On this page you will find examples of beautiful work from across year groups and phases of our Expeditionary Curriculum.
Our Learning Expeditions are cross subject, academically rigorous and connect with our community and the wider world through students creating purposeful products that have real agency.
Through creating beautiful and meaningful work our students grow their character, as well as, improving as learners.
Whilst we are proud of our work, we want to share it with the world for critique so that we can continue to improve. Feel free to use any of the expeditions, or adapt them for your own use. And if you improve them please let us know!
Simply click on a title in the blocks below to see that the ‘Model of Excellence’ .
- Why Learning Expeditions Matter
Recently, I heard a story that made my heart soar. But before I reveal the moment this happened, let me give you a little context.
In the Autumn Term, on the 20 November, I was invited to attend an Awards Ceremony at Green Top School, organised by Key Stage One staff and children, to culminate their Learning Expedition entitled, ‘Not all heroes wear capes’. The pupils in Key Stage One had studied How can I be a hero in my community?
It was breathtaking to hear how children had engaged in a hook and immersion week by creating placards about litter, parking, or kindness, and acting as “true activists” in Thorne through chanting and litter picking. They visited local care homes to sing, took residents cards, and raised £50. They also worked with local MP Lee Pitcher and the local food bank on a Christmas shoe box appeal. It was clear that the Learning Expedition had been seeped in community activism – and these were kids between the ages of five and seven.
Case Studies in the Expedition focussed on the historical study of significant figures from the era of the Great Fire of London such as Christopher Wren and Samuel Pepys. They built and then burned box model houses to demonstrate how fire spreads easily as part of their Science studies. The pupils then moved onto a study of Martin Luther King using the text ‘Let the Children March’ to understand King’s impact on his community and the black community more widely. This case study involved making portraits and writing speeches.
Pupils from Key Stage One show pride in their written work linked to the theme of ‘diversity’. Pupils then explored the concept of diversity using texts like The Ugly Duckling to learn about people from different backgrounds, religions and beliefs.
The crowning glory of the Expedition was the Pride of Thorne Awards ceremony where pupils had made short videos celebrating the recipients of the awards who were all recognised for their significant contribution to the community of Green Top and the wider community of Thorne. It was beautiful to see young children articulating why our guests, from a range of different walks of life, were receiving recognition because of the positive impact they had had on the fabric of the community by their selfless acts of service and kindness. The children also combined their skills, as part of the Expedition, to create professional certificates for this event as well as the medals for successful recipients which had been designed from the pupils’ artwork.
The stand out award for me, amongst all the very worthy winners, was the award to Mr Kershaw who lives near to the school and had been seen by pupils regularly taking care of the surrounding community by helping others and keeping the area tidy by picking up litter. This small act of kindness was noticed by pupils and they wanted to honour this ‘hero’ of the community.
Mr Kershaw receives his medal from Key Stage One students. So this is enough to fill you with emotion but what really made me stop and think about the impact and importance of our work was when I visited the school recently and when talking to the pupils they told me they had seen Mr Kershaw recently.
They were eager to tell me that he was still carrying out acts of selfless service to the community, he was still helping others and he was still tidying up the local area…
But now, when carrying out his work for the community, there was something a little different about him. Now he was proudly wearing the medal that he had received from Green Top pupils.
Mr Kershaw, a hero that doesn’t wear a cape but who does wear a badge.
A very special badge: designed, crafted and warmly given by Green Top pupils who are activists in making their community a better and kinder place to live.
That is what made my heart soar.
Andy Sprakes, Chief Academic Officer, XP Trust
- Diverse Doncaster
Guiding Question: Where do we belong?
Expedition lead: Josh Meade, Anna Wojcik, Claire Dutton, Laura Godley
Curriculum: HUMAN/Arts
Phase/Year group: KS1
Delivery date: Summer 2022In the Summer of 2022, Year 1 and 2 pupils from primary schools across the XP Trust studied a cross-curricular expedition looking to answer the guiding question, ‘Where do we belong?’
View more - Power to the People
GQ: Why do we need to develop a sustainable energy plan for the planet?
Expedition lead: Marc Voltaire
Curriculum: STEAM
Phase/Year group: Year 10
Delivery date: Spring 2022This STEAM expedition asked fundamental questions about the importance of energy in our daily lives, Where we get it from, how we produce and distribute it, the impact on the planet and the use of Earth’s resources and how we can begin to build a secure and sustainable energy future for us all.
View more - What a Wonderful World
GQ: Why should we protect our beautiful planet?
Expedition Leads: Lauren Marsh, Angela Graves, Gavin Chadwick, Sophie Myers
Curriculum: HUMAN/STEAM
Phase/Year group: LKS2
Delivery date: Spring 2022In the Spring of 2022, Year 3 and 4 pupils from Primary Schools across XP Trust studied a cross-curricular expedition looking to answer the guiding question, ‘Why should we protect our beautiful planet?’
View more - From The Ground Up
GQ: What do the communities of the North East owe to the miners?
Expedition lead: Martin Said
Curriculum: HUMAN/STEAM
Phase/Year group: Year 7
Delivery date: Autumn 2021In the Autumn term of 2021 students at XP Gateshead studied an expedition called ‘From the ground up’ exploring all three curriculum strands of diversity and belonging, social justice and the climate emergency.
View more - Do Your Bit
GQ: Why do we need to honour all those who sacrificed in WWI?
Expedition lead: Emmy Tatters
Curriculum: HUMAN
Phase/Year group: Year 7
Delivery date: Spring 2022In Spring 2022, students in Year 7 studied a HUMAN expedition called Do your bit!
View more - You Give Me Fever
GQ: How can the eyes of the past help us to respond to public health issues in the future?
Expedition lead: Jamie Portman
Curriculum: HUMAN/Arts
Phase/Year group: Year 9
Delivery date: Spring 2022In January 2022, students in Year 9 studied a joint HUMAN and STEAM expedition called ‘You give me fever’. This expedition followed a thematic study of health, considering how it has changed over time from the Medieval Period to the modern day. In order to do this we focused on factors which can affect our health, such as wealth, poverty, science and technology and the role of the government.
View more - When a Nazi Calls
GQ: Are we really free to choose?
Expedition lead: Marc Voltaire
Curriculum: HUMAN/STEAM
Phase/Year group: Year 10
Delivery date: Autumn 2021In September 2021 X25 and E25 studied a joint Human and STEAM expedition which answered the guiding question “Are we really free to choose?”. In order to do this we studied ‘An Inspector Calls’ by J.B. Priestley, Nazi Germany, the science of genetics and evolution alongside political arts.
View more - Not all Superheroes Wear Capes
GQ: What will I do to be a Superhero in my community?
Expedition lead: Sam Goode
Curriculum: HUMAN/STEAM
Phase/Year group: KS1
Delivery date: Autumn 2021In September 2021 Key Stage 1 began their Autumn expedition. This was a high energy expedition around the guiding question; what will I do to be a superhero in my community?
View more - How Inventive Were The Romans?
GQ: How inventive were the Romans and what did they do for Doncaster?
Expedition lead: Luke Oldridge
View more
Curriculum: HUMAN/STEAM
Phase/Year group: LKS2
Delivery date: Autumn 2021
