6 December 2024
Dear Parents
It has been a fabulously busy week of learning, sport, music, performances and in case it hasn’t hit you yet, Christmas, which has definitely landed in full at Cranford! The festive spirit exploded on Saturday at our wonderful PTA Christmas Fair. A huge thank you to all the parents who helped organise such an extravaganza and also to all of you who came along to support the day. We hope you enjoyed it as much as we all did!
On Tuesday we welcomed Year 12 and 13 Parents into school for Parents’ Evening and last night, our Year 9 Parents joined us for Options Evening. We were also delighted by the attendance at our Year 11 and 13 Study Skills Parents’ Coffee Morning. We hope you found it informative and useful.
Alongside this, Christmas events have been coming thick and fast, spreading warmth and cheer across the school. Though in slightly unconventional transport, we had a very exciting fly-by from Father Christmas on Tuesday (I have it on good authority that the reindeers are conserving energy ahead of their big night!). Reception to Year 4 children then had another opportunity to see Father Christmas on the Santa Express on Thursday. They all had magical time, enjoying a steam train ride from Wallingford to Cholsey and back again, the highlight of which were the high fives Father Christmas gave them as he strolled through the carriages! Today, we have had a record number of children take the challenge of our Christmas 5k. Well done to you- it was a truly joyful occasion!
Congratulations U16s Regional Hockey champs!
Another well-deserved congratulations to our brilliant U16 Girls’ Hockey Team, who competed against 6 other schools in some highly competitive matches and with one of the most nail-biting finals I think we have ever had. The opposition were 1-0 up in the final ten minutes until the team equalised with only 2 minutes to go. Not giving up, an epic goal in the final minute earned them the regional title. Well done girls - national finals here we come!
A big whoop for Whoops-a-Daisy Angel!
Key Stage 1 pupils really have excelled themselves this week, in two glorious performances of their Christmas show, ‘Whoops-a-Daisy Angel’. A truly heartwarming tale about a clumsy, untidy, forgetful angel, Whoops-a-Daisy has a very important job when she has to guide Mary and Joseph to Bethlehem. Your children put on such a brilliant show, speaking their lines with great clarity and enthusiasm. It was however the music and singing that really brought things to life, with a multitude of characters from Mary and Joseph, the wise men, the shepherds, sheep, stars and snowflakes all giving their best performances in front of a packed Willow Theatre of parents, grandparents and friends. The audience left the theatre beaming with joy and Christmas spirit. To view pictures from the show, click here.
Reception Crib Service
Another highlight this week was the spectacular Reception Crib Service, which took place in Moulsford Church. If the success of the Crib Service is marked by the number of slightly teary parents (and staff I might add!), we can confirm it was definitely a hit, with an overload of charm and poignancy! Over two productions, the traditional nativity story was bought to life superbly. It felt very magical, being in such a beautiful venue watching our youngest performers delivering such a well-known, much-loved tale, accompanied by some adorably delivered songs. To view pictures from the crib service, click here.
We hope you are feeling some of the festive cheer and look forward to spreading more of this at our Junior and Senior Carol Services next week. We look forward to seeing you there! Please do take a moment to see this week in pictures.
With best wishes
Dr James Raymond
Head