Football
for Peace Youth Leaders’ who are running a football
tournament, coaching and managing school teams from
across the UK from a variety of cultures, faiths and socioeconomic
backgrounds, impacting on them positively to
bring about change and contribute to a more cohesive
and tolerant community. Sport has the power to advance
humanity and to help connect people, from individuals to
communities to nations. It is hoped The Football for Peace
initiative can be at the long-term service of peace.
Mehmoona Yousaf (Senior Teacher)
“Football for Peace is a diplomatic football movement which brings
people together to create understanding through the beautiful game.
We believe football is uniquely placed to transcend the differences
of nationality, ethnicity, religion and gender. We are living in a
time, which has never been so connected and yet, ironically, has
rarely been more divided. Fear of one another’s cultures, customs
and beliefs have led to misunderstanding and isolation, leaving
communities disenfranchised, facing preconceptions and negative
stereotyping”.
Jay Jadeja (Chief Executive Officer)
“The football for peace trip was to say the
least quite inspiring. Football For Peace is an
organisation that brings divided communities
together over their love for football, and getting
to see some of these self-driven coaches was
truly motivating. As well as getting to see these
charitable people do what they love, some big
names of the footballing world also attended
including Mesut Özil, Mamadou Sakho not to
mention Prince William. Altogether it was very
informative and taught me and my peers that we
should get involved and try and make a difference”.
Adi Asskoumi (year 10)
“I learnt that football isn’t just a sport, it’s a bond
that unites over 3 billion people worldwide”.
Liban Hersi (year 10)
“The football for peace trip was a truly
motivational experience; watching the youngsters
graduate and be recognised by Prince William in
this ceremony was inspiring. Young kids like me
have been brought together to coach students, who
have overcome challenges through their common
love of sport”.
Asha Egal (year 10)
“What an unforgettable day! I saw a childhood
inspiration, Mesut Ozil with my own eyes, and it
is fair to say I got a little too excited! I couldn’t
comprehend that I was in the same building as
someone who has played alongside the greatest of
all time, Cristiano Ronaldo! If that wasn’t enough,
on the way out of the Copper Box, I managed to
charm Sakho into taking a photo with me”.
Endri Basaj (year 10)
“On the trip I heard about young people who had
experienced difficulties in life. It really made me
think about how much I take things for granted.
The enjoyable part of the day was also seeing
a number of famous people including Prince
William”.
Aman Vilkhou (year 10)

V ision
E ffort
S ystem
P ractice
A ttitude
The A level Mindset 5K run at Kempton Park
This year the sixth form pastoral teams have been delivering VESPA-the A level Mindset. A coaching
system designed to help students achieve the right mindset to maximise their achievement at A Level.
The Science department decided to put the advice into action to show students that it does work if you
try it. We set a clear goal of competing in A 5K run at Kempton Park on the 3rd March 2019. We applied
the theory of marginal gains (where one tiny change can lead to big gains) and added regular training
into our daily schedules. We worked as a team to motivate each other and broke our targets down into
small achievements. On the day we did not let Storm Freya deter us and through the wind and rain we
completed the couch potato to 5K successfully.
Amrat Atwal (Joint Head of Science Department)
National Success at the Foreign Language Spelling Bee 2019
This
year, all of our year 7 students took part in the
Foreign Language Spelling Bee competition
for Spanish and German. Three of our students, Syed
Ali Hasan, Krithik Balamugunthan, and Haider Mughal
qualified as school champions to compete in the Regional
Final in March 2019 as part of the last 105 out of 7807
contestants for London. In true Cranford spirit, the three
qualifying boys were not only exceptionally supportive
of each other before, during and after the competition,
but also of other participants. They had to translate each
word from English into German/Spanish, before spelling
it correctly in the respective language!
To top off that fantastic achievement, Haider Mughal then
went on to qualify for the National Final taking place at
Cambridge University on Monday, 1st July 2019. He was
part of the last 99 out of 30300 participants nationwide and
has made Cranford proud. Although he did not
finish in the top 4 his enthusiasm, hard work and
absolute commitment to achieve his best must be
congratulated as he truly is a Spelling Bee Star.
Well done to Syed, Krithik and Haider. We are
all extremely proud of you.
Alexandra Manole (Head of German)
51

A Level Drama
The Foreigner
“Electric, Captivating Theatre”
“They have really grasped
Complicité here, both as a
concept and the group’s work.
The imagination was excellent
and they pushed the boundaries
of what they could do as a
group and through doing that
were able to take the audience
on a journey”.
Katie Turner (Creative Arts
Drama practitioner)
In
December 2018, year 13 A level
Drama students performed the first
of their two exam performance components
to an invited audience of staff, students
and parents. The devised piece entitled
“The Foreigner” is based on an extract
from the Greek mythology play “Medea”
by Euripides. Katherine, a foreigner, enters
an unfamiliar rural village with hopes of
finding shelter, a job and place of safety.
However the unpleasant greetings she
receives from the local townsfolk forces her
to turn to extreme measures in order to have
her voice heard.
This was an original ensemble piece of work which had been developed
over the autumn term and had evolved through an organic process of trial
and discovery. A requirement of the work was for the group to choose
a practitioner to use within the devising process and for them to create
a portfolio of evidence to demonstrate their learning. Their chosen theatre practitioner was Complicité
known as one of the most influential theatre companies in the world who prioritise learning and process
to its work. They focus on not having a fixed pattern when it comes to devising. By initially completing
workshops using the practitioner’s ideas and methods it helped play a great role in terms of stimulating the
students’ thinking. In addition, the group researched costumes, music, sound and 17th century language
to make it appropriate to the time period setting and how to link back to the original play “Medea” and
include ritualistic themes. It was truly an inspiring process which created “electric and captivating theatre”
52
Jessica Joyce (Creative Arts – A Level Drama)

“The group worked very well as an ensemble. This was
evident in the sharp pace of the piece, where they all clearly
trusted and relied on each other as a team player to ensure
that they all played their individual ‘part’ to make the piece
as dynamic as it was. I was engaged throughout, as it was
fast paced and punchy, exploring some very relevant issues
that we are faced with today in our modern day context. I
was impressed that they had taken an extract from Medea
and made it their own and relevant to today. I have to say
I thoroughly enjoyed it. Truly an experience at the theatre.
Well done”.
Seema Sethi (Drama teacher)
“Thank you so much for such an electric piece of theatre. I found
it extremely intriguing and felt captivated from the start. The
characterisation was brilliant as I completely forgot that I was
watching students from school, you were all totally believable.
I particularly enjoyed seeing how you used chants, rhythms and the physical side (in
terms of the lifts and holds and steps and seats) as this is something quite different and
I felt that it worked so well. I was also really taken by how everyone was involved in
some way, all of the time. The scene with the use of the string to represent the wellto-do
couple dining and the hierarchy in their household were particularly clever and
extremely effective.
The costumes were not only completely authentic but the use of colour, in terms of who
was in the red and the grey and the black gave a very powerful message too.
I feel very privileged to have watched such an amazing production that was so well
written and thought through and so well executed. I would have gladly paid for a ticket
as it could have easily been a piece that the general public would pay to see”.
Maria Bramhall (Assistant Head of School)
“The whole performance was engaging and well thought out. Scenes had good transition
and they seemed to flow effortlessly. The influence of Complicité can clearly be felt
through the use of sounds, the bombardment of voices and whispers. The movement
within the stage and around the audience creates the atmospheric all immersive
experience. The language used really helped to set the scene and was appropriate to
the chosen time period. The costume also helped to authenticate this.
The costumes were well thought out especially providing contrast between the foreigner
who was dressed in red and the others in the village. The use of red also suggests
something more sinister. The movement pieces were effective in constraining, enhancing
and strengthening movements that have been created by the actors. In particular, the
movement pieces show the interaction between the different characters well, for example
Elizabeth and Samuel and the use of rope shows how they are all tied in together.
The characters show equal strength in delivering the story which includes universal
issues in society through the ages”.
Pam Hunt (Creative Arts –Art)
53

A Level Drama
Metamorphosis
“A Stunning Accomplished Performance”
March 2019 saw the second examination performance by the A Level
Drama group. “Metamorphosis” original story by Franz Kaftka adapted
for theatre by Steven Berkoff and performed as “Beetlejuice” inspired
production to a studio audience of students staff and parents. Costumed
in black and white with exaggerated make up and hair on a monochrome
themed set, the play tells the story of Gregor Samsa, a traveling
salesman, who wakes up in his bed to find himself transformed into a
large insect. After the metamorphosis, he becomes confined to his room
and neglected by his family.
Much of the production, performed in a stylised theatre style,
challenged the actors to draw upon their learning over the two year
course and demanded detailed intensive rehearsal to perfect the required
synchronised moves and repeated actions. They worked relentlessly
together to create a fast paced ensemble piece of theatre and the
rehearsals paid off as the audience response was very positive citing it as
a” stunning accomplished performance” they can certainly be proud of.
Jessica Joyce (Creative Arts – A Level Drama)
“This production was of very high standard, not
your typical A Level performance. Every character
played a pivotal role in engaging and mesmerizing
the audience. I really enjoyed the overall
performance, I loved the monochrome set and
costumes, simple but effective. I firmly believe the
students involved with this play will go on to have
a successful career within the arts or in leadership
roles. Well done to all the students involved with
this production. Outstanding teamwork and
performance”.
Taz Virdee (Project Manager Heston
West Big Local)
“The production was excellent. The
students’ performances were stunning and
accomplished throughout. I was totally
captivated with ‘Metamorphosis’. The
actors all played their parts brilliantly and
the props and costumes were excellent,
particularly the bedroom which allowed
the ‘insect’ to move and climb around
the room like an ‘insect’. I was totally
engaged throughout the performance.
I would happily watch these students
perform this play again”.
Bernadette Moir (Executive Assistant to
the Executive Headteacher)
54

A Level Drama
Final
Curtain
Call
As the final curtain fell on the year 13 Drama A level
course the students performed a delightful selection
of modern monologues and duologues, ranging from
stories with humour recalling teenage dilemmas and the
pressure of social media in the modern world to intense
and powerful stories around rape and human frailty. Each
performance required the actor to delve deep to bring to
life the characters and their stories from page to stage.
Jessica Joyce (Creative Arts – A Level Drama)
55

English National Opera Partnership 2018-2019
56
In
September 2018 Cranford Community
College embarked on a journey in
partnership with the English National Opera (ENO),
a journey which would last a year and would result
in amazing and varied access to the world of opera
both inside and outside school.
The partnership launch began with over 60 year 8
students attending an open dress rehearsal at the
London Coliseum on Tuesday 9th October 2018, to
see their production of George Gershwin’s “Porgy
and Bess”. The opera tells the story of Porgy who
is crippled, falling in love with Bess, an addict
and woman of ill repute. She is in an abusive
relationship with Crown who at the start of the story
murders Robbins, a family man, over a card game.
Porgy takes Bess in to protect her and they fall in
love. Unfortunately, Crown tries to reclaim her. He
and Porgy fight and Crown is killed. Meanwhile,
Sporting Life, a drug dealer persuades Bess to go
with him to New York as he promises her a “better
life”. At the end of the opera, Porgy, despite his
disability, leaves to find Bess and bring her home.
This is a very accessible opera with themes and
storyline which still resonate today.
This was year 8s first introduction to the world
of opera and would mark the beginning of their
understanding of what goes into making an opera.
The students began to brainstorm ideas for their
own opera thinking about music genre, storyline,
themes and characters they would want to bring to
life inspired by what they had seen.
On Thursday 11th October 2018 we welcomed
the ENO Bayliss team and nine opera singers to
Cranford for the day where they ran a packed
programme of opera workshops and performed Pop
Up Opera around the school. As the students arrived
to school they were welcomed by extracts from
various operas including Dido’s Lament for “Dido
and Aeneas” and “Summertime” from Porgy and
Bess on the concourse and in the dining hall. During
Lesson 1&2 the whole of year 9 and year 7 joined
the ENO to be part of an opera workshop and to be
entertained with extracts from more operas including
“The Queen of the Night” aria from Mozart’s “The
Magic Flute” and Musetta’s aria from “La Boheme”
by Puccini. During lessons 3 & 4, the year 8 Opera
Squad worked with the team to develop the initial
opera ideas they had brainstormed and create some

Porgy and Bess
“On 9th October 2018 some of year 8 including
me went to watch “Porgy and Bess” at the London
Coliseum which was the most amazing performance
you could see because it included a lot of happiness,
drama, sadness and suspense. We were there with a lot
of people and schools enjoying the 3 hours of amazing
actors and singers working hard. When walking in you
had a feeling that you were part of this special moment
and you felt important inside the theatre because of
the nice velvet chairs and a lot of gold on the walls
with fancy drawings.
music extracts. Break 1&2 involved more Pop Up
Opera around various areas including the “Bugles
Sang” from Benjamin Britten’s War Requiem and his
Prologue from “Turn of the Screw” and Papageno’s
duet form Mozart’s “The Magic Flute”. The day
concluded with a workshop for the principal singers
in the year 8 Opera squad, focussing on chorus work,
harmonies and how to create the drama in opera.
A few days later some wonderful people from the ENO
were delighted to come and work with our school it
felt inspirational especially doing these activities with
real opera singers. One of my favourite activities was
making a song in small groups and being in a circle
and creating the beats which was really fun. This
experience has been really helpful and it has built
my performing skills even more because in the future
I do want to have an acting career or at least work
with an acting group”.
Alexandra Czyz (year 8)
There is no doubt the impact of the ENO Take Over
Day generated huge excitement around the school and
certainly inspired our opera squad to develop the skills
and techniques they had learnt from this amazing
launch day, working with professional singers and
musicians and seeing the opera at the Coliseum. As
the year progressed, our partnership with the ENO
continued. In addition to the opera squad initiative,
students from other year groups were given the
opportunity to attend other open dress rehearsals and
get involved with youth opera holiday programmes
and even perform on the Coliseum stage. Meanwhile
Cranford created our very own opera, performed in
July 2019 entitled, “Trouble”.
Jessica Joyce (Consultant - Creative Arts)
57

English National Opera
Opera Squad Production
July 2019
TROUBLE
“Best friends kept apart by their families.
A rivalry so deep it can only lead to trouble”.
The
year is 2050 and Heldonna is facing
the end of her relationship with bestie
Aria, whilst arch nemesis Felicia tries to wreak
havoc on her life. Tackling real issues including
social media, peer pressure and knife crime, being
a young adult and family ties, “Trouble” navigates
the challenges of school life whilst emphasising the
importance of having a best friend who is always
there for you. Best friends Aria and Heldonna have
their friendship tested to the limit in this original
new production created by the year 8 Opera Squad
2019.
Cranford Community College has been working in
partnership with the English National Opera (ENO)
since September 2018. Sixty-five students in year 8
alongside the Creative Arts team created an original
production based around the themes of Gershwin’s
“Porgy and Bess”. The story, set in the future, deals
with various themes including choices, impact of
social media, fitting in/acceptance and things aren’t
always what they seem.
This year long project has involved students working
in various production roles and is a completely
original piece of theatre with all aspects created
and performed by the students. It came to a stunning
conclusion during the first week of July when we
welcomed audiences in to see our performance.
When we began this project we had no idea where
the students would take it or the impact it would
have on our school community. It was clear from
the start that the students wanted the storyline and
characters to be authentic, to be able to relate to the
character’s dilemmas and for the plot to reflect the
world they live in; hence the key messages related
to knife crime and the idea of a central “lock down”
situation related to Heathrow Airport (In Porgy and
Bess there is a massive storm where the town hide in
a large barn for safety). Although the story was set
in the future, it was clear its content resonates today.
Throughout this journey what was really exciting
was seeing how the organic process inspired
creativity and with the excellent guidance and
support of the Creative Arts team, how the students
responded to the challenges a production of this
58

“I enjoyed the year 8s opera this morning.
It’s impressive that they did everything
themselves and that they were brave
enough to perform in front of so many
people! I couldn’t see myself having that
confidence when I was their age”.
Police Constable Ian Franks 1704WA
(Hounslow Safer Schools Team /
Metropolitan Police)
nature brought, of which there were many including; Script writers and
actors needing to respond to the ever changing directions the story was
going; Musicians, singers and song writers adapting lyrics, melodies and
music styles according to the characters and their moments of drama;
The costume and set designers bringing to life the visual elements to
not only reflect the futuristic time frame but the characters’ identity
(and where actors were playing more than one role) the need for quick
costume changes with masks and other stage devices. To achieve all this,
they decided to use four large screens hung above the audience’s head
where images were projected to determine the setting whist the actors
and chorus performed around a raised traverse stage and the musicians
remained on the fixed stage area. With the audience sitting very closely
to the performers they became part of the shared experience and were
not only witnesses to the “crime” but felt part of the action, particularly
during the “lock down” scenes.
There is no doubt that this whole experience has been one which
demonstrated how a group of young people can engage with and bring
to life a very important message through a creative and exciting forum.
This is all their own work and a real achievement to take pride in. Kevin
Prunty, Executive Headteacher was so impressed that he facilitated the
whole school being able to see the production calling it a “Stunning,
inclusive and inspirational production giving a very important message”.
Jessica Joyce (Consultant - Creative Arts)
“I just wanted to say again
how impressed I was with the performance today
– they had written some incredible compositions and I
heard some really talented voices. It was great to see
how Porgy had inspired the production and how they
had taken the story and made it relevant to their own
lives, please pass on my congratulations to the cast”.
Poppy Harrison (Bayliss Assistant Producer ENO &
London Coliseum)
“I am incredibly
thankful to be
part of this amazing
production. I was the lead singer.
Usually singing is not my thing but
the teacher gave me confidence
to actually achieve my goals and
helped me to get where I am. I
contributed to most of the song
writing as I utterly enjoyed it
because you work as a team and
you turn an everyday phrase into
a remarkable song. I sang the solo
and the comments. I was genuinely
pretty shocked as I did not have the
confidence to do it myself but when
I got up there it was amazing and
you feel proud because you write a
song then sing that song you get a
type of joy and happiness. I would
love to thank the music teachers
because they were able to give me
this world prize and they never
gave up. If I missed a few notes and
I’d say ‘’no I will never be able to
reach this high or this low’’ they
encouraged me. The staff had taken
their time out to help us and to
make this amazing play ‘’Trouble’’
actually happen”.
Amrit Johal (year 8)
“I played Aria’s mum. At the
beginning of this journey, I never
thought I would have got this far.
It was also really fun being on
stage and acting, as I’ve never had
a big part before. It was lovely to
be part of an original Cranford
Community College production.
Now that it is finished, I feel that I
have accomplished something big,
thanks to the opera squad. I do miss
having after school rehearsals and
practicing my lines over and over
again. A big thank you to all my
friends and family for encouraging
me and helping me learn my lines. I
couldn’t have done it without you”.
Zaakirah Sheikh (year 8)
59

English National Opera
60
On
the 12th March 2019, I
and the other A Level
Drama students were given the
opportunity to see the dress
rehearsal for Mozart’s ‘The
Magic Flute’ performed by the
ENO at the London Coliseum.
This visit was part of on- going
opportunities offered as part of
the year- long partnership with the
opera company.
While I have seen multiple operas
before due to my participation in
the ENO Youth Company, this
particular performance stood out
for me. Maybe it was the fact
that I had already heard some
of the famous pieces such as the
Queen of the Night’s aria, or
perhaps it’s my affinity to fantasy
and comedy. Whatever the case,
this piece quickly became one
of my favorite operas for many
reasons; The blatant breaking of
the 4th wall through Papageno’s
interactions with the audience
adding to the hilarity, the mix
between dialogue and song making
it a less conventional opera, and
this particular production’s use
of Foley art and live drawing
which was used to create the
background of each new scene.
This production was directed
by Theatre Complicité’s Simon
McBurney which was very clear
through the fine physical theatre
and innovative use of technology,
and as we had been studying him
for our A ‘Level drama piece, we
came to love his work. This may
have increased my love for this
production in particular.
I have seen quite a few operas,
but this one was different. There
was a very minimal set with only
the hand drawn projections to
identify the different areas where
each scene was played, and a large
square platform made of wood
which was lifted and moved around
using wires creating levels and
adding to the whimsical feel of the
piece as it was ‘floating’ in scenes
like the prison and the maze. Also,
the orchestra was raised for this
production from its usual position
of the pit so that you could see
all the different instruments, so
breaking the 4th wall even more,
as well as allowing the characters
to interact with the orchestra
members which resulted in some
more comedy. Most operas have
conventions where the orchestra is
hidden from most of the audience
(in the pit), there is very minimal
if any breaking of the 4th wall, the
story is often a tragedy of some
sort, and if there is a narrative the
dialogue is sung in a recitative
where it mimics the aspect of
natural dialogue but is still sung.
This piece does the opposite of
all these which I love, and while
there are comedic operas like
those by Gilbert and Sullivan, this
one seems to rely more on wit and
observational humour as opposed
to G & S’s often more physical
comedy which I appreciate.
If you are looking for an opera to
start with, I would suggest ‘The
Magic Flute’ as it is enjoyable for
all ages; there is childlike humour,
beautiful imagery, a fantastical
tale of love, and absolutely
amazing music.
Aria Cundall (year 13)

The Big Draw Festival
On
Wednesday 31st October 2018 Cranford
hosted an event for the Big Draw 2018 in
the Concert Hall. The Big Draw Festival 2018 was
all about letting loose, embracing happy accidents,
discovery, and most importantly having fun with
those HBs. This year’s theme was play and we
created a large piece of artwork based on the idea
of ‘play with shape’. 37 students attended across
all year groups. They all participated, enjoyed the
fun and contributed to the art work. Twelve sixth
form students helped to facilitate the artwork and
manage the project.
We used paper roll,
cut paper shapes,
coloured pens,
pencils and oil pastels
to create the piece,
which was based on
shapes, and something
that allowed creative
freedom within the
theme. There was
no set idea (other
than having fun
with shapes) and
the students had the
creative freedom to
think of ideas for their
section of design. I also gave them some printed
resources of geometric patterns and shapes to
inspire their design.
It was great to see all of the students working
together as a team, problem solving and supporting
each other. It helped the younger members of
the school to build up their confidence whilst
developing their creativity in a collaborative piece.
The students came up with great ideas when given
the freedom to think for themselves
Pam Hunt (Creative Arts –Art)
“The theme of the big
draw was shape. I thought
it was fun because there
were students from
different year groups and
everyone was included.
Working with students
in other year groups was
good as they were very
kind and helped. We could see on the big paper that people
had drawn different patterns and it was very engaging. It
was good to have the opportunity to be a part of the Big
Draw festival”.
Dua Abbas (year 8)
“I thought that it was really fun. It was nice and calm
just being able to do art. The theme was play so it was a
really a fun theme to draw. It was good because there were
different art materials and you could showcase the work
in different ways. I made a collage with shapes”.
Shritu Singh (year 9)
“It was a fun experience and I liked working with different
year groups. Each year helped each other and it was a
really nice experience. We met new people who were
creative and that was good. Loads of people enjoyed it;
it was a really nice opportunity and I am looking forward
to doing it again in the future”.
Aamina Vora (year 9)
“I think it was really nice. There were lots of fun activities
like drawing on the balloons. It was fun as we could make
whatever we wanted in the theme of shapes. It was a good
experience because it showed that we could do more with
shapes and explore things”.
Ksawier Klimas (year 7)
61

Cranford Turns On
The Style
British Science Week is a big deal for the Science department at
Cranford who always put on a show. This year was no exception with
a huge variety of activities and demonstrations throughout the week.
All of our activities followed the national theme of ‘Journeys’ and
we had a great turnout of budding, enthusiastic Cranford scientists
who enjoyed themselves immensely.
Period 0 sessions
The week began with a Period 0 session titled ‘The Journey of
Plastics’ which saw students investigating what household products
and clothes contained tiny fragments of microplastics and how we
can best avoid using them to preserve both our local and worldwide
ecosystems. Students were shocked to see how many household
items they use in their everyday lives contain tiny fragments of
plastic.
Period 0 on Wednesday was a very popular engineering-themed
session which saw students making the tallest, but strongest, radio
tower out of just dried spaghetti and tape. The theme was ‘Desert
Journeys’ and looked at how we can build structures in the desert to
better aid lines of communication over vast distances.
Arguably the talk of the school was held on Thursday Period 0 with
a session titled’ The Journey Through the Body’. Excellently run by
a group of year 12 Biologists, the session saw a range of organs and
organisms examined under their guidance - eyes, hearts, a pluck,
fish, even octopi were available for our students to dissect. For many
students this was a first opportunity to see the structures that keep
us and other organisms alive close up.
62
Our final Period 0 session was held on Friday and took the form of a
challenge – ‘The Journey through Chemistry’. Structured in a timetrial
format, students had a series of chemical riddles and tasks to
complete in the fastest time possible. We had a great turnout for this
session and a number of very impressive times were set. The overall
winner was Harsimran Bath in yera 9 with a time of 4:09. Well done
to Harsimran and everyone else who attended one of the sessions.

Key Stage 3 Space Landers
Science Week would not be complete without a key
stage 3 project. This year, every student in year 7
and 8 took part in planning, designing and testing a
space lander. The project aimed to teach students of
the current problems with space travel and transport
that companies such as Tesla’s SpaceX programme
are currently tackling – namely the issue of landing
their spacecraft back to Earth (or a target planet)
safely without damage. Students were set the task of
designing a model of a structure that could be dropped
from a height without damaging the ‘astronaut’ (an
egg). They had some time to plan in groups before
being given a set amount of credits, which could be
traded in for resources. Their final task was to test
them by dropping them off the side of the B-Block!
When it came around to testing we faced an unexpected
challenge in the form of Storm Gareth – some classes
braved the 30mph+ winds regardless and dropped their
models with the aim of landing as close to a target
circle as possible. Despite the strong winds some teams
were still successful and it gave rise to a new learning
opportunity of how planes and space craft deal with the
potentially tough conditions and environment at their
landing destination.
Legends of STEM
Our whole school activity returned with a vengeance
during Science week with the Legends of STEM game.
Every teacher in the school became a STEM personality
for the week with students set the task of solving the
riddles and puzzles set for them on their game sheets.
The activity was enjoyed by all, with year 7 students
competing side by side against year 13 students who
were 7 years their senior.
Technology Workshop
Our final session of the week was held during Friday
Period 5 with a practical activity held by a visitor
from the technology industry who introduced twenty
year 8 to “Agile”, a method of product design used in
the technology and engineering fields which ensures
efficient but effective production from a large team of
developers. The students were grouped into two groups
of 10 and set the task of designing a model airport,
with the challenge being to adapt to ever-changing
guidelines, laws and regulations. Our students enjoyed
the experience immensely, with our presenter having
nothing but positive praise for the way that they
conducted themselves throughout and embraced the
challenges.
Bradley King (Science Department)
63

My trip to the Big Bang Fair was
astonishing as many people from
different schools and different countries
came to present their projects to other
people who had attended the fair.
During the fair there were lots of
different workshops that we have visited
such as the music shop. The music
workshop was one of my favourites as
I learned different ways to make music
with an electronic synthesizer and a
launch pad (type of drumming). Overall
I’ve enjoyed the trip as I saw different
types of robotics in the fair for example
drones and car racing; I saw a chemistry
experiment with dry ice which was one
of my favourite chemistry experiments.
Nehchal Singh (year 9)
I really enjoyed it, you could get
experience of talking and explaining to
people what you did. When you finished
and were waiting to see if you won or
not, you could go to workshops and see
others’ work.
Neha Khendria (year 9)
Cranford Students
Create a Bang at
the London
Big Bang Fair
It was really intriguing as it was the first time I experience
anything like that. Setting up our stall was really fun and I quite
enjoyed the experience. The first time presenting was slightly
stressful, after that it was much easier. There were a variety
of insightful projects. The workshops were really fun, however
unfortunately the perfume workshop was closed. There were
multiple levels and it was crowded everywhere, in particular
the first floor. I believe that we did well while presenting.
I recommend this as a future trip as we learnt quite a lot
Harsimran Bath (year 9)
64
After
weeks of hard work, on Wednesday
3rd July 2019 four Year 9 students
(Manav Vivek, Harsimran Bath, Nehchal Singh and
Neha Khendria) attended the London Central Big
Bang Fair at Westminster Kingsway College, Kings
Cross, to present their STEM Club project as part of
the Mayors London Scientist scheme. The initiative
aims to inspire future generations of Londoners
to consider a career in a STEM industry and saw
projects from schools across London competing for
the grand prize of a school visit from the Royal
Institution and entry to the Big Bang National Finals
in March.
Our project focused on making London’s future
homes more sustainable by incorporating biogas
production into an automatic system, providing a
sustainable source of gas for central heating systems
and cookers from the residents’ own food waste. The
students pitched their projects to two pairs of judges,
all of whom hold positions in STEM industries
around the country, before having an opportunity
to tour the venue and see the other stalls, workshops
and events that make the Big Bang Fair one of the
largest Science fairs in the capital.
The competition was fierce and with only the
winners gaining a prize for our entry category, we
did not come away with the winner’s medal this
time around. However, attending this event was a
first for the Science department and having scoped
out the standard of the competition, we will be back
for more in the coming years.
Well done to all four of our students who presented
their project incredibly confidently and represented
the school with pride.
Bradley King (Science Department)

Space Station Trip: A Day to Remember
To
commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 space mission that landed
Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin on the Moon, the Science department held a
trip to the National Space Centre in Leicester on Tuesday 16th July 2019. Mr King, Ms
Atwal, Ms Swaminathan, Ms Agarwal and Mr Kempster accompanied 47 year 7 and year
8 students on the journey. It was a long day, starting at 7am and ending at 6pm, but one
which the students were extremely grateful and positive
about.
The centre itself hosts an array of fascinating exhibits,
including historical and famous spacesuits, equipment
from spacecraft and a 42-meter tall ‘Rocket Tower’. All
of these and more are housed in and around interactive
displays, which students were free to visit and explore
throughout the day. In the middle of the day was a 30
minute long show held in the incredible Sir Patrick
Moore planetarium. Students were amazed at the
immersive, 360o degree 3D display, where the program
‘CAPCOM GO’ taught them about the ‘Space Race’ and
the history behind the Apollo Space Programmes of the
60s and 70s.
Another period of free time followed, including the allimportant
trip to the souvenir shop, before we had to
board the coach and make our way back down the M1 to
London. The trip left our students full of excitement at
what the future of space discovery holds for them (and
potentially), what they could hold for it.
Bradley King (Science Department)
“My trip to the National Space Centre
was jaw- dropping. The National
Space Centre had attempted to find
a way to fuse fun and education, and
their attempt was successful. My favourite part was
when I experienced the ‘Virtual Reality’ effect in the
Planetarium. The experience was inexplicable due to
the excitement that rushed through the heads of the
year 7 and 8 who were lucky enough to take part”.
Miya Dhaliwal (year 7)
“I thought that the trip was extremely fun. It was
interactive but also educational at the same time. There
were opportunities for everyone to do something. My
favourite part was when we were watching the video
about space because I liked how it was in 360 degrees”.
Umaima Mujeeb (year 7)
“The trip to the Space Centre was extremely amazing
and I have enjoyed every single moment including
the Planetarium where we watched the 3D movie. I
wish we could have the opportunity to do this again.
Thank You”.
Yashraj Geentilal (year 8)
65

Hounslow
Poetry Slam 2019
‘Hi guys, can I play?’
‘NO, women can’t play
football’
‘You don’t even know how to
play’
‘Exactly’
‘Girls can’t
play football? That’s just an
opinion. They can’t play, they
say but I’m not going to … for
another day. They tell me to go
but I’m going to stay
We’re in 2019, we need to be a
team
Let’s all come together to fulfil
our dream
On
Thursday 20th June 2019, 10 year 7 students from
Cranford Community College (including myself) and Mr
Ladva travelled to The Hounslow Arts Centre. Even though we were in
different teams, we were still all doing it for Cranford. At first glance
the theatre was gargantuan. The School Library Service Librarian
introduced Adam, Kelly and Chloe, they were all poets and creative
artists. When we got ourselves settled with the other schools we played
many acting and poetry related games to get warmed up. This was very
enjoyable, as the hosts who were presenting the Poetry Slam were so
amusing and confident. We then got into our poetry groups so that we
could start work on our own poems. Cranford had three teams.
The Teams were;
Team 1
It’s Women’s World Cup
and I’m dreaming up to what I
aspire to be
When I am trying to train but
the boys give me pain
And I’m left crying in the rain
All I want is equality
And I want to be free’
‘Wait, don’t run away, we need
you, you’re awesome so now,
let’s play’
‘Okay’
Syed Ali
Hassan
After 25 minutes of
hard work we finally
got our finished
poem ready. We then
had lunch, which for
me and the rest of
the group was our
favourite time, because
we got to interact with
other students and
make friends with
them. After lunch we
practised our theatrical
skills to test how to
Team 2
Team 3
Abd Elrahmane
Brik-Chaouch
Amandeep
Khurana
Krithik
Balamugunthan
Adil Yusuf
Zaina Syeda
Safa
Abdul-Muktadir
Alys
Speed-Ghumdia
Jessica Logan
Iustin
Vrinceanu
perform the poetry. We practised so hard that we were all
sweating. The performances got stronger over time which proves that the other schools were not going
down without a fight. Mr.Ladva supported all the groups and gave us feedback to ensure we did the best
we could. All the performances were absolutely amazing and all deserved to be first place.
After the performances the judges deliberated for an intense 5 minutes but it seemed like a lifetime. The
results were in and Cranford got 3rd place and an honourable mention which was amazing news. We were
the only school to receive both a top place and a mention. What a performance by Cranford. We hope you
enjoy reading our poem above.
Syed Ali Hassan, Abd Elrahmane Brik-Chaouch (year 7)
66

Annual SACRE Lecture at the Civic Centre Hounslow
The
Annual SACRE lecture on Thursday 17th January 2019, was delivered by a friend of
Cranford Community College, local MP Seema Malhotra. The theme was “RE and the
rise of identity politics” and as usual it was a thought provoking evening attended by Kevin Prunty,
Executve Headteacher accompanied by Veronique Gerber and Peter Stumpf, Associate Headteachers,
Mehmoona Yousaf, Senior teacher and students in the year 12 A Level Religious Studies at the Hounslow
Civic Centre. In many ways Seema was the ideal speaker, having grown up in Hounslow she is able to
understand the East versus West tension that many young people today have to navigate. Seema noted
that her schooling and the skilful delivery of RE embedded in her, the desire to enquire into religions
and philosophy. She noted that whilst Hounslow was a great place for diversity, increasingly it was a
case of different communities living side by side but not in each other’s lives. Seema noted that RE
was one way of challenging this, since it has a key part to play in opening the door to different faiths
and much needed in helping students to make up their minds about complex issues. Obviously as an
RS teacher I very much agree with her.
Mehmoona Yousaf (Senior Teacher)
“Seema Malhotra, provided a platform to discuss a global shift in the political
landscape - the rise of identity politics in marginalised groups. Identity politics
is a polarising topic: it can be constructive, reflective of progression after
historical mistreatment, but, more often than not, it is seen as the driving force of
the far-right. This was touched upon towards the end of the evening and, for me,
was the height of discussion. To resolve the regressive aspects of identity politics
and the retaliation against it, Malhotra encouraged the dialogue of ‘world views’
in Religious Education (an idealistic resolution that in my opinion ignores the
digital age). It was interesting to witness a Member of Parliament speak to their
electorate about issues currently pressing, with a direct communication that
allowed other concerns to be expressed; I will surely be attending future events”.
Ajeet Khela (year 12)
67

The MYRIAD Project
Cranford Community College is one of 85 schools
across the country taking part in the research project
named MYRIAD (My resilience in adolescence)
project at the University of Oxford. MYRIAD is exploring
how we can prepare young people to improve resilience
and manage their emotional health and at the heart of
this is understanding the great changes that occur in
adolescence. Learning skills that build resilience has the
potential to help adolescents navigate challenges during
their time at school and builds a platform to serve them
throughout their lives.
Teenage Brain Workshop
The MYRIAD programme is a 4 year trial running until
summer 2020. So far around 25,000 young people and
more than 500 teachers have answered questionnaires as
part of the research.
Researchers visited the school on the 4th April 2019 to
run an interactive workshop with Year 9 pupils about
adolescence and the brain.
Working directly with researchers, pupils investigated how
their brains are different from those of children and adults
and had a go at cognitive experiments researchers use to
study the brain. Amongst other topics, pupils explored
their risk taking, their focus and attention and their ability
to delay rewards. They also modelled their own brains and
had the opportunity to meet the researchers, ask questions
and find out more about what they do.
68
We were so pleased with how well students engaged in
the workshop and enjoyed the day. You have given our
team a wonderful experience of what a friendly, caring
environment a school can be. You can be very proud of
them all. A huge thank you must also go to Ms Yousaf
for hosting us, and to all of your staff who supported us
during the workshop.
We would like to pass on our thanks to all the staff and
pupils at Cranford Community College on behalf of the
MYRIAD project at the University of Oxford.
Eleanor-Rose Corney (Research Assistant on
the MYRIAD Project)

“The activities planned today were engaging and interactive
which is the style of learning we promote. As the Head of
Year we have explored topics about how the brain works and
behaviours in assembly so this relates nicely to prior work we
have done”
Randeep Sidhu (Head of Year 9)
“I attended a Myriad workshop and besides there being really
great activities, I also learnt so much from it such as how brain
functions, how your mind can trick you and about being risk
takers. My favourite activity was one where you had to put some
headphones on with some really annoying sounds playing and
you had to try and concentrate on numbers that were popping
up on the screen all the time trying to avoid clicking number 3.
This was just one of the ways your brain can trick you just by
hearing some sounds. Additionally, the staff were really helpful
and answered any questions you had and always gave really
great answers so you could understand better. The session lasted
just under two hours and I enjoyed every minute of it as it was
really enjoyable, fun and in some part funny; sometimes you
forgot that you were actually learning. By the end of the session
it really made your brain tick and made you want to learn more
about how your brain functions as a teenager. If there was ever
an event like this again, I would be sure to attend”.
Robert Keeley (year 9)
“Some year 9 students were invited to attend the Myriad
project workshop, which was hosted by researchers from
Oxford University. The aim of the workshop was to educate us
on the teenage brain, the different parts of the brain and their
functions. Before we begun, we were each handed a student
passport in which we recorded the results of our activities. We
participated in numerous tasks which helped us learn how to
overcome distractions, understand decision making, short-term
and long-term rewards and risk taking. Each activity table we
visited was interactive and informative for example the risktaking
test. This consisted of students pumping balloons to
achieve the highest possible circumference without the balloon
bursting. This test in particular proved to be a hit with all
students and brought out the competitive nature in us! Overall,
the workshop was extremely enjoyable and each student walked
away with a new outlook on their lives”.
Ria Dhaliwal (year 9)
“Intriguing and
educational”, “Fun and
exciting”, “Educational,
fun and interactive”.
Pupils involved in
the workshop in Year 9
69

—
Book Week – A Worthwhile Experience
Book Week is when we celebrate World Book Day. World Book day is a non-charitable organisation.
It provides book tokens to 15 million people, that’s every young person under 18 in the United Kingdom.
To celebrate World Book Day staff from Cranford Community Collage provided us with a coupon to get
£1 off any book or get a free World Book Day book, created by some fabulous authors such as Malorie
Blackman and many more. Reading is good and every child should read as it is excellent for the brain and
it can improve your English skills which is helpful when you learn new things. So, Mr Ladva decided that
we were going to have a Book Week which is fun filled with glorious events.
On Monday 13th March 2019, I participated in the Manga workshop. Zahra Sadiq was a very spectacular
tutor. Zahra is in the sixth form and she taught 30 students how to draw (which sometimes it not the easiest
thing). I really appreciated that Zahra gave her time to teach us new skills. Magnificent and spectacular are
some of the words I would use to describe this fabulous workshop. Zahra’s drawing skills are out of this
world; The technique which she uses is surreal. Some famous Manga books are: Pokémon, Death Note,
Naruto and many more. She taught us to be creative and have fun and that Manga can be whatever you
envisage it to be. I really loved the workshop and now I am practising drawing regularly as I find Manga
very intriguing subject to learn and draw about.
On Tuesday 14th March 2019 was the poetry workshop presented by Huzayma Khamis who is in year 13.
I was very interested to learn about poetry, as poetry is not my strongest subject. I went to the workshop
because I wanted to stretch my knowledge and what I already knew about poetry. We learnt about Huzayma’s
favourite poets. Huzayma really likes strong and passionate poems. We created our own poems and she
gave me some tips and advice, which was brilliant. I really appreciated the advice. At the end, some people
performed their brilliant poems. They were splendid. I have learned many new phrases and words that I can
use: Rhyming couplets, metaphoric language, similes and many more language techniques which I have
learned. I really appreciated the help that Huzayma gave me and I hope to expand my knowledge about
poetry even more and to start writing poems often. Overall the poetry workshop has been a worthwhile
experience and I am delighted that I had the opportunity to attend this spectacular workshop.
70

On Wednesday 15th March 2019, Alan Gibbons an award winning author visited Cranford Community
College. He won the Angus Book Award and the Blue Peter Book Award for his book The Shadow of the
Minotaur in 2000; what an achievement. He gave us his time and an opportunity to hear about what it is
like to be an author. Many enthusiastic students like me, participated in this glorious event and all asked
questions regarding books, authors and many more related questions.
I am really keen on all of his books and I have just finished reading ‘The Edge’. He also talked about the
inspiration behind his books which are related to family issues. He feels strongly and very passionately
about his work. He is a really talented author and I rate ‘The Edge’. ‘9/10. It was brilliant. I really liked the
author’s style of writing which I think I could relate to. He also gave English writing tips which improved
my English overall. I do recommend going to see an author as it’s a brilliant chance to meet famous people
and pick up a few tips. This was my favourite workshop of book week.
Mr Ladva also ran a book shop which sold books and stationary and all the necessary essentials you need
to enjoy reading and writing. Many volunteers showed up to help organise and run the shop
I really like Book Week as it’s fun-filled with competitions which involve winning huge prizes such as:
A Fortnite book, Easter eggs and headphones/earphones. I highly recommend going to Book Week it’s a
worthwhile experience.
Abd Elrahmane Brik-Chaouch (year 7)
71

Cranford Develops Partnerships
with Key Far East Schools
72
In
April 2019, Kevin Prunty, Executive
Headteacher and Peter Stumpf, Associate
Headteacher, visited two of our important partner
schools in the Far East.
Firstly, we visited Princess Chulabhorn Science
High School in Pathumthani, Thailand, which is
one of our newer partners following their inaugural
visit of students and teachers to Cranford in March
2019. During the visit to Pathumthani, we explored
in detail the next stage of the relationship between
the two schools and in particular the possibility of
teacher placements and exchanges where Cranford
teachers spend some time teaching their specialist
subject in Princess Chulabhorn Science High
School. This provides the opportunity for teachers
to work together and learn from each other and as
such is invaluable professional development.
The visit included a detailed tour of the school
campus in order to look at the accommodation and
other facilities available. The school is located
outside of the city and has extensive grounds and
lots of space.
We were also able to visit Prathumsuksa Thammasat
School and Anuban Pathumthani School both of
which are keen to work closely with Cranford
and our primary partner, Berkeley Academy, in
collaborative project including teacher exchanges.
The second part of the trip took us to Shanghai
in China where we visited South Dong Chang
Middle School which is located in the heart of
Shanghai. This is a longstanding partnership that
exists with Cranford and the visit was used to explore
different ways in which the two schools can further
develop opportunities for collaboration between
teachers and students via exchange visits. At the end
of the visit, Kevin Prunty Executive Headteacher
and Fangfang, South Dong Principal, signed a new
Memorandum of Understanding. This MOU outlines
different ways in which the schools will develop
further partnership work over the coming years.
Shortly after we returned to the UK, South Dong
Chang Middle School sent a group of students and
teachers to Cranford indicating the strength of this
partnership. Further details of their visit can be
found elsewhere in this publication.
Peter Stumpf (Associate Headteacher)

In
Our International Partners visit
Cranford Community College 2019
In Spring and Summer 2019, Cranford hosted school visits
from some of our valued partner schools in the Far East
Princess Chulabhorn Science High School
Pathumthani, Thailand
March 2019, we hosted
the first school party from
Princess Chulabhorn Science
High School in Pathumthani, Thailand,
who spent 10 days at Cranford. During this
time, the students and teachers undertook
activities in school including taking part
in lessons, and specific workshops about
education and life in the UK. They also
gave a performance on Thai Dance to the
pupils at Berkeley Academy who also had
the opportunity to join in.
Peter Stumpf (Associate Headteacher)
“In the afternoon we went to Berkeley Academy
to perform some activities with them. First
we asked them to join us in the dance and be
superstars”.
Apichaya
“After we finished breakfast, two students from
Cranford took us around the school to see how
students study here. We went to many classes
such as Art, Independent Study, Drama etc., we
also went to see some activities in the music
room, the gymnasium and the football field
which is very big! Afterwards we went back to
the meeting room to have some ice breaking
activities.
On day 3 I went to a German class. Personally
I really enjoyed this period even though I
cannot speak German at all but the students
in the class are so friendly and kind teaching
me some words. I also like the way the teacher
teaches the students by using songs to help
students remember words and phrases easily
but the climax of the class is the ‘acting’ of the
teacher. She is so energetic”.
Patteera
“In the afternoon we played games. We played
games to test our knowledge about England and
Thailand and we played the Riddle quiz as a
team. It was more enjoyable because we could
talk and play with our teammates. Today I’m
very happy because I met new people and gained
experiences that are new”.
Nadialn
73

In
European Administrators Programme visit
to Cranford in March 2019
March 2019, Cranford hosted the first
UK visit of the European Administrators
Programme. This was the next stage of a programme
that started in October 2016, when 20 European
school leaders (including Peter Stumpf from
Cranford) took part in a US State department
programme based in Washington DC, Denver
Colorado and Minneapolis, Minnesota. The
programme focused on educational provision for
refugees, newcomers and children from ethnic
minorities. The excellent work that started on the
visit has continued with visits to France (2017),
Germany (2018) and this year continued with a visit
to the United Kingdom.
The visits focus upon participants visiting host
schools and provide the opportunity to share best
practice, collaborate with each other and develop
a support network that crosses borders and enables
participants to learn from each other. Although the
contexts are different, the challenges that we face
are similar and this network has proven to be a very
successful way to work together to learn from each
other.
In many cases these children are the third or fourth
generation in the UK and face specific challenges
often related to identity and language. The
participants were able to hear from experts in their
field. They also undertook a visit to Cambridge
University to look at Widening Participation and
programmes that support students from ethnic
minority backgrounds to go to university.
The team visited Cranford for a day during their
time here and this included observing lessons,
meeting teachers and students, attending workshops
facilitated by Cranford staff on key themes such
as teacher training, teacher recruitment and staff
development, developing leaders for the future,
and a leadership discussion with Kevin Prunty,
Executive Headteacher. The team also met with
a group of Somali parents at Berkeley Academy,
as the achievement of Somali students has been a
particular focus of the EAP programme from the
outset. The delegates wrote a collective report on
their visit and here are some extracts:
Peter Stumpf (Associate Headteacher)
We were very fortunate to gain sponsorship from
the US State department to fund their alumni
programme towards this visit. In addition, Marina
Aleixo from the University of Minnesota joined
the visit and contributed as she has done on all the
previous visits so far.
The UK visits focused on what schools provide for
immigrant children in order for them to be successful.
“In his introduction to Cranford, Kevin Prunty talked with
us about key priorities and these are the themes that came
through for me: Engagement, leadership, networking,
self-confidence and community. Community is very
important for him and the school and to be connected to
the entire world is a real goal. The goals are to share the
values, be outstanding, understand where the students come
from, and make this community more stable and successful”.
Yolande Ulenaers (The Netherlands)
74

“Ruth Painting, Senior Teacher, spent time explaining
the work that Cranford does in supporting other
schools. She explained that this involves working with
local schools on Ofsted readiness as well as specific
school improvement areas. Cranford sends expert staff
into schools with specific areas of need. They also work
in schools in ‘Opportunity Areas’. The Executive Head,
Kevin Prunty, is a National Leader of Education and
provides leadership support to schools across the country.
Ruth described to us the comprehensive staff development
programme in place at Cranford, supporting the needs of all
teachers and available to the Cranford Alliance schools. The
school also offers the National Professional Qualification
in Middle and Senior Leadership which many middle and
senior leaders have completed or are in the process of
ccompleting. During our visit, we met with 9 students aged
16 - 18. The students presented their roles and missions.
They help to develop the school’s culture and environment.
‘Whatever our cultural or religious background: we belong
to the Cranford family’ they said”.
Magali Gallais (France)
“During lunch we met with a large number of trainee
teachers and teachers who had actually attended Cranford
as students. This is a particular theme of the school - to
recruit teachers who are from the local community and
therefore have a better understanding of the challenges
that exist in this area. As well as teacher training, the
school focuses heavily on teacher development and career
development. There are many opportunities to develop: you
could become a Head of Department or Year Team Leader
or even a Senior Leader in the future.
After lunch we went to Berkeley Academy which is
the primary partner school for Cranford Community
College. Whilst there we attended a whole school assembly
on ‘World Book Day’ and saw the excellent way that the
school rewards pupils. After the assembly, we met with
some of the Somali parents and community members. They
told us that education is an essential lever for finding your
place in society. Parents trust the school. Through the
school, parents are mobilised. They become aware that
knowledge of the English language is the first vector of
integration. Communication is essential: taking English
language classes is key in order to understand teachers
and help their children in their schooling.
15 teachers from Cranford and Berkeley visited the
University of Minnesota for a teacher development
programme in October 2017 and a group of these teachers
met with us to talk about their experience. The schools also
deliver the National Professional Qualifications in Middle
and Senior Leadership and other teachers talked with us
about their experiences doing these programmes. The
teachers who went to Minneapolis took full advantage of
this study tour.
Exchanges of practices and sharing of projects make it
possible to better support migrants and refugees. The Somali
community has been at the heart of discussions between
Americans and English people. Cranford offers Berkeley
teachers Qualifications in Middle/Senior Leadership:
Professional training enables teachers or managers to
develop skills in the management and leadership of an
institution and its teams”.
Cyril Norbec (France)
75

“Upon leaving London, the group led by Peter
Stumpf went by train to Edinburgh. This included
a visit to the home of the Scottish Government
at Victoria Quay, Edinburgh. Whilst there,
we met with Louise Glen, a Senior Education
Officer for Languages, at Education
Scotland, an Executive Agency of the Scottish
Government, tasked with improving the quality
of the country’s education system.
The group had the opportunity to travel to
Fife and visit Dunfermline High School where
Graeme Brown, our Scottish participant
host, is also Deputy Rector. The group
visited lessons and met with students from
a variety of different backgrounds. We then
visited Drummond High School, in the centre
of Edinburgh, which is also a school where
students come from particularly diverse
backgrounds.
At the end of the study week in London and
Scotland, the group wrote some reflections
on what they had learnt. Yesterday I gave a
lecture about returnees at school, women with
their children, and I told the audience about
my experiences at Cranford. I will consider
those when writing about UK concepts
in comparison with the German way, e.g.
prevention of radicalisation and promoting
diversity. There were a lot of interesting
aspects for me to rethink practice”.
Martin Oppermann (Germany)
“This study tour will allow me to work on
different themes upon my return to France. The
notion or concept of community has to be
developed to consolidate the link between the
city and the various partners. The school is a
community and the community is the school.
With the leadership and management of
teaching teams, training is an essential
element of the welcoming and support of
migrants and refugees in schools.
Exchanges between Europeans and
Americans provide a better understanding
of the difficulties faced by migrants and
refugees. It would be important to set up
action programmes and educational tools for
professionals in Education”.
Cyril Norbec (France)
“I found the opportunity to have our European
and US partners visit our schools a very special
and rewarding experience. The network that
started in Washington DC in 2016 has become
a highly valuable tool for us to develop as
school leaders and collaborate with each
other through learning from what each other
does best. I very much look forward to the next
opportunity to work together again”.
Peter Stumpf (Associate Headteacher)
76

Tianjin
College of
Commerce,
China
In
May 2019, Cranford
was visited by the new
President Mr Gang Baoli from
Tianjin College of Commerce,
Tianjin, China and two of his senior
teachers. Tianjin College has been a
long standing partner for Cranford
of over 20 years during which time
many exchange visits have taken
place. During his visit, Mr Gang
Baoli and Kevin Prunty, Executive
Headteacher, worked together
on developing further this very
important partnership that over
the years has allowed hundreds of
Cranford students the opportunity
to visit China.
Peter Stumpf (Associate Headteacher)
77

South Dong Chang Middle School Shanghai, China
In
June 2019, a delegation from South Dong
Chang Middle School (Shanghai, China) came
to Cranford. This built upon the visit that Kevin Prunty
Executive Headteacher and Peter Stumpf Associate
Headteacher made to Shanghai in April 2019 where a new
partnership agreement was signed between The Principal
Ms Fangfang and Kevin Prunty. This new memorandum
of understanding committed both schools to ongoing
collaborative work allowing both students and teachers
the opportunity to visit each other’s schools and learn from
each other.
Ocheon Senior High School
(Pohang, South Korea)
78
The group from Shanghai were partnered with Cranford
students and spent each morning in lessons with their
partner student experiencing life at Cranford. The Cranford ‘partners’ were
from Year 8 and Year 9 and did a great job looking after their Shanghai
students making them feel at home here and a part of the school.
In July 2019, we also hosted the fifth annual visit from Ocheon Senior High
School, Pohang, South Korea. The 15 visiting students were partnered with
Cranford Sixth formers who took them to lessons, showed them around
and spent time playing language and educational
games. Mr Ferreira and Ms Sheikh (who went on
the first Cranford exchange to Korea in October
2018, Mr Lennon (who himself speaks Korean)
and Mr Vithlani held daily workshops for the
Korean students and their Cranford partners on a
range of themes including UK culture, education
and travel. Some of our sixth formers will be taking
part in the October Korea trip and be able to meet
with their Korean partner again, so this was a great
preparation for the Autumn visit to Korea.
There were tearful moments at the farewell meal
showing how much, in this short space of time, our
students had developed genuine friendships with the
Korean visitors.
Peter Stumpf (Associate Headteacher)
“I really enjoyed the
experience that I had at
Cranford. I want to stay here
but I have to leave. I’m so sad
and I want everyone to come
to Korea where I want to share
our culture with you”.
Seo Young
“I loved staying in London
for the last 9 days. I felt
so worried about this trip
before I came here. But now
it is the last day in London
and I don’t want to go back
to Korea. Actually all of the
Cranford students were so
kind and friendly and it was
easy to talk with them. I will
miss them in Korea”.
Carrie
“I’m very happy with the
Cranford students who spent
time with us. I learnt many
things, different classes and
spoke much English. But I
liked making new friends the
best. I will miss you”.
Seuugjun

Monopoly
Challenge
2019
Team Scores were
as follows:
Gangsters = 4575
WOW = 4475
Team Chimp = 4360
Mono-Olaf = 3860
Cash Money = 3070
The
annual year 12 Monopoly Challenge on Tuesday 16th July
2019 proved the current year 12 are a very competitive year
group who enjoyed finding ingenious ways of gaining the necessary
points to win.
Armed with various soft toy mascots, six teams embarked on a day of
discovery around London ably supported by Mr Cripps, Ms Nandra,
Mr Ladva, Ms Patel, Mr D’Souza and Ms Saroya. Thankfully the sun
shone and this helped generate the enthusiasm for the tasks ahead. The
winning team ‘Gangsters’, received a £20 voucher each presented at
the end of year assembly. Well done to all the students who took part.
It really was a fun day.
Sharan Saroya (Post 16 – School Improvement Team)
“The monopoly challenge was a fun and
interactive way to explore London. The
challenge helped to develop problem
solving skills and the art of prioritising.
The challenge also helped our team to bond
together and make cherished memories and
friendships”.
(Team GANGSTER)
“It was an entertaining
experience teaching us
how vital time management
and leadership are to
group projects and how
good communication
is key in all aspects of
teamwork. Other than
that we discovered how
homelessness and poverty
is still a big issue in our
society which really made us feel like that it is our duty to contribute
in making this issue highlighted and help as much as we can”
(Team WOW)
“It was an amazing day and
we had so much fun. It was a
rare experience and we went
to so many places in one day
it was incredible. I really
enjoyed this experience
because we were allowed
to travel around London
alone and had a chance to
bond with other people. We
strengthened as a team and
did fun, unique and exciting challenges.”
(Team MONO--OLAF)
“The monopoly challenge was so
exciting. I really enjoyed today’s
trip because we got to do some fun
and amazing challenges with some
amazing people. We would never get
an opportunity to do it elsewhere. We
all had a great time and took lots of
pictures. It was a bit tiring because
of the running, but we all had that
competitive attitude which motivated
us to complete these challenges. I had
some hilarious conversations and will
never forget this experience”.
(Team CHIMP)
“I had a great day. We had
lots of fun. We looked after our
teddy really well. It was a great
experience, we managed to see
lots of London attractions as
well as eat lovely burgers. I
have learnt both navigating
and life skills. Going through
London helped me learn around my area and discover new places both
to visit and potentially work. Today was fun because I was in a large
group and London is great sightseeing area. We enjoyed our teachers
company. Hopefully we can do it again”.
(Team – CASH MONEY)
79

Eton College Summer School
“Aside from the late
nights, early mornings and
increasingly challenging
workload, the Eton College
Summer School produced
ten vibrant and memorable days. From exploring the roots of calculus
to being immersed in the infinitesimal world of quantum mechanics, the
programme broadened my understanding of Physics and Mathematics.
The unique offering of this Summer School was flexibility of thinking,
abandoning all constraints to our creativity and perception. Consequently,
I left Eton convinced the contemporary education system is antiquated”.
Onkar Riyat (year 12)
80
Every
year Eton College
runs a residential
summer school open to aspirational
year 12 students across the country.
With only 120 places available it is
a highly competitive and prestigious
opportunity. This year we worked
with the charity SPARK to support
15 talented and deserving Cranford
candidates through the application
process. I was overjoyed when I
received an email informing me
that four of our students had been
successful and would be attending the
summer school this year.
Ria Kalia, Onkar Riyat, Subhan Jaura
and Faisa Ali all attended the Summer
School from Tuesday 2nd – Friday
12th July 2019 and were immersed
in a world quite different to their
own. Each day students engaged in
lectures and were set assignments and
experienced a range of sporting and
cultural opportunities.
Sharandeep Saroya (Post 16 – School
Improvement Team)
“My time at Eton was inspiring, galvanising and really fun. For me, it
was the optimum summer school experience as learning from teachers who
are really passionate about their subjects specifically, maths and physics
allowed me to enrich my knowledge even further about problem solving
and engineering which will help me achieve my goals of becoming an
aerospace engineer from a top university. Also, learning alongside some
of the country’s brightest young minds inspired me to push my capabilities
and excel in whatever challenge I face. Every day we were introduced to
something much better and significant for our own interests. Personally,
apart from the sports activities I really enjoyed learning about music tech
and how to use music software. It is something special that I can proudly
put on my skills list. I’m thankful to everyone at Eton and all the lifelong
friends I have made whilst living there in a short but an exhilarating
period of time”.
Subhan Jaura (year 12)
“The Eton Summer School was an amazing opportunity that I wouldn’t
have been able to attend without Cranford’s help. We spent 10 days being
pushed to the limits via lessons that questioned our thinking at every
step, and homework that took us into the early hours of the morning. But,
when paired with the amazing teachers, stunning facilities and a really
wholesome community, it made for a truly enjoyable experience. I made
some friends who I’ll never forget and learnt skills that will get me to my
dream university and help me get through it too”.
Ria Kalia (year 12)
“Studying at Eton for the summer school was an amazing experience. Our
days were intensive, with specialist sessions, tutorials and lectures but
still immensely enjoyable. It was great to be able to delve into my subject
at such a high level and used advanced equipment in the lab. We also
received highly specific advice into university admissions and improving
our personal statements, something I found to be very useful. All in all,
it was a great experience and I would definitely recommend it to others”.
Faisa Ali (year 12)

Annual Fundraising Event 2018
www.seedsofpeace.org
Another impressive evening at another impressive
venue. Mr Fraser and I facilitated the first visit
to Cranford Community College from the Seeds
of Peace organisation last year and as usual one
opportunity leads to another. Following this trip
a number of our students successfully applied for
scholarships which enabled them to attend a Seeds
of Peace residential in London. Having impressed
at the residential the students were invited to attend
the annual UK Seeds of Peace fundraising event
Seeds of Peace fundraising event on Monday 19th
November 2018 at The Berkeley in Knightsbridge
and by far the nicest thing about the evening was
watching Guy and Anjali excitedly catch up with
the other students they had met at the residential.
Memoona Yousaf (Senior Teacher - Pastoral)
After very successful seminars with the international
organisation Seeds of Peace, we were re-invited to
another event set up at the (five-star) Berkeley Hotel
in Knightsbridge. It was an evening to commemorate
the achievements of the organisation in spreading
peace though areas of conflict; they boasted
wonderful case studies of friends meeting in unusual
places such as the pair of best friends, each from
the ‘enemy’ side. Seeds of Peace is the pioneer of
a future of peace, and we hope to be a part of it.
The best part of the evening (excluding the food)
was the time which we had to talk to the different
people brought together by the organisation, from
all over the world, to share their stories and bring
to light the many unnoticed injustices occurring
around the globe. I made many new friends as well
as reconvened with old ones who shared similar Seeds
of Peace experiences. The people we met were those
who are changing the world, and I aspire to be a one
of them. Overall, we were very lucky that the school
was able to take part in such an unforgettable event
and we hope for more good news in the future.
Harit Boonyarakyotin (year 11)
The venue was breath-taking, and everyone was very
welcoming. After an hour of drinks, hors d’oeuvres
and mingling, we proceeded to hear the speeches of
other Seeds of Peace members, some of whom included
counsellors and parents of members. Hearing the
speeches really had an impact on me, but one speech
in particular stood out to me the most; it was by two
counsellors, Habeeba and Adaya, who we met at
the Seeds of Peace camp in Maine and became best
friends 7 years ago, despite coming from two opposite
sides of a conflict region. Their friendship story was
beautiful to hear because they put any differences
they had aside, and are still best friends to this day.
Also, it was remarkable to hear how Seeds of Peace
had brought so many people together from all around
the world, and how they’ve provided a platform for
people to speak out about their views, which can
help them in numerous ways in life. Following
the speeches, there was another chance to talk
to the attendees of the event, and how Seeds of
Peace has shaped their lives. It was a fantastic
opportunity for us to network and socialise
with other Seeds of Peace members, as well as
catching up with our friends from the 4-day
seminar in May.
Anjali Bhambra (year 11)
81

www.seedsofpeace.org
82
Seeds Of Peace is a leadership development
organisation founded in 1993. I was very
fortunate to be able to attend the second year of this
phenomenal camp in London. It was incredible.
The amount of fun I had over the 4-day course is
unexplainable. I have adapted and learned many
skills which I now apply to my daily life. Skills
as simple as listening, respect and communication
have made an impact in my everyday life.
The days were quite intense and long and we
took part in many sensitive and emotional
discussions based on topics which include:
gender, religion, identity, Brexit, stereotypes,
euthanasia, relationships with family/friends,
nationality and social class. These discussions
helped me understand different perspectives and
acknowledge and accept them. A dialogue is
not a debate or an argument but simply an open
discussion where everyone gets a say without
their opinion being ‘judged’ or shot down.
This is important as I took away skills from a
dialogue and applied them to reality where I
no longer argue but try to understand the other
person’s point of view and I am determined to
use a dialogue as is a way to resolve conflict.
The Seeds’ and facilitators created a safe
environment which was extremely welcoming.
This helped to strengthen bonds we have with
each other and our relationships. The outcome
of this was that everyone could share personal
things that they would not share with anyone else.
This trust and emotional connection created a vibe
which was unreal. This impacted our success in
group challenges as we needed these bonds to
help us achieve our goal.
We also had a chance to learn about facilitation
and how to facilitate a dialogue. I was partnered
up with Jacob and we decided to base our
dialogue around the theme of “clothes and the
chance of being a victim”. We began our dialogue
with everyone closing their eyes and imagining
a scenario and then we went around the circle
asking everyone to share their thoughts and
opinions; this led to a wider discussion. At the
end of the session, the facilitators gave us some
constructive criticism as well as what we did well.
This was extremely helpful as I got to learn skills
I could take away.
As well as discussions and activities, I took part
in some lip sync challenges and a talent show.
We had singers, dancers, artists, footballers and
Alex presented his monologue from a play called
“Chaos” which we were both involved in. This
was so much fun that we were all laughing and
enjoying ourselves.
Overall, the experience I had was life changing as
my whole mind-set and mentality switched when
I returned to my daily life. I am still in contact
with the facilitators and my fellow Seeds. I have
created friendships for life. I consider myself
extremely lucky. I would recommend to everyone
to get involved in this programme. I am proud to
be a Seed.
Kavleen Arora (year 10)

Seeds of Peace Dialogue 2019
Seeds of Peace was a camp dedicated to a form of discussion called ‘dialogue’. Myself, Kavleen
Aurora and around a dozen other students from different schools around the country took part in the
Seeds programme and I think I can speak for everyone who took part when I say that it was a brilliant
success. The programme was quite intensive, with quite long days and lots of emotional discussions
with topics such as; the education system, Brexit, religion, nationality, identity, stereotypes, euthanasia,
family and gender.
The facilitators - the staff - created a warm, comfortable environment which brought together students
from all over the country and allowed them to talk about matters very personal to them in a way that we
never could amongst friends, family or anyone else in our day to day lives. Dialogue, the mysterious
word that I heard so much about from previous Seeds (students who went previous years to the UK
programme) had an extremely elusive definition and I could not find any information that satisfied me
even after hours trawling through pages and pages of information.
I’ll do my best to explain this very complicated topic, though I cannot recommend enough to those
that read this to discover dialogue for themselves firsthand. Dialogue, to me, is a type of discussion
that, at its best, allows those who participate to share their experiences, emotions and beliefs without
the fear of attack and with the knowledge that those around them are going to offer support and advice
before anything else. At Seeds we sat in a circle - a shape that includes everyone - and began to talk
about topics that we would like to discuss over the course of the weekend. Apart from many hours of
dialogue (which was by far my favourite part) we also did lots of physically active ‘group challenges’
and took part in preplanned activities that the facilitators set up for us.
The most memorable activity for me was one based on identity. Each of us was given 9 cards with
different categories on them, such as; sexuality, gender, nationality, political affiliation and religion.
We filled out those categories with answers that applied to us and then the activity began. Each ‘round’
we went around the circle, without disclosing our card to anyone else, and dropped the card which
was least important to us. We did this continuously until each person had only one card left and then
went around discussing what was on our last card and why it was most important to us. I think it was
an extremely sobering activity as it allowed us to properly define our identity and realise what part of
us was most important.
Overall, the Seeds programme was an amazing success and I’m already in contact with the staff in the
hopes that I will be able to go again next year.
Alex Hickey (year 10)
83

It has been a very busy but productive year as the Heston West
Big Local community continues to grow. Here are just a few
examples of the developing projects and growing initiatives
which are so much part of our thriving community.
A Year in the work of
Heston West Big Local 2018-2019
Legacy and Youth Engagement - Heston West lead at the Big Local London
Learning Cluster Event
On Saturday 22nd June 2019 – We were invited by WSA Community and Local Trust to run two Big Local
workshops – Legacy and Youth Engagement at the Big Local London Learning Cluster Event held at St
Luke’s Community Centre. We were also joined by several other Big Local areas across London including:
Barnfield, Wick Award, Broad Green, Grange, Plaistow South and William Morris. In the morning session,
our Chair Alan Fraser led the Legacy Workshop alongside Callum. Alan went through the work we’ve done
so far to address future issues and our legacy, including inviting young people to be part of the discussion.
During the session, Alan helped the other clusters to identify their goals, ambition and what they would
like to be remembered for. In the afternoon session, Taz alongside Layba, Callum, Brooke and Kapil led the
Youth Engagement Workshop. We outlined the work we had already done with young people and families
and also shared a few case studies of the young people present at the event. We then asked the other areas
a series of questions to help stimulate our discussion. ​We asked them to identify their current strengths in
working and engaging young people and also the barriers and challenges they are facing. Taz also spoke
about connecting to schools, how to make sure you are getting all the credit and not just being a logo at
the bottom of a flyer.
​We were impressed with our youngsters’ fantastic confidence, their enthusiasm and passion about the Big
Local which inspired everyone.
Our Big Local Community Gardens
Project is underway...
We have just begun work developing our new Big
Local Community Conservation Garden at Cranford
Community College. An amazing 40 local people turned
up to kick start our Big Local Conservation Area project
at Cranford on Saturday 30th March 2019. Our fantastic
volunteers got together to pull weeds and clear up the
site at our Conservation Clean Up Day and now we
are ready to put our dreams and plans in action. Some
of our ideas from our recent community consultation
include:
A Café, picnic tables, tepee, vegetable and fruit patch,
raised flower beds, play area for kids, mosaics, sheds
for storage/ Big Local groups, tyres for planting, chalk
boards for kids, swing chair set, fixing up the outdoor
classroom and stage area (on filled pond space), fire pit
and fairy tree doors.
84

Working on our latest Redwood
mural masterpiece
Over fifty volunteers teamed up with talented
artist and fashion designer Joel Sydenham and
the Hounslow Family Learning and Education
Department to help breathe new life into the
Redwood Estate during April and May 2019. The
mural project funded by Hounslow Council has
so far helped bring together local residents to
create a positive and artistic difference to our
community. ​The mural aims to highlight our
Big Local journey in the last 3 and half years,
celebrating our togetherness, activities and
volunteers, including our famous yellow tops.
Volunteer-led Big Local Community
Ramadan Iftar Event
We had just over 150 people attend our Big Local
Community Ramadan Iftar Event on Thursday
30th May 2019 at Cranford Community College
organised by our incredible volunteers. Everyone
contributed by bringing in a delicious freshly
prepared dish to share amongst our community.
Congratulations to all our volunteers for their
hard work. It was lovely to see everyone from all
backgrounds come together for this event.
Young volunteers learn about
Cyberbullying and how to keep
safe online
Working in partnership with Generation Mindset,
the Cyberbullying workshop provided our young
volunteers with the tools on how to tackle bulling
online but also prevention advice and what to do
if you or someone you know is being bullied. In
addition, our youngsters learned about effective
time management, how to deal with stress and
useful revision tips. We also had an informative
and engaging session led by former Deputy Mayor
of Hounslow Mukesh Malhotra about identity
theft.
Young Big Local sports leaders
making a difference
We are very proud of our Big Local young
sports leaders Kirstie, Sanjay, Yuvraj & Adewole
for supporting our Multi Sports Camp Week
alongside QPR Trust during May half-term. It’s
amazing to see all of them take on leadership
roles to inspire the next generation. Well done
for successfully completing the week. Keep up
the great work.
Maria Pedro Legacy Documentary
In the last few months we have been working on
developing a special documentary highlighting the
extraordinary life of our former Representative Deputy
Lieutenant for Hounslow, Maria Pedro who sadly
passed away last November. The documentary,
presented by our youth volunteer Serena Lola, will
enable future generations to learn more about Maria’s
life and to provide an example of great resilience,
hope and faith to children and adults across the UK
and beyond.
We have been working closely with Maria’s husband
and former Rugby World Cup winning coach Philip
Keith-Roach to help produce this documentary.
We have so far interviewed Philip, Pricilla Ledley
representing the Army Cadets, Alan Fraser, Taz
Virdee and Baroness Floella Benjamin at the House of
Lords. We have also interviewed a few young people
who worked with Maria and her friends and her
former colleagues including MP Seema Malhotra and
celebrity chefs Raymond Blanc and Michael Caines.
85

‘Welcome to Heston West’ Flowerbed
installed
We are delighted to announce that our new ‘Welcome
to Heston West’ flowerbed has been installed at Harlech
Gardens on Cranford Lane. The fantastic new addition
is just a stone’s throw away from the Brabazon Parade
of shops. The flowerbed is ideally placed to attract the
attention of local drivers, shoppers, commuters and school
children walking either to Berkeley Academy or Cranford
Community College. The flowerbed was officially unveiled
by our chair Alan Fraser on Tuesday 14th May 2019
alongside Lewis Byrnes of Lampton 360 Maintenance and
members of our community. The reaction from our local
residents has been brilliant, many commenting how the
flowerbed made them feel proud and happy to be part of
our local community.
This is the first of many new green space projects that will
be happening over the next few months in our Big Local
area. We will be installing 7 raised beds (5 vegetables
beds and 2 flowerbeds) on the Redwood Estate, 4 new
flowerbeds outside the Redwood Estate, opposite Cranford
Community College and a few alongside the Brabazon
Community Centre. In addition, we will be developing the
Harlech Gardens Allotment to help breathe new life to the
site. Our Chair Alan Fraser said: “​I am so inspired by this
project. It has created a lot of interest and is a start on
our drive to improve our local environment”. Thankyou
Lewis, Fabio and their Board of Directors at Lampton 360
Maintenance for their amazing support in funding and
installing the flowerbed.
Community Cleaning up Henlys Alley
Around 50 enthusiastic volunteers got involved with our
community clean up of Henlys Alley on Saturday 6th
April 2019 supported by BSAG (Burns Way and Shelly
Crescent Action Group), Hounslow Highways, Henlys
McDonald’s and Hounslow Council. On a beautiful April
morning we collected over 50 bags of rubbish, with many
bottles, crisp packets and plastic containers being picked
up. Everyone was in good spirit and enjoyed themselves
during the event.
After the clean-up, our volunteers were kindly treated to a free
McDonald’s lunch funded by Hounslow Council Community
Impact Fund. The McDonald’s staff were kind, helpful and
positive during our stay. It was a great end to a wonderful
day, everyone felt pleased and proud of themselves. It was
especially brilliant to see new people join in to kick start
their Big Local journey. We would like to thank BSAG
(Burns Way and Shelly Crescent Action Group), Hounslow
Highways, Henlys McDonald’s and Hounslow Council for
their exceptional support.
86

Layba wins the Hounslow Housing
Volunteer Young Champion Award
On Thursday 4th April 2019 we attended the first ever
London Borough of Hounslow Housing Volunteer
Awards at the Ramada Hotel in Hounslow. Layba Nisar,
student at Cranford Community College won the Young
Champion category. A big well done to Rhys Jones,
Callum Wills and Vijay Lund at Heston West Big Local
and Maxwell at Riana Development Network for being
recognised for their fantastic community work.
We would also like to congratulate our wonderful adult
volunteers Alexandra, Sarah and Kailash for picking up
their respected recognition awards.
ONE LIFE INITIATIVE- Serving and
keeping our community safe
13 young people from our Big Local Youth Action
Team participated in the ONE LIFE two-day activity
during February half-term led by the Metropolitan
Police and the London Fire Brigade at Imber Court
in Hampton. The young people learned many new life
skills whilst partaking in the sessions. They learnt basic
fire, pumping and police drills.
These sessions also enabled our young people to
improve their communication, teamwork and leadership
skills. Overall the two-days were eye-opening, fun and
engaging. We would like to thank the Metropolitan
Police, London Fire Brigade and the British Army for
their fantastic hospitality and support.
The young people (above) were awarded with
certificates for displaying great confidence, enthusiasm
and dedication to the ONE LIFE Project. Well done
to Ishmael, Yuvraj, James, Sharanjit, Rajveer, Layba,
Haris, Mario, Iman, Emaan, Maria, Ammerhamza and
Haroon.
Community unites making the One
World Strong Marathon Campaign
advert
Heston West Big Local has teamed up with One World
Strong Foundation to help create the official advert for
the One World Marathon Event to take place from Friday
12th to Monday 15th April 2019. We had volunteers and
supporters ranging from 5 to 80 years (including young
people involved with our Youth Action Team) take part
in the advert working in partnership with our MADE
IN HESTON Youth Film-making project.
Taz Virdee (Project Manager Heston West Big Local)
87

Future Leaders
Technology
Programme for Girls
In
March 2019 Mr Watton
told year 10 girls about
an amazing opportunity that
had come up for a week’s work
experience at the end of May in
Canary Wharf, working for one of
the worlds top four accountancy
firms, KPMG. There was only one
catch, there was an application
process which was very hard and
we would be up against many other
schools. The application process
involved us having to come up
with what we thought would be
the next ‘big’ thing in technology
– it really made us think. Once
we had written about our ideas
which ranged from electric cars
to nano bots and health apps, we
had to wait to know who had been
successful. We knew that there
were lots of other schools involved
so the wait was tense. Eventually
we heard that 5 girls had been
chosen. We had our first meeting
with the mentors on Friday 10th
May 2019 and after the meeting
we were more than ready for the
placement to start.
On the morning of Monday 20th
May 2019 me, Zehra, Holly,
Iman and Aliya met Mr Watton
at Hounslow West station. One
hour later we arrived in the
amazing Canary Wharf, where we
happened to meet Aadil Awan, our
old Head Boy in the tube station
(he is there doing a Higher Level
Apprenticeship) who he took us
to the huge and impressive KPMG
building. We got our passes
and then we were off.
On the Monday we had an
introductory session, where
we met Anna Somaya and
Nigel Slater (not the chef) in
which we learnt how technology
is influencing all fields of work
and how broad the industry is. We
had some hands on experience
in AR and VR including using a
VR headset. We also tried to find
solutions to problems using tech by
going to Canary Wharf shopping
centre and looking around.
On Tuesday we took part in a
coding project (HTML coding)
and also created a website about
an influential woman in tech.
This was taught by Laura from
‘Taught by Humans’. Also, we
had a graduate carousel where we
met a range of people who joined
through the graduate scheme.
We don’t need to have a tech
background in order to get a job
in technology and that you should
study whatever you want and
enjoy to find a job that fits you
rather than changing yourself to
try and fit the criteria for what you
believe to be a good job.
On Wednesday, for the first half
of the day, we stayed with our
mentors. They gave us advice and
help, and said that if we needed
anything in the future they would
be happy to help. In the afternoon,
we met the CIOAs of the company
and they did an activity with us, in
which we had to solve the problem
of plastic waste from coke. We
then met two people from cyber
security who talked about the
different problems that can destroy
infrastructure, systems and hurt
the people who use them.
On Thursday we attended an
educational workshop in which
we learnt about IT services.
This consists of things such as
networking, hardware and user
interface. We learnt how data
travels along a network and about
different parts of a computer.
We also got to dismantle one.
Finally, we learnt about how
KPMG is inclusive towards all
employees including those with
hearing and sight impairments
and the technologies they use to
help them. We also got to meet
one of the managers from a
team in IT design who taught us
how different technologies are
designed and made together in a
team and can forever be improved.
In the afternoon, we planned in
groups our presentations on a
technology we could design using
new inventions that would help
solve problems in specific sectors.
On our final day we gave our
presentations on how we would
improve different sectors of
British industry. They were a huge
success. We then learnt about
diversity in the workplace and how
companies could become more
inclusive of people from different
backgrounds. At the end of the
day, we received a talk on potential
careers and routes at KPMG. We
had an amazing time on our work
placement. We learned so much
and made such great contacts. We
are really grateful to Mr Fraser
and Cranford for giving us such a
fantastic opportunity.
Lerin Bajaj (year 10)
88

Heathrow Jobs and Careers Fair at Sofitel Terminal 5
On
Friday 28th February 2019 Mr Cripps and I accompanied 30 students in year 13 and year 11
to attend the Heathrow Jobs and Careers Fair at Sofitel Terminal 5. I had never attend this
fair before but was amazed to see all the providers who were looking to recruit young people for their
companies. There were hundreds of young people from all over London but being one of the closest
schools to Heathrow I was really amazed to see all the opportunities available locally. There were
universities, colleges, retail firms, engineering firms, public services all offering so many things! I think
Border Force had the most exciting stand which included a search dog. It was a great insight in hearing
about how they operate.
The providers were offering jobs, apprenticeships and some were talking about being a T-Level placement
employer. There is so much emphasis and progression within the apprenticeship route that companies
were really keen on recruiting young people who fit the values of their organisation. British Airways even
provides apprenticeships in four different areas. Some of the engineering firms like Ferrovial Agroman
were offering Degree Level apprenticeships. Ferrovial Agroman were awarded a joint contract for £500
million to the biggest construction project in Europe – Crossrail and now they are looking for young
people to join them if they are awarded the contract for Terminal 6 or runway 3 – which is very exciting.
It was a great and valuable afternoon for all the students who attended.
Mahavir Ladva (Supervised Study Centre Manager / School Improvement Team)
Generation Global aims to provide young
people with the dialogue skills to engage in
a non-confrontational way when discussing
controversial topics. Students are taught skills
which they then put into practice through
international video conferences. Cranford
participated in seven conferences throughout
the year. Two of the conferences for year 12
students were on the topic of human trafficking and identity.
Five conferences were held with our year 9 students on a range
of topics including global warming and hate speech. The year
9s learned their dialogue skills as part of the school’s Mind,
Body and Soul programme. Cranford students engaged with children from all over the world, from USA,
Columbia, Mexico, Ukraine, Italy, Egypt, Jordan and the UAE.
Our students performed exceptionally well in the video conferences displaying high level dialogue skills
and using questioning techniques to delve deep in to the thinking of other young people around the
world. The conferences usually last 90 minutes but the time just flies by and leaves everyone wanting more.
Alan Fraser (Assistant Headteacher – Director of Community Partnerships)
89

On
Saturday 16th March 2019, as
part of the National Saturday
Art Club we visited Cullinan Studio, a
company of architects and master planners
in Islington for a Masterclass. Their projects
range from urban masterplans to individual
homes, both in the UK and abroad. For
over five decades Cullinan Studio has
maintained an international reputation for
designing successful, sustainable buildings
and spaces that respond creatively to their
context, climate and local culture.
The session was a motivating and memorable event, offering young people an opportunity to meet and
collaborate with some of the most high-profile practitioners in the country. Students worked collaboratively
to produce a piece of artwork based on incorporating green spaces within architecture. Students really
enjoyed the creative process and designing the piece that was used in the Summer show. Cullinan Studio
were very welcoming and it was a great opportunity for students to have a look around an architect firm
and gain insight into architecture.
Pam Hunt (Lead Teacher – Saturday Art Club)
Masterclass
at Cullinan Studio
90

The
National
Saturday
Art
Club
2018-2019
For
the fourth year running Cranford Community
College opened its doors to students from
schools in the community to participate in The National
Saturday Art Club. Cranford continues to be the only
school nationally to be involved in this initiative.
The National Saturday Art Club nurtures young people’s
talents, builds their confidence and raises their aspirations.
It helps them gain qualifications and gives them an insight
into further study and rewarding careers. Members
learn about the diverse educational pathways and job
opportunities that can lead to exciting careers in the Arts.
It is potentially life changing. Students are offered 30
hours of free tuition with a specialist practitioner and as
part of their programme, all members attend a Masterclass
delivered by a prominent creative industry professional.
This year we visited Cullinan Studio, a firm of architects
in March and the year culminated in a final Summer show
hosted by Sir John Sorrell and Lady Frances Sorrell at
Somerset House Embankment Galleries on Monday 10th
June 2019. The Summer show was graced by the Guest
Speaker, the Rt Hon. Baroness Morris of Yardley, who
spoke about the vital role of extracurricular provision
and the importance of creativity in today’s society. This year the
National Saturday Club celebrated its tenth anniversary. Club
members also attended an awards ceremony at the institution
of Engineering and Technology where they were awarded their
certificates by Katie Greenyer from Pentland Brands.
It was really good to see such
an enthusiastic uptake from the
students, who produced a 3D model
of a town in which they would like to
live in. The model really stood out at
the show and looked amazing when
displayed in a professional exhibition
space.
It was also a great opportunity for club
members to work collaboratively with
students from other schools across
London. All members displayed
commitment and dedication to give
up their weekends to participate in the club.
Pam Hunt
(Lead Teacher- Saturday Art Club)
91

UNIQ residential at
Oxford University:
Art History
30th June- 4th July 2019
UNIQ
is an access programme,
which prioritises students
with high grades from backgrounds that are underrepresented
at Oxford and other highly selective
universities. Simran Sidhu who is currently
studying Art at A Level took a leap of faith,
applied for a place on the programme and was
successful. It is clear that the whole process has
raised her confidence and also given her a good
insight into university life at Oxford. She has had
opportunities that have been very valuable and it
was a great experience that allowed her to sample
the variety of resources that the university had to
offer.
Here is her account of the residential at Oxford.
Pam Hunt (Creative Arts –Art)
92
My experience at UNIQ was amazing and I
would definitely recommend it to anyone who plans on
applying to Oxford. I applied for the History of Art course
and I had to write a personal statement as to why I wanted
to study it. UNIQ is designed for students in their first year
of A-Levels to have an insight into what university life is
like for their chosen subject. I arrived on a Sunday where
we were divided into groups according to which college
we were staying at. I was given accommodation at Trinity
College which was in the centre of town and near all the
shops. On the Sunday we were given time to settle in and
get ready for the academic programme of that week. On
Monday we were told to be down for breakfast at 8:00am
and be finished by 9:00 to leave on time. I was taken to
the main building where they teach History of Art and was
introduced to our tutors. We began by carrying out a visual
analysis of a few paintings as a warm up. We were then given
an object or painting to give a presentation about at the
end of the week. The painting I had been assigned was the
‘The Hunt in the Forest’ by Paolo Uccello. Our days were
packed full of workshops related to personal statements,
interviews, the admissions process and finances. On Tuesday
we were taken to the Ashmolean museum and the Pitts River
museum, I really enjoyed this because they were both very
different. The Ashmolean was more traditional and the Pitts
River was more cultural. We also had a chance to see the
objects we had been assigned ‘in the flesh’ and we were able
to gather more information for our presentation. We were
given tours around some of the colleges; some were more
traditional like St John’s and some more modern like Lady
Catherine’s. During the afternoon we visited the library at
St John’s College where we were given the rare chance to
look at and touch books that were over 500 years old. One
of the oldest books we saw was from the 9th century. On
Wednesday we went to the Bodleian Library where scenes
of the Harry Potter films were filmed and then we went to
the UNIQ party. Thursday was our final day when we had
to present our findings. We then attended a final reflection
session and left Oxford University for home.
I really enjoyed my experience there because it was
completely different to how I thought it would be: Oxford was
not so intimidating. UNIQ helped me understand what kind
of applicants Oxford are looking for and whether or not their
style of teaching is something that I liked. I was grateful to
get a place on UNIQ because out of over 6300 applications
I was lucky enough to be one of the chosen 1350. It was an
excellent opportunity that helped me make decisions about
what I wanted to do next. To anyone thinking
of applying to Oxford in the future UNIQ is
something I highly recommend. It was fun to
meet people from all over the UK who share
the same interests as me.
Simran Sidhu (year 12)

I got to learn multiple
different art forms and to
create products of my own
during the UAL Insights
Programme. At CSM, on
the first day we designed
architectural structures
in teams using bamboo
sticks which we then
covered in tissue paper
and plastic wrap to create
a product. My group made
an abstract chair.
At CCA, we got to explore
a range of art forms over
a 2 day period leading to
us choosing our preferred
one. On the 3rd and 4th day
I focused on the internal
and special design task as
it was the most interesting
topic which allowed me
to understand more about
internal design. This will
be helpful in the future
when I study architectural
design.
Samir Lund (year 12)
The UAL Insights initiative is a University
outreach programme offering young people access
to colleges offering creative qualifications to preuniversity
advice and guidance. Insights consists of
three activities for students aged 16+ spread over a
series of Spring, Summer and Autumn / Winter Schools.
Four of our A Level Art students made applications and
successfully gained places on the Autumn, Spring and
Summer Insights programme. They programme and have
attended a range of UAL institutions including; London
College of Fashion, Central St Martin’s, Camberwell,
Chelsea and Wimbledon College. In addition, year
13 students attended portfolio and workshop based
sessions giving up their time on weekends as well
as weekdays. It has really helped students boosting
their independence and confidence, developing
problem solving and creative thinking skills and
preparing them for their future studies and work
in the creative industries.
Pam Hunt (Creative Arts-Art)
Going to UAL was an exciting experience as we met new
people and explored the different arts together. It gave me an
understanding of different art careers would be and helped me
to narrow down preferences whilst giving me a sense of how
universities structure their teaching.
Sophiyaa Pawar (year 12)
I found my time at UAL very informative. It gave me an insight
into both architecture and interior design and helped me
understand how to boost my independence whilst becoming
more confident in expressing my ideas. I was really proud of
what I made as it was structured and had clean straight lines.
Alisha Sidhu (year 12)
I really enjoyed the opportunity to meet creative people who
enjoy Art. It helped me learn about the options I could follow
at university. Camberwell had some really good facilities that
I was able to use and I enjoyed the experience very much.
Sureesha Bhangu (year 12)
Insights
Programme
2018-2019
My CSM
Summer
Insight
experience
During the Insights
programme I got to
experience what an
architecture student at CSM
would do. I also learnt about
the many restrictions that
apply as an architect, for
example, creative limitations
set by the client’s needs
and wants. This experience
allowed me to learn new ways
of expressing my creativity
and taught me methods to
resolve issues. The best part
of the Insights programme
was experiencing the life of
a trainee architect.
On the second day I got to
view the portfolios of two
trainee architect students,
one who had recently
completed their first year
and the other who had
graduated in their final year.
By looking at the portfolios, I
got to understand the process
of meeting the client’s needs
when designing something
very creative.
I had assumed the Summer
session was going to be
similar to the Spring one
where we would be creating
products, but during the
week, we experienced the
many aspects of architecture
which are vital for an
architect to learn for the
future. For example we
learnt about product
design, graphic design, and
approaches to research about
a client’s project. I learnt
about the different art forms
that combine together to
make an architect’s plan and
how this could be included in
my portfolio.
I worked in a team on an
architectural brief where
we designed enclosures for
animals at London Zoo. It
was fun and unexpected
because I used more problem
solving skills than I thought
were involved in architecture.
Samir Lund (year 12)
93

Young Writers’
National Poetry Competition
The
Young Writers’ Poetry
competition is an annual
February 2019
94
She
Ria Dhaliwal (year 9)
Alone
She will never be
Burdened with her dreams
because she can’t be she
without
He.
Weak, she may be,
but she carries on and
remembers to
breathe
because she’s just a
Wo-man
And that is all she’ll ever be,
but she knows,
She doesn’t need Prince
Charming to satisfy her needs,
She can do it on her
Own.
But then she realises her whole
life is a lie,
From the day she was born to
the day she dies.
They told her she was the same
as him,
But now she knows the truth
was grim.
Why did he run like a girl?
Why did he cry like a girl?
Why was she a girl?
Why was it an insult to be a girl?
S-he is still a
Wo-man
a Fe-male
a Hu-man
and her best kept secret?
A per-son.
competition. Cranford students
participate each year creating some
very thought provoking poetry. This
year the title given was ‘Poetry Escape’
and students were asked to write a
poem based on the idea of escape.
We had a number of successful
entries which were also selected to
be printed in an anthology, along
with works by students in other
schools across the country. These
poems are heart-felt and powerful.
Here are just a sample of the work of
our amazing Cranford poets.
Sahrish Shaikh (English Department)
School
Aleeza Akhtar (year 7)
The raging heat of boredom,
The pouring words of wisdom.
I start to suffocate,
I just want to escape.
I lean back in my chair,
And give no sight of care,
As I close my eyelids tight,
And shut out all the light.
My mind starts to whirl,
As a brand-new world unfurls,
With long, outstretched
meadows,
And smells that tingle in my
nose.
I run across the grass,
I am no longer in class,
As my hair blows in the wind,
And I seem undisciplined.
But as I fall down on my back,
I feel a little tap,
I open up my eyes,
And am met with surprise.
I am back inside my
classroom,
And am stuck in eternal doom,
The lesson drags on and on,
My secret world has gone.
Cassowary
Ahoura Bakhtiari (year 11)
Dear fledgling,
Yours eyes bestow on
themselves,
The image of casts of
Falcons,
Soaring high by the twelves.
Their ethereal pinions
gliding,
Ever so weightless,
Whilst you’re on the
mangroves trail-riding.
As flurries of cool-hitting
gusts,
Whisk against their silken
feathers,
Like black velvet sweeping
across the peripheries of
heaven.
You’re enmeshed in the lowlying
marshes,
Glancing up at the so called
‘cream of the crop’,
Knowing that you will never
embody,
What they epitomize.
Although,
Your first glimpses of the
world,
Entail the pressures of
censorious bird society-
Don’t be dismayed.
You don’t have to fly to the
midst of the stratosphere,
To know what breathing
feels like.
You don’t have to live the
role of the falcon,
To feel sentient to life.
Just because your name
isn’t as illustrious as some,
Doesn’t mean you can’t
clutch the world in your
claws.
Hitherto, no bird knows of
the name ‘Cassowary’,
But someday they shall.

The Boy Who Never Returned...
Kavleen Arora (year 10)
My Pride
Inaaya Mir (year 7)
Shops surround me,
Spotlights beam down on short dresses and crop tops.
Many eyes stare at me like a hawk querying its prey.
I am covered head to toe in navy blue,
Not a sight of bare skin in full view.
They look at me as if I am restricting myself.
Yet I am freer with who I am,
and I feel freer than they could be themselves.
It is not just a cloth wrapped around my head,
It is a symbol of faith, and reliance on God.
I wear my hijab with pride as though it’s my crown,
and never shall I let anyone put me down.
I am not oppressed, and neither am I depressed,
I am honoured in my home and my community.
I am a jewel in my father’s crown which is
adorned with pride.
Being a Muslim I have witnessed that women
are treated with the utmost love and respect.;
My home is an example of this as my mother and
sister too also reflect.
I have heard the silent whispers of others,
“Why does she wear it?”, they say.
I will be recognised through my intelligence
not my beauty, as that is why it is hidden beneath.
It is calming and purifying to the heart and soul,
As this feeling is like no other.
Only some are truly blessed,
To believe in this wonderful concept.
He was the sort of boy
Quiet
Shy
Introvert
While the sun beamed down upon his face
He felt no light
No hope
He was internally dead
Done fighting a heavy battle
Picking himself up after being shattered
Knocked down
It’s time to end this
He thought
Into his bedroom he went
With a bottle of disinfectant
Palpitating
Alas, he never returned
So, what if he was gay?
Being told he was not normal
Insane
Demented
Following the devil’s way
Not being accepted by society
Family
Friends
I don’t belong here
He used to say
Bullied and targeted
Enough was enough
Why does our society have to discriminate?
Why not join?
Rather than fight against each other
As if we’re enemies
Break down all social barriers
All pathetic stereotypes
Suicide being committed every single day
Blades slicing skin
Releasing all the pain that one has kept
within
One is not here
One is dead
But what can we do to prevent ‘one’ from
vanishing no more?
No more discrimination
Repair society’s thoughts and needs
Together we will all consolidate
Make a change
We are so different
Yet so similar
We are all human
We are one
Do you know the similarity?
Humanity.
This is me,
This is who I am.
Live and let live every moment to the best you can.
95

On Thursday 10th January 2019 the History
Department organised an educational trip to
the exhibition Anglo-Saxon Kingdoms: Art,
Word & War at the British Library in London.
The exhibition provided a once-in-a-lifetime
opportunity to see some of the relics of the Anglo-
Saxon age which are rarely put on national display.
It gave a unique insight into Anglo-Saxon people,
their culture and literature with a fascinating array
of religious texts, artefacts, swords and objects
from before the year 1000 as well as both copies
of the early Norman Domesday Book.
Never again in our lifetime will as large a collection
of Anglo-Saxon history artefacts be collated for
public display in one place. The collection was
donated to The British Library for a limited time
only, from private and public collections from
across Europe.
The St. Cuthbert Gospel is the oldest existing
covered Bible in existence and was written in the
early 7th or 8th century at Wearmouth-Jarrow. It is
the oldest European book with an original, intact
cover and binding. The red goatskin cover reflects
Christian imagery from the Eastern Mediterranean. The book was found in 1104, lying at the head of
Cuthbert who died in 687, when the Saint’s coffin was opened at Durham Cathedral.
The Alfred Jewel was found in 1693, a few miles from King Alfred the Greats’ fortress at Athelney in
Somerset. It is inscribed with the Anglo-Saxon for ‘Alfred ordered me to be made’. It is likely that it was
the handle for a small pointing rod which would help with following and reading religious texts.
Possibly the most transfixing of all of the artefacts, was the Sutton-Hoo Great Gold Belt Buckle, a solid
gold belt buckle, made in the early 600s and almost 6-inches long. This was found as part of the burial
mound excavated at Sutton-Hoo in 1938-1939.
Tom Rich (Head of History Department)
Year 12 British Library trip
“Willkommen” to the Modern World Languages Department
Backe
backe
Kuchen
Over Christmas, our year 7 and year 8
students studying German got busy baking
typical German biscuits. They even had
to follow a recipe in German. The results
looked amazing and tasted as good as they
looked. The students took the recipes home
to make the biscuits in their own kitchens and
sent us photos as evidence. Their baking they
shared with their families over the Christmas
period, a tradition which is very much part of
the German Christmas festivities.
96
Alexandra Manole (Head of German Department)

“Great tours, amazing accommodation
and even better memories, would be the
three ways I describe the Spain trip. It
created bonds between people who had
never talked before and created friendly
yet intense UNO wars”.
Sean Udott, (year 10)
trip
Barcelona
At
Cranford we believe that it is important
to teach children both language and
culture. We do this in class but there is nothing
better than exposing the children to the culture
of the language they learn in ‘real life’. This
builds connection and, in turn, connection
builds passion for the language. So on Tuesday
28th May 2019, Ms Manole and I took 20
students from year 9 and 10 to Barcelona.
We live in a world that is increasingly placing
more and more importance on languages and
global mentalities. We wanted our students
to broaden their horizons
through exposure to
different countries and
cultures. This provides
them with a great start to
their working lives and
allows them to experience
the wide world around
them.
The trip to Spain was a wonderful
opportunity to immerse ourselves
in Spanish culture. We visited
many famous locations such as:
Camp Nou, Parque Guell, La
Sagrada Familia, Casa Batllo
and Las Ramblas. Personally, I
thought that La Sagrada Familia
was the best part of the trip, by
far. La Sagrada Familia is a
church in the centre of Barcelona
that was designed by the famous
Spanish architect, Antoni Gaudi.
The church is nearly 200 metres
high and has stunning stained
glass windows that cast beautiful
colours across the church. It was
an amazing experience because
of how it contrasted with most
traditional, dark Gothic Catholic
Milton Ferreira
(Modern World Languages
Department)
churches. La Sagrada Familia was brightly
lit and covered in statues and Christian
imagery. We also got to appreciate amazing
views across the city as we went high up
above the city to visit Parque Guell and a
castle used in the Spanish civil war. I don’t
think a review of the Barcelona trip would
be complete without describing the evening
activities when we came back to the hostel
exhausted after a long day. In the
evening around ten of us would
gather in the lounge and play
UNO with Ms Manole and Mr
Ferreira; our games were very
competitive with lots of yelling
and screaming as everyone
ganged up on Mr Ferreira.
Overall, it was an amazing trip
that gave us a break from the
pressure of GCSEs and it was
very satisfying to make sure Mr
Ferreira never won a game of
UNO.
Alex Hickey (year 10)
“Overall, in my opinion the trip was great fun. The first day we did not waste any time and got to see many great sights
around Barcelona which were extremely beautiful. It was a great spot to take photographs. The trip was well organised
and allowed us to fully engage with Spanish culture and witness it first-hand. The stadium
was a good visit and an exciting one with an amazing opportunity to go inside
and have a look at the trophies and changing rooms. The tour of the Sagrada
Familia was a great addition as it allowed us to understand the history of
the building better and to increase our knowledge on the importance of the
cathedral to Spain. The trip in short was extremely enjoyable and exciting
and it was also very memorable. This is a trip that I will never forget”.
Ibrahim Musadiq (year 10)
97

The Village
Theatre Royal Stratford East
On
Thursday 20th Septemebr 2018, the
year 13 A Level Drama group attended
the newly refurbished Theatre Royal Stratford
East to see director Nadia Fall’s inaugural
production of “The Village”, a compelling
play thrumming with moral power; filled with
themes of corruption, female empowerment,
unconditional love and casteism. Nadia Fall
masterfully directs the production, adhering
closely to Joan Littlewood’s policy of politically
engaged theatre, with satirical caricature
characters who promote a moral message.
The story, adapted from Lope de Vega’s
‘Fuenteovejuna’ is taken to ‘Sahaspur’
a rural community in India. The idea
of ‘sahas’ meaning bravery is certainly
something that is established when a
corrupt Inspector called Gangwar (Art
Malik) along with two other inspectors
(Arian Nik and Ragewan Vasan) who
are also serial rapists enter the village
with their preeing eyes on Jyoti (Anya
Chalotra). When the inspector finds
out that Jyoti is married to a Muslim
man named Farooq (Scot Karim) all
sorts of ordeals arise. The play clearly
explores social politics, racism, the
rivalry between political leaders and
the endemic impact it can have- all
issues that are still relevant today to
both young and old.
Throughout the performance there are many references to infamous modern events, for example; the name
‘Jyoti’ also being the name of the victim of the recent Delhi gang rape and numerous references to President
Trump and the #MeToo agenda, issues that are highly relevant to and have an impact on members of an
audience of any age.
Juhi Kumra (A level Drama student year 13)
98

Gala Dinner
Kevin Prunty, Executive Headteacher, gave the opening speech
at Hounslow’s Promise’s first ever Gala Dinner on Wednesday
17th July 2019. Hounslow’s Promise is the prestigious
organisation co-founded by Cranford Community College
and Seema Malhotra MP in order to support local young
people towards a bright and successful future. The glamorous
event celebrated the programmes run by Hounslow’s Promise
as well as its new official status as a charity.
The evening started with a stunning performance from
Hounslow Student Abi Sowery followed by Kevin Prunty’s
welcome speech. The evening was a mix of speeches and
entertainment including beautiful singing by Cranford’s very
own multi-talented student Aria Cundall.
Highlights of the evening also included the keynote speech by
special guest Lord David Blunkett and heartfelt messages of
support from London Mayor Sadiq Khan and US General Colin
Powell of America’s Promise. Lord Blunkett is a passionate
advocate of active citizenship and civic engagement and gave
inspirational advice to the younger generations who face
unprecedented challenges in today’s world.
Eight young people from Cranford Community College were
recruited to act as Hounslow’s Promise Ambassadors and
ensured the smooth running of this high profile event. They
greeted the guests and made sure everyone had a good
time. The evening also raised funds for the charity’s future
programmes through donations and an auction with some
amazing prizes. Over 300 people from the world of business,
politics, education, local community associations as well as
the press attended and bid generously for the prizes on offer.
It was a highly successful and most enjoyable evening and
one which will no doubt be repeated.
Veronique Gerber (Associate Headteacher)
99

Sixth Form
Committees
2018-2019
This
year saw the emergence of the sixth form committees,
I returned from maternity leave to find that each week a
group of Year 12 enthusiastic, energetic visionaries had been meeting every
week. Each student had an idea they wanted to develop and engage the rest
of the sixth form and school with. We decided to create four structured
committees, each with core aims for what they wanted to achieve this year.
STEM
The STEM committee is led by Ria Kalia who has since
been appointed Deputy Head Girl.
“We, the STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and
Mathematics) committee, have been working together
this year for the main purpose of bringing excitement to
STEM learning. We’ve been working with year 7 tutor
groups to spread the enjoyment of maths and science
while working closely with the science department so
that we can bring these opportunities to all year groups
next year. Our aim is to show a different side of STEM
from the usual classroom setting, where students can partake in fun practicals
and exciting challenges they haven’t done before”.
Arts and Culture
The Arts and Culture committee is led by Maisie Mullen
and Ajeet Khela, both very experienced ambassadors
of the Arts and keen to raise the profile of the Arts at
Cranford. Nabeeha Ali, our newly appointed Deputy
Head Girl, will be working with Maisie and taking the
lead in the new academic year.
“Being part of the arts and culture committee since the
start of year 12 has truly been a pleasure. We are all
so grateful to be able to create an environment which
fosters friendships and most importantly, confidence.
We were successful in creating after school extra-curricular activities such
as drama and dance clubs. Every member of these clubs was incredibly
hard working and dedicated. They attended the sessions with the aim of
preparing an act for an event that we will be performing in October. In the
new academic year, we hope to take part and create
small as well as large scale productions. The main
aim of this committee is to enrich the arts at Cranford
and also give the opportunity for all students to create
unforgettable memories and bonds”.
Sports
The Sports committee is led by Prabhleen Ghattoray
who was keen to start up Sixth Form sports teams and
support Key Stage 3 inter-forms. As she steps into her
role as Head Girl and oversees the committees and
prefect teams, Aya Sadouki, Deputy Head Girl, will
lead the committee from now on.
“Having been given the opportunity to lead one of the first sixth form
committees has been an invaluable experience. I believe that as a group we
100

have developed a strong bond. This has made my role very enjoyable due to the fact that we have a great
team working together. The new ideas brought to the committee have been valued and taken on board
which has given us a great sense of achievement and ultimately we are privileged to represent both our
year group and sports. Our core aims are :
• To encourage more Sixth Formers to take an active
part in extra-curricular sports.
• To broaden the offer of extra-curricular sports for
the sixth form.
• To run more sports events for younger students.
As a sports committee, we encouraged more year 12
students to participate in sport by setting up a sixth form
rounders club, basketball club and netball club.
Development of Leaders
My role as the sports committee leader has been important to me as it has
enabled me to develop transferable skills in leadership, time - management,
team work and communication. For example, talking to the year group and
listening to their views and ideas on expanding sports has enabled us as a
committee to put these ideas forward and so be the students’ voice. These
skills I have acquired will be very helpful for me at University as well as
everyday life when working with different people from all backgrounds”.
Charities
The Charities committee was led in earnest by Serena
Lola who has been passionate about reinvigorating
the sixth formers’ engagement with charities and also
working with Key Stage 3 and 4 students. This has been
one of the most successful committees this year with the
Vicarage Farm Care Home partnership and the Charities
fund raising event in July. The new academic year will
see Sukhjinder Padda, Deputy Head Boy, take the reins.
Charities Fund Raising Afternoon
On Friday 12th July 2019 students in year 12 organised a ‘Charities Afternoon.
Each tutor group chose a charity to support and worked as a team to raise
money through their own unique stalls. We had everything from virgin mojitos
and cupcake sales to shoot the hoop, sponge the teacher
and lucky dips. The samosa stall went down a storm and
Ms Green’s tutor group ran out of sweets so quickly
they did a quick deal with the canteen to sell chips and
ended up raising the most amount of money in the year
group. The event was a real success as we raised £635
for charity in only 25 minutes, the atmosphere was
amazing, the sun shone, the music played and everyone
got into the spirit of the afternoon raising funds for very
good causes at the same time.
Sharandeep Saroya
(Post 16 – School Improvement Team)
101

Vicarage Farm Care Home
Working in the
Community
Over
the Summer term the year 12
Charities committee decided to
establish positive relationships with members
of the local community. They visited Vicarage
Farm Care Home to run activities for their
residents. In addition, they wanted to engage
the lower school in charitable activities. So
five year 9 students; Keziah Carvello, Mahwish
Khan, Neha Khendria, Maryam Moeen and
Maleka Yonesi and five year 12 students;
Sajneet Bagga, Serena Lola, Harsimar Madan,
Amrit Rai and Ajay Turner, spent time at the
nursing home every Wednesday afternoon for
five weeks accompanied by Ms Saroya.
Students spent the first week getting to know
their allocated resident. In the following weeks they used talking cards to get
to know them better, painted and played games together. In the final week the
students hosted an afternoon tea party for the residents and their carers. It was a
beautiful sunny afternoon in the Memorial Garden accompanied by the mellow
sounds of Jazz. There was an emotional end to the day as each student presented each resident
with a present of a personalised collage of the time they had together and what they learnt about the
residents. As they bid farewell to each other there were tears from residents and students alike who enjoyed
new friendships.
Sharandeep Saroya (Post 16 – School Improvement Team)
“My school provided me with an opportunity to get to know older
people living in a care home. My experience was a mixture of
happiness and sadness. The person I was given the chance to befriend
was John Barnes. He was really quiet and was hard to speak to. He was suffering with
dementia. However, I managed to learn about his personal life. He was a famous saxophone
player and used to be in a band. He taught young children as well. His wife used to live in
the same care home and they used to share a funny love-hate relationship. I was really happy
when he started opening up to me. However I was sad that it was hard for him to talk about
his past. We did different activities each week like playing games, painting, questions and
answers. This bought us closer and helped us to be more at ease with each other. The last
week, we held a tea party for the residents. It was fun and we gave them gifts of a collage of
their lives. It was very emotional as it was our last day with them. It was a really amazing
experience and I am really grateful to have had this opportunity which I will never forget”.
102
Harsimar Madan (year 12)

“Our objectives as a Charity committee
were to narrow the gap between the
young and older generation. I can
proudly say that we achieved this in
just one term. 10 students made it
possible to achieve this goal. At the
beginning, I was nervous about going
to the care home because it was a new
environment and we had to meet new
people. My experience was beautiful
because I had Bill. He was fantastic
and his perspective on life was so
positive, even though his health didn’t
help him. Getting to know him over the
last 6 weeks made me realise that it is
important to take a break and enjoy
life. At the care home we did various
activities such as playing chess and
painting. It helped us connect with
the elderly people and learn more
about their aspirations and dreams.
Bill made this journey very beautiful,
he became my friend and he was
always happy to see us but sad when
we went back home. We surprised the
care home people with an invite to a
surprise afternoon tea party, where
they came to Cranford. We gave the
elderly people a present that we made
ourselves by collecting the personal
things that we had talked about. We
presented them with a collage of their
past memories or the things that they
liked and they felt loved and cared for.
This experience was really close to my
heart because we made some lovely
memories with the elderly people from
Vicarage Farm and it helped me to see
life from a different perspective”.
“Being a member of the Charity committee has really made me realise that it
doesn’t matter what age we are; we can make a difference. One of the aims of
the Charity committee was to build a strong relationship with the community
so we decided to volunteer with our local care home for six weeks. There were
10 of us plus Ms Saroya who gained the amazing opportunity to talk with the
old people in Vicarage farm care home. Each individual had their allocated
elderly person, I was paired up with a woman called Joan who was just such
a cheerful and happy individual despite all the difficulties she had endured in
her life. As the weeks went by, I discovered so many wonderful things
about her for instance: her favourite book was
Wuthering Heights, her favourite colour was
blue and she loves singing. During these 6
weeks we got to take part in different activities
such as painting, playing games and getting to
know them. I enjoyed this experience immensely
because it was so nice talking to the people and
seeing their faces light up. At the end of the 6
weeks we got to host them at a tea party. As a
small gesture for our elderly person we created a
collage to commemorate our time with them. Some
were photos that Ms Saroya took during our visits
to Vicarage Farm Care Home and others were
things we found out that our elderly person liked. I
personally, loved this experience so much because
it allowed me to spend time with the elderly
and gave me memories I would never forget:
In in particular
it allowed me to
appreciate life and
the importance of
communication in
this very technically
advanced world
where it is so rare
to cherish a good
conversation”.
Amrit Rai (year 12)
Sajneet Bagga (year 12)
103

Hounslow
Citizen Scheme
After a gap year last
year, the Hounslow’s
Citizen Scheme returned
to Cranford. Formerly
known as the Junior
Citizen scheme, Hounslow
Citizen saw nearly 3,000
Year 6 children from
thirty-four Hounslow’s
primary schools come to
Cranford for the day over
a two-week period in June.
The programme aims to
help young people make
the right choices and the
theme is ‘Think Smart’.
Cranford commissioned a
song on the chosen theme from the Heston West Big Local music
workshop which was written and performed by young people from
the local area. A video was made which together with the lyrics was
sent to all the primary schools with a request to learn the song by
heart. Every day at the end of lunch, the children sang that song
together in the Cranford SuperDome.
This
Summer, Creative
Spaces London
teamed up with Heston West Big
Local, Cranford Music School
and Heifer Productions to deliver
5 weeks of Creative and Well
Being activities.
With the help of Cranford
Community College and
Hounslow Council we were
able to offer over 1000 places
to children and young people
plus many more opportunities
Summer
School
2019
The Hounslow Citizen’s Scheme is a joint initiative between
Cranford Community College, the Met Police, London Borough of
Hounslow and Hounslow Highways. A typical day is divided up into
12 workshop sessions run by the Met Police, Fire Brigade, Hounslow
Highways, Brentford FC Community Trust and the RNLI. The focus
this year was on knife crime and the dangers of carrying knives. The
Met Police and LBH commissioned the Heston West Big Local Film
Production Unit to make three short films written and performed by
local young people on the dangers of carrying a knife. The video was
then used to stimulate a discussion with the children.
The scheme would not have been such a huge success without the
help of the Cranford Ambassadors. Seventy-two year 7 and 8 students
helped to ensure the event ran smoothly and were a great credit to
the school. The feedback from the primary schools and scenario
providers was amazing with teachers seeking me out to tell me how
wonderful, welcoming and helpful they thought our students had
been. I particularly would like to thank Sanjay Suresh who became
my unofficial assistant. Every morning at 8.30 he would round up
the Ambassadors for their briefing and if there were any absences
he would sort out a replacement.
Alan Fraser (Assistant Headteacher - Director of Community Partnerships)
104

for young volunteers, junior facilitators and parent
helpers to get involved.
Our theme this year is all about ‘Growth’ and our
specially designed workshops give participants
the opportunity to explore their creativity and
what keeps them ‘well’. We learn through play,
drama, arts, music, relaxations, crafts, cooking,
conversations and even a bit of gardening.
Projects like these are full of fun and memory
making, however the impact they have should not be
underestimated. They offer families opportunities
to spend time in safe and creative environments
where children can learn, play and meet others from
their communities. Activities are tailor made to help
build confidence, improve wellness, vocabulary and
social skills whilst being just the right amount of
messy and fun.
One of the music projects aims to create an original
song for the One World Marathon initiative to be
premiered in October 2019 when the “World Comes
to Cranford”.
All this takes place in and around the wonderful
Cranford Community College (aside from the odd
trip to one of the many fabulous local green spaces).
Rachel Doherty (Creative Spaces London)
105

Bringing the World Together Through Sport
Together with ‘One World Strong’, Cranford Community College has been leading
a global initiative called One World Marathon which aims are to encourage
teams that represent multiple continents, countries, and cultures. They hope to
inspire people to see the benefits of working together as a global community and
encourage others to develop similar projects. The One World Marathon (OWM) is bringing people together
from around the world to achieve a common which is to complete 26.2 miles not as an individual but as a
team. How you complete the distance is entirely up to you. You can walk it, run it, roll it, push it or even
dance it. One group in the US completed this distance by line dancing and here at Cranford a group of
under 12s completed the 26.2 miles dressed as superheroes. The inaugural event took place in April 2019
and started on a Friday with the Dead Sea marathon and ended when the last runner crossed the marathon
line in Boston on the following Monday. Despite lots of challenges we managed to get over 7000 people
to participate in 63 different countries.
A big thank you to all our students who helped to establish the OWM through taking part in international
video conferences including one at the US Embassy and attending the OWM launch event at the UK
Parliament.
Buoyed by the success of the first OWM we are planning a second event in October 2019. This will start on
Friday 4th October 2019 in Amman, Jordan, and will again kick-off a team based global marathon focused
on youth coming together across the globe. On Tuesday 8th October 2019, the OWM will conclude at
Cranford Community College in Hounslow. The OWM will end with an event for primary children called
‘The World Comes to Cranford’ where we aim to get a child from every country in the world to participate by
joining together in teams of 26 to complete
the 26.2 miles. We know we have children
from around 120 countries in Hounslow
schools and the search is on to find a child
from the other 70 countries. There will be
over 500 children participating and their
event will start with some multi-sport
activities in the Cranford SuperDome
and culminate with running / walking the
perimeter of our playing fields.
For more information about the project
please visit www.oneworldmarathon.org
Alan Fraser (Assistant Headteacher – Director
of Community Partnerships)
106

Community Garden Project 2019-2020
What
do you do with a piece of land which needs rejuvenating? The answer
is turn it into a community garden. In March 2019 about 40 people
from the community and the school’s environment group got together to start clearing
the old conservation area. In addition we asked local people to think about what they
would like to see in the garden and over lunch they presented their ideas. We
then shared their ideas with Wendy Stokes, the professional garden designer
who created our Memorial Garden, who came up with the plan you can see
bellow. The garden will be used by schools during the day in term time and open
to the community on Summer evenings, weekends and holidays.
The key features of the garden will be the sunken amphitheatre for performances
and the café which will be staffed by volunteers. A resident theatre group
will be developed with a summer programme of performances and activities.
The garden will be run by a group of volunteers under the stewardship of
Nida Akram, local resident and former student of Cranford.
Alan Fraser (Assistant Headteacher – Director of Community Partnerships)
On
Trip to
Foyles
Bookshop
Monday 22nd July 2019, I was delighted to
take 20 students on a very special trip into
London. To recognise all the lovely contributions,
participation and achievements in the Library,
student volunteers were given a VIP invite to join
me on a shopping spree to Foyles. Cranford now
has a longstanding relationship with the bookstore’s
flagship branch on Charing Cross Road and this has
become something of a tradition. It is a joy for me
to give students the opportunity to select resources
for the Library as students have invested so much of
their time helping in the Resource Centre. Students
were all given an allowance and then sent off to
explore the wonderful resources across the 5 floors.
For some students it was their first opportunity to
travel into London and to be given the responsibility
of buying books for school. I was amazed at the
wonderful array of books students chose: classics,
graphic novels, Greek mythology, cooking books
and many more. The Library staff will work very
hard over the coming months to ensure all these
new books are readily available. Once we were
finished, we walked past Leicester Square through
to Trafalgar Square, down to Great Scotland Yard
and then walked across Embankment Bridge. We
arrived on the Southbank and into Jubilee Gardens
were we enjoyed a lovely picnic under the gigantic
London Eye to finish off the day. If you would like
to be selected for wonderful opportunities like this,
make sure you get involved in the Library next year.
Mahavir Ladva (Supervised Study Centre Manager /
School Improvement Team)
107

108
YEAR 11
Students visit Oxford University
On
Friday 3rd May 2019, with GCSEs looming, sixteen
year 11 students were courageous and forward-thinking
enough to take time out of their revision schedule to accompany
Mr Ind to Somerville College, Oxford.
We enjoyed an amazing aspirational day with workshops on
Medicine and Archaeology, both in the college and the Pitt
Rivers museum, and were fortunate to have a personal tour from
ex-Cranford student Lucy Tirahan,
currently studying English Literature
at Lincoln College, Oxford.
It was an exciting and memorable day
and students were far from overawed
by their world-renowned academic
surroundings asking probing questions
on subjects as diverse as top athletes’
metabolic rates, markings on 18th
century ethnographic objects and
university funding.
A great day was had by all and we
expect to see some of these highflyers
at Oxford with former Cranford
student Lucy Tirahan in a few years’
time, if the university is lucky enough
to have them.
Rob Ind (Head of School)
We set out on Friday
3rd May 2019 as a
group of ambitious and
eager year 11s to travel
to Somerville College,
University of Oxford.
Upon our arrival, we
were greeted by Oxford
alumni who were our
guides for the day. As
well as being able to
tour the college and
learn more about the
history behind it, we
were fortunate to attend
a ‘lecture’ by one of the
medical professors to
give us a taste of the
kind of education that
would take place at
university. In addition, we were able to ask any questions that we had, ranging
from the application process all the way to postgraduate opportunities offered by
Oxford University. After lunch, we went to the Oxford University Museum of Natural
History where we took part in activities to broaden our historical knowledge. The
trip was an eye - opener and exciting as we were able to learn more about university
life and how to prepare ourselves for it.
Anjali Bhambra (year 11)
As we reach the end of Key
Stage 4, the decisions we make
about further education grow
exponentially significant. With
this in mind, Cranford planned
a trip for us lucky students
to visit Somerville College in
Oxford University, in the hopes
that we get a useful insight
into a possible future pathway.
The trip had expelled many
misconceptions I had about
university, such as the idea that
university was a purely academic
institution; we were informed
about the many societies that
existed in the city which gave
students the chance to enjoy
their time doing what they loved
as well as working towards
a degree. These societies are
similar to the clubs you can get
at Cranford, but the sheer number
of them and the depth that they go
into gives a sense of individualism
which you cannot get elsewhere.
I have no doubts that many people
have been at the crossroads at
this point in adolescence, as
we near the end of secondary
education. However, this trip was
definitely a motivator for me to
welcome the coming of the next
stage of my life.
Harit Boonyarakyotin (year 11)

On
West London Science & Technology
Challenge Day at Brunel University
Friday 14th June 2019 twelve year 9 students,
Manav Vivek, Harsimran Bath, Satnam Curry,
Uthistan Sritharan, Ayesha Kaur, Amandeep Thiara,
Shritu Singh, Neha Khendria, Nechal Singh, Younis Abdi, Swarnali
Acharjee and Kehan Munir, travelled to Brunel University in West
London to take part in a Science & Technology Challenge Day.
While the day had a competitive element to it, the chief focus was to
give the students a taste of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering
and Maths) topics and skills that they would not usually have the
opportunity to experience in school. On arriving at the STEM Centre at
Brunel University, the students were paired up before being assigned a
random pairing from one of the other accompanying schools to make a
team of 4. This may have been daunting to some, however the students
quickly settled into it and before long it was if they had known each
other for weeks, rather than minutes. Each team had three challenges
to complete:
• The E-Fit challenge – students watched a ‘robbery’ take place and
then had to use a computer programme (the same used by the police)
to make an accurate representation of the culprit.
• Robotics – students learnt how to code a robot to carry out different
actions or responses, such as to avoid crashing into walls, or play a
sound when it drove over a red coloured block on the floor.
• Hospital diagnosis – two current medical students taught the students
how to diagnose a patient’s level of consciousness and then put their
knowledge to the test with a live ‘patient’. Our students had to work
together to find out how responsive the patient was and then deduce
what injuries/conditions they were suffering from.
During the lunch hour the students had the opportunity to watch an
immersive documentary showcasing Tim Peake’s journey to and onboard
the ISS in Brunel’s 360o 3D dome.
All of our students were tremendous participators and benefitted
hugely from the day, taking the opportunity to ask current students
and lecturers questions about life and studying at university. Whilst
all should be congratulated for their participation, particular praise
must go out to Kehan and Uthistan who, alongside their partners from
Dormers Wells High School, won the event overall and have therefore
qualified for the All London Finals later in the year.
Bradley King (Science Department)
“My trip to Brunel University
was phenomenal as we had many
opportunities to try out some
scientific activities there including
robotics, acting like doctors,
becoming a professional detective
such as taking in information
about how someone looks and entering
this onto a computer. We also had an
activity where we were able to get a
glimpse of what space is like. My
favourite part was handling robots and
trying to find some form of procedure/
pattern to make the robot move; trying
out different ways to keep it consistent.
Towards the end of the trip we had
a Q&A session with the university
students who had taken part in
the activities. Overall the trip
was outstanding and one of my
favourite experiences so far”.
Nehchal Singh (year 9)
“It was really fun and I got to learn and
see new things. One thing I enjoyed was
that after the robot activity, we could
see the robot of a snake that would
“bite” you when you put your hand in
front of it”.
Neha Khendria (year 9)
“It was a fantastic experience, I
really enjoyed the range of activities.
Particularly diagnostics as it was
intriguing seeing the methods doctors
use to diagnose their patients. Another
thing I found fascinating was the space
display. It was a very unique experience
which I would like to repeat”.
Harsimran Bath (year 9)
“I, along with a number of students
from year 9 with a passion for the
STEM fields, got the opportunity to
visit Brunel University for a science,
technology, engineering and maths
activity being held at the university.
I was in awe as I saw the colossal
buildings towering over us. We got split
into 3 groups and smaller teams among
the multiple other schools. We got the
chance to programme model vehicles
made of Lego, use E-FIT which is a
software that produces digital facial
composites and a medical activity
where we found out how a typical doctor
would diagnose patients’ conditions.
I was genuinely overwhelmed by the
exciting atmosphere. However what I
found most thrilling was the 3D Dome,
where footage from outer space was
being projected. The whole experience
felt surreal to me, as if we weren’t in this
world and it was so extraordinary that
I’m left speechless by this experience
to this day.”
Swarnali Acharjee (year 9)
109

Kickstart Employability Programme
This
year Cranford took part in the Kickstart programme
run by the Charity SPARK. Mr Ladva and Ms Saroya
delivered a programme of employability skills to students in which they
learnt about available careers in the borough of Hounslow. Students
were astounded by the large number of global companies who have
their HQ in the local area. We explored pay, job satisfaction, working
environments and core skills. The second day of the programme saw
all the students attend a full day of workshops and activities at a range
of businesses included Hilton, Heathrow Construction, GSK, BP and
Allianz. The students were able to learn about the different business
functions in each establishment and were surprised at the number
and variety of career opportunities in each company. Students had an
opportunity to network with staff from a variety of experiences and
backgrounds before completing a business challenge!
Sharandeep Saroya (Post 16 – School Improvement Team)
Kickstart has been an amazing experience for me, it has opened
my eyes to careers other than a science based career. I have
developed many skills during this programme and feel more
confident with new people. I can network confidently without
hesitating, and ask questions without thinking twice about what
people might think. Before the programme I was focused on
University and gaining a degree in medicine/ dentistry, and I knew that my love for business would be left behind like
a dream. However after going to GSK I realised that there are so many more opportunities available in the real world.
As well as working in a science based firm (which is a global giant) I can incorporate my business skills and contribute
to areas involving; marketing, HR, Research and the supply chain. This programme has also got me looking at Degree
level apprenticeships.
Before going to GSK I was excited, but also a bit nervous because I wasn’t sure what to expect. I was scared about being
exposed to many other careers that I would be interested in and then coming back being more confused about what I
would do. However it was the opposite, being shown more career options showed me what I really wanted to do and
my strengths as well as my goals. GSK was an amazing experience itself: the activities, the challenges and the building
were something I will remember for a long time. On the way home I was considering working with GSK as it has such a
homely atmosphere, where employees are given many facilities and people are so friendly and always ready to help. One
thing that really appealed to me was the travelling involved in the jobs that GSK offered. I was impressed! As travelling
all over the globe is one thing I have always wanted to do whether it be through my work or as a gap year.
Roop Obhan (year 12)
110

When I went to Heathrow Constructions, I was
expecting to be going around looking at the
different sections of Heathrow construction at
Terminal 2, but during the networking activity,
we met with multiple employees of Heathrow
Constructions and we were shown the wide range
of opportunities which Heathrow Constructions
offer when you join them. Even if you’re interested
in finance or accounting, there is a place in
Heathrow Constructions where those types of jobs
are still needed. This showed me that no matter
the type of company you are trying to apply to
there is always a wide range of jobs available.
Before taking part in Kickstart I was unaware of how many large
and global companies were located in our borough. I only knew of
several car manufacturers and a few scientific businesses. Day one
allowed me to gain insight into the variety of opportunities near me.
Prior to the Kickstart placement I was feeling unsure of whether I
was fit to visit BP International. I assumed all the employees worked
as engineers or in construction. These careers do not align with my
interests or current subjects I am studying. However, this experience
enabled me to find out about larger companies and the many job
opportunities they offer. Even though BP is an oil and gas producing
company, there are several factors that go into extracting gas and
oil from rocks and ores. We were able to meet lawyers, engineers,
chemists, scientists, project managers and people that are part of
the HR team.
Making the journey on my own also helped gain more insight into
the day-to-day life of employees there. This experience helped us
appreciate and understand what takes place, behind the scenes to
supply people like us with gas and oils, such as petrol. This helped me
rethink my choices; it also allowed me to understand that we are not
limited to one profession or career. There were several aspects that
intrigued me, such as viewing a scanning electron microscope and
the labs that analyse rock samples, allowing me to further consider
a more scientific laboratory route in my career (something I assumed
I did not have the patience or precision for).
I couldn’t recommend this experience enough; it was truly
enlightening and fun. I was able to play games acting as if I was an
oil trading company; I even learnt life skills through this such as
money and project management. Speaking to lots of strangers also
helped increase my confidence and communication skills. I wish I
could do it all again.
Later on we were placed into groups and tasked
to come up with a method of advertising the new
Terminal 5 runway. My group thought of a magic
carpet ride with a VR console, which showed the
area where the runway will be built. We chose
this idea because it’s something that’s still fairly
new and would intrigue both children and adults.
Overall I believe that this workshop allowed me
to get a better perspective on the different job
roles within a company and I learnt how best to
communicate with the other students to create and
share ideas.
Samir Lund (year 12)
Aya Sadouki (year 12)
111

An Evening of Celebration in Recognition
of Achievement 2018
On
Thursday 10th January 2019 Cranford
Community College held its annual
awards evening at the Riverside venue in Bath Road.
This high profile evening, ably led and hosted by our
Student Leadership team, attended by staff, invited
guests from the world of Education and Business,
members of the Academy Trust Board, students
past and present and parents, is an opportunity to
recognise the achievements of students and members
of the wider community connected with Cranford
during the academic year 2018.
Each year we invite a distinguished guest speaker
to present the awards. This year we were delighted
to welcome Dave Fortier, founder of the One World
Strong Foundation, to join us for the evening.
112
Dave is a survivor of the 2013 Boston Marathon
bombings. He was running his very first marathon
to help support a dear friend dealing with cancer
when he was injured by the first bomb. Though he
suffered shrapnel wounds and hearing loss, he has
since gone on to run 10 additional marathons in
Boston, Paris, New York, Florida and Washington,
DC. Dave’s passion for helping other survivors
of terror and trauma eventually led him to found
the One World Strong Foundation, where he now
serves as President. One World Strong’s mission
is to establish a vibrant international community
of survivors of terrorism, hate crimes, or traumatic
events that provides peer-to-peer, support and
mentoring to anyone impacted by these events.
Dave works with survivor groups across the world
including groups in Manchester, Somalia, Jordan,
Canada, France, London and the US. In his keynote
speech Dave shared with us his experience, how it
changed his life and his hopes for the future.
During the course of the evening we were entertained
by 3 music performances. “The Future”, performed
by Leroy Eshan, supported by Asta Dias, Ayan
Modi, Corben Smith & Mikael Sohal. “I Don’t
want you Back” performed by Lulliya Jemal, vocals
and piano, supported by Oliwia Dabrowska, Asta
Dias & Helena Alves De Campos and an original
composition written and performed by Leroy Ehsan
supported by, Aman Vilkhou, Uthistan Sritharan
& Aryan Modi entitled “Raised By My Mum”.
In addition, the Shakespeare in Schools company
performed a stunning extract from “King Lear”.
The highlight of the evening is always the awards
where we hear wonderful stories of overcoming
personal challenges and achievements. Three
Special Awards were presented in addition to the
academic awards; Firstly, the Pride of Cranford
Award given to Abdannur Djebri (year 10) for his
tireless support at a number of large sporting events
at Cranford Community College during the past
year. These events involved over 500 children from
the primary schools, including our special schools
in Hounslow. He was nominated by Pete Lammas,
Event Co-ordinator Sport Impact who said; “Without
any hesitation Abdannur volunteered to support the
children from Lindon Bennett School: a school
for children with severe or profound and multiple
learning difficulties and throughout the events

he demonstrated amazing empathy, enthusiasm
and understanding of their needs. e showed great
initiative in adapting each activity to ensure that
the children were able to participate safely and
successfully”.
The second Special Award went to two former
Cranford students Jagdeep Budwal & Inderpal
Sembhi for Service to the Community. Since the
tragic death of another former student, Jagdip
Randhawa in 2011, they have been organising
annual charity football tournaments to raise money
for various charities in his name.
The third Special Award, The Rod Lewis Award,
has been generously donated by his wife and
longstanding member and Chair of the Academy
Trust, Jenny Lewis and their daughter Nicole, a
former student at Cranford, in memory of Rod and
his many years’ service as a Governor. This year’s
recipient, Serena Lola (year 12) won it for her work
with the Heston West Big Local. She has helped to
organise numerous events to raise money for charity.
She has been involved in clean up days, picking
up litter, worked for their summer programme and
is a passionate advocate of their work. She has a
You Tube channel where she promotes the work of
Heston West Big Local. She is a great role model for
other students and she deserves recognition for all
of the time and effort she puts into her volunteering
in the community.
There is no doubt Presentation Evening is a very
special and important event in our school calendar
and one we all look forward to every year. Executive
Headteacher Kevin Prunty said of the evening; “A
Great Night. The venue makes it very special for the
students and parents and I am very proud of all our
Cranford prize winners.”
Jessica Joyce (Consultant-Event Organiser)
113

Farewell
to
Year 11
On
Thursday 4th July 2019, year 11
celebrated their final days as GCSE
students in style with a wonderful evening event
followed by a glamorous and glitzy prom. Huge
numbers of parents and students came to receive
their Awards and were treated to excellent
entertainment courtesy of Odyssey, the Year
10 band, and Michael Nunez, who wowed the
audience with his incredible performance of “Let
Her Go “by Passenger.
As their Head of Year, it was my opportunity to
give students some sound advice as they venture
into the next stage of their education, as they
embark on their Post 16 studies at Cranford in
September. You can see some extracts below.
Following the school celebration the students
went to the Riverside for an excellent evening of
photos, dancing, eating and more photos. A great
time was had by all.
Aaron Sohi (Head of Year 11)
The
past 5 years have come and gone, it seems,
in the blink of an eye. The energetic,
eager and enthusiastic faces I saw before me have
melted away and been replaced by the serious faces of
young adults, eager to start making their own choices,
paths and, inevitably, mistakes. For now, you have a
hopefully relaxing summer ahead of you.
This is a day of celebration of your achievements,
and rightly so. Over the past 5 years you have worked
harder than any other group of students I have known.
From day one you approached your education with
the right attitude and I have no doubt that, on results
day, you will get the reward your hard work deserves.
Your success is not only a product of your own
endeavour. It has been the result of 16 years of
support, structure and sacrifice. Who you are and
what you achieve is the result of the sacrifices your
parents made; you may not see those sacrifices now,
but given time you will. The success you achieve is
how you thank them; the strength of character and
the positive traits and the morality you display is how
you thank them.
The learning community, the staff and students,
first at primary and then at secondary school, also
supported the achievement and success you will enjoy.
Please don’t forget what has been done to help you:
the teachers who gave up weekends, evenings and
holidays, to provide you with opportunities when they
didn’t have to, but wanted to; the people who gave up
a lunch time to help with a problem; the people who
made time to give you a smile, a supportive comment
or a helping hand when you needed it.
The world you are growing into has challenges but I
believe you will change it for the better so, if you might
permit me to give you what I hope is good advice:
1 – Be grateful for all the things you have had, have
and will have. Be grateful for the past 5 years, for
the past 5 months, even if they have been difficult at
times, because they have changed you, and grown you
for the better.
2 – Be brave. Take risks and do things that take you
out of you comfort zone; be the only fully grown adult
in the shallow end of the swimming pool, learning
to swim because you never knew how and, after all,
114

there is no time like now to start learning. Pick up
the instrument you always wanted to play and find
someone to teach you. If you can persist, these
continued learning experiences will always change
you for the better.
3 – Be positive. Setbacks happen to everyone and no
one finds everything easy. The way you approach a
problem will do more than anything else to determine
the effect it has on you. Don’t be defined by your
mistakes and problems; be made better by them, learn
from them.
4 – Be kind. Suffering is everywhere and most people
suffer in silence. Don’t ignore it – take the first step
towards somebody for their benefit and you might find
someone who will walk another thousand for you.
5 – Be better. Be your own harshest judge and biggest
fan. Criticise yourself for the mistakes you make, but
support yourself to learn from
them and not to repeat them. Don’t
make excuses for yourself but do
take time to understand what you
did and why you did it. Demand
the best from yourself.
Advice over. Now look forward to
the summer of rest you will enjoy,
to the results that will reward you
and to the next exciting stage of your life. After 5
years here, Cranford is now part of you. And after 5
years together we are ready and able to support you
to achieve the success you deserve in the Sixth Form.
I speak on behalf of all the staff here when I say we
are looking forward to guiding you into the next phase
of your life and towards your future, your hopes and
your dreams. Year 11, well done.
Aaron Sohi (Head of Year 11)
115

Student Leadership
I started my journey
at Cranford Community
College in 2013; since
then the school has
provided me with many
incredible ​opportunities,
allowing me to flourish
to reach my highest
potential. I am privileged
to be taking on the role
of Head Girl and to be
a role model for the
students in the best way
possible. I am currently
studying A Level
Psychology, English Literature and Biology as I aim to
study Psychology and Neuroscience at University. The
role of Head Girl will allow me to further develop my
skills set and I strive to inspire students by supporting
them throughout their journey at Cranford. I have always
enjoyed working with pupils and staff and I will continue
to do so, concluding my final year at Cranford as a highly
memorable one.
Prabhleen Ghattoray (Head Girl 2019-2020)
I am delighted to announce the results of
the Student Leadership elections 2019-
2020. We had a wealth of exceptional
year 12 applicants this year who went
through a layered selection process
including interviews and presentations.
Having studied at Cranford since year 7, I can undeniably say that this school has
given me with the necessary skills set and knowledge to be part of the Sixth Form
Leadership team. As a​Deputy Head Boy, I hope to not only represent an inspiring
student body, but create a platform to voice the opinions of Cranford students across
all years. I am prepared to work with an organised cohort to tackle any challenges
and ultimately help the whole school achieve the best outcomes so that all students
become outstanding individuals.
Sukhjinder Padda (Deputy Head Boy 2019-2020)
First fact about me: I hate writing about myself... but I want to share how honoured I
am in becoming Deputy Head Girl for Cranford Community College. Second fact: I
am extremely excited to be a representative of the school’s Sixth Form. The first
week here gave me enough insight to know I wanted to become an active, helpful
pupil. Third fact: I have a strong passion for science and thus study Biology and
Chemistry but I also have a love for languages and study English literature, as well
as Arabic and French in my spare time. Fourth fact: I am in touch with my Algerian
culture and always want to learn about other cultures and experiences; the diversity
in our school allows me to do so. Final fact: I walk around school with a spring in
my step sharing my smile so please share back.
Eltham (Aya) Sadouki (Deputy Head Girl 2019-2020)
116

Team 2019-2020
I am sure this new team will continue
to build on their predecessors’ success
as excellent role models for the whole
student body. I am really looking
forward to working with them.
Mark Cripps (Head of Post 16)
In the five years that I have
attended Cranford, I have
learnt that the students
are a large part of what
makes up the community,
or rather, the Cranford
family. Alongside the
staff, we constantly look
out for each other and
support one another in all
that we do. The role of
Head Boy means a great
deal to me as it will enable
me to use this to make
Cranford more of a home
to all instead of just a school. My name is Rohit Bhuller.
I study Maths, Physics A Level and Cambridge Technicals
IT, with hopes of studying Computer Science in the future
to become a Software Developer/Game Designer; I’ve
always had a passion for computers and video games…
so why not combine the two
Rohit Bhuller (Head Boy 2019-2020)
Being a student at Cranford since Year 7, I can say whole heartedly I have been
blessed to take up so many opportunities. Moreover, the school has provided me
with countless chances to prosper as an individual and to further develop the skills
I have picked up throughout the years. Studying three challenging subjects has only
motivated me more to invest my effort and dedication into this school and aim to
support the student body voice so that all the pupils at Cranford are able to reach
their full potential. The opportunity of becoming Deputy Head Girl is a role I am
very excited about. Being part of the Post 16 Leadership team will enable me to
improve my mindset but also, most importantly to inspire and support everyone
around me.
Nabeeha Ali (Deputy Head Girl 2019-2020)
I study Physics, Maths and Further Maths at the moment and plan on doing a degree
in Nuclear Physics. I have been at Cranford since year 7 and have always wanted a
position within the Sixth Form Leadership team here. My goal is to give everyone in
the school a chance to get beyond the classroom and be able to apply the skills they
have learnt. As Deputy Head Girl I will be constantly working with departments to
create practical opportunities open for all the students.
Ria Kalia (Deputy Head Girl 2019-2020)
117

The Year 13
Leavers’ Tea Party
To
mark the end of the A Level examinations,
year 13 students enjoyed tea and cake in
the Memorial Garden. On the 21st June 2019, the
sun shone upon Hounslow and our year 13 students
came out of their dark revision rooms to celebrate
the end of an intense and pressurised part of their
lives and to bid each other a fond farewell, as they
look forward to their next great adventure.
The event, attended by Kevin Prunty, Executive
Headteacher, members of the Senior Leadership
team and staff began with a short presentation by
Mr Cripps and two speeches by our current Head
Girl Geetanjali Kumar and one of the Deputies,
Haashim Nisar who reflected upon their time at
Cranford and in particular in the sixth form.
A particularly moving speech by Mr D’Souza,
was one of the many highlights of a most pleasant
and enjoyable evening. His speech
lamented upon the passing of time as he had seen
this particular cohort through from wide-eyed,
needy year sevens to mature young adults, who are
now embarking on the next stage of their lives. He
reflected upon the laughter, the tears, friendships,
arguments and pivotal events that had shaped the
class of 2019.
We at Cranford wish each and every one of our
students the very best in their future endeavours.
We will always be here to celebrate their successes;
we will always be here to support them in their hour
of need. They will always be part of the Cranford
family.
Although organising such an event was hard work,
it was made worthwhile by the great pleasure of
seeing this particular group of students relaxing,
socialising and enjoying what we are sure will be
lasting friendships.
Mark Cripps (Head of Post 16)
“Cranford Review” is a publication of Cranford Community College © 2019, available in digital format at www.cranford.hounslow.sch.uk/newsletters-publications
Cranford Community College is a charitable company limited by guarantee registered in England and Wales under company registration number 7559818 at
High St, Cranford, Middlesex TW5 9PD | Editor-in-chief: Jessica Joyce | Graphic design: Enzo Gianvittorio | Printed by: Springfieldpapers.com