Pre-Prep Reflections 19 June 2026
Dear parents,
This week started with a school council meeting on Monday, in which we looked at the proposed lunch menu for the autumn term, and finished today with a timely visit from Jenny Spendlove, one of the cooks from Exeter School who prepares the pre-prep lunches. This was her first visit to Exeter Pre-Prep, giving her the chance to see how the lunch service is organised and chat to the children and staff about their views on the food. I think it’s delicious!
‘Ready for Anything’ drill
Yesterday morning, we held our first unannounced ‘Ready for Anything’ drill, which is similar to a lockdown procedure. Following on from last term’s soft walk-through, this gave us the opportunity to test the siren from inside the building and see whether the children and staff remembered the ‘invacuation’ procedure that we had rehearsed previously. Sure enough, they all left their classrooms calmly and quietly, and made their way into the hall where they were registered while the building was secured. The speed at which this all happened was highly impressive and I didn’t hear any talking! The children were reassured that it was a practice and that they had done brilliantly, before launching into a singing assembly with Mrs Dray.
UK School Dog of the Year
You may remember that Ruffles was recently ‘highly commended’ in the primary school category for UK School Dog of the Year, an award given out by the National School Dog Alliance (NSDA) in partnership with Swansea University. Entries had to show how each dog works with pupils, the difference they make to the children and school community, and how we prioritise canine welfare, training, enrichment and ongoing assessment. Yesterday afternoon, we were invited to join an online celebration by the NSDA, along with other highly commended primary, secondary and special school dogs! Isabella and Ted from Year 2 joined me and Ruffles on a Zoom meeting where we found out more about the work of the NSDA and this year’s overall winner, Sunshine, a rescue dog from Cyprus who supports children with social, emotional and mental health needs at Octavia House School in London.
Next week
We are looking forward to welcoming Dr Rainbow, the incoming Head of Exeter School, on his first visit to Exeter Pre-Prep next Wednesday morning. He will be having a tour of the school with me, saying hello to the children in assembly, and having coffee with the staff, ahead of taking up his new role in September. On Thursday, we have vision screening taking place for Reception children in the morning, followed by the Teddy Bears’ Picnic Lunch – don’t forget your teddies! We will round off the week with the whole school theatre trip to the Northcott Theatre to see The Gruffalo on Friday afternoon. If you have not yet done so, please complete the e-consent form here as a matter of urgency so that your child can join the trip.
Phew, I think I’m going to need to lie down before all that! Have a relaxing weekend.
