XP Gateshead

Dear Families

Welcome back, we hope you have enjoyed your Easter break.  We are really looking forward to welcoming our students back tomorrow for the start of our Summer term at XP Gateshead.

Passage feedback from G30 families 

We would also like to gather feedback from G30 families following last term’s Passage Presentations so would appreciate your time in completing the following form.

You can give us your feedback by clicking here.

Important reminders for a good start back to school…

Punctuality

School opens at 8:00am every morning. Students should arrive between 8:00am and 8:25 am and there are spaces available for socialising, reading or completing extended study. Students must be on site for 8.25am for the call to Crew. A calm start to the day is really important for students to settle into learning so we ask that parents support their child with this. 

Dress code

Please refer to our website post for full details on our dress code. Can I remind parents of the following expectations around daily dress within school and ask for your full support around this as we move in to a new term 

For a normal day within school, it is not appropriate that students wear:

• Hats, hoods & coats inside school
• Revealing clothing, i.e. revealing the midriff, chest or upper thigh
• Noticeable make-up, including false eyelashes
• Valuable, sentimental or impractical accessories / jewellery
  • For example heavy chains, thick sovereign rings, or false nails
• Impractical footwear:

• For example sliders, flip-flops or high heels.

Daily kit list

As always, students need to bring a school bag with:

• A filled water bottle
• Pencil case including: pens, pencils, ruler, eraser, pencil sharpener, glue stick and purple biro pen. 
• A fully charged iPad.
• Their AR reading book (please remember that as part of our reading strategy, we expect all students to read between 20-30 mins. each day)
• Headphones 
• A healthy snack for break (no confectionery (sweets), fizzy drinks or energy drinks, nut products)
• A notebook

Last term we continued to have issues with individuals arriving at school without a charged iPad. Please ensure your child has a charger at home so that charging issues can be avoided this term. We do not provide replacement chargers. 

Attendance

At XP Gateshead, we believe that every day at school matters. If students are not at school, they are not forming positive habits and are not performing academically. There is a direct correlation between regular attendance and academic achievement. Regular attendance builds strong routines, boosts self-confidence, and fosters essential life skills like reliability and friendship building.  It is vitally important that all our pupils attend our school as much as physically possible, and that all stakeholders (students, parents/carers, Crew Leaders) recognise that every day at school matters and the part we all play in this.

We will continue to work hard to improve attendance this term and the ways we support those students and families who need to improve their attendance.  As you know, we expect every student to be in school and want every young person to hit our 97%+ attendance target. Attendance is discussed with students on a weekly basis and crew attendance is celebrated each week along with improved attendance and 100% attendance.

If, for any reason, your child is unable to attend school you must contact the school office before 8:25 am by telephone. This is a safeguarding procedure which has to happen on every day of absence.

We do not authorise pupils to take holidays during school term times. Please note our this year’s and next year’s term dates: 2025/26 Calendar and 2026/27 Calendar. 

The term ahead

This summer term is always a lovely time of year, as the weather improves and expeditions tend to focus on our curriculum seam: protecting our planet.

We also see our pioneering students in G28 move into the final chapter of their time with us. A huge appreciation goes out to the students and staff that worked over the Easter Break in preparation for the summer exams. This is the last push now for G28 students, and we look forward to sharing in their success later in the summer.

This week

New Term – New Expeditions for G32, G31

A new term means new and exciting expeditions for our Y7 and Y8. Immersion will take place this week and our students will be working hard to find out what their new guiding questions are and the challenges and new learning their expeditions will bring.

G30 and G29 Presentations of Learning

Year 9 HUMAN – How can we continue to make progress on public health?

G30’s expedition ‘You Give Me Fever’’ culminates this week. Our students studied public health over time and investigated health inequalities in Gateshead today, looking at the correlation between disease and deprivation.  

G30’s Presentation of Learning will be a Public Health Conference, hosted by our students in school on Wednesday 15th April at 2pm.

G29 – Are we really free to choose?

G29’s PoL will take the form of a debate on Friday 17th April at Newcastle Sixth Form College at 4:30pm. 

Alongside the Presentation of Learning which is in the form of a debate. See Miss Simpson’s post for more details.

PE sessions this week

• Year 7 have PE on Wednesday this week.
• Year 8 have PE on Tuesday this week.
• Year 9 have PE Monday this week.
• Year 10 and 11 each have PE on Thursday this week.

Extended Study and Clubs

As is usually the case at the start of a new term there will be no extended study or after school clubs running this week. After school sessions will all start again next week.

If you have any questions please contact your child’s crew leader in the first instance. 

Thank you as always for your ongoing support.

Julie Mosley

Dear Families

Here we are at the end of another fantastic term at XP Gateshead and what a term it has been! 

G32 and G31 Presentations of Learning

Year 8 students presented their ‘What is Power?’ expedition at Caedmon Hall, Gateshead Central Library on Thursday. We were all blown away by the quality and depth of their understanding – performances of Macbeth intertwined with insights into the meaning of the word power in society, science, history, geography, music and art. 

Year 7 students delivered an outstanding PoL, which marked the culmination of a full term’s work across the Humanities and Arts subjects.

Year 7 have also culminated their expedition with the guiding question ‘Is Survival Sufficient?’ this week. Today they have delivered their food boxes to Edberts House to support families in need. A true act of compassion.

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Lego League Tournament

Congratulations to all of our Digital Leaders that competed in the Lego tournament today at Gateshead College Academy for Sport! Students were great ambassadors for the school and successfully navigated some very tricky robotics challenges.

G30 and G29 Presentations of Learning to come

I’m really looking forward to seeing G30 and G29 families at our upcoming PoLs at the start of the Summer Term. See below for details:

Year 9 – How can we continue to make progress on public health?

PoL on Wednesday 15th April in school from 2pm. This Presentation of Learning is in the form of a Public Health Conference, hosted by our students. Please note the earlier time for this.

Year 10 – Are we really free to choose?

PoL on Friday 17th April at Newcastle Sixth Form College after school. 

Students will be using the campus earlier as part of the preparation for the PoL and also as part of their continued preparation for Post-16. We will post a confirmation of the start time in a separate blog post.

I am sure that you will all agree that our students have continued to rise to the challenge – they continue to work hard, get smart and be kind on a daily basis producing beautiful work, developing their character to achieve academic success.

Thank you so much for your continued support. 

We look forward to seeing you after the holiday on Monday 13th April at the usual time where we will be starting on our next exciting expeditionary adventures.

Happy Easter from all the staff crew at XP Gateshead.

Julie Mosley