Dear Parents
This week, I have found myself returning again and again to our school motto: Per Salicem ad Alta (Through willows to the heights).
Our school motto encourages us to reflect on courage, service and quiet strength. The image is a powerful one: not a straight climb, but a journey through the willows, moments of challenge, uncertainty and growth, on the way to higher ground. It is a motto that speaks to resilience, patience and purpose.
That spirit has been on vivid display across the school this week.
The staging has now been completed for our forthcoming production of Oliver!, and rehearsals are moving at real pace. This is the biggest production the school has ever put on, and it promises to be an exciting couple of weeks! The energy, commitment and sheer professionalism being shown by pupils and staff alike has been remarkable. A huge thank you to everyone involved, performers, crew, musicians, technicians, PTA and staff, for the generosity of time and spirit that a production of this scale demands. Final tickets are now available, and I very much hope many of you will be able to join us.
In this morning’s Year 7–9 assembly, pupils shared a number from the show. It was simply exceptional. Moments like that make us immensely proud of the strength of performing arts at Cranford, not just the talent on display, but the resilience, teamwork and courage it takes to rehearse, repeat, refine and perform.
That same generosity of spirit has been evident beyond the stage. This week alone, over 100 pupils have been involved in the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award, from Bronze through to Silver and Gold, giving up time, embracing challenge and supporting one another. Through DofE, pupils learn self-reliance, leadership, perseverance and service, lessons that stay with them long after the boots are cleaned and the rucksack unpacked. Well done to all involved.
And at the other end of the school, our Year 3 assembly on kindness offered a timely and powerful reminder of something just as important. Linked to our current Junior School focus on daily acts of kindness, pupils spoke with clarity and confidence about the small choices that shape our community, the words we use, the help we offer, the way we notice others. It was a lovely example of values lived, not just spoken.
From the stage to the hillside, to the classroom, this has been a week that captures Cranford at its best, moving through the willows together, supporting one another, and aiming for the heights.
With very best wishes,
James Raymond
Head
