Cranbrook apologises for ‘past failings’, promises ‘cultural change’ in letter to parents

In a letter to parents, a week into school holidays, the president of Cranbrook’s council, Geoff Lovell, apologised and promised to bring about change.

Cranbrook has concluded its six-month review of the school’s culture and apologised to its community for what it describes, in thin detail, as “past failings”.

In a letter dropped to parents late Friday – a week into students’ three-week September spring break ensuring school’s executive team can dodge objectionable calls from parents or media for a while at least – president of the school council Geoff Lovell kept his messaging positive and brief as he offered a glimmer of reassurance to concerned parents and teachers waiting to learn how the prestigious soon-to-be co-ed school will enforce cultural change.

This change, states Lovell in his single page document, will come via updates to the school’s whistleblower policy document, its pastoral care program via “increased resources and training”, a review into “bullying and harassment processes” via surveys and, among other things, the introduction of a “new respectful relationships policy”.

Cranbrook School's council president Geoff Lovell sent the letter to parents during the school holidays.

The council president remained regretably vague on the worrying fact that during a three-month reporting window for complainants, from April to July, the school’s independent review panel, comprised of an education specialist team from law firm Thomson Geer and educator Amanda Bell, received 76 reports from members of the community.

That number again, 76.

It’s hardly a small figure.

Lovell sought to reassure the Cranbrook community “the majority raised concerns either for the first time or that were already known to the school.”

He added some feedback was positive and a “vast majority” had been addressed.

“A small number of matters,” he went on, “.. are ongoing or still with the review team. The school acknowledges that not everyone who has participated will be satisfied with the school’s responses.”

In just a few months, there were 76 reports made to an independent review panel.

School sources yesterday said that while they took comfort from the council president’s assurance that “no concerns of child sexual assault were raised about current staff” they remained troubled by the lack of transparency concerning issues raised in a Four Corners’ investigation broadcast earlier this year.

Critically these relate to fears that a toxic boys club culture permeates at Cranbrook and stifles the careers of female teachers some of who have reported feeling bullied, marginalised and unsafe.

Lovell’s letter fails to offer any specific insight on what the review panel will do to address these allegations.

With the school now counting down to the introduction of female students in 2026 parents are eager to hear what positive practical change might come from the review.

“The point of this review was to look at serious governance issues that have persisted at Cranbrook and that stretch back years – to identify them – and to look at what has and can be done to improve governance and give confidence to parents at the school. You would expect there to be changes to the school’s governance structure or leadership team as a result of this review,” said one source close to the school. “Will there be?” 

Sources within Cranbrook School were troubled by the lack of transparency surrounding issues raised in a Four Corners investigation.

Lovell’s school council, whose term was extended in May while the review was in full swing, can ill afford for the review to be branded a whitewash.

Back in March, after Four Corners applied a torch to the school’s former principal Nicholas Sampson and some members of his executive team, the school council backed Sampson, with whom it has been closely aligned since the previous council stepped down in November 2022 amid ugly public debate over the Sampson-backed plan to take Cranbrook co-ed.

The council was broadly criticised for supporting Sampson in March and then backflipping as he resigned in the wake of the Four Corners’ report.

The backflip was triggered by revelations of a historical incident involving a senior male teacher who sent sexually explicit messages to one of his former Mt St Benedict College female students.

Former Cranbrook principal Nicholas Sampson resigned following the Four Corners report. Picture: Supplied

In June Sampson reached a confidential settlement with the school over his treatment.

Lovell’s council subsequently released a humbling statement.

“The council made a public statement on 8 March 2024 to the effect that Mr Sampson had failed to report to the school council allegations of historic misconduct involving a Cranbrook senior school teacher while employed at another school,” it said.

“We confirm that was a reference to the school council as constituted on that date and that council did not intend to suggest otherwise. The council wishes to clarify that Mr Sampson did report the matter to a differently constituted council in 2015 and acknowledges that it’s statement may have caused confusion.”

Just further proof, say some, that the changes needed at Cranbrook are still yet to come.