Cranbrook School, Kent
Encyclopedia
Cranbrook School is a co-educational
boarding and day grammar school located in Cranbrook, Kent
in South East England
.
In the 1970s, Cranbrook School became coeducational and tripled its number of pupils. Selection is made of pupils at age thirteen. Boarding and day pupils come from a 6.2 mile-diameter catchment area. The school sponsors an annual Lenten Appeal, in which students raise money for a variety of charities. The current Headmistress is Mrs. Angela Daly.
. A resident of Cranbrook, Blubery was a King's armourer under Henry VII
. He worked first at the armoury at Greenwich
and later at the Tower of London
. He was briefly imprisoned in the Tower, possibly for having taken concealed commissions. He owned an exceptionally high number of estates. Blubery's crime was considered so serious that he was among those excluded from the general pardon issued in 1509 at Henry VIII's accession. Blubery was released shortly afterward and gained his freedom.
Using his wealth, Blubery built a fine house at Cranbrook. He returned there to live years later in 1517, possibly already ill. He discovered that his daughter was pregnant by a local man, whom she quickly married. Sensing that his ailment was fatal, Blubery wrote his will and stipulated that, if his daughter gave birth to a girl (who would not be entitled to inherit his estate), the house should go into the custody of William Lynch
, a wealthy cloth merchant
, who was to establish there "... a free school house for all the poor children [meaning boys at that time] of the town of Cranbrook..." Lynch was authorized to appoint a schoolmaster as well. Blubery died in early 1518 and his will was proven on 22 March.
After Blubery's daughter had a girl, her father's house went to Lynch. He set up the school, as directed by the will. While the precise dates of the opening are unknown, the school takes 1518 as its foundation year.
. Although the name of the first master does not appear in extant school records, he was believed to be Robert Bolle, based on his being identified as a teacher in Cranbrook in a 1520 will. Lynch died in 1539; the school was apparently running smoothly.
In 1560 William's son Simon Lynch claimed the school lands from its trustees. The dispute was resolved in 1564. In exchange for the benefit of the estates for twenty-one years, Simon Lynch allowed the school to continue. After this period, full control of the estate was to revert to the town of Cranbrook.
In 1573, Cranbrook was visited by Queen Elizabeth I, as part of her tour of the cloth-weaving district. The town petitioned her to grant letters patent
to the school, under which a proper board of trustees, or "governors", could be established. Simon Lynch agreed to surrender his lease to allow the board of governors to be established. (He died a few months later).
The Patent of Incorporation (which the school refers to as its charter) arrived in 1574. It gave the school its full, official title, "The Free and Perpetual Grammar School of Queen Elizabeth in Cranbrook". Further, it stated that the Vicar (of the Church of England
) of Cranbrook should always have a seat on the Board of Governors. The clause is still binding.
Like many of the time, the school was small with a limited curriculum; it taught boys only Latin
and Greek
. These elements of classical education, however, were considered primary to the study of religion
and law
. The school continued relatively stable into the 18th century, punctuated only by the re-building of the school house from 1727-9. The surviving School House is the oldest of the current buildings. In 1741 the master, the Reverend Richard Brown, recruited the first boarding students, to whom he rented rooms in the School House.
In 1817 townspeople were disturbed by the steady growth in the number of boarders at the school and their being favored over town boys. They petitioned the Master of the Rolls
, Sir William Grant, complaining that the master, the Reverend Daniel Davies, was lavishing privileges upon the boarders. They argued this was to the detriment of the day boys, for whom the school had originally been founded. Grant rejected this and other town complaints against the school's management. Davies had a lengthy term as master, to the end of his life. He gradually dropped the last few day boys and, by 1850 when he died, the school enrolled only boarding students.
His successor, the Reverend Doctor Charles Crowden, was no less significant. He constructed additional buildings to support the school, and recruited additional students, so they numbered more than 100 for the first time. Crowden House was named in his honor. He resigned in 1888 because of conflict with the governors. When he moved to Eastbourne College
, two thirds of the boarders and one third of the masters followed him there. Their removal bankrupted the school, and the governors considered closing it.
Under the 1944 Education Act
, Cranbrook became a voluntary aided school
. Apart from a brief period of "grant-maintained" status in the 1990s, it has remained in this class. It receives funding from the state, which makes it free to students and requires it to follow the National Curriculum. It also maintains a board of governors, who decide on admissions and operations.
In the 1970s the school changed considerably in response to social transformations. First it became co-educational, and then increased it student body threefold, from around 250 pupils to roughly 750. The first two academic years were dropped. Students are selected for the school at age thirteen rather than at eleven. A large proportion of the pupils come from prep school
s in Kent, east Sussex
and London
.
During the 1970s, the school created the "Lenten Appeal", to engage the students in activities on behalf of others. It is now possibly the school's most significant extracurricular activity. Taking place in the Lent term
, it consists of numerous activities whereby students raise money for a variety of charities. Some activities are specific to individual houses, while others draw participants from all the student body. The annual Charity Walk, the chief fundraiser, is of around ten miles on footpaths in and around Cranbrook. The Lenten Appeal with other charity events in the school regularly raise considerable sums, easily in excess of £20,000 each year, the money being distributed to a basket of charities chosen by the student body. .
Every two years since 1984 The Lenten Appeal has made a grant towards a development project in the Tabora Region of Tanzania, and a group of senior students makes the journey there to work on that project. Details of The Cranbrook School Tanzania project can be found on the school website.
, a NASA astronaut, took a copy of the school charter into space with him. A photo is exhibited in the school cafeteria. In 2005 Sellers opened the school's observatory
, which is named after him. This observatory houses the 22.5" Alan Young telescope operated by the Cranbrook and District Science and Astronomy Society (CADSAS). Details may be found on the CADSAS website
In May 2010 Piers Sellers
took into outer space aboard the Space Shuttle an original watercolour portrait of Cranbrook School painted by Brenda Barratt
. The painting was later returned to Cranbrook School with the official NASA
verification that it has traveled into space.
With a proud and successful sporting tradition, the school enjoys a good reputation on the sports field. It plays matches against the independent schools Sutton Valence School
, Tonbridge School
, The King's School, Canterbury
, Eastbourne College
, and many more. In the 2008-2009 rugby season, Cranbrook School topped the National league of the UK at 1st-, 2nd- and 3rd-team levels, ahead of schools such as Wellington
and Eton College
.
In 2009, three pupils were suspended for buying the legal drug mephedrone, all of them from Cornwallis, surprisingly. House.
Allan Boys and Allan Girls represent the Staplehurst and Goudhurst areas, but also draw from one or two other villages. Horsley Boys and Horsley Girls are the Sandhurst and Hawkhurst contingent. Webster Boys and Webster Girls usually come from the immediate vicinity of Cranbrook.
Each house develops a special identity, often related to the villages as well as the personality of its Housemaster or Housemistress. This is an experienced member of staff who organises and manages the team of tutors and Supervisors, so that the house runs efficiently. The master manages the special cultural activities and programme of events which run throughout the year.
Each House has a House Council, with a representative from each year group; and a House Captain and Supervisors, who help the Housemaster or Housemistress with the house operations and support the younger pupils.
Common to all houses is the team of academic tutors who monitor the work and behaviour of pupils in the house. Tutor groups tend to be between fifteen and twenty in size in the day houses, and between five and fifteen in the boarding houses. Each house has a center where the pupils meet daily for registration and house assemblies (e.g. the Allan Corridor, the Horsley Block, etc.)
Aside from sports, a range of extra-curricular activities, clubs and societies provide activities for students, including music, drama, public speaking, CCF (Army
and RAF), Amnesty International
, the Young Enterprise
scheme, a book group, art and textiles, cooking club and dance .
At Sixth Form-level, the school traditionally enters students into several debating competitions, including the Cambridge Union Society
Debate, Oxford Union
Schools' Debate, and the English-Speaking Union
Schools' Competition.
Cranbrook's Music Department has a long-standing tradition of excellence in musical performance. A comprehensive concert diary is supported by a regular pattern of weekly rehearsals. The School has a variety of music performing groups, from classical to jazz, rock and whatever is popular. In addition to performing at whole-school occasions, pupils regularly perform in Friday Lunchtime Concerts and recitals organised by the Friends of St Dunstan's Church, Cranbrook. Pupils also perform in School and House Assemblies.
The Drama Department supports a variety of theatrical productions during the school year. Students may act in House Plays, the Junior Play, and Senior Musical, held at the end of the year. Senior Students direct many of these productions. Students run most of the productions at Queen's Hall, getting training in theatrical skills such as Lighting, Sound, Stage-Management, Costume and Make-Up..
within the grounds, to house a 22.5" telescope
donated to the school. The school was awarded Science Specialist Status again in 2008; however, with Coalition Government cutbacks in education, the Specialist Status scheme has been discontinued.
Coeducation
Mixed-sex education, also known as coeducation or co-education, is the integrated education of male and female persons in the same institution. It is the opposite of single-sex education...
boarding and day grammar school located in Cranbrook, Kent
Cranbrook, Kent
Cranbrook is a small town in Kent in South East England which was granted a charter in 1290 by Archbishop Peckham, allowing it to hold a market in the High Street. Located on the Maidstone to Hastings road, it is five miles north of Hawkhurst. The smaller settlements of Swattenden, Colliers...
in South East England
South East England
South East England is one of the nine official regions of England, designated in 1994 and adopted for statistical purposes in 1999. It consists of Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, East Sussex, Hampshire, Isle of Wight, Kent, Oxfordshire, Surrey and West Sussex...
.
Brief history
Founded in 1518 for poor boys of the town, it received a charter from Queen Elizabeth I in 1574. Although in 1817 the town petitioned the Master of the Rolls, complaining boarders were favored over day boys, its complaints were rejected. By 1850 the Headmaster had converted the student body to boarders. A later conflict caused the school to lose many pupils and masters, nearly causing its closure near the end of the 19th century. In the early 20th century, the school began to receive state aid and made a tentative recovery.In the 1970s, Cranbrook School became coeducational and tripled its number of pupils. Selection is made of pupils at age thirteen. Boarding and day pupils come from a 6.2 mile-diameter catchment area. The school sponsors an annual Lenten Appeal, in which students raise money for a variety of charities. The current Headmistress is Mrs. Angela Daly.
Foundation
The school was founded in 1518 by John Blubery, during the reign of King Henry VIIIHenry VIII of England
Henry VIII was King of England from 21 April 1509 until his death. He was Lord, and later King, of Ireland, as well as continuing the nominal claim by the English monarchs to the Kingdom of France...
. A resident of Cranbrook, Blubery was a King's armourer under Henry VII
Henry VII of England
Henry VII was King of England and Lord of Ireland from his seizing the crown on 22 August 1485 until his death on 21 April 1509, as the first monarch of the House of Tudor....
. He worked first at the armoury at Greenwich
Greenwich
Greenwich is a district of south London, England, located in the London Borough of Greenwich.Greenwich is best known for its maritime history and for giving its name to the Greenwich Meridian and Greenwich Mean Time...
and later at the Tower of London
Tower of London
Her Majesty's Royal Palace and Fortress, more commonly known as the Tower of London, is a historic castle on the north bank of the River Thames in central London, England. It lies within the London Borough of Tower Hamlets, separated from the eastern edge of the City of London by the open space...
. He was briefly imprisoned in the Tower, possibly for having taken concealed commissions. He owned an exceptionally high number of estates. Blubery's crime was considered so serious that he was among those excluded from the general pardon issued in 1509 at Henry VIII's accession. Blubery was released shortly afterward and gained his freedom.
Using his wealth, Blubery built a fine house at Cranbrook. He returned there to live years later in 1517, possibly already ill. He discovered that his daughter was pregnant by a local man, whom she quickly married. Sensing that his ailment was fatal, Blubery wrote his will and stipulated that, if his daughter gave birth to a girl (who would not be entitled to inherit his estate), the house should go into the custody of William Lynch
William Lynch
Captain William Lynch was a man from Pittsylvania County, Virginia, who claimed to be the source of the terms "lynch law" and "lynching"...
, a wealthy cloth merchant
Merchant
A merchant is a businessperson who trades in commodities that were produced by others, in order to earn a profit.Merchants can be one of two types:# A wholesale merchant operates in the chain between producer and retail merchant...
, who was to establish there "... a free school house for all the poor children [meaning boys at that time] of the town of Cranbrook..." Lynch was authorized to appoint a schoolmaster as well. Blubery died in early 1518 and his will was proven on 22 March.
After Blubery's daughter had a girl, her father's house went to Lynch. He set up the school, as directed by the will. While the precise dates of the opening are unknown, the school takes 1518 as its foundation year.
Early years
William Lynch endowed the school with a farm at HorsmondenHorsmonden
Horsmonden is a village in Kent, on the Weald. It is situated on a road leading from Maidstone to Lamberhurst, three miles north of the latter place. The nearest railway station is Paddock Wood, Horsmonden railway station having closed in 1961.- History :It was an important centre of the medieval...
. Although the name of the first master does not appear in extant school records, he was believed to be Robert Bolle, based on his being identified as a teacher in Cranbrook in a 1520 will. Lynch died in 1539; the school was apparently running smoothly.
In 1560 William's son Simon Lynch claimed the school lands from its trustees. The dispute was resolved in 1564. In exchange for the benefit of the estates for twenty-one years, Simon Lynch allowed the school to continue. After this period, full control of the estate was to revert to the town of Cranbrook.
In 1573, Cranbrook was visited by Queen Elizabeth I, as part of her tour of the cloth-weaving district. The town petitioned her to grant letters patent
Letters patent
Letters patent are a type of legal instrument in the form of a published written order issued by a monarch or president, generally granting an office, right, monopoly, title, or status to a person or corporation...
to the school, under which a proper board of trustees, or "governors", could be established. Simon Lynch agreed to surrender his lease to allow the board of governors to be established. (He died a few months later).
The Patent of Incorporation (which the school refers to as its charter) arrived in 1574. It gave the school its full, official title, "The Free and Perpetual Grammar School of Queen Elizabeth in Cranbrook". Further, it stated that the Vicar (of the Church of England
Church of England
The Church of England is the officially established Christian church in England and the Mother Church of the worldwide Anglican Communion. The church considers itself within the tradition of Western Christianity and dates its formal establishment principally to the mission to England by St...
) of Cranbrook should always have a seat on the Board of Governors. The clause is still binding.
Like many of the time, the school was small with a limited curriculum; it taught boys only Latin
Latin
Latin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...
and Greek
Ancient Greek
Ancient Greek is the stage of the Greek language in the periods spanning the times c. 9th–6th centuries BC, , c. 5th–4th centuries BC , and the c. 3rd century BC – 6th century AD of ancient Greece and the ancient world; being predated in the 2nd millennium BC by Mycenaean Greek...
. These elements of classical education, however, were considered primary to the study of religion
Religion
Religion is a collection of cultural systems, belief systems, and worldviews that establishes symbols that relate humanity to spirituality and, sometimes, to moral values. Many religions have narratives, symbols, traditions and sacred histories that are intended to give meaning to life or to...
and law
Law
Law is a system of rules and guidelines which are enforced through social institutions to govern behavior, wherever possible. It shapes politics, economics and society in numerous ways and serves as a social mediator of relations between people. Contract law regulates everything from buying a bus...
. The school continued relatively stable into the 18th century, punctuated only by the re-building of the school house from 1727-9. The surviving School House is the oldest of the current buildings. In 1741 the master, the Reverend Richard Brown, recruited the first boarding students, to whom he rented rooms in the School House.
In 1817 townspeople were disturbed by the steady growth in the number of boarders at the school and their being favored over town boys. They petitioned the Master of the Rolls
Master of the Rolls
The Keeper or Master of the Rolls and Records of the Chancery of England, known as the Master of the Rolls, is the second most senior judge in England and Wales, after the Lord Chief Justice. The Master of the Rolls is the presiding officer of the Civil Division of the Court of Appeal...
, Sir William Grant, complaining that the master, the Reverend Daniel Davies, was lavishing privileges upon the boarders. They argued this was to the detriment of the day boys, for whom the school had originally been founded. Grant rejected this and other town complaints against the school's management. Davies had a lengthy term as master, to the end of his life. He gradually dropped the last few day boys and, by 1850 when he died, the school enrolled only boarding students.
Expansion
In 1851, one of the most important figures in the history of the school entered. The Reverend John Allan is considered the school's greatest headmaster. He made his mark immediately, recruiting assistant masters to expand the curriculum. He expanded the number of students, both day boys and boarders. This and other improvements ensured his reputation in the town. When he died in 1866 at age 48, there was public mourning. He was buried under a yew tree in the churchyard of Saint Dunstan Episcopal Church. His epitaph reads "PLACED BY HIS SORROWING AND AFFECTIONATE PUPILS".His successor, the Reverend Doctor Charles Crowden, was no less significant. He constructed additional buildings to support the school, and recruited additional students, so they numbered more than 100 for the first time. Crowden House was named in his honor. He resigned in 1888 because of conflict with the governors. When he moved to Eastbourne College
Eastbourne College
Eastbourne College is a British co-educational independent school for day and boarding pupils aged 13–18, situated on the south coast of England, included in the Tatler list of top public schools. The College's current headmaster is Simon Davies. The College was founded by the Duke of Devonshire...
, two thirds of the boarders and one third of the masters followed him there. Their removal bankrupted the school, and the governors considered closing it.
20th century
Despite the debts growing in the early twentieth century, the school survived. It was assisted by the state, which in turn gradually encroached on the school's independence. The first state-appointed governors sat on the board in 1899, causing five other governors to resign in protest. The school slowly recovered and began to expand again. In the mid-twentieth century, it added boarding houses to accommodate new students. During the Second World War, Cranbrook was the English school closest to occupied Europe that continued teaching, rather than evacuating its students to more distant areas.Under the 1944 Education Act
Education Act 1944
The Education Act 1944 changed the education system for secondary schools in England and Wales. This Act, commonly named after the Conservative politician R.A...
, Cranbrook became a voluntary aided school
Voluntary aided school
A voluntary aided school is a state-funded school in England and Wales in which a foundation or trust owns the school buildings, contributes to building costs and has a substantial influence in the running of the school...
. Apart from a brief period of "grant-maintained" status in the 1990s, it has remained in this class. It receives funding from the state, which makes it free to students and requires it to follow the National Curriculum. It also maintains a board of governors, who decide on admissions and operations.
In the 1970s the school changed considerably in response to social transformations. First it became co-educational, and then increased it student body threefold, from around 250 pupils to roughly 750. The first two academic years were dropped. Students are selected for the school at age thirteen rather than at eleven. A large proportion of the pupils come from prep school
Preparatory school (UK)
In English language usage in the former British Empire, the present-day Commonwealth, a preparatory school is an independent school preparing children up to the age of eleven or thirteen for entry into fee-paying, secondary independent schools, some of which are known as public schools...
s in Kent, east Sussex
Sussex
Sussex , from the Old English Sūþsēaxe , is an historic county in South East England corresponding roughly in area to the ancient Kingdom of Sussex. It is bounded on the north by Surrey, east by Kent, south by the English Channel, and west by Hampshire, and is divided for local government into West...
and London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
.
During the 1970s, the school created the "Lenten Appeal", to engage the students in activities on behalf of others. It is now possibly the school's most significant extracurricular activity. Taking place in the Lent term
Lent term
Lent term is the name of the spring academic term at the following British universities:*University of Cambridge*Kings College London*London School of Economics and Political Science*Exeter University*University of Lancaster...
, it consists of numerous activities whereby students raise money for a variety of charities. Some activities are specific to individual houses, while others draw participants from all the student body. The annual Charity Walk, the chief fundraiser, is of around ten miles on footpaths in and around Cranbrook. The Lenten Appeal with other charity events in the school regularly raise considerable sums, easily in excess of £20,000 each year, the money being distributed to a basket of charities chosen by the student body. .
Every two years since 1984 The Lenten Appeal has made a grant towards a development project in the Tabora Region of Tanzania, and a group of senior students makes the journey there to work on that project. Details of The Cranbrook School Tanzania project can be found on the school website.
Modern day
In 2003, alumnus Piers SellersPiers Sellers
Piers John Sellers OBE is a British-born Anglo-American meteorologist and a NASA astronaut. He is a veteran of three space shuttle missions....
, a NASA astronaut, took a copy of the school charter into space with him. A photo is exhibited in the school cafeteria. In 2005 Sellers opened the school's observatory
Observatory
An observatory is a location used for observing terrestrial or celestial events. Astronomy, climatology/meteorology, geology, oceanography and volcanology are examples of disciplines for which observatories have been constructed...
, which is named after him. This observatory houses the 22.5" Alan Young telescope operated by the Cranbrook and District Science and Astronomy Society (CADSAS). Details may be found on the CADSAS website
In May 2010 Piers Sellers
Piers Sellers
Piers John Sellers OBE is a British-born Anglo-American meteorologist and a NASA astronaut. He is a veteran of three space shuttle missions....
took into outer space aboard the Space Shuttle an original watercolour portrait of Cranbrook School painted by Brenda Barratt
Brenda Barratt
Brenda Barratt is an English watercolour painter, particularly of architecture.Brenda specialises in architectural subjects as well as gardens and landscapes. She works from her studio in Buxted, East Sussex...
. The painting was later returned to Cranbrook School with the official NASA
NASA
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration is the agency of the United States government that is responsible for the nation's civilian space program and for aeronautics and aerospace research...
verification that it has traveled into space.
With a proud and successful sporting tradition, the school enjoys a good reputation on the sports field. It plays matches against the independent schools Sutton Valence School
Sutton Valence School
Sutton Valence School is an English independent school near Maidstone in southeast England. It has about 520 pupils. It is a co-educational school with a boarding option . The three boarding houses are Westminster, St Margaret's and Sutton and, for those in the first and second form, Beresford...
, Tonbridge School
Tonbridge School
Tonbridge School is a British boys' independent school for both boarding and day pupils in Tonbridge, Kent, founded in 1553 by Sir Andrew Judd . It is a member of the Eton Group, and has close links with the Worshipful Company of Skinners, one of the oldest London livery companies...
, The King's School, Canterbury
The King's School, Canterbury
The King's School is a British co-educational independent school for both day and boarding pupils in the historic English cathedral city of Canterbury in Kent. It is a member of the Headmasters' and Headmistresses' Conference and the Eton Group....
, Eastbourne College
Eastbourne College
Eastbourne College is a British co-educational independent school for day and boarding pupils aged 13–18, situated on the south coast of England, included in the Tatler list of top public schools. The College's current headmaster is Simon Davies. The College was founded by the Duke of Devonshire...
, and many more. In the 2008-2009 rugby season, Cranbrook School topped the National league of the UK at 1st-, 2nd- and 3rd-team levels, ahead of schools such as Wellington
Wellington
Wellington is the capital city and third most populous urban area of New Zealand, although it is likely to have surpassed Christchurch due to the exodus following the Canterbury Earthquake. It is at the southwestern tip of the North Island, between Cook Strait and the Rimutaka Range...
and Eton College
Eton College
Eton College, often referred to simply as Eton, is a British independent school for boys aged 13 to 18. It was founded in 1440 by King Henry VI as "The King's College of Our Lady of Eton besides Wyndsor"....
.
In 2009, three pupils were suspended for buying the legal drug mephedrone, all of them from Cornwallis, surprisingly. House.
Houses
The school has six day houses and six boarding houses: four for boys and two for girls, each working in conjunction with the main school to provide pastoral care and academic support.Day houses
- Allan Girls (North of Cranbrook)
- Allan Boys
- Horsley Girls (South of Cranbrook)
- Horsley Boys
- Webster Girls (Cranbrook and outlying area)
- Webster Boys
House colours
Each house has its own colours for intramural sporting competitions, and a house tie. Junior pupils may choose to wear the house tie rather than the standard school tie.Boarding
The boarding community is at the heart of Cranbrook life, with over a third of the school's 750 pupils boarding. Each of the six boarding houses is run by a Housemaster or Housemistress with an experienced staff of boarding tutors, live-in staff, and matrons. Accommodation is mostly in single-study bedrooms or in small dormitories for the junior students. Boarders come together for meals in a central dining hall.Day Students
The House System is a defining feature of Cranbrook School. There are six day houses organised on a single-sex basis. They bring together students based on the neighborhoods where they live. Day houses have 80-90 students each. Overall the school has 500 day pupils, all living within the catchment area of 6.2 miles from the school.Allan Boys and Allan Girls represent the Staplehurst and Goudhurst areas, but also draw from one or two other villages. Horsley Boys and Horsley Girls are the Sandhurst and Hawkhurst contingent. Webster Boys and Webster Girls usually come from the immediate vicinity of Cranbrook.
Each house develops a special identity, often related to the villages as well as the personality of its Housemaster or Housemistress. This is an experienced member of staff who organises and manages the team of tutors and Supervisors, so that the house runs efficiently. The master manages the special cultural activities and programme of events which run throughout the year.
Each House has a House Council, with a representative from each year group; and a House Captain and Supervisors, who help the Housemaster or Housemistress with the house operations and support the younger pupils.
Common to all houses is the team of academic tutors who monitor the work and behaviour of pupils in the house. Tutor groups tend to be between fifteen and twenty in size in the day houses, and between five and fifteen in the boarding houses. Each house has a center where the pupils meet daily for registration and house assemblies (e.g. the Allan Corridor, the Horsley Block, etc.)
Sports and Extra-curricular Activities
The sports department are holders of the Sport Marks Gold award. This has been held for three successive periods since its inception . Boys and girls teams represent the school at sports events most Saturdays throughout the year. The boys play rugby in term one followed by hockey, rugby sevens, tennis and cricket. The girls play hockey followed by netball, lacrosse, tennis and rounders. Senior teams are run at 1st, 2nd and 3rd levels, while each year group has A and B teams and on occasions C and D. The fixtures are played against local schools on both Saturday mornings and afternoons, and on the respective games afternoons of each year group. Teams enter county and national cup competitions and are very successful.Aside from sports, a range of extra-curricular activities, clubs and societies provide activities for students, including music, drama, public speaking, CCF (Army
Army
An army An army An army (from Latin arma "arms, weapons" via Old French armée, "armed" (feminine), in the broadest sense, is the land-based military of a nation or state. It may also include other branches of the military such as the air force via means of aviation corps...
and RAF), Amnesty International
Amnesty International
Amnesty International is an international non-governmental organisation whose stated mission is "to conduct research and generate action to prevent and end grave abuses of human rights, and to demand justice for those whose rights have been violated."Following a publication of Peter Benenson's...
, the Young Enterprise
Young Enterprise
Young Enterprise is a not-for-profit business and enterprise education charity in the United Kingdom. It is made up of 12 regional organisations, each operating individually under a license agreement...
scheme, a book group, art and textiles, cooking club and dance .
At Sixth Form-level, the school traditionally enters students into several debating competitions, including the Cambridge Union Society
Cambridge Union Society
The Cambridge Union Society, commonly referred to as simply "the Cambridge Union" or "the Union," is a debating society in Cambridge, England and is the largest society at the University of Cambridge. Since its founding in 1815, the Union has developed a worldwide reputation as a noted symbol of...
Debate, Oxford Union
Oxford Union
The Oxford Union Society, commonly referred to simply as the Oxford Union, is a debating society in the city of Oxford, Britain, whose membership is drawn primarily but not exclusively from the University of Oxford...
Schools' Debate, and the English-Speaking Union
English-Speaking Union
The English-Speaking Union is an international educational charity which was founded by the journalist Evelyn Wrench in 1918. The ESU aims to "bring together and empower people of different languages and cultures," by building skills and confidence in communication, such that individuals realize...
Schools' Competition.
Cranbrook's Music Department has a long-standing tradition of excellence in musical performance. A comprehensive concert diary is supported by a regular pattern of weekly rehearsals. The School has a variety of music performing groups, from classical to jazz, rock and whatever is popular. In addition to performing at whole-school occasions, pupils regularly perform in Friday Lunchtime Concerts and recitals organised by the Friends of St Dunstan's Church, Cranbrook. Pupils also perform in School and House Assemblies.
The Drama Department supports a variety of theatrical productions during the school year. Students may act in House Plays, the Junior Play, and Senior Musical, held at the end of the year. Senior Students direct many of these productions. Students run most of the productions at Queen's Hall, getting training in theatrical skills such as Lighting, Sound, Stage-Management, Costume and Make-Up..
Specialist School Status
In 2004, the school was awarded Science Specialist Status, which allowed them to expand the science department; refurbish older buildings; run new courses, clubs and events; and create programs with the local community. In 2005 the school opened a public observatoryObservatory
An observatory is a location used for observing terrestrial or celestial events. Astronomy, climatology/meteorology, geology, oceanography and volcanology are examples of disciplines for which observatories have been constructed...
within the grounds, to house a 22.5" telescope
Telescope
A telescope is an instrument that aids in the observation of remote objects by collecting electromagnetic radiation . The first known practical telescopes were invented in the Netherlands at the beginning of the 1600s , using glass lenses...
donated to the school. The school was awarded Science Specialist Status again in 2008; however, with Coalition Government cutbacks in education, the Specialist Status scheme has been discontinued.
Notable Old Cranbrookians
- General Sir John AkehurstJohn Akehurst (British Army officer)General Sir John Bryan Akehurst KCB CBE was a British Army General who rose to be Deputy Supreme Allied Commander Europe.-Military career:...
KCB CBE, Deputy Supreme Allied Commander, EuropeSupreme Headquarters Allied Powers EuropeSupreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe is the central command of NATO military forces. It is located at Casteau, north of the Belgian city of Mons...
from 1987–90, and President from 1991-9 of the United Kingdom Reserve Forces Association - Sir Anthony Barnes AtkinsonAnthony Barnes AtkinsonSir Anthony Barnes "Tony" Atkinson, FBA, is a British economist and has been a Senior Research Fellow of Nuffield College, Oxford since 2005.-Career:Atkinson served as Warden of Nuffield College from 1994 to 2005...
, Professor of Economics since 2007 at the University of OxfordUniversity of OxfordThe University of Oxford is a university located in Oxford, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest surviving university in the world and the oldest in the English-speaking world. Although its exact date of foundation is unclear, there is evidence of teaching as far back as 1096... - Air Chief MarshalAir Chief MarshalAir chief marshal is a senior 4-star air-officer rank which originated in and continues to be used by the Royal Air Force...
Sir John BarracloughJohn Barraclough (RAF officer)Air Chief Marshal Sir John Barraclough KCB, CBE, DFC, AFC was a World War II pilot who went on to become Vice-Chief of the Defence Staff.-RAF career:...
CB CBE, Station Commander of RAF Biggin Hill from 1954-56 - Emma BiggsEmma BiggsEmma Biggs is a London-based mosaic artist and author of a number of standard textbooks on contemporary mosaic practice. Having recently completed a large public art project -- "Made in England" -- based on the visual culture and ideology of the pottery industry in Stoke-on-Trent , her work has...
, mosaic artist - Hugo BurnhamHugo BurnhamHugo Burnham was the drummer for the English rock group Gang of Four. Creem magazine's Dave DiMartino said in 1980 "Witness Hugo Burnham, a close-cropped, thickset out-and-out scary drummer who looks like his idea of fun might be pushing young American faces into old American brick walls." He...
, drummer for the English rock group Gang of FourGang of FourThe Gang of Four was the name given to a political faction composed of four Chinese Communist Party officials. They came to prominence during the Cultural Revolution and were subsequently charged with a series of treasonous crimes...
and Associate Professor at the New England Institute of ArtNew England Institute of ArtThe New England Institute of Art is a for-profit applied arts college that offers year-round education, located in Brookline, Massachusetts. The school was founded in 1952 as the Norm Prescott School of Broadcasting and is now one of the 45 Art Institutes in North America. The school offers ten... - Mark ChapmanMark ChapmanMark Chapman may refer to:* Mark David Chapman, murderer of John Lennon* Mark Lindsay Chapman, British-born TV and film actor* Mark Chapman , sports journalist and presenter* Mark Chapman , Hong Kong-born cricketer...
CVO, Ambassador to Iceland from 1986-9 - Canon John CollinsCanon John CollinsJohn Collins was an Anglican priest who was active in several radical political movements in the United Kingdom.Educated at Cranbrook School, Kent and the University of Cambridge, Collins served as a chaplain in the Royal Air Force during World War II and was radicalised by the experience...
, radical clergyman and political campaigner - Michael Croucher TV film producer
- Barry DaviesBarry DaviesBarry George Davies MBE is a British sports commentator. He has covered a wide range of sports in a long career, primarily for the BBC.-Broadcasting career:...
, sports commentator - Phil EdmondsPhil EdmondsPhil Edmonds is a former English cricketer and a successful, albeit controversial, corporate executive....
, cricketer - John Gratwick OBE, Chairman of Empire Stores plc from 1978–90
- Harry HillHarry HillHarry Hill , is a Perrier Award–winning English comedian, author and television presenter. A former medical doctor , Hill began his career in comedy with the popular radio show Harry Hill's Fruit Corner.-Personal life:Hill was born in Woking,...
(Dr. Matthew Hall), comedian - Sir Victor HorsleyVictor HorsleySir Victor Alexander Haden Horsley was an accomplished scientist and professor. He was born in Kensington, London. He was educated at Cranbrook School, Kent and studied medicine at University College London and in Berlin, Germany , and in the same year started his career as a house surgeon and...
, pioneering neurosurgeon - Wing CommanderWing Commander (rank)Wing commander is a commissioned rank in the Royal Air Force and the air forces of many other Commonwealth countries...
Sir Norman HulbertNorman HulbertWing Commander Sir Norman John Hulbert, DL was a British company director, Royal Air Force officer and politician who served as a Member of Parliament for the Conservative Party for nearly thirty years. Early in his career, he was an advocate of closer relations with Nazi Germany but he served in...
, Conservative MP from 1935–50 for StockportStockport (UK Parliament constituency)Stockport is a borough constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elects one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election.-Boundaries:...
from 1935–50, and for Stockport NorthStockport North (UK Parliament constituency)Stockport North was a borough constituency which returned one Member of Parliament to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1950 until 1983.-Boundaries:...
from 1950–64 - Arthur Surridge Hunt, papyrologistPapyrologyPapyrology is the study of ancient literature, correspondence, legal archives, etc., as preserved in manuscripts written on papyrus, the most common form of writing material in the ancient civilizations of Egypt, Greece, and Rome...
- Prof Richard L. HunterRichard L. HunterRichard Lawrence Hunter is a classical scholar and has since 2001 been the 38th Regius Professor of Greek at Cambridge University.-Education and academic career:Richard Hunter was born and grew up in Australia...
, Regius Professor of GreekRegius Professor of Greek (Cambridge)The Regius Professorship of Greek is one of the oldest professorships at the University of Cambridge. The chair was founded by Henry VIII in 1540 with a stipend of £40 per year, subsequently increased in 1848 by a canonry of Ely Cathedral....
at the University of CambridgeUniversity of CambridgeThe University of Cambridge is a public research university located in Cambridge, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest university in both the United Kingdom and the English-speaking world , and the seventh-oldest globally...
since 2001 - Hammond InnesHammond InnesRalph Hammond Innes was a British novelist who wrote over 30 novels, as well as children's and travel books....
, novelist - Wing Commander Hugh KennardHugh KennardWing Commander Hugh Charles Kennard, DFC was a Royal Air Force pilot during World War II and later an entrepreneur in civil aviation.-Personal life:...
, World war II pilot and later civilian aviator - Air Vice-MarshalAir Vice-MarshalAir vice-marshal is a two-star air-officer rank which originated in and continues to be used by the Royal Air Force. The rank is also used by the air forces of many countries which have historical British influence and it is sometimes used as the English translation of an equivalent rank in...
Richard Kyle CB MBE (son of Wallace KyleWallace KyleAir Chief Marshal Sir Wallace Hart Kyle GCB, KCVO, CBE, DSO, DFC, RAF was a senior Royal Air Force commander and the Governor of Western Australia from 1975 to 1980.-Career:...
) - Kevin LygoKevin LygoKevin Lygo is a British television executive, presently head of studios at ITV.Educated at Cranbrook School, Kent, Lygo studied music at Durham University. On graduation he was one of three trainees to join the BBC, alongside Peter Salmon and multi-award-winning film-maker Peter Kosminsky...
, television executive and Director of Television and Content since 2007 of Channel 4Channel 4Channel 4 is a British public-service television broadcaster which began working on 2 November 1982. Although largely commercially self-funded, it is ultimately publicly owned; originally a subsidiary of the Independent Broadcasting Authority , the station is now owned and operated by the Channel... - Richard MiddletonRichard Barham MiddletonRichard Barham Middleton was a British poet, who is remembered mostly for his short stories, in particular The Ghost Ship....
, poet and short-story writer - Brian MooreBrian Moore (commentator)Brian Moore was a British sports commentator.-Early life:Moore was born in Gillingham, Kent and educated at the Cranbrook School, Kent, which was also the school of fellow commentators Peter West and Barry Davies....
, football commentator - Sir David Muirhead CMG CVO, Ambassador to Belgium from 1974-8, to Portugal from 1970-4, and to Peru from 1967–70
- Richard PilbrowRichard PilbrowRichard Pilbrow is an internationally renowned stage lighting designer, author, theatre consultant, and theatrical producer, film producer and television producer...
, theatre producer - Air Vice-MarshalAir Vice-MarshalAir vice-marshal is a two-star air-officer rank which originated in and continues to be used by the Royal Air Force. The rank is also used by the air forces of many countries which have historical British influence and it is sometimes used as the English translation of an equivalent rank in...
Andrew RobertsAndrew RobertsAndrew Roberts is an English historian and journalist.-Background:Roberts was born in London, England, the son of Simon from Cobham, Surrey, and Katie Roberts...
CB CBE, Station Commander of RAF KinlossRAF KinlossRAF Kinloss is a Royal Air Force station near Kinloss, on the Moray Firth in the north of Scotland. It opened on 1 April 1939 and served as an RAF training establishment during the Second World War. After the war it was handed over to Coastal Command to watch over Russian ships and submarines in...
from 1977-79 - The Rootes brothers, car manufacturers
- Piers SellersPiers SellersPiers John Sellers OBE is a British-born Anglo-American meteorologist and a NASA astronaut. He is a veteran of three space shuttle missions....
, astronaut - Sir Nicholas ShackletonNicholas ShackletonSir Nicholas John Shackleton FRS was a British geologist and climatologist who specialised in the Quaternary Period...
, Professor of Quaternary Palaeoclimatology from 1991-2004 at the University of CambridgeUniversity of CambridgeThe University of Cambridge is a public research university located in Cambridge, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest university in both the United Kingdom and the English-speaking world , and the seventh-oldest globally... - Tim SmitTim SmitTim Smit KBE is a Dutch-born British businessman, famous for his work on the Lost Gardens of Heligan and the Eden Project, both in Cornwall, Britain.-Biography:...
, co-founder of the Eden ProjectEden ProjectThe Eden Project is a visitor attraction in Cornwall in the United Kingdom, including the world's largest greenhouse. Inside the artificial biomes are plants that are collected from all around the world.... - Andrew Soper, High Commissioner to Mozambique since 2007
- Air Vice-Marshal Sir John WestonJohn WestonSir John Weston KCMG is a retired British diplomat. He was the UK Permanent Representative on the North Atlantic Council from 1992 to 1995, and the British Permanent Representative to the United Nations from 1995 to 1998.-Early life:Weston was educated at Sherborne School and Worcester College,...
CB OBE, Station Commander of RAF HaltonRAF HaltonRAF Halton is one of the largest Royal Air Force stations in the United Kingdom, located near the village of Halton near Wendover, Buckinghamshire.HRH The Duchess of Cornwall is the Honorary Air Commodore of RAF Halton.-History:...
from 1952-3 - Peter WestPeter WestPeter Anthony West was a BBC presenter and sports commentator best known for his work on the corporation's cricket, tennis and rugby coverage as well as occasionally commentating on field hockey. Throughout his television career he remained freelance.-Early life:He was an only child...
, television presenter - Sir Charles WheelerCharles Wheeler (journalist)Sir Charles Cornelius Wheeler CMG was a British journalist and broadcaster. Having joined the BBC in 1947, he became the corporation's longest serving foreign correspondent, serving in the role until his death...
CMG, BBC journalist - Wallace Duffield WrightWallace Duffield WrightBrigadier General Wallace Duffield Wright VC, CB, CMG, DSO was a recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces.Wright was 27 years old, and a lieutenant in the 1st Battalion, The...
, VCVictoria CrossThe Victoria Cross is the highest military decoration awarded for valour "in the face of the enemy" to members of the armed forces of various Commonwealth countries, and previous British Empire territories....
recipient
See also
- Cranbrook SchoolsCranbrook SchoolsCranbrook Schools is a private, PK–12 school located on a campus in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan. The schools comprise a co-educational elementary school, a middle school with separate schools for boys and girls, and a co-educational high school with boarding facilities...
, a private school in Bloomfield Hills, MichiganBloomfield Hills, MichiganBloomfield Hills is a city in Oakland County of the U.S. state of Michigan, northwest of downtown Detroit. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 3,869...
, named after the town of Cranbrook, KentCranbrook, KentCranbrook is a small town in Kent in South East England which was granted a charter in 1290 by Archbishop Peckham, allowing it to hold a market in the High Street. Located on the Maidstone to Hastings road, it is five miles north of Hawkhurst. The smaller settlements of Swattenden, Colliers...
. It has an exchange program with Cranbrook School, Kent.