Find out more and apply here to #JoinOurCrew
https://xptrust.org/were-looking-for-a-primary-teacher-at-xp-trust/
Sharing our Stories: 24/04/2026
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
Turning XP School Inside Out: A Global Art Project @ XP School
Third Annual Public Health Conference @ XP Gateshead
Earth Day Crew @ Norton Infants
Share your stories with us!
Write to us at [email protected] – we want to hear about it, write about it and celebrate it!
We’re looking for a Learning Coach (TA) at Plover!
Find out more here and apply to #JoinOurCrew – https://xptrust.org/plover-learning-coach-teaching-assistant/
Sharing our Stories: 17/04/2026
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
Weekly Update for Families @ XP Gateshead
Finding our happy @ Norton Infants
Year 11 Rise to the challenge! @ XP East
Litter picking legends @ Norton Juniors
Share your stories with us!
Write to us at [email protected] – we want to hear about it, write about it and celebrate it!
Congratulations to Kirsty!
On behalf of everyone at XP Trust I would like to thank one of our longest serving Headteachers, Kirsty Atherton from Carcroft School, who is moving to a new school in September.
Kirsty has been the Headteacher at Carcroft for ten years and there is no doubt that she will leave a positive legacy at the school and in the community she has served for such a significant time. Kirsty led the transition into XP Trust five years ago and has been an important part of our wider network of Heads and Executive Leads since that time. She has a strong intellect and a big heart – her first thought is always of the children in her care and how she can unlock the considerable potential they have within. She has done this through inspirational leadership, often by making tough decisions. This has earned her the respect of not just colleagues but also parents and the wider community.
You only need to look at the number of blog posts on the school website to see how committed Kirsty and the staff she leads are relentless in showing how their children produce high quality, beautiful work. The culture of the school has been transformed too: Carcroft School has a warm and vibrant feel and I always enjoy my visits there. I have seen over the past five years the improvement of the quality of work produced by the children and the subsequent development of their character transformed. Take a look at the work displayed below that I featured in a post on the Trust website from the Autumn Term which indisputedly reinforces my point.
Kirsty, we are grateful for your commitment, the transformed culture of the school, and the high-quality work produced by the children. Whilst we are happy for you moving onto a new challenge, you will be sorely missed at both Carcroft and in the Trust.
On behalf of everyone at XP Trust, we wish you all the very best for September.
New student work on display at Frenchgate
Over the Easter break, our Communications team refreshed and reimagined our exhibition space at the Frenchgate Centre, bringing together a new collection of beautiful student work from across our Doncaster schools.
The updated display showcases the care, craftsmanship and quality of our students’ work, offering a window into the experiences, creativity and quality we see every day in our classrooms and beyond!
We are incredibly grateful to the team at the Frenchgate Centre for continuing to provide this space in the heart of the community. It gives us a powerful opportunity to share students’ work beyond our schools – making learning visible and celebrating it publicly.
If you’re passing through, take a moment to stop, look closely and enjoy the work on display.
Congratulations to Liam and Lincoln City FC from all at XP Trust
We are pleased to announce that our honorary Director, and great friend, Liam Scully has presided over the promotion to the English Football Championship of Lincoln City Football Club. As their CEO, Liam has led the rise of Lincoln City by focussing on building community and cultivating diversity and belonging.
A huge congratulations to Liam, the management, players, staff and especially the supporters.
What a fantastic, and well deserved, achievement!
Mission Accomplished … and there is still time for donations!!
My brother Michael and I successfully completed the Sheffield Half Marathon today! I want to take this opportunity to thank everyone who has supported us and donated so generously so that we can subsidise events at our upcoming Music and Arts Festival in July.
Unfortunately, we have just missed our target of £500. However, we are still accepting donations so if you still want to support this worthy cause please click here.
The amount, however small, would help children across our Trust. Thank you in anticipation of your kindness.
The Sheffield Half Marathon is a truly gruelling yet immensely rewarding challenge, The course’s opening five miles were particularly tough, featuring an 800-foot ascent to the picturesque Peak District village of Ringelow. The run down whilst easier is a challenge, too!
Take a look at our before and after photo shots!!
Jeff Tech High 3 – Apply. Design. Transform.
Applications for October 2026 open!!!!
Dear colleagues
After the huge success of last year’s Jeff Tech High 2, we would like to welcome you to apply for Jeff Tech High 3.
This is an opportunity for you to engage with the world’s leading Project Based Learning educator, Jeff Robin, to pursue your passion by actively designing and creating a high quality expedition and product. Jeff is world renowned for his work at HTH and was instrumental in the forming of XP in England when we first saw his beautiful products at the school in San Diego.
This is an exciting and rare chance to find space and time to develop the Learning Expedition you always wanted to create, bring it back home and make it happen!! All we ask is that you put together a proposal for a Learning Expedition that you would like to deliver to your students: including the Guiding Question, the content you would cover and most importantly the final product you want the students to create.
We are really thrilled to announce that this experience will take place in Barcelona, in partnership with our friends from Catalan CESIRE.
We will fly out to Barcelona on Sunday October 18th and return on Friday 23rd with flights, accommodation and expenses fully covered. You have the option to fly straight home or to extend your stay in Spain. If you wish to remain in Spain longer, you can choose a different return flight (provided you are back before the next term begins!).
Applications are invited from any member of staff (teachers and non-teachers alike). We are accepting both individual and paired applications for the ten available spaces.
Please note that the Expedition you propose must be one that you can deliver upon your return to school. To be considered, you must submit a clear, exemplar proposal.
The deadline for submission is midday on May 22nd and all proposals need to be shared with me and Jeff before this date via the email addresses below:
Jeff has also recommended that you contact him, as you are forming your ideas, for help, support and critique.
We can’t wait for your proposals and ideas that will transform the learning and lives of young people across our Trust.
If you want to discuss any of the above, email or phone me on 07764894676.
And remember – Jeff’s decision is law!!
In Crew
Andy Sprakes and Jeff Robin
Sharing our Stories: 27/03/2026
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
Another amazing week in PE @ XP
Double, Double, No Toil or Trouble: G31 Nailed It! @ XP Gateshead
Easter Traditions @ Norton Infants
Crew Rosa Parkes – Well done! @ XP East
Share your stories with us!
Write to us at [email protected] – we want to hear about it, write about it and celebrate it!
