Senior Reflections 6 February 2026
Dear parents,
The wet and wintry weather continues, but it does little to dampen our spirits here at school. Pupils have continued to throw themselves wholeheartedly into the huge range of activities offered by our wonderful staff.
Friday’s sixth form Winter Ball was a great success. It was a real pleasure to see so many pupils dancing, smiling and clearly having such fun. Even Mr Chu and Miss Dunning could not resist the pull of the dance floor; although I somehow managed to resist the temptation myself! Huge thanks to Miss Rose for masterminding the event.
The weekend saw a wet but very worthwhile Ten Tors training expedition across Dartmoor. The pupils excelled themselves, remaining in high spirits throughout despite the challenging and frequently changing conditions. My thanks go to Mr Hall and the team for their careful planning and for skilfully balancing the risks, challenges and opportunities of such a worthwhile experience.
Recent weeks have brought outstanding sporting success across the school, with pupils demonstrating commitment, resilience and real excellence. This week we have an incredible 48 different teams/events where pupils are able to represent the school.
At the Devon Schools’ Cross Country Championships, held in challenging conditions at West Buckland School, we were delighted to see three pupils crowned county champions. These athletes now go on to represent Devon at the Southwest Championships, supported by a number of other strong individual performances across the teams. Our U16A netball squad also enjoyed a highly competitive weekend at the regional finals in Bournemouth, winning four of their six matches and missing out on progression by the narrowest of margins. Their performances were a real credit to the school, and we look forward to following their continued journey in the Sisters in Sport National Plate competition later this term.
There is also much to look forward to across other sports as well. Our hockey teams enter a busy and exciting period, with national cup and plate fixtures alongside several Devon County Finals for boys’ teams across the age groups, and our U12 girls representing Devon at the West Finals. In rugby, we are proud to see pupils achieving representative honours, with selections for both Exeter Chiefs U17s and the Independent School Lambs reflecting the strength of our programme. Thank you to all staff involved for their dedication and expertise, and congratulations to all pupils who continue to represent the school with such pride and distinction.
This week I have also had the pleasure of attending School Council meetings, where the focus has been on lunches. Pupils’ positive and constructive feedback on our catering is incredibly helpful. Mr Swan attended the sessions, and the insights shared will help him and his team take our already excellent provision to even greater heights.
On Wednesday evening, Mr Fennemore led an engaging parental forum focused on our ‘Shape of the Week’ changes coming into effect this September. Parents explored the implications of the key developments, including the move to one-hour lessons and a two-week timetable. Thank you to all those who attended and contributed so thoughtfully; your input is invaluable in helping us ensure these changes are as successful as possible. You can read more here.
Wednesday also saw a number of pupils perform powerful pieces at the informal brass concert. It was wonderful to see, and hear, such a wide variety of performances. Tonight, I am very much looking forward to our Exonian Lecture, hearing from Alex Leger as he reflects on his time at Blue Peter and his adventures around the world.
This weekend brings the usual range of wonderful opportunities: sport both home and away for girls and boys, a sixth form chemistry challenge competition, and a Model United Nations conference in Bristol. Looking ahead to next week, although it is the final week of half term, the opportunities continue unperturbed. We have Upper Sixth (Year 13) drama performances, a Middle Fifth (Year 10) science trip, a Lower Fifth (Year 9) art exhibition, our magnificent Choral Society concert in the Cathedral, and a special event for Lower Sixth (Year 12) pupils focused on post-18 options. The week concludes with the departure of both our ski trip and the sixth form classics trip before we all break for the spring half term.
As ever, there is much to celebrate and much to look forward to. Thank you for your continued support.
