For students in XP Secondary Schools their very first day at school involves getting on a bus and going on an Outward Bound expedition with their new crews.

This week is hugely important in establishing our culture and helping students to realise what it means to be crew.

“To start a school is to proclaim what it means to be human”

Tom James – EL Education

XP schools’ provenance is closely linked to the Outward Bound Trust. The very first EL schools in the US were born out of the idea of taking the Outward Bound design principles and reimagining them for the classroom and scholarship.

Year 7 Students from XP School and XP East have gone to the Aberdovey Outward Bound Centre for the last four years.

They go as strangers, they come back as a crew.

#wearecrew

We Are Crew *super-cut* from Relational Schools on Vimeo.

This video highlights the importance of Crew, which underpins our entire curriculum model. Crew is our pastoral structure, where students are known well, and work together on their common mission being university-bound.

There are 12 or 13 students and one adult in each crew. Crew is for 45 minutes every morning.

The role of the crew leader is to support each student academically and personally through their time at XP Gateshead.

#wearecrew