On Thursday 27 June, both the middle school and the sixth form had their Speech Days. These are important events in our annual calendar where we get to celebrate the incredible achievements of our pupils.
On arrival, parents were greeted with music pieces from our talented Exonians. Many thanks to Charlie, Cyrus, Joshua, Alice, Ingrid, Xander, Rebecca and Dominic from the middle school, and Henry, Imogen, Charlie, Oscar, Dominic, Felicity, Maddie, Rayner, Phoebe, Tristan and Rowan from sixth form for their wonderful contributions.
The day began with an address from James Gaisford, the Chair of Governors, updating parents on the latest movements within the Board of Governors and the plans for the school.
Find out more about the Governors here
Ms Simpson then gave her address, informing parents on all things Exeter School: we heard about the incredible public exam results from 2023, the exciting new Sixth Form centre, and the fantastic trips and academic adventures that have occurred this year. We also heard from pupils across all year groups, telling everyone about their favourite aspects of the school year. It seems a whole-rounded and rewarding experience was had by all!
The audience were once again treated to a taste of the incredible talent we have here at Exeter School with a short dramatic performance. From the Middle School, we had Alex and Oliver, who performed their LAMDA piece. From sixth form, we saw an excerpt of the school’s production of a Midsummer Night’s Dream by Darcy and Sophie. Everyone could agree that these pieces were expertly performed, and was a delightful insight into the fantastic drama department we have here.
After the dramatic performance, the distribution of prizes commenced. There are an array of prizes – from form prizes, subject prizes, academic achievement, special prizes and Exonian prizes, the pupils can be rewarded for contribution to all areas of school life. We were especially grateful to our guest of honour, Amy Swiggs, for distributing the awards. Congratulations goes to all our award-winners – you’ve made the school proud!
Before the main address, it was time for a musical interlude. Many thanks to Ingrid and Dominic from the middle school and the Vocal Ensemble for their incredible performances.
The main address was made by Amy Swiggs (2005-2016), who gave an inspiring speech about resilience, Imposter Syndrome and her career success. She shared how her experiences at Exeter School have prepared her for her journey as an PhD Researcher of Climate Science, and how Dartmoor was as unforgiving as the Arctic!
After the ceremony, parents, staff and pupils made their way over to the pavilion for some refreshments in the glorious summer sunshine. We are grateful to everyone who worked so hard to bring the event together, the pupils for everything they do and, of course, to the parents, for choosing an Exeter School education. We hope you have a fantastic summer!
