11 March 2022
We have enjoyed seeing many parents in school this week at the Year 1 and 2 Parents’ Coffee Morning, the Year 3 and 4 Parents’ Coffee Morning but also at the Year 8 Parents’ Evening. It’s remarkable to consider that this Year 8 Parents’ Evening is the first in-person Parents’ Evening for this set of parents, many of whom have not had the opportunity to come into school at all over the last two years. The Senior teaching team were delighted to finally meet families face-to-face and we were in receipt of lots of positive feedback after a very successful evening!
Year 5 have had a week full of enrichment and learning and I’m particularly pleased as it’s all connected to History! As you may recall in my newsletter before half-term, Year 5 have been avidly following the success of the Endurance22 expedition to discover the final resting place of Shackleton’s ship. The pupils have been enthralled with the story and were delighted to be able to watch as the first video footage of the wreckage was released earlier in the week. It’s incredible that so much of the ship is still intact and such a vital piece of history for us all to learn from.
As if that wasn’t enough historical excitement, Year 5 were thrown into life in Tudor times with a trip to Hampton Court yesterday. They had a fabulous time exploring the splendour of Henry VIII’s palace and gardens and enjoyed spending time in the grandeur of the Great Hall, imagining all the feasting and celebrations that took place. The trip ended with a fascinating tour of the kitchens, where the pupils learnt more about what it was like to work in a Tudor kitchen and some of the foods that would have been prepared. Based on the menus discussed, they all seemed quite relieved that they weren’t born in Tudor times!
Meanwhile today, our youngest pupils in Reception had a brilliant trip to Rushall Organic Farm. They were so excited to meet lots of different animals, including sheep, cows, chickens, donkeys and pigs and also enjoyed exploring the farm, pond and woodland. I’m sure they will be eager to tell you all about it when they get home.
School Counsellor
We are pleased to share with parents that we have a new School Counsellor, who started this week. Mrs Haywood is an experienced counsellor and very used to working with young adults. We are delighted she will be joining us and know she will be a valuable addition the pastoral team. Mrs Haywood will be working very closely with Mrs Heard and the Heads of Year and will be providing short-term interventions for pupils. Please click here for more details of how this will operate.
Mrs Lanyon and a courageous feat!
On the 25 March, Mrs Lanyon will be flying out to Morocco to take part in the 36th Marathon des Sables – running a staggering 250k over 7 days! Mrs Lanyon isn’t too worried about the need to be self-sufficient, carrying all her equipment and food, or the requirement to cover such an expansive distance in the Saharan heat, including the infamous ‘long day’ when she’ll need to run over 50 miles. No, her main concern is with the lack of tea making facilities!
If you would like to track Mrs Lanyon, or send her a message her race number is 696 and she is in Tent 65. To track or send a message, visit the Marathon des Sables website. The tracking and messaging service will go live once the race has officially started on Sunday 27 March and close after 2 April once the race is completed. Mrs Lanyon is running for Hope for Children and has so far raised over £8000 with the help and support of the Cranford House pupils. Her goal now is to reach £10,000. If you would like to support Mrs Lanyon with her fundraising goals, please click here. We wish her the very best of luck and will be cheering her on from the comfort of a sofa!
Finally, well done to our Year 11 pupils today who organised and ran a very successful cake sale at break, to raise much needed funds for the British Red Cross appeal for Ukraine.
Have a good weekend!
Dr James Raymond
Headmaster