Senior Reflections Week 1 September 2024

Dear parents,

I hope that the start of term has gone well for your children. It was a pleasure to see so many happy faces on Wednesday, on new pupil day, and great that our new starters were brimming with confidence and happy to be here at school after the summer break. It is perfectly natural to feel a bit wobbly at times over the next few weeks, even for those moving up from the junior school, pre-prep or into the sixth form who have been Exonians for some time, but hopefully the overall impression is a very positive one.

In assembly on Thursday it was a pleasure to update the pupils on progress through the summer, congratulate the Lower Sixth on their GCSE results, and look to the year ahead. As always, our message was one of being welcoming to the new members of the school community, both adults and children, and to take all the many opportunities that the school offers to each pupil. We heard about sport and music, and also the senior school play this term (Blue Stockings) as well as a wide variety of clubs and societies for the pupils to join from economics to library, East Asia to swimming, intergenerational learning, STEM for the Third Form and debating. There really is something for everyone and I hope that you will encourage your children to try something new this term and get involved. They will grow their character in so many ways by having a go at something new, and they will also make lots of new friends by connecting with peers with similar interests.

School uniform

As you know, we have started the new year with the intention of smartening up the current school uniform ahead of the introduction of the new uniform next September. I want to thank you for your support in this. Arriving at school this week, pupils have been noticeably smarter, and have been happy to tuck in the odd shirt, tie back hair or remove jewellery when we have asked them to.  I congratulated them on looking so smart in assembly yesterday, and I very much hope that we are able to maintain this standard. Of course, you are a key part of this and I thank you for your support at home. I know it is not always easy. We are aware that there are some issues with Monkhouse (our current suppliers) and the availability of certain uniform items and I ask you to contact your child’s form tutor or head of year if you are struggling to source a particular item. We do have limited stock in the second hand shop, and so we might be able to help you out. I would also say that if you have any garments at home that still have life in them, and are no longer being worn by your own children, then please do send them in for the second hand supply. We are particularly keen to have a stock of skirts (which are of the correct length). Thank you if you can help with this.

Pre-season sport training and sport this weekend

I am very grateful to Mr Gibson and the sport team for running extensive pre-season training for boys and girls in the last week. They have engaged enthusiastically and it has been particularly heartening to see the younger players getting involved ahead of the first fixtures. I hope that they feel energised and enlivened and ready for their first matches! The boys’ first 15 played rugby against Crediton on Tuesday, and enjoyed a convincing win, and today the girls’ U18 hockey have their first fixture against Plymouth College. I wish them all the best and hope that the training has paid off!

This weekend we have three home fixtures against Plymouth for the boys playing rugby, and the U14 girls are playing the Kings College tournament. U13 boys’ rugby are off to Millfield Prep. I wish them all every success and an enjoyable first fixture of the season.

Former pupils

This evening we welcome the classes of 2022, 2023 and 2024 to a drinks reception. Our former pupils are a wonderfully positive resource for the school and we encourage them to start engaging with the alumni office as early as possible after they have left us. I look forward to seeing some very familiar faces this evening and enjoying a drink with them to toast their A Level successes and hear about their progress beyond school.

DofE this weekend

I hope that the rain stays off for the Bronze DofE expedition which is heading off to the Budleigh and Sidmouth area this weekend for their qualifying expedition. My fingers are crossed for them all as they navigate their routes and spend a night camping out and I thank Mrs Ridler-Murray and the DofE team for facilitating the expedition this weekend.

Once again, I thank you for your support and wish you a great weekend.