Engineering Challenge: Building Bridges

3rd July 2026Thomas White

Year 6 put their engineering skills to the test in our Bridge Building Challenge. Using only rolled paper tubes and masking tape, teams worked together to design and build a bridge capable of holding the greatest weight.

The challenge encouraged pupils to think like engineers as they discovered why triangles create strong, stable structures. After planning and building, each bridge was tested, giving children the chance to evaluate their designs and think about how they could improve them.

Throughout the activity, pupils showed excellent teamwork, resilience and problem-solving, living out our school values by working hard, getting smart and being kind. They learned that great engineering isn’t about getting it right first time—it’s about designing, testing and improving.

It was fantastic to see so much creativity, determination and collaboration, proving that with the right mindset, even simple materials can achieve impressive results.

Sharing our Stories: 03/07/2026

3rd July 2026Geoff Hewitt

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

Class 8’s fantastic presentation of learning @ Green Top

The big reveal of 2026 @ Plover

Writing @ Carcroft School

Celebrating Our Learning @ Norton Infants

Energy, teamwork and school pride! @ XP School

Inside Out: Beautiful Work at Doncaster Airport! @ 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!

TTRS Writing!

2nd July 2026Shannon Colclough

Today, pupils took part in the TTRS writing led by Pobble. Pupils were fully immersed in the writing experience and it was great to see what they could produce independently.

Brownie in a mug

2nd July 2026Tracy Haddock

Today in Life Skills, the children made their very own brownie in a mug!

They began by carefully cracking an egg into a mug. Next, they added 4 teaspoons of self-raising flour and 2 teaspoons of chocolate spread. They mixed all the ingredients together until they had a smooth batter.

Once the mixture was ready, each mug was placed in the microwave for 1 minute, where the brownies rose beautifully as they cooked. To finish, the children topped their warm brownies with marshmallows before enjoying their delicious treats.

This fun activity helped the children practise important life skills, including following instructions, measuring ingredients, mixing, and developing independence in the kitchen.

PE Fun: Crew McLoughlin Enjoys Kicky Rounders

2nd July 2026Charlotte Newman

Today in PE, Crew McLoughlin had a fantastic time taking part in kicky rounders. The children worked on their kicking, running, and teamwork skills while enjoying this fun and active game. Crew showed great enthusiasm, listened carefully to instructions, and joined in with confidence throughout the lesson. It was wonderful to see everyone encouraging one another and developing their coordination and game skills in such a positive way.

Geography

2nd July 2026Josie Farrow

After learning about the four countries that make up the United Kingdom (UK), Crew Farrow rearranged the furniture to mirror the shape of the UK. We then set sail across the four surrounds seas; English Channel, Irish Sea, North Sea, North Atlantic Ocean. 🛶🌊

Ancient Egypt Inspires Healthy Living at Our Presentation of Learning

2nd July 2026Thomas White

This week, our Year 6 children welcomed parents and families to their Presentation of Learning, celebrating everything they had discovered during their Ancient Egypt expedition.

Throughout the term, pupils explored how Ancient Egyptians stayed healthy through their diet before tackling an exciting challenge: Could we create an energy bar that Ancient Egyptians might recognise, using modern ingredients to make it even healthier?

Children explained how ingredients such as honey, dried fruit, oats, bananas and seeds provided energy and nutrition, combining historical knowledge with modern healthy eating. Families then helped evaluate several energy bar recipes, scoring each one for taste, texture and appearance. Their feedback will help the children identify the most successful design.

Visitors also took part in a Crime and Punishment trivia challenge using question cards created by the children during their previous expedition, giving everyone the chance to put their historical knowledge to the test. The afternoon showcased not only the children’s learning but also their confidence, teamwork and communication. Thank you to all the families who joined us and helped make the event such a fantastic celebration of learning.

UKS2 POL in Crew McLoughlin 🍯

1st July 2026Hannah McLoughlin

What an incredible afternoon we had celebrating our Presentation of Learning! A huge thank you to all of our parents and families who joined us – we loved every minute of sharing our learning with you.

This term, our expedition explored Ancient Egypt alongside healthy lifestyles. The children investigated the foods Ancient Egyptians ate before designing and creating their own Ancient Egypt-inspired energy bars, combining historical inspiration with modern healthy ingredients. It was wonderful to see everyone taking part in our taste test, sharing thoughtful feedback and helping us decide on the most successful recipe.

We also shared our product for our last expedition- our Tudor Trivia Card Game! Families also put their historical knowledge to the test with our Crime and Punishment trivia challenge, bringing plenty of smiles, teamwork and friendly competition to the afternoon.

The atmosphere was simply pyramid perfection – filled with curiosity, laughter and pride! We are so grateful for the continued support from our families, whose encouragement helps make these special learning experiences possible.

Thank you again for celebrating with us. We hope you enjoyed being part of our learning journey as much as we enjoyed sharing it.