Senior Reflections Week 6 October 2024
Dear parents,
With just one week to go until half term, and a real nip in the air today, it certainly feels like autumn is upon us. With half term comes the first reports, with approach to learning grades for all pupils, and I have enjoyed the opportunity to monitor your sons’ and daughters’ performance in the classroom and in their independent work through this data. These reports are an important staging point for all pupils, especially those who are new to the school this term, to see how they are settling in. Of course, for pupils in the Upper Fifth and Upper Sixth, with GCSE and A Level courses nearing completion, these also help us to see how well they are doing and start to look ahead to where their challenges might be (and indeed their successes!) when the final exams come around in the summer term. Please do contact your child’s tutor in the first instance if you have any concerns about your child’s progress – they will be happy to help you.
Open morning and sixth form open evening
Saturday’s open day was a great success and I thank you for your support in ensuring that your children could be available as guides on the day. The pupils, as always, were wonderful and we had some lovely comments from guests….
This was a typical one….
“Also, please can we pass our thank you to A and B for showing us around today. The confidence, knowledge and quite frankly the calibre of both of them was absolutely what sold the school to us. An absolute credit to the school. They had more about them at Year 10 than many of my staff at work. Thank you.”
On Thursday 7 November, we have our ‘Into the Sixth’ evening for both our own Upper Fifth and external applicants and we hope to see all the pupils here and that you will come along too – please let us know you are attending by completing the form on MSP. This is a focused event, and will give you the chance not only to see the sixth form centre, speak to sixth form and subject staff, but also to hear more about the curriculum in the sixth form. A few days before, your children will have had the opportunity to attend taster lessons in subjects that they have not yet encountered and so hopefully will be feeling excited about the prospect of sixth form life.
Music scholars’ concert
On Tuesday, we were treated to the first music scholars’ concert of the term and what a wonderful evening of stunning music. With pupils from Third Form to sixth form performing, on a wide range of instruments, it was a pleasure to hear talented pianists, cellists, trumpeters, singers and much more, playing music from a variety of genres. We are so lucky to have such an excellent music department, and I thank the music team for inspiring our pupils in their work every day. I look forward to the next opportunity to hear them all again!
New parents
It was a pleasure to welcome many new parents to the new parents’ party and the parental forum for new parents on Wednesday afternoon. We always want to get to know you as soon as we can, and also hear about your child’s first few weeks in the school so that we can reflect and make improvements where they are needed. I hope that you enjoyed the chance to meet with us, and we look forward to working with you all in the years to come.
Field day
Today is the autumn field day and the Lower Fifth are already having a great time on their residential, visiting Bletchley Park yesterday, and Thorpe Park today. They got off safely in the dark at 6am yesterday, and were all very excited to be spending time learning off site together. My grateful thanks to all the staff team who have gone with them, but especially Dr Gary Robb, their head of year, and Mr Mike Glanville, Assistant Head (Middle School) who are leading the trip.
It is always lovely to hear positive reports about our pupils, and receiving this message today, from a couple who are visiting Staines-upon-Thames from Devon, about our Lower Fifth pupils was a particular delight:
“Being greeted by a swarming gaggle of young people, who had an obvious respect for their “minders”, could have been ” a darned kids”, moment. Instead, it was pleasant, engaging and full of manners. A real credit, to Devon, your school, your teachers, the parents and indeed the young people themselves. Please thank them on behalf of my wife and myself for cheering up our day.”
We also have pupils out today and over the weekend on a wide range of exciting expeditions and activities:
- The Third Form are off to Beer Caves to do geography field work and explore the Jurassic Coast.
- The Fourth Form will be exploring the aquatic life at the Plymouth Aquarium
- The Lower Fifth are off on their residential trip
- The sixth form are doing a range of activities; sports leaders’ award, Exonian journalism, Arts Gold Award, community service, SWUNK music and gold DofE.
Whilst those in the fifth and sixth forms who are in the CCF have an exciting range of adventurous activities too, going to Nantillio Woods, Woodbury Common, Haven Banks and Luscombe Hill for leadership and field training activities.
Finally, we have fifth formers out on their silver DofE expedition both from the Middle Fifth and Upper Fifth, on Dartmoor and Exmoor respectively. They will be out overnight and we hope that the weather remains clear and dry for them all.
Today is a huge undertaking for the school, with every single staff member involved in some way, supporting the pupils’ endeavours. It is a huge collaborative task and I am very grateful to all of my colleagues for facilitating your children’s activities, and especially those who give their time over the weekend and on residential visits. We see this as an integral part of what an Exonian education offers to your children. One of many opportunities to be put just outside your comfort zone, being encouraged to collaborate, to show determination, endeavour and commitment, and hopefully, to have a lot of fun with friends too. Special thanks to Miss Bethan Rose, Deputy Head (Enrichment and Community) who is the mastermind of the whole event, and makes sure that all runs smoothly on the day.
Sixth form interviews
Many thanks to the parents and friends of the school who are assisting with the Ashford’s interview programme for the Upper Sixth tomorrow. The pupils really do benefit from these professional interactions, in such a corporate style setting, and we hope that it gives them all the confidence that they need when they face a real interview in the future.
Hockey this weekend
This weekend the sport is focused on hockey for the girls against Wellington School. I wish all those playing a fantastic set of matches both home and away.
Have a lovely weekend and I hope that the last week of the half term is positive for your children.
