This term has seen a range of beautiful work created by our students from across the Trust. Expeditions have ranged from our Curriculum Seams of Protecting Our Planet to Cultivating Diversity and Belonging. All of the products show how our young people are actively engaged in making their communities and the wider world a better place. They have engaged with experts and participated in purposeful fieldwork to build their knowledge and develop their character so that they can make a positive difference – and this is just a snapshot of what our schools have produced this term.
Protecting Our Planet Products from Norton Juniors and Plover School Year 5 and 6 – Lungs of the World.
Year 5 and 6 Students at Plover School embarked on a Learning Expedition entitled the Lungs of the Earth attempting to answer the Guiding Question, Why Should I Help Our Planet Survive?
With the help of Expert Dave Hull, the students created bird boxes which were gifted to various different members of the Plover Community – including over 20 to Sandall Beat Wood to be installed as part of a nature trail showing real agency in protecting our planet.
Students at Norton engaged in a similar expedition answering the same Guiding Question but creating a different product. The Year 5 and 6 pupils created a felt soft toy of an animal that lives in the Amazon. This accompanied story books based on The Kapok Tree to teach Year 2 children about deforestation. After reading their stories to the Year 2 children alongside their toy, they sold the toys and donated the money to a local donkey sanctuary https://www.wonkey-donkey.co.uk/
Diversity and Belonging Products Year 7 XP Doncaster and XP Gateshead: This Land is our Land
At XP Doncaster and XP Gateshead students in Year 7 studied an multidisciplinary expedition including Humanities, STEAM and Arts called ‘This Land is Our Land’ with the students answering the Guiding Question, ‘What’s the story of our community?’
Students in both schools studied History from across four periods: Medieval (1250 – 1500); Early Modern (1500 – 1750); Industrial (1750 – 1900) and Modern / 20th Century (1900 – 2000) and they were able to demonstrate a secure and expansive understanding of historical events, both local and national, by placing them onto a timeline across the four different periods. In Art they crafted illuminated letters and in Science students related their studies to scientific discoveries aligned to the historical periods above.
As a result of this XP Doncaster and XP Gateshead students have each compiled a book that was shared in Doncaster with parents before Christmas and will be part of XP Gateshead’s final Presentation of Learning at the Seven Stories – The National Centre for Children’s Books in Newcastle next year.
Diversity and Belonging Year 3 and 4 Carcroft: Coming to Doncaster
Students at Carcroft worked hard to answer the guiding question: ‘Coming to Doncaster, why then and why now?’
Throughout this Learning Expedition, students explored how the Romans came to conquer Britain and examined the lasting impact of Roman life on the local area. Through careful research, fieldwork and discussion, they considered why Doncaster was an important place then – and what traces of that history still shape the town today.
As part of their beautiful work, students designed and created an interactive activity sheet that supports other children to learn about Roman Britain. This resource now lives at Murton Park, where students visited during Hook Week to immerse themselves in hands-on fieldwork. Knowing that their work would be used by a real audience gave the learning purpose and pride, helping students see how their thinking and creativity can make a meaningful contribution beyond the classroom.
Diversity and Belonging: Year 1 and 2 at Green Top and Norton Infants – Not All Heroes Wear Capes
Across our Trust, Key Stage 1 pupils explored the guiding question: “How will I be a superhero in my community?” Through their Autumn Learning Expedition, Not All Heroes Wear Capes, children learned that real heroes aren’t found in comic books, but in everyday acts of kindness and service in Thorne.
Across the Learning Expedition, pupils developed their understanding of activism, diversity and significant figures from history, from the Great Fire of London to the work of Martin Luther King Jr. Through visits to local places and opportunities to serve others, they built a clear sense of what it means to stand up for their community.
At Green Top, to share this learning with an authentic audience, pupils hosted the Pride of Thorne celebration – a child-led event recognising local heroes who make a difference every day. Children nominated individuals and groups including Casson Court, Lee Pitcher MP, author Phil Sheppard and local environmental volunteer Mr Kershaw. They created certificates, medals and nomination videos to explain why their heroes mattered, showing that even small actions can have a big impact – and that our children are learning to get smart to do good in the world.
Whilst pupils at Norton Infants also took part in the same Learning Expedition, producing beautiful work that brought their learning to life in a powerful and movingly authentic way.
Their Presentation of Learning took the form of a museum-style gallery walk, thoughtfully curated by the children. The exhibition showcased students’ artwork and written work, photographs of experts and key moments from the expedition, pop-art placards used during a student-led protest march, and personal reflections and pledges from the students themselves.
As a final product, pupils created a high-quality, printed, annual-style book filled with photographs, student work, puzzles, reflections, character trait spotlights and personal pledges.
I am grateful for every day that I work as part of XP Trust. I am constantly humbled and incredulous at the quality of character and the quality of work produced by our young people. In the new year the first edition of the new XP Unpacked magazine will be released sharing stories from our Trust but also the impact that the work we do everyday is having across the world.
With this in mind, I would like to thank everyone associated with our Trust for the relentless work you do to help the young people in our care become the best versions of themselves.
Have a peaceful and restful Christmas and let’s go again in 2026.
In Crew,
Andy Sprakes, CAO, XP Trust.
