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

X26 (Y10)’s Final Year Group Community Meeting!

We had the pleasure of holding Y10’s final celebratory community meeting of the year this morning!

TONNES of praises were shared, along with some tiny trophies for amazing praise points and attendance throughout Y10! 🏆

There was also a special mention of the phenomenal work completed around the Climate Conference – along with an email shared from one of the experts we invited in to take part!

Please see the slides below:

I cannot fully express how incredibly proud I am of X26 for the work they have put into Y10. They have been an absolute pleasure to work with and have developed and progressed so much throughout the year! I am really looking forward to seeing what X26 achieve over the next year and next (and final!) step in their XP journey! Thank you to all students, parents, and crew leaders for your support this year!

Miss Cocliff x

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.

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?’.

Crew Kahlo at the end of Year 9

As they are coming to the end of Year 9, crew has been reflecting on their year. When thinking about their journey throughout the year, here are some of their highlights.

They have been looking at their HoWLs and AP grades from the last data drop. They have then made pledges each week to focus on small changes they can make to try and improve. Crew holds each other to account during this process, discussing whether they think they have been successful in achieving their pledges.

They have finished their second expedition of the year called ‘Every Picture Tells a Story’ by creating beautiful work. They looked at Islamic tiles and then used rotational symmetry to design their own patterns to paint with acrylic paint.

Here are some examples from Crew Kahlo:

 

Crew also chose their options for ‘Leading Our Own Learning’ that they will be studying next year. The crew has picked a range of options such as Engineering, Citizenship, Psychology, Further maths, ICT / Computing as well as some members of the crew decided to take up the opportunity to join the ‘pushing for 4’ group that will support them with Maths, English, and Science leading up to their exams.

They cant really believe that they are coming to the end of Year 9 and going into Year 10!

Crew Kahlo going into Year 9

What a busy first couple of weeks crew Kahlo has had in Year 9!

There’s never a dull moment at XP, especially at the beginning of term. We kicked off the new year with an outward bound trip where we went abseiling off a bridge (80ft!) and caving:

On our second day of Year 9, crew took part in a number of fun challenges (working as a crew) in the morning and then played the other Year 9 crews in a bench ball tournament. We ended the day with a community meeting.

On our third day of Year 9 we walked to Potteric Carr nature reserve and then did a ‘Solo’.

When we got back to school, crew prepared for their POL to explain what they had done that week and what they had learnt from it. They worked well as a team to present to their peers and parents.

As you can see – we don’t mess about! We start as we mean to go on here at XP.

Cant quite believe that crew Kahlo are in Year 9 already – bring it on!