Senior Reflections Week 11 November 2024

Dear parents,

It has been a busy week on the admissions front and it has been a pleasure to meet music and sport scholarship candidates for interviews. It is always a pleasure listening to the passions and interests of our applicants, and hearing about their accomplishments both in their own schools (many of them are external candidates) and in their clubs and organisations beyond school. Next week, we have music and drama and I am looking forward to meeting them. On Saturday, we have sixth form interviews too, and also preparation day for our 11+ assessments. This will be a busy day for us all and I wish all our candidates the very best.

We welcomed lots of families to our open house event on Thursday and, as ever, your children were excellent advocates and guides, helping our visitors to make the most of their visit on a normal school day. Prospective parents really enjoy seeing the school in action on a working day and get a very clear flavour of what it is to be an Exonian. Many thanks in particular to Tabby from Lower Sixth and George, from Lower Fifth, for speaking so eloquently to our guests in the presentation in the Andrews Hall.

Blue Stockings

This week, the drama department has been extremely busy rehearsing and preparing for the senior school play, Blue Stockings, whose first night was very successful on Thursday. It is a triumph! I was gripped from the outset and have been incredibly impressed by the actors, and also by the innovative use of the Butterfield Hall as a setting. Huge thanks to all the cast and crew, and in particular to Mr Jamie Brough, Mr Chris Harknett and Miss Caitlin Smith, whose drive and vision has seen this play onto the stage. Well done to all.

Click here to read more about the senior school production

Music

We are looking forward to the season of lots of musical activity as the term draws to a close. We have a fabulous, inclusive, music department that everyone can get involved with; whilst, at the same time, producing music of the highest quality.

As usual, the Christmas season sees our musicians performing regularly:

  • The Magdalen Road street fair kicks things off on Saturday 7 December and is quickly followed by our Christmas concert taking place, this year, in St Michael’s, Heavitree, on Tuesday 3 December to raise money for WaterAid.
  • A new event on our calendar this year is the ‘Light Up A Life’ event at the cathedral on Wednesday 4 December, in which some of our younger musicians will be performing to support the excellent work done by Hospiscare, our school charity of the year.
  • This year, our Christmas service will take place in the new location of St Leonard’s Church on Friday 13 December, giving all sections of the school a chance to have their own tailored service, and creating lots of opportunities for our young musicians to perform in choirs and orchestras as well as singing some solos.
  • The term will conclude with our senior school Christmas concert on Tuesday 17 December, with a smaller choir performing for at our community service Christmas party on Wednesday 18 December, the last day of term.

Many of our pupils are very committed to raising money for charity through their concerts. Therefore, the decision has been taken to not host our annual concert in the cathedral this year as, among other factors, the cost of hiring such a large and expensive venue denies them this opportunity. We have also found that attendance by the public at our concerts has been lower in recent years, and therefore smaller venues such as local churches can provide pupils with a better performance experience as they look out on a full venue rather than lots of empty seats. There are also some logistical challenges that come with performing at the cathedral, such as the strain on our operations team for the setup of a larger space and the distance from school, which makes it harder for staff and pupils to travel to and also adds to the cost. Performing in the cathedral remains really important to us, and we will continue to do so on a regular basis; the musicians will continue to perform as part of the Founders Day service annually, if not more frequently in the future. This will grant our pupils the chance to perform in a range of diverse and inspiring venues during their time at Exeter School and give parents lots of opportunities to see their children perform in these different settings. Please do come along and see the pupils perform – whether your child is a musician or not – we always love to see you.

It is always a lovely moment when we switch on the lights on the trees on campus. The festive period is here and I hope that they make you smile when you visit.

Have a lovely weekend.

Family Society

We are lucky to be so well supported by our Family Society and you can now see upcoming events in their own webpage.

Click here to be directed to the Family Society web page

 

WaterAid Concert

Our annual Charity Christmas Concert, this year in aid of WaterAid, takes place on Tuesday 3 December 2024 at 7.30pm in St Michael’s and All Angels’ Church, Heavitree.

Click here to book tickets for the concert

 

Christmas Concert

Senior School Christmas Concert on Thursday 17 December 2024 at 7.30pm in the main school hall.

Click here to book tickets via MSP

Senior School News

Senior Sport News

Do you have a story or pupil achievement to share with our community?

If you have a couple of lines of information and a photograph that you and your child are happy to be shared we will try to post these at relevant times through the year.
Email our communications team
Well done to Nell (U19) and Eva (Junior PDP) who both represented @teambathnetball_ this weekend against Manchester Thunder @exeterschooluk #netball #exeterschool #exeterschoolsport #aspire

Well done to Nell (U19) and Eva (Junior PDP) who both represented @teambathnetball_ this weekend against Manchester Thunder @exeterschooluk #netball #exeterschool #exeterschoolsport #aspire ...

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Happy Valentine's Day ❤️

Vally in Upper has written a beautiful love letter, about Paris in honour of the day of love.

#exeterschools #valentinesday #loveletters #valentinespoetry

Happy Valentine`s Day ❤️

Vally in Upper has written a beautiful love letter, about Paris in honour of the day of love.

#exeterschools #valentinesday #loveletters #valentinespoetry
...

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Congratulations to Alumna Sarah (2013-2024), who became one of the first ever cadets to fly solo in a Tutor aircraft, in September 2024. She completed the three-week programme, earning the Gold Badge. What a role model for our current pupils!

Reflecting on her experience, she said: "I had such an amazing time—one I will never forget. A huge thank you to 12 AEF and my contingent commander for making this possible!" 

Our CCF section is one of the largest in the southwest and offers an impressive range of options and activities to develop pupils' skills of leadership, teamwork and resilience through the structure of a cadet unit. 

New and current pupils entering Year 10 choose the activities they wish to take part in for our Friday 8 programme (named due to the fact that these are carried out during period 8, the last lesson on a Friday). These include the three CCF sections (Royal Navy, army, Royal Air Force), Duke of Edinburgh, The Exonian magazine editorial team, community service, sports leaders, swunk (a jazz and funk band) and more.

📷: Thank you to @cadetsinschools for the use of their photo.

#exeterschools #aspireandflourish #togetherwe #cadetsinschools #ccf #rafcadets #independentschoolsuk

Congratulations to Alumna Sarah (2013-2024), who became one of the first ever cadets to fly solo in a Tutor aircraft, in September 2024. She completed the three-week programme, earning the Gold Badge. What a role model for our current pupils!

Reflecting on her experience, she said: "I had such an amazing time—one I will never forget. A huge thank you to 12 AEF and my contingent commander for making this possible!"

Our CCF section is one of the largest in the southwest and offers an impressive range of options and activities to develop pupils` skills of leadership, teamwork and resilience through the structure of a cadet unit.

New and current pupils entering Year 10 choose the activities they wish to take part in for our Friday 8 programme (named due to the fact that these are carried out during period 8, the last lesson on a Friday). These include the three CCF sections (Royal Navy, army, Royal Air Force), Duke of Edinburgh, The Exonian magazine editorial team, community service, sports leaders, swunk (a jazz and funk band) and more.

📷: Thank you to @cadetsinschools for the use of their photo.

#exeterschools #aspireandflourish #togetherwe #cadetsinschools #ccf #rafcadets #independentschoolsuk
...

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Informal String Concert - 20 Nov 2024

Informal Piano Concert - 13 Nov 2024

Iceland trip - Oct 2024

U15 XI hockey vs Mt Kelly - 16 Nov 24

1st XI hockey vs Mt Kelly - 15 Nov 2024

U13A, U13B, U12A, U12B rugby vs Wellington School - 16 Nov 2024

Colour Run - Nov 2024

Exonians in Bath - Nov 2024

Field day - Oct 2024

4F Plymouth aquarium 2024

Senior co-curricular update

Following an action-packed summer term of trips and activities, we would like to give you an overview of what pupils can look forward to over the coming few weeks. This is by no means an exhaustive list but highlights the key events that are planned for the first half term. More information will be communicated in due course by the teachers responsible for each activity.

Whole school

Saturday 30 November: Blue Stockings (school production), 7.30pm

Sunday 1 December: Advent Service, 5pm, chapel

Tuesday 3 December: Water Aid Concert, 7.30pm

Wednesday 4 December: Interhouse swimming, 4-6pm, swimming pool

Saturday 7 December: Exeter College MUN conference, 9am–4.30pm

Wednesday 11 December: Christmas house day (from lesson 4 onwards) + Christmas jumper and Christmas dinner day

Friday 13 December: Carol service at St Leonard’s church during the school day

Tuesday 17 December: Christmas Concert in the main hall, 7.30pm

Wednesday 18 December: Finish at 12.50pm

Lower School

Wednesday 4 December: Music at ‘light up a life’ event, Exeter Cathedral, 6:30pm

Wednesday 4 December: Lower School council, 12.50–1.50pm, rm14

Wednesday 4 December: interhouse basketball finals, 1.15–1.45pm, sports hall

Tuesday 10 December: Fourth Form interhouse hockey during games, Astro

Thursday 12 December: Third Form interhouse hockey during games, Astro

Middle School

Thursday 5 December: Middle School council, 12.50–1.50pm, rm44

Sunday 8 December: Middle Fifth Ten Tors safety training day

Thursday 12 December: Middle Fifth interhouse hockey during games, Astro

Sixth Form

Friday 6 December: Sixth Form council, 12.50–1.50pm, seminar room

Monday 9 December: Lower Sixth BTEC sport trip, St Luke’s campus, 1.30-4pm

Monday 16 December: Upper Sixth business studies trip to Midlands, departing 7am and returning 7pm on Tuesday 17