26 April 2019

I hope you all enjoyed a wonderful Easter break and that the first few days of term have run smoothly for you.

The holiday was a busy one for our Languages department as they embarked on our biennial Spanish Trip to Madrid. Opportunities for new linguistic and cultural experiences like this are invaluable for pupils and my thanks go to the staff who led this very successful trip.

The Summer Term is always one of my favourite times of the year, a time of new beginnings and opportunities that sees Year 10 prepare to take on their new Positions of Responsibility and a new leadership team amongst our Year 6 pupils. There is so much to look forward to over the coming weeks, from a rich array of trips that includes visits to Court Hill, New Barn and Snowdonia to name but a few, to Sports Days, Vertical Teaching Day, an array of concerts and performances and so much more besides. I look forward to seeing you at events in school over the course of the term.

This morning, the whole school joined together to share our annual Founders' Day Service. This is one of the most important days of the school calendar and brings us together as a community to celebrate and reflect on our school values. This morning’s assembly saw us considering the words of the school's founder, Miss Laurence, and her reflections on the school’s aims at an anniversary celebration in 1981. Miss Laurence wrote that ‘behind the history of Cranford’s first 50 years lies an intangible atmosphere based on a deep concern for people and a belief that everyone has a contribution to make to the world they live in.' Eighty-eight years after Cranford House was founded, I’m proud to say that this ethos and belief continues to form the central pillar of daily life in our school.

With best wishes

Dr James Raymond