It was opened on 29 September 1865 as a boys' school 'to provide a sound and plain education, on the principles of the Church of England, and on the public school system, for the sons of farmers and others engaged in commercial pursuits'. It grew rapidly and by the 1880s had more than 300 pupils although it declined over the next 30 years and in 1910 numbers dropped to 150.
Fagging, the practice of junior boys acting as personal servants to senior pupils, was abolished at Cranleigh School in 1964.[1] A unanimous vote by the teaching staff in favour of educating female pupils was taken in November 1970, and the first three girls were admitted to the school the following year. In September 1974, 17 female students began studying in the lower sixth, and were initially given accommodation on the top floor of the Headmaster's House.[2][3] By the start of the 1975–76 academic year, girls comprised 11% of the sixth form, rising to over 20% in 1980.[2] Girls were first admitted to Year 9 (at age 13) in 1999 and the school became fully coeducational in 2005.
In 2009 the Good Schools Guide described the school as 'An all-rounder’s paradise, yes, but the academic offering can stand up to almost any school in the land'[4]
The school's academic block, the van Hasselt Centre was opened by Kate Adie, the Trevor Abbott Sports Centre was opened by Sir Richard Branson and the West House was opened by Baroness Greenfield.[5] Recent building projects have included two academic blocks, two girls' boarding houses, refurbishment of the art studios, and a remodelled entrance.
Cranleigh School also has a sister school based in Abu Dhabi which opened in September 2014 and three schools in China.[6]
Buildings
The south entrance to the quad with bell tower above
The first buildings to be constructed at Cranleigh School were the south and east ranges of the quad, which were completed for the opening of the school in 1865. They were designed by Henry Woodyer and are built of red brick in a Tudor Gothic style.[7] The two-storey structure housed classrooms and accommodation for teachers on the ground floor, with dormitories for the students above. The western wing of the south range included accommodation for the headmaster.[7][8] The quad was enclosed in 1867–68, when the north and west ranges were completed.[8][9] The additional buildings included kitchen, additional living accommodation for teachers and three fives courts.[8] In 1870, a bell tower housing a clock was added above the main south entrance.[7][8] Glazed cloisters provide a covered walkway around the perimeter of the quad, the open interior of which was originally paved.[8]
The east end of the chapel
The chapel, also designed by Woodyer, was built as an extension to the south-eastern corner of the quad. Constructed in 1868–69, it is built of red brick in the early decorated style. The east end of the chapel is a semi-circular apse, supported by external flying buttresses. Inside, an ambulatory passage runs behind the curved reredos, which was carved in 1881 by Thomas Nicholls.[7][8] The clerestory, above the nave, is supported on columns of stone from the Forest of Dean.[8] At the west end is an ante-chapel,[8] and the south transept features a rose window and arched entrance doorway.[9] The school war memorial, in front of the entrance to the south transept, was dedicated in 2016. It consists of a bronze figure of a boy sculpted by Nicholas Dimbleby, surrounded by glass panels bearing the names of former pupils who have died in war.[7][10]
The Dining Hall, to the west of the original quad, was also designed by Woodyer. It measures 100ft ×30ft (30.5m ×9.1m) and a shield bearing the architect's arms is attached to the northern exterior wall. The fireplace, in the centre of one of the side walls, bears the date 1869 and is inscribed with the words "Warm Heart Makyth Warm Hearth".[8] The ceiling is supported by wooden tie beams,[9] and above the high table are the stained-glass Founders' Windows, donated by Cubitt.[8]
The adjacent Devonport Speech Hall was also designed by Cooper and opened on the same day.[12] It is named after Hudson Kearley, 1st Viscount Devonport, who paid the architect's fees for both the hall and the Connaught Building.[11] At the northern end of the hall is a stage with a proscenium arch, and the main auditorium is separated from aisles on either side by a series of Doric columns.[7][13] The Vivian Cox Theatre, a studio theatre, was opened in 1991 by John Mills. It was built as an extension to the speech hall and was named after Vivian Cox, an Old Cranleighan and former teacher at the school.[14][15]
The Van Hasselt Centre
The Emms Centre, designed by Pringle Richards Sharratt was completed in 2009 and provides teaching facilities for science, maths and modern languages.[7] The Van Hasselt Centre, designed by Allies and Morrison is named after a previous headmaster. It was opened in April 2019 by Tessa, Marc van Hasselt's widow, and Kate Adie a former BBC journalist.[16] The timber-clad structure houses the Leggett Library,[7][16] twenty-four new classrooms and a café. The design incorporates and retains four existing squash courts, which were repurposed to form social spaces.[17]
Former pupils of the school may join the Old Cranleighan Society. About 6,500 past pupils are currently members. The Old Cranleighan Sports Club in Thames Ditton in Surrey is owned by the Society.
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