We hope you have all had a restful half-term break and are coming back refreshed and ready for the another 6 weeks of hard work and exam prep… Can you believe this is the last full term before GCSEs begin?!
Key Messages this week:
Learning Labs are back up and running for all Y11 students from Monday 19th Feb – full details of subjects/days/times can be found in the weekly planner.
Students will be visiting Huddersfield University on 21st February (XPE) and 23rd February (XP). A packed lunch is required. More information about this fieldwork can be found in this blog post.
XP students will also be visiting the site of the old Plant Works on 20th February to conduct their site study in preparation for their History GCSE.
XP Doncaster are excited to launch Work Experience 2024 on Wednesday 21st February at 5pm – 6pm which will include information on Next Steps for Year 10 as they prepare for their transition from Secondary school. Parents and Students are advised that it is important to attend.
This week, beautiful work from LKS2’s last Expedition ‘Coming to Doncaster – Why then, why now?’ has been curated outside the school! Be sure to stop and take a look at their work on migration, Roman history and sharing stories!
Beautiful Work in the Community: Earth Emergency
In Autumn 2023, Green Top School’s UKS2 children undertook a learning expedition called Earth Emergency. The guiding question was: How can we help our planet survive? Their beautiful artwork is on display on a shopfront on Fieldside in Thorne.
If you are a teacher looking for a model of schooling that dares to break the mould, then this might just be for you. There is now the opportunity of a lifetime to teach at the newest of our extraordinary schools, XP Gateshead.
Year 8 are currently studying the Fight the Power expedition. In Hums we are focusing on the theme power in Shakespeare’s Macbeth, the power of the earth in geography, by examining tectonic processes and natural hazards, power in Christianity and the fight for and against power in history over time by studying the Peasant’s Revolt.
Today both classes undertook a workshop with the help of Miss Buckley who was joined by Alex and Deanna from year 9. We began in small groups by showing how power changes or is shown in key scenes focusing on Lady Macbeth, Macbeth and the witches. Finally each class prepared and performed Act 3 Scenes 3-4 where Macbeth sees Banquo’s ghost. It was great to see the courage and talent shown by those who took on a leading role and everyone else getting involved, even if it was pushing themselves out of their comfort zone. Mrs Woodward and Miss Wilkinson give massive appreciations to you all!
Parents of pupils in years ten and eleven will have received an email containing the details of fieldwork to universities after half term. Please check your emails or the attached files for this information. The fieldwork meets XP’s pledge to provide opportunities for all pupils to visit a university and to be informed about higher education opportunities. Here is a summary of the dates:
Monday 19th February X27 (XP year ten) fieldwork to Bradford University
Wednesday 21st February E26 (XP East year eleven) fieldwork to Huddersfield University
Friday 23rd February X26 (XP year eleven) fieldwork to Bradford University
Monday 26th February E27 (XP East year ten) fieldwork to Huddersfield University
There is no compulsory charge to parents for this fieldwork, in line with our ethos, but I have attached a letter from the Principal regarding our voluntary contribution scheme. We will need to pass on a small £5 cancellation fee for no / short notice failure to attend in order to reduce wastage of our fieldwork budget. Please let me know in advance of any pre-arranged absences on the date of fieldwork for your child so I can cancel their place with no charge. Thank you to those parents and guardians who have already done this.
As part of our Crew Charity work, Crew Rashford decided to spread some love and joy by creating some Valentine’s gifts for residents at one of our local care homes, The Oaklands.
This is something crew have always enjoyed doing and are really enthusiastic to give something back to our community by talking and spending time with residents at Oaklands would have been amazing, we have visited places such as Age Well in the past and really enjoyed these activities.
We spent the morning baking cupcakes (with only a couple of baking disasters!), decorating biscuits and creating some blooming gorgeous bouquets.
Crew were really excited to deliver their lovely treats and spend time with the residents, but the snowy weather meant we had to postpone our plans. However, Mrs Parker and Mrs Watson were able to drive up and deliver Crew’s lovely treats.
We left with promises to return in the Spring. We know that Crew are looking forward to spending time with the lovely residents.
We are delighted to share some remarkable insights into the impact of XP Outdoor sessions since their integration into our Crew curriculum.
It’s truly heartening to witness how these sessions have not only provided valuable support to students in various ways but have also presented challenges that contribute to their growth.
As we embark on this journey, we are committed to building our community through activism, leadership, and equity, sharing our stories as we go—all of which aligns seamlessly with the goal of fostering meaningful relationships.
We have a wonderful opportunity to work with Instincts Training. An educational program which address the issue of anti-social behaviour, covering topics such as violence, harassment, misogyny, and consent. These courses are specifically crafted to explain the reasons why it is crucial for individuals to steer clear of these paths that may lead to criminal behaviour.
Moving into Term 2b – XP Outdoor sessions and Instincts Training will work together on the following workshops.
Please get in touch with Emma Watson – [email protected] or Angella Parker – [email protected] for further information or if you have any questions.
Crew Malala were on Lost Property duty this week. Please take a look and claim items belonging to you at XP East reception. At the end of the week anything which remains will be donated. Thanks.
