XP Gateshead

Dear Families

Our students have returned well after the half term break and quickly got back into the swing of things, working hard and enjoying the great learning opportunities they have had this week. We’ve had some amazing expert sessions in school which continue to feed into current expedition work supporting our students in their response to their guiding questions.

Working with experts

G31 – What does it mean to be human?

Our Year 8 students interviewed Humanist experts in school on Monday. Our experts  supported students to build on their learning about the golden rule of humanism, and uncover more about Humanist beliefs.

Our students enjoyed their session with the Humanist experts who spoke to them about the Humanist belief that we have one life and therefore should ensure we make the most of our time on Earth by living the best life possible for ourselves and others, including future generations. As is always the case, the experts praised the high quality questions and discussions they had with our students and the maturity they demonstrated.

G32 – How are structures important in helping us to explain our world? 

On Thursday our G32 students had an expert session with Kate Osborne Member of Parliament (MP) for Jarrow and Gateshead East as part of their current expedition  ‘Another Brick in the Wall’ with students working to answer a guiding question ‘How are structures important in helping us to explain our world?’. As part of their work students have been looking at political structures in Government and been investigating housing policy of the Labour Party and other major political parties in the U.K. Our Year 9 really took the opportunity to ask Kate questions and discussions covered climate action, sustainability, housing policy, immigration along with more personal questions around Kate’s passion for politics and the North East.

Beautiful work

G32’s handmade poppies in preparation for Remembrance

G31’s stunning Memory Lane Radio broadcast 

I think that the biggest highlight of the week though must be our G31’s final product from their 7.2 expedition ‘Do your bit‘ radio broadcast. This was played on Memory Lane Radio on Sunday 9th November as part of a programme of their Remembrance programme. The segment features excerpts from students’ creative writing on the theme of unheard voices from World War I. Their work explores and responds to the guiding question: ‘Why is it important that we honour all who sacrificed in WWI?’

Listening to the beautiful voices and words of all 50 of our students was simply stunning, their writing was powerful and really emotive. If you didn’t get the chance to tune in on Sunday,  I highly recommend you get a cup of tea, sit back and enjoy the programme.

You can listen here.

Charity work 

Crew Stanton’s Halloween Disco 

On Tuesday, Crew Stanton ran another successful school disco to support their crew charity Tiny Lives. Tiny Lives is a charity in Newcastle that supports premature and unwell babies and their families. Crew Stanton have supported Tiny Lives for the past 3 years, running a range of charity events. They were very keen to run a final event before they leave XPG. I would like to appreciate the students for really leaving a strong legacy at XPG for what Crew charities can really achieve. Across the last 3 years, they have raised over £3000! Crew Kahlo also be ran some additional Day of the Dead and Frieda Kahlo themed games to raise money for their Crew Charity,

It was a great evening, enjoyed by students and staff alike and there were some fantastic halloween outfits on the evening

Our week ahead 

Anti-Bullying Week 2025: Power for Good

Every November schools right across the UK take part in Anti-Bullying Week. This is an opportunity to highlight bullying and consider the steps we can take together to stop it. Anti-Bullying Week 2025 takes place from Monday 10th – Friday 14th November with the theme ‘Power for Good’ . It is coordinated by the Anti-Bullying Alliance, which is based at leading children’s charity the National Children’s Bureau. This year the organisation has worked with children and young people up and down England, Wales and Northern Ireland to decide the theme. This Anti-Bullying Week they urge adults and young people alike to come together to have discussions about how we can use the power we have for good, to bring bullying to an end. 

Please see the Parent and Carer pack for more details

G28 November Mock Exams

This week our Year 11 students will undertake a set of mock GCSE exams:

Please note that students will not sit an exam for every component of their examinations in this mock window. There will be another mock session for G28 in February where all components will be examined.

G32 Fieldwork to Beamish – Wednesday 12th November

As part of G32’s current expedition of learning, students will be taking part in important fieldwork at Beamish Museum in County Durham on Wednesday 12th November.

This visit will provide an authentic and immersive learning experience, supporting students’ studies of the Industrial Revolution and the importance of coal in shaping life in the Northeast. The workshops will encourage speaking, listening, and historical investigation, helping students make meaningful connections between their Human studies and their work in STEAM where students have been building on their understanding of state changes and learning how learning how George Stephenson applied these principles to experiment with the development of steam engines and machinery that powered the Industrial Revolution. The visit will allow them to see these concepts in action and understand how scientific innovation transformed industry and everyday life.

For full details, see the website post

G29 GCSE Geography Urban Fieldwork – Friday 14th February

G29 Geography students will investigate the regeneration of the Ouseburn area in Newcastle, building on their first unit of study, where they explored the question: “Is Newcastle a city of opportunity or challenge?” We will be joined by Northumbria University geographer Michael Jeffries, who will provide valuable insights into the history and geography of the Ouseburn.In the coming weeks, students will analyse their findings and answer the fieldwork question: “Has regeneration had a positive impact on the Ouseburn?”

Students will spend the full day conducting fieldwork. They should bring their regular kit, including their iPads, a packed lunch and be prepared for the weather. The current forecast is cool with a strong chance of rain.

PE sessions this week

Our PE sessions this week are as follows. Please ensure that your child has their  full PE kit.

• All G32 students (Year 7) have PE on Monday..
• All G31 students (Year 8) have PE on Tuesday.
• All G30 students (Year 9) have PE on Thursday
• All G29 students (Year 10) have PE on Monday.
• G28 Class 1 students (Year 11) have PE on Monday.

Extended Study and Clubs

Our clubs will all run this week (see schedule below) along with extended study sessions every day except Friday. 

As usual if you have any questions about your son or daughter please get in touch with your child’s Crew Leader in the first instance or email general enquiries to [email protected].

Dear Families

Welcome back after what I hope has been a restful and safe half term holiday.

We are looking forward to seeing all of our students back this week, raring to go and ready to continue their hard work on current expeditions.

As always, a return to school gives us all the opportunity to make a strong start in terms of getting into good habits and being organised. I would like to remind everyone of the importance of punctuality, attendance and being fully prepared for learning and ask for your support in this to make sure that all of our students are getting it right.

Punctuality

All students need to be in school for an 8.30am start so they must arrive by 8.25am at the latest. A minority of students were regularly late for school last half term which impacted on the learning of others (staff and students). Please talk to your child about their punctuality and ensure that they are arriving on time every day. 

Attendance

At XPG we celebrate attendance and will support those students and families who need to improve their attendance. Snapshots will be shared with you this half term which include attendance information and Crew Leaders will be talking with students and their families  about how important attendance is to academic achievement and success in school.

As you may have seen in the news, school attendance continues to be a concern across the country. At XPG, we were pleased that our attendance figures were higher than local and national figures last year and  there is no doubt that this was down to the hard work of all – students, parents/carers, Crew Leaders and our inclusion team. 

We all understand that school attendance is vital to the life chances of young people and that being in school improves health, wellbeing and socialisation throughout life. We will continue to work hard on attendance and punctuality this half term and will be in contact with families where this is a concern and put supportive improvement plans in place.

As the winter approaches, we are all more susceptible to mild respiratory illnesses including general cold symptoms. It is usually appropriate for parents and carers to send their children to school at these times but it can be tricky making these decisions. The following NHS guidance includes information which may be useful – NHS ‘Is my child too ill for school?’ guidance.

Please share any worries you have around attendance or punctuality with your childs’ Crew Leader. 

Being organised

As always, students need to bring a school bag every day with the following items

• • A filled water bottle
  • Pencil case including: pens, pencils, ruler, eraser and pencil sharpener

• A fully charged iPad

• Headphones – ideally not expensive ones
• A healthy snack for break (no confectionery (sweets), fizzy drinks or energy drinks, nut products)
• A notebook
• A reading book (e-reader book, school library book or book from home)
• A glue stick
• A purple biro pen
• A highlighter pen

Please make sure your son/daughter is fully equipped for learning and contact us if there are any problems.

Our week ahead 

Working with experts 

G31 – What does it mean to be human?

G31 will have sessions with our longstanding humanist experts on Monday, who will help students to build on their learning about the golden rule of humanism, and uncover more about the Humanist belief that we have one life and therefore should ensure we make the most of our time on Earth by living the best life possible for ourselves and others, including future generations.

G30 – How are structures important in helping us to explain our world? 

This week our G30 students will have an expert session with Kate Osborne Member of Parliament (MP) for Jarrow and Gateshead East as part of their current expedition ‘Another Brick in the Wall’ where they are working to answer the guiding question ‘How are structures important in helping us to explain our world?’. As part of their work students have been looking at political structures in Government and been investigating housing policy of the Labour Party and other major political parties in the U.K. 

PE sessions this week

Our PE sessions this week are as follows. Please ensure that your child has their  full PE kit.

• For G32 students (Year 7)
  •  G31 Class 1 students have PE on Monday.
  • G31 Class 2 students have PE on Wednesday.
• All G31 students (Year 8) have PE on Tuesday.
• All G30 students (Year 9) have PE on Thursday.
• All G29 students (Year 10) have PE on Monday.
• All G28 students (Year 11) have PE on Monday.

Extended Study and Clubs

Our clubs will all run this week (see schedule below) along with extended study sessions every day except Friday. 

Important dates for your diaries 

Presentations of Learning (PoLs) this term:

• G32’s PoL will be on the evening of Tuesday 16th December 2025 at St. Mary’s church in Heworth from 4:30pm until 5:54pm. 
• G31’s PoL will be on Thursday 11th December in school at 4.30pm.
• G30’s PoL will be on the evening of Wednesday 10th December at the Farrell Centre in Newcastle University Campus. Start time is to be confirmed.
• G28’s PoL will be on Wednesday 17th December in school at 4.30pm.

PoLs are used as an opportunity for students to showcase their learning from their most current learning expedition. PoLs enable students to grow their character and further embed their learning through presenting their work in front of a range of authentic audiences and in a variety of contexts. We expect for every child to have a family member there to support them at a PoL.

As usual if you have any questions about your son or daughter please get in touch with your child’s Crew Leader in the first instance or email general enquiries to [email protected].

Thank you, as always, for your ongoing support.

Julie Mosley