ROUND THE HOUSES

CUBITT HOUSE

THOMAS EVANS, HOUSE CAPTAIN

In a year full of ups and downs for Cubitt and Cranleigh, the green machine has never broken down. Despite ‘a few’ positive cases and isolation galore, our spirits remained high whether we were together in the games room, or quizzing over Zoom.

Other than the coronavirus, the year was saddened by the departure of Cubitt legend, Mrs G.

After 29 years as Cubitt Matron, Mrs G is moving to the greener pastures of retirement, her motherly nature round the house will be sorely missed next year. Our (slightly damp) music evening for her was one of the best moments of our year.

A close second was Cubitt’s Monday Night Final against North, nimble and agile goalkeeping from Theo Vaughan rescued Cubitt from the depths of despair to win the shootout. For me this epitomised the spirit of the house, everyone supporting and celebrating each other, together.

And despite all the highs and lows of the year, this spirit was evident in Cubittians throughout, a truly unforgettable year to finish a truly unforgettable experience in Cubitt, and Cranleigh as a whole.

THE GREEN MACHINE HAS NEVER BROKEN DOWN

EAST HOUSE

JOSH TUSLER, HOUSE CAPTAIN & MR PETE BRADNOCK, HOUSEMASTER

The Sixth Form experience has been a challenge for everyone due to the disruption caused by Covid-19. The boys in the house adapted brilliantly to the changes that were thrown at them; from having limited social opportunities between year groups to sharing social spaces and moabs. However, despite this, the pandemic has brought the boys closer and the house stronger; we have learnt to appreciate how special Cranleigh life is and the opportunities we get to experience in our daily lives.

Special thanks go to Mr Bradnock, Mr Royall and all the house staff for supporting us in the transition from what we were used to, to the new normal.

After five years at Cranleigh, East has become a second home to me. I spent the first three years as a day boy and then was fortunate enough to become a boarder for Sixth Form. There is something very special about Cranleigh life, when I reflect on it. I think it’s down to the Cranleigh community being so supportive and caring. Friends become mates for life while teachers become confidants and mentors. Everyone has one another’s best interests at heart and encourages you to fulfil your aspirations and goals.

The amazing experiences Cranleigh has offered have enabled me to grow as a person, establish who I want to be, make life-long memories and support me to reach my goals. It sounds clichéd, but it’s been the best five years of my life…so far.

Josh Tusler, House Captain

What was an annus horribilis last year didn’t exactly have its cut-off point in July. As summer came and went so too arrived the spectre of a new school year in a mould unlike any other, unique in the School’s history. The new Fourth form arrived as one socially-distanced bubble and saw no one but the Lower Fifth for the bulk of the year. The Lower Sixth were welcomed back with open arms and then immediately kettled in the East Wing where, apart from brief forays into the territory by Henrique Gabriel, not another soul ventured (apart from Lucy the cleaner of course). Over in the West Wing we had the Upper Sixth, hunkering down in the Trenches, or loitering in the Black Box with paddle for table tennis and arrows for the oche; white-collar crime and the threat of a long prison sentence may hold little fear for anyone who had to endure the sting of isolation this year in East. For his 10-day stint, Ian Wareing treated Maitland’s as his own private hotel, ensuite shower, Manga bolster and concierge service bringing him three squares a day (he survived and, it would be fair to say, thrived during this ordeal). The Upper Fifth meanwhile kept to the high staircase of Everest and half of the Ship, Room 50 holding its particular allure due to its geographically useful position of being a long, long way away from any footfall whatsoever.

To run several Callovers at once and try to garner a sense of collective purpose or house goodwill has been extremely challenging, especially during Michaelmas when restrictions were at their toughest. However, East has that unerring knack of prevailing even when the chips are down, and the fact we remained open for as long as we did this year is nothing short of miraculous, although try telling that to Toddy or Harvey McBrien who became collateral damage in the whole contact tracing nightmare. But as the year progressed so did our attitudes and adaptability and we got there in credit, all the more impressive when one considers what each and every student has had to endure this year: mask wearing, social distancing, one-way concourses, Perspex dividing screens in the Dining Hall, contact tracing, regular Covid-19 testing and, for the Upper Fifth and Upper Sixth years, lots and lots of academically rigorous exams to justify the Centre Assessed Grades. East is full of can-do, upbeat individuals and it is to their credit that even though they did not find themselves at ease in these new roles asked of them, they really did give it their best, and made what could have been quite a grim year wholly tolerable, and actually pretty fun at times. Well done to everyone on digging deep this year, and a special thanks as ever to Mr Royall, Mr Emley, Mr Williams and of course the Matrons, who helped get the whole team through the year in good humour.

FRIENDS BECOME MATES FOR LIFE WHILE TEACHERS BECOME CONFIDANTS AND MENTORS

LOVEDAY HOUSE

ARCHIE PRIOR, HOUSE CAPTAIN

As a nation and a School, we have had a very difficult and frustrating last year and half. However, the Cranleigh attitude prevails and shows how resilient we all are. Loveday has continually illustrated that we are the best house, going from strength-to-strength, participating in and winning many of the house events. The newly joined Fourth Form are a talented bunch doing very well already with a win in the house cross country in the Juniors. Senior cross country was also won by Mark Walker followed closely by Freddy Moore.

Loveday also triumphed in the Senior house hockey with excellent skills from the whole team. The Lower Fifth Form stormed their way through the house touch rugby and won which was a great victory. Academically we also had some wins, with Loveday and Rhodes winning the Lower Fifth house debating, which was led by Ozzy Lamar and Rafe Farrant. Even in Covid-19 times we managed to do a play which Brandon Groocock and Paddy Bruton were a part of, and in which they both excelled.

Loveday also had some strong participation in the Dangerous Minds event, with some very insightful and interesting thoughts, with Robbie Mould Lowe Sixth), Rafe Farrant (Lower Fifth) and Brandon Groocock (Fourth Form) all taking part. Huge congratulations to Robbie Mould who is one of next year’s Senior Prefects. We’re proud to see that yet another Senior Prefect has come from Loveday.

As an Upper Sixth we have had a very strange and uncertain time, which has made A Levels particularly difficult. Despite this we all feel we have managed to make the most of the situation and tried as hard as we could to get the most out of school. Over the last five years we have all had a fantastic time and made memories that will last a life time. Despite the strange year, once again Loveday has allowed us to bond, thrive and be successful. Good luck to next year’s prefects and the house as a whole.

LOVEDAY HAS ALLOWED US TO BOND, THRIVE AND BE SUCCESSFUL

MARTLET

MISS CLAIRE HALL, DEPUTY HOUSEMISTRESS AND EMILY HOUGH, HOUSE CAPTAIN

Although this year we experienced some unexpected changes to school life, I could not be more proud of Martlet for making the most out of a unique situation. Despite this being only our second year as a house, and having the majority of it online, Martlet has really made a strong identity for itself within the Cranleigh community. It has been amazing this year to be surrounded by girls with such strong house spirit who are willing to get involved in any task or event. My particular favourites have been our charity swimathon in September and the end of term Easter egg hunt on South Lawn when the whole house was wearing purple glow sticks and glow necklaces. During lockdown Mrs Scott and her team went to great lengths to always have socials and activities to look forward to that still made us feel a part of School even though we were at home. I really enjoyed the Sixth Form cocktail making class and the dumpling workshop which celebrated Chinese New Year.

It’s been a bittersweet year as House Captain as it was not what anybody had expected or hoped for but it did make me really appreciate every moment we did have together. On behalf of the house I would like to thank the simply awesome Mrs Scott for all she has done, the iconic double act of Miss Hall and Mr Hardy for their hard work, Matrons Sue and Tam, cleaners Becky, Mel and Tamsin and Tutors Miss Bartlett, Miss Billson, Mrs Constable, Mrs Dutton, Miss Greenwood, Mr Scott, Miss Summers and Dr Ward.

Emily Hough, House Captain

Our first event of the year was the much-anticipated Fourth Form cross country race where each house ran separately to adhere to Covid-19 regulations. Izzie P. was the overall winner with Molly B. and Izzy P. also finishing in the top ten.

In October we were delighted to hold our charity “Swim to France” event which raised a fabulous £3686 for Refuge UK. It was a lively afternoon with various strokes on display and a particular mention should go to Sophie M. who put in countless breast stroke lengths to help us to the overall total!

Later in the term Bella B. and Boau-Lilly S. were an impressive double act winning both the Lower Sixth House Challenge and House Debating. Lauren B. and Sophie M. competed in the semi-final heat of Lower Fifth House Challenge but lost a close competition to Loveday-Rhodes, and Daisy B. and Alex R. took part in the Fourth Form version of the same competition but unfortunately lost to North-West. The term ended with House hockey in which we managed a heroic third in the Lower Fifth event but the purple warriors finished a somewhat familiar fourth in all remaining year groups.

During the School closure in Lent, Martlet was one of the two boarding houses to remain open and we were delighted to welcome Fran W. and Monica Y. from Rhodes to join Lily Z. and embark on another period of distance learning. It was a pleasure to have the girls and we all got quite good at Sequence, Mexican Train Ride and Dobble during their eight-week stay. To celebrate the Year of the Ox in February Martlet challenged the whole Cranleigh community to join us for a dumpling making workshop hosted by Mrs Scott and Miss Hall and starring the culinary skills of Fran, Lily and Monica. Over 100 households (including Monica’s father from Beijing!) joined us on Zoom to learn how to make pork dumplings from scratch and to hear about how the girls would normally celebrate the event with their families in China. It was a really fun and informative evening and the girls were excellent chefs! Thank you to Mr Futcher and Mr Scott for setting up and filming the event and to Mrs Dutton who took on the challenge of cooking live on the house Instagram account!

In the Lent term, many House events adapted to an online format but the competitive spirit remained! First up was the House maths with Martlet being represented by Molly B.-S., Alice P. and Izzy P. in the Fourth Form, Lucy Le M., Sophie M. and Meg T. in the Lower Fifth, Emma C., Phoebe F. and Izzy S. in the Upper Fifth, Olivia G. and Lottie W. in the Lower Sixth and Maddie D. and Jody T. in the Upper Sixth. The junior girls won for the second year in a row with the seniors finishing in third place. House Challenge also moved to Google Meet and we were victorious in the Upper Sixth thanks to the quick-fire wisdom of Melissa B. and Tessa S. and we also did really well to get to the Upper Fifth final with Izzy B., Lily B. and Liv R. representing the house.

To celebrate our partnership with East, we were delighted to add an affiliated charity t-shirt to our wardrobe, raising over £200 for Teenage Cancer Trust in the process. Our first outing for these t-shirts was at the Fourth Form House Debating in which East/ Martlet defeated North/West with a victory for twins Izzie and Louis P. and Sirus P.

In the Summer term we put in good performances in House cricket, House tennis and House rounders and a special mention goes to our Upper Fifth who won the Bridging the Gap inter-House football. Both the term and the year ended on a glorious day with House athletics on the Lowers! A particular mention should go to Emilia H. who won both the discus and the shotput and to Molly B.-S. who won the 200m and also put in a heroic anchor leg to win the 4x100m relay with Arabella C., Vivi S.V. and Alexa B.

Throughout the year the girls have been treated to various social events run by both the house staff and the prefects. From wine tasting with Mr Constable on a Friday night, to Wagamama takeaways, silent discos, pottery painting, sparklers on Bonfire Night and virtual quizzes, it has been a fun and busy year and we have been continually impressed at how the girls have adapted and remained optimistic despite the disappointment of postponements and cancellations. We wish all our Upper Sixth leavers the very best and we look forward to hearing about their future adventures!

Miss Claire Hall, Deputy Housemistress

OVER 100 HOUSEHOLDS JOINED US TO CELEBRATE CHINESE NEW YEAR

NORTH HOUSE

MR ALEX FORSDIKE, HOUSEMASTER

Twelve months ago I wrote my first Cranleighan article about North house, and I wrote that we all in North could not wait for the house to be full and buzzing again. Whilst the year has not been quite what we had hoped back in July 2020, we have certainly seen the spirit of North and the community feel. The year started and ended in year group bubbles, but every year group has remained positive and supportive.

The excitement of being back in School, with new faces got us all through the challenges of remembering to follow the ‘Hands, Face, Space’ regulations. The lack of School matches and events did not hamper the community feel and the happiness around North. We saw year groups become closer and friends develop within the limitations of mixing in year groups. The boys were committed to house matches, and it was fantastic to see nearly every boy represent the house in some form of competition.

In December, we said goodbye to Marion. The heart and soul of North since September 2003, the same year that the departing Upper Sixth were born. It is tough to be concise when discussing the impact Marion had on many boys, parents, and staff in North. She was not only the ‘mum at School’ to the boys, but often to the staff. Marion defined the role of a Matron and the final night of term was a touching event for her and us all, she will be forever remembered in North.

The Lent term started with another Boris announcement and another lockdown. The efforts from the boys throughout this second period away from School were excellent. Once again, they threw themselves into all North and School challenges, such as the North 3km, West photo comp and Martlet dumpling-making evening. Whatever it was, they took part. It was fantastic to have our Upper Sixth lead three NorthFit online events. When the boys returned, they came together as if they had never been away, and it was clear that they had missed the interactions and support of their friends. It was good to see Mrs Smuts return, and Vicky, our new Matron, quickly found her feet and became a support for everyone. It was great that Mr Peerless was able to help North during Mrs Smuts’ maternity leave, and it is fantastic he remains a Tutor in North.

The Summer term was like no other in Cranleigh history. A large outbreak, North was luckily unaffected, followed by weeks of assessments for all years and then the return of external fixtures. It was great to see parents on the boundaries watching and the boys involved in athletics, tennis and cricket. I never thought I would miss an 8pm return on a Saturday after a wet day umpiring, and I know the boys feel the same. The sporting highlight was the last race victory on Sports Day. North has now won the event since 2018.

On the final day of term, we celebrated the Leavers of 2021. A year group that has become very close-knit whilst facing the challenges of a massively disturbed Sixth Form. Most of them have missed out on representing the School, house and themselves in sports, drama and music events. The most all-around talented musical and drama group I have had in North did not get the chance to lead the House to an undoubted victory in the Part song, nor could they perform in School productions. With 10 boys unable to be with us at House Prayers in person, everyone celebrated the year group with typical North energy and spirit. I can only thank these 19 boys for all they have done these past five years. They leave us as true housemen and I wish them all the very best for the future.

It would not be right to finish without saying thank you to the staff in North, particularly those leaving us. We say goodbye to Mr Constable as he leaves North after two years as Assistant, he heads to Charterhouse to be Head of Economics and Business. Mr Kinnersley he moves to East after three years as Tutor. Mr Leamon steps down as Assistant after three years to take on a new role as Head of Sustainability, though he remains a Tutor. We were also sad to say goodbye to Mrs Smuts after four years as Resident Deputy as she moves to West as Deputy. The loss of Anna is only softened by the fact she moves to our affiliated house with so many parents and siblings going to experience her outstanding pastoral care. 2020-21 has been a tough year, but we all look forward to happier times in 2021-22, and I want to finally say a big thank you to all parents for the support you have given all of North this past academic year. Thank you.

I NEVER THOUGHT I WOULD MISS AN 8PM RETURN ON A SATURDAY AFTER A WET DAY UMPIRING

RHODES HOUSE

MATILDA (TILLY) WOODFORD, HOUSE CAPTAIN

THEIR FACES PAINTED IN ORANGE PATTERNS READY TO CHEER ON THEIR PEERS

In a year like no other, Rhodes house has been a second home to so many of us, more than ever. In times of uncertainty and gloom, it has been a foundation of security we knew we could rely on, whether in School or online. The highlights have obviously stemmed from the times in which we could all be together, and the house staff, matrons, cleaners and pupils alike have all contributed so much to ensure we made the most out of every single privilege we regained.

For me, the most memorable thing I will take away from this year is that house spirit is one of the only things that can persevere through three national lockdowns, and there isn’t much else that can be said. Time and time again I have watched girls run down to house events with their faces painted in orange patterns ready to cheer on their peers, even if it meant standing at a distance with masks on. Though we have been limited in our ability to mix years and bubbles within the house, it has been incredible to see distanced relationships grow between different years, and watching Upper Sixth girls running alongside the Fourth Form in House cross-country was a prime example of this. From jewellery making, to mass Easter egg hunts and giant Zumba sessions, this year has been filled with so much laughter, and there is one key person at the centre of this we need to thank.

Mrs Lewis, the first ever Housemistress of Rhodes, has been incredibly influential to so many people at Cranleigh, inside and out of the house. She has exemplified and defined what Rhodes has now become and we know she will continue to thrive above and beyond this in her new role elsewhere. We also know that Mrs Bukowska is the perfect person to carry on the loving and caring atmosphere in Rhodes, we wish her all the best in her years to come.

Not only are we saying goodbye to our incredible Housemistress, but also Rev Lewis, a dedicated Tutor who has offered nothing but the utmost support and continued friendliness to the house and especially his tutees. Thank you so much to the Lewis family, for their years of astonishing contributions to our community, we hope for nothing but the best for you all in your years to come and can’t wait to hear about everything when you come back to visit!

Thank you to all the girls in the house for staying so positive and upbeat throughout this year, I hope Rhodes continues to be an inspiring place to be.

SOUTH HOUSE

LIBBY HOLYOAKE, HOUSE CAPTAIN AND MILLIE WELCH, DEPUTY HOUSE CAPTAIN

It has felt a little bit like South has been doing the Hokey Cokey this year. In, out, in, out, Covid has been shaking us all about! But we have persevered with smiles on our faces and we should add, despite Covid-19, there have been many reasons to smile.

In Michaelmas term, we welcomed the lovely Mrs Barker, our new Housemistress, and the Fourth Formers into South, as well as re-uniting with the rest of the house after six months apart.

We kicked off the term with various house competitions, such as many House Hockey matches across all year groups and Fourth Form Cross Country. The Juniors came close to victory in House Hockey, with the Seniors narrowly coming second. Martina G-C amazed us all in the House Cross Country, taking the silver medal. Towards the end of the term, our Lower Sixth also took second place in Monday Night Football after losing against Rhodes to penalties, how very England football of us!

After Christmas, we sadly had to see each other via Google Meet once again but we were met daily with messages of encouragement from Mrs Barker, Miss Simmons (Now Mrs Cowap) and Mr Drake. We were also blessed with the news of the birth of Mrs McGhee’s new daughter, Ella Rose. We also competed in multiple online house competitions such as House Maths and House Challenge.

After many months of us being apart, we were finally able to be back together in March, and we were kept busy for the remainder of the Lent term, with socials and house events. Lulu B.J, Daisy F and Bella R all played their part in House Debating. We were not quite on the ball during House Netball, but we tried our best. Finally, we ended our brief live Lent term with a bang as we celebrated Mrs Cowap, as she prepared to get married to her partner, Chris, in the Easter holidays. However, it was bittersweet as we learnt that she would also be moving to Thailand to take on the role of Housemistress of West Acre at Harrow Bangkok. We wish her all the best and know she will do an amazing job, even though we will miss her very much.

We then entered the Summer term and exam season for the Upper Sixth and Upper Fifth. To make the most out of our Upper Sixth’s last term, we were treated to two fire-pit evenings with Cubitt and East, which was much appreciated in the stressful times, as well as competing in Monday Night Football, where again we followed the fate of our Lower Sixth. We also came second in House Rounders, as we couldn’t smash Rhodes out of the park!

Our senior tennis pairs Libby H and Sophie S and Nina R and Phoebe S participated in House Tennis, but netted a loss or two, however the Junior Southies aced it later in the term and managed to serve up a delightful victory! House Cricket was also a hit where we won against the previously unbeaten Rhodes, but sadly lost in the finals to West.

As the Upper Sixth left after their exams were finished, the incoming prefect team was announced. We are happy to say that Keira R and Anna W are our new House Captain and Deputy, being ably supported by Raya A and Milly C who are the Lower School Prefects. We know they will all do an amazing job and wish them well in their new roles.

As the term came to a close, we enjoyed a sunny House Athletics with the Lower and Upper Fifth, (most especially Charlotte B, Scarlett G and Sophie P-T) doing a wonderful job in winning the intermediate competition. This meant we gave the other houses a run for their money, but ultimately we were beaten to the tape by West as we finished second.

Now the race has been run, we can reflect on a challenging year in South house, but one where wonderful memories have been shared and one which we can say, without doubt, will be truly like no other!

SOUTH HAS BEEN DOING THE HOKEY COKEY THIS YEAR. IN, OUT, IN, OUT, COVID HAS BEEN SHAKING US ALL ABOUT

WEST HOUSE

MRS ADELE WORSLEY, HOUSEMISTRESS

It’s been a year like no other in West, with the upheaval that a global pandemic has brought about. Nevertheless, I have been amazed by the resilience and courage that so many of our families and girls have shown throughout the course of the year. We were delighted to return to School in September (following the first lockdown) and welcomed a new team of prefects to lead the troops. Tilly Gough has been an outstanding and inspirational House Captain bringing energy, enthusiasm and positivity to every aspect of house life. Even during the second lockdown, when we were all stuck at home, Tilly did a brilliant job of rallying the troops and encouraging the girls to join together for virtual socials and take part in a variety of house and School challenges. These included cooking, photography, running, art and ‘keepie-uppies’, to name but a few of the activities that we enjoyed. As Deputy House Captain Darcy Zander has done a fantastic job of keeping everything running smoothly in the house and we all relied on her efficient organisation to cope with the confusing and ever-changing nature of the ‘new normal’ in West as we adapted to Covid-19 restrictions.

One of the highlights of the year was our virtual charity initiative, brilliantly organised by Miss Frude and Issy Skinner. They challenged West girls and their families to walk, peloton, jog, skip or cycle to Romania to raise money for our two fantastic charities: Young Minds and Justice and Care. With characteristic enthusiasm and energy, the West family applied themselves to the challenge with real determination. Collectively we recorded an amazing 6,503.6 km over the two-and-a-half weeks (the equivalent of completing 45.5 full marathons and making it to Romania and back, not once but twice!) and raised over £4000 for charity. What a fantastic effort from everyone involved.

The West girls have not let the pandemic dampen their spirit and we have enjoyed so much this year: smores round the campfire, endless board games, crochet, football, socials with the boys, croquet, self-portraits, moon walks, dances; and so much more. In addition, there have been countless individual achievements in academia, riding, hockey, cricket, drama, music and fundraising. Too many to mention however much I would love to. But the thing that stands out most — and always does with West girls — is the sense of fun and the supportive atmosphere in house. West girls are encouraged to, “Be Kind, be kind, be kind!” from the moment they set foot in the house. And to their enormous credit, this is the mantra by which so many of them live. I believe that the challenges we have faced this year will help us all to grow and have made us more mindful of one another.

Sadly, we are losing two very special members of the West family this year, Miss Frude and Mrs Bukowska, who have been promoted to Deputy Housemistress of South and Housemistress of Rhodes, respectively. They have been quite phenomenal in their roles and have given so much of themselves to support and care for the girls during their tenures. While we are sad to say goodbye to these two inspirational women, we wish them well in their new roles and are very grateful that Cranleigh School will still benefit from their extraordinary gifts and HUGE hearts.

On a final note, I am enormously grateful to my Upper Sixth who have seen us through the tricky last 12 months. We wouldn’t be where we are now without their collective support, kindness, thoughtfulness, and — perhaps most importantly — sense of humour. West will not be the same without them next year, but they have made an impact that will stay long after they have gone. Thank you Upper Sixth.

THE SENSE OF FUN STANDS OUT MOST