Senior Reflections Week 11 2023
Dear parents,
It was such a pleasure to see so many of you at the drama performances of A Midsummer Night’s Dream last week. The pupils were outstanding I am sure you will agree, both on stage and in technical support roles, and I congratulate every one of them. It is impossible to pick out a favourite – though the fairies were especially full of energy and vitality! Once again we thank Mr Jamie Brough, Mr Chris Harknett and Mr Alex Sorlie-Pring for such fantastic direction, oversight and technical support of our pupils’ dramatic talents in school. If you would like to watch it again, please find the play recordings here – Thursday, Friday, Saturday.
CCF and cadet activities
This morning Dr Smale and I attended a passing out parade at the Royal Marines Commando base in Lympstone, accompanied by a number of our senior cadets. This is a unique opportunity for the pupils to see the military machine in operation and I am sure that they will be inspired by witnessing such a special occasion from close quarters. We have a number of young people in school who have aspirations for a career in the services and I am sure that this experience will further solidify their dreams.
Auschwitz trip
This weekend we have a group of about 35 pupils (aged M5 to sixth form) away in Poland, visiting Auschwitz. Run by Miss Rose, Assistant Head (Character) this is an opportunity to consider the lessons learnt from history, and how we can question the morality of past regimes. I am sure that many of you will have visited camps that were part of the Holocaust, and will remember the feeling and atmosphere that one encounters there. It really is a unique experience and is one which will, inevitably, raise many questions in the pupils’ minds, and, I hope, leave them feeling resolute about the importance of compassion, peace and unity in the world today. We wish the group safe travels and thank Mr Graham Bone and Mrs Samantha Wilson for supporting the trip.
Admissions
We have continued to welcome prospective pupils into the school with their families this week with a successful open house event on Tuesday morning and music scholarship interviews throughout the week. On Saturday we are looking forward to welcoming external 11+ applicants for their preparation morning – to get to know us a little better before the assessment day in January. We are also interviewing prospective sixth form pupils. If either of these events are important for you, please get in touch with the admissions team as soon as you can, as they are filling up fast and we have limited spaces.
Pupil wellbeing
Following last year’s successful autumn sessions with Lisa McCullagh from South West Autism, we are pleased to offer more parent sessions this year. The sessions are designed to support parents of children with a diagnosis of autism / Autistic Spectrum Condition, or on the ASC pathway. Equally, parents who would like to find out more should find the sessions informative. The first session, focusing on the challenges of the festive season, will take place on Wednesday 13 December, at 5:30pm in the Andrews Hall. There will be two more sessions next term, on 3 and 24 February from 10am – 12pm.
Some parents will have already received notification of these sessions and have signed up. If you would also like to attend some or all of the sessions, please email Ali Dunning.
Please also remember that there is a wide range of useful resources on the Teen Tips Wellbeing Hub for parents. Current featured content includes important and relevant topics.
Sixth form netball
Many congratulations to the girls and boys who played in the charity netball match at lunchtime on Thursday. It was closely fought, with fast and furious action from both sides. Some of the skills on display were rather questionable (from the boys at least) but it was all great fun and for a good cause – with money being raised for Breast Cancer and Movember charities.
Joe Pinner-Poustie
Most of us struggle to get out of bed and arrive at school on time on a regular day. Not so for U6 pupil, Joe, who, along with a number of his classmates, ran from Exmouth to school on Monday morning, arriving at 8:10am after completing a half marathon distance. Supported along the way by Mr Ed Jones, and raising money for Movember, we congratulate Joe and Mr Jones for their half marathon distance and the staff and pupils who joined him for various lengths of the journey. It was impressive to see him arriving into school to a hero’s welcome. Well done Joe!
Weekend activities
With rugby against Truro and hockey against West Buckland School this weekend we have a full fixture card on Saturday. The sixth form enterprise group will be selling their wares, with the music department providing entertainment at the St Leonard’s Christmas Fayre in the afternoon on Magdalen Road. Please do come along and support them. And on Sunday at 5 pm we have our Advent service in the chapel. All are welcome to come and enjoy some reflections as we look ahead to the Christmas period.
Have a lovely weekend,
