Relish has transformed school dinners across XP – but don’t just take our word for it. Hear what students, parents and staff at Green Top have to say…
Find out more about Relish and set up your parent account: https://relishschoolfood.co.uk/parents
‘Sparx’ extended study update
Dear Parents and Carers,
I am emailing you regarding the maths extended study system ‘Sparx’ we are using to support the learning experience of our students.
Sparx Maths Homework is an online platform designed to provide personalised and targeted practice for students in maths. We believe that this tool will play a crucial role in reinforcing classroom learning and helping your child develop a strong foundation and confidence in mathematics.
Key Information for Parents:
- Homework Schedule: Homework will be set weekly on a Tuesday (for all classes) and is due on the same day the following week.
- Independence: It is important that your child completes their homework independently so Sparx can adapt to their learning needs (please do not give them too much help so that Sparx makes the work too difficult for your child).
- Support & Help: Every question has an attached support video. If your child is stuck, they should watch the video to get help. Students can also access Sparx clubs on Wednesday lunchtime.
- Bookwork Checks: Students are expected to write down their workings in their math books, which will be checked to help them form good habits. If parents could check that students had done working out that would really support us in reducing the use of AI.
- Weekly Emails: You will receive weekly automated emails tracking your child’s progress. (on a Sunday, if not completed by then please speak to your child)
- Consequences: To ensure that students are completing Sparx, we will be holding After School Reflections to ensure consequences are in place. This should encourage students to build the habits and knowledge they need to be successful at GCSE. If there are problems with Sparx completion, please ensure you speak to the class teacher before the due date.
How to Support Your Child:
- Provide a quiet space for them to work.
- Encourage them to start their homework early so they can seek help if needed (encourage them to seek help at Sparx clubs at lunchtime)..
- Check the weekly email to praise them for their progress.
- Support After School Reflections if students have not completed Sparx. Building students’ sense of responsibility and accountability is crucial for them to succeed in GCSE.
- Sparx can be accessed at home by their phone (if their device is broken).
We massively appreciate all the support you give to the school and thank you for your ongoing support in our aim to support all students in maths.
If you want to learn about what Sparx is, please watch this video.
If you have any problems with this, please get in touch.
Best wishes,
Mr Campbell
rcampbell@xpschool.org
(Maths Trust Lead)
X32 POL
We are looking forward to welcoming you to our upcoming POL (Presentation of Learning) this Tuesday, 17th March. This is a wonderful opportunity for students to share their learning and celebrate their progress with you.
Event Details
Location: Hype Park Cemetery
Start Time: 4:00pm
Approximate Finish: 4:45pm – Take child home straight from Hyde park if they are getting the bus and need to return back to school they must wait and walk back with staff.
Students have been working hard preparing their presentations and are excited to share what they have learned.
Parking Notice: Please note that parking around the area is very limited. We kindly ask families to plan ahead and allow extra time for parking before the event begins.
Thank you for your continued support. We look forward to seeing you there and celebrating the students’ achievements together.
Year 11 Study Sessions – Easter Half Term
Staff are offering some study sessions for our Y11s during the Easter Holidays. Please see the attached timetable!
Sessions are voluntary for students to attend. Morning sessions will run 10am-12pm, afternoon sessions will run 12:30-2:30pm in preparation for the upcoming GCSE Exams.
X29 POL: Student Voice and Mock Prep!
We are officially nearing the end of our current expedition, and that can only mean one thing: it’s time to celebrate!
On Monday 23rd March (4:00 – 4:45 pm), X29 will be hosting their latest Presentation of Learning. This term, the focus has been on our work in English, and we have handed the keys over to the students. This week, they planned, curated, and rehearsed their presentations.
Beyond the Presentations
While celebration is the main goal, we also want to be practical. During the session, we will be providing a “Revision Toolkit” segment. We’ll discuss:
- Effective, evidence-based revision techniques.
- How students can structure their independent study time.
- Practical ways to stay focused and motivated ahead of the upcoming mocks.
It’s going to be a fantastic 45 minutes of pride, progress, and preparation. We look forward to seeing a great turnout to support the students’ hard work!
#X29 #POL #StudentLed #XP
Crew Brunel: Another Week of Progress
Crew Brunel has had another productive week, balancing community responsibility, reading, discussion, and personal reflection as we continue to grow together as a crew.
We started the week by taking time to give back to our school community through litter picking around the school grounds. As members of Crew Brunel, we understand the importance of being stewards of our environment and looking after the spaces we share every day. We worked together to tidy the school grounds, showing pride in our community and setting a positive example. Small actions like this help reinforce the values we talk about regularly in Crew: craftsmanship and quality, responsibility, and respect for our surroundings.
On the following day, we split into our classes – Admiral and Skipper – to complete some reading of our anchor text My Sister’s Keeper as part of our English catch-up. This gave everyone the opportunity to ensure they were fully up to date with the story and ready to continue exploring its themes and ideas in upcoming lessons.
We also took part in another session of our current Wise Wednesday topic, continuing to build our understanding through discussion and reflection. These sessions are always a great opportunity for the crew to think more deeply about important issues and share their perspectives.
Later in the week, we spent time reviewing our praise and conduct data. We looked at how the crew has performed across the week, the term so far, and the year so far. This is always an important moment for reflection. We celebrated those students who have consistently demonstrated positive behaviour and strong effort, recognising the achievements they have worked hard for. At the same time, we also had honest conversations about accountability, encouraging those who may have slipped to refocus and finish the term strongly.
As part of this reflection, students also completed their HoWL (Habits of Work and Learning) assessments. Everyone took time to self-assess their habits during lessons, thinking carefully about their focus, effort, organisation, and contribution. Students then peer-assessed someone from their class, providing constructive feedback to help support each other’s improvement. These reflections are an important part of helping students take ownership of their learning and recognise areas where they can continue to grow.
We finished the week with a staff day, giving students a longer weekend. This extra time will hopefully allow everyone to rest, recharge, and come back ready to perform at their best as we prepare for our POL (Presentation of Learning) next week.
Well done to Crew Brunel for another positive week — let’s come back refreshed and ready to finish strong!
Miss Mitchell
E29 POL: Student Voice and Mock Prep!
We are officially nearing the end of our current expedition, and that can only mean one thing: it’s time to celebrate!
On Monday 23rd March (4:00 – 4:45 pm), E29 will be hosting their latest Presentation of Learning. This term, the focus has been on our work in English, and we have handed the keys over to the students. Yesterday during crew, we collected student voice around how they wanted to present their learning to you all, and over next week, students will be pulling their work together to demonstrate this to you in an authentic wya
They have spent this week planning, curating, and rehearsing their presentations. From deciding the themes to choosing the format, this is 100% their show.
As Crew Leaders, it has been a joy to watch them step up. We often talk about “taking the lead” at XP, and this POL is a perfect example of that.
Beyond the Presentations While celebration is the main goal, we also want to be practical. During the session, we will be providing a “Revision Toolkit” segment. We’ll discuss:
- Effective, evidence-based revision techniques.
- How students can structure their independent study time.
- Practical ways to stay focused and motivated ahead of the upcoming mocks.
It’s going to be a fantastic 45 minutes of pride, progress, and preparation. We look forward to seeing a great turnout to support the students’ hard work!
#E29 #POL #StudentLed #XP
Sharing our Stories: 13/03/2026
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
Beautiful Work by Daria @ XP Gateshead
Mindful Monday @ Norton Infants
Highwayman ‘Swift Nicks’ Nevison visits NJS @ Norton Juniors
C30 Tranquil Tuesday @ XP East
Share your stories with us!
Write to us at comms@xptrust.org – we want to hear about it, write about it and celebrate it!
XP Year 11 TSLCs – March 26th, 2026
We would like to invite parents and carers to Y11’s Teacher-Student Led conferences on Thursday, March 26th 2026 – they’ll take place at XP East.
These conferences will provide parents with an opportunity to meet with subject-specific teachers, allow students to discuss and reflect on their progress in different subjects following their recent mock exams and look at areas for development as they move into Y11.
Students have been given a booking form which will allow them to book a time between 14:30 and 17:00. These will be booked on a first come first served basis, so please ask your child to see their booking form and suggest a time to meet teaching staff.
We look forward to seeing you soon!
The Y11 Team
Y9 Bronze DofE Parent Drop In
DofE supervisors will available to talk to after the Y9 presentation of learning on Wednesday 18th March from 5:15pm.
