Announcing Our New Publication: ‘Celebrating Ten Years of Expeditions at XP’
A new publication, ‘Celebrating Ten Years of Learning Expeditions at XP’, written by our co-founder, Andy Sprakes, is now available. The book highlights an extensive and broad selection of the beautiful work created by our young people and staff from across our Trust. It is a profound and often moving reminder of the purpose, agency, and consequence of our work; illuminating the transformative power and far-reaching impact of Learning Expeditions.
In the next few weeks, the book will be made available to the general public and will retail at £20. However, to mark the publication of this much-anticipated book, it is being made available exclusively to staff across our Trust for a not-for-profit cost price of £5. In the spirit of Crew the proceeds will be donated to charity.
When staff fill in the google form and order the book at this price, they will be able to choose to donate to one of two local charities and one national charity that have supported and worked alongside us in the past.
We would like to extend our heartfelt gratitude and congratulations to the exceptional staff across our Trust whose unwavering dedication, creativity, and passion made this publication, and the transformative work within it, possible.
Last Friday, September 11th, our Year 3/4 classes took a wonderful trip back to the 1940s with our Fieldwork to Norton Village Hall. It was a fantastic day of hands-on history!
The children had a brilliant time learning what life was like for kids during World War 2. We put away the screens and modern toys to try our hand at classic games that would have kept children entertained during the war years. The hall was buzzing with excitement as everyone played:
Hopscotch
Jacks
Cannon
Noughts and crosses
Spinning Tops
It was amazing to see how much fun can be had with such simple games! Some of the children even got into the spirit by wearing fantastic 1940s-style clothing, like flat caps and knitted jumpers for the boys, and pinafores with pigtails for the girls.
To really complete the authentic WW2 experience, we all sat down together for a traditional wartime snack. Everyone enjoyed simple jam sandwiches and a warm, comforting mug of Ovaltine. It was the perfect way to warm up and chat about all the new things we’d learned.
It was a brilliant day out, and a huge thank you to all the parents and carers who helped their children look the part!
This term, Year 3 & 4 have been immersing themselves into the Second World War. To engage with this, we have crafted a range of Blitz skyline artwork which are all a feast to behold! Well done to all of our future artists!
This morning, the children of Year 6 were lucky enough to partake in a digital workshop from ClickView! Using their IT skills, the children investigated and explored the new software and in themselves, became digital leaders! Great work, Year 6!
This week, Year 4 have been immersing themselves in our new expedition! This term, we shall be looking at the Second World War. We have begun learning about some key events, alongside partaking in craft activities such as creating silhouette skyline artwork showcasing the Blitz, and creating wooden aircraft models!
What an extraordinary Hook Week! Year 6 have officially launched into their Autumn learning expedition, ‘To Infinity and Beyond’, immersing themselves in the wonder, science, and creativity of space exploration.
Channeling their inner artists, the children began the week by creating stunning, vivid galaxy artwork using oil pastels. They experimented with smooth blending techniques, bold colour contrasts, and rich layering to capture the glowing depth and mystery of the cosmos.
Turning that creative energy toward engineering, the class then stepped into the roles of aerospace designers to construct their own rockets. Focusing closely on streamlined shapes and fin placements, they explored the core principles of aerodynamics to build models ready for high-speed launch.
The absolute highlight of the week was an unforgettable trip to the National Space Centre in Leicester. Walking beneath towering rockets and diving into interactive exhibits, the experience set everyone’s brains alight with curiosity and wonder, giving the children a genuine taste of what lies beyond our planet.
It has been an incredible start to the term, and we now look forward to watching our young space explorers rocket to new heights as this expedition unfolds. What a week!