This week we dove head first into crew, and have been thinking all about how we can help ourselves and each other be the best versions of ourselves. As part of this, we have been thinking about the question “does crew stop at the school gates?”. We put together little gift packages, and this morning we went our of school and delivered them around Norton.
It has been lovely getting to know Class Six this week, and we cannot wait to start our new expedition next week!!
Year 1 have had a fantastic first week back having lots of fun, building relationships when playing team building games and showing their kindness to everybody around. In crew we discussed our guiding question ‘How does what I do impact others’ and we came up with some great ideas of how we can take care of our friends and make them happy.
This week, Year Two have been exploring our new guiding question: “Does Crew stop at the school gates?” We began the term by thinking carefully about what it means to be part of a crew, not just in our classroom but in our wider community too.
Throughout the week, children took part in a range of activities designed to reconnect us as a crew after the summer break. We shared stories, took new crew photographs, created self-portraits for our classroom displays, and agreed on norms to help guide how we want our classroom to look, feel and sound. We also enjoyed team-building games and challenges, reminding ourselves that we are always stronger when we work together.
A real highlight was our work on kindness. Each child wrote a thoughtful kindness poem, which was carefully packaged alongside small treats into gift bags. In the afternoon, we set out together to deliver these kindness bags around Norton. The children were so proud to share their poems and gifts with members of our local community, showing that acts of compassion can travel far beyond the school gates.
This project helped us to see that crew is not just something that happens inside the classroom – it is about how we connect with and care for others wherever we go. We are excited to continue exploring this question throughout the year.
What a brilliant first day we’ve had back at school today! It was wonderful to see all the children arriving this morning with big smiles, smart uniforms and lots of excitement (and a few little nerves too – which is completely normal!).
The children have settled back into school life so quickly. We spent time getting to know our new classroom, reminding ourselves of our routines and expectations, and most importantly, enjoying being back together as a crew.
A big focus for us today was on the character trait of Craftsmanship and Quality. Using the artist Piet Mondrian as our inspiration, the children worked carefully and thoughtfully to create some beautiful pieces of artwork of their own – we were so impressed with the pride they took in their work.
We also shared the story Our Class is a Family. Together, we thought about our families at home and then reflected on what will make our classroom feel like a family too. The children came up with some wonderful ideas about kindness, teamwork and looking after one another.
There were also plenty of opportunities for fun games and team challenges to help everyone feel comfortable and confident. It was lovely to see new friendships beginning to form and old ones picking up right where they left off.
We are so proud of how brilliantly the children have started the year. This is going to be an exciting term filled with learning, discovery and new adventures – and today was the perfect start!
Well done, everyone – we can’t wait to see what tomorrow brings.
In our final community meeting all the children in class 1 and 2 were announced as our stars! We have had the most incredible year watching them grow and flourish. We know they will continue to shine bright in year one! Well done to each and everyone one of you, you should all be very proud of your achievements this year!
Here’s a selection of beautiful work from across the XP Trust from the last two weeks of term! It’s been filled with all kinds of wonderful things from all of our schools. To read about other stories from across the XP Trust, visit xptrust.org.
At XP, we believe education should help young people discover who they are, what they stand for, and how they can make a difference. The arts are at the heart of this.
Through music, dance, drama, and visual art, our students learn to collaborate, express themselves, and craft work of real depth and beauty. These aren’t “extras” to the curriculum – they are essential experiences that develop the character traits we value above anything else: courage, craftsmanship, respect, and compassion.
Last Friday, we celebrated these values at our second XP Festival of Arts & Culture – a day filled with music, dance, and art from across all the schools in our Trust. Every primary school showcased their dancing skills in collaboration with Phoenix Dance Company, alongside cheerleaders and singers from across the Trust.
The afternoon culminated in a show-stopping parade led by the New York Brass Band, bringing everyone together for an unforgettable rendition of Kool and the Gang’s “Celebration”. The evening carried the energy forward with live music from XP Doncaster and XP Gateshead students, alongside local bands and professional artists.
Our students were phenomenal – both on stage and in the audience – showing once again the power of Crew in action.
A huge thank you goes to the XP Doncaster and Plover staff who stewarded and supported the event. It was a powerful example of what’s possible when we create spaces for young people to thrive.
Last week the children in class 1 went to Austerfield Study Centre, it was the perfect way to end our final expedition, titled ‘Once Upon a Time’. The children were very excited on the coach!
Once we arrived we made our very own fairies and took them into the woods. We made little fairy houses and the children worked creatively! The children enjoyed listening to the story of ‘The Little Red Riding Hood’ and we even got to reenact it ourselves in the woods!
We all enjoyed our lunch…
We had some hot and tired faces on the way home but we were all smiling after such a lovely day!
The children represented Norton Infant School beautifully during our visit, and we were extremely proud of how well they listened and worked collaboratively on all the tasks. What a lovely way to end our year 🙂
