The end of term has seen Wild Wonder Week. This fantastic, week-long extravaganza of all things nature-based is an opportunity for our pupils to get outside and connect with nature through a variety of fun and inspiring events. We started off with an outdoor candle making event, using Mullein stalks harvested in our grounds and repurposed wax. This is a traditional type of outdoor candle, used since at least Roman times and also called a Witches’ tallow.
Next, we were so lucky to have Outdoor Chapel – a first for Cranleigh. It was a wonderful occasion and I can only thank everyone who worked so hard to make this such an inspiring event. If you didn’t see it, I urge you to watch the highlights video, set to the beautiful singing of Cody and Ted:
Cranleigh School – Chapel Outdoors from Cranleigh School on Vimeo.
Later that evening we celebrated Midsummer and the longest day with a joyous celebration as the sun went down. We lit the outdoor candles made a few days earlier and processed to our lovely spot overlooking Bluetts. Here we lit a fire and did all kinds of fun and celebratory acts. First, we made floral headdresses, then we acted out a hilarious 5 minute ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’. Next Mrs Leena Kantlin-Weaver treated us to some Finnish Midsummer folk music and we improvised some epic folk dancing around the fire. I’m not sure Mr McDonald’s Strictly dancers wouldn’t have felt too threatened but it was an act of pure joy. We tried the cider made from the School Apple trees blessed at the previous year’s Wassail, pressed by pupils into juice last autumn and maturing as cider since then, completing the year’s turning. Speaking of turning, we then all rolled down the hill. If Outdoor Chapel feels like a new Cranleigh tradition, so does celebrating Midsummer in our beautiful grounds.
Monday and Tuesday saw the Fourth Form Wild Adventure Days with the entire year out for two days. Half of the pupils each day did the glorious hike along the Seven Sisters cliffs, whilst the others went Kayaking, orienteering, paint-balling or on a foraging and nature session with campfire cookery. The weather was fantastic and these events really help to get young people out into nature and connecting with the world around them. A huge thanks to Mr Money and Mrs Taylor for all their organisation, as well as everyone that helped out.
Wednesday brought the final event, which was a visit from Connie at Wild About Britain. Connie brought some amazing endangered UK animals to visit us: a kestrel, a smooth snake, a toad, a tawny owl and the group favourite, a very sleepy hedgehog! The pupils and staff alike were held spellbound and it was amazing to see the power nature and living creatures have over the human imagination.
Throughout the week we ran Outdoor Learning lessons to get staff and pupils outdoors into our amazing grounds. Outdoor Leaning has proven benefits for physical and mental health, focus and concentration, energy levels, creativity and empathy and, crucially, provides moments of memorable, inspiring learning for pupils – moments they will hopefully remember for the rest of their lives.
A huge thanks to everyone who participated, helped or got involved with all these wonderful events. Here’s to a wild and wonderful summer holidays.
Mr Phil Leamon, Head of Sustainability and Environmental Education
