Housemaster – Mr Simon Bird, BA (French and Spanish)
Housemaster of East since 2007, and previously Deputy Housemaster of Cubitt, Mr Simon Bird has been teaching at Cranleigh for nine years. Besides teaching languages and looking after the House, he coaches the swimming and water-polo teams. During term time, he lives on-site with his wife and two children – during the holidays, he can regularly be spotted leading the charge around Europe on ‘study trips’.

Deputy Housemaster – Mr Richard Humes, MA (Natural Sciences)
Phone: 01483 542073 e-mail: rach@cranleigh.org

Hailing originally from Belfast, Mr Richard Humes joined the School five years ago when the excitement of life as an equities trader began to pall. After three years as a Tutor in the House he was appointed Deputy Housemaster from September 2008. Richard is Head of Physics, until recently was also Head of Rugby and coaches cricket, netball and basketball. He is also a great “outdoors” man and has run school expeditions to Tanzania and Ecuador.

Day Warden– Mr Rob Lane, MEng
Phone: 01483 542037 e-mail: rgl@cranleigh.org

As Day Warden Mr Rob Lane has a special responsibility towards the 30 or so day boys in the House. He is also a tutor to the IV Form. He graduated from the University of Bath as an aerospace engineer with the intention of persuing a career as an engineering consultant. After a brief period working at Cranleigh after university he ‘saw the light’ and decided to swap a career in industry for that of a teacher. He teaches both physics and design, coaches rugby and is involved in the CCF and Duke of Edinburgh Award scheme. He also chairs the VI Form BUTTS committee and plays a mean game of pool!

TUTORS

Dr Dan Hogg joined the School in September to teach Classics. He joins us in East after stints lecturing at the University of St Andrews and in a postdoctoral research position in Munich, Germany. While a postgraduate at Oxford, he was awarded his Hockey Blue as goalkeeper.

Mr Paul Leggitt is Head of the English Department and is a long-time member of the East staff, having been Deputy Housemaster of the previous incarnation of East House before the House was merged with 2 North. With his eloquent wit and fund of hilarious stories, Paul is an accomplished raconteur, helped in no small part by his extensive travels around the globe.

Not to be underestimated on the snooker table, Mr Peter Longshaw is a long-serving member and former Head of the English Department and a keen follower of the turf. His passion for and knowledge of classical music is the stuff of legend. Peter also runs the Inter-House Quiz competitions and the School quiz team and as Assistant Director of the Communications Team is editor of The Cranleighan and Cranleigh Matters.

An East Tutor for several years, Mr Stuart Welch’s main role is as the school cricket professional, and is the key element behind the outstanding record of the First XI in recent years. He also coaches football and last season his rugby side were only minutes away from an undefeated season.

 
MATRONS 
Mrs Jenny Reilly has been a Matron in the House for seven years and is widely seen as the person most likely to know what is going on in the House. From a nursing background originally, she also has the all-important motherly touch that is a crucial part of the Matron’s role.

Ms Sue Neill also has a background in nursing and is well prepared for her role as “mother to 100 sons” thanks to her vast experience as a foster parent and her previous experience working in a similar role in other schools.

The House can be broadly divided into three main areas.

At the centre of the House, we have the wonderfully cosy and atmospheric charm of “The Ship” with the House Room as its hub. It is here that the majority of Lower School boys have their rooms - in twos and threes mostly - and this is also where you find the main Television Room, the Games Room and Matron’s Room. A key feature of The Ship is the IVth Form dormitory, a fantastic dormitory for up to 12 boarders where so many lifelong friendships have taken root. It is a crucial element of the bonding and adventure that are so much a part of their first year in East, and it is quite common for the departing UVI to refer to their year in “the dorm” as one of the highlights of their time at Cranleigh and to beg to be allowed back in for their final week of school.

On the East side of the Quad we have two corridors of VIth Form rooms, which give the East Wing the feel of a university hall of residence. The greater independence and space is excellent preparation for their next step into Higher Education.

In the West Wing of the House we have the “Old Day Res”, which has recently been refurbished to provide a new VIth Form Common Room and various new studies. This refurbishment has been a key part of the process to fully integrate the day boys and boarders within the House.

At the centre of it all is the Housemaster’s House, and above it the Deputy’s Housemaster’s flat, with the result that there’s not too much that the boys can get up to without one or other of us finding out about it!

We are also lucky to have the East Lawn – a vast swathe of lawn on the front of the School which is the special privilege of the East boys.