Sharing our Stories: 18/09/2026

Beautiful work this week

Here’s a selection of beautiful work from across the XP Trust!

To read about other stories from across the XP Trust, visit xptrust.org.

Top of the Blogs

KS1 Community Crew @ Green Top

Open the book @ Plover

Strong Foundations In Crew Ramsay @ Carcroft School

What does it mean to be human? @ XP

]We are making our mark! @ Norton Infants

Stepping back in time at Norton Village Hall @ Norton Juniors

Weekly update @ XP Gateshead

Sports Day Winners @ XP East

Share your stories with us!

We now have a new dedicated news email so that you can send your stories, updates or ideas about potential news articles directly to us in Comms.

It might be something you or your students have achieved, a charity you’re supporting or anything at all that deserves a wider audience.

Write to us at [email protected] –  we want to hear about it, write about it and celebrate it!

Celebrate XP… support a charity!

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.

Charities Staff can support by purchasing the book

Curriculum Seam: Protecting Our Planet

RSPCA – https://www.rspcadoncasterrotherham.org.uk/

Curriculum Seam: Standing for Social Justice

Schools of Sanctuary – https://schools.cityofsanctuary.org/

Curriculum Seam: Diversity and Belonging

Children in Need – https://www.bbcchildreninneed.co.uk/

Stepping Back in Time at Norton Village Hall!

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!

Sharing our Stories: 11/09/2026

Beautiful work this week

Here’s a selection of beautiful work from across the XP Trust!

To read about other stories from across the XP Trust, visit xptrust.org.

Top of the Blogs

Arts and craft club @ Green Top

EYFS Sponsored Bear Walk @ Plover

Could You Be a Change Maker? @ Carcroft School

Inside the Code @ XP

]Celebrating Crew @ Norton Infants

Digital Leading Experts @ Norton Juniors

G29 @ XP Gateshead

Fossils, Discovery, and Coastal Exploration @ XP East

Share your stories with us!

We now have a new dedicated news email so that you can send your stories, updates or ideas about potential news articles directly to us in Comms.

It might be something you or your students have achieved, a charity you’re supporting or anything at all that deserves a wider audience.

Write to us at [email protected] –  we want to hear about it, write about it and celebrate it!

Digital Leading Experts!

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!

3, 2, 1! Blast off

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!