Covid update + on site PCR testing

By Jamie Portman17th September 2021

Even though we have identified a number of positive Covid cases across our schools over recent weeks, encouragingly the numbers are falling. 

As you may be aware, our staff in school have led and facilitated the Lateral Flow testing procedure which has been above and beyond expectation. To enable the school to be fully operational the NHS has kindly offered to further support the school by providing two days of onsite PCR testing on Tuesday 21st and Wednesday 22nd September via two mobile testing units. In addition, we are hopeful that a mobile processing unit will also be made available allowing test results to be processed quickly on site, with results being reported to parents within approximately 4 to 6 hours. 

Any students who have had Covid in the past 90 days are exempt from taking the PCR test.

The PCR testing applies to students of parents who gave consent for their child to be part of the asymptomatic testing back in the Spring term. However, if this no longer applies please contact the school.

Year 6 Parent Information Evenings

By XP School9th September 2021

It is our intention to host two Year 6 Parent Information evenings on Monday 27 and Thursday 30 September due to high demand.
Obviously, this may be subject to change so please keep checking our website for further updates and details.
Andy Sprakes

Crew Tubman will be in good hands.

By Mrs K apHarri18th September 2021

Dear Parents & Carers,

I’m sure you are aware that Mrs Marshall is currently not in school but is hoping to return after the half term holidays.

However Im happy to inform parents that crew Tubman will be looked after by Mr Voltaire who will be standing in during this time.

Please feel free to email me or Mr Voltaire if you have any concerns or worries.

Best wishes

Kate

Year 8 Phase Lead

[email protected]

[email protected]

X24 History, getting started with revision!

By B Batty17th September 2021

Students this week have been given their own copy of the revision guide for our History exam board OCR B SHP History. All students should have named their copy so that if they are misplaced they can be returned. Students are encouraged to annotate and highlight the guide as they carry out their revision.

The revision guide has a number of different topics, however, students will need to focus on the following sections for revision:

  • The Elizabethans 
  • The People’s Heath 
  • Living under Nazi Rule 

The locations of these topics can be found in the contents page. We would recommend in general students start by revising The People’s Health as well as focusing on page 88 in order to prepare for the upcoming assessment in lessons. 

If any student has been absent when these revision guides were handed out, they can see myself or Mrs Hannam directly and we will make sure they get their copy.

 

A further revision guide focusing on the Viking Expansion will be issued to students in the coming weeks.

 

 

GCSE Psychology students are on it!

By Web Blogger15th September 2021

Our GCSE Psychology group have had a brilliant start to the year. Mrs Pulham and I have been super impressed with how focussed everyone’s been and how hard they’ve all been working.

It’s hard to stay on task for 2 hours, especially when the emphasis is on being leaders of your own learning and undertaking a series of self-study tasks, but these lot are absolutely smashing it!

It’s fantastic to see our Y10 and Y11 students supporting each other in these sessions, demonstrating that the power of Crew is embedded into everything we do.

Mrs Parker & Mrs Pulham

X25 Year 10 Spanish Working Hard

By Mrs N Sprakes14th September 2021

This week Year 10 have been building on the different ways to communicate likes, loves, and preferences. They have done this primarily through linking it with holiday activities, and have used text coding and the Think Pair Share protocol to share ideas.

Extra Curricular

14th September 2021Michael Stables

Good evening,

We are excited to announce that extra curricular clubs are returning to school this term! Students will have the opportunity to try different activities and sports throughout the school year.

Starting this week with girls football and cheerleading for all years on Thursday the 16th of September from 3:30 till 4:30, the full time table will come into effect from Tuesday the 21st of September.

Please see the full timetable below:

Ian Murphy workshop for year 9

By Mr A Jackson13th September 2021

Last week our year 9 students were lucky enough to spend the day working with artist, Ian Murphy.  This workshop was part of the immersion for our new expedition and allowed the students to spend the day improving their own practice and studying the beautiful canvasses, sketches, paintings and sketch books that Ian brought in to show us.

 

Crew EWI hit the ground running!

By Eleanor Wilkinson13th September 2021

What a great start to the new term Crew has had! Year 7 are settling into their new routine and are getting into the swing of things at XP!

I am so incredibly proud of Crew who have thrown themselves in to life at XP. Crew have even said how it’s hard to believe we have only known each other one week, and what a fab week it has been.

We started our crew curriculum by looking at identity and what makes us unique and why it’s important we celebrate our differences. Crew handled this with maturity, respect and compassion. Very honoured to be in this Crew!

 

Images from last weeks adventure!

New College Taster Day Monday 27th September

By K Burns10th September 2021

Today again Scott Faulkner from New College delivered a presentation to our year 10&11 cohort.  I can now confirm that there is an opportunity for all our C24 & C25 students from both schools to attend the NCD taster day on the 27th September.
Could all students complete the form below for the taster day at New College on Monday 27th September. They need to choose 3 options and then a 4th standby. This information needs to be completed by Monday and prospectuses have been shared. The links to the college for both taster day  options and the online prospectus are below.
Please encourage your students to choose sessions they think they will enjoy or are intrigued by rather than in friendship groups, this is an important opportunity to try out before they enrol. If you have any questions please do not hesitate to email me. Crew Leaders will also be able to support and advise.
On the day we will be picked up by a coach at XP schools and taken to New College, we need to ensure all students leave from XP. Lunch is provided by college which I am excited about. They will attend 3 sessions and return to school by the usual finish time. 

Covid19 update from our meeting with Public Health Doncaster

10th September 2021Jamie Portman

Andy Sprakes and I had a meeting with Public Health Doncaster and representatives from Doncaster Local Authority yesterday afternoon in order to discuss the cases of Covid19 in our schools. 

Due to the current situation, Public Health Doncaster has advised us to implement the following measures:

  • All students and staff (except those who are exempt) should wear face masks in communal spaces such as corridors, toilets, dining areas etc (the wearing of face masks is voluntary in classroom situations.)
  • Students are also encouraged to wear face masks on their way to school, particularly if they are using public transport. The Stronger Communities Team have offered their support in the local area to encourage students to follow this guidance whilst they are waiting at bus stops.

The above are in addition to the measures that we already have in place in response to increased infections:

  • Daily testing of Y8/X27 students for 10 days ending on 16th September
  • Testing all other students twice per week for 10 days ending on the 16th September
  • A request that parents maintain the testing of students at home via testing kits that school have provided.

Overall, Public Health Doncaster have suggested a graduated approach which may lead to other measures being implemented in the future. However, positive Covid19 cases have recently significantly reduced, and we will continue to monitor the situation as closely as possible.

Thank you for your ongoing support.

Jamie Portman.

Crew Goodall at Outward Bound

10th September 2021Miss Boon

It’s been a week since X27 got back from our incredible trip to Outward Bound. Here is a photo before we left for Wales!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We arrived about 6 hours later, and that evening we set off to the beach for ‘jog and dip’. On the beach we circled up and spoke about comfort zones and stretch zones. While staying in your comfort zone feels safe, it’s when you can move a bit beyond that into your stretch zone is when you will learn and develop the most – this became a theme of the week as all of crew did things that were outside of their comfort zone. For some of us a dip in the sea was the first challenge whereas others loved the idea but we all went in together and encouraged each other. We all felt amazing after we’d done it – see the pictures below.

The next day we went to the estuary for canoeing which was another new experience for a lot of us. This was a test of teamwork and communication and it really did challenge us as a crew. When we got home we had a fantastic debrief where crew discussed what went well and what went wrong with a lot of maturity. Crew resolved to move forward by pledging to speak to each other with kindness and being open and honest with each other when they find things difficult so we can support each other better.

We packed up our bags for camping and hiking. We had to carry everything we needed as a team so everything was shared out between us and the bags quickly became very heavy!

We arrived late in the evening at the campsite and crew helped each other put up their tents for the night. The sky was clear and we could see the Milky Way clearly and also spotted Saturn. As Owen said, it was ‘magical’!

In the morning we went to hike up a nearby mountain. The views were beautiful and we stopped half way up for a ‘solo’ where we each took some time alone with our thoughts to reflect and to just enjoy the moment. The hike was challenging as some parts were really steep and a few of our crew are scared of heights so we helped each other through it by being kind and trying to stay positive even when it was hard. Thanks to Morgan and Joseph who led us up there.

When we got back to the Outward Bound centre on Thursday we had to unpack and degunge and crew worked together to get it sorted. I was so proud to see how much they had come together during the week. That evening we met as a crew and celebrated each other’s achievements. We went round the circle and everyone was appreciated for what they had brought to crew at Outward Bound. Here are some of the highlights:

  • Roxy was appreciated for her positive attitude and confidence
  • Owen was appreciated for his compassion in looking out for Oscar and going out of his way to help others
  • Morgan was appreciated for his leadership in our mountain climbing expedition and how he made sure to wait for everyone to catch up
  • George was appreciated for his maturity and calmness and for ‘keeping everyone in line’!
  • Nadia was appreciated for her courage; she came out of her shell and overcame many fears
  • Joseph was appreciated for his perseverance and keeping everyone laughing
  • Harry was appreciated for being helpful and his knowledge about space when we were stargazing
  • Oscar was appreciated for his compassion and was always the first to volunteer to do anything helpful for crew
  • Alysia was appreciated for being supportive and for conquering her fears
  • Ellie-May was appreciated for her compassion and for looking out for others
  • Ruby was appreciated for her positivity and her leadership and organisation skills

It was an incredible start to year 8 and I’m so excited for this year to see how we can build on what we’ve learned to continue pushing ourselves and supporting each other.

“There is more in us than we know. If we can be made to see it, perhaps, for the rest of our lives, we will be unwilling to settle for less.”

–Kurt Hahn