Welcome from the Head

History of the School

Cranleigh School welcomed its very first pupils in September 1865. Led by the first Headmaster, Joseph Merriman, the boys’ school was originally established to provide an education for the sons of the local farming community. Cranleigh opened its doors to girls in the 1990s and became full coeducational in 1999 when the first girls’ house South was opened.

The school was founded with the motto, Ex Cultu Robur (from culture comes strength), which is still used today and which provides an ethos of full participation in both academics and co-curricular activities. It remains a successful formula and today the School enjoys record-breaking examination results as well as pupils who achieve at the highest level in sports, music and drama.