X26’s Visit to Huddersfield University

No punchy title this time… but it was an awesome day out at Huddersfield University!

On Friday, we had the opportunity to take our incredible Y11’s to visit the campus at Huddersfield. During the visit, we were greeted with a number of smiley student ambassadors who had given up their time to work with us and share their stories, we took part in an ‘A-Z of courses’ quiz (although, as a team, staff were cheated out of the prizes… it was definitely a fix!!!). There was some surprise at finding there are over 40,000 higher education courses to choose from, and most people thought the accommodation with free gym membership and transport looked like a bargain!

Following this, an informative lecture about Nazi Germany gave pupils the opportunity to interact with an expert about a key element of their GCSE study. Their history teacher would have been very proud to hear the pupils forming convincing arguments about Nazi propaganda and the other factors that played a part in Hitler’s rise to power. Their ability to confidently draw on their background knowledge to deal with new source material was impressive.

We then spent some time in a workshop on budgeting (I think I learned the most here!!) and after lunch, we were taken on a tour of campus and saw some mind-blowing facilities. Here, we saw a state of the art Gym (Kolby was super impressed!), tech-y biomedical science labs, a HUGE library, an old mill conversion, a 350-seat lecture theatre, and a ‘hospital set up’ where student nurses were expected to take care of £45,000 mannequins – who acted as if they were real hospital patients. What a night shift that would be!

Pupils also had plenty of opportunity to quiz the student ambassadors about student life. Questions such as “‘what happens if you fail or don’t do well in a module, can you resit?” and “how many lectures do you have each week?” kept the ambassadors on their toes… they all expected questions about how often they could party! Everyone was very impressed with the facilities and one person said they were ‘mesmerised’ by the scenic working canal and locks running through the middle of campus. We even rated them 4.8/5 stars for the day overall!

All in all, each member of Y11 needs to be appreciated for their impeccable conduct throughout the day. Ambassadors commented on how ‘down to earth’ and respectful our students were during the day. We hope you all got a lot out of the visit – we certainly LOVED the day with X26. What phenomenal humans you really are!

Miss Cocliff, Ms. Cross, Mrs Burnitt & Mr Elliott x

Crew Kahlo’s second week in Year 11

During crew at the beginning of the second week, I asked members of crew Kahlo to share a quote that meant something to them. We then discussed how each quote could relate to the year ahead of them – in the run up to their GCSE’s.

Here are the quotes that crew chose:

Harrison – ‘Strive not to be a success but rather to be of value‘ by Albert Einstein

We linked this to the character traits that we value here are XP – how its important to be successful academically but also really important to be a good (well rounded) person.

Arthur – ‘Believe in yourself and you’re half way there

We discussed how it is really important that you believe in your abilities in school and to stop doubting yourself. Saying that you can’t do something is not very helpful and its important that everyone tries their best – especially in Year 11!

Kearan – ‘Nothing is certain except death and taxes‘ by Benjamin Franklin

Kearan chose this to show that you can’t predict anything – nothing is certain in life (apart from death and taxes). Linking to the fact that GCSE’s are defiantly going to be happening for Y11 – but lots of twists and turns and ups and downs might happen in the run up to them – we just don’t know! (But that’s why crew is important)

Max – ‘Don’t exist, live

Max is a very positive person who likes to push himself (especially in the gym). He is determined to do well in his exams and wants to do well. Just existing and getting through each day isn’t enough for Max – he wants to live!

Tammy – ‘Three can keep a secret, if two of them are dead‘ by Benjamin Franklin

This was a bit of a curve ball for crew – but interesting to talk about. We spoke about secrets and how some people aren’t very trustworthy. How sometimes it’s better to keep things to yourself.

Billie – ‘Whatever you are, be a good one‘ by Abraham Lincoln

Crew spoke about the fact that if you’re going to do something – you may as well do it properly and well. Don’t just coast through Y11 and your GCSE’s – go for it, try your best – then reap the rewards on results day!

Bryan – ‘Ask and it shall be given to you; seek and you shall find‘ The Greek Bible

Crew spoke about asking for help when and if they need it this year at school. If you don’t understand something or you need some extra clarification – ask! Don’t be embarrassed or nervous – its your year, its important and if you don’t ask – you don’t get!

Olivia – ‘Never give up

Olivia wasn’t the most enthusiastic for this task (I’m not sure she is a morning person). But this is a good one. Especially this year – don’t give up, keep going. Its going to be tough – there are going to be days that you really can’t be bothered and you’re sick of everyone telling you that’s its important (blah blah blah). But you owe it to yourself to keep going and never give up.

Nida – ‘You can’t cross the sea merely by standing and staring at the water‘ by Rabindranath Tagore

This is a good one and brought up conversations about the effort you put in during Y11. You’re not going to get the best GCSE’s you can by just turning up to school. That’s just the first step – what you really need to do is graft! Get your head down and concentrate, revise at home, get feedback from teachers and act on it.

Alex – ‘Without training they lacked knowledge, without knowledge they lacked confidence, without confidence they lacked victory‘ by Julius Ceasar

Crew didn’t fully understand this quote at first, but after a little discussion we spoke about the fact that this year is all about being a bit of a sponge – taking in all the information that your teachers are giving you – all the advice and the knowledge about each subject. But the most important thing is what you do with this – you learn it, remember it and apply it. Hopefully, as the year progresses you become more confident going into your exams – then, victory! Amazing GCSEs on results day!

Miss Jones – ‘Keep calm and carry on

This has been something I have said to myself for years. As my crew know, I get worked up regularly – I overthink things and can sometimes get a little overwhelmed with all the things I have to do. So I repeat ‘Keep calm and carry on’ to help reduce the noise in my brain. It sounds silly but it really does work. Maybe this will help you during year 11 when things get a bit much.

Y11 (C26) GCSE Information Evening

We would like to invite all Y11 parents to our Y11 GCSE Information Evening at XP East on Tuesday, 12th September from 5:00-6:15pm. 

This evening will focus on providing information about exam layout/content, exam dates, revision/work required for each exam and component. This was a really useful evening last year to ensure parents knew how to best support our wonderful Y11s throughout their GCSEs. Subject leads and teachers will also be around if you have any questions. 

We look forward to seeing you on Tuesday!

Mel & Angella

X26 – Y11’s first week

Our Year 11’s spent their first day back at Langsett Reservoir. This was a great way for pupils to have a reset and talk about their summer.

The second day was focussed on giving something back to our community. Crew Kahlo conducted a litter pick in the local area

C26 (Y10) Fieldwork – 19th & 21st June 2023

On Monday, 19th June 2023, X26 Skipper and E26 Pioneer will be attending fieldwork to Bradford Literature Festival as part of their current expedition, Bad Romance – attending a day called ‘How did Hitler Happen?’.

X26 Admiral & E26 Explorer will be attending fieldwork on Wednesday, 21st June to Bradford Literature Festival – attending a day called ‘Shakespeare Day!’.

We will depart promptly at 8:45am, meaning students need to arrive at school NO LATER that 8:30am to be registered and briefed about the day. 

Please see the attached letter for more information. If you have any questions or queries, please get in touch.

Charity Tuck Shop!!

C27 have been raising money as part of their final product by hosting a tuck shop on Friday break times. This week is our final push and we have LOTS for sale including crisps, biscuits, sausage rolls, toast etc. Alongside this we have the “sponge a teacher event” where students will be able to throw sponges at teachers during lunch!

The money raised is for St Johns Hospice, a local palliative care hospital which is very dear to our hearts at XP. So please bring in a £1 or 2 to support the cause!

C26 Viking Festival POL/COL

Tomorrow is the day that C26 present their learning from their current expedition, ch-ch-changes.

XP East POL will begin at 4pm, and last until around 5pm.

XP’s POL will begin at 5:30pm, and last until around 6:30pm.

The POL will take place at XP East – please ensure you sign in upon arrival.

Be prepared to go on a whistle stop tour of Scandinavia!

[Please come prepared with warm clothing – some of the POL may be based outdoors!]

We look forward to seeing you tomorrow!

The C26 Team x

Manchester City football match

Wednesday 2nd November

Meet at XP East sportshall at 16.30.

Return after midnight, pick up at XP rovers car park, we will contact parents on the way home to let them know arrival time. There could be delays due to traffic coming out of the ground or on the motorway.

Students can bring a packed lunch for the coach or get food before. Students will need warm clothing and can bring money to buy refreshments in the stadium.

Any further questions please contact Miss O’Grady

[email protected]

Crew Kahlo putting the hours in at home

I wanted to show some pieces of work that Olivia, Jessy and Nida have been working on at home.

All three girls have really impressed me with their work ethic and are showing how they ‘Get Smart’.

Olivias Hums work:

Jessy’s artwork:

Nida’s artwork:

Crew Kahlo starting Year 10

Crew Kahlo has made a great start to their fourth year at XP (How time flies).

Our crew week was a bit different this year which consisted of:

  • A crew day to check in with each other and set expectations for the year ahead
  • A day of team-building activities to help us communicate and work better together (which we won!)
  • A coastal walk at the lovely Flamborough to have a chance to walk and chat in the lovely fresh air
  • A crew presentation to answer the guiding question ‘How can we get everyone to the top of their mountain?’.