G32 Gurdwara Fieldwork Reminder

By Michelle Ross9th February 2026

This is a reminder that G32 are carrying out religion and worldviews fieldwork at the Gurdwara Siri Guru Singh Sabha in Newcastle on this Thursday 12th February. Please see full post here for further information.

 

Students should arrive for school on Thursday, as usual, before 8.25am.

We will be travelling to the Gurdwara by metro from Heworth, leaving school at 9:00am  and returning by 3:15pm.

It’s essential to remind our students that they need to be dressed modestly, which in terms of going into the Gurdwara, means shoulders and knees covered so no shorts or vest tops to be worn please. Additionally, as a mark of respect, and as is the case in many different religious buildings, students will need to cover their heads when in the Gurdwara – if they have their own bandana or thin headscarf to do this they can use that, otherwise they will be provided with one (which has been freshly laundered) on arrival at the Gurdwara.

Hats and hoods are not an appropriate or acceptable head covering inside the Gurdwara.

If you have any questions about this fieldwork, please contact your child’s Crew Leader.


G31 Fieldwork Wednesday: Reminder

By Stephanie Jamison9th February 2026

This is a reminder for families of G31 about fieldwork taking place on Wednesday. The full post and details can be seen here.

Students need full kit with waterproof coat and sensible walking shoes. Families also need to complete photo and evaluation permissions before the even (links to these forms can be found on the full post).

Any questions please contact Miss Jamison.

Weekly Update for Families – W/C Monday 9th February 2026

By Julie Mosley8th February 2026

Dear Families

It has been a busy week as usual at XP Gateshead this week and as always, our students step up to the challenge making the words of Kurt Hahn become more real each day

“There is more in us than we know if we could be made to see it; for the rest of our lives we will be unwilling to settle for less.”

On Monday our year 7 students worked in the kitchen with experts from Nourish as part of their current STEAM expedition exploring the guiding question: ‘Is survival sufficient?’ 

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Our year 7 students have had the privilege of working online with expert Rav Singh, the founder of ‘A little History of the Sikhs’ in their Human session this week. Rav worked with our students on their current HUMAN expedition exploring the guiding question: ‘Why do we need to honour all those who made sacrifices during WWI?’, helping students to understand the experience of Sikhi soldiers and their contribution during WW1. 

G32 SLCs continued last week and our Year 7 Crew Leaders have been full of praise for the courage students have shown in their first SLC and the high quality of their work and presentation. Our students have definitely set the bar high.

G31 SLCs also continued last week and it was great to hear from both parents and students about the step up made in SLCs since Year 7 and the growing confidence and maturity shown in presentations.

This week G29 students spent time with experts from Northumbria University who discussed the Business School and routes into that pathway. Our Year 10 students are also reflecting on their progress and targets in each subject area in readiness for their Teacher Students Learning Conference (TSLC) which takes place Tuesday 17th February. Students will sit alongside their subject teachers to present their learning and share their revision plans and readiness for KS4 exams. Students have been making 5 minute appointments with staff. Please check that your child now has appointments with teachers for all subjects.

Mock exams have continued for our Year 11 students and G28 have continued with their great attitude in terms of maturity, resilience, determination and support for each other. We are really proud of the way G28 lead the way in school and are great role models for our younger students.

G30 Passage Presentation Slots

Work on passage preparation is well underway for G30 students and they are really starting to step up to this challenge. It has been great to read many early drafts of scripts and already, the integrity of reflection and the care they are giving to this work is impressive. Having considered metaphors for their time at XPG, students are currently reflecting on their progress as writers, mathematicians and artists using evidence from their portfolios across Year 7 and Year 8. Students have also been considering the learning journey they have been on at XPG their character development.

There will be slots during the day on Monday 16th and Tuesday 17th March and some limited slots after school on Wednesday 18th and Thursday 19th March. Can all G30 families please complete this form to indicate your preference for a slot. We will do our best to accommodate as many first preferences as possible.

The week ahead

National Apprenticeship Week

This week is National Apprenticeship Week. Over the week we will provide students with more information about possible routes into careers through apprenticeships at a range of levels, from intermediate through to degree level. This will include testimony from existing apprentices.

Children’s Mental Health Week 

This week is also Children’s Mental Health Week with the official theme ‘This is My Place’. We know that our sense of belonging as individuals, in our friendships, in school, and in communities plays a vital role in our mental health and wellbeing. To know our place and really feel part of our environment is a basic human need. It can have powerful and long-lasting impacts in lots of areas of our lives, including our physical and mental health, education, employment and relationships. When we feel that we belong, it empowers us to contribute to the world and make a real difference

This week, in crew sessions, we will look at how peers, families, schools and communities can create inclusive and nurturing environments, where children and young people feel they belong and can say “This is My Place”.

Safer Internet Day

It is Safer Internet Day on Tuesday this week. The focus for this year is ‘Smart tech, safe choices – Exploring the safe and responsible use of AI’. We will be exploring this issue with students across sessions on Tuesday.

Here are some useful Top Tips for Parents and Carers and Top Tips for Young People (across three age ranges) from the UK Safer Internet Centre.

G31 Fieldwork – Wednesday 11th February 

On Wednesday 11th February, Year 8 students are visiting The Great North Museum for a series of talks and workshops to learn about careers and opportunities in Geography and Science. This event is for all of Year 8. Please see the website post for more details.

G32 Fieldwork – Thursday 12th February 

On Thursday 12th February our Year 7 students will visit the  Gurdwara Siri Guru Singh Sabha in Newcastle to find out more about Sikhi and how temples operate as part of their expedition ‘Do your bit’. Please see the website post for more detailed arrangements.

PE this week

  • For G32 students (Y7)
    • G32 Class 1 students have PE on Monday
    • G32 Class 2 students have PE on Wednesday
  • G31 students (Y8) have PE on Tuesday
  • G30 students (Y9) have PE on Thursday
  • G29 students (Y10) and G28 students (Y11) have PE on Monday

In line with our dress code, we expect students to arrive at PE lessons with a change of kit which is appropriate for the activity and all accessories removed. This includes sports trainers with non slip soles e.g. running shoes/astro turf (not plimsolls). Please ensure that your child has a full PE kit. 

Dates to note – holiday dates

Please check dates carefully as they do not always fully align to other Gateshead schools. 

We do not authorise students to take holidays during our school term times. 

  • Spring half term break starts Friday 20th February. We return to school on Monday 2nd March 2026.
  • Easter Holidays. We break up for Easter holidays on Friday 27th March and return to school on Monday 13th April 2026.  See 2025/26 Calendar.

As usual 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

Principal

G30 Families – Please indicate a preferred slot for your child’s passage presentation

By Martin Said8th February 2026

We are about to reach a really important moment in the growth of your child, as Year 9 will carry out their Passage Presentations to prove their readiness for GCSE studies.

Passage presentations with portfolios require and empower students to take the lead role in their own learning, building the dispositions and skills they will need to succeed in the next stages in education or training or in life.

Creating a portfolio and sharing it with a caring but critical audience is a powerful rite of passage for our students.

Passage Presentations last one hour. As family panellists you will listen to your child’s presentation, use rubrics to discuss the quality of the presentation with the other panellists, and then give feedback to the student.

Please use this form to indicate which slots would be your preference for booking a Passage Presentation time for your child.

Sharing our Stories: 06/02/2026

6th February 2026Geoff Hewitt

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

KS1 Legacy Sports Gymnastics @ Green Top

Beautiful Family Learning @ Plover

Active Bodies, Active Minds! @ Carcroft School

Crew Brunel: Final Prep Push @ XP

Weekly Update for Families @ XP Gateshead

Navigating our way to a secret message! @ Norton Infants

Year 9 DofE Skills Session @ XP East

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!

Magic Breakfast Competition

5th February 2026Rebecca Jones

On Friday 30th January, we were delighted to welcome Lynsey from Magic Breakfast to our school. Lynsey was hugely impressed by both our breakfast provision and, most importantly, our incredible XP Gateshead students.

She shared her praise after touring the school:

“The students were fantastic and, during my tour, I was blown away by the work and effort the students had put in. Amazing!”

A special thank you goes to G30, who proudly host our Breakfast Club as part of their Duke of Edinburgh charity work. Their professionalism shone through in the fantastic ambassador tour they delivered for Lynsey.

To build on the visit, Lynsey set the students an exciting challenge: to design a poster advertising our Breakfast Club. This challenge has now become a whole-school competition, with a tasty family hamper up for grabs!

Posters must include:

– Location: H11
– Time: 8:00am – 8:25am
– What’s on offer: bagels, toast, and cereal

We are looking for posters that demonstrate excellent craftsmanship and quality. 

 Competition deadline: 5th March

We can’t wait to see the fantastic designs our students produce!

Information for G29 Families – Work Placements

By Martin Said5th February 2026

Good morning

Today G29 students will activate their account in CareerThread – which is the app that will be used to manage their work placements.

Work placements should take place in the week commencing Monday 11th May, ideally over the full five days.

Families should have received a greeting email from CareerThread. There is no need to take further actions in the CareerThread app at this point – however please do continue to talk to you child about organising their placement. If you have not received this within your family, please contact Mr Said: [email protected]

Students will today also be given a template letter which they can share with prospective employers.

Once students have confirmation of a placement, they will then be able to create their placement in the CareerThread app. They will be shown how to do this today.

G31 Fieldwork Next Week: Wednesday 11th February, Photo Permissions Required

4th February 2026Stephanie Jamison

Next week on Wednesday 11th February, Year 8 students have the opportunity to visit The Great North Museum for a series of talks and workshops to learn about careers and opportunities in Geography and Science. This event is for all of Year 8.

The event facilitators have requested photo and evaluation permissions from families of students attending. Please can families complete the two forms linked below to make your permissions on this clear:

  1. Child Photo & Video Consent Form (Under 18s) – Fill in form
  2. Environmental Careers Day, information and consent – Fill in form

Students will travel on foot to Heworth Station then via Metro to The Great North Museum. We anticipate that we will arrive back to school close to the usual end of the school day at 3.15pm, but we will update families via the website if there are any changes or delays.

Usual fieldwork kit is required for this visit, including full school stationery and iPad, as well as: A waterproof coat, sensible walking shoes (no crocs) ,and a filled water bottle. Lunch is provided for free at this event, however if students are more comfortable with a packed lunch from home this is okay.

 

G32 Fieldwork – Gurdwara Siri Guru Singh Sabha

By Michelle Ross2nd February 2026

Newcastle City Centre Gurdwara

As part of our current expedition ‘Do your bit’ with the guiding question:

‘Why do we need to honour all those who sacrificed in WWI?’

We are carrying out religion and worldviews fieldwork at the Gurdwara Siri Guru Singh Sabha in Newcastle on Thursday 12th February. This fieldwork will consolidate the studying the students are going to be doing about the involvement of the many Sikh soldiers who fought bravely for the empire during WW1.

The students will have an informative presentation and Q & A session with an expert, Rav Singh from ‘A Little History of the Sikhs’ in London, on Wednesday 4th February as well as lessons which explore the beliefs and practices of Sikhi. This fieldwork will then provide the students with firsthand experiences and insights into the Sikh religious traditions that they have learned about.

Students should arrive for school on 12th February, as usual, before 8.25am.

We will be travelling to the Gurdwara by metro from Heworth, leaving school at 9:00am  and returning by 3:15pm.

As a mark of respect, and as is the case in many different religious buildings, students will need to cover their heads when in the Gurdwara – if they have their own bandana or thin headscarf to do this they can use that, otherwise they will be provided with one (which has been freshly laundered) on arrival at the Gurdwara. Hats and hoods are not an appropriate or acceptable head covering inside the Gurdwara. Students will also need to remove their shoes but leave on their socks whilst in the Gurdwara. Students need to be dressed modestly which in terms of going into the Gurdwara means shoulders and knees covered so no shorts or vest tops to be worn please.

One of the practices we will have learned about in the Sikh faith is Sewa which is selfless service or volunteering for the betterment of others and the community without expecting anything in return. Our students will be contributing to ‘Langar’ whilst there, helping to prepare the meal that will be eaten at lunchtime. Students will also be responsible for serving the lunch and clearing away. Sewa is activism which emphasises the importance of compassion, empathy and the selflessness needed in order to promote a caring community and therefore aligns perfectly with our character values here at XP.

The lunch that the students will help to prepare and then will be served to eat will be a delicious vegetarian dhal and flatbread. We would strongly encourage students to try the food, as it is always delicious and students over the past couple of years have been pleasantly surprised by how much they have enjoyed it. If students would prefer to bring a packed lunch it MUST not contain any meat, fish or eggs and, as always, strictly no nuts). Lunch will be provided for students eligible for FSM if you request this.

We are looking forward to students being able to find out more about Sikhi and how the Gurdwara holds immense significance in the Sikh faith and community.

Last year’s cohort and staff found this a very enriching experience and we know that G32 will too!

If you have any questions about this fieldwork, please contact your child’s Crew Leader.





Weekly Update for Families – w/c Monday 2nd February 2026

By Julie Mosley1st February 2026

Dear Families

Every week before I start a weekly update, I look back on the week before reflecting on our progress, student and staff achievements, our culture and our crew. Like every week, there is a feeling of pride about the work that happens at XPG and pleasure in the work we do daily alongside our students, who, like staff, are producing beautiful work, developing character and achieving academic success. We have had several visitors in school this week and they have all commented on the strength of our school culture and how it manifests in the way all students and staff behave and the work that is produced. 

Students as ‘Leaders of their Own Learning’

It has been great to see so many of you in person this week attending G32 and G31 Student Led Conferences (SLC). Our students have shown real courage this week presenting their learning, especially G32 students where this has been their first time presenting a SLC. Feedback from parents and carers has been full of praise and this will feed into their SLC debrief where they will reflect on this experience against the rubric and set themselves targets for their next SLC.

Thank you to all G30 families who attended last week’s Information Evening which included details about Passage Presentations which will take place during the 16th and 17th March.  Crew leaders have been really impressed with the maturity and commitment G30 are showing to their work and the process of passage which is a step up from SLC’s. In a Passage Presentation students present their learning journey from Year 7 to a panel which includes their Crew Leader, a Staff Panelist, a Guest Panelist and their Parents/Carers. We will soon send out the system to book a passage presentation slot. Details from the Information Evening are posted on our website here.

This half term, we will be running our first Teacher Student Learning Conferences (TSLCs) with G29.  Our Y10 students have started working hard to bring together their work in each subject area so they can sit alongside their subject teacher to present their progress to parents. G29 TSLCs will take place on Tuesday 17th February and we will be sharing booking information with Y10 this week.

Magic Breakfast

At XPG we run a Breakfast Club every morning from 8:00–8:25am every day.  One of the best things about Breakfast Club is that it’s run by our brilliant G30 students, with support from staff. They do a fantastic job welcoming students, helping things run smoothly, and creating a positive and friendly atmosphere.

On Friday our breakfast club was visited by Lyndsey Appleby from Magic Breakfast who shared her thoughts and feedback with us and G32 and G31 students 

“It was lovely to see the breakfast provision and run the assemblies. The students were fantastic and, during my tour, I was blown away by the work and effort the students had put in. Amazing!”

We would like to see more students and families taking advantage of our free breakfast offer. Eating breakfast can really help with focus, energy, and concentration, but it’s also about more than food. It’s a chance to relax, feel settled, and start the day on a positive note! Students don’t have to come every day either — popping in once or twice a week is absolutely fine.

G32 Student leaders working with Edberts House 

Last week student leaders from Year 7 visited Edberts House to take part in their community “Burns Breakfast”. They supported with preparation and cooking of the food for the event and spent time with users of the provision. We are so grateful for out continued partnership with Edberts House and are delighted to be able to continue to support their great work.

G31 Students leaders at the RVI Hospital

Student leaders from G31 visited the RVI Hospital in Newcastle to build knowledge around the impact and work that occurs in a hospital setting. Students have presented their findings back to their class around the importance of the NHS within the context of their guiding question “What does it meant to be human?”.

The week ahead

G28 mock exams

Our mock exams continue this week for Year 11 who, as always, are impressing us with their maturity, determination and efforts.

Working with Experts: Activism in Action

At XP, all learning expeditions include working with experts or fieldwork. This links directly to our Design Principle of ‘Activism’, providing students with authentic opportunities to engage with professionals. By working alongside experts, students gain “Powerful Knowledge” that brings integrity and accuracy to their work, helping them see how their learning connects to the wider world.

This week we welcome the following experts to our school:

  • G29 (Year 10): On Monday, students will work with experts from Northumbria University. 
  • G32 (Year 7): Our Year 7 students have a busy week of expert input.
    • On Monday, they will be starting their work with our partners Nourish to develop practical skills and understanding of a range of preparation techniques and recipes in our students kitchen. This connects to their guiding question “Is survival sufficient?”.
    • On Wednesday, they will be joined by expert Rav Singh. This session will help students to further understand the importance of Sikhi soldiers during WWI who travelled half way across the globe to sacrifice for all of us.

PE sessions this week

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

  • Both G32 (Year 7) classes have PE sessions on Monday and Wednesday this week.
  • G31 (Year 8)  students have PE on Tuesday of this week
  • G30 (Year 9)  students have PE on Thursday of this week.
  • G29 and G28 (Year 10 and 11) students have PE on Monday of this week

As always, if you have any questions, please contact your child’s crew leader in the first instance. Thank you for your ongoing support as we work together to help our students become the best versions of themselves.

Julie Mosley

Principal