Since 2019 we have been working with the educational charity The Wood Foundation, which is based in Scotland. Dozens of educators from schools in the Aberdeen area have been visiting our Trust as delegates for the last four years – learning about Crew, expeditions and Leadership.
This week for the first time colleagues from our Trust, including our CAO Andy, had the opportunity to deliver CPD to teachers in Aberdeen, visiting schools and meeting students. It was heartwarming and humbling to see Crew – sometimes called Squads and Clans north of the border – being delivered in Scotland.
We look forward to welcoming more delegates to our Trust schools in the future and travelling back to support our new friends as they continue their Crew journey.
There Is No Planet B – Product Curation at Norton Juniors
The beautiful work from LKS2’s Expedition ‘There Is No Planet B’ is now curated outside the school! The awesome artwork, created from digital images of discarded waste, depicts various different animals whose habitats are being destroyed in the local community. To further reinforce the notion of climate emergency, through their literacy cycle, pupils also wrote persuasive speeches about how we can all bring about positive change if we work together.
This afternoon, Y3 have been channeling their inner Mayan and creating their very own Mayan inspired masks. We looked at why Mayans wore masks and how they were designed before creating our own.
XPGPHC – How can we continue to make progress in public health?
Year 9 students at XPG have embarked on their “You Give Me Fever” Expedition, which has culminated in their inaugural Public Health conference, addressing the challenges of public health amidst the cost-of-living crisis. Through three case studies examining historical and current health influences, they explored the impact of living conditions, government structures, and scientific advancements on people’s well-being.
This comprehensive analysis has also resulted in a formal report that presented key health risks for Gateshead’s residents, particularly in the context of the cost-of-living crisis. The report will be shared with the Health and Social Care Committee in Parliament.
Art takes flight at XPG!
Freya, a Year 7 student at XP Gateshead has created a beautiful piece of work that has been awarded a place in one of the most prestigious art galleries in the world. The Royal Academy is famous for showcasing new and established artists, bringing their work to a whole new audience.
The Young Artists Summer show, which is open for submissions to students studying in the UK aged from 4 – 19, opens in London on the 16th July and runs until the 11th August.
Freya’s painting Mr Pigeon was part of the expedition ‘Do your bit’ and honours the sacrifice that carrier pigeons made during WW1 and has been chosen from 21,500 other submissions. A remarkable achievement for a clearly talented and inspiring young artist.
We’ll follow up this story when Freya’s artwork is in place at the Royal Academy!
Is Science enough to save lives?
As part of their Expedition ‘You Give Me Fever’, C28 celebrated their learning this week – complete with a gallery of their incredible artwork. They shared scientific writing about diseases and their impact on society, dating back to the middle ages.
They sold their prints to raise money for their DofE Expedition – and the content will also be made into a book later in the year!
It’s been another tremendous week of exploration within our expedition and over these last few days we have immersed ourselves in the ancient civilization of ‘Maya’.
The pictures below are our children playing a traditional Mayan game known as ‘Puluc’. It is a game of both luck and strategy and you could palpably feel the cogs working in our children’s young minds as they played.
We also learnt that during many Mayan games, a selected participant from the losing team would be given the ‘great honour’ of being sacrificed to the gods. You’ll be pleased to know that we opted against partaking in this particular ritual.
That’s right! Today our pupils engaged in a masterclass in chocolate making by our fantastic experts, David and Olivia from Doncaster College. It was an absolutely brilliant morning full of intrigue, information and of course, in decorating their own chocolate lollies, imagination. Willy Wonka eat your heart out.
Better World Day is EL Education’s annual event showcasing student learning that contributes to a better world. Students work in partnership with each other and their local communities on this day to engage in and celebrate meaningful student work that positively impacts the world around them.
As a partner and friend of the EL Schools Network, XP Trust contributes to this every year. Like students at EL, all of our students are active citizens who engage in acts of service to their community – so naturally we have lots of Activism to share with the EL Crew.
This year, we’re celebrating all of our schools and their collective work. They’ve planted trees, created artwork for hospitals and raised money for worthy causes. Here’s just a few examples from this year of XP Schools making the world a better place.
Visitors from Northern Ireland!
Last week we welcomed a delegation from Catalyst Schools, an organisation in Northern Ireland that supports school leaders and teachers by exposing them to innovative educational experiences. Over the visit, they learned all about Crew and Expeditions from our awesome students at XP and XP East – including going to see world from across the Trust in Doncaster City Centre. As always we are delighted to welcome visitors into our Crew and share the beautiful work our students do every single day with the world.
A few months ago, Jake in Year 6 approached the school and his Crew with wanting to raise awareness around Motor Neurone Disease. Being a big fan of Leeds Rhinos, he has been inspired by Rob Burrows’ bravery and the superb effort of his ex-team mate, Kevin Sinfield.
Last week, Jake and his Mum organised a coffee morning fundraiser – including a bake sale, raffle and more! With the help of the Green Top Community, they have raised over £2600.
You can donate here: xptrust.info/MND – please leave a note to say ‘care of Jake at Green Top School’!
We would also like to give a massive shout out to Elsie from Class 6 and her family, who raised an outstanding £275 to buy raffle tickets. This is a cause very close to their hearts as they sadly lost Elsie’s Grandad to the disease in 2011. You can read more about it here.
Once again the generosity of the Green Top community has blown us away. We are Crew!
Full Steam ahead at Gresley Exhibition launch
A remarkable new exhibition about Sir NIgel Gresley has opened at the Danum Gallery in Doncaster – and our XP Schools Trust is playing its part! Our Rail City book, which is on sale in the gift shop at the gallery, was one of the catalysts for the invitation to contribute to this important collection of work – and the inspiration for the brochure which has been delivered by our Comms Crew. Our students’ study of our city’s rail story has given them a real overview of how important the work of Sir Nigel Gresley, who created Flying Scotsman and Mallard at the Plant, is in the history of steam and speed.
Letters and personal objects such as his hat and portrait are part of the exhibition, which has been curated with the collaboration of the Gresley Society, the Doncaster Grammar School Railways Archive and Doncaster City Council. Students from XPD are creating an audio experience for exhibition visitors and our Primary School Pupils are being invited to create rail related illustrations for colouring books that will be part of the gallery’s summer holiday resources for children across Doncaster.
Seb, who joined us at the launch said: “Going to the private viewing of the exhibition was great. It is important that young people carry on the legacy of our ancestors!”
Mel Cocliff added: “It was a privilege to be invited to the launch of the Sir Nigel Gresley exhibition at the Danum Gallery. To watch students from XP interact with people involved, including our Civic Mayor, was truly heartwarming. It’s vital that young people in our communities continue to appreciate the rail heritage of Doncaster, and pass on that baton as they grow up, too!”
The exhibition runs until September.
EYFS @ Green Top build their sandpit!
Following the playhouse being removed from the Reception outdoor area, it was in need of a revamp so the children decided to create a sandpit in this space! What a perfect opportunity to work collaboratively to create a purposeful learning space for their Summer term expedition ‘What happens where the sea meets the shore?’ The children designed the space and made a list of resources and jobs – beautiful work!
Beautiful Curation @ Carcroft
Beautiful displays were installed this week at Carcroft School – a culmination of last term’s Expedition ‘There is no Planet B’.
To finish our exciting hook week, 5HJ investigated the amount of salt in certain foods and sugar in drinks. The children were also given the opportunity to taste a whole range of exciting and unusual fruits and vegetables. We tasted pak choi, avocado, bean sprouts, dragon fruit, rhubarb and lots more! Some were definitely more popular than others!
During hook week, Yr 5 completed fieldwork at New Hall Farm in Barnsley where we learned all about who wheat and barley is grown, farmed and milled to make flour which is supplied to Warburtons to make bread. We also discovered how important hedgerows are to the many different animals and creatures that live there. Finally and most importantly, we had so much fun digging for worms in the cabbage field. Check out the size of some of the whoppers we found!
