Crew White- A little time to breathe

The last five weeks have been a big one for Crew White, and I just wanted to take a moment to say how incredibly proud I am of them.

They have been working so hard and have really stepped things up now that they are in Year 11. The days are long, with five-session days now sometimes becoming seven because of Academic Crew and Learning Labs. That is a lot to fit into a day, and yet they continue to show up, keep going and give things their best.

That’s why this morning’s Crew session felt so needed.

It was a chance to slow things down for a little while. Time to catch up, talk about how Year 11 is treating us, share a few thoughts, have a laugh and, most importantly, just have a minute to stop and breathe.

Because whilst I want them to work hard and make the very most of Year 11, I also want to get the balance right. I don’t want them burning out before they’ve even had the chance to really get going. There is so much pressure on them, and sometimes they simply need permission to pause.

A little hot chocolate and a sweet treat certainly seemed to hit the spot! ☕🍪 It was very well received and definitely appreciated.

But more than the biscuits and hot chocolate, I hope they know just how proud I am of every single member of my crew.

I’m proud of the hard work they are putting in. I’m proud of the way they are growing in confidence and maturity. But I’m also incredibly proud of the young adults they are becoming.

They’re growing, changing, finding themselves and discovering more about who they are and who they want to be. Year 11 isn’t just about exams and results — it’s about becoming the best versions of themselves, both academically and personally.

And I feel very lucky that I get to be a small part of that journey.

And honestly?

I just love their company. ❤️

This morning was definitely one that filled my little heart.

Sometimes, it’s the simplest moments that remind you exactly why you love what you do.

Same crew. Bigger dreams. Year 11. ❤️

 

Thank you from Team Spanish! 🇪🇸

A massive thank you to the students (Harry, Sara, Isa, Olivia and Mason) who helped in the Spanish room during our Student Showcase this week.

The students truly embodied our HOWLs and Character Traits and acted as fantastic role models throughout the event. They were polite, enthusiastic and friendly when welcoming and supporting our primary school students and their parents.

We are incredibly grateful for all their help and are very proud of the way they represented our school.

¡Muchas gracias!

Señorita Warwick and Señorita Barton ❤️

E31 Explorer: Bringing ‘Lord of the Flies’ to Life

It is always a thrill when a piece of classic literature truly clicks with a class, but what is happening right now with E31 Explorer in English is on a completely different level. We have recently dived into William Golding’s masterpiece, Lord of the Flies, and to say that this group of students is getting into the text would be a massive understatement.

From the moment we crash-landed on the island in chapter one, E31 Explorer has brought an incredible level of maturity, curiosity, and deep thinking to our reading sessions. The discussions we’ve been having are phenomenal, proving just how insightful, articulate, and truly great this group of students is… But the absolute highlight of our lessons has to be how E31 has pulled one of the most iconic symbols from the novel right out of the book and into our classroom culture: the conch.

Just like Ralph and Piggy use the white conch shell on the island to establish order and ensure everyone gets a fair chance to be heard, E31 has adopted this exact system for our class. The rule is simple, pulled straight from Golding’s pages. It has completely elevated our reading, discussions and debates, making sure every single voice in E31 Explorer is valued and heard without interruption.

I could not be more proud of how E31 Explorer is navigating this challenging, intense novel. I can’t wait to see how they react as the tension on the island builds in the final chapters. Keep holding the conch high, E31!

Miss Buckley, English Specialist and Expeditionary Teacher

Crew Nightingale Are Working Hard in Their Global Lessons.

A fantastic start to the new school year, showing great engagement and producing high-quality work in their Global Option classes. With GCSE mocks approaching this November, their focus and commitment in lessons are helping them build confidence and strengthen their knowledge. It is great to see their resilience and determination as they challenge themselves to be the best version of themselves. Crew Nightingale — your hard work now will make a difference! 🌟

Sharing our Stories: 25/09/2026

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

Year 2 G-Block – Sketching @ Green Top

Compassion Crew Bear Rules @ Plover

Strong Foundations In Crew Ramsay @ Carcroft School

Crew AJA Outward Bound @ XP

]The bog baby @ Norton Infants

Year 4 English Quizzers @ Norton Juniors

G30 Blog @ XP Gateshead

Year 11 History: Living under Nazi rule @ 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!

Crew AJA Outward Bound

It’s been a few weeks since we boarded the adventure bus to Ullswater and spent an entertaining four days getting to know each other and stepping out of our comfort zones. Our crew have made a fantastic start to the school year and we’ve fallen quickly into the routines of crew time, social time and (most importantly!) sessions. As a now three time crew leader, it’s always wonderful to hear stories from my crew’s teachers but this year has been exceptional. I really want to appreciate and praise crew AJA for their awesome start to the year.

Anyway – coming back to outward bound is something that we will do throughout our time together at XP. It’s such an important experience, and the foundation of the work we do together as crew. in light of that, here are some of the memories that we built from our first week in school.

Crew VTA

What an incredible start to the term Crew VTA X33 has had! We are so proud of everything they have achieved and the positive attitude they have shown from day one.

Our crew had an amazing experience at Outward Bound, where they challenged themselves, stepped outside of their comfort zones and worked brilliantly together. It was fantastic to see their resilience, teamwork and determination throughout the experience.

We also had the opportunity to visit Kynren as part of our immersion for our new expedition. This was a brilliant experience and gave Crew VTA X33 the chance to engage with something new, learn together and build excitement for what is to come.

But it isn’t just the big experiences that deserve recognition. Crew VTA X33 have been absolutely amazing day in and day out. Since the start of term, they have received lots of praise for their behaviour, attitude and effort. Their attendance has also been really positive, which is something they should be incredibly proud of.

It has been fantastic to see Crew VTA X33 settling into the new term so positively and demonstrating the values we expect from them.

Year 11 History: Living Under Nazi Rule

Our Year 11 historians have been developing their understanding of life in Nazi Germany, exploring the experiences of different groups within German society.

Students revisited key policies affecting German workers, including the German Labour Front (DAF), Beauty Through Labour and the Reich Labour Service, before moving on to explore the changing lives of German women and the Nazi vision of a Volksgemeinschaft – a people’s community united around Nazi ideals.

Students were encouraged to use purple pen to check, correct and build on their answers, helping to address misconceptions and strengthen their historical knowledge. Through thoughtful questioning and discussion with Mrs Eliott, they made connections between individual experiences and the Nazis’ wider aims for German society.

It has been fantastic to see our Year 11 historians engaging so thoughtfully with this challenging topic and continually working to improve their historical understanding. Well done, Year 11!

Year 11 Brings the Energy to BTEC Sport & Ultimate Frisbee

There is no slowing down for our Year 11s this term! We are incredibly proud of the resilience and work ethic this cohort is displaying, both in the sports hall and out on the pitch.

In Ultimate Frisbee, the energy has been phenomenal. Students are pushing their cardiovascular limits with spectacular catches and pinpoint passes, all while demonstrating brilliant sportsmanship and the self-refereed “Spirit of the Game.”

In BTEC Sport, students have been diving into the components of fitness by trying exciting new ways of learning. Working collaboratively together to grapple new key words and linking them to sporting examples.

Keep up the great work Year 11.

Bah, Humbug! Crew Peake Take On Charles Dickens!

Talk about a morning where literature completely came to life! I had the absolute privilege of popping into Crew Peake’s English sessions this morning!

The atmosphere in Crew Peake’s was nothing short of extraordinary. Miss Buckley’s room was locked in a state of laser-sharp focus as Admiral took on their latest assessment. You could hear a pin drop!!!

Skipper have also been exploring the characters from a Christmas Carol! To help bring A Christmas Carol off the page, Skipper delivered some mind-blowing (and some quite questionable) sketches, literally exploding the Ghost of Christmas Present into the room.

A massive shoutout to Admiral for their incredible work ethic today, and to Skipper for making classic literature feel larger than life. Crew Peake is absolutely setting the bar high! Keep working hard, getting smart, and being kind!