25 May 2023

25 May 2023

Dear Parents

Reception Tea Party
We have wrapped up the end of the first half of the Summer Term in gloriously spectacular fashion, with our annual Reception Tea Party! Our Reception children have been incredibly busy all week, baking treats and creating menus, ready to welcome parents this afternoon to the Orangery, adorned with summer bouquets, balloons and bunting. The children were so excited to welcome their parents, who looked incredibly stylish for the occasion, and proudly showed them to their seats before presenting them with a feast to rival tea at the Ritz! Parents were then treated to a musical finale, performed with gusto. The afternoon was certainly a success, judging by the beaming smiles all round. Well done Reception and please do take a moment to view some of the pictures from this afternoon. As an aside, we should also congratulate Mrs McKenzie on being involved in every one of the 22 Reception Tea parties that have run at Cranford. She must have acquired quite a wardrobe of fancy hats by now, specially for this event!

Cranford American Football team triumphs!
Cranford House Flag American Football Team was invited to the NFL Flag Regional Championships at Tilsey Park on Monday. Some stiff competition meant close games in the early stages, but both Cranford Teams came away with big wins and performed excellently on the field. Cranford made it to the final and won the game 12-6, being crowned the regional champions of 2023! This means they also receive an invitation to the national championships, held at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, where they will compete against schools from around the country with professional NFL players officiating games. We look forward to seeing how they get on!

Year 12 Higher Education Evening
As Year 13 set their sights on the end of A levels and life beyond Cranford, Year 12 are at the research stage in their journey in considering next steps. On Tuesday, we welcomed the parents of Year 12 students to our Higher Education and Futures Planning Evening. We are delighted with the approach of our Year 12 students, who are considering a wide range of Higher Education and careers options. We are really looking forward to working with the students and their families to help them achieve their ambitions.

Year 12 Geography and Biology trip
Year 12 Geographers and Biologists have spent a week in beautiful sunny Wales near Porthcawl. They have been learning about sampling techniques, data collection and analysis. Geographers have made an amazing start to their course work (NEA) with pupils specialising in both urban and physical geography. The Biologists have put their ecology theory into practise and perfected their statistical analysis. The group have shown fantastic teamwork skills and a positive and inquisitive attitude while thoroughly enjoying their surroundings at the beautiful Margam Park.

Year 4 Residential
Year 4 have had an amazing adventure this week, at their residential in Dorset. They have certainly made the most of every minute of the fun-packed three days, cramming in creativity, meeting animals, building dens, exploring the life of Vikings and even had some energy for a good old New Barn shindig last night! The children had a wonderful time, were excellent companions and were blessed by beautiful weather. I am sure that there will be some sleepy pupils returning home this evening, but hope you enjoy hearing all about their exciting escapades!

SAVE THE DATE! - 3 July, 2:00-3:15pm; Please join us for an end of year Gala Concert presented by the Cranford House Music Department!

A reminder that on Monday 3rd July we will be taking the whole school (all Junior and Senior pupils from Reception to Sixth Form) to the Hexagon in Reading to enjoy a celebration of the rich musical talents of our pupils. Our Gala Concert will be an opportunity to showcase the range and depth of musical excellence across the school with pupils from Reception to Sixth Form performing together in a fitting finale to an exceptional year at school. We would like to take this opportunity to warmly invite parents to join us and share in a very special event. The Gala concert will take place from 2:00-3:15pm and tickets will be available shortly after the half-term break. Please note the date in your diary and we very much hope that you will join us for what promises to be a memorable occasion.

I hope you have a wonderful half-term break and look forward to seeing you all on the 5 June!

Dr James Raymond
Headmaster