24 November 2023

24 November 2023

Dear Parents

This week, Cranford Performing Arts department across all year groups have been put through their paces. It has been lovely walking through school catching snippets of all the rehearsals that are going on for the Christmas shows and Carol Services. We can’t wait for parents to join us in watching the finished productions and applaud all the children for working so incredibly hard, learning songs and lines. You are all in for a wonderful, Christmassy treat!

Senior Show – Chitty Chitty Bang Bang!
Over three performances, our Senior pupils raised the roof of the newly refurbished Willow Theatre, with their production of Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. To use the words of songs from the show, it was more than spectacular and really truly scrumptious! The collective energy and sense of fun radiating from the stage was felt by all the audience and it was clear the joy the pupils felt in coming together to perform. The characterisation of each part was magnificent, and all the cast, including the back-stage crew and orchestra, worked so hard to deliver a performance worthy of the West End. Well done to everyone involved! If you would like to see some of the pictures from the show, please click here.

Year 8 Tempest Performance
Mrs. Ooko and Mrs. Godsal were incredibly proud of the cast and crew of 'The Tempest' who performed with impressive conviction and collaboration on Wednesday at The Cornerstone Theatre. The performance was part of the national Shakespeare Schools Festival which takes place each Autumn across the country. The cast and crew were applauded by the professional director who ran the final rehearsals and gave feedback on the night, in particular noting their consideration of each other and team spirit, as well as their acting skills. It was a brilliant opportunity for those pupils involved and we look forward to taking part again next year.

We are delighted to have such a vibrant Performing Arts department, offering all our pupils a chance to develop skills in creativity, communication, teamwork and leadership. We know these opportunities for performing foster a strong sense of community and are pleased this is realised through musical and theatrical performances throughout the year.

Trips
On Thursday, Year 5 launched themselves to Winchester Science centre for an action-packed day of space exploration linked to their topic Stargazers! They took part in a fantastic workshop that explored the use of lasers and light patterns in space. They tested the heat absorption properties of different materials and how they would stand up in space. After lunch, they literally travelled through the solar system as part of an extraordinary workshop in the planetarium. They saw all the planets, the stars and even ventured to some faraway galaxies, but we are pleased to report they all came down to earth and back to Cranford in time for tea!

Earlier in the week, Year 6 went to the Ashmolean in Oxford to launch their new topic 'Gallery Rebels'. Their workshop focussed on portrait painting through the ages, looking at the evolving styles from Medieval Art, to Renaissance, to Impressionism to Modern Art. In the latter, the children explored the work of Picasso, Francis Bacon, Lucian Freud and Barbara Hepworth, studying their use of shape to represent figures and facial features.

Cranford's Christmas Teddy Bear Fundraiser
Just in time for Christmas, we are making our Cranford Teddy Bears available to parents to buy for the first time. With generosity of spirit at the heart of the Christmas season, all proceeds from our Cranford Teddy Bear Fundraiser go towards supporting our chosen charity Mary's Meals. Mary's Meals serves nutritious school meals to children living in some of the poorest countries. But more than 67 million primary school-age children are out of school around the world. In order to survive, they have to work or beg. Even if they do make it into the classroom, hunger affects their ability to learn. The promise of a good meal attracts these hungry children into the classroom, giving them the energy to learn and hope for a better future.

Each Cranford Bear is £15 with the cost added to your next school bill. We have a limited number of bears available. Each family may order up to 3 bears. Cranford bears can be collected at the school office from the 11 December. We hope they all find a forever home this Christmas! Click here to order your Cranford Teddy Bear.

PTA Christmas Fair
Finally, we are looking forward to seeing many of you at the super event that is the annual PTA Christmas Fair. The PTA have worked exceptionally hard to deliver a supremely festive occasion for you, with lots of stalls to help you get ahead with your Christmas shopping. There will be plenty of fun for children and adults alike and we can’t wait to see you from 12:00pm. Christmas jumpers are optional but very much welcome!

With best wishes

Dr James Raymond
Head