eNewsletter – Winter half term

The power of a bursary

Lilymay Wagstaff (Girvin; 2010-2021), a former bursary award holder, reflects on how Exeter School shaped her future. “Due to the endless opportunities at Exeter School, I achieved many things. While at school, I was playing for both England and Great Britain water polo teams… after Exeter School, I received a sports scholarship for water polo at Durham University. Without the continued support of the school, or most importantly, my Head of House, I don’t think I would have even considered applying to Durham. I am so grateful for this as I had an exceptional time during university.”

She explains how vital her bursary was to her family, “A bursary can be life-changing for both pupils and their families, the 11 years I spent at Exeter School were nothing short of phenomenal. Without a bursary, I would not have been able to attend and would not be the person I have grown into today. I hope others are enabled, like I was, to experience this.”

Her mother, Francette Mimpriss, adds, “Exeter School was like being part of a big family. Ultimately, Exeter School facilitates circumstances for the children to become the best young adults that they can be.”

Stories like Lilymay’s are made possible through the generosity of bursary fund supporters. Exeter School is a registered charity, and any gift we receive makes a big difference. You can make a gift online here, or remember the school in your Will. Any gift in a Will, even a small percentage once you have taken care of those closest to you, can have a profound impact on future generations of Exonians. If you have any questions please do get in touch with Alice Holohan – asah@exeterschool.org.uk.

Further information

Sports round up

Despite very wet conditions at West Buckland School, Exeter School enjoyed excellent success at the Devon Cross Country Championships. Rory (Lower Sixth), Penelope (Upper Fifth) and Evie (Third Form) were all crowned county champions, with George (Fourth Form) finishing an impressive sixth a year young. All four will represent Devon at the South West Championships at the Exeter Arena this weekend.

The U16 netball squad competed superbly at the regional finals, winning four of their six matches and narrowly missing out on the knockout stages. They should be extremely proud of their performance and now look ahead to a Sisters in Sport national plate knockout match against Croydon High School for Girls, with a potential finals day at Loughborough University next half term.

Hockey fixtures are also coming thick and fast, with the U18 boys playing King’s School Taunton in the national cup and the under 16s facing Clayesmore in the national plate and in rugby. Congratulations to Max (Lower Sixth), who plays for U17s Exeter Chiefs U17s, and George (Upper Sixth), who is with Lambs Rugby, on their representative selections, with both featuring in fixtures this half term.

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Exeter Cathedral School

You may be aware of the sad news that Exeter Cathedral School (ECS) will close in its current form at the end of the summer term 2026. We recognise how difficult this will be for many ECS families, pupils and alumni, and how deeply the school is woven into Exeter’s educational heritage.

Exeter School is working closely with the ECS team, Exeter Cathedral and other local schools to support families affected by this change. We welcome any families considering Exeter School as part of their next steps, to have a chat with our admissions team.

From September 2026, Exeter School will become the educational home of the Cathedral’s choristers, working in close partnership with Exeter Cathedral. The Cathedral will continue to lead the choristers’ musical training and pastoral care with the same expertise and dedication. We are proud to play a role in preserving this outstanding choral tradition for the city.

Exonian Lecture

The school was delighted to welcome Alex Leger (1958-1966) to give this year’s Exonian Lecture. A captivated audience listened to Alex regale stories of his 36 years working for the BBC as a director, producer and filmmaker on treasured television show, Blue Peter. Following a stint in the army, Alex began his career on the programme when Peter Purves, John Noakes, and Lesley Judd were the much-loved presenters, under the editorial leadership of Biddy Baxter MBE. Alex is responsible for producing many of Blue Peter’s most iconic reports from around the world – one of the first being John Noakes scaling Nelson’s Column… twice!

Thank you to everyone who braved a blustery February evening to attend the lecture, and to those who purchased Alex Leger’s book, Blue Peter: Behind the Badge. All proceeds have gone towards the Exeter School Bursary Fund. Should you wish to find out about receiving a link to the Exonian Lecture, please get in touch below.

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A small treasure

We were delighted to receive this beautifully engraved silver matchbox, generously sent to us by a collector who felt it would make a valuable addition to our archive. Dating from 1904, the inscription shows it was awarded to S. W. Toms as the prize for Exeter School’s under 16 high jump.

Small items like this provide a fascinating insight into the school’s sporting past and highlight the long tradition of celebrating pupil achievement. If you recognise the name, own a similar prize, or have memories of school sport from years gone by, we would love to hear from you.

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Identifying alumni

This feature was popular in our last eNewsletter, so we’re planning to make it a regular one. We’re asking for your help with this team hockey photo, as we can’t identify everyone. If you recognise anyone and remember their full name, we’d love to hear from you – please let us know who you spot!

Thank you to those who sent in names following our last request – Richard Fryer (staff, 1974-2024), who generously volunteers his time to undertake the important project of digitising the archive, will be delighted to hear from you.

I know who that is

Don’t miss out

We’re currently preparing the next issue of The 1633 and want to make sure you don’t miss out, whether you receive your copy by post or by email. Should you need to update your details or change anything about your current contact preferences, please email alumni@exeterschool.org.uk  and we can always be reached on 01392 307080. You can also use the button below.

Click here to update your details

Sharing your stories and tracking down alumni

In the past, the Old Exonian magazine featured short updates from alumni about where life had taken them since their school days. We would love to continue this format in The 1633, but we need your help! So whether it’s a big achievement or a small milestone, please share your news with us. Send your updates to communications and alumni officer, Ali McGeown.

The Alumni and Development Office helps OEs stay connected, and we’re often happy to assist in tracking down members of our alumni community. If there’s a former classmate or teacher you’d like to contact, please use the button below.

Get in touch with Ali

Stay in the loop!

Follow Exeter School’s alumni Instagram to catch all the latest updates, stories and celebrations from the alumni community.

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