It’s October after all… and who doesn’t love this time of year?!
To mark the season, Crew White kicked off their Tranquil Tuesday with a perfectly chilling short story — The Signal-Man by the legendary Charles Dickens. It couldn’t have been a better fit, as Year 10 are currently studying A Christmas Carol as part of their English GCSE — so this little literary detour tied in beautifully.
We circled up, closed the blinds, switched off the lights, and read by torchlight to set the spooky scene. The atmosphere was just right — a little eerie, a little exciting, and a whole lot of fun.
A huge appreciation to Kiera for bravely stepping up to read aloud and saving Mrs. Fowler’s sore, croaky throat. That’s the Crew spirit in action!
Here’s to more Tranquil Tuesdays filled with stories, atmosphere, and a dash of Halloween magic.
X28 Ethics have been keeping their Friday 5 sessions filled with energy and motivation! This new routine is already becoming a highlight of the week.
Each session, they tackle a 15-mark exam question together, planning, debating, and refining their responses as a team. Students earn points for hitting exam criteria, building strong arguments, and challenging powerful ideas, all while learning from each other and preparing to write their answers in full.
It’s been brilliant to see their confidence, critical thinking, and exam readiness grow week by week!
Our Year 7 students have been working incredibly hard on crafting their historical narratives this week, and the creativity on display has been fantastic!
Students have been critiquing each other’s work, offering fab feedback, and sharing ideas to help one another improve. The atmosphere in sessions has been buzzing with collaboration and imagination as everyone pushes themselves (and each other!) to make their writing as powerful as possible.
We were also joined in Session 5 today by some of our Year 11 experts; Leo, Joseph, and Alfie, who spent time coaching the younger students, offering guidance, and providing expert critique. Their advice and encouragement really inspired Year 7 to keep raising the bar.
With so much talent, hard work, and support flying around, it’s safe to say we’ve got some future published authors in the making. Watch this space…
Last week, our class crew embarked on an exciting mission to organise fundraising initiatives. Embracing the spirit of Dragon’s Den, students worked collaboratively to select charities they were passionate about and develop creative, compelling pitches for their fundraising ideas.
The energy and enthusiasm in the room were infectious, with students supporting one another, refining their proposals, and thinking critically about how to make a real difference. It was inspiring to see their teamwork, creativity, and commitment in action.
We can’t wait to see which ideas will come to life, watch this space for updates as our crew brings their innovative fundraising plans to fruition!
Emails with a link to the e-link form have been sent out to all parents and carers today. We’d really appreciate it if you could take a few minutes to complete the form — even if you don’t want your child to receive the vaccine.
Filling it in helps the school immunisation team keep their records up to date and saves them from making lots of follow-up phone calls.
Thank you so much for your time and cooperation — it really makes a big difference! 💙
This week, Crew Brunel has been all about resilience, reflection, and responsibility. Students have continued to show commitment even when routines have shifted a little – something to be proud of!
Monday
With Miss Mitchell feeling unwell, Crew Brunel joined Crew Peake for their weekly check-in. It was great to see students adapt quickly and still take the time to share how they were feeling and set themselves up for a positive start to the week.
Tuesday
As Miss Mitchell was still recovering, students joined Crew Sinfield and Crew Attenborough for their Tranquil Tuesday reading session. Everyone settled in beautifully and engaged with their reading — a perfect calm moment in a busy week.
Wednesday
Midweek brought our Wise Wednesday focus. Students worked in groups to take notes and discuss the weekly topic, showing great teamwork and thoughtful contributions. It was brilliant to see everyone learning from one another and building on each other’s ideas.
Thursday
Thursday was a big day for reflection and celebration. We looked at praises and conducts, recognising those who achieved their goals and challenging everyone to aim for a ‘no-conduct’ week next week. Students also reviewed the targets they set last week and made action plans to help them achieve them.
Friday
To finish the week, Crew Brunel joined the whole school community meeting. Students reflected on behaviours that didn’t align with XP’s character traits and offered apologies where needed, showing real maturity. We also celebrated those who have achieved a ‘no-conduct’ term so far — a fantastic achievement!
Special shoutout to David again, who topped the Crew Brunel praise leaderboard this week with an incredible 15 praises! Well done, David — your hard work and positive attitude are setting a brilliant example for everyone.
Overall, it’s been a week of growth and ownership. Crew Brunel are showing increasing responsibility for their HoWLs and are really beginning to take charge of their progress. I’m proud of the effort, honesty, and improvement I’ve seen — let’s keep it going!
Admiral have been further developing their mathematical skills by revisiting their Vitruvian Man ratio drawings. Previously, each student calculated the ratio of their head to their body to represent themselves in the style of the Vitruvian Man. Building on this, students deepened their understanding by learning how to use scale to create even more accurate representations. They carefully chose which parts of the body to measure, using this data to enhance the precision of their drawings.
As a class, we connected this work to our expedition theme, Being Human. Students engaged in thoughtful discussions about identity, historical beliefs around human proportions, and how shape played a role in these ideas. They reflected on how perceptions of human identity and physical ideals have evolved over time.
Their effort, creativity, and attention to detail were outstanding. They demonstrated excellent craftsmanship and produced work they can be truly proud of!
