Junior Reflections 19 June 2026

Dear parents,

What a week it has been, and today was the icing on the cake. The atmosphere at both sports days was just magical, and I literally have no voice from cheering on all the pupils. What made me so proud was the sportsmanship I witnessed from so many of them congratulating each other, showing the importance of being kind and that it is not just about the winning.  

In my Monday assembly, I shared with the pupils everything we accomplished in school last week and looked ahead to all that was still to come. My word, when you see it all written down, it really is quite a lot! I reminded the pupils about sometimes when we are tired, we can get a bit cross or react differently and that it is important to ensure we say sorry and to ask for help from the teachers if things are not going right. A reminder was also shared that physical behaviour towards others is not tolerated at the junior school, and I was kindly helped to demonstrate this with my glamorous assistant Mr Titchin, although I do want to say that no-one was hurt in this drama.  

Also on Monday, all the Lower Two pupils joined Mr Wood, Mrs Jones and the TAs for a geography field trip into Exeter City Centre. Tasked with observing the different types of land use in the city, pupils took to the streets with their clipboards and made observations from locations such as Southernhay, Pincesshay and Northernhay Gardens. The children were amazed to learn about the history behind the Blue Boy statue in the middle of Princesshay, and its links to Exeter School, and were delighted to be shown a real dungeon in the Guildhall. Other highlights included walking along what is allegedly the narrowest street in Britain (Parliament Street), finding out about the last witches to be executed in England, and spotting gargoyles at Exeter Cathedral. An excellent day all round, and the weather was glorious, too! 

The three Upper Two plays were sensational, and I don’t think I have laughed so much for a long time. Every member of the year group was involved, and I know that these memories will be ones to keep. A huge thank you to Ms Cox who every year goes above and beyond to make these plays so special, and of course the wider community who, without their support, the plays would not be such a success. I very much look forward to seeing the recorded footage again, which should be available for you next week. In the meantime, you can find last week’s ESSIS concert footage here:

Click here to watch the recording of the Form One ESSIS concert

I went to a very enjoyable informal concert on Wednesday and really liked listening to a variety of instruments played by our talented pupils, it was lovely to see so many junior school pupils take part. These concerts are always special, as our junior school pupils have the opportunity to perform alongside the senior pupils, creating moments of inspiration and awe. I have to admit that listening to Andrew R play the piano was certainly one of those moments for me; a truly awe-inspiring performance that left me full of wonder. 

Next year’s timetable is in the process of being finalised, introducing new hour-long lessons. This has been no mean feat for Mrs Seaton-Burn, the mastermind behind assembling this complex jigsaw puzzle to ensure that pupils receive the very best possible education. With this in mind, the junior school will move to a Week A and Week B timetable, with subjects such as Games and PE remaining fixed. This should help to ensure that kit is not forgotten, as I am very mindful that it is challenging enough for pupils to remember kit requirements even within a one-week timetable! 

Please note the change of time for Speech Day, which is now 3pm. Doors will open at 2:30pm; I do hope this does not cause too much inconvenience, and I very much look forward to seeing you there next Friday afternoon.  

Have a wonderful weekend!