XP East

It is always a thrill when a piece of classic literature truly clicks with a class, but what is happening right now with E31 Explorer in English is on a completely different level. We have recently dived into William Golding’s masterpiece, Lord of the Flies, and to say that this group of students is getting into the text would be a massive understatement.

From the moment we crash-landed on the island in chapter one, E31 Explorer has brought an incredible level of maturity, curiosity, and deep thinking to our reading sessions. The discussions we’ve been having are phenomenal, proving just how insightful, articulate, and truly great this group of students is… But the absolute highlight of our lessons has to be how E31 has pulled one of the most iconic symbols from the novel right out of the book and into our classroom culture: the conch.

Just like Ralph and Piggy use the white conch shell on the island to establish order and ensure everyone gets a fair chance to be heard, E31 has adopted this exact system for our class. The rule is simple, pulled straight from Golding’s pages. It has completely elevated our reading, discussions and debates, making sure every single voice in E31 Explorer is valued and heard without interruption.

I could not be more proud of how E31 Explorer is navigating this challenging, intense novel. I can’t wait to see how they react as the tension on the island builds in the final chapters. Keep holding the conch high, E31!

Miss Buckley, English Specialist and Expeditionary Teacher

Beautiful work this week

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.

Top of the Blogs

Year 2 G-Block – Sketching @ Green Top

Compassion Crew Bear Rules @ Plover

Strong Foundations In Crew Ramsay @ Carcroft School

Crew AJA Outward Bound @ XP

]The bog baby @ Norton Infants

Year 4 English Quizzers @ Norton Juniors

G30 Blog @ XP Gateshead

Year 11 History: Living under Nazi rule @ XP East

Share your stories with us!

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!

Our Year 11 historians have been developing their understanding of life in Nazi Germany, exploring the experiences of different groups within German society.

Students revisited key policies affecting German workers, including the German Labour Front (DAF), Beauty Through Labour and the Reich Labour Service, before moving on to explore the changing lives of German women and the Nazi vision of a Volksgemeinschaft – a people’s community united around Nazi ideals.

Students were encouraged to use purple pen to check, correct and build on their answers, helping to address misconceptions and strengthen their historical knowledge. Through thoughtful questioning and discussion with Mrs Eliott, they made connections between individual experiences and the Nazis’ wider aims for German society.

It has been fantastic to see our Year 11 historians engaging so thoughtfully with this challenging topic and continually working to improve their historical understanding. Well done, Year 11!

There is no slowing down for our Year 11s this term! We are incredibly proud of the resilience and work ethic this cohort is displaying, both in the sports hall and out on the pitch.

In Ultimate Frisbee, the energy has been phenomenal. Students are pushing their cardiovascular limits with spectacular catches and pinpoint passes, all while demonstrating brilliant sportsmanship and the self-refereed “Spirit of the Game.”

In BTEC Sport, students have been diving into the components of fitness by trying exciting new ways of learning. Working collaboratively together to grapple new key words and linking them to sporting examples.

Keep up the great work Year 11.

Find out more here and apply now to #JoinOurCrew

https://xptrust.org/carcroft-teacher/

Wednesday- Netball and football practice 3.30-4.30- NO netball match

Thursday – Cancelled no cheerleading.

E30 are jumping head first into all things GCSE and Dickens. This year as we are completing our initial read of A Christmas Carol we are challenging the students to record their own revision notes on their own copy of the text. So far they have more than risen to this challenge.

They are adding their own analysis to the parts that they feel they need support to explain or key quotations. It is impressive to see how diligent they are all being with this.

Well done! Keep it up!

From Mrs Desborough and Miss Buckley

Beautiful work this week

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.

Top of the Blogs

KS1 Community Crew @ Green Top

Open the book @ Plover

Strong Foundations In Crew Ramsay @ Carcroft School

What does it mean to be human? @ XP

]We are making our mark! @ Norton Infants

Stepping back in time at Norton Village Hall @ Norton Juniors

Weekly update @ XP Gateshead

Sports Day Winners @ XP East

Share your stories with us!

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!

Announcing Our New Publication: ‘Celebrating Ten Years of Expeditions at XP’

A new publication, ‘Celebrating Ten Years of Learning Expeditions at XP’, written by our co-founder, Andy Sprakes, is now available. The book highlights an extensive and broad selection of the beautiful work created by our young people and staff from across our Trust. It is a profound and often moving reminder of the purpose, agency, and consequence of our work; illuminating the transformative power and far-reaching impact of Learning Expeditions.

In the next few weeks, the book will be made available to the general public and will retail at £20. However, to mark the publication of this much-anticipated book, it is being made available exclusively to staff across our Trust for a not-for-profit cost price of £5. In the spirit of Crew the proceeds will be donated to charity.

When staff fill in the google form and order the book at this price, they will be able to choose to donate to one of two local charities and one national charity that have supported and worked alongside us in the past. 

We would like to extend our heartfelt gratitude and congratulations to the exceptional staff across our Trust whose unwavering dedication, creativity, and passion made this publication, and the transformative work within it, possible.

Charities Staff can support by purchasing the book

Curriculum Seam: Protecting Our Planet

RSPCA – https://www.rspcadoncasterrotherham.org.uk/

Curriculum Seam: Standing for Social Justice

Schools of Sanctuary – https://schools.cityofsanctuary.org/

Curriculum Seam: Diversity and Belonging

Children in Need – https://www.bbcchildreninneed.co.uk/

Sports Day 2026: Highlights & Winners!

We wrapped up the 2026 academic year with another hugely successful Sports Day!Check out our NEW video celebrating all the action and highlighting the winners across Crew vs. Crew, Phase vs. Phase, and School vs. School.

A massive well done to XP East for taking home the victory once again! Outstanding effort from everyone involved—let’s bring that same energy next year, XP! 🏆