PRINCIPAL’S WELCOME MICHAEL WILSON

A warm welcome to the 2021/22 Cranleighan.

Educational establishments of the future are encouraged to be incubators of entrepreneurship, innovation, and sustainability. Even though recent times have been complex and disruptive, they have, in fact, challenged the educational landscape on how best to provide quality and relevant schooling in a rapidly changing and increasingly digital world. The past two years have rigorously tested yet utterly verified Cranleigh’s educational philosophies of strong relationships, resilience, adaptiveness, and a creative, innovative curriculum that fosters independent learning. Our pupils’ outstanding performance and spirit during this period have confirmed the importance of incorporating these philosophies within the curriculum as a core focus.

If COVID-19 has taught us anything, it is that comprehensive conversations need to be had around the future of education and the delivery of knowledge. Education must build skills required in today’s workplaces and equip students for lifelong challenges. It should embrace programmes encouraging creativity, and nurture individuals who value difference and diversity to collaboratively shape sustainable futures for all. These priorities are essential for progress and preparing the youth with the intellectual, social, and moral capacities needed for life after education.

As a school, we have been preparing for this postpandemic chapter, using the time effectively to revise and renew and question how to build back better so that we could improve outcomes for our pupils and communities. This renewal has meant utilising lessons learnt and sifting through knowledge and experience to revitalise our curriculums with the best pedagogic and current educational thinking.

In the classrooms, we modified our Junior School curriculum to adapt to teaching phonics with masks and introduced a more scaffolded maths curriculum.

We implemented a whole School reading drive to further stimulate an international outlook. The Senior School Core Curriculum, presented in 2020, has slimmed down the GCSE examination menu to include more project-based qualifications whilst introducing a vocational route in Sixth Form. Global Awareness, Careers & Futures, the HPQ/EPQ, Work Experience and Moral Education have been embedded in the new curriculum. A philosophical understanding of culture and humanity is central to reinforcing common belonging. Regardless of religion and culture, philosophy provides a neutral language for discussion whilst fostering tolerance, empathy, and compassion. We address all the above with the introduction of a Philosophy course.

Looking to the future, we must take this resilience, and the new skills learned, fill in the gaps identified by the pandemic, and, most importantly, carry the momentum created forward.

This Cranleighan also celebrates our Cranleigh global family. With schools in three countries, we are clearly a family of schools, all sharing the same Cranleigh ethos but with the space to develop thriving international connections. The exchanges of knowledge, intercultural dialogue, and acceptance across continents are transformational opportunities to address future challenges.

We end the year forward-looking and embracing the new; Tim McConnell-Wood (former Deputy Head at Cranleigh UK) will take over the day-to-day running of Cranleigh Abu Dhabi in September 2022, as move into the role of Executive Principal to head up new expansion projects. It has never been a more exciting time to be part of our Cranleigh global family and a fitting way to mark the 50th Year of the existence of the UAE.

Best wishes,

Michael Wilson

The Cranleigh family bond is strong, and our global communities across the world unite us.

“There is something very special about the Cranleigh philosophy that binds us together across all our schools; whilst core content and skills are important, these are transcended by something more profound: this idea of confidence.”

Simon Whitehouse