Crew is central to the positive culture at XP. At XP culture is planned for, developed, and sustained through practices that bring the community together, promote shared understandings, and encourage all community members to become Crew, not passengers. Relationships with our students are at the heart of everything we do. One structure for developing this relationship – and supporting students socially, emotionally, and academically – is Crew.
Crew is a space where students feel safe and where they are able to show their strengths and vulnerabilities without fear or favour. The climate created in Crew must allow this to happen.
Crew provides each student with a one-to-one relationship with an adult advisor (Crew Leader) at the school, as well as a consistent and ongoing small-scale peer community. Crew Leaders monitor and support student progress, serve as the student’s advocate in difficult academic and social situations, and act as the primary contact point between parents and the school.
There are a number of core features that exist in Crew sessions that link directly to our ‘Narrative for Success.’ Students need to feel safe in Crew, they need to attend to make good progress and they need to engage in Crew sessions to ensure success. Crew Leaders, therefore, need to ensure that Crew meetings are frequently used for team building exercises and for group discussions on topical issues. These exercises and discussions help establish Crew identity and a positive school culture. We call this our Crew Curriculum and we believe that if, ‘we get Crew right, we get everything right!’
