Find out more and apply to #JoinOurCrew! https://xptrust.org/xp-doncaster-teacher-of-geography-expeditions/
We’re looking for a Teacher of Geography and Expeditions at XP Doncaster
Fieldwork to The Deep
Today, our Key Stage One children embarked on an exciting fieldwork visit to The Deep — and what an incredible day it was!
From the moment we arrived, the children were completely immersed in the wonders of the ocean. As they explored the aquarium, they encountered magnificent sharks, graceful stingrays, colourful tropical fish and fascinating creatures from oceans around the world. There were gasps of amazement, endless excitement and so many thoughtful conversations as the children connected their learning from school to the real world around them.
One of the highlights of the day was taking part in a fantastic workshop all about protecting our oceans from plastic pollution. The children learned about the devastating impact plastic can have on marine life and explored simple but powerful ways we can all help care for our planet. We were incredibly proud of the way the children engaged with the session — asking insightful questions, sharing their own knowledge and showing genuine compassion for the animals affected by pollution.
Perhaps the thing we were proudest of all was the children’s impeccable behaviour throughout the day. Their enthusiasm, curiosity and kindness shone from start to finish. In fact, several members of the public took the time to comment on how polite, respectful and engaged our children were — something that made all the adults very proud indeed!
The visit was a wonderful opportunity to bring our expedition learning to life and helped the children see that even small actions can make a big difference in protecting our oceans. We returned to school inspired, informed and even more determined to help care for the world around us.
Well done, Year 2 — you were a real credit to our school!
Sharing our Stories: 15/05/2026
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
Uncovering a big problem @ Norton Infants
Something Better Change @ XP Doncaster
The band is just fantastic that is really what I think @ Norton Juniors
Share your stories with us!
Write to us at [email protected] – we want to hear about it, write about it and celebrate it!
Diving into Case Study Two!
This week, we launched into Case Study Two by exploring the exciting question: Who would you see having adventures at sea?
The children arrived at school dressed as people they might spot in or around the sea, and what an exciting start to our new learning journey it was! We met pirates, sharks, sea explorers, turtles, mermaids and many more adventurous characters. The costumes and role play ideas really helped to immerse the children in our expedition learning.
Throughout the day, the children dived into imaginative storytelling and role play, creating exciting sea adventures together. They explored different characters, settings and problems their stories might include, using lots of wonderful language and creativity.
To finish our hook day, each child created their own story plan for an exciting sea adventure tale. Every story is completely different and full of imagination — from Sonic at sea to magical glitter and sharks that bite ! We cannot wait to begin writing and developing these stories over the next few weeks.
Uncovering a big problem
As we began Case Study One, we arrived at school to discover a shocking sight — plastic had been scattered all across our tables and learning environment! The children were quick to notice how messy it looked and shared that it made them feel sad and worried.
This sparked an important discussion about plastic pollution and how plastic in our oceans can harm sea creatures and their habitats. Through a think-pair-share activity, the children talked thoughtfully about the problems plastic can cause and worked together to create an anchor chart full of their ideas and learning.
We also read the beautiful and thought-provoking book The Odd Fish, which helped us reflect on the importance of caring for our oceans and environment. We wrote some great sentences too.
Inspired by our learning, the children have each brought in a plastic bottle from home ready to transform into a large piece of land art. We are so excited to share our creative environmental project with you next week!
Hooking into our ‘Sea Explorer’ Expedition
Children in Class 1 were hooked into our summer expedition by reading ‘Commotion in the Ocean’ written by Giles Andreae. The colourful cast of sea creatures provided the perfect stimulus for children to make their own sea creatures. They used a variety of mediums, including paints, oil pastels and sketching pencils to create some beautiful art work that was proudly displayed around their learning environment. As we joined in with the lively verses in the text, children became familiar with the different creatures that you find in our oceans. Each EYFS crew took a sea creature from the story and used non fiction texts to explore each creature further.
We’re looking for a Geography and Expedition Teacher at XP Doncaster!
Find out more and apply to #JoinOurCrew! https://xptrust.org/xp-doncaster-teacher-of-geography-expeditions/
Sharing our Stories: 08/05/2026
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
Beautiful Work from Harry @ XP Gateshead
Sleep and Feeling Ready – Supporting Healthy Routines in KS1 @ Norton Infants
Drama star in X28 Crew Pasteur! @ XP School
E29 have officially finished their first round of mock exams! @ XP East
Share your stories with us!
Write to us at [email protected] – we want to hear about it, write about it and celebrate it!
We’re looking for Cleaners at Carcroft School!
Find out more and apply here to #JoinOurCrew – https://xptrust.org/carcroft-school-cleaners/
Sleep & Feeling Ready – Supporting Healthy Routines in KS1
This week in our Key Stage 1 community meeting, we explored another important part of our guiding question: How can I be the healthiest version of me?
Our focus was on something simple but powerful—sleep—and how it helps our brains and bodies feel ready for the day ahead.
Why Sleep Matters
We began by thinking about how it feels when we are really tired. The children shared lots of honest and relatable ideas—feeling grumpy, slow, a little bit silly, and sometimes finding it hard to concentrate.
This helped us understand an important message:
Sleep helps our brains and bodies get ready for a new day.
Tired vs Well-Rested
To bring this to life, we acted out two different learners:
- One who was tired—yawning, not listening, struggling to focus
- One who was well-rested—standing tall, smiling, ready to learn
The children quickly noticed the difference and were able to explain why sleep helps us to be focused, kind, and ready for school.
What Happens When We Sleep?
We talked about what sleep does for our bodies in a simple, child-friendly way:
- Helps our brain grow and learn
- Supports our mood (less grumpy!)
- Gives us energy
- Keeps our bodies healthy
We described sleep as a way of recharging our brains—just like an iPad charging overnight!
Building Healthy Bedtime Habits
We then discussed what helps us get a good night’s sleep. The children shared some fantastic ideas, including:
- Having a calm bedtime routine (such as a bath or story)
- Turning off screens before bed
- Going to bed at a similar time each night
- Creating a calm, quiet space
It was lovely to hear how many children already have positive routines in place.
A Moment of Calm
We finished by practising a simple breathing technique to help our bodies feel calm and ready:
- Breathe in slowly
- Hold
- Breathe out gently
This is something the children can use at home as part of their bedtime routine or whenever they need a moment to reset.
Our Key Message
We reminded the children that sleep is one of the best ways to help us feel ready for school. When we are well-rested, we can learn better, feel happier, and be the best version of ourselves.
We were so impressed with how thoughtfully the children engaged in this conversation. Why not ask your child what helps them feel ready for school—you might discover some great ideas to try at home together!
Thank you for your continued support.