11 September 2026

Dear Parents 

It has been a wonderful first week back at school. There has been something genuinely joyful about seeing the generosity of spirit, sense of fun and curiosity on display across Cranford as pupils have returned for the start of the new academic year. 

This is always one of the most exciting moments in the school calendar: a time full of hope, possibility and opportunity. In assemblies this week, we have reflected on our school values, particularly generosity of spirit, and considered the part that each of us can play in making this our best year yet at Cranford. It has been a tremendously positive start across the whole school. 

It has also been lovely to welcome parents from both the Junior and Senior Schools to our Welcome Evenings this week. Cranford is, above all, a family community, and we are enormously grateful for the support we receive from our parents. It was a real pleasure to speak to so many families and to see everyone back together at the beginning of a new school year. 

The summer has been an exceptionally busy one for our Facilities Team, with significant work taking place across the site. Our new Year 11 Common Room is now taking shape and is due to be ready during Week 3 of term. This completes a series of projects designed to improve the social spaces available to pupils throughout the school and will provide Year 11 with a space of their own during this important stage of their Cranford journey. 

I have attached our Cranford 2031 brochure, which we first shared with parents during the summer. It sets out our vision for the continued development of and investment in the school over the next five years. I hope you will enjoy taking a few minutes to read about the changes you can expect to see at Cranford. At the heart of that vision is one essential promise: while our facilities and opportunities will continue to evolve, the ethos and values that make Cranford such a special place will remain constant. 

There has already been plenty happening beyond the classroom. It has been wonderful to see our Year 7 pupils settling so quickly into Senior School, beginning new friendships and embracing the opportunities ahead of them. Their day of team-building and adventure at Oxford Wet ’n’ Wild was a particularly enjoyable way to begin this next stage of their journey. Please click here to see the photographs. Elsewhere in school our Sixth Form pupils, meanwhile, headed off yesterday for an afternoon of punting on the river: a perfect way to begin what promises to be an exciting and rewarding year in the Sixth Form. 

We have also been delighted to hear about the experiences of pupils who took part in our internship programme over the summer. They attended an extraordinary range of placements and gained valuable insights into different professions and workplaces. A huge thank you to the many Cranford families who supported the programme and helped to make these opportunities possible. We are already beginning to plan for next summer. If you, or the organisation for which you work, might be able to offer an internship, placement or workplace experience to one of our pupils, please email [email protected] 

As per the Senior uniform update letter please RSVP here for the uniform expectations coffee morning on Thursday 17 September at 0815 hrs.  

Thank you to everyone - pupils, parents and colleagues for making the opening week such a happy and positive one. Please look at the photos from this week here. I hope you all have a wonderful weekend. 

With best wishes 

James Raymond 

Headmaster