Senior Reflections Week 31 May 2025

Dear parents,

School has been quiet this week, with all senior school pupils in either public exams or end of year assessments. It is always a pleasure to see pupils letting off steam in the breaks between the exams, and this week’s lovely weather has facilitated this well.

Alumni event

On Wednesday, we had our annual London drinks event, with almost 50 former pupils attending to share memories and a drink together in a pub overlooking Hyde Park. Whilst we were in London, Alice Holohan, our Director of Development and Alumni Relations, and I met with an alumnus who left the school in 1982. Andy Williams is a very successful orthopaedic surgeon, who has made his name specialising in knee surgery for athletes, particularly top level footballers. Talking to Andy was fascinating, not just hearing about his professional life, his research and the professional sporting world that he inhabits, but also his memories of school and the way in which he attributes Exeter School to changing his life. He spent just two years here, coming from a local senior school into the sixth form, but those two years were enough to have a profound impact, in particular on his confidence and self-belief. To build the reputation and successful clinical practice that he has, it is clear that self-belief is a key attribute, and I found myself wondering how many of our current Exonians might be undergoing such a transformation now, and would look back and have the same reflections 20 or 30 years down the line in their professional lives? It is certainly a real privilege to be able to share in the lives of our former pupils and there is much that the alumni community brings to the school through their engagement, interest and practical support, not to mention their philanthropy.

Speech day

Looking ahead, a reminder that speech day this year is on Friday 27 June. It is a normal school day and all pupils in Third Form to Lower Sixth will be in attendance on that day, though we do recognise that some Upper Fifth pupils may already be away on holiday, since their exams will have finished by then. The middle school and Lower Sixth event is in the morning on that day and the lower school event is in the afternoon. All Upper Sixth pupils are warmly invited to attend, though they have already been awarded their prizes at their graduation service, and again, may already have departed for holidays and gap year plans. If your child has won a prize you will be notified after half term, and we hope that many prize winners’ parents will be able to attend. Our speaker this year is another Old Exonian, Peter Pereira Gray, who has carved a successful career in the finance world. He has a strong interest in pupil wellbeing and will, I am sure, be an inspiring speaker.

INSET day

A reminder that Monday 2 June is a staff training day and your children are not required to be in school expect for those who have A Level or GCSE exams.

School Fete

Our second summer fete will be in the afternoon on Saturday 7 June. Last year’s inaugural event was a great success thanks to a huge amount of work put in by the Exeter School Family Society. I am sure that this year will be just as successful and thank you in advance if you are planning anything for that day. I look forward to seeing many of you (and your children) here at school on 7 June. Huge thanks to the family society committee for all the hard work that is currently happening to prepare for what will, I hope, be a fabulous school celebration.

I wish you all a restful and enjoyable half term break with your children and thank you for your ongoing support at school.