Star Reader Breakfast @ Carcroft School
Weekly update for families @ XP Gateshead
Handwriting Superstars @ Plover
Garden Restoration Complete! @ Norton Juniors
Impressive home learning @ Green Top
What is Crew? @ Norton Infants
Last week our new Year 7s were the 9th cohort of students from XP to head off to the Aberdovey Outward Bound centre to answer the guiding question ‘What does it mean to be Crew?’. These are their reflections after just three days of their secondary school journey…
XP is now the official new home of the Doncaster Youth Jazz Association.
Fifty years ago John Ellis MBE created the Doncaster Youth Jazz Association (DYJA).
Over the next half century, with three bands and a fourth ensemble made up of alumni, the organisation was to become internationally renowned.
The Doncaster Youth Jazz Orchestra has played at some of the awesome venues in the world, from the Royal Albert Hall to Buckingham Palace, the United Nations in New York to Ronnie Scott’s in London. Always delighting audiences and showcasing the young people of Doncaster’s talent and virtuosity.
Now, after many years at Beckett Road, DYJA are moving into our XP school, which will become their base. Their office, rehearsal and teaching rooms and music library – as well as full band rehearsal space will be here with us at Middle Bank.
Andy, our Chief Academic officer commented:
“We are absolutely delighted, across the XP Trust, that the Doncaster Youth Jazz Association is now based at our founding school, XP.
To support and be associated with an organisation that has travelled the world, sharing its music and the amazing talent of Doncaster’s young musicians, is very exciting and part of our ongoing commitment to the local community.
As we look forward to celebrating 10 years of XP in 2024, this feels like another landmark moment in our story – and we hope this is so for DYJA too as they continue their decades-long journey.”
Charlotte Arrowsmith, Chair of the Board of Trustees added:
“This feels like a new and exciting chapter for us at DYJA as we enter our 51st year. We’re delighted to have moved into XP School – and we’re looking forward to working and creating here, in such an inspiring place.”
BBK/Chotting @ Carcroft School
Weekly update for families @ XP Gateshead
Student Ambassadors – First meeting of the year @ Plover
Stay and Challenge @ Norton Infants
Class 12: Crew Reading @ Green Top
Act of Kindness @ Norton Juniors
G29 Students at XP Gateshead launched their book ‘From The Ground Up’ which answered the guiding question ‘What do the communities of North East England owe to the miners?’ at Seven Stories in Newcastle!
They also celebrated all of their beautiful work from their first year at XPG – you can view a collection of it here!
Year 5 and 6 Students at Plover School launched their awesome new Poetry Anthology ‘At the Coalface’ at a Mining Gala they hosted for their local community – beautiful work!
Over 5 years ago Miss Stewart and Miss O’Neill started their journey with us at Green Top as apprentices. They then progressed and secured Learning Coach positions whilst studying towards a degree in Education. Over the last two years they have both completed their degree and qualified as teachers! We are so unbelievably proud of them both and grateful that we were a part of their special journey. Sadly we didn’t have any teaching positions for them at Green Top so they have secured teaching positions in other schools. Again, we are so, so proud of them! We wish them both lots of luck in their new schools and know that they will be wonderful teachers inspiring many children in the future!
This year we say goodbye to Sue, one of our school cooks. She has been looking after us all for 30 years and we will be sad to see her leave!
We presented Sue with flowers and gifts today and celebrated her time at Green Top!
Good Luck Sue!
Year 9 students from XP and XP East gifted 30 terrariums they created for the residents of the Oaklands Care home this week. The home on Bawtry Road was delighted to accept the miniature indoor gardens, which the residents will look after and keep.
Darren the Oaklands manager is pictured here accepting the terrariums – all of which are low maintenance and were happily handed over to residents.
Ed Miliband shared an update from his Facebook page about XPCC23, praising students for their awesome work and involvement in the conference.
Pizza Party! @ Carcroft School
Weekly update for families @ XP Gateshead
Red Carpet Celebrations @ Plover
Products at the Picnic @ Green Top
Ahoy there, Shakespeare? @ Norton Juniors
Year 10’s Final Year Group Community Meeting @ XP
Jeff’s Law – exciting Expeditions on the horizon! @ XP Comms
Thank you for joining us for another great year of beautiful work and stories from across the XP Trust – we hope you have a wonderful summer!
We’ll see you in September!
XP Comms Crew
“Every young person should learn about climate change in school. It’s marginal to most people’s curriculums – not XP School as you’re such a brilliant school”
Ed Miliband – Shadow Secretary of State for Climate Change and Net Zero
After the success of our inaugural conference last year and with climate change at the heart of our activism as a Trust, we held this year’s event on 13th July with the question: If not now, when? If not us, who?
The programme for the evening featured the work and research of our Year 10 students and the contribution of experts from across our region.
Powerful keynote speeches, delivered by six students left the audience in no doubt that the planet is in crisis and action has to be taken now.
What that action might be was ably and inspiringly answered by the panellists taking part in our Q & A.
These were The RT. Hon Ed Miliband MP, Shadow Secretary of State for Climate Change and Net Zero; David Pulham, UK Manager Vossloh and Tim Newton, Sustainability officer, Doncaster City Council.
The conference also featured many stalls covering such subjects as Sustainability and ‘greener’ food, as well as scientific demonstrations and break out discussions.
One of the breakout presentations was delivered by Dr Mike Sprakes, Gastroenterologist, Mid Yorks Hospitals NHS Trust and Peter Leighton Jones, Head of Sustainability, Mid Yorks Hospitals NHS Trust.
Their talk focussed on Climate Change and the NHS.
We’re already thinking about next year’s conference – but more importantly if you can pledge to make a difference all year round we can all work together to save our planet. There is no Planet B.
Crew Marsh Transition @ Carcroft School
Weekly update for families @ XP Gateshead
Crew 5&6 are loving XP Outdoors @ Plover
This week, the awesome guide created by our Year 11 Students has been published on the Charles Dickens Museum website as a free educational resource! You can find it amongst a plethora of different resources on Dickens’ work.
We’re looking forward to visiting the museum next week to celebrate the work the students have created.
Finding doubles – outdoor maths @ Carcroft School
G30 Transition Days @ XP Gateshead
KS3 Girls Football Team do XP proud! @ XP
EYFS Vehicles Celebration Event @ Plover
Wonderful to see our students @XPtrust @XPEastSchool @XPschool taking part in the @ukEdge #DeeperLearning conference today @DoncasterRaces – what a great view from the Royal Box! With @clairabelle5 @SprakesA & @gwynap pic.twitter.com/2sbu9lrCtz
— Melanie Hewitt FRSA (@MelanieHewitt61) June 22, 2023
Just back from attending an @ELeducation institute in Boston on cultivating high quality work. So many take aways from the institute and from around Boston. Very much looking forward to sharing all that we have learned with @XPtrust pic.twitter.com/4f6qusysSD
— Laura Parsons (@lauraparsons700) June 25, 2023
Finding doubles – outdoor maths @ Carcroft School
Weekly update for families @ XP Gateshead
Catch up with Crew Caldwell @ XP
This week we hosted the first day of Edge Future Learning’s ‘Deeper Learning’ at XP East! Delegates from across the UK gathered at XP to hear our CEO Gwyn ap Harri talk about Courageous Leadership and our CAO Andy Sprakes talk about Activism in the Curriculum.
KS1 Father’s Day Breakfast @ Carcroft School
Beautiful work from Penny @ XP Gateshead
Fun in the sun! @ Norton Juniors
Crew Blessed make it to second! @ XP
Giving back to the community @ Plover
In the spring of 2023, the KS1 pupils from primary schools across the XP Trust undertook a cross-curricular learning Expedition called ‘Ready Steady Grow’, where they looked to answer the guiding question…
‘How can I be the healthiest version of me?’
The Expedition culminated in this beautiful collaborative book – filled with recipes, healthy eating advice and the story behind the students’ learning!
We’re going on a ‘booknic’ @ Carcroft School
Beautiful work from Scarlett and Winnie @ XP Gateshead
Preparing for Sports Day @ Norton Juniors
Thank you to our music experts! @ Plover
We are the champions @ Norton Infants
Adapting song/music @ Carcroft School
G28 Spanish Product @ XP Gateshead
We raised £34 for the Plover Pantry! @ Plover
The Second World War may feel like several lifetimes ago to some of us, but there are still thousands of people for whom it was a lived experience, something they will never forget.
Years 3 and 4 in all the Primary Schools across our Trust, have through their recent expedition Lest we Forget: How does war change Lives? examined the lives of local people and national figures – all of whom have stories that deserve to be shared.
Four beautiful books have been created, capturing times both traumatic and remarkable.
From Pat Grainger, who lives in the centre of Doncaster and remembers the Corn Exchange cellars being used as an air raid shelter, or Harry Hewitt who as a child helped the war effort by being a runner – delivering messages between the Home Guards.
The research for these books has been thorough, the original poetry and illustrations adding so much to the work that has become a valuable and treasured resource of stories from a time past, but part of our history and community.
My notes from today’s visit to @XPschool , with thanks to all of our hosts for such a warm and considered xperience, incl @gwynap @JamiePortman @SprakesA -will take some time over the weekend to reflect upon these 👇🏽 & consider the implications #learning #unlearning #compassion pic.twitter.com/9eT4BBZRai
— tjgolding (@tjgolding) May 25, 2023
Sharing our Expedition learning @ Carcroft School
Beautiful work from Olivia @ XP Gateshead
NJS walk to school week @ Norton Juniors
Is Migration worth the risk? @ XP
Y5 Football tournament @ Plover
