Yesterday was all go here at CPS. Speech Day, in the morning, was full of mixed emotions as we said farewell to Mike and Carolyn after ten years of excellent service here, whilst celebrating all the wonderful things that have taken place here over the past year.
An enormous thank you to our superb performers and our speakers, particularly Charlie and Georgie (Head boy and Head girl), and our extra guest speaker, Mrs Mould who spoke about Mike and Carolyn on behalf of the parents.
A surprise presentation of gifts followed, including a fabulous elephant sculpture and a stunning painting of Cranleigh Prep School by Rob Perry, Head of Art.
After a special farewell lunch in the Dining Room for governors and invited guests, Anthony Townsend, former long-serving Chairman of the Governors, officially opened the Townsend Building before crowds of pupils, parents, staff and Old Cranleighans.
Guests then enjoyed tours of this wonderful new, innovative academic building, situated at the heart of the School. There were lots of ‘wows’ as they explored the state-of the-art facilities for design, art, sciences and food technology. Clad in beautiful timber that blends with the surrounding trees and green space, the building also has a viewing balcony perfect for watching cricket and other sports.
The modern building, sensitively integrated into the established heritage buildings, will provide a healthy natural learning environment for many new generations of children.
This exciting project was very much Mike’s brainchild and we’ve watched it take shape with anticipation since March 2017. Behind the scenes he’s been working closely with award-winning architects, Tate Harmer and contractors Blue Forest to ensure its success and, as a result, has transformed the campus.
Mike says: “I am delighted to see the completion of this incredible new facility for CPS. I have really enjoyed working with Tate Harmer and Blue Forest over the last two years to produce an incredible learning space that is sustainable and beautiful as well.”
We are delighted that Mike will not be leaving the Cranleigh Family of Schools as he takes the helm of Cranleigh Abu Dhabi in September. Neil Brooks, who will be joining us to take up the reigns in September, was also present at the Townsend Building launch yesterday. 
.Rory Harmer, Partner at Tate Harmer says, “Working on buildings such as the Eden Project has given us an extensive knowledge of carefully inserting structures into some of the most sensitive natural settings. We wanted this building to respond to the surrounding landscape and create an opportunity for students to be engaged and interact with it. This new building on the school site will improve learning and set the tone for the future development of Cranleigh Prep.”
