Junior Reflections Week 27 April 2025

Dear parents,

It’s been a pleasure to see so many of you at the gate this week and, of course, to welcome your children back for the start of the summer term. A warm welcome to our new pupils and families as well and I hope that your first week with us has been an enjoyable one. It was also wonderful to see so many lower school parents for coffee this morning, and I look forward to meeting the upper school parents next week.

Our school grounds are looking fantastic; thanks to the hard work of our wonderful estates team, who were busy over the holidays making sure everything was looking its best. A huge thank you to them for ensuring such a great start to the term.

Fire drill

We also carried out our termly fire drill this week to ensure all pupils are confident with the procedures. As always, our pupils behaved impeccably, quietly and quickly exiting the building. Well done to everyone.

New staff

We’re delighted to welcome Mrs Louise Stevens to the team as our new learning support teacher. She’s already made a fantastic start getting to know the pupils and learning the ropes of the junior school—welcome, Mrs Stevens!

Charity collection

We also welcomed in Sian from The Hygiene Bank this week, one of our chosen charities, on Thursday to collect all of last term’s donations. Helpers from Lower Two helped squeeze everything into Sian’s car and we apparently collected a whopping 140kg of donations. Thank you all for your generosity; these small donations make such a massive difference to families in our local community.

Staff departures

Many of you may have read in Ms Simpson’s end of term newsletter that sadly Mrs Katie Jones has made the decision to step away from the classroom and will be leaving us at the end of this academic year. Mrs Jones has been a part of the junior school for nearly 20 years and has had a huge impact on so many pupils both in and out of the classroom, although I have a feeling she will be back. We are also saying goodbye to my wonderful and ever-patient PA, Mrs Corten, who will also be retiring at the end of the year to enjoy the next exciting chapter of her life. Both will be greatly missed and have been a huge part of our school community. We will of course make sure they have a proper send off at the end of term and I will update you in due course once their successors have been appointed.

With the sunshine set to continue over the weekend, I hope you’re able to enjoy it—and fingers crossed it sticks around next week too!

Mrs Saskia van Schalkwyk

Playground people of the week

Benjamin W U2E

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
Big news! Planning permission has been granted for two brand new outdoor Padel courts at Exeter School! 🎾👟

Work will begin soon, with the courts expected to be ready by early October 2026. Located next to our astro pitches and Pavilion car park, they will provide even more opportunities for pupils to enjoy this fast growing, inclusive sport as part of our sporting and co-curricular programme.

The excitement doesn't stop there, the courts will also be available for community hire during evenings and weekends, helping even more people discover the game.

Miles M., Bursar, said: "We are thrilled to have received planning permission for this exciting development. Padel is an inclusive and rapidly growing sport that brings people together, and these new courts will enhance the sporting experience for our pupils while also creating opportunities for members of the wider community to enjoy the game. We are proud to continue investing in facilities that benefit both the school and the city of Exeter."

We have shared the full story on our News page, so don't forget to take a look! We will also be continuing to share updates and news throughout the summer, so keep an eye on our news stories. 

#ExeterSchool #IndependentSchoolDevon #Padel #Opportunities #FastGrowingSport #SchoolSports #NewFacilities #SeniorSchool #JuniorSchool

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Today marks the end of the school year for many schools, and we would like to wish all students, staff and families a wonderful summer break.

To those moving on to exciting new adventures - whether that's a new school, college, university or the next chapter in your journey - we wish you every success and happiness.

Have a fantastic summer, and good luck to all this year's leavers! 🌞📚

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Our Upper One pupils recently enjoyed a visit to @pomstitchtassel, where they practised their sewing skills and created these fantastic strawberry cushions! 🍓🧵

It was a wonderful opportunity to learn a new skill, build confidence, and get creative.

We are considering offering a sewing club as an extracurricular activity at school and would love to hear your thoughts.

Would your child be interested in taking part? Let us know in the comments below!

#ExeterSchool #UpperOnePupils #Sewing #GetCreative #IndependentSchools #Devon #Confidence #Friends

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A look back at our Lower Sixth kayaking trip to Truro! 🚣‍♀️⛺️

What a fantastic weekend of adventure, teamwork, and the great outdoors! From paddling on the water to camping under the stars, our Lower Sixth students embraced every challenge, built lasting friendships, and created memories to remember. 

#ExeterSchool #IndependentSchool #Devon #Cornwall #Truro #LowerSixth #Kayaking #Camping #BeachLife #Social 

🎵 Copyrighted music licensed from Lickd. https://lickd.co

Rule The World by ricky retro, Scorz, https://t.lickd.co/l/1708owq9zrb

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CCF Adventure Training, Snowdonia - April 2025

4F-M5 ski trip, Austria

Sports Gala Awards - 2 April 2025

Junior school cross country - 31 March 2025

CCF RAF Nitex - March 2025

L5 House Hockey and Netball - March 2025

Abstract art workshop by Liese Webley - February 2025

Informal Woodwind Concert - 12 March 2025