Dear Parents and Carers
A reminder that if your student is participating in today’s G29 immersion fieldwork, and is in Class 1, we will be arriving back at school slightly later than usual, at 3.30pm.
Thanks
Team G29
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As part of our upcoming Crew Day on Friday 8th May, our G32 students will take part in a fundraising event to support Walk for Water. The event will be held on our school yard beginning at around 9:30am and continuing until approximately 2:30pm with a break for lunch.
This builds on the fantastic efforts of previous cohorts, who have already raised over half of the total needed to fund a water well on behalf of XP Gateshead for a community in need. We are now asking families and friends to help G32 reach the final target. If you are able to contribute, donations can be made via the Enthuse platform using this link . Additionally, our G32 students will be bringing home a sponsor form containing a QR code that you can scan and make a donation.
Your support, in any amount that can be spared, is greatly appreciated and makes a genuine difference.
Students will attend school at the usual time and finish at the normal time of 3:15pm.
What students will need:
- Their usual school kit, including a water bottle
- Suncream
- Comfortable trainers suitable for walking on the track
- Appropriate clothing for the weather (including a waterproof jacket and/or sun hat)
- A sandwich and their agreed contribution to their crew’s picnic
Students who are eligible for free school meals can request a packed lunch; please ensure this is arranged in advance with their Crew Leader by Wednesday 6th May.
The current forecast suggests cloudy damp conditions with a chance of drizzle; however, we encourage students to come prepared for all weather, including the possibility of rain.
Thank you for your continued support in helping our students engage with such a meaningful and impactful cause. We hope to see some of you there on the day.
Harry has had some great success for Harry at the WKA World Karate Championships. Harry achieved a silver medal in the 13-15 Kumite category. He was competing against people from all over the world. He showed great resilience in the semi-final, by coming back from being 3-5 down and gaining 3 points in 30 seconds, which saw him get into the Final.
Harry has also competed in Pairs Kata, and while he didn’t achieved a medal at that tournament, the performance of Harry and his team mate, Nathan, was outstanding and something to be proud of again.
This is testament to Harry’s hard work over the last year, training 4 times per week.
Great work Harry!
Dear Families
Here we are at the end of our first May Bank Holiday weekend. I hope you have enjoyed the additional family time this weekend.
Last week saw a lot of hard work from students across all year groups and a highlight for me was the way all of our students have supported the G28 Art and Photography exams as well as G29 mock exams which took place last week.
Our Year 11 students continue to show real determination as final exams approach. Last week we saw all G28 students complete 10 hours of assessment in art exams. These exams represented the culmination of months of preparatory work (worth 40% of their final GCSE grade) and students produced a final, focused outcome based on their chosen theme.
Last week, Year 10 students sat their first GCSE mock exams which they approached with maturity and commitment. Their courage was admirable as they had their first real experience of GCSE exam papers and conditions and they deserve full congratulations. We will be working with them to make sure they understand that this is the start of their journey and we will be supporting them all the way. In the coming weeks after marking and moderation takes place, we will share the mock results with students along with our predictions at this stage for their final outcomes next year.
I also want to congratulate our year 7, 8 and 9 students for the respect, compassion and support they have shown our older students. As a community we all support each other to get to the top of the mountain at XP Gateshead.
Ellen McGonical, a visitor in school last week, shared her reflections after spending time with our students, which included the following:
“I was completely blown away by XP yesterday. From the moment I walked through the doors, I felt the strength and spirit of the school, it radiates from every corner of the building and every student I met.”
“What stood out so powerfully at XP is how much everybody cares – about their learning, about each other, and about the world around them.”
“XP is far from ordinary. This is education at its most thoughtful and impactful – an environment where young people are empowered not just to succeed, but to care deeply, think critically, and truly thrive”
G33 Transition – Online family meetings
We have enjoyed meeting many of our new students and their families this week online. Family meetings will continue this week. This is all part of us getting to know our new students and their families as much as possible before they start with us on Tuesday 25th August 2026. Please see our recent website post for full details on our transition timeline for 2026 (shown below).
G32 and G31 Getting ready for Student Led Conferences (SLCs)
Our Year 7 and 8 students have started their preparation work for SLCs which take place over the fortnight beginning Monday 11th May.
Please note that we expect all families to attend SLCs. These, like PoLs, are key moments in the deliberate development of character for our young people and it is vital that parents, carers and families are present to support these events.
You should have already received an email with an updated snapshot from your child and a link to ask questions of them in advance of the SLC. Click here for that link if your child has not yet sent that on to you.
We will be in touch with families of Crew Windsor in G31 soon with plans for their next SLCs.
You will also receive a link to sign up for a time slot from your child’s Crew Leader this week. Please contact [email protected] if you do not receive this.
Saying Goodbye to Suzanne Purdy
On Monday we found out that Suzanne Purdy, our school chef, was leaving us. Suzanne worked for Gateshead Council catering services and has been part of the team supporting us since we started XP Gateshead back in September 2021.
Suzanne has cared for us all, looking after students and staff alike every day. She has led her teams across the last 5 years producing meals for our whole school community, keeping us all nourished. Suzanne has really cared about every young person at XPG, showing kindness and compassion for all.
Like staff, our students were sad to hear the news that Suzanne was leaving XPG and we will look to celebrate her time with us in the coming weeks. We wish Suzanne every success in her new role and thank her for commitment to XPG and the care she has shown our students.
This week
G28 Exams – Health and Social Care / Sport
This week Health and Social Care, Sports and Entry Level English exams take place. A huge thank you to Mrs Diamond, Mr Devitt and Ms Young for all of their hard work and support they have given our Y11 students. Our students have really appreciated their support.
PE sessions this week
There are some changes to PE sessions this week due to the bank holiday and Crew Day on Friday.
- G32 students (Y7)
- Class 1 have PE on Thursday this week
- Class 2 have PE on Wednesday this week
- G31 students (Y8) have PE on Tuesday this week
Crew Day – Friday 8th May
Every half term, we run a Crew Day which is an opportunity to ‘tend’ to crew and culture. Crew is our support network at XPG and key to the continued success of everyone at our school. We will revisit what it means to be crew, and our responsibilities in getting everyone to the top of the mountain. The investment in crew is the most important one we make – if we get crew right, we get everything right!
We will put out separate posts this week for each year group to give further details of each Crew Day and the kit needed for each year group.
Extended Study and Clubs
Extended study and after school clubs will be running Tuesday to Thursday this 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
G29 Fieldwork Wednesday 6th May
Dear parents and carers of G29
On Wednesday 6th of May, as part of their new expedition immersion, G29 will be taking part in fieldwork to Bessie Surtees’ House, on Newcastle Quayside.
Class two will be going in the morning, wholly within school hours. We will be walking to Heworth metro, getting the metro to Central Station then walking to the Quayside. We will be back in time for lunch, so no lunch is needed, but please ensure students have suitable footwear for walking, a showerproof coat and suncream if the weather is good.
Class one will be going in the afternoon. We will be going after lunch, and the arrangements are as above. Class one will be arriving back at school at approximately 3.30, roughly 15 minutes after usual time.
Kind regards
G29 team
Thanks to all families and organisations that have supported with the organisation and offers of work placements for our Year 10 students.
We still have a number of students that have not yet secured placements.
We are particularly interested in placements in the following sectors;
- Finance
- Business admin
- Creative
- Digital
- Design
In addition to providing a rich experience for students, the requirements from employers in advance of the placement starting are proof of liability insurance and risk assessment (this would usually correlate with risk assessments existing employees.
If there are any families in our community with contacts, or organisations that could potentially offer placements for the week commencing Monday 11th May, or part of that week, please do get in touch with Mr Said on [email protected] .
Sharing our Stories: 01/05/2026
Beautiful work this week
Here’s a selection of beautiful work from across the XP Trust!
To read about other stories from across the XP Trust, visit xptrust.org.
Top of the Blogs
Practice what you preach Ms Tatters… @ XP Gateshead
Class Six are Artist Extraordinaires @ Norton Infants
Share your stories with us!
Write to us at [email protected] – we want to hear about it, write about it and celebrate it!
We’re looking for a Trust SENCO at XP Trust!
Find out more here and apply to #JoinOurCrew – https://xptrust.org/xp-trust-senco/
In 2021, on the shores of Ullswater, a spark was lit. It was there that our school was born, and where we first discovered the true meaning of Crew. Since those first days in the Lake District, we have grown, evolved, and welcomed new members into our fold, but we would not be who we are today without G28. As our pioneers, they didn’t just attend a school; they built one.
I have watched this cohort grow with immense pride, and as they now pour their hearts into their GCSEs, I wanted to find a way to honour their grit and resilience. Since you can’t get sponsored for sitting an exam, I’m heading back to where it all began…
On May 31st, I will be running the Montane Ullswater Way Ultra Marathon—a gruelling 55km (33 miles) encompassing the entire circumference of the lake plus 20km of peaks. I am doing this to practice what we preach: to prove that there is ‘more in us than we know’ and that hard work pays off. I am raising funds for Tiny Lives in honour of everything my crew and the entire G28 cohort have achieved over these transformative five years. Please join me in celebrating our pioneers and supporting this vital cause.
(This is me on Good Friday on a training run pointing over to Hallin Fell and our camp spot. I am hoping for better weather come May…)
Dear Year 6 Families
We are delighted to be able to announce the calendar of transition events that we have planned to welcome your children and your family into our community at XP Gateshead.
More details on each of these events will follow in due course, but here is an overview of the activities so that you can plan ahead and discuss this with your child.
Online Family Meetings
Thanks to those families that have already booked online family meeting. Meetings have started today, Monday 27th April. These take place via Google Meet during the evening and are with a senior leader in the school. The meetings are a first chance for us to meet you and your child, to find out about them and discuss our expectations as a school. Your meeting will last up to 30 minutes. To book a meeting if you have not already done so, please follow this link:
Primary School Visits
We aim to visit every child in their Primary School in the summer term. This is done by members of our transition team and means that as well as seeing your child in an educational setting, they get to know another friendly face before they come to us.
In-Person Information Evening for parents/carers
We will be holding an In-Person Information Evening at our school on Wednesday 20th May at 6pm.
It is vital that all families attend as we will give important information about the Outward Bound course that takes place for all students at the start of Year 7 as well as our iPad scheme and music specialism. In addition, we will address some of the misconceptions about our school so that families are completely clear on what we are: ‘A mainstream school with a relentless focus on beautiful work, character growth and academic success’, and also what we are not. There will be an opportunity for you to ask us questions too of course.
Transition Days at XP Gateshead
Your children will join us in school on Tuesday 30th June and Wednesday 1st July. Again more details of these days will follow in due course. Like a regular school day, students can arrive in school from 8:00am but need to be present by 8:25am. Our school day finishes at 3:15pm.
Your child will follow a typical day at XPG on both days which include some crew sessions, expedition sessions and a community meeting.
There will be an additional programme of transition activities for some children on Thursday 2nd July. We cannot offer this to all children and will contact families to let you know if we decide that your child would benefit from and needs this additional day in school.
Meet your child’s Crew Leader
Following the transition days, on Tuesday 7th July we will invite parents and carers into school in the evening at 5pm to meet your child’s new Crew Leader. We expect all families to attend this event. We are proud of the strong relationships that we form with families at XP Gateshead and this is an important opportunity for you to begin to build that relationship with the person that will be the key adult for your child when they start with us. As well as our cross-curricular learning expeditions, our pastoral structure Crew is what sets us apart from other schools.
We start school earlier than other schools in the local authority to allow for the Outward Bound experience. Our first day of term for year 7 is Tuesday 25th August 2025. More info on our term dates can be found by clicking here.
We are really excited to get to know our newest students and their families over the coming months.
Welcome to our community and crew at XP Gateshead!