Each year, a group of Year 11 students carve out their place in the creative legacy of Patana, by editing and publishing CORE magazine, a collection of writing, art and photography. The Grad27, 2025 edition, marks the 27th publication of CORE. Now externally printed by a publishing house on glossy reams of paper, early editions were physically hand-made, using ‘old school’ cutting and pasting (yes, with scissors and glue!) and some extensive photocopying. I will leave you to work out which Secondary English teacher can remember that far back… (!)
CORE is a professionally published magazine made by students, for students and allows the young people involved to participate in a unique venture in creation, marketing, production and publishing. Each edition of the magazine has an overarching theme, this year’s being ‘Reverie’, and all varieties of interpretation are welcomed. Submission is open to all Secondary students, and for the past few years, Secondary staff pieces have also been featured. Importantly, the Year 11 Editorial Team have ownership over all elements of concept, design and production, from start to finish. In their exam year, this is no mean feat for our students, as committing to CORE magazine (which runs as a lunchtime ECA) requires considerable skills in time management and organisation, as its members have to balance this with their academic studies and other extra-curricular activities.
In true CORE style, I am going to hand over to the students to tell you more about this year’s magazine and its publication process. In themselves, their thoughtful and eloquent reflections are testament to their passion and dedication. Moreover, their eagerness to write them represents a genuine celebration of learning, collaboration and creativity.
“CORE magazine was a truly memorable experience this year—an exciting chance to contribute to BPS history. I enjoyed every stage of the process, from choosing the annual theme to connecting with talented young artists, photographers and poets, in our Patana community. Most rewarding was collaborating with a large, dedicated team that grew closer over time, leading to new friendships and a strong sense of unity. We spent many hours reviewing submissions and editing pages, and seeing the final magazine in print was a moment of immense pride, knowing it would be read by every Secondary student and staff member. From the very first meeting, I felt a strong sense of belonging.” Neil Kumar, 11W
“Being involved in CORE was a fun and rewarding experience, that allowed me to be part of something shared across the school community.I helped with various tasks, from submitting photographs to assisting with editing and layout decisions. It was a great chance to be creative, collaborate with others, and see how a publication comes together.” Lucy Hyman, 11S
“In working with CORE this year, I was given the precious opportunity to work with similarly minded creative people to create a magazine representing so many different perspectives, talents and interests. I feel so lucky to have been able to experience the behind-the-scenes process of reviewing and displaying submitted pieces, which allowed me to truly understand the creative diversity among Patana students and staff. We also got a valuable chance to piece together a range of different work to create something publisher-worthy, really making me appreciate the importance of editing and layout!” Violet Stephan, 11O
“The thing that I have enjoyed the most about being involved in CORE, is seeing the artistic talent of, not just older students in Secondary, but of those in the earlier years, and being able to bring all of those together into a magazine edition.” Elena Burton, 11C
“My favourite thing about working in CORE was that I was alongside peers that I usually don’t interact with, which forced me to work outside of my comfort zone. Another thing I loved is that, even as editors or part of the team, we all submit our own work to be published, which makes the magazine personal, authentic, and allowed me to appreciate other’s creativity.” Aya Haviv Buck, 11W
“Being a part of CORE magazine was an unforgettable experience. It has helped me strengthen my skills in teamwork and collaboration. Moreover, it has also helped me build my confidence when giving opinions and ideas”. Jhanvi Golechha, 11S
CORE magazine will be distributed to Secondary students by the end of term, through their English teachers. Our editorial team hope that you enjoy reading it, as much as they enjoyed producing it. As you immerse yourself in its pages, I know that you will join me in celebrating the students’ creativity and artistry. Looking forward, we encourage Secondary students to look out for information about submitting to next year’s magazine, which the new team will begin promoting early in the 25/26 academic year.
Finally, if you are set to be a member of Year 11 in August 2025, look out for sign up information (early next year), from me, to ensure that you are involved in the Grad28 edition of CORE. Again, in keeping with the true student led spirit of the magazine, I will leave you with these last words from CORE27:
“This was truly a once in a lifetime collaborative experience that I’d recommend to any Year 11 student who wants to improve their teamwork skills, show off their creativity, and enhance their sense of communication, evaluation and open-mindedness, as well as getting a closer look into the creativity and individualism the Patana community has to offer.” Violet Stephan, 11O
“I would heavily recommend joining the ECA to Y11 students, because it allows you to work as part of a team, whilst also bringing in your own individual styles of art and writing.” Elena Burton, 11C