13 September 2019

During a productive and enjoyable week of school, it has been wonderful to see so many parents in school at coffee mornings and the Junior School Welcome Evening. I have also greatly enjoyed seeing the many smiling faces of our pupils as they settle back into school life. For more pictures from this week, please click here.

Excitement is continuing to build ahead of our forthcoming Sixth Form Options Evening (Tuesday 17 September) for pupils and parents from Year 7-11. The return of a Sixth Form to Cranford House in September 2020 is a watershed moment in the history of the school and we are delighted by the incredibly strong demand for places.

Our Sixth Form will offer a bespoke, personalised curriculum, a broad and varied extra-curricular provision and significant expertise in the university application process. Next Tuesday marks an important opportunity for pupils and parents across Years 7-11 to learn more about our Sixth Form and their pathway to the next stage of their school career, including conversations about A-level choices or how different GCSE combinations can shape their A-level choices further up the school.

A parent recently asked me for my view on some of the advantages of a Cranford House Sixth Form experience and I thought it would be helpful to share some of these in my newsletter this week:

• Continuity – Students’ time in Sixth Form is very short, measuring around 72 weeks of teaching time, so the importance of settling quickly into the rhythm of A-levels and Sixth Form life is critical to success. Cranford House’s Sixth Form will offer our pupils continuity in every sense thanks to our highly-qualified, experienced and friendly teachers who know each pupil and understand their individual learning needs. In addition, our expert pastoral team are experienced at both building the independent study and organisational habits that are vital at university, whilst balancing this with strong pastoral support to develop good studying habits for each student. The familiarity of staff and friendships will allow students to quickly settle and our 1:1 tutorial model will enable us to continue to develop their self-confidence.
• Bridge to University - Our experienced staff are experts in supporting students through the university admission process, guiding them through UCAS applications, securing internships and work placements, making applications to the USA and supporting entry into the world of work. Students will benefit from a weekly tutorial focused on preparing them for the world beyond A-levels.
• A School Within a School - Students will enjoy the benefits of a new, modern, spacious Sixth Form building, complete with their own café, private study spaces, gym and common room. A school bus service will offer the opportunity to drop into Wallingford at lunch time. Our Sixth Form will offer the independence of a college experience alongside the leadership opportunities and pastoral care that they have already enjoyed at here at Cranford House.
• Academic Excellence - Our academic results, underpinned by small class sizes and highly qualified staff, consistently place us amongst the leading schools in the region with a value-add of +1.6 at GCSE. Academic excellence sits firmly at the heart of school life.

We very much hope that many of you will join us at next Tuesday’s Sixth Form Options Evening to help bring our Sixth Form vision to life for parents and pupils. We are also excited to be able to open up some of the Sixth Form build for the evening to allow parents and pupils to venture on site and see this exciting space for themselves.

Wishing you all a restful weekend.

With best wishes

Dr James Raymond