FROM OUR SENIOR

FROM OUR SENIOR PREFECTS

JESS CHURCH AND MACCA GARLICK

It is fair to say that this year has been strange for everyone. School life in general has felt very different this year. One of the biggest shocks was walking into the Dining Hall for the first time to see the tables divided by Perspex screens. Gone are the days where you actually have a conversation during meals. Another loss for many people was not playing their last rugby, hockey or netball seasons. Such a large part of Cranleigh life was taken away from us.

Cranleigh prides itself on always offering its students more than the average school. Although when A Levels and GCSEs were cancelled there may have been a sigh of relief from the Upper Fifth and Upper Sixth, little did they know that instead of one set of exams in the summer Cranleigh would be kind enough to give us an extra bonus one … how kind of them. But although certain pupils were not very happy with this, when half the School was sent home during our first set of exams, I think we all reluctantly agreed that it ended up being a good idea.

Overall, we have missed a quarter of our school year, and obviously some people spent even less time in School due to isolation. Unfortunately, we have had yet another nationwide lockdown this year. We expected we would be in School for the full academic year, but that was not the case. Luckily, lockdown gave us all ample time to hone into the important things in life. Whether that be starting meditation or taking up a sport, we have had the opportunity to better ourselves. This year hasn’t been easy, but we have got through it with the help of our impeccable leadership team here at Cranleigh.

Whilst trying to write this, we were brainstorming what has actually happened this year, and we have reached the conclusion that literally nothing has happened. We could talk about the might of Cranleigh on the sports pitches, but that was cancelled this year. We could talk about the wealth of music we have been gifted with, from Cranleigh lives to Helen Wareham Competitions, but apart from the online concerts all have been cancelled. So what actually has happened? Truthfully, we have been out of School a lot, and although this hasn’t been what we would have chosen, it has taught us the value of face-to-face contact, not only within our friendships but also in wider school life. We have all been very lucky to have had the facilities and teaching during lockdown that many other people have not had. But more than that, it has made us appreciate the little things. The connections we have with those around us have become ever more apparent. The relationships formed within the houses at Cranleigh are the things we will miss now that we are leaving. What we thought were the mundane parts of school life a year ago have become something we cherish and have really missed now that they have not happened.

WE WILL LOOK BACK ON OUR TIME AT CRANLEIGH WITH FOND MEMORIES

Although most of us have spent the last five years together at Cranleigh in the same environment, we are all going on to do very different things. Most of us here are planning on going to university whether that be this year or next. Some have decided to scrap their social life for the next three years and head to Cambridge — congratulations Scarlett and Oyinade on your offers, they are very well deserved. There are others however who are hoping to pursue different dreams. I’m sure we will be seeing Jess Edwards in our Netflix lists in the future after her offer to study acting at The Oxford School of Drama, as well as Tom Lawes on our TV screens having hit a 6 in cricket. Will Wilkinson and James Patient’s voices will be blasted over our radios and we will hear the sounds of Reuben Anelay’s trumpet in concert halls across the world. Having said all of this, most Cranleighans will find themselves at Exeter if they are following the pattern from previous years. The majority of the rest, including Macca and I, will be heading to Bristol because we think we are edgy. We are all going on to have such different careers and take such different paths in life, but we will always be linked by the opportunities Cranleigh has given us that has enabled us to pursue these paths.

We will look back on our time at Cranleigh with fond memories, even if right now we are all desperate to leave and start the next chapter of our lives. In 10 years, we will remember this period as a time when we were constantly surrounded by our friends and were taught so many valuable life lessons.

At the start of the year we set out an aim to progress the values of tolerance and inclusivity within our School.This, we believe, is a global aim that has received much attention over the past year, sparked by the death of George Floyd and the Black Lives Matter movement. As a school community we have seen great momentum in this field. Last year Henry Mould and I started a series of talks discussing our experiences as two openly gay men, and this year I continued those talks with one here at the Senior School and one at the Prep School. We discussed the themes of bullying, mental health issues, as well as the hardships faced on a daily basis by those who do not fit into the norm. While the primary purpose of these talks was to increase inclusivity for members of the LGBTQ+ community, the secondary objective was to encourage tolerance of all minority groups and show that really there is no norm. There is no perfect mould that the majority fit into, and everyone is different and unique, and this should be celebrated.

Following the death of Sarah Everard, Dr Saxel and Mr Haddock lead a series of inspirational talks on the topic of rape culture, again another example of improving our culture here at Cranleigh.

And that really has been our main aim this year. We have kick started a movement to make Cranleigh a more inclusive place, and to ensure that when pupils leave the School, they are more accepting as a result.

So the main message Jess and I want to leave you with is this message of acceptance, to ensure everyone feels welcome in society, regardless of race, sexuality, religion, gender or disability.

I think we can speak on behalf of all of us when we say that our time at Cranleigh has gone in a flash. We wish all of those in the younger year groups luck with their remaining time at Cranleigh. Make the most of the opportunities that are given to you. To the staff, thank you for all the care you have given us throughout our time at Cranleigh, we will be eternally grateful for the opportunities you have provided to us. To the Upper Sixth, thank you for an incredible five years. We have both enjoyed every moment we have spent with you all here at Cranleigh, and I am sure that we will reunite in the future!