XP East

Relish has transformed school dinners across XP – but don’t just take our word for it. Hear what students, parents and staff at Green Top have to say…

Find out more about Relish and set up your parent account: https://relishschoolfood.co.uk/parents

Dear Parents and Carers,

I am emailing you regarding the maths extended study system ‘Sparx’ we are using to support the learning experience of our students. 

Sparx Maths Homework is an online platform designed to provide personalised and targeted practice for students in maths. We believe that this tool will play a crucial role in reinforcing classroom learning and helping your child develop a strong foundation and confidence in mathematics. 

Key Information for Parents:

• Homework Schedule: Homework will be set weekly on a Tuesday (for all classes) and is due on the same day the following week.
• Independence: It is important that your child completes their homework independently so Sparx can adapt to their learning needs (please do not give them too much help so that Sparx makes the work too difficult for your child).
• Support & Help: Every question has an attached support video. If your child is stuck, they should watch the video to get help. Students can also access Sparx clubs on Wednesday lunchtime.
• Bookwork Checks: Students are expected to write down their workings in their math books, which will be checked to help them form good habits. If parents could check that students had done working out that would really support us in reducing the use of AI.
• Weekly Emails: You will receive weekly automated emails tracking your child’s progress. (on a Sunday, if not completed by then please speak to your child)
• Consequences: To ensure that students are completing Sparx, we will be holding After School Reflections to ensure consequences are in place. This should encourage students to build the habits and knowledge they need to be successful at GCSE. If there are problems with Sparx completion, please ensure you speak to the class teacher before the due date. 

How to Support Your Child:

• Provide a quiet space for them to work.
• Encourage them to start their homework early so they can seek help if needed (encourage them to seek help at Sparx clubs at lunchtime)..
• Check the weekly email to praise them for their progress.
• Support After School Reflections if students have not completed Sparx. Building students’ sense of responsibility and accountability is crucial for them to succeed in GCSE. 
• Sparx can be accessed at home by their phone (if their device is broken). 

We massively appreciate all the support you give to the school and thank you for your ongoing support in our aim to support all students in maths. 

If you want to learn about what Sparx is, please watch this video. 

If you have any problems with this, please get in touch.

Best wishes,

Mr Campbell

[email protected]

(Maths Trust Lead)

We are looking forward to welcoming you to our upcoming POL (Presentation of Learning) this Thursday, 19th March. This is a wonderful opportunity for students to share their learning and celebrate their progress with you.

Event Details
Location: Hype Park Cemetery

Start Time: 4:00pm

Approximate Finish: 4:45pm – Take child home straight from Hyde park if they are getting the bus and need to return back to school they must wait and walk back with staff.

Students have been working hard preparing their presentations and are excited to share what they have learned.

Parking Notice: Please note that parking around the area is very limited. We kindly ask families to plan ahead and allow extra time for parking before the event begins.

Thank you for your continued support. We look forward to seeing you there and celebrating the students’ achievements together.

Thanks E32 Crew

We are officially nearing the end of our current expedition, and that can only mean one thing: it’s time to celebrate!

On Monday 23rd March (4:00 – 4:45 pm), E29 will be hosting their latest Presentation of Learning. This term, the focus has been on our work in English, and we have handed the keys over to the students. Yesterday during crew, we collected student voice around how they wanted to present their learning to you all, and over next week, students will be pulling their work together to demonstrate this to you in an authentic wya 

They have spent this week planning, curating, and rehearsing their presentations. From deciding the themes to choosing the format, this is 100% their show.

As Crew Leaders, it has been a joy to watch them step up. We often talk about “taking the lead” at XP, and this POL is a perfect example of that.

Beyond the Presentations While celebration is the main goal, we also want to be practical. During the session, we will be providing a “Revision Toolkit” segment. We’ll discuss:

• Effective, evidence-based revision techniques.
• How students can structure their independent study time.
• Practical ways to stay focused and motivated ahead of the upcoming mocks.

It’s going to be a fantastic 45 minutes of pride, progress, and preparation. We look forward to seeing a great turnout to support the students’ hard work!

#E29 #POL #StudentLed #XP

Beautiful work this week

Here’s a selection of beautiful work from across the XP Trust!

To read about other stories from across the XP Trust, visit xptrust.org.

Top of the Blogs

Learning and Reviewing @ Green Top

We Care Wednesday @ Plover

Learning from a Tudor Expert @ Carcroft School

Crew White @ XP

Beautiful Work by Daria @ XP Gateshead

Mindful Monday @ Norton Infants

Highwayman ‘Swift Nicks’ Nevison visits NJS @ Norton Juniors

C30 Tranquil Tuesday @ XP East

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 [email protected] –  we want to hear about it, write about it and celebrate it!

As we approach the end of the term, we would like to invite you to the Year 9 Presentation of Learning—a chance for our students to step into the spotlight and share their hard work, creativity, and progress with you.

Event Details

• When: Wednesday, 18th March
• Time: 4:15 PM
• Where: XP East School and classrooms

Coffee, Cake, and a Great Cause

In addition to the presentations, the evening will serve as a key milestone in our Expedition Fundraising.

We will be hosting a Coffee and Cake and raffle stall throughout the event we would ask if you could bring please cash if you would like to take part. All proceeds will go directly toward our fund raising for Doncaster and Rotherham hospice.

We look forward to seeing you on the evening.

Best regards,

The Year 9 Team

During Tranquil Tuesday, C30 focused on listening to the anchor text My Sister’s Keeper. The session gave students the opportunity to follow the story closely while developing their listening and understanding skills.

Crew were split into two classes: Explorer and Pioneer. After each chapter, students worked together to summarise what had happened, helping them reflect on the key events and characters in the story.

As crew leaders, this activity also gave us a valuable insight into what students are learning during their expedition, “You Give Me Fever.” It was a great opportunity to see how students are engaging with the themes and ideas being explored through the text.

Thanks E30 Crew Leaders

It has been a real pleasure dropping into lessons this week and seeing Crew White in action. It was fantastic to see students so engrossed in their GCSE English text, Boys Don’t Cry. I happened to walk in during a key chapter and the reaction in the room said it all – there were literal gasps as the events unfolded! Their books and notes are looking fantastic, and these will become a vital resource as they move into revision. Seeing the level of detail, craftsmanship and quality in their work made me incredibly proud.

I also visited a DT lesson, where Harry and Kiera were working exceptionally hard and producing some brilliant products. It’s great to see the creativity and commitment they’re bringing to their practical work.

Overall, Crew White are really firing on all cylinders at the moment and I am hugely impressed with the effort they are putting in. We also achieved 100% attendance again this week, which is a real credit to their dedication to school at such an important stage in their journey.

This week we have been celebrating World Book Day by encouraging students to a fun and imaginative way of reading in an unusual place around school. The whole school got involved and the results have been fantastic and very creative.

Crew CSP rose to the challenge and had a lot of fun and giggles along the way.

Our very own Amelia was picked out for the best pose and won some sweets from Miss Desborough!

Update from E32 for ETA is 3:40pm