Wise Wednesdays: Finishing the Year Stronger and Wiser!
From learning how to stay safe over the summer and understanding the importance of water safety, to exploring democracy, employment, finance and the world of work, students across XP Doncaster have continued to engage in thoughtful and meaningful learning through Wise Wednesdays in Crews this term. This newsletter celebrates some of the beautiful work taking place in Crews, reflects on the final term of the academic year and provides a preview of the exciting topics students will be exploring when they return in August…
A huge thank you to our Crew Leaders for creating safe spaces where students can discuss challenging topics, share different viewpoints and learn from one another!
Sharing our Stories: 17/07/2026
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
Powering the Future @ XP Doncaster
Colour run fun! @ Norton Infants
Year 6 raises money for local donkey sanctuary @ Norton Juniors
G29 Final product @ XP Gateshead
Share your stories with us!
Write to us at [email protected] – we want to hear about it, write about it and celebrate it!
We’re looking for Cleaners at Green Top!
We’re looking for Cleaners at Green Top School!
https://xptrust.org/xp-trust-cleaners/
Find out more here and apply to #JoinOurCrew
Powering the Future: Virtual Reality and Renewable Energy
As part of our current expedition, 8.3: Inside the Code, our Year 8 students have been exploring the invisible systems that keep our modern world communicating. But building encrypted networks and powering communication hubs requires energy—and lots of it.
To explore how we can power our future sustainably, we were incredibly lucky last Tuesday to welcome an expert guest into the classroom: Ian Barnes, the Renewable Manager at AE Spinks.
Mr. Barnes spoke to our students about the critical realities of climate change and how we can use environmentally friendly methods to heat our homes. He gave the class a deep dive into the world of heat pumps—a technology currently revolutionising renewable energy across the UK.
Our students got some fantastic “insider facts” about the industry. Mr. Barnes explained the practical realities of his day-to-day role, including the logistics of fitting heat pumps into different types of housing—explaining exactly what makes an installation straightforward, and what makes it tricky. He also shared his overarching mission: to massively increase the number of heat pumps operating across the UK to help reduce our collective carbon footprint.
Learning about engineering is one thing, but actually doing it is another! Following the talk, the students put on VR headsets to step directly into a virtual installation site.
Taking on the role of a heat pump engineer, students had to physically navigate the virtual environment to build, wire, and install their very own heat pump systems. It was an incredible way to bring complex, invisible engineering right into the classroom, allowing students to apply their problem-solving skills in real time.
A massive thank you to Ian Barnes and AE Spinks for taking the time to visit us, sharing their expertise, and letting our students experience the future of green engineering in virtual reality!
Sharing our Stories: 10/07/2026
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
Crew Irwin attending the ‘We Care’ event @ XP School
Year 9 Sporting Leaders Shine at Owston Sports Day @ XP East
Share your stories with us!
Write to us at [email protected] – we want to hear about it, write about it and celebrate it!
Ignite your child’s creativity at XP East!
At XP East, we believe that creativity is a powerful tool for learning, expression, and personal growth. Our Visual Arts Aptitude route offers a unique opportunity for Year 7 students with a natural flair for creativity to gain a place at a school where the arts are truly valued.
This pathway is open to all children, no prior art training or experience required, just a passion for drawing, designing, and thinking creatively.
Through an inspiring curriculum, expert support, and dynamic extra-curricular opportunities, students will develop their talents across a range of visual art disciplines. If your child loves to create, imagine, and explore the world through art, this is the perfect chance to help them shine. Click here to see highlights from our recent annual XP Festival of Arts and Culture
Apply now and let their creativity take centre stage! Find out more about this here: https://xptrust.info/XPEVA
Applying for a place at XP – Fair Banding Assessment
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 2026 and prepared to attend the assessment on 21st November 2026.
Find out more here – https://xptrust.info/XPTFBA
Summer opportunities
Fantastic opportunities for students over summer. Take a look.
Click on the poster
Free Family Event: Lifewise Open Day 2026 🚓🚨
Please see the attached poster regarding the upcoming Lifewise Open Day on Thursday 6 August (10am – 3pm).
It is a fantastic, free day out for families at the Lifewise Centre in Hellaby, featuring emergency vehicles, uniform try-ons, fingerprinting, and crafts.
A dedicated quiet time will run from 10:00am to 10:30am.
