Junior Reflections

Dear parents,

I hope that you all had a good break, and the pupils are ready for the second half of the autumn term. The weather has certainly changed and I am pleased to see the pupils in their school coats. If ordered, pupils will now have received their sports coat, please can I ask that these are clearly named and a gentle reminder that they are for sports events/lessons only. I must admit they do look very smart.

This morning the whole school gathered on the quad to quietly remember all those men and women who have given their lives or suffered for their country, not just in the past but sadly the present as well. The school acknowledged the two minutes silence and three of our poet laureates, Cressida, Martin and Jack read “In Flanders’ Field,”. It was an extremely moving service and the junior school behaved impeccably.

I had several governors’ meeting this week and I would like to take this opportunity to thank all our school governors who generously give up their time to visit the school regularly and act as our critical friends to ensure that the school follows it purpose and virtues and offers the best education and pastoral care possible. At Wednesday’s meeting of the finance and general purposes committee we inevitably discussed the possibility of a change of government in the next year or two, and the likely impact of changing tax policies on the independent sector.  We know that this is a question that some of you are concerned about. Please be reassured that our governors are working hard behind the scenes to mitigate for any taxation changes, as far as we can, and to continue to provide the very best value education possible for your children, whilst not compromising on quality. This remains a very high priority for us as a school.

Next week it is anti-bullying week, and this year the theme is ‘make a noise about bullying’. Here at Exeter Junior School, we don’t just focus on this issue during a week but throughout the year in assemblies, our purpose and virtues, PSHE and just day to day school life. Kindness is such a wonderful trait to have, and everyone deserves to feel safe and special at school; we celebrate the differences and the similarities and recognise that we are all unique. To raise awareness, we are asking all pupils (and staff) to wear an odd sock on Monday to highlight the importance of being different. We will also be having a non-school uniform day next Friday in support of Children in Need, where we are asking for a voluntary donation of £1, with all proceeds going to this very worthwhile charity.

Our new merit system has got off to a super start with the tubes filling nicely from all four houses, there is a lot of healthy competitive discussion being shared (outside my office), and it is clear from the growing number of tokens that the pupils are working hard in lessons. Keep up the excellent work junior school!

Good luck to our pupils who are at Queen’s and Taunton tomorrow. I very much look forward to hearing all about it on Monday.