After a whirlwind start to Y7 and attending Outward bound, Crew DCU have settled into school as we embark on our schooling journey.
Over the course of last week, we managed to take part in a plethora of activities, exploring the beautiful scenery in Ullswater. We braved new challenges like gorge walking and night navigation, showing immense courage and determination in unfamiliar environments.. It was a privilege to be part of this experience, and all of our crew members showed exceptional character growth, as we started our journey to the ‘top of the mountain’. We hope to bring these experiences, memories and character traits back to school this term.
Overall an amazing effort. Here are some of our highlights:
The transition to Year 7 is a monumental step for any student, but C33 Explorer took it in their stride during their very first mathematics lesson this week. Stepping into a secondary maths classroom can be daunting, yet our new Year 7s demonstrated extraordinary Courage right from the moment they walked through the door.
Guided by our Teaching and Learning protocols, the classroom was a space where taking risks, embracing contributions, and stepping out of comfort zones are celebrated as essential parts of the learning journey. All valuable skills that were developed at Outward Bounds last week!
Data Analysis and the Gallery Walk
The highlight of the lesson was an ambitious data analysis task. Working collaboratively, students identified patterns, trends, and information.
To share their findings, we deployed our Gallery Walk protocol. The data analysis was superb for a first lesson – students were actively interpreting what the data meant and backing up their conclusions with clear mathematical reasoning.
Shout-Out to Kai! A massive shout-out goes to Kai, who showed fantastic leadership by kickstarting our Popcorn protocol. Taking the initiative to launch a new classroom routine in front of peers requires serious courage, and Kai set a brilliant, high-energy benchmark for the rest of the crew to follow!
Working Hard and Living Our HoWLs
Throughout the session, C33 Explorer embodied our Habits of Work and Learning (HoWLs):
Work Hard: Every single student remained focused, persevered through challenging tasks, and gave 100% effort from start to finish.
Be Kind: Students supported one another during group discussions and built upon one anothers answers.
It was a great start to the academic year. C33 Explorer proved that with courage, collaboration, and dedication to our HoWLs, there is no limit to what they can achieve in our expeditions. Keep up the amazing work E33 Explorer!
And just like that… that’s a wrap on our fifth and final ever first week back!
It has been such a lovely week reconnecting after the summer break. We kicked things off with a wellbeing walk on Monday, followed by reflections and roadmapping our final year on Tuesday. Wednesday brought a ‘How to Revise’ workshop, before we created our year overview calendar, plotting all of those important dates — mocks, TSLCs and, of course, our exams.
We then worked out that we have just 153 days physically left in the building until our final exam.
153 days. Mental.
Thursday saw us thinking about the legacy we want to leave behind for future students, and today we finished with a POL before hitting the ground running with revision sessions.
But amongst all the planning and preparation, we’ve also made sure there has been time for some fun. We’ve played games we loved back in Year 7, compared our Year 7 first-day photographs with this year’s, and laughed at just how much we’ve all changed.
Then, just before everyone left today, we watched the video from their first week in Wales.
And that got me.
Watching those little Year 7 faces, knowing that those children are now about to enter their final year, made me incredibly emotional. Five years. Gone in the blink of an eye.
I honestly can’t believe we’re here.
We’re coming into our finale, and I’m not ready for it. I want a few more acts. A few more chapters. A few more first days, fieldwork, laughs, silly moments and memories.
I don’t want this journey to end.
But if there is one thing I know, it’s that Crew White are going to make this final year count.
So here we go, Crew White.
Our final chapter. Let’s make it one we never forget.
Welcome back, Crew Rosa Parkes, to Year 10. We have experienced a remarkably productive and engaging week re-establishing our crew norms and further building our relationships.
Throughout these packed week, students have consistently demonstrated our core character traits, most notably courage. This week, they meticulously prepared their CVs and cover letters in anticipation of their mock job interviews. Our students received exceptional feedback from industry experts regarding the depth and maturity of their interview answers—experiences that will undoubtedly support them as they approach future college interviews.
As Year 10 marks the official commencement of the GCSE period, students in Rosa Parkes have already begun collaborating on strategic revision ideas to support their preparation for May 2028. This proactive foundation sets an excellent trajectory for the year ahead.
For our first week back in Year 9, we hit the ground running, diving straight into building our relationships, stepping out of our comfort zones, and grounding ourselves in our guiding question: “How can I show kindness to myself and my community and have a positive impact?”
Under our week’s theme, Treat People with Kindness, we focused on three core priorities: showing kindness and compassion to ourselves and others, pushing our boundaries for personal growth, and getting fully prepared for our upcoming Duke of Edinburgh expedition.
Here is a look at what our crew got up to each day:
Day 1: Connection & Scarecrows — We kicked off the term sharing our summer highlights then discussing what it means to be crew. To put our teamwork to the test, we began a scarecrow-building challenge.
Day 2: Creativity & Essential Skills — We crafted hobby horses for a crew competition. We balanced the fun with practical life skills by completing hands-on first aid training—a crucial step toward our DofE preparation.
Day 3: The Monsal Dale Walk — We took our learning outside and headed to Monsal Dale. Pushing through the physical trek allowed crew members to practice personal growth, support one another through tough stretches.
Day 4: Expression & Team Spirit — We rounded out the week building our crew identity. Together, we designed our Crew Wall, drafted our crew pledges, and filmed Netflix-style documentary interviews to reflect on our personal goals. We ended the day blowing off steam with a high-energy game of dodgeball!
Crew has shown readiness to take on the year ahead. Thank you for your continued support at home as we gear up for next week!
Today Crew Hoy debriefed and reflected on their outward bound walk on the Monsal Trail. Many members of crew appreciated the support and encouragement they got from others as they completed the three and a half hour route.
It was a great way to consider why we need to be kind to each other and support each other in crew as we work towards our Bronze Duke of Edinburgh award this year.
In the afternoon, we considered how we would like to grow as individuals this year. Every student then made three pledges which we will keep returning to through this academic year to consider the progress we have made towards achieving our goals.
What an incredible start to Year 8 for Crew KHE! We kicked off the new academic year by putting our character traits front and center, pushing our boundaries, and reflecting deeply on the path we want to forge for the months ahead.
Monday: Sportsmanship and Victory Our week began with vibrant energy during a traditional mini Olympics. Students gave it their all in classic events like the egg-and-spoon and wheelbarrow races, showing great humor and encouragement from the start. The competitive spirit stayed high as we moved into an intense intra-crew quiz challenge—where Crew KHE’s sharp thinking and collaboration paid off, leading us to take home the overall victory!
Tuesday: Practical Skills in the Woods On Tuesday, we traded the classroom for nature with a visit to Sandall Beat Woods. The crew dived headfirst into hands-on learning, mastering bush clearing, developing vital survival skills, navigating terrain through orienteering, and inspecting local biodiversity during mini-beast hunting.
Wednesday: Craftsmanship, Compassion, and Pledges Midweek presented an ambitious crew design challenge: research, plan, and construct a brand-new PE kit, producing 25 identical high-quality copies as a team. Crew KHE embodied our core character traits of respect and compassion by ensuring every voice was valued. The final products truly highlighted our commitment to craftsmanship and quality. To wrap up the day, students engaged in solo reflections, celebrating their highlights from last year and setting personal pledges for who they aim to become in Year 8.
Thursday: Energy and Voice We energised the morning by choreographing original Zumba routines, performing them live in front of the entire cohort. After bringing down the house, we split into smaller groups to debrief the week’s triumphs and craft a compelling presentation to share at tomorrow’s community meeting.
Crew KHE has already set a phenomenal tone for the year. With this level of teamwork, respect, and determination, Year 8 is bound to be unforgettable!
