13 June 2025

Dear Parents

It has been lovely to see the return of the sunshine this week as the Summer Term continues to pass by at an incredible rate. Meanwhile, our preparations for the new school year are well underway, and we are excited about what's to come! 

Launch of the 2025-2026 Cranford Pathway

We have been overwhelmed by the enthusiasm for the 2025/26 Club programme. Thank you to everyone who has been in contact around this. Our aim is to provide as broad a range of opportunities as possible for pupils across the school and encourage them to take on new challenges and explore new interests! It is always great fun chatting to pupils about their choices and listening to the range of ideas they have to improve the provision further. If you have any questions about clubs or activities next year, please do not hesitate to get in touch with the club’s team via the school office who will be more than happy to help.  

I have also been excited this week to see the launch of some of our residential trips for 2025/6 including the eagerly anticipated Senior School Choir Tour. This is always a highlight of the School Trips Calendar and Mrs Powell and her team are proposing a wonderful musical adventure to Ghent in Belgium next summer. 

On the theme of music and the performing arts, preparations are in full swing for our Year 7 & 8 production of ‘Beauty and the Beast’ next week. After weeks of hard work in rehearsals, the cast are ready to shine, and we can’t wait to welcome families and friends to the Cornerstone in Didcot next week!  Well done also to all our Junior pupils who took part in Thursday’s dance show. 

Elsewhere in school, GCSE and A-level examinations are building to a crescendo and across Senior School pupils have been tackling a busy week of assessments. I'm sure everyone will join me in wishing our Senior School pupils a well-earned restful weekend and good luck to our exam classes with their final exams over the coming week. 

Key Stage 1 explore Windsor Castle

Today, Year 1 and Year 2 enjoyed an exciting trip to Windsor Castle. The children loved exploring the historic site and spotting key features, including the Union Jack and the Royal Standard flags. A particular highlight was Queen Mary’s Dolls’ House, an intricate miniature home built over 100 years ago! All that exploring worked up quite an appetite, so a well-earned picnic lunch gave our Key Stage 1 adventurers the energy for even more discoveries! Please take a moment to look through these pictures to see what they got up to! 

I hope to see many families at Junior and Senior Sports Day next week - the PE department have promised good weather, and they are always days filled with fun, teamwork and friendly competition between the houses!

Finally, don't forget that tickets can still be secured for our end of year whole school summer music gala at the Hexagon theatre in Reading. The pupils have been working hard to prepare for what promises to be a special end of year occasion - I very much hope you can join us. 

I hope you all enjoy a wonderful and restful weekend. Please take a moment to enjoy our week in pictures.

With best wishes 

James Raymond

Head