Dear Parents
As the week draws to a close, it has been one of those at Cranford where conversations in assemblies, meetings and informal moments have really stayed with me.
In Senior Assembly this morning, we returned to a message we have been steadily building this term - every day gives you a choice. Not a dramatic, headline-grabbing choice, but the small, consistent ones. How you approach a lesson or how you respond when something feels hard - over time, those small daily choices shape habits, and habits shape outcomes.
We talked about the idea that you are more capable than you think, not because everything will always be easy, but because resilience is learned by doing hard things well, repeatedly. Progress rarely comes in leaps; it comes in inches. Marginal gains matter. Those small, disciplined decisions, made day after day, are often what separate “I could have” from “I did”.
That message echoed strongly in our conversations with Year 11 and Year 13 students and families this week, as we reflected on mock examinations and next steps. I have been genuinely impressed by how thoughtfully pupils have engaged with this process. Mocks are not about perfection; they are about learning how you respond, how you adjust, and how you move forward. The maturity, honesty and determination we are seeing bodes incredibly well for the months ahead.
Earlier in the week, Junior Assembly and House meetings on Wednesday and Thursday focused on kindness, and what that looks like in practice. Not just big gestures, but everyday choices: how we speak to one another, how we include others, how we show loyalty and care within friendships. Kindness, like resilience, is a habit. It is learned, practised, and strengthened over time, and it remains one of the defining values of our school community.
Finally, there is a real buzz building around the Senior School production of Oliver!. Rehearsals continue tomorrow, and next week the Sports Hall will be transformed into a theatre as we prepare for what promises to be the largest and most ambitious production Cranford has ever staged. The cast, crew and staff have shown extraordinary commitment, teamwork and courage, many of the very qualities we have been talking about all week. Final tickets are still available, and I would strongly encourage families to book while they can (please click here for ticket sales).
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Thank you, as always, for the part you play in reinforcing these messages at home. When school and families pull in the same direction, those inches really do add up.
Please click here to see our week in pictures.
Wishing you a restful and enjoyable weekend.
With warm wishes
James Raymond
Head
