Junior Reflections Week 16 January 2026
Dear parents,
Well, what a start to the week! Monday was filled with budding poets who transformed the chapel with their prose and verse, all recited perfectly, with emotion and flair. I had the pleasure of being one of the judges, and it was truly difficult to choose just three from each category as every pupil performed so confidently. A huge well done to our finalists: Emmy S, Charlie F, Bel G and Livvy H in the freestyle category, and Rafe, Jenny and Niyati in the classic group. It was a wonderful event – congratulations to all the 62 pupils who performed it really was a great start to my week. A special thank you to our musicians: Simon and Taylor and to Alex and Alicia who stepped in at the last moment. Alex told me later that his legs were like jelly; this was his first time playing in front of an audience! You’ll receive links on Monday so that you can watch their performances.
I also enjoyed a particularly lovely afternoon in pre prep. I popped into Reception during a mindfulness session where pupils could enjoy a hand massage, lemon or cucumber water, storytelling, music and colouring. I must admit, I probably spent far too long visiting Reception that day! I then moved on to a paper aeroplane making competition with Oscar in Year 1. Sadly, I was not the winner, but I was hugely impressed by Oscar’s generous offer of help when my plane crashed and burned.
This week, Comets Club visited the senior school to learn more about business and economics. Perfectly timed ahead of the Make £5 Grow Virgin Money Challenge, pupils explored key concepts such as revenue and costs. As part of a discussion about how supermarkets make a profit, the children worked in small groups to design their own supermarket layouts, deciding where different sections should be placed. They were fascinated to discover the strategic reasons behind product positioning. A huge thank you to Mr Mackintosh for leading such an informative and engaging Comets session.
Looking ahead, our next Parental Forum will take place on 4 February and will be led by our Deputy Head (Academic), Mr Fennemore. He will outline our plans for the shape of the school week from September and there will also be a breakout group specifically for parents of neurodiverse pupils, helping ensure that these children continue to receive the expert care and support they need as we move towards these changes. We will be sending an invite to all parents soon.
As part of our ongoing programme of site improvements, we will shortly be further improving the security of the perimeter with the installation of new fencing along Victoria Park Road. We hope to have this completed by the start of the summer term. Until then, you will see some temporary fencing.
Today we said goodbye to our lovely gap student, Mr McMurray, who is heading off to South Africa. It has been wonderful to see how much he has grown during his time with us, and I know that pupils and staff alike will miss him. Have a wonderful time, Jamie – and please do come back and visit; you are welcome any time.
Finally, some lovely staff news: I am delighted to share that Mr Dutch and his wife, Erin, welcomed their first baby, Daisy, into the world this week. All are doing well and I am very much looking forward to welcoming Daisy to the Exeter School community for a cuddle.
