27 April 2018

It has been an exciting week in our Performing Arts department.

Reception pupils have been devising some ingenious dinosaur choreography in Music lessons and our Year 10 GCSE Music pupils have started work on their final composition pieces.  Elsewhere, Years 7 and 8 have begun rehearsals for their forthcoming play featuring trickster tales from around the world. Mrs Heard tells me she is incredibly impressed by their enthusiasm and I am very much looking forward to watching this self-devised show later in the term. Tuesday saw our Year 10 English students travelling to the theatre to watch Arthur Miller’s ‘A View from the Bridge’. I have it on good authority that it was a spell-binding performance with wonderful acting which will prove extremely helpful in pupils’ analysis and understanding of the play.

We have also welcomed many parents into school this week, partly thanks to the record number of families who visited us during Open Week, as well as our own parents joining us for school events. Last night’s Move Up to Reception evening saw new and existing parents joining us to learn more about EYFS practice, our school ethos and the many exciting things their children have to look forward to in September. Meanwhile, our Junior pupils have been making the most of the sunshine whenever possible, thanks to a super new selection of outdoor play equipment for the Front Field.

 Our week was rounded off this morning by a fantastic assembly from Year 9. Focusing on British traditions old and new, its theme struck me as particularly apt as Cranford House embarks on a journey that embraces the new whilst maintaining a firm foothold in the traditions that so clearly define our school. I have been delighted by the very positive feedback and response to our updated 2020 Vision and would like to thank all of you who have taken the time to attend one of our Parent Events or to email in your thoughts and questions. The discussions that have taken place at Parent Forums have been incredibly encouraging, thought-provoking and insightful. It goes without saying that my door is always open if you have any further comments about any part of the 2020 Vision and I look forward to discussing this with you further at one of the Year Group Coffee Mornings over the remainder of the Summer Term.

Finally, I am sure parents will join me in sending their best wishes to Mrs Watkins-Cooke who will be leaving us at the end of the Autumn Term (December 2018) to go travelling with her husband (Mr Cooke, our Examinations Officer). Mrs Watkins-Cooke is an inspirational teacher of PE who has been exceptional in her leadership of sport at Cranford House and she will be missed by the whole school community. We are the process of completing the recruitment of a new Director of Sport and I look forward to sharing news of this with parents later this term. 

With best wishes for a restful weekend,

Dr James Raymond

PS) My thanks go to Moulsford Cricket Club for kindly allowing us to use their wonderful facilities for this term's cricket fixtures. I look forward to many sunny evenings of cricket ahead!