Junior Reflections 12 June 2026
Dear parents,
The sun has decided to make an appearance and is apparently with us for the weekend, which will be a welcome visitor. Ms Rose started our week off with a fun assembly about how important it is to stop and notice our surroundings. The pupils had great fun in trying to identify the pictures shared of places/objects from around the school. Ms Rose was hugely impressed with how observant they were, and I must admit there was one that I didn’t get!
As mentioned in my last newsletter, last weekend Ruby in U2 and SheShe in L2 represented the school at the IAPS National Swimming Finals held at the London Aquatics Centre. Competing against some of the strongest young swimmers in the country, both girls performed exceptionally well and should be very proud of their achievements. Ruby finished an impressive 14th in the U11 Freestyle event, while SheShe secured a fantastic silver medal, placing 2nd in the U10 Backstroke. Both girls thoroughly enjoyed the experience and relished the opportunity to swim in the pool used during the London 2012 Olympic Games. Congratulations to both swimmers on their outstanding performances!
On Wednesday, our U11 cricketers took part in the Devon Finals, with a full day of cricket. The team were outstanding throughout the tournament, displaying excellent skill, teamwork and determination to finish as runners-up. We also enjoyed a successful block fixture against St Peter’s, with both our boys and girls taking part in some excellent matches and representing the school superbly.
The pupils have been presented with a new football table which was kindly donated by the Family Society. I just want to extend my thanks to the parents for their support in organising events for our community – I know that the pupils have already put it to good use.
I am delighted to report that The Summer Ball was also a huge success, and it was so lovely to see so many parents, past and present, from the junior school. These events wouldn’t happen without the volunteers who willingly give up their time to organise.
The Form One children were excited all week for the anticipated tea party for the conclusion to their Madame Pamplemousse topic, and what a treat everyone had. The afternoon featured a vibrant showcase of music, drama, poetry, magic, and photography. The pupils had the opportunity to say a thank you to our volunteers: Mr Brookes, Mrs Turner, Mrs Parkin and Ms Hendrik who generously give up their time every week to come in and hear your children read. It was a joyful celebration of creativity, learning, and gratitude and a huge thank you to Mrs Hardy for organising such a wonderful event, this is just one of the many examples of what makes our school so special.
At this time of year, staff are finalising class lists for the next academic year. Classes are reshuffled annually to welcome new pupils and help existing pupils build new friendships. This process is carefully planned, involving months of discussion to ensure each child’s social and academic needs are supported. While we understand pupils may hope to be with close friends, this cannot be guaranteed. Experience shows that being in different classes can help children focus on learning while still enjoying time together beyond lessons. Please trust our teachers, who know your children well. We reassure pupils that, wherever they are placed, they will settle happily and form new friendships, especially important as we welcome new pupils into our community.
I am delighted to share the happy news that Mr and Mrs Titchin are expecting a baby. Many congratulations to them both. Baby Titchin is due in November and we are in the process of recruiting a teaching assistant to cover Mrs Titchin’s maternity leave next year on Mondays and Tuesdays in Year 1 down at the pre-prep.
As you may have already seen, Dr Rainbow has written to all parents with an update on some staffing changes coming into effect from September.
Click here to read Dr Rainbow’s letter on MSP
Finally, we wish the very best of luck to all of our athletes who will be travelling to Tavistock on Sunday to compete in the Mount Kelly athletics competition.
