XP School Review 2026: Small, deliberately designed secondary with Crew at the centre

A school day here begins with Crew, not assembly. That single structural choice explains a great deal about XP School: relationships are treated as the foundation for learning, and the timetable is built around habits, routines, and shared language that staff expect students to use in every lesson and every corridor. With a planned capacity of 250 students, it is intentionally small, and it sits alongside XP East as part of the wider XP School Trust.

Leadership has also been recently refreshed. The current principal is Mrs Claira Salter, appointed in April 2023.

Families considering XP should understand two things early. First, the curriculum model is distinctive, centred on cross-subject expeditions rather than a conventional “separate subjects, separate books” approach. Second, admission is popular and structured around a fair banding assessment and a lottery process across a defined postcode area, rather than “live closer, be safer”.

XP’s headline phrase, “Above all, compassion”, is not treated as a poster slogan. It is integrated into a larger set of character traits and habits of work and learning, which students are expected to practise explicitly: Respect, Courage, Craftsmanship and Quality, Integrity, and Above all compassion, alongside the habits Work Hard, Get Smart and Be Kind.

Crew is the cultural engine. The school describes Crew as the structure through which each student has a sustained relationship with an adult Crew Leader, with regular monitoring of academic progress and support in social and emotional development. The aim is that students feel safe enough to show both strengths and vulnerabilities, and that Crew becomes the consistent point of contact between home and school.

For parents, the practical implication is that pastoral support is not a bolt-on “office down the corridor”. It is built into the daily rhythm. In a small school, that can feel unusually coherent, because the same language, expectations, and routines can be reinforced quickly and consistently.

Stewardship is another defining strand. XP frames stewardship as a shared responsibility for resources, spaces, and the learning environment, with named stewards for rooms and areas, inventories, and termly “degunge” routines to keep spaces ready for high-quality work.

This is not primarily about tidiness for its own sake. It is presented as a way to protect time and attention in lessons, reduce waste, and keep spaces usable for practical work and exhibition-style outcomes.

The physical experience is also distinctive in small ways that reveal the design mindset. The published day structure includes an 8.00am arrival window, with students gathering on stairs or meeting outdoors, followed by a long Crew session before the first academic block.

That sets a tone of calm preparation before formal learning begins. It also signals that mornings are not rushed straight into content, which will suit some students strongly, particularly those who benefit from predictable routines and relational check-ins.

XP School is a state-funded academy for ages 11 to 19, with a small roll relative to typical secondaries.

At GCSE level, the most recent dataset used in this review shows an Attainment 8 score of 44.9 and a Progress 8 score of -0.12. The Progress 8 figure suggests student progress is slightly below the England average benchmark of 0, so families should read results as broadly in line with the mid-range rather than “high-performing outlier”.

For EBacc-related measures the average EBacc APS is 4.11, and 8.3% of pupils achieved grades 5 or above across the EBacc measure reported.

Rankings in this review use FindMySchool’s proprietary rankings based on official data. XP School is ranked 2,356th in England for GCSE outcomes (FindMySchool ranking), and 14th within Doncaster. This places it in line with the middle 35% of secondary schools in England (25th to 60th percentile).

A key context point is scale. In very small cohorts, a handful of students can move headline measures more than they would in a larger school. Parents should therefore look for consistency across several years (where available) and match the published outcomes with what they see of teaching quality, expectations, and student work at open events.

XP’s curriculum model is built around learning expeditions, described as cross-disciplinary projects designed to connect subjects and create deep, purposeful learning experiences. The expedition model is tightly structured, mapped to standards, skills, and content.

The practical implication is that “what students did in English” may be integrated into a wider product or narrative that also draws on humanities and, at times, STEM. This can be very motivating for students who learn best when they can see a purpose beyond the exercise itself.

A second implication is that students need to be comfortable with public outcomes. Expedition models typically culminate in “beautiful work”, critique, and presentation. XP’s wider published language reinforces that expectation, emphasising quality and craftsmanship as character traits, not optional extras.

For some students, this increases engagement and pride. For others, particularly those who prefer private drafting and lower visibility, it can feel exposing until confidence builds.

The school day structure also supports extended learning time. The published timetable runs to 3.15pm for the formal day, with extended study, enrichment, and restorative reflection continuing to 4.30pm, while also noting that students may leave at 3.15pm.

That flexibility matters. It suggests enrichment is built into the rhythm of the school rather than treated as optional “if staff have time”, but families will want to understand how participation works in practice for different year groups and commitments.

Public destination statistics are not available used for this review, and the school’s website content accessible during research focuses more on curriculum design and student experience than on publishing headline university or apprenticeship destination numbers.

What is clear is that careers education is treated as a planned programme. XP states that its secondary careers provision aligns with the Gatsby Benchmarks, offering impartial advice tailored to individual needs, and integrating employability, enterprise, and life skills into learners’ experiences.

For families, the sensible approach is to ask very directly, at open events or through the school, how this translates into work experience access, employer encounters, and post-16 guidance in a small-school context.

Post-16 also needs careful handling. XP’s own admissions guidance presents 11 to 16 provision across XP and XP East, with post-16 places referenced through the wider trust context, so families considering sixth form should ask how pathways are structured across the campus, and what the transition looks like at the end of Year 11.

Admissions are clearly not based on living closest. XP states that it welcomes applications from children residing within specific postcode ranges (DN1 to DN12 and S64), and that, within that area, it does not matter how close a family lives to the school because admissions are determined by a random lottery administered independently by the local authority.

That is a major differentiator in a sector where distance often dominates. It can feel fairer for families who cannot or do not want to relocate, but it also means there is less strategic advantage in being “just around the corner”.

The second key component is the Fair Banding Assessment. XP explains that all applicants must sit this multiple-choice, non-verbal reasoning test, used to place students into one of five ability bands. It is described as having no pass or fail, with results used solely to support a balanced intake across ability levels.

For September 2026 entry, XP’s published guidance states that registration should be completed by 31 October 2025, and that applicants should attend the assessment on 22 November 2025.

Practical timing matters as much as philosophy. The school has also reminded families that the local authority application deadline is 31 October, aligning with the Year 7 entry cycle for the following September.

Appeals information is published at trust level, with an example timetable that places national offer notification on 02 March 2026, and an appeals lodging deadline of 27 March 2026.

A final admissions nuance is that XP also references a Musical Aptitude route for Year 7 entry. The published information focuses on recognising musical potential rather than prior instrumental training, so families interested in this route should seek the detailed criteria and timeline, then align it with the fair banding and local authority process.

Parents who want a clearer sense of their realistic chances should use the FindMySchoolMap Search to understand the local pattern of applications and compare options across Doncaster, because a lottery model changes the usual “distance strategy” that families rely on elsewhere.

Pastoral care is best understood through the interplay of Crew and the wider culture language. Crew is described as the place where students are known, where there is a one-to-one relationship with a Crew Leader, and where progress is monitored alongside social and emotional development.

This should appeal to families who value a consistent adult advocate for their child, especially in adolescence where small issues can become big issues quickly if nobody “joins the dots”.

Wellbeing is also explicitly linked to learning beyond the classroom. For example, XP describes the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award as integral to the curriculum across Key Stage 3 and 4, connecting students to the natural environment and having a positive impact on wellbeing, while also linking to the expedition and Crew curriculum.

That integration matters, because it suggests that character development and wellbeing are not treated as separate, occasional initiatives. They are integrated into planned experiences, with the expectation that students learn through challenge, reflection, and team responsibility.

Sport and leadership are visibly active in current school communications. A January 2026 update references badminton practice across year groups, netball fixtures and a Sport leader umpiring, plus Year 10 BTEC Sport leaders supporting a primary basketball event. It also highlights ongoing clubs and training, including netball practice and cheerleading practice scheduled after school.

The implication for students is that leadership opportunities are not restricted to “prefects in Year 11”. They appear embedded in the way activities are run, which can suit students who learn confidence through responsibility.

Outdoor learning and challenge is another pillar. XP publishes content on Outward Bound experiences linked to Crew, positioning the programme as a place where bonds are built through shared challenge.

For many students, this kind of structured adventure provides a strong sense of belonging, and it can be particularly helpful for students who are quieter in classrooms but thrive in practical, team-based contexts.

Creative and digital opportunities are also present, though not always described with detailed programme content on the pages available during research. The school highlights a Digital Leaders strand and links to trust-level information, and it also promotes arts and culture through events such as an XP Festival of Arts and Culture referenced in its music communications.

Parents should ask how these strands operate week to week, including how students join, what training is involved, and how work is showcased.

The published day structure runs from an 8.00am arrival window through to a 3.15pm end of the formal day, with extended study, enrichment activities, and restorative reflection continuing to 4.30pm, while also stating that students may leave at 3.15pm.

Wraparound care is typically less relevant for secondary than for primary, but the existence of a structured after-school block is still meaningful for working families and for students who benefit from supervised study time. Families should confirm how enrichment and extended study are organised for different year groups, including expectations around attendance.

For travel, the school is located in Woodlands, Doncaster. Given the admissions postcode area, many students will commute from across Doncaster and nearby communities, so families should sanity-check journey time at the times students actually travel, and confirm any on-site drop-off and pick-up expectations directly with the school.

• Admissions are not distance-based. XP states that, within its defined postcode area, admission is determined by a lottery administered by the local authority, so living close does not create priority. This suits families who want a clearer “chance” regardless of postcode, but it can feel uncertain compared with distance rules.

• Fair banding is mandatory and time-sensitive. Applicants must sit a non-verbal reasoning assessment used to place them into ability bands, with published deadlines for registration and the assessment date for September 2026 entry. Families who miss the timeline should expect their application to be affected.

• GCSE outcomes sit around the mid-range. FindMySchool’s GCSE ranking places XP in the middle 35% of schools in England, and the Progress 8 score is slightly below the 0 benchmark. Families drawn primarily by the model should still interrogate how consistently academic basics are secured across subjects, particularly for students who need structure and repetition.

• The model is not a “quietly conventional” option. Expeditions, public products, critique, and an explicit culture of craftsmanship and quality will suit students who like purposeful learning and teamwork, but it may feel demanding for students who strongly prefer private work and highly predictable subject routines.

XP School is a small, intentional secondary where culture is engineered through Crew, stewardship routines, and a curriculum built around learning expeditions. For families who want relationships at the centre of school life, and who value purposeful project work alongside sport, leadership, and outdoor challenge, it can be a compelling fit. Best suited to students who respond well to shared language, visible expectations, and learning that culminates in real products, and to families comfortable with a lottery-based admissions route where timing and process matter as much as preference.