This week, our Year 10 students visited the National Holocaust Museum as part of our ‘Power and Prejudice’ expedition. The visit supported learning in both GCSE History, focusing on life under Nazi rule, and GCSE Ethics by exploring Judaism.
Students explored the museum’s powerful exhibitions and beautiful memorial gardens before hearing the moving testimony of a Holocaust survivor. Listening to their first-hand experiences brought history to life and encouraged students to reflect on the importance of challenging prejudice, discrimination and hatred.
The day was a valuable opportunity to deepen students’ understanding of the Holocaust and its lasting lessons for society today. We are incredibly proud of the respect, maturity and empathy shown by all students throughout the visit.
Scott Boldt is a long-time partner and valued friend of XP, and recently, he brought his wealth of experience and stories to our Year 8 students at both XP Doncaster and XP Gateshead. Scott joined us as an expert to support their current Learning Expedition, “Should I Stay, Or Should I Go?” where students are grappling with the complex and timely guiding question: “Is Migration Worth the Risk?”
The sessions kicked off with a mystery piece. Scott asked the students to guess where he originated from based solely on his accent. The room buzzed with suggestions as students called out everything from the USA and Australia to Ireland and New Zealand! While his accent certainly kept them guessing, Scott eventually revealed his true roots: he comes from a Polish heritage and was raised on the south side of Chicago in the USA. Scott shared his early life experiences as he grew up in a working-class household with a mother who worked as a waitress and a father in a factory. His journey from those Chicago streets to the classrooms of XP is a story in itself.
Scott’s personal history served as a perfect living example of the “push and pull” factors of migration. Before his life of travel began, he had never even stepped foot on a plane. His journey took him from Chicago to Dublin for his studies, where life took a romantic turn when he met his future wife, Hilary. This connection eventually led him to Belfast, but the move wasn’t without its hurdles; at one point, the necessity of work and the complexities of securing a visa actually required him to move back to Chicago to ensure he could eventually settle with his family.
During the visit, Scott helped students connect these personal anecdotes to broader historical and global themes. He explored the various reasons people move, whether for adventure and love, or out of necessity due to war, oppression, or environmental disasters. He delved into the history of the Irish Famine in the 1840s, explaining how colonisation by Britain fundamentally stripped wealth from the land and imposed laws from a distant Westminster. This led to a nuanced discussion about the negative impacts of colonisation, such as the loss of language and culture, alongside some of the complex systemic changes like education and infrastructure.
When students asked how migration had changed him, Scott reflected on how moving away from home had been fuelled by his sense of adventure, assimilation, and profound self-discovery. Without a doubt his extensive travels (we counted he’d been to at least thirty countries) had fundamentally changed and influenced how he views the world and our common humanity. While he cited South Africa as one of the most beautiful places he’s ever visited, filled with stunning scenery and wildlife, he admitted that Ireland has his heart because it is where he settled and built his life. He also shared his impactful work on “The Troubles” in Northern Ireland, discussing how he actually worked towards peace and reconciliation in a region deeply affected by its own history of colonisation and migration.
We would like to thank Scott for his important and informative contribution as an ‘expert’ and look forward to when he visits our Trust in the future.
Congratulations to Kelly Overson, the Green Top Staff Crew and their awesome children for a fantastic set of outcomes from last week’s OFTSED Inspection. Whilst the grades can’t be shared outside of our organisation – the provisional grades are very positive with some impressive ratings.
The energy, dedication, and sheer hard work put in by the entire team over those intense days was nothing short of inspiring. In fact, the school clearly left an impression on the inspection team. As one Inspector informally commented as he left the building, ‘ I’ll never forget this school! ‘
As you can see from Kelly’s letter to parents, her overwhelming sentiment is one of immense gratitude and pride. She highlighted how exceptionally well the children conducted themselves – showing maturity, confidence, and enthusiasm that made them a true credit to their families and the entire community.
Kelly also expressed her deep appreciation for the unwavering commitment of the staff team and the vital partnership with parents and carers, reinforcing just how special and united the Green Top school community really is.
We couldn’t agree more. Huge congratulations to everyone involved for this well-deserved outcome!
Join us this summer and get involved in our exciting enrichment activities! The PE department has plenty to offer, with a wide range of sports and activities for everyone to enjoy.
Why not take the opportunity to try a new sport, develop your skills, and have some fun after school? We also have a variety of events and competitions coming up, giving you the chance to challenge yourself and represent the school.
Whether you’re looking to compete, learn something new, or simply come along and enjoy playing with friends, there’s something for everyone. We look forward to seeing you there!
Following last week’s trip to London, we welcomed the Year 9 Crew from King Alfred School to XP Doncaster this week. The students immediately dived back into their collaborative Learning Expedition, ‘Something Better Change’, starting the day with a Crew Circle to reconnect and refocus their work. Our students then led authentic ambassador tours, showing our guests exactly how we build community, develop character, and craft beautiful work across our schools.
The combined Crew spent the rest of their time tackling our central Guiding Question: ‘What sort of education would we design for our own children?’ Working with great compassion and respect, the students analysed their notes from last week and began the messy, exciting process of drafting their initial ideas – proving what happens when young people are empowered to get smart to do good in the world.
The day finished on a high with students ready and resolute to continue this important collaboration. They decided that they wanted to share their thoughts more widely and engage with a wider range of stakeholders. A film of the initial stages of the Expedition will help to spread their message and we can use this as a springboard for further work next term.
We think this is the beginning of a beautiful, and agency filled, friendship.
