XP East

Next weeks extra curricular is as follows:

Monday: Athletics 3.30-4.30

Tuesday: Cheerleading 3.30 – 4.30

Wednesday: Rounders practice 3.30 – 4.30

Thursday: BTEC Catch up

Beautiful Work This Week

Being Human – Beautiful Speeches from XP Gateshead

The G29 students speeches answering our guiding question “What does it mean to be human?” is now live on our website.

You can listen again and relive the POL speeches here!

This beautiful work is also available to visitors to the QE Hospital at the Windy Nook Entrance via a QR code on the art installation. This is important work matters, raising awareness of the importance of organ donation. A work that chimes with Olivias’ concluding remarks to our POL.

“…being human is about our social structures and relationships. How we connect, understand each other and have a sense of understanding and acceptance for ourselves and others.  We build our world through our memories and experience to decide where we want to go in the future. Humans grow through our community and others around us.”

XP Y9 Fieldwork to Thackray Museum

The Power of Change @ Carcroft

In Spring 2024, students from Years 5 and 6 at Carcroft School embarked on an Expedition to explore the 19th century’s impact on our lives today, examining whether its influence has been positive or negative. Students immersed themselves in the era by creating African pattern-inspired book bindings and sculptures. They delved into the work of British-Nigerian artist Yinka Shonabare to understand cultural identity and globalisation. The history case study focused on the British Empire, particularly its effects on South Africa and the Zulu people, comparing Victorian society with Zulu society and discussing the legacy of these interactions. The science component of the Expedition related these historical impacts to the concepts of reversible and irreversible changes, using chemistry to draw parallels between the societal changes and scientific processes.

The Expedition’s culmination was an art exhibition-style event where students showcased sculptures inspired by Yinka Shonabare, reflecting on cultural identity and personal, cultural, or ethnic adaptation in an ever-changing world. This final product, along with literacy-based assessments and case study reflections, demonstrated the students’ learning and understanding of the 19th century’s influence. Throughout the Expedition, a diverse range of texts, including graphic novels and classic literature, enriched the students’ experience. Despite limitations on fieldwork due to economic conditions, video calls with South African residents offered insights into the lasting impacts of the British Empire on the Zulu people, enhancing the students’ global perspective and understanding of historical legacies.

Highlights from UKS2’s COL @ Plover

In the last week of term, students in UKS2 at Plover celebrated their work from their Expedition ‘The Power of Change’. Their guiding question was ‘How did the 19th century influence our lives today?’ and their final product explored significant locations in Doncaster, creating a history trail for members of the community to follow to learn more about the City’s history.

‘How will what I do today impact the world tomorrow?’ @ Norton Infants

Last term, students in KS1 at Norton infants explored ocean pollution – contrasting clean and polluted waters and their effects on wildlife, leading to local litter collection activities and artistic recycling projects, culminating in a family event promoting the reduction of single-use plastics. They delved into the science of this by examining the characteristics of living and non-living entities, focusing on animal needs and dietary types, and assessing human impacts on ecosystems, resulting in a detailed report on local fauna. Their geographical studies spanned identifying global continents, oceans, and specific habitats, enhanced by a narrative exercise based on “Somebody Swallowed Stanley.” Art skills were honed through various mediums in creating a sculpture and alternate story settings from “The Tin Forest.”

The students’ final product drew together learning from all three of these case studies. They created these activity booklets, which contain examples of beautiful artwork and written information, and include activities for children to complete – here’s a sample of their work below!

We would like to donate these booklets to local places so that children can complete them whilst they are out in our community! If this is something that you feel you would like copies of, we can send them to you! Please send an email to [email protected] and we will organise sending them to you!

Top of the Blogs

Wise Wednesday @ XP

Beautiful Work from Scarlett @ XP Gateshead

We are Sea Explorers @ Norton Infants

Class 7 found a time capsule @ Green Top

Ready Steady Cook @ Plover

New Reading Challenge @ Carcroft School

What is Power? @ XP East

‘Hats on for Hope’ @ Norton Juniors

Join our Crew!

We’re looking for Cleaners and a Cleaner in Charge to #JoinOurCrew at XP Doncaster – find out more and apply here!

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!

Y10 students will be sitting a full set of mock exams w/b: 29th April. These will take place under full exam conditions to give them a taste of what to expect next year. The timetable is attached, along with some information around what each subject will be covering. Students have been provided with revision resources, and will be expected to revise outside of school to ensure they give their best efforts.

To help them prepare, we would like to invite Y10 students to D6, our in-school Saturday provision, which runs from 9.30-12pm in XP East’s study area. These are really useful sessions where students can meet up for independent study-time or form study groups and access more revision resources.

Y10 have lots of things to look forward to on the run up to the Summer break (fieldwork, college open days, work experience to name a few!) so to keep you fully informed we will start sending out a weekly planner so we can all keep track of key dates and events.

It’s really encouraging to see that many of our Y10 students are already showing the learning behaviours and focus needed to pass GCSEs, which will make the transition into Y11 so much easier for them!

Mrs Parker and Miss Cocliff.

D6 is back for our wonderful Y11 students as they prepare for their upcoming GCSEs. For the next 3 weeks until Mock exams, year 10 are also invited to give them additional opportunity for support with revision. This allows students the opportunity to revise in a quiet space away from home or to meet up and work in small study groups. Students can join us in the Study Area at XP East anytime between 9.30am-12pm, grab a drink and a snack.

E29 absolutely smashed their Presentation of Learning last night!

It was amazing to listen to their stories of the expedition, including how the theme of power was prominent to the character development and arc within the Scottish Play – Macbeth. Students performed key scenes to an audience, displaying their own interpretations of the characters. Parents were welcomed and encouraged to participate in art workshops facilitated by Pioneer and Explorer, as well as being shown beautiful work in the Lorax. We presented subject specific stands where we showcased examples of how the earth’s tectonic plates are powerful in Geography, the mighty power of the atom and chemical reactions in Science and how street art has the power to capture an audience.

You should be really proud of yourselves – you were awesome!

Take a look at a couple of the pictures from the evening.

Miss Buckley

Find out more about each role here:

Cleaner

Cleaner in Charge

We would like to remind you of the Year 7 XP East’s presentation of learning which will consist of them showcasing their work from both Hums and Science. The POL will take place on Tuesday 23rd April from 4:30 to 5:30.

We look forward to seeing you there!

FXP would like to thank those who supported the Easter tuck shop and raffle today. The tuck shop raised a whopping £155 in just 15 minutes and the raffle raised £120, so a grand total of £275 to go towards future XP projects. We can’t thank you enough.

Congratulations to our raffle winners today Carl, Kian J and Bal, we hope your enjoy your prizes! 

We look forward to seeing you all at our next tuck shop on Thursday 16th May. Happy Easter everyone, enjoy your two weeks off!

Friends of XP

Thank you to everyone who supported me this month in raising money for the British Heart Foundation. A special mention goes to Rowena Aspden in X30 (Y7), who joined me in giving up chocolate for a month and raised £79 of her own fundraising. Well done Rowena!

Another thank you goes to all students who participated in the Fun Run on Monday 25th and Tuesday 26th. Well done!

All of your donations will be warmly received by the British Heart Foundation for their vital research into heart and circulatory diseases. It’s not too late to donate! Follow this link to donate: https://www.justgiving.com/page/natalie-barton-1708372948129?utm_medium=fundraising&utm_content=page%2Fnatalie-barton-1708372948129&utm_source=copyLink&utm_campaign=pfp-share

Thank you!!

Miss Barton