Junior Reflections Week 35 June 2025
Dear parents,
I hope that you enjoyed the wonderful weather at the weekend – it is amazing how the sunshine seems to raise everyone’s spirits. I always begin to feel a mixture of emotions towards the end of the summer term, as I know that for a few, this will be the last week and a half of your time at Exeter School and many of the Upper Twos will prepare to move across to the senior school. Fortunately, there are still lots of things to enjoy and if you are anything like me, I am doing day by day at the moment!
Drama productions
Last week I had the pleasure of the Wizard of Oz production and then, on Wednesday night, I enjoyed a spectacular performance of Macbeth and Romeo and Juliet that was performed by the Lower School (senior school). The two performances were outstanding, and I was so pleased to see so many of my old junior school pupils involved, and I do hope that the current Upper Two pupils take the opportunities on offer next year as I know that Mr Brough and Mr Harknett would love to see them all back on the stage.
Informative learning
Back in January pupils wrote some code in Python that was sent to the International Space Station. It displayed a message to the astronauts and sensed the colour of light on board. They have just received their certificates that show where the ISS was in orbit around the Earth when their code ran on board. Absolutely brilliant. On Tuesday, we welcomed three sixth form pupils to come and talk to our Lower Two pupils about online safety. It was an extremely interesting and informative talk, and our pupils listened well and asked very sensible questions. It is always so beneficial to all pupils when our older community deliver speeches, and this one was no exception.
Governors
On Wednesday I attended two Governors meetings, where we also said farewell to one of our long-standing members of the governing body. Mr Steve Hodder has been on the board for 10 years and his contributions have been invaluable in helping shape the school. It is a privilege to work with our board members, who all give up their time so generously to support and guide the school.
Dr Adrian Rainbow
Yesterday our Chair of Governors, Ms Gillian Hodgetts, announced the appointment of the new Head, Dr Adrian Rainbow, who will be joining the school in the autumn of 2026. The selection of a new Head is the biggest responsibility of the board and it was a pleasure to meet the final candidates when they were in school last week. Dr Rainbow is an experienced school leader and current Head, with much to bring to our school community, and we look forward to getting to know him over the months ahead. I wish him every happiness at Exeter when he takes over after Mr Graham Bone’s period of interregnum, in the coming academic year. The announcement is here if you missed it.
Click here to read more on Dr Rainbow’s appointment
Still to come
On Thursday morning, I waved the Upper Two pupils off on their residential in North Devon, where they are in for a fun packed couple of days in the water and out. I am heading off there today, to maybe dip my toe in the water, and to enjoy a day of paddle boarding and surfing.
On Monday afternoon, you will receive an email with your child’s new form group for the next academic year. Then, on Wednesday afternoon, pupils will spend time in their new forms, welcoming the many new pupils who will be joining us. We understand that this change may cause a little worry for some, but as I’ve reminded the pupils many times: trust the school—it will be okay. In life, it’s so important that we learn to broaden our friendship groups, meet new people, and embrace change with confidence.
Enjoy the weekend.
