Dear Parents and Families
The good ship Cransley is preparing for a new voyage, having dry-docked for a few weeks, had a good lick of paint around its hull, some adjustment and repairs to the rigging and trim and is looking rather fine. The crew are returning this week for navigational information and direction, each fine, fit and fair, and we are very much getting ready to set sail, with our cargo in a couple of weeks time.
Before I lose the already-tiresome nautical metaphor, allow me to share some notices from the ship’s log:
GCSE Results 2025
We look forward to sharing our GCSE results tomorrow with our departing Year 11s before they navigate their journey to college and beyond, and I will write to inform you of all of the key headlines in the afternoon.
We know already about one astonishingly hard-working and able pupil who achieved an A* in their A level Maths last week, following his early taking of his Maths GCSE last year. Huge congratulations to them. I gather they started studying their A level Biology over this summer… just for fun.
Decoration and refurbishment
Our dutiful estate team, led by Mrs Holt and Mrs Totterdell-Lambert, have overseen a number of elements of R&R, including the painting of the ground floor of the Belmont Hall, notably the Entrance Hall, English room and Head’s Study (images below) in a beautiful heritage chalk white, enhancing the stunning Rococo plasterwork, and some ground work to the area outside of the Pavilion incorporating a new EYFS sheltered area and decking. We have also prepared the ground for some new column lighting around the courts in readiness for the winter.
The old textiles room has now been converted into a Junior classroom (for Year 5) and some other repairs and restoration has taken place in other classrooms.
Our extensive project to refurbish the deteriorating windows of the Hall has been part-completed with the rear ground-floor windows replaced, and three of the front curved sash windows carefully removed for profiling and replacement. We aim to complete the work by the end of 2026.
Autumn Open Day
We have chosen to postpone our Autumn Open Day from 20th September until the 4th October so as to not clash with other local independent schools, and I ask that you note the new date as we will require some of your children to be ambassadors for our visiting guests.
Please do share this information with the friends and families that you like, and certainly we welcome Year 5 and 6 parents taking the opportunity to see the Senior school in all of its glory.
Senior and Junior School Parent Handbooks
Parents asked us a few years ago for a document that contained all of the necessary information for the start of the year in one place and we have dutifully obliged, therefore can I insist that you read them carefully. They were sent in a recent email from the School office and available on our website.
They contain further information about the new school day times, homework, uniform, pick up and drop off and much more. They are about one cup of tea’s worth of essential reading (plus two biscuits).
Uniform
These children grow quickly, and if you can, please find time to dig out their uniform and try them on for size. If you need new items, I recommend before running desperately to Monkhouse, that you visit our online pre-loved uniform website run by brilliant parent volunteers, where all proceeds are returned straight into the school (and have paid for several new interactive whiteboards and a school trip! Any clean good quality used stock should please be bagged and sent to the office for resale.
That’s it for now. More tomorrow.
Yours, as ever