Pre-Prep Reflections Week 2 September 2025

Diary Dates

20 September 11am-1pm – Heritage open day

24 September – Flu immunisations (Reception to Year 2)

24 September 4pm – Phonics & reading parent workshop

27 September – Exeter School open morning

3 October 2.30pm – Grandparents’ afternoon

16 October – Year 2 taster day at Exeter School

17 October 3pm – Harvest assembly for parents

20-31 October – Half term (two weeks)

13 November 2.15pm – Entry to Year 3 parent info meeting

26 November 4-7.30pm – Parents’ evening

11 & 12 December 2.30pm – Nativity performances

15 December 3pm – Informal parent drop-in

18 December – End of term (early finish at 12 noon)

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

Spotlight on Nursery

This week in Nursery, the children have had lots of fun getting to know each other and we are really proud of how well they are all settling in. Our story of the week has been Who are you? by Smriti Halls and Ali Pye. We have been sharing our ideas about what makes us different and who is in our families. In phonics, we have been impressed with the children’s enthusiasm for learning new letter sounds and the Jolly Phonics songs and actions that go alongside them. They have also enjoyed tracing the letters with their fingers on our new interactive touch screen. In mathematics, the children have been sharing their understanding of numbers, showing us how high they can count and what numerals, shapes and colours they recognise so far. We have sung songs and played lots of fun games to help commit new learning to memory. As autumn is on the way, we have also enjoyed lots of exploration around our beautiful school grounds. We discussed what changes we could see and explored natural objects with our senses. We particularly enjoyed throwing the leaves up into the air!

Mrs Dray and Ms Mulchrone

Class Reps

Thank you to the following parents who have kindly volunteered to be our new class reps or stay on for another academic year. I will be in touch with them shortly to arrange a date for our first meeting, at which point you will be asked for feedback on various topics to be shared with the school. In the meantime, the class reps’ contact details are shown below if you need to get in touch with them:

Nursery:

Lucy Williamson (Percy) – 07902 814 722

Reception:

Laura Holmes (Charlie) – 07882 708 574

Year 1:

Jenny Cotton (Hettie) – 07870 860 616

Year 2:

Mike Richards (Isabella) – 07790 566 660

Parent phonics workshop

We would like to invite all parents to a short workshop on how we teach phonics, early reading and handwriting at Exeter Pre-Prep School. This will take place in the Year 2 classroom from 4-5pm next Wednesday (24 September). Refreshments will be available in the classroom from 3.30pm. You are welcome to book your child into Late Room without charge, if needed. We look forward to seeing you if you are able to join us.

Ms Richards and Mrs Rickard

Grandparents’ Afternoon

Our annual Grandparents’ Afternoon will start at 2.30pm on Friday 3 October. All children from Nursery to Year 2 will be involved, starting with a tour and craft activity in classrooms. Visitors will then be invited to enjoy a relaxed afternoon tea with the children, which will be served in the hall.

Pick up and clubs will be at the usual time of 3.30pm. Children are welcome to leave with their visitors with agreement from parents – please let the class teacher know if this will be the case.

In order to give us an idea of numbers and help us with the final planning stages, please could you complete the online form as soon as possible. If you have more than one child at the school, you only need to complete one form.

Other family members or friends are welcome to attend should grandparents be unable to make it. Places are limited to a maximum of 4 per family due to limited space in the hall and classrooms. Please note that physical tickets will not be issued for this event.

Healthy Snacks

As usual at this time of year, we like to remind parents about healthy playtime snacks.

Snacks that are high in sugar and salt should be avoided. Please remember that sweets, chocolate and crisps are not allowed, in accordance with NHS guidelines. Items such as processed meats, cakes and sugary sandwich fillings lack the nutritional value that children need to aid learning and concentration. Even some fruit strings and winders have very high sugar content.

We strongly encourage children to bring a small fruit or vegetable snack. Plain rice cakes or breadsticks are another healthy alternative for fussy eaters. If your child is staying after school for clubs or Late Room, you are very welcome to pack them additional healthy snacks, which we will give them time to eat.

We also ask that every child brings a named water bottle to school so that they can stay well hydrated. Children are encouraged to refill their water bottles as needed throughout the day, and water is served in jugs and cups at the lunch table every day.

Please note that we are a nut-free school. Children are welcome to bring in individual cakes or cut-up tray bakes on special occasions such as birthdays, but please ensure these are nut-free for the safety of all children. Thank you for your continued support.

Heritage Open Day

We are pleased to be taking part in the Heritage Open Day scheme again this year, England’s largest festival of history and culture. Every September, the festival gives people the chance to visit thousands of historic buildings all over the country that are not normally open to the public, free of charge. Our beautiful converted chapel will be open for self-guided tours this weekend on Sunday 21 September from 11am-1pm. Please share this with any friends or family who might like to visit and learn more about our historic listed building. Full details can be found here.