Claire Lock (pictured) is responsible for identifying children who would benefit from a Foundationer place at Cranleigh. Using her experience as a boarding Housemistress, most recently here in South House, Claire is ideally placed to assess and recommend children who would thrive in a boarding school setting to the Foundation trustees. Here Claire writes about the process of how we find Foundationers.
We are very proud of the life-transforming opportunities we provide at Cranleigh through our Foundationer places.
By giving a boarding place in Cranleigh’s nurturing environment to a child who, through no fault of their own, is affected by adverse conditions, we are able to offer them an extra level of support through our pastoral care system as well as all the other benefits that a Cranleigh education has to offer.
Candidates need to demonstrate a reason why they would benefit from the stable, secure and structured environment we offer thus allowing them to thrive in all aspects of their lives. All our bursary places are means-tested.
You can find out what background circumstances might make a child eligible for one of our Foundationer places by following this link.
How can Cranleigh help a child who has significant pastoral need?
Cranleigh gives a child-focussed setting to allow all pupils to thrive as well as having the pastoral knowledge and experience to nurture children. Staff receive regular training in caring for children who face additional emotional need, such as those who have suffered trauma, dislocated family backgrounds, and separation issues.
The House system forms the basis upon which our pupils’ wellbeing and sense of community is built.
We have an on-site counselling team (see Lucie Howell’s article about counselling at Cranleigh) based at our health centre.
We have developed our own online pastoral tracking system for all pupils which pastoral staff use to identify any issues which their pupils may be experiencing.
We also use AS (Affective Social) Tracking which is an adolescent mental health tracking tool that enables schools to identify pupils’ hidden risks early (see Sam Cooke’s article).
How do we help Foundationers’ families?
The pastoral system we offer at Cranleigh gives wrap-around care for children in a boarding house setting thus sharing the care with their parents and guardians. This partnership between home and Cranleigh has proven successful in supporting children to navigate the demands of teenage life and to help the children to become the best versions of themselves.
What is the application process?
Anyone interested in learning more about the Foundation and eligibility criteria is very welcome to contact me for an informal discussion in the first instance.
There are two ways of applying for a Foundationer place:
- A child’s carer directly approaches me via the Admissions Office
- A child is nominated for a place by one of our partner organisations, e.g. the Royal National Children’s SpringBoard Foundation or the Surrey Virtual School
The application process usually starts in the September before the child is due to start a new academic year. The child’s carers submit an application form, and, if they meet the criteria for a Foundationer place, the child is then invited to visit Cranleigh to meet key staff for an assessment.
I then put forward recommendations for the next academic year’s candidates to the Cranleigh Foundation board of trustees for their approval. If a child is offered a Foundationer place, their carer will be required to complete an income form so we can assess their financial circumstances.