Last week, we hosted our annual Festival of Learning at XP Doncaster with all staff from across our Trust. As part of the event, staff received a copy of our brand new Curriculum Core Practices book and engaged in whole Trust Staff Crew and workshop activities. We were also joined by visitors from the Life Trust in Leicestershire and Kata Foundation in Denmark.
More stories from the day to follow!
Dear colleagues, partners and friends
We recently reviewed, revised and reprinted our Curriculum Core Practices and provided all staff at XP’s Festival of Learning with a physical copy of the book. The Core Practices book is designed and written as a professional tool for you to reflect on, consider and apply in your daily practice to ensure that we are showing integrity to our curriculum model. I encourage you to actively reference the book by making notes and reflections in the spaces provided for this.
We have also placed a digital version of the Curriculum Core Practices on our Trust website so you can access online should you choose to do so. You can access the digital version here. This copy, in the spirit of sharing our stories, is available to anyone who visits our Trust website and is open source.
In addition, for all staff at XP, I have shared the link to the ‘Curriculum Core Practices Working Copy’. This is the google document where you can add ‘Notices, Wonders and Comments’ as you work through the published version. As I stated in the introduction to the book, the Curriculum Core Practices is a living document that is iterative and open to all staff to shape and critique. Changes that are agreed in the ‘working’ google doc will be added to the digital version.
We hope you enjoy engaging with this important document that is formed from our fundamental principles and designed to hold and protect the integrity of our model.
In Crew
Andy
A Place Where We Belong is a song written by the children of Green Top School.
Last year, pupils from EYFS all the way up to Year 6 began by writing heartfelt letters about what belonging really means to them. Those words were then shaped into lyrics, set to a tune, and brought to life through music.
Recorded at Green Top School, A Place Where We Belong is now live on all your favourite streaming platforms. Turn it up and hear the voices of a community who truly belong.
Here’s a selection of beautiful work from across the XP Trust!
To read about other stories from across the XP Trust, visit xptrust.org.
Key Stage 1 Community Crew @ Green Top
Fruit Tasting and Painting @ Plover
Sticky knowledge – Maths reasoning @ Carcroft School
Weekly Update for Families @ XP Gateshead
Maths, Mysteries and Masterminds @ Norton Infants
High Energy and Big Wins @ XP East
We now have a new dedicated news email so that you can send your stories, updates or ideas about potential news articles directly to us in Comms.
It might be something you or your students have achieved, a charity you’re supporting or anything at all that deserves a wider audience.
Write to us at [email protected] – we want to hear about it, write about it and celebrate it!
Here’s a selection of beautiful work from across the XP Trust!
To read about other stories from across the XP Trust, visit xptrust.org.
Extended Study Learning @ Green Top
Amazing home learning in Year 6 @ Plover
Baking biscuits @ Carcroft School
Weekly Update for Families @ XP Gateshead
Crew Hamilton: Orienteering Extraordinaires @ Norton Infants
Academic Thursday in Crew White @ XP East
We now have a new dedicated news email so that you can send your stories, updates or ideas about potential news articles directly to us in Comms.
It might be something you or your students have achieved, a charity you’re supporting or anything at all that deserves a wider audience.
Write to us at [email protected] – we want to hear about it, write about it and celebrate it!
We’re looking for a School Caretaker at XP Gateshead:
https://xptrust.org/xp-gateshead-school-caretaker/
It’s a role for someone who takes pride in keeping a school safe, welcoming and running smoothly.
There are more details via the link above – you can apply by sending your application form to [email protected] and please share to help us reach the right person.
Here’s a selection of beautiful work from across the XP Trust!
To read about other stories from across the XP Trust, visit xptrust.org.
Year 1 and 2 Drone @ Green Top
An awesome first week back! @ XP
G32 Expedition Reveal @ XP Gateshead
The Bus was for Us! @ Norton Infants
We now have a new dedicated news email so that you can send your stories, updates or ideas about potential news articles directly to us in Comms.
It might be something you or your students have achieved, a charity you’re supporting or anything at all that deserves a wider audience.
Write to us at [email protected] – we want to hear about it, write about it and celebrate it!
The primary application deadline is 15 January!
Across XP Trust primary schools, children learn through a rigorous, standards-based curriculum, supported by strong relationships through Crew so every child is known, challenged and encouraged to do their best.
Find out more about our primary schools and places at xptrust.org/places.
Here’s a selection of beautiful work from across the XP Trust!
To read about other stories from across the XP Trust, visit xptrust.org.
Reception Christmas Performance @ Green Top
Reception Christmas Party Day @ Plover
Ethics in Action: X30 Admiral take the floor @ XP
An exciting visit from a Game Expert @ Norton Infants
We now have a new dedicated news email so that you can send your stories, updates or ideas about potential news articles directly to us in Comms.
It might be something you or your students have achieved, a charity you’re supporting or anything at all that deserves a wider audience.
Write to us at [email protected] – we want to hear about it, write about it and celebrate it!
A number of deaf and hearing pupils from Plover School and the ARChi team have been working collaboratively on a British Sign Language version of the Twelve Days of Christmas.
This is another example of diversity and belonging that runs through our schools and is a concrete example of our culture of Crew.
On behalf of XP Trust, we would like to wish everyone a peaceful Christmas and New Year.
Andy Sprakes
Chief Academic Officer
XP Trust
