The Cranleigh School Newsletter Issue No 43
Cranleigh School, Cranleigh, Surrey GU6 8QQ Tel: 01483 273666
Summer 2012
Head s Up CHILDREN OF THE GODS Dear Parents,
As you know, I was lucky enough to be able to spend some time away from the School earlier in the year. It was a privilege to have the chance to be able to reflect on Cranleigh from a distance and also at such an important moment in the School s development and I felt extremely proud of all that was going on here. Keeping up to speed visually via the website, there was a palpable buzz even from the other side of the world! It has been a truly exceptional year for Cranleigh and despite the vagaries of the weather, this term has contributed to this as much as any other. As I said on Speech Day, I believe that the current school population is amongst the most talented of any I ve known in my time as a schoolmaster... and, in addition, more prospective parents than ever are coming to talk to me something I enjoy as much today as when I first started. The root of this success is, I believe, down to three things... firstly, the outstanding quality of the Common Room here... secondly, the strength of the family values of our parents, who choose to send their sons and daughters to Cranleigh... and thirdly, how enthusiastically those pupils have embraced all of the oppor tunities at Cranleigh, whether in the classroom or the Art & Design studios, on the concert platform, the sports pitch or the stage and the amazing range of successes that they have often achieved. It is difficult to do justice to it all... but I hope that the following pages give you some idea of what Cranleigh as a whole has been up to this term and how much enjoyment has been had in the process.
Guy Waller Head
Cranleigh has a long association with the Olympics, having produced six Olympians; had an Olympian on its Governing Body; had a Gold Medallist teaching at the school for 20 years (not to mention a current member of Common Room competing in London 2012). It also has several Olympian parents and, here, Seb Leman and Katie Batchelor reflect on what it feels like to have grown up with an Olympic Gold medallist, and the effect it has had on them personally... What do the Olympics mean to you? It s a celebration of sporting people who have worked hard to compete at what they love. It s inspiring to see people with such drive, and the Olympics give everyone a chance to see the best of the best compete. Why do you think that they are so important on a global level? They are extremely important on a global level, because countries from all over the world take part, and no matter what their political differences, or other various conflicts, countries compete against each other. And after an event has finished, there is a respect that cannot be achieved through any other means, not just for the athletes, but also the countries they come from. What does it feel like, to have a father who has not only competed in the Olympics, but also brought home a gold medal? I suppose I m supposed to say it s inspiring, and it definitely is, but it s also very normal as it s something I ve known my whole life; nevertheless, I am very proud of my dad. There are many different feelings. Pride is one, because he has managed to complete something extraordinary, and you can look up to that and set it as a target. Another is awe, as if you are not really worthy of being the son of an Olympian!!! Has it been a big feature of your life, or is it something that is rarely talked about at home? Out of home, it is a big feature of my life, there are talks and presentations and openings... dinners... lunches... But at home he is only a mortal, and has to do all the normal jobs that us other mortals have to deal with!
It must be a particularly exciting time for you, as the Olympics are held in Great Britain has it reignited the interest in your Dad? Definitely! He s gone crazy! I signed him up to try and carry the Olympic torch: he got whittled down to being 1st out of 14 that could have been chosen and I ve never seen the man so smiley. He is now welcoming the Olympic torch to Guildford on the 20th July he is very excited (he s already trying to get back into shape, ha ha). But yes, he really has got into the spirit of the Olympics in London, and he can t wait to support the GB boys in kicking other countries butts on the hockey pitch. What is your earliest memory of the game of hockey? I have literally been playing hockey since I could walk I genuinely can t remember when I started. My earliest memory is of going to see a hockey match, and me playing on the side of the pitch with a stick that was meant to be signed by the players, and was about 12 inches tall, because none of the normal sticks would fit me!! How good are you personally at his game? I really enjoy hockey but I will never be to the same standard as my Dad. I m captain of Cranleigh seniors this year and went to the U18 Futures Cup last year, but it would be a real honour to represent my country let alone compete at the Olympics. How do you think your Dad s success affected his life afterwards? I think it affected it loads, but he still would have gone on playing even if he hadn t won the medal. It has allowed him to keep up his passion for the game, such as sitting on the Great Britain Hockey Board, and getting involved with lots of new projects at East Grinstead. He has also continued playing properly until now but I did recently hear him say I think I will stop playing hockey, and give golf a go. I want to get my handicap... low . It has affected him immensely; it gave him a lot of opportunities to work at what he loves (he runs the SJB Academy at Cranleigh) and spread the word on a sport that he believes to be important. Continued over.....
For full details of all School and House news, please visit the website at www.cranleigh.org/community
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