Junior Reflections Week 23 March 2025

Dear parents,

It has been a joyful and busy week, with plenty of excitement across the school. The pupils have thoroughly enjoyed playing outside, and there’s growing anticipation about when the grass field will open. Hopefully, it won’t be long before cricket bats are making an appearance, and the field is buzzing with activity.

Learning about honesty

This week, I led an assembly at the pre-prep, focusing on the importance of honesty and the tricky situations we can find ourselves in when we tell lies. There was much laughter when I used a toilet roll to demonstrate a ’tissue of lies’β€”a light-hearted moment that led to some very thoughtful and honest answers from the pupils. I later shared the same assembly with the upper school and it was interesting to hear similar reflections. We all know that sometimes little white lies slip through, but it’s so important to be truthful from the outset, as one small lie can quickly grow into something bigger.

Author visit

We were delighted to welcome author Fleur Hitchcock this week. She shared her journey to becoming an author and brought a wave of nostalgia as she recounted memories from her childhoodβ€”like landline phones, “Wacky Races” on TV, and the days when television shut down at certain times to be replaced with the test card! The pupils were engaged and asked thoughtful questions, and I know many left excited to dive into their new books.

Musical moments

Congratulations to Henry and Sophie, our two junior school representatives who performed in the informal Woodwind Concert on Wednesday. It’s always a pleasure to see both the junior and senior pupils showcasing their talents and it was a lovely way to end my day.

Sporting highlights

It’s been an action-packed week for sport! On Tuesday, we hosted St Leonards Primary School for a fantastic series of football matches. Wednesday saw our boys travel to Taunton for a triangular fixture with Taunton and Blundell’s, while the girls played at Wellington in another exciting triangular fixture. Our U8 and U9 teams showed great progress during their matches at King’s College Prep and Blundell’s. And yes, the lemon drizzle cake was certainly a highlight, too! Finally, we wish our cross-country runners the best of luck in the Blundells’ Larkman Cup this afternoon.

Upcoming events

There’s a flurry of fairy excitement in Upper One as they prepare for their performance of ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’ next Friday. I know they’ve been working hard, and I’m very much looking forward to the play. Meanwhile, the annual Virgin Money event is fast approaching; our young entrepreneurs in Upper Two have been busy perfecting their products, and the buzz is palpable!

Wishing you all a restful and enjoyable weekend.

Mrs Saskia van Schalkwyk

Playground people of the week

Mabel W U2C

Junior School News

Junior Sport News

Do you have a story or pupil achievement to share with our community?

If you have a couple of lines of information and a photograph that you and your child are happy to be shared we will try to post these at relevant times through the year.
Email our communications team
Good luck to @exschsports pupils Josh, Marcus and Mo who are off to Surrey tomorrow to play in the semi-finals of U16 ECB Cup. They qualified following a thrilling win the quarter-final vs Essex bowling them out for 149 and chasing the total in less than 25 overs.  @exeterschooluk @devoncricket #countycricket #cricket #exeterschoolsport #devoncricket

...

90 0
We're bringing you results from the @britishrowing Club Championships at the National Water Sports Center in Nottingham in July where Isabelle (M5) and Lisa (L5) won Gold in the Under 14 Women’s Doubles and set a new course record for the WJ14 double!  We're so proud and can't wait to see what the ladies achieve next πŸ™Œ  @exschsports #rowing #goldmedals #schoollife #aspireandflourish #newcourserecord #wj14double #u14doublesrowing #nationalwatersportscentrenottingham #independentschools #sports

...

135 1
Our pupils have shone in GCSEs, with 23% of all grades being grade 9. Furthermore, 47% of grades awarded were a grade 8 or 9.  Acting Head of Exeter School, Mr Graham Bone said: β€œAs I take up the role of Acting Head, it is a privilege to share in the celebration of these fantastic results. Our Year 11 pupils have again shown themselves to be hard-working, diligent Exonians who have made the most of our outstanding teaching, top quality pastoral care, and the wide range of opportunities that Exeter School offers. We are delighted with their GCSE grades: with almost a quarter of results at the top grade of 9 and 47% at the top two grades, there is much to be proud of, and I want to thank all our staff, especially our dedicated teachers, in helping our pupils achieve these excellent outcomes."  #gcseresults2025 #resultsday #sixthformlife #endofyear11 #school #exams #celebrate #schoolexams #talkeducation #goodschoolsguide

...

121 1

U2 Leadership lessons 2025

Abstract art workshop by Liese Webley - February 2025

Informal Woodwind Concert - 12 March 2025

World Book Day 2025 - Junior School Reading Roundabouts

Informal Piano and String Concert - 5 March 2025

Exonians in London - 27 February 2025

M5-U5 Granada trip 2025

EdFest25

Open morning - Saturday 27 September 9.30-12.30pm

Come along to our biggest open morning of the year for a complete overview of our junior and senior schools.

Take part in fun activities, sampling experiences from lessons, hear from our staff and take a tour with those who know Exeter School best – our pupil ambassadors.

Click here to register your place