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!