CRANMORE CRANMORE
MANOR MANOR HOUSE HOUSE
ST ST TERESA’S TERESA’S
SIXTH SIXTH FORM FORM
CRANMORE
Senior Chronicle YOUR ESSENTIAL ROUND-UP FOR THE WEEK COMMENCING 5 OCTOBER 2026 Message from the Headmaster Thank you to all the families who contributed so generously to our Harvest collec tion. Your kindness will make a meaningful difference to those in need in our local community through LeatherHEAD START and the Dorking Foodbank and serves as a powerful example of our value of compassion. It was also a pleasure to welcome a number of parents to school on Thursday morning for the Parent Forum with our CEO, Mrs Rachel Owens. Oppor tunities for open dialogue and collaboration between school and home are enormously impor tant, and we are grateful to those who took the time to attend and engage so positively in the discussion. As par t of Black History Month, we were privileged to welcome former Lioness Jessica Clarke to speak to pupils during assembly. Her experiences and reflec tions provided an inspiring perspec tive on resilience, diversity, inclusion and overcoming adversity. These oppor tunities play an impor tant role in suppor ting pupils' moral and social development, helping them to appreciate the value of diversity within communities. Over half-term, we will be saying farewell to Mr Cox who has been an integral par t of the Spor ts Depar tment over the last number of years, with a par ticular passion for football and golf. He will be star ting a new career in golf and social media; we wish him the very best for the future. Callum Rolfe, who is already assisting within the depar tment, will be joining the team. Finally, I would like to wish our skiers all the best as they compete in the ESSKIA Finals in Norwich this weekend.
Mr Everitt
Study Skills Sessions with Elevate Education
This has been a busy week for training for staff and pupils. Informative study skills sessions were held for Years 8, 9 and 11, which have been designed to build upon the input received in previous years. Specifically, pupils focused on: Time Management - Year 8 Memory & Mnemonics - Year 9 Ace your Exams - Year 11 The Memory Mnemonics session delved deeper into specific techniques for organising thoughts and retaining and retrieving information. Pupils were encouraged to stick to short, sharp sessions, studying for 25 minutes with a 5minute break, to help the brain focus and not get tired. Bursts of physical exercise were also encouraged before a working period to help get blood moving, raise energy levels and increase productivity. The use of 5-pile was recommended as a way to study languages. The 5-pile consists of splitting your vocabulary into 5 groups. Once you learn and test yourself on group 1, you move onto group 2 and once you have memorised group 2, you test yourself on groups 1 and 2 before you move onto group 3. The process repeats until you have reached group 5.
Study Skills Sessions with Elevate Education
In Year 11, pupils considered the seven steps for preparation excellence, which included creating a detailed timeline and structure for attempting and reviewing past papers. Strategies were explored for identifying and avoiding common mistakes as well as exam-hall technique and practices to remain calm. Researching exam-board specifications and examiner reports was also identified as a useful strategy. Feedback from pupils was overwhelmingly very positive. The Time Management sessions helped pupils allocate their time effectively and avoid distractions. Pupils were armed with strategies for organising their study time and prioritising topics that require the most focus. On Monday evening, all teaching staff attended a twilight INSET session on AI Foundations and Best Practices. Staff and pupils already use Copilot to assist with teaching and learning, but this session also looked at ways of ensuring responsible use, considering ethical aspects of AI and techniques for ensuring pupils do not fall foul of ‘cognitive offloading’, but rather develop good habits to ensure AI is used effectively and efficiently, whilst remaining in charge. Do you know the difference between AI and AGI, or understand the basis for LLMs and the danger of hallucinations? Have a conversation your sons to see what they know! Mr Pulford Deputy Head, Academic
Music News Basty B in Year 7 has recently been accepted into the National Children's Orchestra 2027. NCO was founded in 1978 to provide musicians under 14 with the chance to perform in a full orchestra and to make friends with other young musicians. Admission into NCO is ver y competitive, with over 2000 children auditioning each year. Basty's audition conditions were especially challenging due to the extreme heat in June - which makes it ver y hard to keep the bassoon in tune - so this is even more of an achievement. As a member of NCO, Basty will attend events throughout the year, including two residential weeks, each culminating in a concer t at a leading venue.
My congratulations to Colin C ( Year 9) who performed 'The Girl with the Flaxen Hair' by Debussy on the piano with such poise and elegance during the Prep assembly. Bravo!
Senior Maths Challenge Some of our top problem solvers in Year 9, 10 and 11 took par t in the Senior Maths Challenge; a fiendish 90-minute competition designed to challenge Year 12 and 13 pupils! It's great to see pupils up having a go at challenges designed for older pupils, and we wish them ever y success! Mr Savvides
Black History Month Senior pupils have been taking par t in a variety of quizzes and puzzles to celebrate Black Histor y Month in the Librar y. They have enjoyed learning about key figures such as Mar tin Luther King Jr and Rosa Parks.
Black History Month Lunch On Thursday, our wonderful caterers provided a Black Histor y Month themed lunch with culinar y delights such as Trinidadian beef stew with dumplings, Caribbean sweet potato stew, Jolloff rice, and, for desser t, banana cake or sweet potato pie.
Year 8 EDI Committee Lesson to Year 1 Pupils Our Year 8 EDI Ambassadors recently enjoyed the oppor tunity to work with Year 1 on a special lesson exploring kindness and inclusion at Cranmore. The projec t was led by Jesse and Jonah, who took an impressive level of responsibility for planning and delivering the session. In preparation, the boys worked closely with a number of teachers, demonstrating excellent communication, organisation and teamwork. They then delivered an engaging and thoughtful lesson to Year 1, using a range of group ac tivities and presentations to encourage the younger pupils to consider how kindness helps ever yone to feel valued and included. The children also explored prac tical ways in which they can show kindness to others within our Cranmore community. Our Year 8 boys were par ticularly impressed by the enthusiasm and thoughtful contributions of the Year 1 pupils. To celebrate their fantastic par ticipation, each child was presented with an EDI Inclusion Cer tificate at the end of the session. It was wonderful to see our senior boys ac ting as such positive role models for younger pupils and demonstrating leadership, empathy and confidence. Well done to Jesse, Jonah and all involved in making this such a successful and rewarding collaboration. Mrs Evans
Sports News
Rugby National Cup & Surrey Cup Football All three of our senior rugby teams were in National Cup ac tion last week and produced some excellent performances. Our U14s played with great determination in their fixture against Tiffin, before backing this up with another impressive display against John Fisher. The U15s, having already overcome Reigate Grammar in the first round, faced City of London Freemen's. Powerful direc t running from the forwards, combined with excellent handling and attacking play from the backs, resulted in an outstanding 50-19 vic tor y for Cranmore. Our U16s travelled to Gordon's School and produced a superb all-round team performance. A strong set-piece platform, coupled with some outstanding finishing from the wings, helped secure a welldeserved 29-14 win. On Friday, our U13 football team competed in their quar ter-final fixture. An early goal gave Cranmore the advantage before a second strike late in the match sealed the vic tor y, ensuring progression to the semi-finals. Congratulations to the team on this excellent achievement.
Sports News Biathlon On Sunday seven pupils from Cranmore took par t in the National Schools qualifying event for the Biathlon. This event comprises of a swim event and a run event, points are awarded based on the time achieved in both events then combined to create an overall score. Our athletes were competitive on the day with success in the pool and on the track. The National Finals will be held in March at the University of Bath, we are awaiting the collation of the results to find out if any of our athletes have been successful. Well done! ( Year 4 – Alex J, Simon H. Year 5 - Sebastian C, Harr y P. Year 7 - Fabian H. Year 8 Jack T, Oliver P).
Parkside Gala Monday evening saw Cranmore swim team star t their swim season with a fantastic gala at home against Parkside. The atmosphere was incredible from the swimmers and the spec tators creating an amazing volume of noise encouraging and cheering their swimmers through the pool. We had swimmers from Year 3, with this being their first ever gala for Cranmore, through to the Senior pupils in Year 8 showing leadership and inspiring our younger swimmers. There were some exceptionally close races and some ver y fast swims in all strokes giving Cranmore the win. An amazing achievement by all involved – well done swimmers!
Sports News
Dexter T (Year 11) GB Flag Football Congratulations to Dexter T, who was selec ted to represent Great Britain at the U15 Flag Football European Championships in Italy. Chosen from around 130 trialists, Dexter earned a place in the final mixed squad of just 16 players (eight boys and eight girls), reflec ting months of dedication and hard work. Competing against some of Europe's strongest nations, Great Britain finished 10th overall with a record of three wins and three defeats. Dexter played an influential role throughout the tournament and gained valuable experience on the international stage. Drawn in a par ticularly challenging group, GB narrowly missed out on progressing fur ther, including a one-point defeat to the Czech Republic, highlighting just how fine the margins can be in elite tournament spor t. With Flag Football now confirmed as an Olympic spor t for Los Angeles 2028, this achievement marks an exciting step in Dexter's spor ting journey and is one he should be immensely proud of. Mr Hodgson, Director of Sport
Message from the Chaplain
“Give, and gifts will be given to you; a good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be poured into your lap.” (Luke 6:38) At harvest time we thank God for the abundance of his gifts and remember those who have less than we do. St Francis of Assisi understood that everything we have is a gift from God. He chose a life of simplicity so that he could share more generously with others. Prayer Lord, help us to be grateful for the gifts we have received. May our giving reflect your love and bring hope to others. Amen.
Menu
Thursday
Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
Soup
Soup of the day
Soup of the day
Soup of the day
Halloween Themed Lunch
Soup of the day
Main
Macaroni Cheese Topped with Chorizo & Crispy Onions
Braised Beef Cottage Pie with Cheddar Mash
Roast Pork Served with Sage & Onion Stuffing, Crackling & Apple Sauce
Green Spaghetti & Meatball Eyes In A Tomato & Basil Sauce
Freshly Battered Fish or Fish Fingers
Vegetarian
Traditionally Baked Macaroni Cheese
Lentil & Root Vegetable Pie, with Mash Top
Vegetable Stack On A Bed Of Tomato Sauce
Jack ‘O’ Lantern Stuffed Peppers
Onion Bhajis with Tomato, Onion & Cucumber Salad
Roasted Vegetables
Thyme Roasted Skin On Roast Potatoes Medley Of Vegetables
Peas & Sweetcorn
Jacket Potato & Baked Beans Freshly Baked Bread Salad bar
Pasta with Tomato & Basil Sauce Freshly Baked Bread Salad bar
Jacket Potato & Baked Beans Freshly Baked Bread Salad bar
Jacket Potato & Baked Beans Freshly Baked Bread Salad bar
Jacket Potato & Baked Beans Freshly Baked Bread Salad bar
Mixed Fruit Crumble & Custard
Chocolate Chip Shortbread Finger
Sticky Toffee Puddling & Custard
A Selection of Halloween Themed Desserts
Fresh Fruit Friday
Sides
Additional
Dessert
Broccoli Crunchy Green Salad
Items in Italic - Sourced from F Conisbee’s, our local butcher
Friday
Chunky Chips Garden Peas