Beautiful Work This Week
Here’s a selection of beautiful work from across the XP Trust for the last time in 2024! To read about other stories from across the XP Trust, visit xptrust.org.
To Infinity and Beyond – Norton Juniors
Norton Junior’s UKS2 Autumn Expedition, “To Infinity and Beyond”, explored the guiding question, “How does movement affect our world?”, through an engaging journey into space science, forces, and design technology. Beginning with an exploration of the Solar System, students investigated planetary movements and their effects on day, night, and the seasons, supported by an inspiring visit to the National Space Centre. Building on this, they delved into forces such as gravity, air resistance, and friction, conducting hands-on experiments and learning about mechanisms like pulleys, levers, and gears. The culmination of their studies was a design project where they crafted mechanical Solar Systems, demonstrating their understanding of space and engineering.
The expedition concluded with a Science Fayre at Norton Junior School, where students presented their Solar System models alongside interactive activities like debates, quizzes, and experiments to an audience of parents and the community. The event not only showcased their learning but also celebrated their creativity and collaboration. Artwork inspired by space, including chalk galaxy pieces, was sold to support the Doncaster Astronomical Society, ensuring the Expedition had a lasting impact on both the students and their community.
Safe Parking at Green Top School!
Crew Council at Green Top are tackling an ongoing issue with parking around the school! They got together and made this video to make a stand for better parking in the community. Their message is clear – park smart, stay safe, walk more! You can watch their activism here…
Another Brick In The Wall
XP Gateshead Year 9’s “Another Brick in the Wall” Expedition culminated in a fantastic Presentation of Learning at the Farrell Centre and Hancock Museum in Newcastle. Students showcased their creative and analytical work from the project, including the oral histories they crafted and the artwork they had created.
You can watch the story of the day in this video:
A Whole New World
Exploring history through immersive learning! From Vikings at Murton Park to Shakespeare’s magic, C31’s Expedition journeyed through the Roman, Medieval, Early Modern & Industrial eras. With hands-on activities, creative writing, and expert insights, they connected past & present in unforgettable ways.
At their Presentation of Learning they recreated a historical timeline for parents and staff and a variety of drama performances as well as student led teaching sessions to demonstrate our learning.
Their knowledge culminated in a piece of narrative writing, independently written by students to reflect the life and experiences of a different person in history. The book is available to purchase here.
To Infinity and Beyond – Plover Presentation of Learning
The Plover UKS2 Autumn Expedition explored the guiding question, “How does movement affect our world?”, culminating in a science fair at XP East. Students showcased their learning through live experiments, presentations, and films, confidently explaining concepts such as planetary movement, the Earth’s rotation, the phases of the Moon, and the effects of forces like gravity and resistance.
Lest We Forget – Plover’s Presentation of Learning
The LKS2 Autumn Expedition explored the guiding question, “How does war change lives?”, with a focus on World War II and its impact on the home front. Students examined key historical themes such as evacuation, rationing, The Blitz, and the changing roles of men, women, and children. Their learning was driven by literature, including The Lion and the Unicorn by Shirley Hughes, which inspired biography writing about evacuees and the roles of women during the war. In art, the children studied Henry Moore, a renowned Yorkshire artist, and used his wartime depictions as inspiration to create powerful wax crayon and watercolour portraits reflecting life during The Blitz. Poetry was also woven into their work, summarising their learning across the expedition.
The culmination of this journey was an art exhibition held at Intake Community Centre, where the children’s final portraits, inspired by Henry Moore’s techniques, were displayed as a tribute to those affected by World War II. This display served as a form of remembrance for local people who lost their lives, connecting the children’s learning to the wider community. Alongside their artwork, students demonstrated a deeper understanding of history through their biography writing, reflecting on how war changed lives and ensuring their work captured the experiences and resilience of those who lived through the war.
The Power of Crew – EL Conference, Atlanta, USA 2024
Last week, Gwyn and I had the privilege of attending the 2024 EL Conference in Atlanta, USA with five colleagues from across our Trust. The highlight of the conference was a keynote speech by our great friend, mentor and inspiration Ron Berger (pictured below with XP staff).
Colleagues visited schools as well as attending sessions on Crew, Expeditions and Leadership. In addition, they captured their learning and reflections in an article that will be published in our first edition of XP Unpacked in January this year!!
It was an exhausting but exhilarating visit, packed with working hard, getting smart and being kind. Take a look at the pictures below to get a flavour of our experiences.
