We use some cookies to make this website work. With your permission we would also like to use cookies that help us understand how the website is used and measure our advertising. You can accept or reject these, or choose which ones to allow.
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.
On a Tuesday afternoon in the third week of this term, I spent some time speaking to Year 8 students at XP East Cezar, Eifa, Jasmina, Karina, Noah and Tyrell who are in their third week of a new Learning Expedition entitled, Being Human. The Guiding Question for this current Learning Expedition is ‘What does it Mean to Be Human?’ and students are already well into Case Study One where they have linked studies across disciplines such as Science, Maths, Geography, RE and English. I’d heard that the students had already experienced fieldwork and working with experts and I wanted to get their views on the purpose and impact of this imperative aspect of Learning Expeditions.
Firstly I asked students to describe the fieldwork they had already engaged with as part of the Expedition. Noah eloquently described the visit to Danes Dyke on the North Yorkshire coast where they had searched for, found and examined fossils: “We went to a beach to crack open rocks and they had fossils in them. So we found, like, uh, shells, we found bones, which was quite interesting. We saw how things were preserved, and we were looking to see how they fossilised and how life kind of works which links to our Guiding Question.”
“We did go to Sandal Beat Wood on immersion and it was connected to our learning.”
Building on Noah’s comments, Eifa also talked about the more local fieldwork that they’d experienced as part of their ‘Immersion week’ at the start of the Expedition. “We did go to Sandal Beat Wood on immersion and it was connected to our learning. We worked in different groups throughout the day, and we had to go and search and find bugs and then classify them using. We did other activities too like map reading and service learning which were all about working together.”
Karina then spoke about how some of the group had been to a local care home to interview residents. It was really interesting how the students who had engaged in this fieldwork were clear how this strengthened and deepened their understanding of the Expedition. Karina explained: “We went there to meet elderly people, and to ask them questions, particularly what they thought it meant to be human? Obviously, we’re only eleven or twelve, so they know more about what the question means so we got really interesting answers. They are a lot older than us, so they’re a lot more experienced in life, so they had more stories, and they told us their experiences and their memories. So we got to learn quite a bit about their perspective on life.”
‘It connects you directly to the learning.”
After these initial responses I asked the students, “Why do you think fieldwork is such an important part of Learning Expeditions? Cezar started with this comment. “I think some students might like fieldwork more, because it suits how they learn, it is active. So instead of staring at a TV about how fossils were made, on fieldwork you go out and find them, investigate and experience them. It connects you directly to learning.”
Jasmina built on this by adding: “Fieldwork is fun, too.” Instead of passively learning about a subject, “we experience it and work together and properly feel the subject instead of just watching some guy on the internet do it.” It was interesting how students very quickly perceived how fieldwork lends itself to building community.
“We go out into the world and explore subjects and have real experiences. You bring the learning from fieldwork back into your Expedition at school.”
Tyrell added: “We go on fieldwork, because it also helps with the Expedition you’re doing and what you’re going to be learning about in the future back in school. We go out into the world and explore subjects and have real experiences. You bring the learning from fieldwork back into your Expedition at school.”
Noah developed the impact fieldwork has on engaging learners from a culturally engaging perspective, he said: “I feel like fieldwork gives you a great opportunity to work together, but also, sometimes students who aren’t as engaged during class, but when they’re doing something out and about, and experiencing it, they’re more engaged, and they have a grasp of the topic. They remember it more, have a better understanding then this helps them. If students have engaged with work during fieldwork they are more likely to be engaged in class and they’ll work harder to be a better version of themselves, I guess.”
“We’re about memory at XP. If you go out and do things, you remember them more, don’t you?”
Students clearly began to make the link between our dimension of character growth and the impact this has on learning and culture. They spoke eloquently about the purpose of fieldwork, deconstructing how its impact is heightened when brought back into the classroom to spark engagement. Noah also landed on a crucial and fundamental point when he articulated the definitive link between fieldwork and deepening learning when he concluded,
“We’re about memory at XP. If you go out and do things, you remember them more, don’t you?”
Taking part in our Staff Crew Outdoor Induction experience, once again, gave me a profound, firsthand understanding of what it truly means to be Crew. Over four days, we engaged in various shared physical and mental challenges, stepping outside our comfort zones into spaces of vulnerability, collaboration, and reflection, all while relying on the support network around us.
We tackled group tasks that demanded real teamwork and craftsmanship, where every individual’s contribution was vital to our collective well-being and growth. Whether we were navigating through unfamiliar situations, managing shared responsibilities, or confronting personal fears, we continually drew upon our Character Traits such as courage, respect, integrity, and compassion. As the quotation from Kurt Hahn below reminded us, passengers are merely catered to, but Crew are fully responsible for the entire journey together.
We are Crew, not passengers, strengthened by acts of consequential service to others.
Through structured check-ins, shared reflection, and moments of quiet solitude, I experienced how Crew creates a safe, positive environment built on trust, belonging, and accountability. Taking time to reflect away from daily routines helped me realize how these experiences build confidence, uncover hidden reserves of personal strength, and empower each person to find their voice.
Ultimately, being Crew is at the heart of our culture. It is a safe place where we support one another to climb whatever mountains lie ahead, growing as individuals while striving together as one.
Pupils from Plover School have sparked the beginning of an exciting year of community action by visiting the RSPCA Doncaster and Rotherham Branch with a donation of toys for the rescue dogs. The visit marks the start of an ongoing partnership, with similar volunteering workshops planned throughout the year.
During their time at the centre, students engaged in a comprehensive tour and spent time playing with the rescue dogs. They also learned about animal care and grooming in the RSPCA’s newly opened grooming centre, This new site welcomes bookings from the public, providing essential financial support to sustain the charity’s mission.
The visit was purposefully designed as part of Plover School’s First Week Back Crew activities. At XP Trust, the First Week Back is used every year to introduce or reaffirm the importance of ‘Crew’, utilising shared experiences to create and enforce the strong bonds that are the foundation of the school’s culture. These carefully planned activities allow students to reconnect with the purpose of Crew by engaging in selfless acts of kindness in the community and actively building community through various projects.
Abbie Taylor, Assistant Head and Crew lead at Plover School who organised the visit, shared the impact of the experience:
“Starting our academic year by engaging directly with our community sets the tone for everything we do. First Week Back is all about building our culture of Crew and demonstrating compassion through selfless acts of service. Bringing our students here to support the RSPCA allows them to connect with the world beyond the classroom.”
Catherine Watkins, the newly appointed Education Lead for the RSPCA, added:
“Stepping into this exciting new role allows me to work closely with schools across Doncaster and Rotherham. Having the Plover students here to learn about animal welfare, experience our new grooming centre, and bring joy to our rescue dogs has been wonderful. We are thrilled to continue this partnership and run more workshops and volunteering sessions together over the coming year.”
