We are a school rooted in its community where aspirational learning and opportunities transform the lives of our pupils. Our Mission is to transform lives and strengthen our communities to make the world a better place

A heartfelt thank you to all the families who attended our Pupil Progress & Well-being Evenings this week. These face-to-face meetings are invaluable in strengthening our partnership, giving us the opportunity to discuss both academic progress and well-being to ensure the best possible support for your child.

We were especially delighted to welcome Mrs Hardinge, Mrs Turl, and Mrs Padley from St Martin’s, who reconnected with former pupils and their families, shared in the warmth of the evening, and had the chance to see how our Campus has grown since their last visit.

To foster deeper and more meaningful conversations, we now host these evenings three times a year instead of just once. Your time, engagement, and feedback are essential in helping us create the best learning environment for every student.

Thank you for being part of this journey—we look forward to seeing you at the next one!

A huge thank you to the vast majority of our students who wear their uniform with pride every day. Looking smart helps create the right mindset for learning and engagement with the many opportunities available on campus.

For the small number of students who struggle with uniform, we offer loan items, particularly ties. Moving forward, students borrowing uniform will be asked to swap their phone in exchange, which will be returned at the end of the day when the item is returned.

Pupil Services are always looking for any used, outgrown secondary uniform. If you can spare any clean uniform or ties, please bring it to the main reception anytime between 8am and 4pm. Many thanks.

We are proud to have been featured as a case study in a newly published report from the South-West Social Mobility Commission, based at the University of Exeter. The study highlights our Cradle-to-Career approach and the creation of the EX5 Alive Community Hub, reinforcing our commitment to supporting young people beyond the classroom.

Our leadership team has been exploring The DOSE Effect by TJ Power, an insightful book that introduces 20 simple habits to boost brain chemistry and enhance mental and physical well-being. Many of these habits are particularly relevant for our students:

📱 Phone fasting – Reducing social media use to improve mental well-being (Dopamine)
🤝 Real-world connections – Prioritising in-person interactions (Oxytocin)
🌿 Nature & nutrition – Spending time outdoors and avoiding high-sugar foods (Serotonin)
🏃‍♂️ Exercise & laughter – Moving more and finding joy in daily life (Endorphins)

For those interested, you can find the book here: The DOSE Effect on Amazon

Research shows that well-nourished children concentrate better, perform higher academically, and have improved overall well-being. To support their learning, please ensure that your child's account has sufficient funds for them to purchase food at school or that they bring a packed lunch or snacks from home. We have noticed an increasing number of pupils with overdrawn accounts or requesting their accounts to be unlocked as they do not have food for the day.

In an emergency, we will unlock a pupil’s account to ensure they can eat, but please be aware that any overdrawn balances will need to be repaid. If you would prefer that your child does not have this option, please email reception@cranbrook.education to let us know.

We work closely with our catering provider Dolce to ensure students are provided with healthy and nutritious meals. If you have any comments or feedback you wish to share about the food, we welcome you contacting us by emailing reception@cranbrook.education

We understand that mental health challenges can affect the whole family. Parental Minds provides essential support for parents and caregivers navigating issues like anxiety, self-harm, and school attendance concerns.

💙 Find out more: Parental Minds

We have a number of staff and students who have a severe allergic reaction to nuts and peanuts and it is important that we keep them safe. In this regard, we ask that students, staff and visitors do not bring products containing nuts and peanuts into school.

Products that should not be brought into school include:

· Peanuts and nuts and products containing peanuts or nuts

· Peanut butter and peanut based chocolate snacks (snickers / reece’s pieces, Nutella etc)

· Items where peanuts or nuts are listed as main ingredients

· Nut or peanut based oils or products

Products that are allowed:

· Items that “may contain nuts” and “may contain traces of nuts” or “made in factories that use nuts”. These present a low risk and are not direct ingredients in the products

· All other non nut-based snacks and food stuff.

Thinking caps at the ready for World Book Day 2025...

We have recently discovered pupils are using Snus and it seems that nicotine pouches are the new thing on the block. They are the fastest growing nicotine delivery product in the US and are becoming increasingly popular in the UK and in UK schools. This article should provide useful information for all parents/carers/families.

Derived from traditional Swedish Snus, nicotine pouches provide a tobacco-free, smoking experience. They are manufactured using a form of dehydrated nicotine with added flavours (think cherry, strawberry, mint), and they usually contain plant fibres and sweeteners. They generally contain 8mg of nicotine per pouch but nicotine levels maybe higher or lower (0 to 20mg). They are sold in supermarkets and online and cost approximately £5 for twenty – brands you might come across include Velo and Nordic Spirit. Unlike smoking or vaping nicotine pouches can be used anywhere, at any time, because they are tucked neatly between the lip and gum, and produce no vapour, smoke, or smell.

They are usually kept in the mouth for up to an hour and must not be swallowed (seek medical advice if swallowed). Whilst the absence of tobacco is a good thing, nicotine is highly addictive, and being able to access it in such a discreet way means young people are using it to get a nicotine hit in lessons.

Nicotine pouches are not considered to be medicinal products and whilst they might resemble other nicotine replacement products like gum and lozenges, there is no body of evidence showing that they are effective in helping people quit smoking.

The pouches are not technically classed as tobacco products under UK law, and so can be legally sold to under-18s and advertised and sold on social media, unlike vapes, and you only have to look at the packaging to know that the manufacturers have children in their sights.

Whilst nicotine pouches are undoubtedly less harmful than smoking, they are not harm free. For all of us nicotine increases our heart rate and causes a surge of dopamine which creates feelings of pleasure and reward, but the feeling of reward is short lived meaning people must do more to get more, and so the cycle of use/addiction is established.

Nicotine is a psychoactive substance which is particularly harmful to the developing teenage brain. It can negatively impact the parts of the brain that control attention, learning, mood, and impulse control, but there are many other side effects associated with nicotine use, including:

Nicotine pouches can have additional side effects, including:

It is important that we all talk to young people about the risks associated with nicotine pouches so that they can make informed choices. You might find the story of David James, the former England Football goalkeeper who talks about his experience of using snus and The Professional Footballers’ Association who are carrying out research in the use of snus, useful starting points for conversations.

What are the current Regulations of Nicotine Pouches?

• Europe – UK: Since Nicotine pouches are tobacco-free products and they do not have medicinal claims, they are not regulated either by Tobacco and Related Products Regulations (TRPR) or by the MHRA . The most applicable regulation is the General Product Safety Regulations (GPSR). Recently the COT Committee on Toxicity of Chemicals in Food, Consumer Products and the Environment has published a preliminary paper to discuss the bioavailability of nicotine and other ingredients from the use of oral nicotine pouches and assessment of risk to users.

By Alicia Drummond, Therapist and Founder of The Wellbeing Hub

If you wish to check your child’s eligibility for Free School Meals, please use the Devon Citizens Portal This is the quickest and easiest way to apply and will result in you getting an instant decision.

Alternatively, call the Education Helpline on 0345 155 1019 who will check eligibility, answer questions and help with your application.

If your child needs to make a statement following an incident at school, please use the QR code to access the required form.

A polite reminder to families that cycle or scoot to school that these should not be ridden anywhere on site. We ask please for you to dismount from your bike / scooter at the school gates and use the shelters provided. It is essential that bikes and scooters left on site are secured using bike locks!

We have a small car park at the campus that is intended for use by blue badge visitors and staff who live outside of Cranbrook only. Please walk to the campus where possible and if you do need to drive to the campus, there is plenty of on road parking available. Please remember to park sensibly and safely for our neighbours.

Thank you

Its that time of year when there are lots of bugs being passed around. Sometimes it’s difficult to know whether your child should come to school or not. The poster below gives a bit more guidance

If you are ever unsure or would like further advice, please speak to one of our attendance team. You can contact them on attendance@cranbrook.education

Please note: We are also able to keep and administer medication in school if the correct form is filled in. Please speak to our Reception Team to arrange this

Handwashing is really important this time of year, please encourage your child to do this regularly to avoid the spread of germs.

Absences need to be reported no later than 8.30am. To make this process as easy as possible for you, there are various ways that you can do this:

1. The School Number – 01404 823293 (Please leave a message)
2. Via email - attendance@cranbrook.education
3. Via MCAS or the link on the website home page

For all options please state your child’s full name, class and reason for absence. If you do not contact the school your child will be given an automatic unauthorised absence, these remain on their school records.

All of the above options are checked every morning. While we are unable to reply to all messages, please rest assured they will be recorded.

Despite the wet weather, ten of our pupils had an unforgettable experience thanks to Exeter Chiefs and Maddy’s Mark, who hosted a truly special day filled with rugby, inspiration, and excitement.

The pupils kicked off the day with an exclusive one-on-one training session led by a professional Exeter Chiefs coach. This hands-on experience gave them valuable insights into the game, helping them develop their skills and confidence on the field.

The highlight of the day came when our pupils had the incredible honor of leading the Exeter Chiefs Women’s team onto the pitch for their Premiership clash against Sale Sharks. Walking side by side with elite athletes in front of the roaring crowd was a moment they will cherish forever.

After their unforgettable walk-on experience, the pupils settled in to enjoy the thrilling match, cheering on the Chiefs as they battled it out against their opponents. The energy and passion displayed by the team were truly inspiring, leaving a lasting impression on our young rugby enthusiasts.

A huge thank you to Exeter Chiefs and Maddy’s Mark for making this experience possible. The day was a perfect blend of fun, learning, and inspiration, proving once again the power of sport to bring people together and create lifelong memories

Tickets are now available to purchase for the School Disco on Thursday 13th February for the Year 7, 8 & 9 pupils. Tickets are priced at £3 each and are available to purchase through MCAS. There will also be a tuck shop available on the evening.

As always, we would like to thank our wonderful PTA who put on these events for our pupils. Should you have any ideas, or wish to contact them, please email pta@cranbrook.education

Bicton College Open Days:

26th April 2025: 10:00 am - 12:00 pm

Bicton College Taster Days:

17th February 2025: 9:00 am - 3:30 pm

28th May 2025: 9:00 am - 3:30 pm

Events - Bicton College

23rd April 2025: 5:00 pm - 7:00 pm

Duchy College Stoke Climsland Taster Days:

18th February 2025: 9:00 am - 3:00 pm

27th May 2025: 9:00 am - 3:00 pm

Events - Duchy College

A polite reminder to families that cycle or scoot to school that these should not be ridden on site. We ask please for you to dismount from your bike / scooter at the school gates and use the shelters provided. Thank you

Pupils in the top Maths classes in year 9,10 and 11 really put their mathematical skills to the test this week by participating in the UK Maths trust Intermediate Maths Challenge. This 25 question multiple choice challenge is sat by young people all over the UK and we are really proud how well they engaged and put their minds to the difficult questions they were presented with. We look forward to seeing how they have done when the results come in a few weeks. This is a question from last year's paper. How would you have got on?

Year 7, 8 & 9

Lets celebrate the pupils who have be Proud, Engaged, Ready, Kind and Safe this week

Year 7

Year 9

P - Everyone involved with pupil parliament who have all been working really hard this week

R- Bertie for being ready to be awesome everyday

E - J’miyah Lock for being super engaged in Art

K - Ruby Soper and Ellie Cook for being really kind and also helping at parents evening

S - Julian and Matt for being a really positive presence on the sandy park trip

Year 10

Proud: Mia Edwards for being proactive with the organising her work experience, well done.

Please take a moment to review the Key Dates and mark your calendars accordingly. If you have any questions or need further details please email

Please note that details of our Privacy Policies can be found here

Thank you for your continued support in making our school community so vibrant and connected.