Dear Families
Thank you for taking the time to read this message before the start of the summer term, after what I hope would have been a useful and restful Spring break for you all.
There is a particular energy that defines the Spring Term at Cransley; it is a season of quiet growth and sudden blossoms, much like the development of the pupils themselves.
As a school, we often speak about 'nurturing relationships,' but in today’s world, that must mean more than just a supportive environment. It means providing a sophisticated pedagogical framework that teaches our children how to think, not just what to learn. This term, we have focused heavily on bridging the gap between classroom theory and real-world application, ensuring that the warmth of our community is matched by the rigour of our academic ambition.
Our long-term goal is simple yet profound: to remain a school where every child is known and valued, while simultaneously ensuring they are equipped with the intellectual stamina required for the 2030s. We are not just looking at the next grade, but at the next decade.
I am immensely proud of the professional dedication of my colleagues and the spirited curiosity of our pupils. Thank you for your continued partnership in this journey; it is the strength of our home-school connection that remains Cransley’s greatest competitive advantage.
Cransley continues to develop.
Welcoming Our New Families
A warm welcome to the families of pupils from Alderley Edge School for Girls who are joining us over the coming weeks. We hope to make you quickly settled and part of our School, and I encourage all parents and pupils to reach out to our new families, many of whom have been through a difficult time over recent weeks.
This modest growth in numbers strengthens the school’s long-term financial stability and vibrancy without compromising our ethos, especially as we reach a capacity in many year groups.
I took the chance to comment on this situation and our principles of admission in my latest Head’s Journal entry: ‘Small Schools are utterly vital to the independent educational sector; we have the capacity to care.’
Welcoming Our New Senior Leaders
While a school is defined by its values, it is propelled by its leadership. This term, we are delighted to welcome Mrs Katie Collins as Head of Pupil Wellbeing and Mr Michael Oakes as our new Head of Senior Academic Development to our Senior Management Team.
In the educational sector, 'senior management' is often synonymous with administration; at Cransley, however, we view these roles as stewards of our educational vision. Both Mrs Collins and Mr Oakes were appointed not just for their strong track records, but for their alignment with our ethos of high-performance heart.
Katie Collins, Head of Pupil Wellbeing (starting 1st May): Bringing a wealth of experience from the business and educational sector, Mrs Collins will be instrumental in evolving our pastoral care into a forward-thinking system, proactive rather than reactive, promoting the highest standards of conduct as well as learning in future digital and financial wellbeing, not just emotional.
Kaie’s expertise ensures that Cransley remains at the forefront of the evolving concept of wellbeing being much more than safeguarding and mental health awareness, providing our pupils with a truly modern level of care and support. Katie’s classroom expertise lies in Drama and Performing Arts, enhancing our already thriving department.
Mr Michael Oakes, Head of Senior Academic Development (starting 1st September): With a background in strategic pedagogical projects, Mr Oakes joins us to deepen our commitment to future academic enrichment and relevance. He has an extensive track record in strategic decision-making, team management, and driving whole-school quality assurance, whilst promoting pupil wellbeing, safeguarding best practice, and ensuring regulatory compliance with external standards.
Michael will be given the duties in developing our assessment and reporting system, in conducting a curriculum review, and developing performance evaluation, through careful coaching through the design and delivery of engaging training programmes. He understands the vital innovative opportunities small schools can bring to the independent sector: where academic rigour must always coexist with the individual care that allows a child to thrive.
Beyond their professional credentials, both have already begun to weave themselves into the fabric of our community—with several visits to the school, observations from the sidelines of the sports pitches to the quiet conversations in the corridor, each carrying out early training to ready themselves for their new roles. Their arrival marks an exciting new chapter in our journey toward the school's strategic development over the coming years.
I am also delighted to welcome Miss Ashley Remsik to the Science department, replacing Mr Wilson as our Physics teacher. Miss Remsik is a very impressive and brilliant young teacher of Science with a particular interest in astrophysics and rugby. I hope she will enjoy a long and successful career at Cransley.
Welcoming New Members of our extended Cransley Family
Benjamin Orren Pauline was born on the 10th April at 10am. Mum is healthy and well and we send our love, congratulations and best wishes to Liz, Mick and their son, now already known, fondly, as ‘Benny Ren’.
The Heart of Cransley: Our Wellbeing Team
At the very core of Cransley life is a simple, unchanging truth: a child can only truly flourish when they feel safe, seen, and deeply valued. While our academic ambitions for our pupils are high, we know that the soil must be right for the seed to grow. This is why we don’t view pastoral care as a department, but as the pulse of everything we do.
To ensure your children have the very best wrap-around care, I have a dedicated team who work alongside me to look after the emotional and social ‘weather’ of the school. We are here to catch the small worries before they grow and to celebrate the quiet triumphs that often happen outside the classroom.
As Headteacher, I will personally act as the Designated Safeguarding Lead for the coming months. This is more than just a formal title; it means that the safety and happiness of every child is my first priority every single day, whilst maintaining high levels of administrative compliance. It allows me to ensure that our school remains a sanctuary where children can simply be themselves.
Mrs Collins will then take over as Head of Pupil Wellbeing and become the familiar face and steady hand who manages the day-to-day wellbeing of our community.
It is the form tutors who do so much to ensure the care and support of pupils, and they will always be a parent’s first port of call.
We are so fortunate to have Mr Morris, Mrs Hutchinson, Miss Totterdell and Mrs David as experienced and trained Deputy DSLs and part of our pastoral team. They provide that extra layer of specialist kindness, offering a quiet space for pupils to navigate the ups and downs of growing up with professional, gentle guidance.
We often say that Cransley is a family, and like any family, we look out for one another. This team is here to ensure that the warmth you feel when you walk through our front gates is backed up by the very best professional care, ensuring our pupils leave us not just with great results, but with a happy heart and a resilient spirit.
Estate development
The Spring break has seen some essential renovation and maintenance take place across a Grade 1 listed Estate which is an utter privilege, but which can prove - at times - to be rather problematic.
Our major project has been the replacement of some of the bespoke curved, sash, octagonal framed windows of the front of Belmont Hall. A key characteristic of this Georgian Mansion, the frames, panes and sills have been painstakingly recreated by local NW specialists and are being fitted by the brilliant Mark Walsh and his team, whose work has been of the highest quality over many projects at Cransley.
This second phase follows the replacement of the rear ground floor windows with new frames and safety glass, and should last a further couple of months. Please be aware of the work whenever you need to park at the front of the Hall. You won’t fail to miss the scaffolding.
With the previous car park renovations surviving hard frosts, heavy rains and the fleet of SUVs, we have extended the work further. We have also spread our CCTV coverage further across the roads of the Estate, and will soon be installing new robust gates, to assist with security, safety and grounds management.
Our continued investment in the estate ensures that Cransley’s physical environment is as robust and well-cared for as our pupils.
year 11
Our Year 11s are now entering the culmination of their GCSE journey, and I hope they have balanced revision and opportunity for rest and restoration themselves over the recent break. Their recent mock results are a testament to their resilience, ability and the sophisticated academic framework they have been a part of for the last decade.
If you haven't already, please take a moment to read Mrs Lancaster’s Head’s Journal entry ‘Navigating the GCSE Journey: A Partnership for Success and Wellbeing’.
More to follow:
Forthcoming events and dates for the diary
Pupils standards: Uniform and Attendance
Year 11 GCSE preparation
Trips, Excursions and Enrichment activities
The Cransley Afternoon Tea and Summer Ball
Cransleyfest 2026
Yours
Richard Pollock
Headteacher
