Pre-Prep Reflections Week 10 November 2025

Diary Dates

8 December – Year 2 singing at Westbank

11 & 12 December 2.30pm – Nativity performances

15 December – Christmas pantomime

15 December 3pm – Informal parent drop-in

16 December – Christmas jumper day and disco

18 December – Christmas party and end of term (early finish at 12 noon)

Spring Term 2026

5 January – Term starts

30 January – 7+ assessment morning (Year 2)

13 February – International Day

16-20 February – Half term

23 February – Exeter School EdFest (school closed)

24 February – Staff INSET Day (school closed)

25 February – Open morning for prospective families

27 February – Spring reviews issued

4 March 4-7.30pm – Parents’ evening

5 March – World Book Day

20 March – Red Nose Day

25 March 3pm – Informal parent drop-in

1 April – Easter assembly and end of term

Term dates for 2025-26 and 2026-27 are available to download from the school website. 

Spotlight on Nursery

We have been continuing our ‘Out at Sea’ topic through our story of the week, Super Submarines by Tony Mitton and Ant Parker. We had great fun designing and creating our own submarine, then diving deep under the sea to explore all the fascinating creatures that live there. We also learned about the importance of keeping our oceans clean to protect both our environment and the animals that inhabit it. In mathematics, we have been comparing objects by size. The children practised ordering different types of fish from smallest to largest and showed fantastic understanding of this. They have also been working very hard rehearsing their songs for the upcoming nativity performances. We are really looking forward to performing in front of an audience again! We continue to be amazed by the children’s excellent behaviour and hard work, and we are very proud of them all.

Mrs Dray and Ms Mulchrone

Christmas Festivities

Arrangements for the final two weeks of term are as follows:

Monday 8 December
Year 2 will be walking over to Westbank to sing some of their nativity songs after lunch.

Tuesday 9 December
The nativity dress rehearsal will be filmed and photographed in the morning. Please ensure costumes have been sent into school in a named bag by Friday 5 December.

Wednesday 10 December
All children and staff will enjoy a special Christmas lunch.

Thursday 11 and Friday 12 December
Nativity performances will take place in the hall from 2.30-3.30pm on both days. We will not be allocating seats but ask that parents kindly adhere to the policy of up to 4 seats per family. These may be used on either day. It would be helpful if individual parents and family members could choose one performance, rather than attending both, as this reduces the seats available for everyone.

Monday 15 December
There will be no swimming for Year 2. The Pantomime Play Company will be coming into school to perform ‘The Solar Express’ for the whole school in the afternoon. All parents are warmly invited to come into classrooms from 3pm to look at your child’s work.

Tuesday 16 December
Christmas Jumper Day: all children and staff may come into school wearing a Christmas jumper over their uniform. This is just for fun – no donations necessary. In the afternoon, we will be having a Christmas disco in the hall.

Wednesday 17 December
There will be no swimming for Year 1.

Thursday 18 December
Mrs Ruth Lawrence, our Drama Club teacher, will be entertaining the children at their annual Christmas Party in the hall from 10-11am. All children are welcome to come to school in party clothes for the morning. Each child will also receive a Christmas present from Father Christmas.

Please note that we finish early at 12.00 noon for the end of term on Thursday 19 December. There will be no lunch or Late Room, but the minibus will be operating a return journey to Exeter School.

There are no after school clubs running in the final week of term, except for Drama Club on Monday 15 December. Late Room will be open until 5.30pm from Monday 15 to Wednesday 17 December for those who need after school care.

There will be a charge of £12.00 per child towards the cost of the pantomime, disco, Christmas party and present, which will be added to your next invoice. If your child is in Nursery and you would like them to attend extra sessions in the run up to Christmas, please contact the school office to see if we have spaces available, either by phone or on preprep@exeterschool.org.uk.

Parent Drop-in

All parents are warmly invited to join us for the first informal drop-in afternoon of the year. These take place each term and are an opportunity for you to sit with your child while they share some of their recent work with you before they go home or to clubs. The first drop-in will be on Monday 15 December from 3.00-3.30pm. Please go directly to your child’s classroom if you are able to join us.

Parent quiz night

On Friday 27 February, the Family Society will be running a fun quiz night open to parents across the whole Exeter School community. Click the button below for more details on how to sign up.

The Family Society would also like to ask local businesses and individuals to donate gifts/prizes to go towards the raffle, to help make this a really special event. The support is very much appreciated and prizes can be dropped off at the bursary anytime between now and the 27 January.

Register here

Choral Society

We are delighted to share that Exeter School Choral Society will be returning in the Spring term, working towards a concert in Exeter Cathedral on Wednesday 11 February 2026.

If you are interested in participating, please read the full information, register and order a vocal score booklet.

The link below can be used by staff, guest singers and parents (both for themselves and for registering their sons/daughters).

The programme for the main chorus this year will feature Fauré Requiem, Parry I Was Glad and Handel’s Zadok the Priest.

I do hope you will be able to join us this season – please do place your orders for the score booklet by the deadline of 12 December to ensure we have your music available for the first rehearsal on Tuesday 6 January.

Click to register and order a vocal score booklet

Exonian Lecture

Hear from the man behind Blue Peter, Alex Leger, who has travelled the world meeting incredible people – including members of the Kayapo tribe in Brazil. Alex will share stories from his days here at Exeter School and explain how they set him on a path to an adventure-filled career. The lecture will take place on Friday 6 February at 6.00pm – 8.30pm.

Click here for the registration form