New Schools Network video

By Gwyn ap Harri14th November 2014

This video has been kindly produced by the New Schools Network to promote their work and us. The support we received from NSN during our application stage was invaluable, and I believe that we wouldn’t have got our application through without them. Nathaniel Bellio was our lead contact there and he helped me massively. We owe Nathaniel and NSN a lot, so on behalf of everyone at XP… Thank you!

Example Learning Expeditions Year 7, 2014/15

21st February 2014Mr A Sprakes

XP. School Curriculum Map(Draft) for Year 7 Students 2014/15

The following project ideas are only meant as a guide and are subject to adaptation and/or change depending on the skills, passions and expertise of staff appointed to XP. Therefore, these projects are presented as examples, not exemplars, and will be used as a baseline from which improvements will be made to ensure depth and quality to everything we do at XP. Also, National Curriculum levels will be reviewed and altered where appropriate in line with the changes to assessment at a national level.

First Expedition

Outward Bounds Expedition to North Wales 26th-29th August

This will be a fantastic opportunity to live our values of Respect, Courage, Quality, Compassion and No excuses through team building activities.

After the Expedition we will reflect on our experiences and create a presentation about what we learned on our expedition.

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Ron Berger on Critique

18th October 2012Gwyn ap Harri

Here’s Ron Berger in different settings talking about how critique and multiple drafts are key to our students creating beautiful pieces of work.

Ron with a primary class talking about Austin’s Butterfly:

Critique and Feedback: The Story of Austin’s Butterfly from Expeditionary Learning on Vimeo.

Building Excellence in Student Work Through Critique and Revision

This six-minute video has been transformational for teachers and students K-12 in giving a clear picture of how student work can improve through focused critique. It shows the evolution of a scientific illustration of a butterfly through multiple drafts toward a high-quality final product.

Ron talking in general about critique and multiple drafts at High Tech High:

Critique and Modelling

18th October 2012Gwyn ap Harri

Using real examples of good (and bad!) student work is MUCH BETTER than just telling the kids what you expect (normally as a rubric or descriptors). It makes the task ahead of them feel more achievable and more realistic. When we as adults try to do something new, probably the first thing we do is seek out what others have done before us, work out what’s good and bad, and what we can do to improve it, or make it personal or fit the context better.

If we don’t have good student examples, why don’t we make the models / examples by doing the work first? Then after the activity, make sure you archive the genuine examples!

Ron Berger from EL leads a writing critique workshop where — based upon a piece of student writing — students identify the elements of a quality story.

How is XP. different ?

17th October 2012Gwyn ap Harri

Our children work on projects that cross many subjects – they don’t just study science, or maths, or art. They work as scientists, mathematicians and artists within meaningful contexts

The work that students produce has purpose and reason and is often for a real life community need

Our students express who they are by personalising their work

Students are given time to produce beautiful and meaningful work by following a process of multiple drafts and critique

Teachers know each student really well by teaching a smaller number of children for a longer amount of time

Each class represents a cross section of our community – we do not segregate our children by social class or academic ability

Students exhibit their work to authentic real world audiences

 

Everything we do is focused on preparing your child to be successful in the adult world.