Cranmore Prep Chronicle

Message from the Head of Prep

Another incredibly busy week has flown by with our school value of ‘faith’ being explored in lessons, assemblies and excursions. The children have had the opportunity to not just consider the idea of other religious faiths, but also to think about having faith in others and equally importantly having faith in themselves.

Among the many events that took place this week, our EYFS children welcomed the Fire Service to Cranmore and Year 1 had a great time at Manor House School taking part in a range of sports. The Musical Showcase afternoon provided parents with an opportunity to see their children’s hard work come to fruition with some amazing performances and the Year 6 production of Pantastic blew the audience away with its blend of comedy and drama, not to mention the amazing songs.

Trips have gone out to the Rural Life Living Museum, Hampton Court and some closer to home with well-being walks around the Surrey Hills.. Thanks must go to our CPA and FOST for putting on the Colour Run which was a great success. They are also busy organising CranCamp on Saturday 29th June on the Henderson Field which should be another memorable experience.

Mr Heaver

The Colour Run

The sun shone on Friday when Cranmore and St Teresa’s joined together for the highly anticipated Colour Run organised by CPA and FOST.

The event was a huge success, with everyone enjoying the chance to get messy and have fun. The atmosphere was electric. Laughter filled the air as the children raced around the course. They scrambled under nets, dodged being doused by water and gleefully splattered each other with paint, leaving a trail of colour in their wake. Precious memories were banked and friendships formed.

The Colour Run was a fantastic way to end the school week and kick off the weekend on a high. A huge thank you to all the parents who helped out. The CPA and FOST are already planning for next year's event, promising even more fun and excitement for 2025!

Year 6 Trip to Arundel Castle

On the 13th of June, Year 6 visited Arundel castle. We began in the armoury. Built in the 1800s it featured many weapons that dated far before this. I was particularly interested in the story behind some wicked-looking spears that were easily six feet tall. According to myth, the spears used to belong to a great giant who used to defend the castle and lived in one of the towers there.

We then visited the Barons’ Hall, which commemorated the Barons who forced King John to sign the Magna Carta. Despite the Magna Carta being signed long before this, the hall was built in the 1890s and was finished in around 1903. Our guide asked us what we did in our ‘School Hall’. A few of the answers included: eating lunches and playing sport. Apparently, the Dukes of Norfolk (who own the castle) did the same. They would often play an early form of tennis (indoors!) as well as often hosting enormous dinner parties and banquets.

Outside, we were shown the entrance to a passageway down to a room large enough to hold six months’ worth of food which was very helpful on various sieges of Arundel castle. The keep is built on a motte (it was originally built in 1067 as a traditional motte and bailey castle) and was surrounded by a Foss (a type of dry moat (they never had water in the moat because the soil would absorb it)). This made it essentially impenetrable because the sappers (people who dug under large buildings such as castles and destroyed all the building’s foundations) would drown from the rainwater that had been absorbed by the soil; any siege towers would break because of the way that the Foss was designed; and it was impossible to climb up the motte as it was such a steep slope. There was a well nearby that gave water from the nearby lake to the castle during sieges. But in the English civil war, Oliver Cromwell discovered the lake that the castle got their water from, and he drained it so the siege only lasted two weeks when it should have lasted around six months.

Year 6 Trip to Arundel Castle

We visited the ramparts, which were very windy. Out of the arrow-slits you could see the river which means that anyone trying to launch an invasion by the sea would have been spotted by those who manned the battlements (one of the reasons that a few of the Canadian and American armed forces were based here in World War Two). These slits were the perfect shape for people to shoot down with a longbow on attackers but not vice versa, and there was an excellent view of the cathedral (though obviously not for the defenders to admire while holding off attacking forces, and the cathedral is considerably more modern than this bit of the castle that was built in the 1100s).

After lunch, we visited the Oubliette dungeon. This translates literally as the ‘forgotten dungeon’. It is called this because, if an enemy knight got in the castle, a defending knight would get him over a trapdoor and then pull a string that would make the enemy fall twenty feet into a small stone room and, as the name conveys, they are forgotten.

In conclusion, Arundel castle was exceedingly interesting and we all learnt vast amounts from the trip.

Hugo B, Year 6

Year 5 Ramble

The Year 5 pupils were blessed with clear skies and beautiful sunshine on Thursday for their year group ramble from Newlands Corner back to school. They returned tired but happy after a very enjoyable morning. It was a valuable opportunity to spend time together as a year group.

Members of the Cranmore Music Department gathered on Tuesday to say a fond farewell to our flute teacher, Elaine Millar.

Mrs Millar has taught countless pupils during her 26 years here and has worked under five different Headmasters. She started teaching here in 1998, when Mrs Robbins was the Director of Music. Two of her pupils have gone on to achieve their flute diplomas, many have achieved Grade 8 and she ran a hugely successful flute choir.

She will be greatly missed by colleagues and pupils alike, and we wish her all the very best for her retirement.

Mr Harris, Director of Music

Turbo Tank the tortoise came to join 5DC in their Science lesson last week. Everyone loved meeting the Hermanns tortoise and seeing him devour dandelions. Turbo didn’t demonstrate the famous speed for which he was named, or smash into any walls either, fortunately! We also learnt there are three different species of Hermanns tortoise: Western, Eastern, and Dalmation. They are distinguishable by the marking on their backs and gold colour; they also can live for more than 150 years! 5DC thinks Turbo is an Eastern Hermanns based on his markings. Many thanks to James H for bringing Turbo to meet us.

Turbo Tank the Tortoise in Year 5 Science

Dr Verny White, Head of Upper Prep Science

Year 1 Visit to Manor House

Year 1 visited Manor House for an enjoyable morning of sporting activities. The students engaged in hurdle jumping, participated in a relay race, and ran around the paddock. We extend our sincere thanks to Manor House for hosting us; we had a wonderful time!

Mrs Bowen

Fire Service Visit to EYFS

Our EYFS pupils were so excited to welcome the local Fire Service to Cranmore on Tuesday afternoon. The fire fighters showed us their special protective uniform, talked to us about how the fire service can help us and also spoke about the importance of a working fire alarm in your home. After our informative talk, the children then had the opportunity to sit inside the fire engine, hold a walkie talkie and wear a fire helmet. They then had a chance to spray the hose! It was great spending the afternoon with the fire service.

Mrs Prothero, Head of EYFS

Year 3’s Visit to the School Chapel

This week in Year 3 the children learnt went to the school chapel. They learnt about the important items used during mass and used iPads to take pictures of each item. They also thoroughly enjoyed a range of activities that are in the chapel, from sending messages to people around the world to using light boxes to sketch pictures.

Personal Survival in Swimming Lessons

Pupils from years 4 to 6 took have taken part in their personal survival topic during swimming lessons over the last two weeks. The pupils practised self-rescue skills and learnt basic rescue techniques along with discussing safety around water and drowning prevention. The pupils enjoyed scenarios in which they took part in activities including rope throwing and reach rescues, and they learnt the technique of putting a casualty in the recovery position. The pupils were very engaging throughout the lessons - well done all!

Mrs Calpin, Head of Swimming

On Monday 17th June our U13 Golf team, including Year 6 pupils, played Parkside School at the Cranmore Golf Course (Crangusta). It was a fantastic performance from the boys, some of whom were playing in their first Golf match for the school. Cranmore won by 10 shots over the 6 holes with some fantastic induvial performances.

Mr Cox, Head of Golf

Congratulations to our three U11 cricket teams and two U10 cricket teams who played against Donhead and Downsend respectively. From the five matches, Cranmore won four. This week, cricket matches have taken place against Kings College Wimbledon and Feltonfleet. Good luck to the players playing tomorrow for the U10 As & Bs and U11 As and Bs.

Summer camps taking place at Cranmore

Activate Camps

https://www.activatecamps.co.uk/venues/cranmore-school/

Football Camp

https://www.surreyfootballcoaching.com/

A Message from our Chaplaincy Team

Faith Week

A Reading from St Paul’s Letter to the Ephesians

Reflection Amen

"Start by doing what's necessary; then do what's possible; and suddenly you are doing the impossible."

St

Francis of Assisi

Therefore if you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any common sharing in the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind. Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility, value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.

The Word of the Lord Thanks be to God

Reflection

This week as a school we have been celebrating and focusing on our Value of Faith.

Within assemblies we have looked at the life of Blessed Carlo Acutis and his life as a great person of Faith. Pupils have been involved in a range of faith-based activities. We have taken a year group to Wintershall to see the Life of Christ, had a morning dedicated to the service of others and made a number of year group pilgrimages. We discovered anew that faith is one of the greatest gifts we can receive at Cranmore: faith in God and faith in ourselves.

Quotation

"Faith is to believe what you do not see; the reward of this faith is to see what you believe."

Saint Augustine

Soup

Monday

Soup of the day – Country vegetable & lentil

Main Spaghetti bolognese

Vegetarian

Jacket potato & beans

Soup of the day - Tomato

Soup of the day – Leek & potato

Soup of the day – Mushroom

Quorn mince bolognese

Southern fried chicken breast with rustic slaw & chef’s salad

Chef’s carvery –Honey roast gammon with Yorkshire pudding

Plain pasta & tomato sauce

Jacket potato & beans

Chicken & sweetcorn pie

Soup of the day – Spiced butternut squash

Traditional battered fish or fish fingers

Sides

Pasta Roasted Mediterranean vegetables

No chicken & spicy vegetable jambalaya

Sliced parsley new potatoes Sweetcorn

South Western stuffed sweet potato

Roast potatoes

Plain pasta & tomato sauce

Jacket potato & beans

Vegetable & bean burritos

Fresh vegetable lasagne

Cauliflower & broccoli cheese Mixed vegetables Broccoli Roasted carrots

Additional Salad bar Salad bar Salad bar

Dessert

Rice pudding with a selection of toppings

Chocolate brownie

Sticky toffee pudding and butterscotch sauce

Items in Italic - Sourced from F Conisbee’s, our local butcher

Chips Peas

Baked beans

Jacket potato & beans Salad bar

Iced topped vanilla sponge Fruity Friday