Junior Reflections Week 23 March 2025

Dear parents,

It has been a joyful and busy week, with plenty of excitement across the school. The pupils have thoroughly enjoyed playing outside, and there’s growing anticipation about when the grass field will open. Hopefully, it won’t be long before cricket bats are making an appearance, and the field is buzzing with activity.

Learning about honesty

This week, I led an assembly at the pre-prep, focusing on the importance of honesty and the tricky situations we can find ourselves in when we tell lies. There was much laughter when I used a toilet roll to demonstrate a ’tissue of lies’—a light-hearted moment that led to some very thoughtful and honest answers from the pupils. I later shared the same assembly with the upper school and it was interesting to hear similar reflections. We all know that sometimes little white lies slip through, but it’s so important to be truthful from the outset, as one small lie can quickly grow into something bigger.

Author visit

We were delighted to welcome author Fleur Hitchcock this week. She shared her journey to becoming an author and brought a wave of nostalgia as she recounted memories from her childhood—like landline phones, “Wacky Races” on TV, and the days when television shut down at certain times to be replaced with the test card! The pupils were engaged and asked thoughtful questions, and I know many left excited to dive into their new books.

Musical moments

Congratulations to Henry and Sophie, our two junior school representatives who performed in the informal Woodwind Concert on Wednesday. It’s always a pleasure to see both the junior and senior pupils showcasing their talents and it was a lovely way to end my day.

Sporting highlights

It’s been an action-packed week for sport! On Tuesday, we hosted St Leonards Primary School for a fantastic series of football matches. Wednesday saw our boys travel to Taunton for a triangular fixture with Taunton and Blundell’s, while the girls played at Wellington in another exciting triangular fixture. Our U8 and U9 teams showed great progress during their matches at King’s College Prep and Blundell’s. And yes, the lemon drizzle cake was certainly a highlight, too! Finally, we wish our cross-country runners the best of luck in the Blundells’ Larkman Cup this afternoon.

Upcoming events

There’s a flurry of fairy excitement in Upper One as they prepare for their performance of ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’ next Friday. I know they’ve been working hard, and I’m very much looking forward to the play. Meanwhile, the annual Virgin Money event is fast approaching; our young entrepreneurs in Upper Two have been busy perfecting their products, and the buzz is palpable!

Wishing you all a restful and enjoyable weekend.

Mrs Saskia van Schalkwyk

Playground people of the week

Mabel W U2C

Junior School News

Junior Sport News

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We are finalists! 🎉

Exeter Pre-Prep School has been shortlisted for Pre-Prep of the Year at the Independent Schools of the Year awards, recognising the nurturing, values-led start we give children aged three to seven - from Nursery and Reception through to Year 2.

This is a fantastic achievement for Exeter School and wonderful recognition from @independentschoolparent of the work we do to prepare our pupils for life beyond school. We're also delighted to be recognised alongside @schoolblazeruk, our school uniform provider and partner.

Set within the wider all through Exeter School site, Pre-Prep pupils benefit from outstanding facilities and specialist teaching, while still enjoying the close-knit environment expected at this stage. Pastoral care is a particular strength, with staff attentive to each child as they settle into school routines and build early friendships.

Visit the link in our Linktree to read more. 
@talkeducation @goodschoolsguide

#ExeterPrePrep #Award #Finalist #IndependentSchoolOfTheYearAward #Nursery #Reception #Year1 #Year2 #Caring #WelcomeAndServe

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Here's a short clip from today, along with some words from our amazing pupils! 🎉

This is just the start, stay tuned until tomorrow to see more of the A Level 2026 Results Day video, where you can see everyone get involved! 👏

#ExeterSchool #IndependentSchoolDevon #ReultsDay #Reel #ALevels2026 #Congratulations

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Congratulations to all our Upper Sixth leavers on results day! 🎉

Congratulations to every single one of you on your results - you should all be so proud of yourselves. Today marks the end of an incredible journey, and we couldn't be prouder of what you've achieved.

#ExeterSchool #IndependentSchoolDevon #ALevels #Congratulations #ResultsDay #Grades #SixthFromResults #EndOfAnEra #Proud #NextSteps #Achieve

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U2 Leadership lessons 2025

Abstract art workshop by Liese Webley - February 2025

Informal Woodwind Concert - 12 March 2025

World Book Day 2025 - Junior School Reading Roundabouts

Informal Piano and String Concert - 5 March 2025

Exonians in London - 27 February 2025

M5-U5 Granada trip 2025

EdFest25