This week 6EG have been learning about a range of mathematical concepts including Fibonacci circles, tessellations and hexagrams. They’ve supported each other to create some beautiful pieces of artwork for the classroom using a range of mathematical skills.
Since before half term, Year 6 have been studying the wonderful civilisation of ancient Egypt. This week, the children of 6CC have enjoyed learning about the significance behind the river Nile, the longest river in the world and how it acted as a source of wealth for the Egyptian people.
Through tea parties and building background knowledge, the children have also studied the gruesome process of mummification, with a view to planning their own mummification instructions.
On Wednesday June 5th, Leger Sport hosted an exciting Year 5/6 rounders tournament featuring teams from across Doncaster. With a mixture of Year 5 and 6 pupils, the team got off to a good start with strong communication and reactions; throughout the tournament, they played exceptionally well, displaying remarkable skill and sportsmanship. The matches were intense, especially against Barnburgh, Mallard and Kirk Smeaton, where our players demonstrated agility and determination. Despite fierce competition, NJS secured a commendable third place. We are incredibly proud of their performance and the way they represented our school. Congratulations to all the teams and especially to our players for their outstanding effort!
Y5 parents please find attached an event you can attend to find out more about XP and XP East.
Please note this is not for Y6 students who have already been allocated their school.Â
We were delighted to be able to welcome the Royal Opera House and Royal Ballet programme ‘Chance to Dance‘ to XPE last weekend. Over two days the tech teams and over 100 pupils from five Primary Schools across Doncaster – including our own Norton Junior School – rehearsed and then performed a specially choreographed piece based on a Midsummer Night’s Dream.
For months the children had been working in their schools, finally joining us at XPE last weekend to meet all the other participants and share their love of dance, working together to create a beautiful piece of ballet. Performing alongside them were Isabella and Valentino, remarkable solo artists from the Royal Ballet.
Over two performances several hundred friends and family filled the auditorium at XP enchanted by the stunning piece that was received with cheers and much applause. This is the second year running that XPE has hosted this event and it was a delight to welcome back the team from the ROH and Royal Ballet.
Beautiful work from KS1s most recent Expedition ‘Blue Planet’ is on display of the walls of the Owston Scout Hall! Their guiding question was ‘How will what I do today impact the world tomorrow?’.
The art focusses on three different countries they have been learning about: the UK, Africa and Antartica. The exhibition not only showcases all of the childrenâs artwork but also food and drink from the countries and facts that they had learnt about each country.
XP Doncaster hosted 50 Visitors from Hong Kong last week. The visitors left feeling very inspired and praised our students for being so confident and articulate – we look forward to welcoming our visitors back to XP in the future!
Find out more here and apply to #JoinOurCrew
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.Â
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.Â
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.
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.Â
Mayan Mask Madness @ Norton Junior School
History and Ethics Fieldwork @ XP School
Super focus from Year 11 @ XP East
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.
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.
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.Â
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.Â
We’ll follow up this story when Freya’s artwork is in place at the Royal Academy!
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!
Mindboggling Mayans @ Norton Junior School
Visit to the National Holocaust Museum @ XP School
Year 9 Sharing Portfolios with Visitors @ XP East
Itâs been another tremendous week of exploration within our expedition and over these last few days we have immersed ourselves in the ancient civilization of âMayaâ.
The pictures below are our children playing a traditional Mayan game known as âPulucâ. It is a game of both luck and strategy and you could palpably feel the cogs working in our childrenâs young minds as they played.
We also learnt that during many Mayan games, a selected participant from the losing team would be given the âgreat honourâ of being sacrificed to the gods. Youâll be pleased to know that we opted against partaking in this particular ritual.
Have a lovely weekend.
Mr ChadwickÂ
