Creative Expression and Expert Collaboration: This Week in Art at XP

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It’s been an incredibly vibrant and busy week across the XP Arts From our youngest learners exploring the basics of texture to our KS4 students mastering observational detail, the studios have been buzzing with activity.

Here is a look at what our students have been up to:

Immersion week working with Experts: Graffiti Art with Phillip Padfield

Our C31 cohort has officially kicked off their new Expedition with a bang! To immerse them in their new project, we welcomed professional graffiti artist Phillip Padfield, better known as Affix.

Students had the unique opportunity to work alongside an industry expert, learning about the techniques and history of street art. We are all excited to see how this professional insight will shape their creative work as the expedition continues.

Exploring Rhythm: Mark Making with C32

The C32 students have been turning into investigators this week. Their focus has been on mark making, specifically looking for ways to capture the “rhythm and movement of water.”

Using a limited blue palette, students experimented with:

  • Fluid brush strokes to mimic waves.
  • Stippling and splatting to represent spray.
  • Layering different depths of ink to show transparency.
  • Working with unconventional tools.

Celebration of Learning: C31 Presented Their Learning

X31 students have reached a major milestone, presenting their learning through a stunning gallery display. Their work featured “Powerful Art” portraits and mixed-media pieces that honoured historical figures and civil rights movements.

The exhibition showcased portraits of iconic figures like Ruby Bridges and Malcolm X, combined with bold typography and symbolic imagery. It was a proud moment for the students to see their hard work curated and displayed for a wider audience.

Artist of the Week: Yasmin R (X28/ACD)

A huge congratulations to our KS4 Artist of the Week, Yasmin R!

Yasmin has produced some truly beautiful observational studies recently. Her work on animal textures—specifically a stunning, high-contrast study of a tiger—and her intricate eye studies show a remarkable level of skill in blending and detail.

Stay Tuned: We have a lot of exciting projects coming up, including the start of a Global Project with Right Up Our Street and even more guest workshops. Keep an eye on the blog for our next creative update!

#XPArt #CreativeLearning #ExpeditionaryLearning

X32 – Immersion Week (written by skipper students!)

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This week, all of X32 have worked extremely hard to explore our guiding question and begin to understand what our new expedition is about!

Yesterday, we visited Endcliffe Park, where we learned how to measure the depth, width and velocity at different points of the Porter Brook. This built on our learning in Maths, where we have been studying time, distance and velocity.

In Science, we have been learning about the water cycle. On Monday, we even acted this out by becoming water droplets, moving through the different stages of the cycle.

In Art, we have focused on using ink to show the movement of waves and water. We also experimented with creating different styles of water marks using ink.

We have also been thinking about how to stay safe around different bodies of water. We identified hidden dangers and discussed ways to reduce risks. We then applied this learning during our visit to Lakeside, where we spotted potential hazards.

Sharing our Stories: 17/04/2026

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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

Hook Week Orienteering @ Green Top

We are archaeologists! @ Plover

Year 6 Easter Revision @ Carcroft School

Crew Brunel @ XP School

Weekly Update for Families @ XP Gateshead

Finding our happy @ Norton Infants

Year 11 Rise to the challenge! @ XP East

Litter picking legends @ Norton Juniors

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!

Crew Brunel: New Term, New Focus

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This week marked Crew Brunel’s first week back after the Easter holidays, and it was all about resetting, reconnecting, and refocusing for the term ahead.

We began the week with a whole school community meeting, bringing everyone together to revisit our non-negotiables and set the tone for the term. It was an important opportunity to reflect on expectations and to look ahead at what’s coming up over the next few weeks.

Tuesday was all about preparation and accountability. We revisited our crew fundamentals, including our new timetable and equipment checks, ensuring everyone is ready to learn. Crew members also used this time productively to catch up on Sparx and Tassomai tasks, building positive habits early in the term.

On Wednesday, we were joined by Crew Attenborough for our weekly Wise Wednesday session. It was fantastic to see everyone engaged, contributing thoughtfully, and taking notes using their note catchers. The session encouraged reflection and meaningful discussion across crews.

Thursday gave us time to look closely at praise points and conduct. As a crew, we had honest discussions about what is going well and what we need to improve moving into next week. We also reviewed attendance, which has been a concern this week, and agreed that this is a key area we must all take responsibility for improving. We finished the session with a period of silent reading, accompanied by calm, relaxing music, helping everyone to reset and end the crew session on a focused and positive note.

We ended the week with another whole school community meeting. This was a chance to celebrate those who have achieved their goals, while also holding each other accountable where expectations have not been met. Appreciations and apologies were shared across all year groups, reinforcing our strong sense of community.

Overall, it has been a purposeful first week back. Crew Brunel is ready to build on this momentum and continue striving for excellence in the weeks ahead. Our main focus moving forward is improving our attendance.

Miss Mitchell

Year 11 Rise to the Challenge: Commitment, Dedication, and Easter Revision Success

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As the Easter holidays arrived, many might have expected a well-earned break after a demanding term. However, for our Year 11 students, this period became something far more meaningful—an opportunity to focus, reflect, and prepare for the final stretch before their GCSE examinations.

Throughout the Easter revision sessions, it was truly inspiring to witness the level of commitment shown by our students. Classrooms were filled with purposeful energy, as pupils arrived ready to engage, ask questions, and strengthen their understanding across a range of subjects. Whether it was tackling complex maths problems, refining exam techniques in English, or revisiting key concepts in science, students approached each session with determination and maturity.

What stood out most was not just attendance, but attitude. Students demonstrated a genuine desire to succeed, supporting one another and making the most of the time and expertise offered by their teachers. Their willingness to give up part of their holiday speaks volumes about their dedication and resilience.

Staff were equally impressed by the focus and positivity shown throughout the sessions. It is no small task to remain motivated during a holiday period, yet Year 11 rose to the challenge. These sessions were not just about revision—they were about building confidence, reducing anxiety, and reinforcing the belief that hard work leads to progress.

As we now move closer to the GCSE exam period, these efforts will undoubtedly make a difference. The habits formed, the knowledge strengthened, and the confidence gained during Easter will serve students well in the weeks ahead.

We are incredibly proud of Year 11 and the commitment they have shown. Their hard work has set a strong foundation for success, and we look forward to celebrating their achievements in the near future.

Congratulations to these 3 students who Easter prizes for their attendance over the holidays.

Keep going, Year 11—you’ve got this!

Enrichment Timetable April-May

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Welcome back to the summer term. We have lots of activities going off this term, please come and give them a try.

Cheerleading will start this Thursday

Rounders will start next Wednesday 22nd April

Cricket will start Thursday 7th May

We also have netball fieldwork on 15th May, if you would like a letter please come to XP east reception there is only 15 spaces. We are going to watch Leeds Rhinos.

Any questions please email cogrady@xpschool.org

X31 Year 8 XP Presentation of Learning – Tuesday 14th AprilX31 POL

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We are delighted to invite families and our wider school community to the Year 8 XP Presentation of Learning, taking place on Tuesday 14th April from 4:30pm to 5:30pm.

This event is an opportunity for students to showcase their learning from their most recent expedition, We Are the Power. Throughout the expedition, students have explored important ideas about influence, leadership, responsibility, and the ways power can shape societies and communities.

During the Presentation of Learning, students will share the high-quality work they have produced, reflect on their learning journey, and demonstrate the knowledge and skills they have developed.

They will also be responding to the expedition’s guiding question:

What is power?

We look forward to welcoming parents, carers, and guests to celebrate the hard work, creativity, and achievements of our Year 8 students.

X32 Fieldwork- THURSDAY- Action Required

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C32, Year 7’s final expedition of the year launches this week- we will be revealing the Title and Guiding Question by the end of Immersion!

During this expedition, our geography content is focusing on river characteristics from source to mouth, river processes, formation of landforms as well as the cause, impacts and responses of flooding and open water. As part of this, we are applying the theory of river processes and characteristics to the field. Our maths content will require us to calculate speed, distance and time.

On Thursday 16th April, students will visit Endcliffe park in Sheffield. They will work together to collect data regarding the width, depth, velocity and load of rivers. We will also be capturing the beauty of a river by completing artwork. This data collection will allow us to accept or reject our hypothesis.

In order to attend the fieldwork, students must have the consent form completed. You can do this using the link here. Please email Miss Johnson or your child’s Crew Leader if there are any issues with this- njohnson@xpschool.org

Students will need to arrive at school no later than 8.00am so that the register and kit check can be completed before leaving school.

It is also essential that all students bring all of the kit on the KIT LIST so that they are fully prepared for the fieldwork; this includes a packed lunch and water to drink. Students who receive free school meals will be provided with a lunch.

Students will need to ensure they have suitable walking boots/trainers as well as wellies or a pair of trainers they can get wet – we’ll be going in the river to collect the data! If there are any problems in getting the appropriate kit before this, please email your child’s Crew Leader. 

Students will be returning to school by the end of the school day (traffic dependent). We will keep you updated via the blog and social media pages.

Crew Brunel: End of Term 2

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This week has been a busy and reflective one as we wrapped up the term and prepared for a well-earned break.

We started on Monday by getting ourselves organised and back on track. Crew members spent time catching up on Sparx tasks, Tassomai, and updating their DofE skills logs. It was also a chance to check in with one another and make sure everyone felt supported heading into the final days of term. In addition, students took some time to give staff their apology postcards, each including a personal pledge for how they will improve moving forward — an important step in taking responsibility and rebuilding positive relationships. As part of our DofE volunteering skills, we also took on the task of sorting through lost property. We carefully organised items and created a blog post to share key information with the wider school community, helping reunite belongings with their owners — an impactful way to give back and support others.

Tuesday brought a slight change to our usual routine. We swapped our normal Tuesday activity and instead focused on our Wise Wednesday topic. Everyone engaged well, taking thoughtful notes and contributing to discussions.

On Wednesday, we joined the rest of C30 for our community meeting. This was an important moment to reflect as a year group. We celebrated successes and recognised positive achievements across the cohort. However, we also looked closely at areas for improvement. Attendance was a key focus, with Crew Brunel currently sitting lowest in the year group — something we are determined to improve next term. We also reviewed praises and conducts data, and again, it highlighted that we have work to do, as Brunel has received the highest number of conduct points so far this term. While this was a challenging conversation, it was an important one, and we are committed to making positive changes moving forward.

Thursday gave us the opportunity to dig deeper into this data within our own crew. We spent time unpicking praises and conduct points to better understand patterns and identify how we can improve as individuals and as a crew. We also had another opportunity to catch up on Sparx tasks, ensuring everyone is as prepared as possible going into the break.

Friday was Crew Day — a fantastic way to end the term. We began with a whole-school community meeting where achievements from across all year groups were celebrated. A highlight for Crew Brunel was recognising our Crew Champion for the term: Roan, for his fantastic improvement in attendance. A huge well done to him — an achievement to be proud of!

After this, we split into year groups for our Crew Day activities. Year 9 focused on their DofE volunteering skills, with each crew taking on a task to give back to the XP community. Crew Brunel were on portfolio duty, and we took real pride in the job. We carefully organised folders and book boxes, ensuring everything was sorted into the correct crews. We then tackled loose papers, organising them into year groups and placing them alongside the appropriate folders. Finally, we cleared away waste paper and made sure everything was recycled properly. It was a great example of teamwork and responsibility in action.

Lunchtime brought a fun and memorable moment with the “sponge the teacher” event, organised by Year 11 to raise money for their prom. It was a brilliant way to bring everyone together and end the term on a high note.

To finish the day, we degunged our crew room, leaving it clean, organised, and ready for next term — a fresh start for everyone.

Now it’s time for the Easter holidays. Two weeks to rest, recharge, and enjoy time with family and friends. Have a fantastic break, and I look forward to seeing everyone back, refreshed and ready to improve!

Miss Mitchell