Dear parents,
New school uniform
Last week, and following on from our meeting with parents, we held pupil focus groups to look at the proposed uniform changes and meet with our new supplier to give pupils a chance to talk about their ideas and thoughts. These were hugely helpful, and we are very grateful to the pupils across the junior and senior schools for their input and feedback. Alongside this, we are aware that there has been some discussion in parent social media groups about the proposals, and we are also very pleased to have received direct feedback from some parents, sharing their views.
We want to reassure you that, at this stage, no final decisions have been made and that we continue to consider the feedback and perspectives carefully. We are very aware of cost pressures to parents, and these will be carefully balanced alongside the need for a smart uniform which pupils will wear well, and with pride. We will be in touch shortly, with more details and a timetable for any changes, hopefully before the end of the term.
Exeter Pre-prep school inspection
This week colleagues at the pre-prep have been visited by an inspection team from the Independent Schools Inspectorate (ISI). We have been waiting for a visit since the summer term of 2023, and Mr Dan Ayling (the Head) and his team have felt very well prepared over the last twelve months. The ISI inspection framework has changed recently, and so this is our first experience as a school of the F23 framework, although some of our senior leaders are inspectors themselves, and have been on teams inspecting in this new way. There are some significant changes to the structure and the feedback report, not least the removal of the single word judgements for the sections of the report. In addition, the whole basis of inspection has now moved to be focused on pupil wellbeing – which I think we can all agree is a positive step forward. The feedback from the ISI team on Thursday afternoon was very pleasing and we look forward to sharing the report with the school community when it is published in a few weeks. We hope to have it before the end of the school year.
Higher education forum
The music hall was packed to the rafters on Wednesday evening for the Lower Sixth higher education forum and we heard from two very knowledgeable presenters form Cardiff and Birmingham universities, who outlined the importance of personal statement, student finance, deciding between campus and city universities, and, crucially, doing lots of research before picking a course of study and a chosen location. There is no doubt that pupils and their parents left the room feeling better prepared for the university application process which lies ahead, and we wish them well as they start to form a view of where they might go and what they might study. As well as universities, our presenters also reminded pupils about the opportunities offered by degree apprenticeships, which I am sure you are aware offer an incredible option in some subject and vocational areas. It is worth noting that we have had great success with degree apprenticeships this year, with Matthew Lomas securing a place at the Dyson Institute, and Aimee Dearness accepting an offer to do aeronautical engineering with Airbus. These are fabulous and sought after opportunities, I am sure you will agree, so certainly worth considering.
Futures Week
This week has been Futures Week and the HE forum on Wednesday was a key part of this week of activities and support for the Lower Sixth as they have completed this exams and are starting to look forward. Last Friday’s business and enterprise day, masterminded by Mr Stuart Mackintosh, was a great success and the pupils have had visits and activities this week including the Royal Navy, presentation skills, online courses, and a day with a higher education focus. They should all feel ready now to make some progress with their UCAS research and application process. I am very grateful to Mrs Melanie Szender, our careers pathway advisor, Mr Luigi Chu, Assistant Head (sixth form), Mrs Laura Bell, Sixth Form Study Supervisor, and all of the sixth form team who have put together such a great programme. There has even been an opportunity for pupils to learn how to iron shirts and manage their budgets when they leave home – crucial skills for any student away from home for the first time!
House tea parties and barbecue lunch
Our house tea parties have continued this week with Acland and Buller on Wednesday and Crossing and Townsend on Thursday. I encourage you to come along and say thank you to the current house team, and wish them well as the houses morph into the new pastoral structure from September. It has been lovely to drop into these and have a scone and a cup of tea, and I hope those of you who have come have enjoyed the chance to connect and chat with other parents and members of the houses. Today we had a special barbecue lunch for pupils at school, following the success of the inaugural such event last year. Pupils loved the informal style of the food – it was just a shame we couldn’t eat outside due to the downpour at lunchtime!
Five forms in Lower Fifth and Fourth Form
We have been asked about the number of classes in the Fourth Form and Lower Fifth year groups. We have traditionally taken an additional group of pupils (up to about 20) into the school at 13+, mostly from local prep schools, but also from other schools. This increases the number of classes from four to five. This year, as normal, we are doing this, and, due to demand for places, we are also adding an additional class into the Fourth Form, so that pupils will be taught in five teaching groups instead of four. This means that the teaching groups will each be slightly smaller than the classes that your children have been taught in for the Third Form, but that the year group as a whole is a little bigger. We will still have an entry point at 13+ and so there will inevitably be new children joining into the Lower Fifth (as there always is) in September 2025. It is reassuring to us that we have such strong demand in the school and we are happy to be able to accommodate these additional children so that they can benefit from an Exeter School education.
Sport this weekend
We have a team of girls and boys from U12 to U18 competing at Exeter Arena in the SW Schools Athletics Championships tomorrow. We wish all our athletes every success in their events. Here at school we have a block cricket fixture for the boys against Plymouth College, with three teams playing away in Plymouth. Best of luck to all who are playing.
Exeter School Family Society fete
Tomorrow is the Family Society Fete and we hope to see lots of you here to help us gel the school community together and make some money for charity. There are over forty stalls expected, from face painting to physiotherapy, hook a duck to sponge the teacher… there are also lots of food and drink stalls including local businesses and pop up stalls. We are hopeful for great weather, and that you will come along between 1 and 4pm to join in the fun. See you then!
We wish you all a great weekend.
