XP Gateshead

As you know, the arts form an integral part of our curriculum at both KS3 and KS4.

If you’re looking for something exciting to do over this weekend there are a range of family-friendly events, outdoor performances, artist workshops, and music performances across Newcastle over today and tomorrow.

For more information see the festival website here:

https://novumnewcastle.com

G31 will complete a hike on Thursday 27th August as part of their first week back. Although closely supervised by staff, this will be the students’ first experience navigating with a map in the great outdoors.

To travel further into the countryside, we will be taking the train to Wylam. Because trains on this route run hourly, we may return to school slightly later than usual. We aim to be back by 15:45, but please be aware that any train delays or cancellations could delay our return by up to an hour.

Students will receive a consent form on Tuesday 25th August when they return. This form allows you to provide consent for the late return and to update us on any medical conditions we should be aware of.

This hike requires students to wear suitable walking boots or shoes. If this is not possible, please let your child’s Crew Leader know, as we have spare boots and shoes available for students to borrow.

Retailers like Trespass and Go Outdoors offer quality walking boots and shoes at reasonable prices. A Go Outdoors membership costs £5 and provides discounted pricing on all of their stock.

Students will have the chance to wear these boots again as they develop their navigation skills in year 9.

Below is an excerpt from our core principles regarding the importance of our students spending time in nature:

‘XP Outdoors is an integral part of our learning in our Trust. It is important now, more than ever, for students to actively engage in looking after our natural environment and take responsibility for its future especially in light of the concerns over climate change. Being outdoors in nature has a hugely positive impact on our students’ wellbeing both physically and mentally so getting students outdoors within expeditions and Crew is highly important. 

The XP Outdoor curriculum can enhance expeditions and Crew by allowing students to develop additional skills and grow their character. It is also an opportunity to teach students through alternative methods which can benefit students that often struggle in the usual classroom environment. Therefore, in light of the above, we are determined to extend our classrooms outside of our school building, into nature and the wider community.

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.’

More information about year 9 will follow in blog posts in our first week back!

Have a wonderful summer 

The year 9 team!

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

Year 6 leavers party 2026 @ Green Top

Our class of 2026 @ Plover

KS1 Celebration of Learning @ Carcroft School

Powering the Future @ XP Doncaster

Colour run fun! @ Norton Infants

Year 6 raises money for local donkey sanctuary @ Norton Juniors

G29 Final product @ XP Gateshead

Share your stories with us!

We now have a new dedicated news email so that you can send your stories, updates or ideas about potential news articles directly to us in Comms.

It might be something you or your students have achieved, a charity you’re supporting or anything at all that deserves a wider audience.

Write to us at [email protected] –  we want to hear about it, write about it and celebrate it!

Dear Parents and Carers of G29

Here is the link to Youtube for G29’s first episode of ‘An Elizabethan Street through Time’. The second episode, both exiting and informative, will follow in the new term!

Happy watching

Thanks for your support as always

Team G29

Year 8 students from XP Gateshead have collaborated with the Newcastle Hospitals Charity arts programme to create an immersive public art installation exploring the question: What does it mean to be human?

Now displayed at the Royal Victoria Infirmary in Newcastle, the installation combines artwork, written reflections and anatomical imagery created by students as part of their ‘Being Human’ Learning Expedition. The work aims to encourage conversations around identity, compassion and organ donation through a thoughtful and interactive experience.

Throughout the expedition, students explored the idea of what it means to be human through a range of subjects, including Science, History, Religion and the Arts. Their learning encouraged them to reflect on themes including resilience, empathy, creativity and collaboration, while also considering the role compassion plays in healthcare and organ donation.  

The final installation features large-scale visual artwork alongside written speech extracts produced by students, inviting visitors to reflect on humanity through the voices and perspectives of young people. Anatomical illustrations and layered artistic responses encourage viewers to consider both the complexity of the human body and the emotional experiences that connect us all.  

One student wrote: “A human is more than organs, skin and blood. A human is a person with feelings and emotion.”  

Another reflected: “Being human is about using our creativity to help others in need. If we work together we can make a difference.”  

The charity arts programme team were integral in the development of this project with representatives Katie Newell and Holly Richardson, coming into school to launch the brief with the students. We are incredibly grateful, as this gave the students an authentic experience of working as commissioned artists alongside a client; an invaluable experience. To further the collaboration, Dominic Manning, specialist nurse organ donation with NHS Blood and Transplant (NHSBT) also visited the students in class to discuss organ donation and transplantation, not only from a clinical perspective but exploring the moral and ethical aspects further emphasising the importance of the students’ work. 

Katie Newell, head of arts programmes of Newcastle Hospitals Charity said:

“Through the arts programme, we are delighted to have worked with XP Gateshead, to create an artwork for display in Newcastle Hospitals that promotes wider conversation around organ donation. Year 8 students met with staff in Great North Children’s Hospital and NHSBT to understand more about the work they do and have made a creative, large-scale mural, in the hope of normalising family discussions about organ donation and transplantation. It’s great to be able to share their reflections and drawings with patients, staff and visitors to the New Vic Wing, RVI.“

Dominic Manning, Specialist Nurse in Organ Donation at NHS Blood and Transplant, says: “It was a real pleasure to work with the students from XP Gateshead and the Newcastle Hospitals Charity to explore the importance of organ donation and explain the work that we do at NHS Blood and Transplant. The artwork that the children has created is a testament to the conversations they have had and the reflections they have drawn on. It will serve to encourage people to take a moment to consider their thoughts about organ donation – and when they have, we encourage them to take two minutes to confirm their donation decision on the NHS Organ Donor Register.”

Emmy Tatters, the Teacher who led the Learning Expedition said:

“This project gave students the opportunity to explore a deeply important and complex question through authentic and meaningful work. Seeing their ideas and artwork displayed publicly within the RVI has helped students understand the real impact their work can have beyond the classroom. We are incredibly grateful to Newcastle Hospitals Charity and the experts who supported students throughout the process.”

The installation is currently on display next to the pharmacy at the Royal Victoria Infirmary in Newcastle.