One of the main goals of The Wood Foundation’s investment Excelerate is to provide opportunities to inspire and empower education practitioners.
Last month, 32 colleagues from nine Excelerate partner schools and six members of the RAiSE (Raising Aspirations in Science Education) network – a programme of Education Scotland, The Wood Foundation, Scottish Government, and participating local authorities – took part in a two-day study visit.
They travelled to XP, a forward-thinking school in Doncaster, to experience the school’s unique way of teaching and learning through “expeditions” that are designed to connect subjects and encourage in-depth learning.
Aberdeen, Aberdeenshire and Angus teachers had a chance to speak to XP students and attend workshops led by Andy Sprakes, Laura Parsons, and Kerry Poncia who took them through the anatomy of an “expedition”.
The study visit was an immersive, hands-on experience, offering a deeper understanding of XP’s approach to delivering the Curriculum for Excellence. It was also an opportunity for teachers to look outwards, reflect on their own practice, and examine the synergies that exist between “expeditions” and interdisciplinary learning.
We are looking forward to returning to XP in April when the focus will be on Crew which aims to reshape school cultures, deepen relationships and offer consistent support to young people.