Pre-Prep Reflections 5 June 2026

Dear parents,

I hope you all had a great half term – I think we were all glad not to be at school during the heatwave, lovely as it was. The final half of the summer term is always a busy and exciting one, with emotions running high for many of our children, as they prepare for the transition to their next class. So please remember to take deep breaths, hold on tight and enjoy the ride… and don’t forget to read your Friday newsletters!

INSET day

On Monday, we had our final staff INSET day of the year over at Exeter School. These days are rare and valuable opportunities for the whole staff to be together, and we were able to spend some time reflecting strategically on plans for next year. As well as some statutory safeguarding updates, we enjoyed discussing ways in which we can support children who show signs of neurodivergence, based on expert guidance and research evidence. I also met with governors on Monday evening and had the pleasure of helping with TA interviews over at the junior school on Tuesday morning.

Open morning

We had a busier than expected open morning for prospective families yesterday, with interest in our last few Year 2 spaces and future Nursery places. Fortunately the sun was shining and there was an exciting buzz around the school, with visitors receiving the usual warm welcome from staff and children. Many thanks to the admissions team for coming over to help give tours.

Forest School

Mrs Smyth has had a very busy week! Yesterday, she was joined by Mr Lee and Mr Pearson from Exeter School’s grounds team, who did some flower planting with the children. After lunch, the whole school gathered in the hall for a special talk about beekeeping by Year 2 parent Oliver Helm, ably assisted by Jake and friends! The children were enthralled by all the interesting information shared and showed super curiosity by asking lots of great questions. Many thanks to Mr Helm for giving up his time.

Beach School

This afternoon, Reception and Year 1 travelled to Exmouth seafront for an afternoon of Beach School. Run in conjunction with the charity Charlie’s Beach School, the children learnt about the coastline, explored the different rocks and shells, and took part in a sandcastle competition. Many thanks to Mrs Smyth for organising and leading this trip, together with the Forest School sessions and bee talk yesterday – what lucky children!

Next week

I will be out of school on Tuesday afternoon for this term’s Devon Safeguarding Forum. Next Thursday afternoon, Years 1 and 2 will be walking to the local allotments in Exminster as part of their Forest School session. Finally, following on from their recent trip to iTown, children in Nursery and Reception are invited to take part in a careers fashion show next Friday; please see the notification on Tapestry for full details.

Have a wonderful weekend.