XP East

Wednesday- Badminton practice 3.30-4.30. Man city fieldwork leave 3.30- return at midnight.

Thursday – Cheerleading practice 3.30-4.30 and EIS indoor fieldwork (only for student who have a letter) in the school day return at 3pm.

The coach has just left Cambridge services for the final leg of the journey. ETA at school 1.45pm. Please be prompt for collection to allow all staff and students to get home to their families.

I’d also like to massively appreciate the staff who have given up their week to facilitate what has been a phenomenal experience for our children. I can’t wait to hear all about it when they arrive and again on Monday!

Mrs Salter

We have just set off from Pila, we are scheduled to arrive on time for our Ferry in the morning. We will send updates if there are any changes.

XP East Year 9 students showed excellent focus and engagement during today’s DofE Skills session as they painted their model figures. The calm, purposeful atmosphere allowed students to concentrate, develop fine-detail techniques, and take pride in their work.

This creative activity supported key DofE skills such as patience, resilience, and self-motivation, with students demonstrating real commitment throughout the session.

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

Key Stage 1 Community Crew @ Green Top

Fruit Tasting and Painting @ Plover

Sticky knowledge – Maths reasoning @ Carcroft School

In the spirit of Crew @ XP

Weekly Update for Families @ XP Gateshead

Maths, Mysteries and Masterminds @ Norton Infants

High Energy and Big Wins @ 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!

On Thursday 12th February 2026, Year 10 will be taking part in fieldwork to Wabtec Rail – the former Doncaster Plant Works site. 

This fieldwork has been planned to support their learning in History – to support their GCSE exam knowledge,  and is a brilliant opportunity to bring the students’ learning to life in an exciting and engaging way. The experience will be used to support learning back in the classroom to help the children better understand the content and develop a deeper understanding of the Doncaster Plant Works, ready for their GCSE papers this summer. 

Mrs Elliott’s class will depart school at 9:15am and our expected arrival time back at school is 12:00pm. Mrs Hannam’s class will depart school at 1:15pm and our expected arrival time back at school is 3:15pm. 

Lunches will not be affected by this fieldwork. We have secured a coach to take us to and from Wabtec Rail. 

Students will need the following equipment: charged devices, pen, pencil, ruler, water bottle – and anything else needed daily. 

If you have any questions about this fieldwork, please contact me on [email protected] or get in touch with your child’s crew leader. 

With thanks,

Sarah Hannam

What a difference forty-eight hours makes! After a fantastic start to our Pila adventure, the transformation in our students is nothing short of incredible.

From Tumbles to Technique

Yesterday was a true “mountain milestone” day. Under stunningly clear blue skies, we faced our first full day on the slopes. As expected, there were plenty of falls and even more laughs, but amidst the snow-dusted jackets was some excellent technique. Every single staff member was blown away by the headway the students made; their determination to get back up and try again was the highlight of the day.

A Slice of Italian Life

To celebrate a successful day of skiing, we headed into town last night for a legendary pizza night. It was a sea of smiling faces and “unlimited” slices, fueled by plenty of drinks and topped off with a well-earned round of Italian ice cream. It was the perfect way to recharge the batteries and bond as a group away from the chairlifts.

Moving Up the Mountain

We returned to the slopes this morning with a newfound confidence. The improvement was visible from the first run—so much so that the groups were able to move considerably further up the mountain. As staff, we couldn’t be prouder. Beyond their skiing ability, the students are conducting themselves with maturity and spirit. They are representing the school brilliantly, getting better with every turn, and looking out for one another every step of the way.

Evening Wind-Down

After another trip into the local town for some post-ski gelato (you can never have too much ice cream in Italy!), we’ve headed back for our evening meal. The students are now settling down, resting those hard-working legs, and getting ready for another intense, high-energy day tomorrow.

See some of the fun we’ve been having. Congratulations to our Golder Skier and Moose of the day yesterday!

See more of our photos in the gallery below.

After a 22 hour journey across the UK, France, and Switzerland we have finally arrived safe and sound in Pila. We had a nice lunch, before heading to get fitted for our ski equipment. This evening gave us the opportunity to unpack and relax before our first full day of skiing. We look forward to keeping you updated!