eNewsletter – spring term

After getting his private pilot’s licence while studying his A-Levels at Exeter School, Ben Laatz (2022-2024) continued his flying journey after graduating. He spent late 2024 to early 2025 ‘hour building’, which involves gaining a legal amount of flying experience to start the commercial course.

In April 2025, Ben started a six-month full-time theory course in Gloucester, consisting of 13 subjects with a 75% passing grade each. The course provided Ben with opportunities to get up close and personal with helicopters such as the Navy’s Merlin helicopter (see first photo).

He then took on a 35-hour flying course, as well as passing a six-hour flying and knowledge skills test with an examiner. This allowed Ben to get his commercial licence, which is a fantastic accomplishment and the result of many years of hard work and dedication.

📷: Kindly provided by Ben

#ExeterSchoolAlumni

Our OE dinner was held in the Members’ and Strangers’ dining rooms at the House of Commons on Saturday 7 March – hosted by our Acting Head, Graham Bone.

Nearly 170 OEs and friends of the school gathered together, with one OE even jetting in from the Czech Republic to be there - a very remarkable effort to attend indeed.

There was a great spread of different ages, with years spanning from 1956 leavers right up to 2025. It was also wonderful to have former teachers John Davidson (staff, 1976-2018), Mike Wilcock (staff, 1986-2020), Sue Cloke (staff, 1987-2011), and Giles Trelawny (staff, 1993-present) all present.

Everyone enjoyed a sumptuous three course dinner followed by networking opportunities. We hope to see many more OEs at future events.

📷: Exeter School Alumni

#ExeterSchoolAlumni

“You can stretch so much further if you know you’re safe to fall back”

We were thrilled to welcome back alumna Major Rebecca Glover (2004-2013) to the school as the keynote speaker for our annual EdFest conference. It was a captivating talk, where Rebecca shared lessons in resilience from her historic row as part of the first ever all-female army team to cross the 3000-mile expanse of the Atlantic Ocean.

When facing long nights and gruelling conditions, Rebecca emphasised “the power of having a community behind you” and “the bottom line was that you had to be kind to each other”.

You may remember Rebecca also featured in the latest issue of The 1633, discussing her journey since leaving the school, her involvement in the World’s Toughest Row, and what it means to be an Exeter School alumna.

Look out for the next issue of The 1633, coming this June.

📷: Kindly provided by Rebecca. Image source: World’s Toughest Row.

#ExeterSchoolAlumni

“The lessons I learnt at Exeter School and the opportunities I gained as a result of the exceptional facilities and teachers will stay with me for the rest of my life.”

Those are the words of Lilymay Wagstaff (Girvin; 2010-2021) who wouldn’t have been able to access the “endless opportunities at Exeter School” without the support of a bursary.

While at Exeter School, sport was a crucial outlet for Lilymay as she benefitted from the “plethora of sports to take part in and the opportunity to play on various teams.” Her talent and dedication were recognised when she represented both the England and Great Britain water polo teams.

Lilymay later went on to receive a sports scholarship for water polo at Durham University. A fantastic achievement, for which she thanks the school and her housemaster for encouraging her to apply.

To find out how you can help make a difference in a young person’s life, please visit the ‘support us’ page on our website (link available in bio) or contact Alice Holohan, Director of Development and Alumni Relations, at asah@exeterschool.org.uk for more information.

#ExeterSchoolAlumni

This month saw the release of The Girl From the French Fort, an enchanting narrated orchestral work by Exeter School alumnus and composer Nicholas Smith OBE (1982-1986).

We thoroughly enjoyed catching up with Nicholas for a feature in last summer’s The 1633, where he recalled: “I started scribbling music quite young, but it wasn’t until Exeter School that it really went anywhere”.

Nicholas looks back fondly on his time with music teachers Simon Foxall (staff, 1983-2009) and Diana Draisey (staff, 1986-1989) for creating a music department that “allowed students to follow their interests and passions and make mistakes in a forgiving and extraordinarily dynamic environment”.

His latest work, The Girl from the French Fort, tells the magical tale of a curious boy, Sangsang, who forms an unlikely friendship with a mysterious girl living inside the old French fort high above the Yangtze River.

You can find out more via the link in our bio.

#ExeterSchoolAlumni

During this dreary weather, we are dreaming of summer outings like last June’s community service trip to Saltram House.

On a beautiful summer’s day, a group of our sixth formers made the journey down to National Trust’s magical Saltram House, along with the Lens group from St Leonard’s Church.

The idea of the trip was to give people the opportunity to go somewhere they wouldn’t otherwise be able to go, with members of the Lens group commenting on how they “thoroughly enjoyed the opportunity to explore Saltram and the grounds, and to chat with the sixth formers!”

Trips like this one help to capture the school’s long history of welcoming and serving the local community. We would love to hear any stories you may have about the school’s community spirit, please do share in the comments or by sending us a message.

📷: Kindly provided by Mrs Delphine Masters (staff, 2014-present)

#ExeterSchoolAlumni

“Over the years, Ten Tors has grown to be more than just a test of stamina; it has become a rite of passage, instilling a profound sense of accomplishment and respect for Dartmoor’s natural environment.”

Those are the words of former physics teacher John Spivey (staff, 1981-2001), sharing his experiences of Ten Tors at Exeter School. John was one of our dedicated teachers who kindly gave up his weekends to support pupils in developing their resilience, teamwork, leadership and navigation skills.

Ten Tors remains an important part of life here, with current pupils and teachers braving some nasty weather last weekend during their training in Heatree. Follow the link in our bio to read John’s full article.

If you have any fond memories of Ten Tors from your time here, we would love to hear from you. Please do share with us in the comments or by message.

📷: Exeter School Archive

#ExeterSchoolAlumni

After running her first half marathon at age 16 while at Exeter School, alumna Sophie Brook (2005-2016) has now run an impressive ten half marathons and is an ambassador and pacer for one of the largest female only run clubs in London, @runnersandstunners

Sophie is delighted to be running in this year’s @londonmarathon, where she will be raising money for @womens_aid. You can find out more about Sophie’s motivations for supporting Women’s Aid on her fundraising page via the link in our bio.

We wish Sophie the best of luck and would love to hear from other alumni who are taking part in this year’s London Marathon. Please do comment or send us a message so that we can celebrate your journey.

📷: Kindly provided by Sophie (the first photo shows her about to cross the finish line of her first marathon, Barcelona, and the second shows Sophie after collecting her medal post Sydney marathon)

#ExeterSchoolAlumni #LondonMarathon

“I am now studying for a degree in Music Performance at BIMM University Bristol, which I never thought I would be able to do, and probably would not have been possible for me without my many valuable experiences at Exeter School.” - Rafferty Piggott Gill (2011-2021)

We are grateful for all the support we receive from our wonderful alumni community to support our Bursary Fund. Your generous donations help to change the lives of bright and talented young people such as Rafferty, regardless of their financial background.

If you can help change a child’s future by supporting the Bursary Fund, please get in touch with Alice Holohan, Director of Development and Alumni Relations – asah@exeterschool.org.uk or find out more via the link in our bio.

#ExeterSchoolAlumni