Dear parents,
It has been lovely to be back at school, and I can’t quite believe that this is the last 5 weeks of the academic year. The week started with an INSET day for staff, and then on Tuesday we welcomed the school community back to the classrooms. I was on the gate and very much enjoyed welcoming the pupils back, reenergised after a half term of relaxation and enjoying the rather warm weather that we had. Although this week I must admit I have not known what to wear; a mixture of suncream, coat, umbrella and summer dresses!
Last term you may remember me sharing details of the ‘Poetry By Heart’ event, and this morning in assembly I had the pleasure of handing out the certificates which had finally arrived. Of particular note are the achievements of Charlie F, in Upper One, who was Highly Commended for his entry, ‘Macavity: The Mystery Cat’ by T.S. Eliot, and that of Rafe W in Upper One, who was awarded Best in County 2026 for his performances of ‘Captive Bird’ (Boethius) and ‘Something Told The Wild Geese’ (Rachel Field). Best in County is a first for the school and a real cause for celebration!
My assembly was also talking about ‘Respect and Tolerance’ – such an important value of our school community. We celebrate differences; whether it is having different coloured hair, if we have different faiths, different families, two dads, a step mum, one brother, a dog, a goldfish. We respect each other and treat each other with kindness; we listen to each other and accept that everyone is allowed an opinion and that having so many different pupils and families is what makes our school such a special one.
On Wednesday, Upper One enjoyed their much-anticipated trip to Stover Park. The morning was spent pond dipping and identifying a range of pond creatures, followed by a guided exploration of different habitats with a park ranger. In the afternoon, pupils drew inspiration from the beauty of the natural world as they explored poetry, listening to Ted Hughes and experimenting with metaphor, simile and personification. The day continued with a carved creature treasure hunt and culminated in pupils sharing their own poems in the outdoor classroom. Tired but inspired, they returned to school after a wonderful day of integrated Science and English learning. You can see photographs from the day in the album further down the newsletter.
I hope all those attending this evening’s Exeter School Family Society dinner at Sandy Park have a thoroughly enjoyable time. Mr Bone and I will be there at the start, and I am sure it will be a fantastic evening, many thanks to the Family Society for organising such a special event.
And finally, a huge ‘good luck’ to Sheshe and Ruby who are taking part in the National IAPS Swimming Finals tomorrow at the London Aquatic centre. Mr Dutch will be keeping me posted.
Have a lovely weekend.
