The Duke of Edinburgh Award Scheme at XP Trust

At XP, we connect with the world.

Watching our children standing on their own two feet is the most magical feeling for parents. Watching them fall can often be the worst, but sometimes we must. There is a saying that goes, “The safest place for a ship is in the harbour, but that is not what ships are built for”.

At XP, we create safe opportunities that support and challenge our students to do more than they thought possible, for them to never accept any less of themselves. These opportunities go beyond just preparing for tests in a classroom. Even beyond our learning expeditions, all our students go on outdoor expeditions.

Our students laugh and cry as they walk in the sunshine and rain, cobbling meals together on stoves, getting lost as they find themselves, creating stories that last forever.

As our students challenge themselves, developing their grit, determination and resilience which will stand them in good stead in their future years, we expect things to be difficult. We expect students will get some things wrong and make bad decisions. Some students will fall down. Because we expect this, we are there to help them back up and dust them off. Each student has different comfort zones and they will learn from each other. While we treat our students with equity, they step outside their comfort zones to stretch themselves and grow.

Our students draw on these experiences when they climb their own unique mountains, whether it be a ‘maths mountain’ or a ‘speaking in public mountain’, they draw on these experiences to know they can push through and succeed.

And yes, all this helps massively when they sit down for their exams!

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