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Year 7 PGL Trip to Marchants Hill
Last weekend, Year 7 students enjoyed an unforgettable adventure at Marchants Hill, an activity centre in the beautiful Surrey countryside. In the glorious sunshine, the children threw themselves enthusiastically into every activity - from the splash-filled excitement of raft building, to the high-flying challenges of Jacob’s Ladder and abseiling. It was wonderful to see them encouraging one another and celebrating each other's successes as they tackled new experiences with courage and determination. Their behaviour throughout the trip was exemplary, and as staff we were proud of how respectfully and responsibly they represented the school. Beyond the thrills and laughter, the weekend was also an opportunity for students to grow in confidence, build new friendships, and strengthen bonds with their teachers. It was a joy to witness their energy, teamwork, and smiles throughout the weekend, and I hope this trip will become a treasured memory to look back on as they continue their journey through CCF!
Ms Ireland
Head of Year 7
Anik - “This has been an exceptional trip. It helped people grow in their confidence and build new relationships”
Kenza - "We got to enhance our friendships”
Joseph - “It was really fun, I would do it again”
Violet 'It was soo fun. To start off, when we arrived, we were greeted by the kind and caring staff who helped us with our activities. The first thing we did was being greeted by a very fun silent disco. After that, we could have gone back to our dorms for a relaxing sleep in the comfortable beds. The food there was also very good. I enjoyed that you had the chance to choose what food and they had halal, vegetarian, vegan and a lot more options. The activities were very enjoyable and included things where we had to be in the wilderness and some where we had to be attached to a harness. Overall, PGL was an amazing experience and I had a lot of fun with my friends.”
Nathan - “It was fun, we liked the activities. There was always something to do!”
Charlotte - “The trip taught me to always be confident as you don’t what might surprise you”
Mohammed - “Next year 7s… look forward to the raft building”
Theo - “The trip was amazing”
Sam - “Exhilarating”
Diana - “I made lots of memories with my friends”
Rishi - “I would definitely go back”
Yara – “The trip was an extraordinary experience and I am really grateful to all the staff who helped to plan it. PGL really helped me strengthen my bond with my friends I already had but it especially encouraged me to make new friends which I in fact did make. For me, this trip's highlight was the raft building. It was a new experience like nothing I had ever done before. After all the exhilarating activities in the day time, we would then go into the canteen for dinner. It was scrumptious and filling! Personally, I think PGL helped me to become more resilient and responsible and I had very much fun on PGL.”
VIDEO-2025-05-08-12-57-38.mp4VIDEO-2025-05-08-12-57-38.mp4VIDEO-2025-05-08-12-57-38.mp4Year 12 'Decolonising the Curriculum' Workshop
Whose voices are missing from the stories we're taught in school? Very rarely do we question what we may be missing from the narratives that we are taught - and in that silence, we are robbed of the vast richness of our world’s history.
Well, on the 2nd May, a group of Year 12s ventured to Brunel University to meet with several other schools to explore this further. Influenced by a family history project the Guru Nanak Sikh Academy completed in Year 9, the event delved into the origins of Maths and Science in the Islamic Golden Age, alongside contemporary perspectives on colonisation in literature, video games and public spaces.
A favourite of mine was the talk on the Islamic Golden Age of Science. The speaker, Marwa Najjar, shed light on key figures from this era who are often overlooked in English classrooms, despite their work having profound and lasting impacts on human knowledge. For example, Fatima al-Fihri, who founded the first university in Fez 895 CE; Al-Khwarizmi, a pioneering polymath whose work laid the foundations for algorithms (the word is even derived from the anglicised version of his name) that are used in modern day Artificial Intelligence. It is such a shame to know that thousands of school children across the country and further are deprived of learning about this period, even though it was so rife with knowledge and brilliant inventors. In just one session, several of my friends and I saw the same formulas that we use in Physics lessons but through completely different lenses.
It really makes you wonder what classrooms would look like if they reflected the knowledge of all cultures equally? This question stayed with us as we moved through a range of collaborative and dynamic sessions.
Each of these talks featured creative and unique methods of engaging with us, the audience. When learning about the impact of colonisation on the media, we were advised to analyse a range of covers for the book ‘Heart of Darkness’. Furthermore, each table was decorated with tubs of Play-Doh, Lego and resources with which to draw. All these extra steps they took worked to create an incredibly immersive learning environment.
The emphasis on inter-school communication made the event especially riveting. Each student that raised their hand brought forward a fresh, well-read and thought-provoking argument. We did not shy away from tough questions or topics but instead, rose to the task to confront issues that society is reluctant to face and solve.
Attending this workshop opened our eyes not only to the biases embedded in the curriculum, but also to the subtler ways the legacy of colonisation continues to mould - and harm - people’s lives today. So, next time you’re reading about a historical figure, or event, think to yourself: "If education shapes our worldview, who has shaped the education?"
– Alexandra Koenig, 12C
Chef Amber in The Archer Newspaper's May Edition
Amber has yet again made it into the local paper with her Great British Menu win and we couldn't be prouder!
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