Samantha Price, the new Head of Cranleigh School, speaks out as the school launches new ‘Day’ and ‘Day Plus’ options for pupils, including a free overnight stay once a week in school for Day Plus pupils.
“In this post-Covid era, schools must work harder to meet the needs of modern families and do more to support them. So many families have seen enormous changes to their lifestyles in the past five years and it is incumbent on us, as independent school educators, to be agile and adapt,” said Samantha Price, the new Head of Cranleigh School in Surrey.
Her comments come on the eve of Cranleigh School announcing the launch of a new Day offering for pupils. From 2026, there will be three ways in which pupils can access Cranleigh School’s outstanding education: as a Day, Day Plus or Boarding pupil.
Cranleigh has always welcomed Day pupils and remains predominantly a boarding school with 75% of pupils boarding. All pupils, both Day and Boarding belong to a House and it is a school with a strong and inclusive full-boarding ethos.
From September 2026, Day Plus pupils will be able to stay one night at school a week – at no extra cost – with the option of staying for a second night. These pupils will stay in their own boarding house, along with their boarding friends.
“These changes reflect Cranleigh’s commitment to offering families greater flexibility and our acknowledgment of the great financial pressure many families are facing at this time,” said Ms Price.
Going forward, Day pupils will still participate fully in all academic lessons, along with Cranleigh’s rich array of sporting and co-curricular activities. They will go home at 5.45pm to spend the evening at home.
There are no changes to Cranleigh’s Boarding provision; pupils can spend up to seven nights a week at school, with the flexibility to go home at weekends, as many do, on Saturday afternoons following regular sporting fixtures.
This initiative is just one of many changes since Samantha Price joined Cranleigh School as its new Head in September 2024. Since taking on her new Headship, Ms Price has announced a new Sixth Form centre, spearheaded an entrepreneurship initiative, introduced football for both boys and girls and extended transport links to make it easier for families to access the school’s 280-acre site in Surrey. Having appointed a new Head of Cranleigh Prep School, Will Newman, they have also launched a Pre-Prep School.
“These are exciting times for Cranleigh School, and this new model of Day, Day Plus and Boarding reflects a more forward-thinking and family-focused approach to school life. We know from parent feedback that many of our Day pupils would relish the opportunity of dipping in and out of our vibrant boarding culture and parents and pupils alike will value the option of an occasional overnight stay at school, said Ms Price.
Categories: Cranleigh School School News
