XP School

What a fantastic first week back for Crew Brunel! We have packed a lot into our first week, with opportunities to build our crew community, develop new skills, explore Doncaster and prepare for the challenges of KS4.

DAY 1

We kicked off the week by rebooting crew, reconnecting with each other and establishing our KS4 norms and expectations. We also launched our exciting Micro Adventure, where students would explore Doncaster through an A–Z challenge.

We also took part in inter-crew activities, competing in a range of fun and slightly unusual challenges, including balancing a ping-pong ball on a spoon in our mouths and throwing and catching a potato using a fork! These activities gave students the chance to have fun, work together and build relationships with students from their crew.

We then finished the day by beginning our preparation for our job interviews, with students exploring six different job roles and selecting the one they were most interested in applying for. They began considering the skills, qualities and experience they could bring to their chosen role, ready for their interviews later in the week.

DAY 2

On Tuesday, we headed into Doncaster town centre for our Micro Adventure, completing a range of fun and challenging activities. These included performing the can-can outside somewhere beginning with C, hugging a tree, handing out thank-you postcards to local services, and spreading some positivity by giving flowers to members of the public. It was a great opportunity to explore our local community, step outside our comfort zones and bring a little joy to the people of Doncaster. 

Back at school, we continued our interview preparation by creating CVs and cover letters for our chosen job roles. Students had to think carefully about their skills, strengths, interests and experiences, and consider how these could be presented to a potential employer. This helped students build their confidence and independence, while giving them a better understanding of what employers look for when applying for a job.

DAY 3

Wednesday was a creative and exciting day! We launched our Future Fashion project, challenging students to think about sustainability and how recycled materials could be transformed into innovative and practical workwear. Students worked collaboratively to design and create their outfits, using their creativity to turn everyday recyclable materials into something completely new.

Students also took part in interviews with external staff, giving them the opportunity to put their communication, confidence and interview skills into practice in a realistic setting. It was fantastic to see students stepping outside of their comfort zones and showcasing what they could do.

We ended the day with our fashion show, where students proudly took to the runway to showcase their incredible creations and celebrate all of their hard work!

DAY 4

Thursday focused on preparation, reflection and learning. Students began preparing for the POL community meeting on Friday by creating a short script about everything they had done during their first week back. This gave them the opportunity to reflect on the different experiences they had taken part in and decide what they wanted to share with the wider school community.

We then explored a range of different revision techniques, looking at how everyone learns differently and how students can find strategies that work best for them when remembering important information for their GCSEs. Students had the chance to try out different approaches and consider which ones they could use in their own revision.

We finished the day with our Science immersion, where we began getting an insight into what we will be learning next week. This helped students to start thinking about the new topics they will be exploring and prepare themselves for the learning ahead.

DAY 5

We finished the week with a Presentation of Learning (POL) community meeting, where crews from each year group came together to share what they had been doing during their first week back at school. It was a great way to celebrate the start of the new school year and hear about what other crews had been getting up to.

We then moved into our History immersion, where we began exploring the history of Doncaster Plant Works. Students started to learn about the importance of the Plant Works to Doncaster and began completing the first section of their work booklets, building their knowledge and understanding of the site.

We ended the week on a high with our English immersion, where we watched A Christmas Carol. While watching, students made notes on important plot points, characters and key events, helping them to begin developing their understanding of the story and preparing for the learning we will continue next week in English.

It has been a busy but brilliant first week for Crew Brunel. From exploring Doncaster and preparing for the world of work to designing sustainable fashion and developing our academic skills, students have already shown creativity, confidence, teamwork and a real readiness for KS4. I can’t wait to see what the rest of the year brings!

Miss Mitchell