Guess the Animal Crew Challenge
UK rivers!
In expedition, we have used maps and digital technologies to find rivers and canals in the UK. We found several rivers and canals that flow through Doncaster such as River Don, River Torne, River Went, New Junction Canal and Stainforth and Keadby Canal. We then used the maps and iPads to label the rivers in the UK. To consolidate our learning over the last few lessons, we completed a Kahoot quiz.
Bringing Prehistory to Life with Liz Million
Today, we had the exciting opportunity to work with author and illustrator Liz Million! Drawing inspiration from the prehistoric world, we explored the time when dinosaurs roamed the Earth. With Liz’s expert guidance, we brought ancient landscapes to life, creating cartoon illustrations of a prehistoric volcano erupting in the age of dinosaurs. This hands-on experience not only enriched our learning in science and history but also sparked our creativity and imagination.
Dangers in The Mine
Crew Hamill deepened their understanding on the early conditions of the mine from last lesson by exploring the dangers that people faced due to these conditions. To begin with, we looked at some artefacts that would have been used within the mine (helmet, gloves, pickaxe etc.) and discussed what these told us about working in a mine (e.g you could hit your head, get blisters on your hands, be injured by the pickaxe). We then worked in mini crews to create freeze frames of some mining situations that all involved a danger. Can you guess what these are from our photos?
Following this, we worked in threes to conduct interviews in which one of us was a miner in a given scenario and the others asked questions about the dangers. You can see some of our interviews here:
To consolidate our learning, we created a ‘wall of dangers’ by each writing a danger on a brick.
Feature Finding
Today, Crew Hamill had their second experience lesson in which they were identifying the features of a non-chronological report. We worked as a crew to look at an example report, sharing ideas about what we noticed – the title, paragraphs and pictures etc. We then looked at a ‘non-chronological report checklist’ and used this to identify further features such as subheadings and an introduction. Once we were comfortable that we understood the features, we worked in pairs to organise a non-chronological report that had been jumbled up. We had to work out which subheading matched which paragraph, identify the title, introduction and conclusion, and then figure out which order we would put the information in before deciding where the pictures would go. Once we had done this, we labelled each of the features and explained why they were important. To consolidate our learning, we played ‘checklist challenge’ in which we had 3 minutes to write down as many features as we could remember before seeing who had remembered the most!
Sensory Circuit
After a lovely weekend off, Crew Haddock started the morning with sensory circuit .
Xp Outdoors
Crew Haddock had a lovely time in our forest area this week , building dens and going on the hammock.
The King’s Trust
As part of our expedition lessons we have been learning about the Kings Trust and the work they do to support children and young people. We learnt that they try and help build resilience so we took part in some activities to try and help us become more resilient. These included cross the river, mirror challenge and blindfold assault course.
#BetterWorldWeek at XP
At XP Trust, we’re proud to be long-standing partners and friends of EL Education. We take part in Better World Week every year – not as a one-off event, but as an extension of the work we do every day in our schools. Like EL, we believe that learning should be purposeful, rooted in community, and driven by the desire to make a positive impact. It’s a shared mission that sits at the heart of our relationship and everything we do.
In every XP school, students take on meaningful work that matters to real people. From campaigning for local change to producing high-quality expedition products that leave a legacy, our young people learn not just how to succeed – but how to contribute. Better World Week gives us the opportunity to shine a light on that work, celebrate the voices of our students, and stand alongside a global network of educators who are committed to doing things differently…
Click ‘read more’ below to see our students’ beautiful work from this year…
Continue readingSharing our Stories: 02/05/2025
Beautiful Work This Week
Here’s a selection of beautiful work from across the XP Trust from this week. To read about other stories from across the XP Trust, visit xptrust.org.
Every year, our friends and partners at EL Education invite schools across the world to take part in #BetterWorldWeek – a celebration of student work that makes a meaningful difference in the world.
Just like at EL, at XP this isn’t a one-off event – it’s the work we do every day. But this week gives us a moment to pause, reflect, and share the incredible ways our students have stepped up.
In the last year, they have:
- Hosted tea parties to tackle loneliness
- Campaigned for safer streets around their schools
- Created environmental art with purpose
- Challenged inequality through powerful public products
- Brought communities together
…and that’s just the beginning.
You can read all about their beautiful, purposeful work here:
https://xptrust.org/betterworldweek-2025/
Top of the Blogs
Weekly update for families @ XP Gateshead
If you go down in the woods… @ Norton Infants