60 seconds with Samantha Price, Head of Cranleigh School

Samantha Price, Head of Cranleigh School, shares insights into her background and educational philosophy

What is your background?
I very much enjoyed my boarding experience at Malvern Girls and, having initially started my career in arts marketing, I quickly realised my true passion was in education. I trained as a teacher of history and art history and went on to enjoy various teaching, boarding and leadership roles in both co-ed and single sex schools. Before Cranleigh I was Head at Godolphin School for three years and then at Benenden for a decade.

What excites you most about your role?
Everything about the role excites me. Cranleigh is a great school with a strong reputation and a fabulous sense of community. I’m delighted to have the opportunity to take the school forward into the next phase of its development at a time when so much in the education landscape is changing.

What is your academic philosophy?
I aim to ensure that every pupil achieves their academic potential through a broad and inspiring curriculum and outstanding teaching and to provide enough opportunities for each child to find their academic passion. At Cranleigh we promote enquiry-based learning, with a breadth of academic enrichment beyond the classroom, to foster cross-curricular understanding as well as referencing the relevance of the external world. Every child matures at a different stage of their journey and I’m proud that, as a broad church, our school can add considerable value to a pupil’s academics. Here, a child at the weaker end of the spectrum will often leave with fantastic results and go on to the top Russell Group universities.

“We can lose sight of the importance of belonging and the role that individual purpose plays in wellbeing and successful outcomes”

Can you tell us about one pivotal moment in your career?
I was a Housemistress at King’s Canterbury and that experience of running a boarding house in a co-ed school developed my passion for boarding environments. It gave me a rich understanding of how a great experience at school can be formative in creating rounded adults with a clear sense of purpose. This role, with its complete immersion in the lives of teenagers and the landscapes they navigate, made me realise that I wanted to achieve senior leadership and have the opportunity to shape and lead a school. The then Headmaster was inspirational and influential in my decision.

What is your school’s approach and what sets it apart?
Cranleigh’s optimum size (300 in the prep school and 700 in the senior school) and its boarding ethos, with staff living onsite, create a depth of community that I believe is unmatched. Our 120 day pupils benefit greatly from this structure. Though our intake is broad, we stretch every pupil to the best of their abilities in the classroom, on the sports pitches and on the stage. Children are seen, known and understood in a truly supportive environment.

What makes a great student?
Someone who is willing to get stuck in and embrace every opportunity that is offered, as well as being able to take guidance and support and, as they get older, someone who wants to give back to the school community and show that they care.

What makes a great school environment?
One of the most important aspects of education is to foster a sense of belonging and individual purpose. It’s vital to create and nurture school cultures in which every single child is known, understood, and supported. Academics are important, of course, but we can lose sight of the importance of belonging and the role that individual purpose plays in wellbeing and successful outcomes. A young person who is valued at school and encouraged to play a wider supporting role in the community will inevitably reach adulthood as a rounder and more giving person who can play a valuable role in the society in which they live.

Cranleigh School cranleigh.org

Further reading: 60 seconds with Joanna Wright, Head of King Edward’s, Witley