Unlock your child’s musical potential at XP Gateshead!

9th July 2026Geoff

At XP Gateshead, we believe music has the power to inspire and shape young minds. Each year, we offer a unique opportunity for children with a natural flair for music to gain a place in Year 7 through our dedicated Musical Aptitude Admissions route. 

Whether your child already sings or plays an instrument, or simply has a keen ear for rhythm, melody, and pitch, this pathway recognises raw musical potential. 

With access to expert tuition, vibrant performance opportunities, and a culture that celebrates creativity, XP Gateshead is the perfect stage for your child to flourish musically and academically. Click here to see highlights from our recent annual XP Festival of Arts and Culture:

 

Apply now, and don’t miss this chance to join a learning community where talent is nurtured and passion takes centre stage!

Find out more here: https://xptrust.info/XPGMA

 

Summer Break – Essential Water Safety Advice for Our Families

By Michelle Ross17th July 2026

It’s the summer break and it’s our hope that the weather keeps being kind so that our students can get outdoors. However, while we want all of our students and families to have a wonderful, relaxing time enjoying the sunshine, we also want to ensure everyone stays safe.

Historically, hot school holidays see a significant increase in accidental drownings in inland waters and along the coast. It is a tragic reality that around 402 people lose their lives to drowning across the UK and Ireland every single year—and these tragedies are preventable. Alarmingly, around 44% of these accidental drownings happen between May and August, often when people are trying to cool off in the heat. Furthermore, more than 46% of those who drowned never even intended to enter the water in the first place.

To help keep our young people safe, we ask that parents and carers take a few moments to read through this factual safety guide. Our students will have gone through this information with their Crew leaders but should also take the time to look again.

The Hidden Dangers of Open Water Swimming

When the weather is hot, local rivers, lakes, canals, and quarries look incredibly inviting. However, open water holds major hidden hazards that even strong swimmers cannot anticipate:

  • Unexpected Depth: Open water is often far deeper than it appears from the surface, making it easy to drop out of your depth instantly.

  • Undercurrents: Strong, invisible undercurrents can quickly drag a swimmer under the water and keep them trapped beneath the surface.

  • Hidden Debris: Below the surface lie hidden objects such as sharp rocks, fallen trees, broken glass, and abandoned rubbish (like shopping trolleys). Jumping or diving into these can cause severe head and spinal injuries, or trap your limbs.

  • Weeds and Undertows: Swimmers can easily become tangled and trapped in underwater weeds. Swimming near structures like weirs is incredibly dangerous, as the powerful undertow offers little chance of escape.

  • Pollution: Natural open waters can contain harmful bacteria and pollution that can cause serious illness if swallowed or if it gets into open cuts.

Understanding the #1 Danger: Cold Water Shock

The single biggest safety issue with jumping into open water in the UK is Cold Water Shock.

Even on a scorching hot day, water temperatures in UK rivers, lakes, and reservoirs remain very cold—often hovering around 12°C or lower. Cold water removes heat from the human body 32 times faster than cold air.

When a person jumps into cold water, the body experiences an automatic, uncontrollable physical reaction known as cold water shock. This includes:

  • An immediate gasp for air, followed by rapid breathing (up to 1000% greater than normal), which often leads to accidentally inhaling water directly into the lungs.

  • Sudden muscle cramps and a dramatic reduction in physical coordination, making it impossible to swim.

  • A sudden spike in blood pressure and heart rate, which can trigger cardiac distress.

Cold water shock peaks within the first 1 minute. If a person panics and thrashes around during this critical minute, they are at an incredibly high risk of drowning rapidly.

How to Survive: Float to Live

If your child or family member gets into difficulty or falls into cold water, they must fight their natural instinct to swim or thrash about. Instead, remember the life-saving advice: Float to Live.

  1. Fight your instinct: Do not try to swim or struggle.

  2. Lean back: Tilt your head back and extend your arms and legs like a starfish.

  3. Gently move: If needed, gently scull your hands or move your feet to help stay afloat.

  4. Concentrate on breathing: Focus entirely on staying calm and controlling your breathing through the initial 1-minute shock phase.

  5. Call for help: Only once the breathing is controlled should you attempt to swim to safety, call out for help, or continue floating until rescue arrives.

What to Do If You See Someone Else in Trouble

If you see someone struggling in the water, never jump in to save them. Many secondary drownings occur when well-meaning family members or friends enter the water and become victims themselves.

Instead, follow these steps immediately:

  • Shout for help and Call 999: Ask for the Fire and Rescue Service if you are inland, or the Coastguard if you are at the beach.

  • Reach: If it is safe to do so, try to reach the person from the bank using a long stick, pole, clothing, or a scarf. Always crouch or lie down flat on the ground so you aren’t accidentally pulled into the water yourself.

  • Throw: Look for designated rescue equipment (like a lifebuoy or throw line). If none is available, throw anything that floats (an inflated football, a plastic container, etc.) to help the person stay above water until emergency services arrive.

A Collective Responsibility

Water safety education is vital: statistics show that around two-thirds of UK adults surveyed have never had formal water safety education, and only 30% of parents feel very confident that their child knows how to stay safe around water.

Please talk to your children openly and factually about these risks. If they want to swim, please guide them toward safe, supervised environments like public swimming pools or lifeguarded beaches where they can stay within their depth and enjoy the hot weather safely.

Have a wonderful, restful, and safe summer!

G31 FIRST WEEK BACK

17th July 2026Rebecca Jones

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!

Sharing our Stories: 17/07/2026

17th July 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

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!

G29 Final product

17th July 2026Hannah Simpson

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

What Does it Mean to Be Human? XP Gateshead students’ artwork displayed at Newcastle’s Royal Victoria Infirmary

15th July 2026Geoff Hewitt

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.

Flu Immunisations – Information for all parents

14th July 2026XP Gateshead Office

Good afternoon, please find the information below from our school immunisation team regarding their vaccination programme for all year groups.

 The flu vaccination programme will commence in the Autumn term for children in year 7 up to and including year 11.

The date for your school is 05/11/2026

Can all parents/carers of those attending in September complete the following link before the end of term.

https://www.northumbriaimmunisations.co.uk/Forms/Flu 

The school code is: NB148617

Summer activities from Gateshead FC

12th July 2026XP Gateshead Office

Gateshead FC are delivering a range of fun, inclusive and engaging holiday activities for children aged 5–16 years, with sessions taking place at both Kibblesworth Park Pavilion and White Mere Primary School throughout the summer holidays.

Please see below for 5 timetables of their summer holiday camp offers. 

Their programme includes a wide variety of activities including:

⚽ Football & sports activities
🎨 Creative activities
🍎 Food-based activities
🌱 Outdoor learning & nature activities
🤝 Friendship building & team games
🧩 Sensory play, Lego, giant games and free play opportunities

There are have both:

🎟️ Funded HAF places available for eligible children
💷 Paid places available for families who do not qualify for HAF funding

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Booking links are below:

Funded HAF Places:
https://app.holidayactivities.com/parent/providers/gateshead-united-fc

Paid Places:
https://form.jotform.com/261745261095055


Gateshead United FC/ LJB Coaching
[email protected]
07580 420361

Weekly Update for Families – W/C Monday 13th July 2026

By Julie Mosley12th July 2026

Dear Families

Welcome to our final weekly update of this academic year. 

Last week was another exciting week for us at XPG with our G30 PoL (presentation of learning), our final Crew Day of the year, a Sports Day on Thursday which took place at Gateshead International Stadium and a chance for new G33 families to meet their child’s new Crew Leaders.

There was great work achieved as always last week and our students continued to work hard, get smart and be kind even as end of term tiredness kicked in. Seeing students work together supporting each other to be their best versions, leaning in on crew and culture was a real strength. An external consultant spent the day with us on Thursday for our safeguarding and attendance review and emailed this weekend to say:

”…as well as being a strong school, you are a strong XP school. Knowing all of the XP schools, I know what you’re about as a trust, and Gateshead really lives that”. 

We look forward to reading her full report when we receive it later this week.

Here are a some of the highlights from our week:

G30 What a Wonderful World PoL

On Thursday we enjoyed a fantastic evening with year 9 students and their families where students shared their final expedition products as well as their learning from their current expedition: What a Wonderful World, with the guiding question: “What is our relationship with the natural world?”.

The evening was structured in three parts, with poetry, artwork and a hosted discussion in our outdoor area. Thanks to all families that left feedback on our exit tickets:

“The PoLs just keep getting better and better”

“Impressive use of the school grounds to teach us more about our relationship with nature.”

“Beautiful poems, well read.”

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G33 Meet your child’s Crew Leader 

On Tuesday it was great to welcome back our G33 families to a final transition meeting of the year. Like our students, our new ‘family crews’ circled up and got to know XPG staff, each other along with some of the protocols we use at XPG. Can I thank all families for their time on Tuesday, especially our already established families who were on hand offering advice , guidance and support to new families.

Here is a link to a post with the slides from the event.

Crew Sports Day, Friday 10th July

On Friday we had our final Crew Day of the year, our Sports Day. The whole school travelled together by metro to Gateshead International Stadium to spend time in crews competing in field and track events. It was great to see staff and students enjoying time with their crew, supporting and celebrating each other. 

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This week

G32 Presentation of Learning, Tuesday 14th July, 4:30-6:00pm

We are looking forward to our final Year 7 PoL on Tuesday. Our students will be hosting a gallery walk sharing images and articles from their current expedition, Hold Back the River, which explores the guiding question: How does water shape our world? The evening will also feature the launch of our G32 students’ published book, What’s the Story of Our Community?, as promised back at our first POL in St Mary’s Church in December. Guests will be welcomed in our theatre space with a glass of spritz and a selection of sweet treats as we come together to celebrate the launch of this very special book showcasing the Beautiful Work of our G32 students. More details here.

G29 Presentation of Learning, Thursday 16th July 

As our final in person PoL for G29 won’t be held until their performance of Romeo and Juliet in term 1 of the next academic year, we are hosting a watch along of the digital final product they have created during the course of this term.

Our Year 10 students have created two episodes of the historical TV show ‘An Elizabethan Street Through Time’. This will be posted on the XP YouTube Channel at 4.30pm, and we would love everyone to watch along and leave comments praising the students hard work. Please enjoy our first TV show produced by students at XPG. Look out for a link later in the week.

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PE sessions this week

After a day of sports and physical activity on Friday, there will only be PE sessions for our Key Stage 3 students (Y7-9) this week. Our PE sessions this week are as follows, please ensure that your child has their full PE kit.

  • 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
  • G30 students (Y9) have PE on Monday this week

No Extended Study and Clubs

Due to the Presentations of Learning we are not running clubs or extended study this week.

Staffing Update

This week we will be saying goodbye to three members of staff – Rebecca Marshall, Charlotte Fielding and Victoria Downes. Please see the staffing update posted last week for full details. 

As is always the case, it’s sad to see staff leave our school but we will always be grateful for the work they have done and the part they have played in shaping our school and its culture whilst they have been with us. I know that as parents and carers you will join me in thanks to these staff for the care and compassion they have shown to your children. 

Summer Holidays

We break up for Summer holidays this Friday 17th July. Please remember that, as always, our students finish at 1:30pm on Friday to allow staff to de-gunge and replenish rooms and teaching spaces ready for the new academic year.

Looking ahead

GCSE Results Day – Thursday 20th August

GCSE results day is the 20th August. Students and families will be welcomed into school from 9am to collect their results. We look forward to seeing all of our G28 students and families and celebrating our first GCSE results and the hard work and success of our G28 Pioneers. 

Return to school ready to start our new term

Our new term begins on Monday 24th August and we will run a staggered return to school to ensure all students have a strong start to the new academic year.

For next year’s full calendar please see this page. Make sure that you click on Gateshead calendars (and not Doncaster).

Monday 24th August staggered start for G29 and G30 students (Y10 and Y11)

Tuesday 25th August staggered start for G33, G32 and G31 students (Y7, Y8 and Y9)

We will share full details of timings for the first week back to school in a post later this week. 

Can I remind all parents of the importance of attendance at XPG – 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.

As you are aware, at XPG we have  a five week Summer Break and a two week October half term break and we do not authorise pupils to take holidays during our school term times. 

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 for your ongoing support 

Julie Mosley

Sports Day Arrival Back at School

10th July 2026Martin Said

There are delays to the metro service. We have prioritised getting Year 7 back to school first. They are expected back to school at around 15.20pm. Year 8-10 will follow respectively, but with staggered arrival times of up to ten minutes between cohorts.