Pre-Prep Reflections Week 3 September 2025

Diary Dates

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 Reception

This week in Reception, we have been taking part in lots of autumnal activities and continuing our learning on our topic ‘All About Me’. Our focus story has been All Kinds of Families. This book celebrates the diversity of family life, focusing on animal families, how they are all different, and the main thing human and animal families all have in common… love! In literacy, the children have created a poem about what love looks like to them. We shared all of the special things that happen at home which make them feel loved, from chasing squirrels to going to the beach; it was lovely to hear what they had to say! In mathematics, the children have been continuing to use their new journals in our Power Maths lessons and have been deepening their understanding about the number four. We extended their learning by taking our mathematics outdoors, working in pairs to use a fives frame to show ‘four’ in a variety of ways, using natural materials, comparing our ideas with others, and talking about what was the same and what was different. We also enjoyed creating autumnal collages with natural materials this week, and using the iPads to explore autumnal puzzles. The children are settling really well into Reception; what a great start to the year!

Mrs Rickard, Mrs Smyth and Miss Adams

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 ensure that you have completed the online form by this coming Monday, 29 September. 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.

Harvest Assembly

Parents are warmly invited to attend our harvest assembly on Friday 17 October from 3pm in the school hall. You do not need to reserve tickets. Nursery children who do not attend on Fridays are welcome to join parents in the audience. We will once again be supporting our local food bank, the Westbank community larder, and will provide further details next week on how you can donate items.

Pupil photographs

Following Pret-a-Portrait’s recent visit to take school photographs, a viewing card explaining how you can view and order pictures was sent home in your child’s book bag yesterday. Parents can order at a discounted price before the Early Bird Deadline of 1 October. If for any reason your viewing card doesn’t make it to you in the next few days, please contact Pret-a-Portrait directly on 0800 021 7626 or customerservice@pret-a-portrait.net.

Christmas cards!

The children have been very busy in school recently and created some beautiful Christmas card designs. You will find their artwork attached to a pupil form in their bookbag. If you would like to make an online order of cards, mugs, wrapping  paper, etc. please complete steps 1-3 on the form and go to shop.cauliflowergroup.co.uk to place your order. Remember to tick the box on the form to confirm that you have placed an order online. Our school will receive 20% commission from sales, which will go towards resources for the children.

Mrs Goodwill