senior students
Senior Reflections

Senior Reflections Week 17 2024

Dear parents,

The netball tour to Manchester left safely this morning, and I have no doubt that the 20 girls from the Lower Fifth and Middle Fifth who are away over the weekend will have a fantastic time, not just as an opportunity to spend time playing high-quality netball against some unfamiliar opposition, but also to be with their friends doing something that they love. We wish them all well and thank Miss Brittany Johnson, Miss Millie Nye, Miss Emily Horn, and Miss Laura Barnes for their trip leadership and for giving their time so generously over the weekend to facilitate this experience for the girls involved.

Meanwhile, back at home, we have netball fixtures against Plymouth College tomorrow and hockey for the boys against West Buckland School. We wish all our representative athletes all the best in their fixtures and hope that they do as well as last weekend, against Wellington School, which was a very successful one.

Admissions

Following last weekend’s assessment day for 11+ to 14+ candidates, I have enjoyed lots of online meetings this week with our 13+ and 14+ applicants. Our conversations cover everything from the names of family pets to photosynthesis (one of my favourite topics), diving in Costa Rica, and performances in dance and drama on stage. We have seen a great crop of applicants this time around, from places as diverse as Turkey, the United States, and Chagford…. And I have enjoyed meeting them all. Best of luck to any siblings who are awaiting the outcome of the assessments. Junior school assessment day is Saturday 3 February, and we look forward to welcoming some of you and your younger children then.

Upper Fifth parents

It was a pleasure to see so many of you here last night for the parents’ evening and to see such positive and lively conversations between your children and their teachers. I hope that those of you who were here enjoyed listening to Aimée and Angus talk about their sixth form experiences and also considering the improvements and refurbishments to the sixth form facilities that we are carrying out over the next eight months, ready for the new academic year. The current Upper Fifth will be the first to benefit from these improvements, and we hope that they will help us mould the space and make it reflect what they want in a study centre specifically for them.

Looking ahead – summer events

Last week, I reminded you about the dates for speech day in the summer term on Thursday 27 June.

Please also make a note of the Exeter School Family Society summer fayre, which will be on Saturday 15 June. The family society committee is working hard on organising a great event on this day, and we hope that the school community will support them with gusto. There will be opportunities for business owners to have a stall and connect with the school community, so please do get in touch if this might be of interest to you. We are very grateful to Mrs Ruth Hughes, who is the chair of the committee and is investing huge energy and commitment into the cause. We much appreciate it.

Staff news

We are sorry to announce that Mr Stephen Hancock will be leaving us at Easter. Mr Hancock is a passionate and gifted teacher of English who has inspired pupils in the senior school in the last two years with his teaching and learning skills and his great love of literature, and has led our Model United Nations society brilliantly. We are sad to see Mr Hancock leaving us, to return to Cambridgeshire, and we wish him every happiness in his new role and thank him for his commitment to Exeter School.

Careers convention

We are very grateful to members of the community who have offered to be present at the careers convention next Tuesday, where the pupils will have a chance to hear from a range of professionals and higher education organisations. Please encourage your children to sign up and start to think ahead to what they want their professional life to look like and where they might focus their energies in their studies. Grateful thanks go to Mrs Melanie Szender, our careers and higher education pathways advisor, for organising the event.

I wish the sports teams success tomorrow and the MUN conference delegates at Bristol Grammar School on Sunday a great experience debating the big issues of the day.

Have a lovely weekend,

Senior Artist of the moment

The art department regularly recognises the achievements of individual pupils in the senior school through the award of the title, ‘Artist of the Moment’. Entries cover a wide range of disciplines, including drawing, painting, photography, printmaking, sculpture, installation and mixed media.

This week’s artist of the moment is William in the Fourth Form. Inspired by a recent visit to the coast, William has produced this dynamic print influenced by the fluid shapes and forms seen in the movement of water. Excellent observation and use of mixed media materials.

Swimming vs. Colyton Grammar & Exmouth Community College

The school swimming team has had a very successful start to the term with two overall wins in highly competitive galas against local opposition. On the 15 January we hosted Colyton Grammar School with the Exeter team winning 4 out of 6 age categories, while the event on the 24 January versus Exmouth Community College saw wins for the Exeter School team in 3 out of 5 age groups. It was great to see new swimmers competing for the school for the first time and both school and pool swim records were broken by swimmers in all age groups.

Cross Country – county success

On Saturday 20 January, six pupils competed at the Devon school’s cross country championships at Exhibition Fields, Exeter. All six pupils ran well and were a credit to the school, despite the tough conditions. There were notable performances for Kiva (3F) who finished 15th in the Year 7 race and Arabella (U5) who also finished 15th in her race. However, the stars of the day were Lydia (3F) who finished 3rd in the Year 7 race and Rory (M5) who was crowned Devon champion in the inter boys race (a year young!). Congratulations to Rory and Lydia who will go on to represent Devon School’s at the South-West school’s cross country championships on Saturday 3 February at RNAS Maryfield, Ilminster.

Informal Percussion Concert

The music hall was rocking to the sounds of many of the school’s drummers on Wednesday after school, when the Informal Percussion Concert took place. With technical assistance with backing tracks coming from percussion teachers Mr. Crossen and Mr. Felton, 13 pupils demonstrated their prowess on the kit whilst Eddie was joined by Mr Crossen on the djembe drums. As might be expected from percussionists, the audience was treated to some very rhythmically tight performances and everyone clearly enjoyed the opportunity to play in front of their friends and family. You can access the audio recording here.

The next Informal Concert is on 31 January at 4pm, and will feature the brass players.  All are welcome to attend in the music hall.

Senior School News

Senior Sport News

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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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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Busy day at the office. Wonderful to see so many pupils involved in Saturday sports fixtures yesterday morning. A, B and C hockey teams against West Buckland U13 & U12s and delighted to be able to welcome KES Bath to play four U13 netball fixtures. @marklockettphotography @exeterschooluk #saturdaysport #netball #hockey #exeterschoolsport #exeterschool #aspire #welcome #serve

Busy day at the office. Wonderful to see so many pupils involved in Saturday sports fixtures yesterday morning. A, B and C hockey teams against West Buckland U13 & U12s and delighted to be able to welcome KES Bath to play four U13 netball fixtures. @marklockettphotography @exeterschooluk #saturdaysport #netball #hockey #exeterschoolsport #exeterschool #aspire #welcome #serve ...

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1st XI vs Colyton Grammar School