Dear parents,
What a week…I don’t think we could have fitted anything else in even if we had wanted to. As I write this, I have a small smile on my face as I recount my drive to work on Thursday and the morning gate duty. My two embarrassed teenagers decided that it was best to go with their dad, so I merrily drove to school with a green wig and orange face (Oompa Loompa style) getting many stares and praying that every traffic light was green, so I didn’t have to stop. Was it worth it… absolutely!
On that note, World Book Day 2026 was another wonderfully exciting celebration in the junior school. The morning began with great enthusiasm as a vibrant mix of characters, both pupils and staff, filled the playground, joining together to sing our World Book Day song before parading to school. We were delighted to welcome author Tanya Landman, whose inspiring visit helped us celebrate stories, imagination and the power of reading. Book‑related activities took place across all subjects throughout the day: Form One enjoyed recreating illustrations in the art room, while our oldest pupils shared their favourite books with the younger children. We are now very much looking forward to marking the National Year of Reading during our Literary Festival at the end of May. A reminder the closing date for entries to our Book Bento competition has been extended to Monday 9 March. If you haven’t already done so, make sure to submit your entry over the weekend.
On Wednesday, our junior singers performed in our annual ‘Celebration of Singing’ with local primary schools. They sang beautifully and enjoyed the opportunity to make music with other children within the local community. A special mention to Serena (U1) for her stunning solo. In the afternoon, our school percussionists performed in their informal concert with Agnes (U2) performing in Mr Felton’s percussion ensemble as well as getting our feet tapping to Lenny Kravitz’s, ‘Are you gonna go my way.’ Well done, Agnes.
After the success of the 2025 inaugural House Esports competition, the 2026 competition started this week with a great deal of excitement. The next three weeks will see 150 pupils take part in 15 fixtures to help each House find out who should represent them. Whilst the competition is not obligatory, we have been overwhelmed by the level of interest from pupils wanting to take part and represent their House. The theme this year is Minecraft Capture the Flag, where teams of 5 take on another team and attempt to capture as many flags as possible, and return them to their base within the time limit. We look forward to updating you as the competition progresses, with the live final being streamed to all pupils during House assembly on Friday 20th March.
On Thursday, the U11 girls’ netball team entered the U11 Netball IAPS tournament at Millfield School. The girls played against some really strong teams and faced some tough competition. After playing their best in the pool matches, the team got through to the plate where the girls ended up coming fourth. The standard of netball was high, and the girls really improved their play throughout the competition and demonstrated excellent resilience and a strong team spirit. Ms Johnson and Ms Wormington were really proud of them all.
In staff news, I am delighted (and sad) to announce that Mrs Leah Hardy has been appointed as Head of Junior School at The Maynard school, starting in September 2026. Mrs Hardy has been a huge part of Exeter School life for 14 years and we are going to miss her greatly, but this is a truly exciting new role for her, and I know that she will do wonderful things. We have already started the recruitment process for her successor, and I will keep you updated once I have news to share. I am pleased to let you know that Mr Ross Hasler, currently Assistant Head at Honiton Primary School will be taking up the reins as our new Head of Upper School in September. His experience, leadership, and commitment to high quality education will be a tremendous asset to our school community.
Wishing you all a wonderful weekend
