Senior Reflections Week 14 January 2026
Dear parents,
It was great to this week welcome back pupils and staff after the Christmas break. I very much hope that you and your families enjoyed a restful and happy holiday. I am also especially delighted to welcome back Mrs Cartwright who rejoins the maths team after her maternity leave.
In other news, you will have seen my message yesterday outlining the changes announced at Exeter Cathedral School for the next academic year. While this news brings with it a sense of real sadness, we are also genuinely pleased to be able to play our part in preserving the cityβs outstanding choral tradition. If you have not yet read my message, please do follow the link shared yesterday.
It was a very cold start to the week, and I would like to take this opportunity to remind everyone to travel only if it is safe to do so, and to keep an eye on the school website should severe weather impact the operation of the school. I am extremely grateful to our wonderful operations team, who worked from before sunrise each day to ensure that the site was safe for pupils and staff. A further practical reminder if I may: at busy times, can I ask you to please continue to park safely and considerately, including when using local neighbourhood roads. This small courtesy makes a significant difference in reducing congestion and, most importantly, in maintaining a safe environment for all members of our community.
This week our Upper Fifth (Year 11) pupils have been sitting their trial examinations; an important milestone as they move towards their GCSEs this summer. In speaking with many of them, I have been struck by their calm confidence, tempered with just the right amount of nervousness. I wish them well for their remaining exams next week.
As is typical of the start of term, this week has been filled with meetings as we look ahead to what I am sure will be another superb term. We have held parental meetings for the forthcoming sixth form trip to Ireland and the middle school ski trip, alongside staff meetings focused on learning and teaching, and the ever-evolving role of AI in education.
This weekend I am looking forward to the first boysβ hockey fixtures of the season, with a block against Blundellβs, while the netball season gathers momentum with our own internal netball tournament. Saturday also sees our senior school entrance testing day. A busy occasion and I wish all those attending the very best of luck.
The first Choral Society rehearsal took place this week. As Mr Tamblyn is fond of saying, βIf you can speak, you can sing,β and there is still time for parents and friends of the school to βsing upβ (typo intended) and join us for this wonderful community event. Further details can be found via the link.
Finally, I would like to share an email I received on the last day of the autumn term, which I also shared with staff on Monday. It read:
βToday we were in Wagamama, Exeter for lunch and halfway through were joined on the next table by five young ladies. Having witnessed their polite and confident conversation with the waiting staff I said quietly to my partner, βI bet they are from Exeter School.β
By then my curiosity had got the better of me and I asked them if they were from Exeter School. They confirmed my suspicions, and we had a short but very pleasant conversation with them.
The purpose of this email is to congratulate them, you and your staff for continuing to turn out the sort of people that you hope your children would turn out to be.
They appeared confident, educated, polite and well-rounded in every way.β
Messages like this fill me with joy. Your children continue to make Exeter School an inspiring place to work, and I very much look forward to celebrating their continued growth and varied successes throughout 2026 (and beyond!)
