- Cranleigh opened in 1865 following proposals put forward by the MP for West Surrey George Cubitt for a school that would provide “a sound and plain education based 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”.
- Sports include rugby, cricket, football, hockey, lacrosse and badminton, plus fives, cross-country, kayaking and bouldering. The Combined Cadet Force and Duke of Edinburgh’s Award scheme are also popular. There are 70 concerts and several plays each year, a musical every two years, and pupils can join the theatre tech and music tech teams.
- There are house competitions in maths, debating, spelling, chess and photography. The school offers dance lessons and the houses run activities from jewellery-making to baking and history of art.
- Cranleigh’s literacy outreach programme has involved thousands of pupils at local state schools, and it partners with a local primary school to fund book ownership, stock the library and run author workshops and theatre shows.
- Scholarships start at 5 per cent of fees and can be topped up by means-tested bursaries, covering up to 100 per cent of fees. There are also places fully funded by the Cranleigh Foundation for children who have suffered trauma.
- Notable former pupils include the film producer Eric Fellner, the journalist and editor Alan Rusbridger, the playwright Patrick Marber, the cricketer Ollie Pope and the TV personality Olivia Attwood.
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