Events over Easter, and those yet to come

Dear Parents and Families

My best wishes on a wet Monday.  I hope you are all well, and have enjoyed something of a break.

I wrote much of this yesterday under beautiful blue skies in Manchester, albeit watching a rather lacklustre Lancashire 1st XI sunning themselves in the field whilst encouraging Leicestershire every opportunity to score as many runs as possible, and listening to a deafening silence from the other Old Trafford in equal disappointment as Wolves scored their eventual winner.  

Thank goodness for the rain today to cool my sunburned receding hairline, The sun does however return this week, and pupils are welcome to wear their summer uniform.

Allow me a moment of your time to check some dates and ensure you are aware of some updates from the holiday.

Dates for the Half term

 28 Apr 25 - Year 10 Formal Assessments begin

 01 May 25 - Whole School Photograph (Full Standard uniform) & Y6/Y11 Formal and Informal photographs (change of clothes required)

 01 May 25 - Full Staff Meeting - Evening

 05 May 25 - BANK HOLIDAY - SCHOOL CLOSED

 07 May 25 - Y11 Study leave commences

 08 May 25 - Years 7-10 ISA Athletics @ Manchester City of Sport

 08 May 25 - GCSE examinations begin

 09 May 25 - Visiting Writer - Ashley Hickson-Lovence

 12 May 25 - Year 7-9 Internal assessments

 14 May 25 - ISA Junior Athletics @ Sport City Manchester

 17 May 25 - Year 8 'Walking Pages' Immersive Drama Performance (around the school building)

 23 May 25 - SCHOOL CLOSES FOR WHIT HALF TERM

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Events over the last weeks

I am sure none of you were under the illusion that the school was still silent over the last fortnight.  Not only was there yet another trip abroad, but much activity on two brilliant relatively new initiatives, together with a vibrant and well visited Spring holiday club and considerable renovation to the rear windows of Belmont Hall.

MADRID

Congratulations to the group of pupils and staff who journeyed to Spain for a cultural tour of Madrid for a long weekend.  All went well (and my phone didn't ring once back at home!), and the visit was hugely enriching for all.  On behalf of all parents who endured/enjoyed a child-free weekend, my thanks go to Ms Victorino-Wilde for her near-OCD levels of organisation and careful diligence, Mrs Gilmour for her care, enthusiasm and humour, and Ms Parry for brilliantly and selflessly stepping in a short notice to replace another colleague. Please check out the Instagram story here: www.instagram.com/stories/highlights/18076952917683223/

Again, please be under no illusion of the effort required to take such a substantial number of pupils abroad.  With that in mind, please keep an eye out for the next stage of Wilson’s Exciting Trips across Pan-America in the Name of True Science (please do not use its acronym) in the coming days.

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SCHOOL COMMUNITY FARM

Mr Morris deserves a huge amount of congratulations for his considerable commitment to the curation of the Community Farm, which naturally, and with the hard work of parents and pupils alike over the Easter holidays, will grow to provide so many experiential learning opportunities for all of our Junior School.  Please take a moment to view the farm web page using the menus above or this link: cransleyschool.com/farm-project

There is much more to come, over months and years, besides understanding the process of crop growth: the benefits of soil care, pest control and responsible land management, all eventually leading to mini commercial opportunities such as the sale of any harvest, or selling foods developed from the crops, and a ensuring sustainability that extends beyond the environmental to the economic and the social.

If any senior parents wish to see the Junior Pupil Parent Bulletin and any of the news happening amongst our youngest pupils, can request a password from the School office.

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CRANSLEY SPEEDWORKS MOTORSPORT

These elements of economic, social and environmental sustainability are also key elements in our motorsport project, which took a major forward step in a superb holiday workshop and the build of two F24 Greenpower mini race cars over three days (and a sneaky secret shake-down).

The two teams from Year 8, 9 and 10 were superb in their teamwork, problem solving, technical development and emerging ambition.  It was a delight to see the pupils take over, and allow us adults to merely adopt a supervisory role.  Having created the cars in their basic form without bodywork, the pupils’ ambition is now to use new software (acquired for the F1 in Schools competition) to design and construct suitable aerodynamic body work, attend a race to acquire data and intel from other teams in July and to compete in their debut race in September.     

Once again, thank you to our partners st Speedworks BTCC team, Rix Motors and Dave Whitmore for their support, and to Mrs Cosgrove and Mr Hassall, whose enthusiasm, dedication and expertise have taken this project beyond all of its original objectives.

Any Junior parents should know that this is going to be something all pupils will have access to, if they are interested.  And perhaps sooner than you think, as we have also acquired a ‘G2 Goblin’ - a small version of the F24 ready for construction in 2026 by Year 5 and 6 pupils.

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FUNFEST

The privately run holiday club FunFest was frequently attended by many of our pupils and those from around Northwich, seemingly with engagement, convenience and good value.  Do let me know otherwise and I can inform the operators.  

Bookings are open for Spring Half term and the Summer at fun-fest.co.uk/greatbudworth/

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BELMONT HALL WIndows

You may have seen the signs on display indicating our objectives to replace the windows of our 18th Century Georgian Mansion over the coming years, beginning with the rear windows, which were near-completed this Easter break.  These hand-made units were fitted well over 100 years ago and have long required attention.
We are determined to do them in a stead, cost effective but sensitive manner over the coming years.  If there are any 18th Century curved timber frame sash window specialists in our parent body, do let me know!

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I hope to see you in the car park tomorrow.

Yours, as ever

Mr Pollock

Headteacher

Holidays, Social media and AI

Attendance and holidays

Recent guidance and advice from the IBSA and DFE has been issued this month in regard to Granting Leave of Absence in Independent Schools and the DFE statutory guidance Working Together to Improve School Attendance, and the legal consideration I must give as headteacher when granting leave for family holidays.  To quote Section 37 and 38 of the latter document: 

“All schools have the power to grant leave of absence at their own discretion where a parent who the pupil normally lives with… has asked in advance and they deem there to be exceptional circumstances. In deciding whether a leave of absence should be granted schools are expected to consider each application individually taking into account the specific facts and circumstances and relevant background context behind the request. If a leave of absence is granted, it is for the school to determine the length of time the pupil can be away from school.

Generally, the DfE does not consider a need or desire for a holiday or other absence for the purpose of leisure and recreation to be an exceptional circumstance.”

A family holiday. Out of term time.

We therefore will be updating the Attendance Policy, for the Governing Board to agree and ratify, and in doing so, strengthen the School’s current position, support my legal duty and achieve legal and regulatory compliance.  

This will come into effect in September 2025.  Please be aware of this as you arrange your holidays for the coming academic year, and forgive me when I am resolute in my refusal to authorise any term-time holidays or leisure activities in the future.

Social Media, Deepfake imagery and Child Protection

You may have noticed a pause in our social media activity.

In its recent announcement, the Home Office has acknowledged that, since the start of 2023, there has been a worrying rising trend of AI-assisted ‘deepfake’ images of children in particular.  The HM Government proposal announced last week to create new offences is targeting the equipment and technology, and supply chain of AI-generated or manipulated child sexual abuse material. However, the creation and sharing of these images already constituted a crime, and this has not deterred criminal gangs online who in some cases have sought to target schools’ digital media (websites, SM etc) and individuals.  

This is not meant to alarm pupils, parents and staff, but heighten your awareness.  We, ourselves, have experienced the harm caused when staff images - myself included - have been used in most unsuitable ways, we suspect by ex-pupils shortly after I have requested to be removed from the school.  It is deeply upsetting and never fails to hurt, no matter how thick the skin. 

Our advisors, the ISBA and its legal team, have been giving careful consideration to how to address the growing safeguarding threat posed by this technology, and the changing expectations of parents, while balancing the longstanding expectations of many schools that they can make lawful use of images of pupils (including online) to help promote their activities.

Stock image - not one of our pupils!

To fully - but maybe excessively - protect our pupils, we may consider removing their images from social media and our website.  My team and the Board will discuss if this is a balanced and reasonable action, or whether other options are as effective.  Perhaps clever photography, for example, can celebrate our pupils’ activities without identifying them.  We welcome input from parents who have informed opinions on this matter. 

Please understand our concerns and the balanced way that we may go about addressing these issues.

Artificial Intelligence

To effectively address the multitude of cyber safeguarding issues, education is paramount. It is evident that pupils must be taught about both the dangers and benefits of artificial intelligence. As such, we are continuing to implement our AI policy and strategy in classrooms and offices. This includes introducing a clear AI assignment strategy, which will determine the level of AI usage permitted for specific tasks. Additionally, we are implementing age-appropriate AI digital literacy skills to promote the secure and effective use of AI prompts, critical evaluation of AI suggestions, and the protection of personal data. Ethical and environmental issues surrounding AI development will also be discussed.

My increasing use of AI  — and I believe our school and staff are ahead of the curve in this regard —  brings to mind Douglas Adams' The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. I often receive a slightly patronizing, Marvin the Paranoid Android-esque response from Gemini: "What a great question, Richard. Brain the size of a planet and you ask me to spell check your grammar..." (Anyone under 40 may need to ask AI about Marvin. How ironic).#

We will be delivering some training to parents on AI shortly after Easter. I hope you will be able to join us.

Uniform

Some things don’t change, and our older pupils are currently challenging us with untucked shirts and ever shorter skirts.  Please take a moment to read Mrs Pargeter’s letter emailed earlier this week.  She and the entire staff have my support - and I assume yours also - in correcting the pupils as their vague attempts to be somewhat rebellious result in a deteriorating state of dress.  You can assist simply by ensuring both shirts and skirts are long enough. If you are reluctant to buy new uniform when they only have two years left, please consider our preloved website. All funds go back into the school, not into another company’s coffers.

Not exactly a jovial journal this week, but reasonable, important and necessary.

Have a lovely weekend nevertheless.

Richard Pollock

Headteacher

Venture beyond…

Dear Parents and Families

[Before I start, I’m at the end of a Ryanair air-con-induced head cold, so I blame any vagaries or rambling in this journal on overdoses of Lemsip and Covonia.]

New Revised Timetable

The new timetable for September, with its benefits of increased teaching hours and enrichment opportunities, has brought about some welcome discussion and a generally favourable acceptance.  Those questions that have been asked - in regard to timings, after school activities, consultation processes etc. - have, I hope, been answered in these two important documents below, separated for convenience into Junior and Senior, which I ask you to read carefully.

Any Questions? Revised timetable for 2025 (Juniors)

Any Questions? Revised timetable for 2025 (Seniors)

I am aware of the changes requiring personal and familial retiming and adjustment and appreciate all efforts being made to enable this new efficient and cost effective adjustment.

I ask that you indicate your initial preferences for the Friday afternoon, using the form below, for each of your children seperately, so we can initiate planning as early as possible.

The Friday Afternoon (Current Reception-5)

The Friday Afternoon (Current Y6-10) 

Ski Trip to La Molina, Spain

For many, taking a normal family ski trip is characterised with so many highs and lows (metaphorical and literal), with a great deal of stress and concern throughout.  Enough for some to question whether it is a holiday at all. 

So all those who have suggested that Mrs Storey, Mrs Atkinson, Mr Morris, Mr Low and myself were on a big holiday must themselves lead a trip escorting 40 children, including 25 Y7s, across Europe, high up in Andorra, and watch each child throw themselves with varying levels of control down steep snowy pistes, and experience our pupils’ emotional, mental and physical fatigue over six intense days (with an additional day in a busy Barcelona) before they should be so flippant!

My colleagues were magnificent, and pupils were, in the main, marvellous in their fortitude and resilience and behaviour.  They all came back in one piece (another school I was speaking with had endured four broken arms and a double collar bone fracture amongst their pupils and one teacher!), albeit with whatever bugs and viruses were running through the plane fuselage.  

Mrs Storey dedicates so much of her own time to meticulously arranging these trips for the enrichment and benefit of so many pupils.  She shines very brightly indeed.

Cransley Speedworks Motorsport

Cransley Speedworks F1iS car

Much to our utter surprise and bewilderment, as our entry wasn't the fastest by any means, the small but mighty Y10 Cransley Speedworks team not only won the prestigious award for the Best Engineered Car, but came second in the ambitious Development class at the F1 in Schools Regional Finals last week, out of 14 highly competitive large schools across the North West, and are now automatically entered into the National Finals on the 26-27th March.

Work has now begun on a full rebrand, new business enterprise plan, new digital media (instagram.com/cransleyspeedworks/), full re-engineering of the car itself and a series of testing sessions on our new F1 in Schools track, which arrived on the day of the Regional final.

Cransley Vitesse F1iS car. Photos courtesy of M Davies (Y9)

Congratulations too to the sister Y9 entry-level team Cransley Vitesse, who are learning very quickly about how difficult this competition is, and are now fully supporting the Speedworks team, and watching their inheritance grow, as the older team learn and develop so rapidly.

My thanks to the wonderful Mrs Cosgrove who conceived and enabled our participation in the event and the superbly talented Mr Hassell for his extraordinary grasp of complex technical requirements, CAD and CFD software, manufacturing processes and somehow managing to teach this to the pupils so they are able to actually see their creations in extraordinary 3D graphic models… and then literally in the palm of their hands. (Each car is only 10 inches long.  What did you expect?) 

Thank you also to Rix Motors, PDS Eco and Legend Print Services who have contributed to the Motorsport project’s success, together with a partnership with the original local Speedworks BTCC Motorsports team. 

Watch this space for the results later this month.

Spring Hoedown

I invite all Junior School pupils and parents to bring all the family to our inaugural traditional Spring Hoedown on the very last Friday of the term, 4th April.  I see governors, headteachers, parents, grandparents, pupils, brothers, sisters, friends all do-si-do-ing our way through some bluegrass country tunes, with some great American food being rustled up by Chef Ed.  

Book tickets now at ParentPay.

World Book Day

Mr Morris seems a little blue.

You know you have caught some horrible virus when you exit your Study to the sight of a looming 6 foot 4 bearded giant blue crayola pencil carrying a laptop.  

Then you vaguely recall from the murky depths of your clouded memory that it is World book Day, and the hairy crayon is actually Mr Morris.

Indeed the sight of so many fabulous book character costumes was either an utter delight or a nightmarish headtrip, sufficient to make you check the ingredients in your herbal tea. 

Congratulations to all children for keeping up their characters for the entire day, and to all you parents who worked the costumes so wonderfully.  Senior School too next year?  Mark the date and prepare, Senior School parents.  I imagine it is very hard to get a costume from ASDA for a fifteen year old at 9.45pm on a Wednesday evening.

That’s it from me.  More to share next week, but some recovery time is needed.  A final thank you to Mrs Storey who asked with a straight face “Ah, you are not well, poor man.  Is it all over your body… or is it just all in your head?” much to the hilarity of the office team.  Thanks, Laura.

Have a lovely weekend.

Mr Pollock

Headteacher