Junior Reflections Week 24 2024

Dear parents,

Neurodiversity week

This week we have celebrated neurodiversity week, with pupils learning about how our brains can behave in certain ways and the importance of celebrating our differences. We learnt about many famous people who have dyslexia, autism and dyscalculia but who all went on to succeed in their own way. Our brains are not made to be the same and that is what makes each of us different and it is important to remind everyone that we don’t always think or behave the same and that that is ok. I often say that a school would be boring if all the pupils were the same: difference is good!

Interhouse cross country

The house cross country went off with a bang, and I was so incredibly proud of every pupil who completed the race. This was a house competition and the perseverance and determination that all the pupils showed was outstanding. I had smiles and waves at the end and the kindness on display with pupils encouraging each other was just amazing and reminded me of how phenomenal your children are. The weather held and thank you to so many of you who came out to support. Thanks also to Mr Guy for being the ‘hare’ and to Mr Dutch for such a well organised event. I will bring my running shoes next year…. maybe. Some photos of the event can be found at the bottom of this newsletter.

Staffing update

I wanted to share some staffing news for the junior school. It is with sadness that we will be saying goodbye to Ms Barnes who has been with us for 14 years. Ms Barnes has been a wonderful form tutor, head of PSHE and maths as well as leading the ECT programme across the whole school. She has been an outstanding teaching to so many of our pupils but has decided that it is time to venture away from the classroom and into Occupational Psychology which is something that she did before becoming a teacher. We will of course say goodbye in the true Exeter School style at the end of the summer term.  Mrs Pettet will also be leaving us at the end of the summer after she saved me at the last hour, literally, by stepping in to come back to be L2B form tutor, and what a superb year she has had. I know that the pupils are going to be sorry to say goodbye. We have been busy recruiting for both posts and I am delighted to share with you that Mrs Polly Wopshott, who is known to many already, will be joining us as a full-time form tutor, along with Miss Aimee McElhatton, who will be joining us from Eldon Grove Academy where she is currently a year 5 form tutor. There will be an opportunity for the pupils to meet their new form tutors at some point during the summer term.

Founders’ Day

I wanted to congratulate the junior choir and readers, Aum, Greg and Katherine who joined the senior school for Founders’ Day on Wednesday. They choir sang beautifully and I was so proud of the readers who spoke clearly and eloquently to a full cathedral: just brilliant. Due to works happening in the cathedral, the junior school were unable to join in this event, but they will having their own celebration on Monday, led by Reverend Close.

Virgin Money

The Upper Two Dragons Den final took place today with some outstanding presentations. As always where there is an element of competition, the final decision was extremely difficult, but the winner of this year’s Virgin Money was team Flaming Chickens.  I know that the current Lower Twos are already in conversations with each other about what they are going to sell and took some tips from this cohort. Well done, Upper Two!

Spring Concert

I am looking forward to welcoming you all to the Spring Concert on Tuesday at 2:30pm where we will have two stands from the senior school’s Young Enterprise scheme. Southwest Soap and Shore will be selling their wares afterwards, so please do have a browse after the concert with a cup of tea.

I would like to wish the whole of the junior school a very happy Easter break and look forward to welcoming the pupils back for the summer term on Wednesday 17th April.