Junior Reflections Week 6 October 2025

Dear parents,

I cannot believe that the end of the first half of term has arrived! We have a lot of tired children, all of whom have had an extremely busy time, both in and out of the classroom. I hope that all the new pupils feel settled and have found their way around the school, and most importantly, made new friends and enjoyed the start of their Exeter School journey.

Last week, as part of their Geography topic, Upper One enjoyed an inspiring visit from Exonian Emily Peters of Farming in Devon. Emily shared her experiences of growing up on a dairy farm and spoke passionately about launching her own business, The Udder Stuff. Her talk highlighted the benefits of drinking milk and the wide range of products it can produce. The children were delighted to sample her delicious milkshakes, which were a big hit and sparked lively discussions back in the classroom.

Over the past two weeks, all our forms have taken part in special activities to celebrate Black History Month. Pupils explored the lives of inspiring Black figures, past and present, who have made a difference in Britain and around the world. Special assemblies have been held to share stories and learn together as a school. Our older pupils joined a live online session with author Catherine Johnson, who spoke about her life and work – an exciting opportunity to hear from someone who writes about history and identity. At Exeter Junior School, we believe in learning about diverse people and cultures all year round. Our curriculum includes history from many times and places, such as the British Empire, the Aztecs, and Ancient Egypt. We’re proud of how curious, respectful, and engaged our pupils have been. Mr Evans has especially enjoyed seeing the extra research some pupils have shared about figures who inspire them.

Thursday was a non-stop day of excitement with our wonderful Year 2 pre-prep pupils joining us for a dragon and unicorn fun filled day; it was lovely to see how the older children enjoyed looking after them and there were a lot of smiles all round. Whilst the Year 2s were busy in school, Mr Dutch and Mrs Wopshott had the pleasure of taking our U11A girls hockey team to Millfield for the regional IAPS competition. The girls were simply outstanding and won the whole tournament, winning every match without conceding a single goal, which is quite unheard of. They will now be off to Haileybury for the national finals in November. Good luck, girls! And finally, to end my Thursday, I had the pleasure of taking 14 pupils to visit the Van Gogh exhibition at West Point, I came aware truly inspired and I think so did the pupils. I’m not sure if there are tickets left, but if you are able to go, I can strongly recommend it as a really worthwhile visit.

We are sharing with you our new Safeguarding and Health bulletin, which we hope you will find both informative and useful.

Click here to go to the Safeguarding and Health Bulletin

In addition, we would like to draw your attention to our Attendance Policy, which reflects our shared commitment to supporting all pupils in maintaining high attendance and making the most of an Exeter School education. If you have any questions about the policy, please contact Mr Wood (jsw@exeterschool.org.uk). If you have any concerns about your child’s attendance, their form tutor should be your first point of contact.

The smooth running of our school transport service is an important part of daily life here at Exeter School, and we are fortunate to have a team of committed drivers who help ensure pupils arrive safely and on time each day. To continue delivering this excellent service, we are looking to expand our team of minibus drivers. These are valued members of our community, and we offer rates of pay significantly above the minimum wage. If you, or someone you know, might be interested in joining our dedicated and friendly transport team, we would be delighted to hear from you. Please contact our HR department at hr@exeterschool.org.uk for further details.

And so it just leaves me to wish you all a wonderful half term; enjoy time with your family and friends and I look forward to welcoming the pupils back to school on Monday 3rd November.