The last few weeks have completely flown by, and that is largely down to just how much awesome work Year 8 have been producing. They have been absolutely blowing my mind with the start they have made to their new expedition, Being Human.

We began with immersion, with students being challenged to think hard, spot patterns and make connections without yet knowing exactly where the expedition was heading..

One of the biggest moments was our fieldwork to Danes Dyke, where students took part in fossil hunting. On the surface, it looked like the expedition might be heading in the direction of dinosaurs, but that was all part of the mystery. The fossils encouraged students to think scientifically about evidence from the past, while also using mathematical thinking to compare, measure and look for patterns in what they found. It was a brilliant red herring and got students questioning how all of these different experiences might eventually connect. A huge appreciation to Mr Heslop for his fantastic organisation of this fieldwork.

Then came the big reveal..

Students took part in an amazing (and patience testing) puzzle and scratch-card adventure, working together to uncover clues and piece together how their individual words linked to a much bigger picture. Across Year 8, students were able to make connections, test ideas and begin to see where the expedition was heading.

And finally, our Guiding Question was revealed:

What does it mean to be human?

Since then, X33 Skipper and E33 Pioneer have been producing some absolutely brilliant work.

Students have been taking real pride in their books and producing beautiful work with strong Craftsmanship and Quality. The level of thinking in lessons has been just as beautiful. Class discussions have been thoughtful, respectful and full of really interesting ideas as students begin to grapple with identity, belief, religion, experience and what all of these things can tell us about being human.

A special shout-out has to go to Roza, who shared some of her own experiences and understanding of religion and belief with the class. Her contribution gave us even more knowledge and perspective to grapple with and really enriched the discussion.

You may also have seen on other blogs that our brilliant Year 8 staff team, alongside the amazing Mrs Mawby, have been getting out into the Doncaster community and visiting residents in local residential care homes.

Students have been getting to know individual residents, listening to their stories and beginning to piece together their life experiences. This gives them another powerful way into our Guiding Question: what can someone’s memories, relationships, experiences, challenges and achievements teach us about what it means to be human?

Students will use what they learn from these conversations to create a beautiful gift for the residents they have worked with, which will be delivered closer to Christmas.

There is already so much to celebrate, and we are only at the beginning!!

Year 8, you are absolutely smashing it. Watch this space..