
House values: Perseverance, ambition, imagination
Head of House: Miss Gransden
Who is Benjamin Zephaniah?
Dr Benjamin Zephaniah is a poet, writer, lyricist, and musician. He used his dyslexia to his advantage to see the world more creatively. He strongly advocated for the creative opportunities that his dyslexia invited him to pursue, and he was determined to persevere his creative intentions despite and inspire others to do the same. He reminds people that dyslexia is not a measure of intelligence but a gift of creativity and imagination.
What does Zephaniah represent?
Benjamin Zephaniah represents the values of perseverance, ambition, and imagination.
Painting of Benjamin Zephaniah created by the Year 9 Art Club.

An introduction from Miss Gransden – Head of Zephaniah, Teacher of PE
I started working at Vandyke in the summer of 2021. Before coming to Vandyke I worked in summer schools with international students from across the world including places such as Argentina, Russia and Columbia. I aim to inspire as many as possible to get active and involved in physical activity to keep the mind and body healthy. It’s probably no surprise that in my spare time I love to play sports, especially hockey!
As head of Zephaniah house, I am inspired daily by the Zephaniah students I see. It is my aim for all students to be ambitions and to foster values of determination and resilience to pursue their ambitions and fulfil their highest potential. Students of Zephaniah house are excellent role models for their peers - demonstrating their confidence and determination alongside regular displays of respect. Student’s value their experiences as they work towards their ambitions with an added sense of identify and belonging. It is my ambition for every student to prosper during their time in Zephaniah house both academically, competitively, and creatively as they develop and refine their skills to become world ready citizens with no limits to their ambition or success.