XP School

Our new Year 7 students’ Outward Bound adventure begins on Tuesday 25th August 2025. Students need to be arrive at school at 7:00am for a prompt 7:30am departure. 

Participant Form

We need all parents to complete a Participant Information Form by following the link below. The form must be submitted by Monday, July 6th, 2026.

Outward Bound Participant Form – Click here

– It should take around 20-45 minutes to complete and you will need to register an account to begin. You can use existing Microsoft, Google, X or Facebook accounts to login if you choose.

– You can find instructions, a video walkthrough and troubleshooting help here: How to complete the Participant Information Form

– The form is only supported on Chrome, Edge, Safari and Firefox browsers.

– Remember to enter the information for the person who will be attending the course.

Returnable Deposit

Students must bring a £10 deposit with them on the morning which will be handed back to them at the end of their adventure if there is no loss or damage to equipment. This is an important part of the process for the week, and teaches the students about join responsibility as a Crew.

Medication

Any medication for students must be in the original box, clearly labelled with your child’s name and details of regularity of administration and dose. This includes:

• Inhalers
• Epipens
• Travel sickness pills
• Painkillers
• Antihistamines

Please get in contact with njohnson@xpschool.org if your child will be bringing medication and we can provide you with a self-administration or permission to administer form.

Kit List

Specialist equipment such as walking boots, tents, sleeping bags, hiking rucksacks and waterproofs will be provided by the centre.

The kit list for students is listed below. Please ensure that your child has all of these items.

Older clothes are far better for the week as they will get wet and or muddy.

• 1 large bag or suitcase to take kit on the coach
• 2 bin bags –  to store wet and dirty clothes
• 1 pair of trainers for getting wet – these trainers will definitely get wet so it is important that you have a second pair.
• A second pair of trainers to stay dry for day to day wear – these are likely to get muddy so preferably not new.
• 3 sweatshirts, jumpers, hoodies or fleeces – Fleeces are ideal as they dry quickly but any of the other items are a good substitute. You should include at least one warmer fleece for your expedition.
• 3 pairs of trousers – Lightweight trousers (not denim) such as walking trousers, leggings or tracksuit bottoms.
• 3 T-shirts – Aim for tops that cover shoulders from the sun.
• 1 long-sleeved base layer/top 
• 1 pair of shorts – Not denim
• 1 pair of nightwear/pyjamas
• 1 set of casual clothes for around the centre
• 7 sets of underwear including socks – This is a minimum number. Trainer socks aren’t recommended as they may cause blisters.
• At least 2 pairs of thick walking socks
• Sunhat, sunglasses, suncream – don’t bring expensive sunglasses, suncream needs to be at least factor 30.
• 1 set of warm hat and gloves
• At least 1 towel – Quick drying microfibre towels are great. You will need a towel for showering and on activities, so bring at least one.
• Watch with alarm if possible
• 1 set of swimwear plus t-shirt and shorts for use in water
• Toiletries – including soap, toothbrush and toothpaste, blister kit, plasters, insect repellent, lip salve, hand sanitiser, wet wipes, talcum powder (for your feet), etc.
• 1 pair of flip slops or sandals – optional

We can’t wait to get going!

Morning has broken and the students are awake. After taking down their tents they are having some breakfast and reviewing their second walk today.

Lots of happy but tired faces.

DofE Camp Update

After a full day of Duke of Edinburgh walking, navigating and working together as Crew, we are pleased to let you know that everyone has arrived safely at camp.

Students have shown brilliant character throughout the day, supporting each other, staying positive and demonstrating the kindness and teamwork that sit at the heart of XP. These experiences help our young people build confidence, independence and a strong sense of belonging as part of something bigger than themselves.

Tents are up, everyone has eaten, and the site is calm. All is well and students are now tucked up in their tents for a well-earned rest.

We are incredibly proud of them all and look forward to another great day tomorrow.

Monday- Athletics 3.30-4.30

Wednesday- Rounders fixture away 3.30-5.15.

Thursday- Cheerleading practice 3.30-4.30. No cricket practice.

Mark Your Calendars: The XP Trust Arts Festival is Coming!

We are absolutely thrilled to announce that all of the incredible pieces highlighted here—along with an expansive collection of stunning work from across our primary and secondary schools—will be officially curated and showcased as part of this year’s XP Trust Arts Festival on June 25th.

Our students have poured their hearts, minds, and immense effort into these creations, embodying our core value of craftsmanship. The festival will be a true celebration of their dedication, and we cannot wait to share these beautiful products with our wider community.

Whether you are a parent, a student, a neighbor, or a supporter of the arts, please join us on June 25th to witness firsthand what happens when we hold our young people to high expectations and encourage them to share their stories as they go.

See you there!

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

Crew Walton Wildlife Park @ Green Top

Handwriting champion of the week @ Plover

Expedition – Science @ Carcroft School

Beautiful work from Harry in Year 10 @ XP Gateshead

Crew Nightingale Hunt for a Rainbow in the Rain! @ Norton Infants

Moving Together @ XP School

A settled and productive afternoon @ 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 comms@xptrust.org –  we want to hear about it, write about it and celebrate it!

Welcome to the first update of our journey! This week marked the official launch of our brand-new intervention programme, designed specifically to support, challenge, and empower a select group of Year 9 young men as they prepare for the road ahead.

Our ultimate destination? A grueling, high-energy Inflatable 10K in Bakewell on the 26th of September! But before we can tackle the physical obstacles waiting for us in September, we had to lay the groundwork for how we operate as a team.

Here is a look inside our very first session.

Part 1: Setting the Foundation & Facing the Facts

We kicked off the week by pulling back the curtain on exactly how the course will look over the coming months. Because this programme requires vulnerability, honesty, and grit, our very first task was to establish our ‘rules of engagement’. The boys actively collaborated to set out their own norms and expectations, deciding together how they will respect, support, and hold one another accountable.

Once the boundaries were set, we dived into some vital conversations about the current landscape of education for young men. We looked closely at the key issues they face today:

• The Attendance and Engagement Link: How feeling like you don’t fit in can lead to pulling away from school.
• Behavior as Communication: Realizing that challenging behaviors often come from unmet mental health needs or a lack of tools to express emotions.
• The Mind-Body Connection: How physical health isn’t just about looking fit—it is directly tied to mental resilience, focus in the classroom, and entering their upcoming GCSEs with a positive, confident frame of mind.

Part 2: From Individuals to a Team

You can’t build a community just by talking about it—you have to experience it. In the second part of our session, we shifted from theory to action, putting our physical health and teamwork to the test.

The focus was entirely on group dynamics, leadership, and communication. Through a series of team-based challenges, the boys quickly realised that individual strength means very little if you can’t communicate under pressure. We saw early leaders step up, quiet voices find their confidence, and the beginnings of a genuine brotherhood start to form. They learned firsthand that to move fast, you might go alone—but to go far, you have to move together.

Driving Toward the Big Question

Every sweat-breaking circuit, every deep debate, and every mile we log between now and September is driven by one central, guiding question:

“How can we move together to create a community where every young man makes a positive contribution, feeling like he belongs and can be himself?”

Week one proved that these young men are more than ready to answer that call. They showed up, they engaged, and they took their first steps toward redefining what it means to lead.

Stay tuned for next week as we bring in external experts and start breaking down the internal barriers affecting youth wellbeing. Bakewell, we’re coming for you!

Want to know more about our upcoming milestones or the expert partners joining us? Keep an eye on our weekly blog updates!

I was invited into to the official relaunch of Embrace today — our dedicated hub designed to support wellbeing, foster connections, and provide a safe, structured environment during social times.

We are only a few days into the relaunch, and we are already seeing a massive, positive shift in how students utilise their lunchtimes. While unstructured free time is important, it can sometimes feel overwhelming or isolating for students. By providing a well-structured shared space, Embrace has bridged the gap.

We are already noticing;

1. A Sanctuary for Wellbeing

Navigating the school day can be draining for some of our students. Embrace offers a calm, regulated environment where students can decompress, take a breath, and reset before their afternoon classes. It has quickly become a cornerstone of our daily mental health support.

2. Meaningful Social Interactions

Because the space is structured with intentional activities, board games, and relaxed seating arrangements, breaking the ice is easy. We are seeing students from different year groups sit down together, share, and build new friendships that might never have formed.

3. Reduced Social Anxiety

The environment naturally invites participation, giving everyone a clear sense of belonging and a safe place to land. Staff and Students – Next time you pass by during lunch, take a peek inside!