8 September 2023
8 September 2023
Dear Parents
We have enjoyed a fantastic start to the new academic year, welcoming back old faces and new with great optimism as we look forward to what we know will be a wonderful term. We hope that pupils enjoyed discovering the new Willow Court garden and the newly refurbished Willow Theatre, and we cannot wait to share the new and fully equipped gym at our Reading Road site with our Senior pupils. Please take a few moments to look at some pictures from this week.
Reception and Pre-School
We have been so impressed with how well our youngest pupils have adapted to the start of their Cranford journey. They enjoyed a successful settling in session on Tuesday, before they were joined by the rest of the school for the start of term on Wednesday. We know starting school can be daunting for parents and pupils alike, as everyone gets used to new routines, but our Early Years children have made an incredibly positive start and we have great expectations for them as they move up through school.
Sixth Form and Year 7 Inductions
We are delighted to have been joined by new pupils throughout many year groups in both Junior and Senior School and celebrated key milestones for our new Year 7s and also for our new Year 12s, who are both embarking on new stages of school life.
Year 7 have had a phenomenal first few days! They are a brilliant cohort who have so far taken to Senior School life with ease. The Form Tutors had a brilliant day getting to know the pupils on Wednesday, ahead of their off-site induction trip yesterday to Wet ‘n’ Wild. They had the weather for it, as they enjoyed making the most of being able to cool off in the lake, jumping on and off the inflatables and exploring (please click here for pictures). This is a really memorable day for Year 7 where new friendships are formed and where they come together as a year group for the first time. We are confident they will have a brilliant first year at Cranford.
Our Sixth Form students also had a strong start, with an induction morning followed by punting in Oxford; a perfect way to spend an afternoon in such a sunny week. It has been wonderful to see the way they have already embraced their A-level studies this term and there has been a great atmosphere around the Sixth Form building.
Sixth Form and Senior Welcome Evening
Thank you to everyone who joined us for our Sixth Form and Senior Welcome Evening last night, it was lovely to see so many parents in school. Thank you for coming out, especially on one of the hottest days of the year! We hope that the information provided was useful and hope it also gave new and existing parents the chance to meet a few key staff and chat about the year ahead. We have an exceptional teaching and pastoral team who really do want the best outcome for each and every child. We want them to thrive and be happy! Please get in touch if you have any questions or concerns at any point.
Junior Welcome Evening
A reminder that we are looking forward to welcoming our Pre-School and Junior School parents next Tuesday at 6:00pm for your Welcome Evening. Please go to the Sports Hall for a brief presentation, after which you will be taken to your child’s year group presentation.
Prize Giving (Years 7 – 13)
We look forward to celebrating the achievements of our Sixth Form and Senior School pupils next Thursday at the Sheldonian Theatre for our annual prize giving event. Please see the letter linked in the notices below that has been sent out with details and please can we kindly request that if you have not already done so, you complete this form to give permission for your son or daughter to travel to Oxford for the rehearsal.
Kind regards
Dr James Raymond
Headmaster