We have had a fantastic half term so far with everyone engaged in their revision – the motivation is continuing to increase. Attendance at learning labs has been amazing and MG has made the top of the year group leaderboard for praises two weeks in a row! Keep it up crew Frank!
We’re looking for a Cleaning Lead at XP Doncaster
Y8 Macbeth Leeds Playhouse Visit
In the ‘Fight the Power’ expedition, Year 8 have been studying Macbeth as our anchor text. We have been focusing on the theme of power and how Macbeth’s power rises and falls during the course of the play as well as the power dynamics between Macbeth and Lady Macbeth.
Students have been so engaged and working really hard getting their teeth stuck into Shakespeare so we are very excited about our upcoming fieldwork!
To support our expedition students, in Year 8 will be visiting Leeds Playhouse to watch a performance of Macbeth.
XP East will be attending on Wednesday the 13th March. We will be leaving during school time but as it is an afternoon showing we expect to be back at school between 4-4:30pm, depending on traffic.
XP will be attending on Tuesday the 19th March. Students will be setting off promptly so please make sure your child arrives no later than 8:30am.
Students will need to bring a pen, water bottle and packed lunch. Lunch will be provided for children on Free School Meals.
As always, the school will provide fieldwork free of charge but if you would like to support us please see our voluntary parental contribution letter.
If you have any queries about this fieldwork, please email [email protected] if your child is at XP or [email protected] if your child is at XP East.
Thank you!
Crew Da Vinci SLC
It’s been really lovely to support crew Da Vinci with their SLC. As it was my first time doing SLC’s I found crew worked with me and I was really impressed with their reflections.
Extra curricular this week
Another busy week of extra curricular this week. Please see the attached activities and fixtures:
Monday – Year 7/8 Girls football
Tuesday – Cheerleading practice
Wednesday – Y9 Netball tournament
Year 7 and 8 boys football
Thursday – BTEC Catch up
C26 (Year 11) Weekly Planner – 4/3/2024
Another cracking week. There’s not much more to say about our wonderful Y11s, other than they’re working beautifully!!!
No D6 this week – but back to normal next Saturday.
Angella & Mel x
Parents and students session after school Thursday at the racecourse.
Parents and students session at Opportunities Doncaster Live event
Doncaster Racecourse has an event on Thursday 7th March 3.30pm – 6pm for anyone wanting to take their student around. Suitable for Year 10 & 11.
C27 Work Experience Update – Ideas
I was waiting for permissions to publish previous work placements but thank you to a parent for suggesting sharing LOGOs to give students and parents/carers ideas to work from when thinking about making choices. I feel super silly for not thinking of it myself!
Sharing our Stories: 01/03/2024
Beautiful Work This Week
Expedition Stories: LKS2 @ Plover
This week we’re proud to share the beautiful story LKS2s Expedition from last term ‘Coming to Doncaster: why then and why now?’. The incredible work from the students is on display outside the school for the community to see – make sure you go and check it out!
Being Human: Beautiful work in the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Gateshead
This week beautiful work created by students at XP Gateshead was curated and unveiled at the QE Hospital!
‘What does it mean to be human?’
As part of their learning the students considered what makes a human both in a scientific way, through study of the gas exchange, circulatory and reproductive systems, and with regard to culture and religious beliefs when studying the Abrahamic faiths and the sanctity of human life.
Students then began the analysis of the tone and structure of successful speeches, and used this learning to write persuasive speeches on the topic of organ donation.
The theme of how humans and their societies and cultures grow and develop was then explored. Studying the development of humans from a single cell, through childhood, and puberty and onwards to adulthood. Adding to this theme we also considered our evolutionary past.
Students also worked with an expert to explore innovations and advancements that are being made around the world to help and support the development of humans. Alongside this students met with experts in organ donation, Dharmic faiths and Humanist beliefs in order to reflect upon who we want to be and how we can be the best version of ourselves.
The students were then challenged to create artwork to promote organ donation, and reflect upon what it means to be Human. Students also gave a speech expressing what they think it means to be human to parents and experts.
This work displayed at the QE hospital is the result of XPG’s community collaboration and celebrates what it means to be human and how together we are stronger.
The work has been well received already and Gateshead NHS have shared this post about working with the students at XPG!
XP on the TV!
We’re on TV next week!
XP Doncaster will be featured in a BBC Two documentary to be aired on the 7th March.
Multi award winning TV company Tern TV, spent several days filming with us last summer, with the presenter Darren McGarvey, who won the Orwell prize for his book ‘Poverty Safari’.
The filming was for the second of three documentaries, which in order focus on Justice, Education and Health, titled: Darren McGarvey: The State We’re In.
Claira Salter, our Principal of XP Doncaster said:
“We love to share what we do across the XP Trust, welcoming over a thousand visitors and delegates from all over the world in the last year alone. So, when we were approached by Tern TV to take part in the education documentary presented by Darren, it was a real opportunity to engage with an even wider audience here and for our students to participate in the process of interviewing and film making.”
“We are looking forward to seeing all three programmes and are delighted that the spotlight will also be on Doncaster and the communities and partners we are proud to work with.”
All episodes are available on BBC iPlayer now and the Education documentary will be broadcast on Thursday 7th March at 9pm on BBC Two.
Top of the Blogs
Weekly update for parents @ XP Gateshead
Kindness changes everything @ Norton Infants
Family Learning Y3/4 @ Green Top
Fantastic artwork in Year 9 @ XP
Fieldwork Fun at Yorkshire Wildlife Park @ Plover
Science Experiment @ Carcroft School
Year 3 are Magnetic! @ Norton Juniors
We’re looking for an awesome Learning Coach at Plover School!
Find out more about the role and apply here to #JoinOurCrew
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!
C30/Y7 get internet savvy
On Wednesday we welcomed back our personal safety from Instincts Training to deliver another session, this time focussing on internet safety.
We began by discussing whether we thought the internet was good or bad. Whilst we agreed that the internet is a good place (especially for gaming!) we recognised that it does have its bad/dangerous points, too.
Students were presented with several scenarios to encourage them to reflect on their online behaviours, such as:
- Have you ever shared anything online about someone online that you knew they wouldn’t want posted?
- Have you ever liked or shared a mean post about someone?
- Have you posted something using someone else’s account?
- Have you ever spoken to someone online who you didn’t know?
These questions helped to generate some mature and well thought out discussions around the internet, interacting online and how to spot online dangers. It was reassuring to know that on the whole, Y7 are a savvy lot.
We’d like to appreciate all our Y7 students for the Integrity, courage, compassion shown when sharing and listening to crews’ experiences.
Mrs Parker & Mrs Watson