Crew Brunel: Reflecting on the End of Year 8

Author Profile

As Year 8 draws to a close, Crew Brunel can look back with pride on a journey that’s been anything but ordinary. It’s been a bumpy ride at times — full of ups and downs, new challenges, and moments of reflection. But through it all, the students of Crew Brunel have shown resilience, growth, and a developing sense of who they are.

This year has been about more than just lessons and work. It’s been a time for each student to start finding their place — not just in Crew Brunel, but within themselves. Whether navigating friendships, academic challenges, or personal growth, every student has taken steps forward.

We’ve taken part in several Student-Led Conferences (SLCs), Presentations of Learning (POLs), and reflective crew sessions, where our crew members stood up and reflected on their academic journeys with honesty and confidence. These moments gave us all the chance to celebrate progress and set fresh goals.

We also threw ourselves into whole-school events — Sports Day was full of energy, team spirit, and a healthy dose of competition. The XP Arts Festival, Brooke, Lily, Chloe, Livvy and Matilda took to the stage with amazing performances that made Crew Brunel beam with pride. Crew Drop Down Day was a highlight of ours, where we welcomed local police officers into school. They delivered powerful and informative talks about the dangers of knife and gun crime, the important role police dogs play in their work, and even gave us the chance to explore some of their equipment — including uniform, vehicles and protective gear. It was a valuable and eye-opening experience for everyone involved.

And of course, we’ve had some incredible achievements to celebrate within crew itself. A huge shout-out to Pippa, who continues to lead the way with a staggering 194 praise points this year! Her consistent effort and work ethic have set a shining example. And let’s not forget Ayden, who’s been named our Crew Champion. His commitment to improving and pushing himself this year has truly paid off — what a journey he’s been on!

As we step into the summer break, we do so with pride and hope. Year 9, here we come — stronger, wiser, and ready for whatever comes next. Well done, Crew Brunel!

Miss Mitchell

Unlock your child’s musical potential at XP School!

Author Profile

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!

Find out more here: https://xptrust.info/XPMA

Applying for a place at XP – Fair Banding Assessment

Author Profile

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.

Find out more here: https://xptrust.info/XPTFBA

Why the Arts Matter at XP – Our Festival Highlights

Author Profile

At XP, we believe education should help young people discover who they are, what they stand for, and how they can make a difference. The arts are at the heart of this.

Through music, dance, drama, and visual art, our students learn to collaborate, express themselves, and craft work of real depth and beauty. These aren’t “extras” to the curriculum – they are essential experiences that develop the character traits we value above anything else: courage, craftsmanship, respect, and compassion.

Last Friday, we celebrated these values at our second XP Festival of Arts & Culture – a day filled with music, dance, and art from across all the schools in our Trust. Every primary school showcased their dancing skills in collaboration with Phoenix Dance Company, alongside cheerleaders and singers from across the Trust.

The afternoon culminated in a show-stopping parade led by the New York Brass Band, bringing everyone together for an unforgettable rendition of Kool and the Gang’s “Celebration”. The evening carried the energy forward with live music from XP Doncaster and XP Gateshead students, alongside local bands and professional artists.

Our students were phenomenal – both on stage and in the audience – showing once again the power of Crew in action.

A huge thank you goes to the XP Doncaster and Plover staff who stewarded and supported the event. It was a powerful example of what’s possible when we create spaces for young people to thrive.

Here’s to next year!!!

In Crew,

Andy Sprakes

Sharing our Stories: 18/07/2025

Author Profile

Beautiful Work This Week

Here’s a selection of beautiful work from across the XP Trust from the last two weeks of term! It’s been filled with all kinds of wonderful things from all of our schools. To read about other stories from across the XP Trust, visit xptrust.org.

Top of the Blogs

Why the Arts Matter at XP – Our Festival Highlights @ XP Trust

Year 6 leavers party 2025 @ Green Top

EYFS Sports Day @ Plover

Prom 2025 @ Carcroft School

At the Coalface: POL @ Norton Juniors

Climate Change Through Data @ XP

Crew Rosa Parks @ XP East

G29 What a Wonderful World POL @ XP Gateshead

Share your stories with us!

We now have a new dedicated news email so that you can send your stories, updates or ideas about potential news articles directly to us in Comms.

It might be something you or your students have achieved, a charity you’re supporting or anything at all that deserves a wider audience.

Write to us at news@xptrust.org –  we want to hear about it, write about it and celebrate it!

From all of us here at XP – have a great summer break! We’ll be back in the new term with more beautiful work to share!

Climate Change Through Data: A Cross-Curricular Project (X28 KBA Maths)

Author Profile

This term, our students have been combining their knowledge from science and maths to explore one of the most important issues facing our planet: climate change. As part of a cross-curricular project, pupils worked in groups to investigate different climate-related topics, using the statistical skills they developed in maths to interpret and present real-world scientific data.

Here’s a snapshot of the fantastic work they produced:

Group 1: Comparing Energy Sources – UK vs India

Group 1 investigated how different countries generate their energy. They discovered that in the UK, wind energy is now the leading source, while in India, coal remains the primary energy provider.

They discussed why this difference exists. The UK has invested heavily in renewable energy infrastructure and benefits from strong and consistent winds, especially offshore. In contrast, India relies more on coal due to its large domestic coal reserves and growing demand for affordable energy in a developing economy.

The group clearly presented their findings using pie charts, making the differences in energy sources easy to understand.

Group 2: The UK’s Renewable Energy Success

Group 2 focused more closely on energy use within the UK. They were pleased to find that renewable energy now makes up the majority of the UK’s energy supply—a sign of the country’s ongoing commitment to reducing its carbon footprint.

Using another well-designed pie chart, they showed how wind, solar, and other renewable sources now outpace fossil fuels in the UK’s energy mix.

Group 3: CO₂ Emissions by Country

Group 3 examined global carbon dioxide emissions, identifying which countries produce the most and what that means on a per capita basis. They explained that “per capita” means emissions divided by the number of people—so it shows how much CO₂ each person is responsible for on average. Their research revealed that Saudi Arabia has the highest CO₂ emissions per capita, largely due to its oil industry and high energy use per person. They used a bar chart to compare emissions between countries and make the data accessible

Group 4: Global Temperatures on the Rise

This group explored how global temperatures have changed over time. Using a scatter graph, they plotted temperature data from past decades and found a clear upward trend—evidence of global warming in action.

This group made great use of their maths skills to interpret the pattern in the data and connect it to what they had learned in science about greenhouse gases and climate change.

Group 5: Arctic Sea Ice – A Visual Decline

The final group looked at how Arctic sea ice has changed over time. They created a bar chart comparing sea ice levels from 1995 to 2025, showing a clear decline over the 30-year period.

Their work helped highlight how rising temperatures are affecting our planet’s polar regions—and why this matters for ecosystems, wildlife, and sea levels.

This project was a brilliant example of how students can use maths and science together to explore real-world challenges. Not only did they strengthen their understanding of data and climate, but they also developed teamwork, research, and communication skills.

I am incredibly proud of the effort and thought our students put into their work—and the powerful messages they shared about the state of our planet. 🌍📊

Mrs Barnes and X28 Maths

Medication held at school.

Author Profile

As we approach the end of the school year, we would like to inform parents and carers that any medication currently held at school for students will be returned to them at the end of the day on Thursday or Friday this week. This applies to all students who have previously signed over medication for use during school hours.

Please check in with your child for their medication when they get home.

Looking ahead to the 2025–2026 school year, new medical permission forms will be required for any medication that needs to be kept or administered in school. These forms will be made available at the start of the new term and must be completed before any medication can be accepted or administered. There is also a digital form on the parents tab of the school website if you wish to complete this.

We appreciate your cooperation and wish all our families a safe and healthy summer.

XP/E Parliament Fieldwork

Author Profile

Last Wednesday, 43 students from Year 7 through to Year 10 had the incredible opportunity to visit the heart of British democracy; Parliament!

From the moment we arrived, it was clear our students were representing XP and XP East with pride. Compared to other school groups touring Westminster that day, our young people stood out as the most polite, knowledgeable, and respectful by far. Staff from the Parliament Education Service commented on how impressed they were with the conduct, curiosity, and confidence of our students, feedback that was 100% positive across the board.

Throughout the day, students explored the House of Commons and House of Lords, took part in a hands-on workshop about how laws are made, and even had time to rub shoulders with some politicians. Among the highlights: spotting Diane Abbott in the corridor, chatting with members of the House of Lords, and touring Westminster. Sadly, Sir Keir Starmer was tied up; rumour has it he was a bit busy running the country, but we did meet Sally from the Parliament team, who made time for our brilliant students! However, Students did have the opportunity to discuss petition ideas with Sally Jameson (local MP for Doncaster)!

What really stood out, though, was how every student embodied our character traits to the fullest: respect, craftsmanship & quality, and above all, compassion.

A huge shoutout and heartfelt thanks to Mr Morrison, Mrs Fowler, Mrs cross, and Mrs Burrows for supporting the fieldwork, and for getting up at 4am!.