Headteacher’s Welcome

Dear Parents and Carers

The opportunity to educate other people’s children is a rare privilege, bringing with it a huge responsibility to provide the best all-round education possible as we aim to prepare young people for happiness and success in their adult lives. At Ranelagh we take this responsibility extremely seriously. We care about the individual and pride ourselves in the warmth of a community in which all our students feel valued.

We live in exciting and fast changing times and this means that providing an outstanding, progressive and well-rounded education is more important than ever. Of course examination results matter and at Ranelagh our students consistently achieve excellent results in all areas of the curriculum, giving them access to the top universities in the UK and overseas. In its latest Ofsted inspection report of March 2015, Ranelagh is judged to be an outstanding school that ‘provides an excellent education for all of its students, preparing them well for their futures and for life in modern Britain.’  However, this is just one aspect of the education at Ranelagh and students are supported to show ambition both within and beyond the classroom.

As a Church of England School, supported by the diocese of Oxford, education at Ranelagh is provided within the context of Christian belief and practice. In its latest SIAMS (Statutory Inspection of Anglican and Methodist Schools) report of April 2019, Ranelagh is referred to as ‘a school in which a deeply held, strongly Christian vision shapes all aspects of its work’;  the school is described as a place in which that vision is lived out as ‘a harmonious, vibrant, and successful learning community’.  This is a happy school in which we encourage an understanding of the meaning and significance of faith and promote Christian values through the experiences we offer each individual.

School should be fun and happy children are more likely to be successful.  We see it as our responsibility to bring out our students’ talents, to broaden their interests and to develop their personal qualities.  The Ranelagh Student Learner Profile qualities underpin everything that we do and are an integral part of our culture and ethos.  We aim to foster confidence, resilience, curiosity, creativity, empathy and independence so that students are ready to make a really positive contribution to their wider community.

Tradition is important at Ranelagh and still shapes some of our guiding principles but we seek to build on the past while looking to the future. This is, and will remain, a forward-thinking school that enthusiastically embraces innovation and new opportunity.

I hope that you will accept my invitation to visit Ranelagh.  It is a truly remarkable school, and it will be a privilege to welcome you here.

Yours sincerely

Timothy Griffith BEd (Hons)

Headteacher