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Who We Are

Canford Rugby

Our vision is for a school community where all are 'inspired to explore, empowered to express and challenged to excel.' We are committed to educating pupils to make a real and positive difference in a challenging, diverse and often inequitable world. 

Chris Wheeler - Canford Headmaster

 

From the Headmaster

Canford is a community where learning sits at the heart of all we do.

In meeting our pupils – and you will get a sense of them through this website – it is clear that our focus on nurturing individuals to achieve their aspirations sets them apart.  

Life at Canford is dynamic and fast paced. Our pupils push themselves to bring their best at all times; they seek to learn to lead and they lead with passion and skill.  

Every pupil has a story and every story speaks of their courage to tackle challenge, their engagement in all that they do and their ambition to be part of creating a better tomorrow. 

As technology changes the world our children will grow up in at an ever greater pace, the diversity of the Canford experience has become ever more important. Our pupils learn to give everything a go, to adapt to challenge and to bring compassion to those they meet along the way. They understand themselves and the world around them with emotional intelligence as well as intellect, which means they not only carry outstanding qualifications, they bring heart to all that they do. 

And the driver to Canfordians’ success? They enjoy what they do and celebrate with one another whether winning or losing. The community at Canford is the foundation for our pupils’ learning and gives them the confidence to engage, it is the cushion for their fall when things don’t go their way and it is the hand that helps them up to try again.  

Life isn’t always easy – we wouldn’t want it to be – but when we face challenge with friends and staff that care for us, we will always learn from it and emerge stronger on the other side. 

Just as a play must be performed, so a school must be visited to be understood. No website will capture how our pupils feel about their school or the opportunities they are given here. I do hope you will come and meet them so you can feel that impact first hand. I look forward to meeting you.

Chris Wheeler - Headmaster

Read Headmaster's profile

Our School at a Glance

Key facts and information about the education we offer.

“To build a community of open-minded people who are motivated to embrace learning in all its forms, and committed to making a difference to their own lives, and to the lives of others.  Our exceptional education grants freedom to grow and creates opportunities for all to explore, to express and to excel.”

Our Mission

Our Core Values

When the Reverend Percy Warrington founded Canford in 1923, his aim was to prepare pupils ‘to take their place in the battle of life and develop their character in every way.’  The Foundation was based on Christian values focused on building a tolerant, caring and compassionate society for all. A century later, those values endure. At Canford we are acutely aware of the need to ensure that, whatever pressures may exist or emerge, our educational offering is dynamic and relevant so Canfordians can survive and thrive in the 21st century.  

Canfordians are often commented on as being rounded, grounded individuals, confident without being arrogant, with a real sense of purpose and holding true to the values below when they leave us ready to make their mark on the world.