UNBELIEVABLE work from KS4!

I’ve had the pleasure of spending a little more time in sessions this week with Y10 & Y11 – and I’ve seen some absolutely phenomenal work from X26 & X27!

X26 have had an amazing week across all sessions. Admiral smashed it out of the park in Miss Buckley’s English session – some incredible contributions from Max, and who knew Kolby could analyse poetry in so much detail?! Skipper have been brilliant this week too, especially in history – I’m hearing SO many positive comments about Y11 and their hard work!

We’ve launched Learning Labs this week, too – attendance at this has blown us away – I think for English, 80/100 students attended. These run on a 5 week cycle, so every session will help Y11 to get smart and achieve their potential. AMAZING!

In science this week, you could hear a pin drop as X27 Skipper focused so much with Mr Morrison on the work they were completing about atomic structure – not an easy topic – but every single student in there showed incredible respect – for each other and their learning environment! A special shout out this week to Noah, Billy and Nadia B – who have been absolutely brilliant in EVERY. SINGLE. SESSION. Keep it up!

With so much fantastic work going on, it’s no wonder X26 have earned a collective 226 praise points this term… but X27 are racing ahead with a collective 561 praise points. WOW!!!!

Keep showing everyone how wonderful we really are in Y10 & 11!!!

Miss Cocliff 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

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.

Our first University of Cambridge visit!

The beautiful Homerton College!

XP’s first ever visit to the University of Cambridge took place just prior to half term as a follow on activity after presentations delivered in school. Places were fully funded by the University of Cambridge, and we are very grateful to them for this opportunity. All pupils on this visit completed a written application to Phase Leads outlining their suitability for the visit and only the most detailed and carefully crafted applications were successful. This provided pupils with a valuable opportunity for self reflection. 

Despite the early departure of 6.30am, everyone arrived at school on time and in high spirits. We shared the coach with other schools from the Yorkshire region, which provided opportunities to make new similarly minded connections. 

We were hosted by Homerton College where we were able to look around the student accommodation and enjoyed lunch in the main dining room. The student guides who showed us around were Doncaster expats, which we really appreciated. It helped our XP pupils realise that Cambridge is a university destination for Northerners too! Pupils chose to attend either a history lecture about the Elizabethans or a STEM lecture about cancer research. This was a great opportunity for pupils to experience university teaching and many were confident to question the lecturers further about their work. Some of us even got to meet (and speak to) Simon, the principal at Homerton College!

We enjoyed a guided tour of the city centre where we admired the architecture of the various colleges, watched students punting on the river and noticed landmarks such as the Corpus Clock. Pupils also enjoyed spotting their favourite shops and takeaways (essential aspects of student life!) 

Everyone returned home tired after a long day but feeling it was worth it. Staff would like to appreciate all pupils for their great company and conduct throughout the day – what a wonderful day we had!

Miss Cross, Mrs Parker & Miss Cocliff x