Senior Reflections Week 29 May 2025
Dear parents,
Study leave
This week has been a week of farewells and wishing our Upper Fifth and Upper Sixth pupils all the best as they commence their study leave and start to get ready for the approaching GCSE and A Level exams. On Wednesday, the Upper Fifth had great fun signing shirts and saying goodbye to the concept of school uniform – a real rite of passage as they start to get ready for the excitement of the sixth form years which lie ahead. We wish them all every success as they face the challenges of the exam room in the coming weeks and months.
On Thursday, the Upper Sixth said goodbye to formal school in their graduation ceremony. This event is a slight variation on the previous leavers’ service, with not just a roll of honour and congratulations for every leaving pupil, but also the awarding of prizes to the Upper Sixth; many of whom cannot make it to prize giving in late June as they have already set off on their summer adventures and gap year plans. This event is very much shaped and presented by the pupils themselves and the main hall was packed with parents to support them as they move on. It was a wonderful event – really reflecting this fantastic year group and all they have accomplished in their time as Exonians. We thank the leavers for all they have done to make Exeter School the wonderful community that it is today, and we wish them every success in their exams. As they join the alumni community, we remind them that we are always here for them and that we hope to stay in touch as we chart their progress in the future. #onceanexonianalwaysanexonian.
Ten Tors
This weekend is the annual Ten Tors event and I wish all those participating a great weekend on the moor. With teams completing the 35, 45 and 55 mile events this year, we have a large group and Mr Ben Hall, Mrs Helen Sail and all the fantastic Ten Tors staff team have done a great job in supporting the pupils in their training weekends over the last few months. Special thanks to all those parents and other volunteers who give up their weekends so readily to facilitate this for the pupils. It looks like the weekend will be dry and possibly a little warm; hopefully not as warm as last year…. I look forward to seeing them off on Saturday morning – and wish them success as they work together in their teams to complete this arduous challenge.
Mental health talks
Matt Bubb, an advocate for men’s mental health, visited the school this week to talk to pupils in the Lower Fifth and Lower Sixth and also to present to parents. Matt is passionate about addressing the challenges that many young men face in a society where it is still often difficult for boys and young men to open up and share their feelings and concerns. It was a pleasure to hear his talk and to see the impact that it had on the pupils. Thank you also to the parents who came along to the evening talk, which stimulated some very interesting and useful discussions. Many thanks to Mrs Amelia Johnson for organising the day.
Joy of Learning
On Wednesday we welcomed Emily Cheer, founder of Joy of Learning, a charity that we have been working with who support children and families in desperately poor circumstances in Uganda. The aim of the charity is to place orphaned and abandoned children back into their families or with foster families and then support them to be able to attend school. It was a great opportunity to see where the money we had raised through our home-clothes day was being spent, and to consider the difference that it makes to the lives of these families. With connections to the charity through the Hobbs family, it is a cause which is close to many Exonians’ hearts, and we hope to continue to support the charity into the future.
Click here to read more about their work
Open evening
It is aways a great pleasure to welcome visitors and prospective parents to the school and Thursday evening was no exception as we opened our doors for the summer open evening. Your sons and daughters really are amazing advocates for the school and were brilliant; touring visitors, talking to them with such passion and interest and helping them to see their own children as Exonians in years to come. Many thanks to your children for their energy and positive approach to this event; the new prefect team were especially impressive.
Phones in school
A reminder that all pupils in the senior school must lock their phones in their book lockers during the day, as per our new phones policy. A cursory glance around the form rooms indicates that not all pupils have a combination padlock on their book locker yet, which they need to secure their device and which we asked to be in place at the start of this term. You may have seen the piece in the national press this week which reminds us why it is important to manage our children’s use of mobile phones more carefully. You can read the article here.
We understand that some pupils are not bringing phones into school at all, which is excellent, but if your child has a phone, please help us to enforce the policy by ensuring that your child has a combination padlock and locks their phone away every day.
Sport this weekend
We have block fixtures in cricket against Blundell’s this Saturday and an athletics meet against King’s Taunton as well. Best of luck to all those playing and competing.
Devon County Show
Next week we have a stall at the Devon County Show; if you are visiting please do pop over and say hello – we’ll be at stand 29, Avenue A. We would love to see you.
Have a lovely weekend.
