Cranleigh has been named as one of the finalists at this year’s Independent School of the Year Awards. The news comes as the School is also recognised for its sustainability credentials and the forward-thinking work it does to prepare students for the world of work.
Surrey, Friday 12th September 2025
We’re delighted to announce success at three different education awards in the early weeks of the Michaelmas Term. As well as being a finalist in the co-educational category of the Independent School of the Year Awards, the School has made it to the final three in the Sustainability Champion category of the School House Awards and won the Talk Education Entrepreneurship and Business Award.
Sam Price, Head at Cranleigh School said: “Thank you to the staff at Cranleigh for their hard work and dedication to providing a truly exceptional experience for students. These awards show that Cranleigh is amongst the very best independent schools in the country. It’s especially pleasing to be recognised for our co-educational model, our work in the Sixth Form and our efforts to be more conscious of the environment.”
The Sustainability Champion Award recognises schools where ‘environmental awareness is a verb, not a noun’. The judges say they are looking for schools ‘with a really innovative plan, which puts sustainability and green concerts at the heart of the operation’. The winner will be announced next month.
The Talk Education win reflects a year of innovation at Cranleigh’s Sixth Form, which has included a new entrepreneurship programme and the opening of a new Sixth Form Centre.
Teddy Wolstenholme, Talk Education Editorial Director, said: “We were really impressed by your ‘Cran Do’ initiative and the ways the programme encourages hands-on, entrepreneurial thinking. We are thrilled to be able to help you celebrate this through our Entrepreneurship and Business award.”
Talk Education describes Cranleigh as ‘good for girls, good for boys, not greedy for the sportiest or the cleverest, but rather valuing what every pupil brings to the community.’ and says that the School has ‘a real family atmosphere and a down-to-earth attitude with happy, well-rounded children confident in their own abilities.’
We are also pleased to be named in the final five establishments in the Co-ed Independent School of the Year Award, with the winners being announced next month.
Dr Helen Wright, chair of the judging panel, said: “The judges have been particularly struck by the resilience and determination shown by the UK independent schools’ sector in the face of unprecedented challenge to their existence. Independent schools across the world, it is clear, are working harder than ever to ensure that their students – and the whole community – will develop into well-rounded human global citizens who are able to make the most of their own skills, in order to contribute positively to humanity.”
This news comes in the week the School was positively reviewed in the new Tatler Schools Guide.
Tori Cadogan, Tatler’s Education Editor, said: “Your inclusion is the culmination of a year’s worth of research, which has included travelling thousands of miles up and down the country to visit schools, and carefully reviewing 2,500 parent and pupil questionnaires – as well as asking ourselves whether we would actually send our children to this school if we lived nearby.”
With the new term well underway, the recognition from these awards shows that the School’s bold new vision – derived from its motto ‘from our culture comes strength’ – is already starting to make an impact.
For more information, please contact Steven George, Director of Communications at Cranleigh School smg@cranleigh.org or telephone 07539164695
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