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
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 2025 and prepared to attend the assessment on 22nd November 2025.
The last few weeks have completely flown by, and that is largely down to just how much awesome work Year 8 have been producing. They have been absolutely blowing my mind with the start they have made to their new expedition, Being Human.
We began with immersion, with students being challenged to think hard, spot patterns and make connections without yet knowing exactly where the expedition was heading..
One of the biggest moments was our fieldwork to Danes Dyke, where students took part in fossil hunting. On the surface, it looked like the expedition might be heading in the direction of dinosaurs, but that was all part of the mystery. The fossils encouraged students to think scientifically about evidence from the past, while also using mathematical thinking to compare, measure and look for patterns in what they found. It was a brilliant red herring and got students questioning how all of these different experiences might eventually connect. A huge appreciation to Mr Heslop for his fantastic organisation of this fieldwork.
Then came the big reveal..
Students took part in an amazing (and patience testing) puzzle and scratch-card adventure, working together to uncover clues and piece together how their individual words linked to a much bigger picture. Across Year 8, students were able to make connections, test ideas and begin to see where the expedition was heading.
And finally, our Guiding Question was revealed:
What does it mean to be human?
Since then, X33 Skipper and E33 Pioneer have been producing some absolutely brilliant work.
Students have been taking real pride in their books and producing beautiful work with strong Craftsmanship and Quality. The level of thinking in lessons has been just as beautiful. Class discussions have been thoughtful, respectful and full of really interesting ideas as students begin to grapple with identity, belief, religion, experience and what all of these things can tell us about being human.
A special shout-out has to go to Roza, who shared some of her own experiences and understanding of religion and belief with the class. Her contribution gave us even more knowledge and perspective to grapple with and really enriched the discussion.
You may also have seen on other blogs that our brilliant Year 8 staff team, alongside the amazing Mrs Mawby, have been getting out into the Doncaster community and visiting residents in local residential care homes.
Students have been getting to know individual residents, listening to their stories and beginning to piece together their life experiences. This gives them another powerful way into our Guiding Question: what can someone’s memories, relationships, experiences, challenges and achievements teach us about what it means to be human?
Students will use what they learn from these conversations to create a beautiful gift for the residents they have worked with, which will be delivered closer to Christmas.
There is already so much to celebrate, and we are only at the beginning!!
Year 8, you are absolutely smashing it. Watch this space..
Mathematics is often hidden in plain sight, and recently, our Year 8 students proved that it is even reflected right back at us in the mirror. Bringing history, art, and geometry together, our latest unit on ratio and proportion saw students stepping into the shoes of Renaissance polymath Leonardo da Vinci to investigate the famous Vitruvian Man.
To kick off the investigation, classrooms transformed into active research laboratories. Armed with their rulers, students paired up to gather empirical body measurements—carefully recording key features, including head dimensions and total body height. The mission was clear: discover whether human anatomy follows predictable mathematical patterns.
The classroom buzz was immediate as students uncovered fascinating proportional relationships. Many were thrilled to confirm da Vinci’s observation that an individual’s total height is roughly equivalent to eight head lengths—a classic 1:8 ratio. Abstract mathematical concepts like scaling factors, simplifying ratios, and proportional reasoning suddenly became personal, visual, and remarkably intuitive.
Translating those real-world measurements onto paper is where the true precision comes in. Students are currently hard at work drafting self-portraits drawn strictly to scale. Applying scale factors to turn raw millimeter and centimeter measurements into proportional artwork demands careful calculation, sharp focus, and a solid understanding of how ratios operate in practice.
Once the drafting phase is complete, these impressive pieces will be proudly displayed on our expedition working wall to showcase the progression of their learning journey. By bridging the gap between abstract algebra and creative application, our Year 8 mathematicians are developing a whole new perspective on how ratio shapes the world around us. Fantastic effort so far, Year 8!
In Year 11 Geography with Mrs Poncia this afternoon, focus was paramount. Students consistently demonstrating exceptional Habits of Work and Learning (HoWLs), approaching the lesson with a great attitude to learning.
During targeted questioning, students articulated precise, well-reasoned responses, confidently applying their existing geographical knowledge to tackle new, complex concepts. When reading aloud and grappling with challenging content, they built directly on prior learning to deepen their understanding.
A look through the students’ books reveals beautiful craftsmanship and quality. Written work is organised and annotations show a deep pride in learning – this will be really supportive when it comes to revising for their GCSEs later this year. This commitment to quality reflects not just academic growth, but the hard work and high standards these Year 11s bring to Geography every day.
Lunch breaks aren’t just for eating. They are a breather—a chance to pause, recharge, and navigate the social side of school. That is where our lunchtime EMBRACE provision comes in, bringing together a small, close-knit group of students each week.
The core philosophy sits right in the name: Encourage More, Be Resilient, And Consider Everyone. Plain and simple. Because our group is small and intimate, students have a quiet, safe setting to build confidence, practice active listening, and master the art of being a supportive classmate away from the busyness of the wider school day.
Today was all about setting the tone for the term. We started with individual EMBRACE Pledges, giving everyone a moment to reflect on their personal goals. Some pledged to make space for quieter voices during group tasks. Others wanted to focus on staying patient when things get tricky, or simply offering a kind word to someone having an off day. Small goals, big impact.
Then came the main event: Jenga. But with a twist.
Instead of every person for themselves, the group worked as one unit. The goal was straightforward—keep the tower standing for as long as humanly possible, together.
In such a small setting, the supportive atmosphere was palpable. You could hear quiet whispers of advice, collective gasps as the wooden blocks wobbled, and steadying words of encouragement before every move. “Take your time.” “You’ve got this.” “Try the left side.” When the stack finally crashed to the floor, nobody groaned. There were no sore losers. Just laughter, high-fives, and a small team immediately pulling together to rebuild.
It was resilience in action. Watching our students turn a simple game into a lesson in empathy proves just how ready they are to lift each other up. We can’t wait to see those pledges unfold in the weeks ahead.
Sometimes, as a Crew Leader, it’s the little things that make me smile.
On Friday, Crew White were VERY excited because, as Year 11s, they now get to sit at the top of the stairs during community meetings.
To anyone else, that might sound like a fairly insignificant seating arrangement.
To them? This is HUGE.
Since Year 7, they’ve looked up at that spot and watched the older students sit there. And now, finally, they’re the cream of the crop!
It reminded me of that same excitement from primary school when you finally reached Year 6 and got promoted from the floor to a bench at the back of the hall. Because apparently, nothing says “you’ve made it” quite like an upgraded seating position!
They may be the big kids of the school now, but thankfully they’re not too big to share my caterpillar birthday cake in Crew this morning!
And that’s what I love about being a Crew Leader. It’s not always the big achievements that matter most. Sometimes it’s the pride, the laughter, the cake and those little moments that remind you just how far they’ve come.
Looking back through last year’s fieldwork, our visit to Bletchley Park remains a firm favourite. There’s something special about swapping a regular classroom for the birthplace of modern computing and stepping onto the exact grounds where Alan Turing and thousands of unsung codebreakers quietly changed the course of history.
It didn’t take long for our students to get stuck into the atmosphere of the place. Walking through the iconic wooden Huts and standing in front of an actual Enigma machine put math, history, and secret intelligence into a whole new light. The real test came during the interactive cipher workshops. Watching our students huddle together over complex logic puzzles, discussing endless possibilities, and piecing together clues really captured the spirit of the place. Codebreaking, as it turns out, requires a massive dose of patience, a fair bit of trial and error, and plenty of teamwork.
To celebrate the fieldwork and look back on how much ground we covered, we’ve put together a short video packed with photos from throughout the day.
From unravelling WWII secrets to testing our own problem-solving skills, it was a day of fieldwork that stayed with everyone long after we loaded back onto the bus. Take a minute to give the video a watch and relive a few of the best moments from an incredible day out!
