Surrey


<p>Say hello to Samantha Price who slipped into the hot seat at <a href="https://surrey.muddystilettos.co.uk/school-reviews/cranleigh-school-cranleigh/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Cranleigh Schoo</a>l in September 2024. She comes to Cranleigh School after a decade leading Benenden School in Kent. Passionate about boarding education, she was herself a boarder from the age of 11, which she loved. She recognises the importance of preparing students for the future – for real life, work as well as university. </p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1500" height="1000" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/surrey/wp-content/uploads/sites/7/2024/10/Cranleigh-Samantha-Price-Head-16_174609.jpg" alt="Samantha Price, head at Cranleigh School in Surrey." class="wp-image-56577" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/surrey/wp-content/uploads/sites/7/2024/10/Cranleigh-Samantha-Price-Head-16_174609.jpg 1500w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/surrey/wp-content/uploads/sites/7/2024/10/Cranleigh-Samantha-Price-Head-16_174609-800x533.jpg 800w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/surrey/wp-content/uploads/sites/7/2024/10/Cranleigh-Samantha-Price-Head-16_174609-1000x667.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/surrey/wp-content/uploads/sites/7/2024/10/Cranleigh-Samantha-Price-Head-16_174609-400x267.jpg 400w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/surrey/wp-content/uploads/sites/7/2024/10/Cranleigh-Samantha-Price-Head-16_174609-768x512.jpg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1500px) 100vw, 1500px" /></figure>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-30-second-elevator-pitch-for-your-school-sell-it"><strong>30-second elevator pitch for your school – sell it!</strong> </h2>



<p>Cranleigh is a co-educational boarding and day school with 700 students set in 250 acres of Surrey countryside. Cranleigh is large enough to offer everything to an incredibly high standard whilst being small enough that every child is really known and has the platform to find their talent and voice during their Cranleigh journey whatever that might be. </p>



<p>Academics, sport, music, drama and outdoor education thrive at Cranleigh and Cranleighans are busy people. The School’s motto: <em>Ex Cultu Robur</em> &#8211; From Culture comes Strength &#8211; underpins everything: a culture that inspires aspiration, a culture that focuses on the developing skills for the future, a culture where care for the community prevails and a culture that develops personal responsibility. Combined, our culture develops strength of talent and character. Our pupils are happy and thrive.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-are-the-top-3-things-to-tackle-in-your-inbox"><strong>What are the top 3 things to tackle in your inbox? </strong></h2>



<p>Getting to know the community: pupils, staff and parents, making sure people know about Cranleigh and all it offers and starting to work on the strategic plan. Watch this space.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-who-would-star-as-you-in-the-movie"><strong>Who would star as you in the movie? </strong></h2>



<p>Meryl Streep.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-you-ve-been-given-a-1m-donation-for-the-school-what-will-you-spend-it-on"><strong>You’ve been given a £1m donation for the school, what will you spend it on? </strong></h2>



<p>The foundations on a new Performing Arts Centre.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-describe-your-own-childhood-school-days"><strong>Describe your own childhood school days</strong></h2>



<p>I went to boarding school, aged 11, where after a couple of unfocused years, I thrived. As a result, I am firmly of the belief that all children come into their own at different ages and you cannot label anyone at age 11 or 13. I was a late developer and never looked back.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-was-the-common-theme-of-your-school-reports"><strong>What was the common theme of your school reports?</strong> </h2>



<p>Has plenty of potential but needs to work harder.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-favourite-worst-teachers-at-your-childhood-school-and-why"><strong>Favourite/worst teachers at your childhood school and why?</strong> </h2>



<p>My favourite teacher was my Housemistress who showed real belief in my potential during my naughtier days and my worst teacher was one of my maths teachers who essentially told me I was a lost cause!</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-best-and-worst-subject-at-school"><strong>Best and worst subject at school? </strong></h2>



<p>Best = History and History of Art. <br>Worst = Physics!</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="882" height="1000" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/surrey/wp-content/uploads/sites/7/2024/10/Edinburgh-University-elena-jiang-unsplash-882x1000.jpg" alt="The University of Edinburgh" class="wp-image-56579" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/surrey/wp-content/uploads/sites/7/2024/10/Edinburgh-University-elena-jiang-unsplash-882x1000.jpg 882w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/surrey/wp-content/uploads/sites/7/2024/10/Edinburgh-University-elena-jiang-unsplash-706x800.jpg 706w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/surrey/wp-content/uploads/sites/7/2024/10/Edinburgh-University-elena-jiang-unsplash-353x400.jpg 353w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/surrey/wp-content/uploads/sites/7/2024/10/Edinburgh-University-elena-jiang-unsplash-768x870.jpg 768w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/surrey/wp-content/uploads/sites/7/2024/10/Edinburgh-University-elena-jiang-unsplash-1355x1536.jpg 1355w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/surrey/wp-content/uploads/sites/7/2024/10/Edinburgh-University-elena-jiang-unsplash.jpg 1500w" sizes="(max-width: 882px) 100vw, 882px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">The University of Edinburgh. <em>Credit: Elena Jiang / Unsplash</em></figcaption></figure>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-where-did-you-go-to-uni"><strong>Where did you go to uni?</strong></h2>



<p>Edinburgh.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-did-you-study"><strong>What did you study?</strong></h2>



<p>History of Art.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-was-your-high-and-low-of-student-life"><strong>What was your high and low of student life?</strong></h2>



<p>High – making amazing friends and securing a research grant to travel around Greece and Italy one summer with a friend. Low – the east wind in Edinburgh!</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-if-you-weren-t-a-head-what-would-you-be"><strong>If you weren’t a head, what would you be? </strong> </h2>



<p>A detective!</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-describe-what-s-on-your-work-desk"><strong>Describe what’s on your work desk</strong>… </h2>



<p>Laptop, Daily Mood cards and a Cranleigh coffee mug.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-and-what-s-in-the-top-drawer"><strong>And what’s in the top drawer</strong>?</h2>



<p>In my top drawer: chocolate and lipstick.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-tell-us-your-favourite-books-in-childhood-uni-and-now"><strong>Tell us your favourite books</strong> – in childhood, uni and now.</h2>



<p>As a child it was CS Lewis&#8217;s <em>The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe</em>.</p>



<p>At uni: <em>The Agony And The Ecstasy</em> by Irving Stone.</p>



<p>Now it&#8217;s Aoyama Michiko&#8217;s <em>What You are Looking for is in the Library</em>.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-s-the-best-school-trip-childhood-or-current-you-ve-ever-been-on"><strong>What’s the best school trip (childhood or current) you’ve ever been on? </strong></h2>



<p>Taking 20 students to spend a week with a community in Samburu, Kenya, where we built a boarding house for children of nomadic families and trekked in the bush.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1500" height="995" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/surrey/wp-content/uploads/sites/7/2023/08/War-Horse-at-the-New-London-Theatre-Photo-by-Brinkhoff-Mögenburg-852-000.jpg" alt="War Horse on stage." class="wp-image-55589" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/surrey/wp-content/uploads/sites/7/2023/08/War-Horse-at-the-New-London-Theatre-Photo-by-Brinkhoff-Mögenburg-852-000.jpg 1500w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/surrey/wp-content/uploads/sites/7/2023/08/War-Horse-at-the-New-London-Theatre-Photo-by-Brinkhoff-Mögenburg-852-000-800x531.jpg 800w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/surrey/wp-content/uploads/sites/7/2023/08/War-Horse-at-the-New-London-Theatre-Photo-by-Brinkhoff-Mögenburg-852-000-1000x663.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/surrey/wp-content/uploads/sites/7/2023/08/War-Horse-at-the-New-London-Theatre-Photo-by-Brinkhoff-Mögenburg-852-000-400x265.jpg 400w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/surrey/wp-content/uploads/sites/7/2023/08/War-Horse-at-the-New-London-Theatre-Photo-by-Brinkhoff-Mögenburg-852-000-768x509.jpg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1500px) 100vw, 1500px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">War Horse on stage at The Gillian Lynne Theatre London&#8217;s West End. <em>Photo credit: Brinkhoff Mögenburg</em></figcaption></figure>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-play-book-and-film-should-be-on-every-child-s-cultural-bucket-list"><strong>What play, book and film should be on every child’s cultural bucket list</strong>?</h2>



<p>Play: <em>War Horse</em></p>



<p>Book:  <em>To Kill a Mockingbird</em> by Harper Lee</p>



<p>Film: <em>The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas</em></p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-if-you-want-to-hide-from-the-kids-and-staff-for-half-an-hour-where-do-you-go"><strong>If you want to hide from the kids and staff for half an hour, where do you go?</strong></h2>



<p>The gym</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-song-you-sing-at-full-volume-when-everyone-s-gone-home"><strong>The song you sing at full volume when everyone’s gone home? </strong></h2>



<p><em>I Will Survive</em>, Gloria Gaynor</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-advice-would-you-give-to-your-younger-self"><strong>What advice would you give to your younger self?  </strong></h2>



<p>Don’t lie in bed worrying because most of what you are worrying about feels so much better after sleep, and take every day as it comes.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-and-your-current-students"><strong>And your current students?</strong></h2>



<p>Be you, but be the best version of you more often than not!</p>



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<p><strong><em><a href="https://surrey.muddystilettos.co.uk/school-reviews/cranleigh-school-cranleigh/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Cranleigh School</a> is top co-ed day and boarding school in Surrey with a dazzling array of facilities, a strong academic offering and a real sense of family and community.</em></strong></p>



<p><strong><em>Cranleigh School, Horseshoe Lane, Cranleigh, GU6 8QQ. Tel: <a href="tel:+441483273666">01483 273666</a>. <a href="https://www.cranleigh.org/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">cranleigh.org</a></em></strong></p>


Head’s up! Samantha Price at Cranleigh School

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