To ensure a balanced intake of students across all ability levels, all applicants to an XP secondary school must sit a Fair Banding Assessment.
This multiple-choice test focuses on non-verbal reasoning and helps us place students into one of five ability bands. There is no pass or fail, and results are used solely to support a broad and representative admissions process.
Completing the assessment is a key part of the application and must be done to be considered for a place.
Please ensure your child is registered by 31st October 2025 and prepared to attend the assessment on 22nd November 2025.
At XP School, we believe music has the power to inspire and shape young minds. Each year, we offer a unique opportunity for children with a natural flair for music to gain a place in Year 7 through our dedicated Musical Aptitude route.
Whether your child already sings or plays an instrument, or simply has a keen ear for rhythm, melody, and pitch, this pathway recognises raw musical potential.
With access to expert tuition, vibrant performance opportunities, and a culture that celebrates creativity, XP School is the perfect stage for your child to flourish musically and academically. Click here to see highlights from our recent annual XP Festival of Arts and Culture https://youtu.be/-tcB979lD_g
Apply now, and don’t miss this chance to join a learning community where talent is nurtured and passion takes centre stage!
Today, I had the opportunity to check in on Crew Caldwell’s humanities lesson—and I was impressed by their lovely work.
Their current focus has been on the Vikings: how they lived, the roles they held, and, in particular, their longships. Crew Caldwell have clearly put a lot of thought and effort into their learning.
What stood out most was the exceptional craftsmanship and quality on display. The students are clearly taking real pride in their work.
If this is any indication of what’s to come, we can expect great things from Crew Caldwell this year.
Well done, Crew Caldwell—keep up the brilliant work!
Since we’ve returned to school, Crew Caldwell have set themselves a little praise point competition – who can get the most in this term?!
We’ve had a strong start, with some tough competition – a shout out to Lewis (who has actually earned 14 praise points, but his conduct points bring him back down to 8 praises!!!). Incredible work, Crew – keep it up!!
Year 10 Students Embark on Their LOOL Creative Journey
Our Year 10 students have chosen LOOL Creative (Leaders of Their Own Learning) as their specialist area in Art, a key step towards completing their GCSE qualification.
Each student has selected a pathway that reflects their interests and talents, choosing from Art, Craft and Design, 3D Design, or Photography. After completing their immersion phase, they are now fully engaged in their creative expedition — exploring ideas, developing skills, and producing beautiful, thoughtful work.
We’re excited to see how their projects continue to grow and can’t wait to celebrate their achievements as the year progresses
Art, Craft and Design class. 2 Crew Nightingale students have chosen this class.
Wednesday- Year 8 and 9 netball fixture away return to XP school. Please tick your name off the sheet. Netball practice for year 7’s and remaining students it still on with Miss Bowser 3.30-4.30
Year 7 have kicked off exploring their first case study, Raiders and Rulers! This has taken them back to 1066, a year that changed the course of British history.
In English, they’ve been exploring the themes of love and conflict in A Midsummer Night’s Dream, discovering how Shakespeare’s ideas still connect with us today. Alongside this, in History students have been debating who had the strongest claim to the throne: Harold, William, Hardrada, or Edgar.
We are super impressed with the HOWLS being displayed in Year 7. Take a look at some of their beautiful work below!
On Tuesday 16th September, Big Talk Education are speaking to Year 9 students as part of the statutory Relationships and Sex Education. Below is an outline of what is going to be covered by Big talk Education.
If you would like to discuss this further or have any concerns please email gvayro@xpschool.org or pburrows@xpschool.org.
This week in Crew Brunel we’ve enjoyed a mix of teamwork, reflection, and celebration. We refreshed our crew photos so staff can easily identify us, and created a playlist full of songs we love – a fun way to share more about ourselves. We also spent time reading individually, progressing with our own books, and worked in groups to take detailed notes during our Wise Wednesday session.
Towards the end of the week, we reflected on our praises and conducts. A huge well done to Elliot and David, who have achieved a no-conduct week again – an excellent start to Year 9 for the two, and a clear sign of the fantastic progress they’re both making. Crew Brunel are very proud of you both! We rounded things off with our whole-school Community Meeting, sharing appreciations, apologies, and stands, and celebrating what makes our school community so strong.
Crew Brunel continues to impress with positivity, focus, and teamwork – a great way to begin the year!
This week, Year 8 students at XP were given an exciting opportunity to immerse themselves in their new expedition with a visit from professional artist Michelle Clarke Stables (MC Stables).
Michelle worked with all Year 8 groups, bringing energy, expertise, and a fresh perspective on what it means to live and work as an artist. She inspired students by sharing her personal journey and creative story, showing that art is not just about making something beautiful—it’s about expressing the human experience.
One of the highlights of the day was when Michelle introduced her original artwork and a powerful sculpture titled Entrapment. This piece explores themes of fear, anxiety, and the barriers we sometimes create for ourselves, sparking deep conversations among students about how art can communicate emotion and connect with audiences in powerful ways.
Students also had the rare chance to closely examine Michelle’s original pieces. This hands-on immersion gave them valuable insight into materials, processes, and the layered thinking that goes into creating professional artwork.
The workshops challenged Year 8 to explore expressive mark-making, colour, and words in new ways—laying a strong foundation for their expedition learning. By experiencing art firsthand, students began to see how creativity can give voice to complex ideas, emotions, and stories.
Michelle’s visit has raised the profile of Art across the school, showing students that the subject is not only about developing skills, but also about asking questions, telling stories, and making meaning. She has kindly donated, on loan, some of her pieces to be exhibited within the XP and XPE community which will enrich the arts experience for the whole school; its staff, students, parents and our visitors.
The buzz in classrooms following her sessions has been undeniable, and it’s clear her visit will leave a lasting impression on our budding artists.
“Michelle inspired our artwork in class. I enjoyed that we were able to express ourselves freely through the marks we made. I think it’s good to have authentic artwork around the school. I added XPs Character traits to my own work.” – Jensen E31
What a wonderful start to the year with C31. I’m looking forward to seeing how their work progresses!
