Academic Outcomes
Mrs Clare Lancaster, Deputy Headteacher and Academic Lead
In my professional opinion, the single most important reason why pupils achieve at Cransley School is our small class sizes.
Senior School class sizes average 17 pupils, in a co-educational, nurturing and stimulating environment. Cransley provides every possible opportunity for your child to succeed academically.
This is the benefit of learning at a small inclusive independent school.
Pupils achieve beyond their target grades at GCSE in all academic subjects allowing them to take their next steps on their journey, whether that be to Sir John Deane's Sixth Form in Northwich, Priestley College in Warrington, other local sixth Form colleges or further afield.
We are very proud, therefore, that according to the DfE, Cransley is currently amongst the top performing schools at GCSE in Cheshire and Warrington, and has been for several years.
“A wonderful and unique environment for a child who needs a little extra time from teachers and perhaps benefits from smaller class sizes. A lovely place for a child to believe in themselves and develop strong self esteem and confidence. All aspects of a child strengths are nurtured, not just academic or sports.”
Academic qualifications
Our pupils take between seven and nine subjects across a broad and growing range of GCSEs.
Our excellent results over recent years reflect the hard work and commitment of students and staff alike. We provide an enhanced and varied curriculum, with small class sizes and a structured careers programme to ensure that every future success is catered for.
A Cransley Education from Reception to Year 11
Our unique nature as a 'through school' has allowed us to consider the exact intent of our curriculum to ensure optimum impact on our pupils and improve GCSE outcomes. This 'spiral' curriculum has been developed by collaboration between junior and senior specialists to ensure key skills, knowledge and themes are revisited throughout a Cransley School pupil's learning journey whilst continuing to recognise the National Curriculum and exam board specifications.
“At my previous school, if I didn’t understand something the first time, I had lost the chance to learn it.
Here at Cransley, you don’t understand at first, the teachers will work and work until you have it mastered.”
Senior boy working with pottery
Creativity & Performing Arts
For a small school, Cransley punches above its weight, winning many national Independent Schools Association Awards for Drama (Romeo & Juliet, A Midsummer Night's Dream) and for Art & Design, with numerous national and regional finalists.
Schools that emphasise the importance of fostering skills of creativity, expression, interpretation and discernment are increasingly in the minority, and often it is those schools who, independent of DfE curriculum restrictions, like Cransley recognise this, and act accordingly by enhancing and broadening the opportunities for our pupils.
“Some of our children may never apply what they know about conjugated verbs.
But in art, in literature and in drama, we can encourage them to see beauty, and see it in all things.”
SPOrt and Games
Cransley reflects and acknowledges of the benefits of Sport in pupil wellbeing and in complementing academic excellence. It also recognises the social need to provide boys and particularly girls from 4-16, with the necessary skills to apply themselves - creatively, personally and academically - in order to build the confidence, collaboration and self presentation to continue that drive into the wider world.
“Sport isn’t all about the racket or the football boots, the karate belts or the ice skates, nor the many pairs of dance shoes or the vast collection of leotards.
It’s about what you can gain from it, as a person…
…and because I now know that if I put the effort in, I will come out a better person than the one I was before.””
