Dear Parents and Families,
We are delighted to welcome your children back on Thursday for another exceptional school year. Before our corridors fill with energy and activity, our entire school team is coming together for two dedicated INSET days to refine our practice and ensure every child returns to an inspiring, secure, and nurturing environment.
Here is a window into the professional preparation taking place across our campus before term begins:
Safeguarding & Pupil Wellbeing: Our full staff team is completing updated training in the statutory guidance Keeping Children Safe in Education 2026 and Prevent Awareness, alongside an in-person briefing led by Mrs Collins. Beyond overall safety, staff are conducting detailed handovers covering SEND, EAL, individual medical needs, and Year 7 transition profiles, ensuring every child’s unique strengths and requirements are understood from day one.
Health, Safety & Medical Care: Maintaining a safe environment is a shared responsibility across every department. Staff are undertaking practical anaphylaxis drill training and allergy awareness, in response to Benedict’s Law, to ensure swift, effective medical responses. This provision is strengthened by clinical oversight from our Chair of Governors, Professor Darren Walter, alongside thorough operational health and safety reviews across the estate.
Academic Innovation & Pedagogy: Led by Mr Morris and Mr Oakes, our teaching staff are advancing our focus on metacognition—embedding explicit strategies that help pupils learn how to think, reflect, and build lifelong study habits. Concurrently, Mrs Caporn is leading our development of safe, creative Artificial Intelligence tools to personalise learning journeys. Academic departments are also reviewing our recent strong GCSE results to further enrich our curricula.
Digital Security & Data Protection: Protecting family data and maintaining secure online learning spaces remain top priorities. Overseen by Mrs Cosgrove, staff are completing refreshed modules in digital technology security, cyber threat prevention, and GDPR protocols across all school systems.
Our team will spend the remaining time finalising classroom environments and fine-tuning learning plans so that everything is in place for an outstanding first week back.
It is vitally important that you all read the revised Senior and Junior School handbooks sent by the School Office last Thursday, even if your child has been at Cransley for a while.
Thank you for your ongoing partnership, trust, and support. We look forward to welcoming all of our pupils back very soon!
Yours, as ever,
Mr Richard Pollock
Headteacher