Our Open Evening Event is now fully booked

By XP Gateshead Office12th September 2026

Our Open Evening on Monday 28th September is now fully booked.

Due to high demand and our limited size and space in our current temporary building, we have had to limit the number of places at the event. If you have not registered to attend, please do not turn up on the evening as we will not be able to accommodate you.

More information about our school

You can find our prospectus here.

Our website is also a valuable source of information and will give you a real flavour of the rigour of XP and our relentless focus on academic success, character growth and beautiful work.

We have also put together an information website for families that are not able to attend, which you can find here:

https://sites.google.com/xpgateshead.org/xp-gateshead-online-open-eve/home

Information on how to apply for a place at our school can be found here:

https://xpgateshead.org/how-to-apply-for-a-place-at-xp-gateshead/

Frequently asked questions about our school can be found here:

https://xpgateshead.org/category/faq/

Weekly Update for Families – W/C Monday 28th September 2026

By Julie Mosley27th September 2026

Dear Families

It’s been another great week at XP Gateshead and our students continue to step up to the challenge we set and our high expectations both in and outside of sessions. 

As we have said many times before, our character traits of respect, courage, integrity, craftsmanship & quality and above all compassion are not just words on a wall at XPG. We expect each other to model them and support and challenge each other to do the same – that goes for all members of our community: students, staff and families alike. Every week our students demonstrate our character traits in spades, and every week we celebrate these and honour them through our community meetings. 

We are really looking forward to our G34 Open Evening on Monday this week and as always, our students will be taking centre stage explaining our curriculum to prospective families, running sessions on beautiful work, developing character and academic success. Students are also ‘front of house’ organising and touring families and music will be provided thanks to our G30 bands. Again, thanks to all families that are lending us your children for the evening. The students really do run the show from beginning to end and it is this that families remark upon year after year, the warmth, leadership and pride that students show in their school.

Working closely with families is key to our success and there have been several important website updates over the last weeks which will support our work together. If you haven’t read them already, please do so:

Acceptable Use of ICT – reminders and updates around wider tech use

Extended Study at XPG

The importance of reading 

In recent weeks we have shared details of the Extended Study that is set for each year group. Reading is in many ways the most important part of the week’s extended study.

As you know, reading is a key focus at XPG. It is not only the first building block to allow students to access all areas of the curriculum but reading also plays a significant role in their life chances and their wellbeing. We know that to be good learners, students need to first be good readers. Studies have shown that ‘those who read for pleasure have higher levels of self-esteem and a greater ability to cope with difficult situations. Reading for pleasure is also associated with better sleeping patterns’. 

At XPG our students are exposed to many texts – reading in sessions, studying an anchor text in each expedition, a weekly Crew Read during Tranquil Tuesday and the daily 20-30 minutes reading expectation of their accelerated reader book. Over the last few weeks, students who are not currently reading at an age appropriate level have started attending intervention sessions. 

Please support us by monitoring your child’s reading, ensuring they are reading their accelerated reader book (which may be on ePlatform or a physical book they have borrowed from our in-school library) and reminding them to complete their daily 20-30 reading minutes.

Our week ahead 

G32 Expert – Tuesday 29th September

G32 students are studying the beliefs, teachings and practices of multiple religions in relation to the afterlife in order to help them to answer their guiding question “What does it mean to be Human?”.

This week Brother Khadim from Newcastle Central Mosque will work with Year 8 to discuss what Islam has to say on the afterlife, with associated artefacts and a Q&A session.

G31 – Fieldwork to the Farrell Centre

Students in G31 will be travelling to the Farrell Centre on Newcastle University Campus – Wednesday 30th September. During the visit, students will take part in a workshop on regeneration in Newcastle and Gateshead, helping them explore and answer their guiding question: “Why are structures important in helping to explain our world?” Students will also complete a guided architectural walk to investigate the structures that help build and foster society. Please see the full post for more details.

European Day of Languages 

On Friday this week we will celebrate the European Day of Languages, focussing on the importance of valuing other cultures as well as where the study of language can take you in life, and the doors that a language opens.

We will also mark the occasion with a range of events in school:

  • A community meeting to discuss the importance of experiencing and valuing other cultures and languages, including input from some of our multilingual students.
  • A Bulgarian lesson for Year 9.
  • Competitions in school.

Extended Study and Clubs

Our supervised extended study and after school clubs run after school from 3.30pm until 4.30pm.

PE sessions this week

Please can parents make sure that their child has a PE kit  for PE sessions. We expect students to change into their appropriate PE kit, and not wear the same clothes they wear in school. Similarly, students must change out of PE kit afterwards, into their normal school clothes. For safety, jewellery must be removed and hair must be tied back.

  • G33 students (Year 7) on Wednesday
  • G32 students (Year 8) have PE on Thursday.
  • G31 students (Year 9) have PE on Tuesday.
  • G30 students (Year 10) have PE on Friday.
  • G29 students ( Year 11) have PE on Wednesday.

Looking ahead

G29: GCSE and Post-16 Information Evening – Thursday 15th October

We will be hosting an information evening for all G29 (Year 11) families on Thursday 15th October at 6pm.This will include information on supporting your child through Year 11 examinations, as well as guidance around helping them to make choices for Post-16 pathways. Please see our recent website post for more details on this evening and Open Evenings taking place at local Post 16 providers.

XPG term dates

We post our term dates for the next 3 years at XP Gateshead. Please check our calendars on the website so you are aware of our school days, holidays and staff days. As always, we have a two week October half term holiday. Our last day of this half term is Friday 16th October and we will return to school on Monday 2nd November.

As usual if you have any questions, please get in touch with your child’s Crew Leader in the first instance or email general enquiries to [email protected].

Thank you as always for your ongoing support.  Together we are stronger #WeAreCrew.

Julie Mosley

G29 Update!

By Emmy Tatters25th September 2026

What a fantastic week for G29!

A massive shout-out and praise to the 18 students who have been dedicating their mornings to attending our early revision sessions. They are setting the tone for G29 in Y11 and showing real commitment to their education.

We also want to celebrate the engagement of our students during their recent fieldwork visit to the Victoria Tunnels. The Victoria Tunnel is a preserved 19th-century underground wagon-way beneath Newcastle, originally built to transport coal to the River Tyne and later used as an air-raid shelter during World War II. Visiting this site firsthand provides real-world context for the ‘History Around Us’ module of our OCR B History qualification. This module is designed to help students construct a rich understanding of how physical, local sites contribute to our understanding of local history and directly builds on their understanding of the national importance of North East industrial heritage, nurtured at XP since ‘From the Ground up’.

Key Reminders, Extended Study & Daily Expectations

  • Daily Essential Kit: Please ensure your child comes fully prepared to school every day with their full kit:

    • A backpack or suitably sized bag

    • A filled water bottle

    • A complete pencil case (pens, pencils, ruler, eraser, sharpener, purple pen, and a glue stick)

    • A fully charged iPad and headphones (ideally non-expensive)

    • A notebook and a reading book

  • Wednesday PE: A reminder that G29 have PE on Wednesdays, and bringing full PE kit is essential. Physical activity plays a vital role in supporting both physical and mental health, which is especially important as GCSE workload pressures build up.

  • Extended Study & Lunchtime Catch-Ups: Please see Mr Said’s post for the extended study timetable; we appreciate your support in ensuring students are meeting deadlines as this helps them build the habits necessary for revision and exam success. Extended Study in school runs Monday through Thursday from 3:30 PM to 4:30 PM, offering a quiet space supported by adults for extended study completion and revision. Additionally, students taking Art and Photography should make full use of our regular lunchtime catch-up sessions on Thursday and Friday to stay on top of their practical coursework and portfolio development.

  • Post 16 options: Please see Mr Said’s post about our post-16 option evening on Thursday15th October.  This is an important event to ensure your young person is fully informed about their potential next steps and how we can help them get there.

If you have any questions or concerns regarding extended study, morning revision sessions, post-16 options or extra-curricular clubs, please reach out to your child’s Crew Leader in the first instance. Thank you for your continued support.

Sharing our Stories: 25/09/2026

25th September 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 2 G-Block – Sketching @ Green Top

Compassion Crew Bear Rules @ Plover

Strong Foundations In Crew Ramsay @ Carcroft School

Crew AJA Outward Bound @ XP

]The bog baby @ Norton Infants

Year 4 English Quizzers @ Norton Juniors

G30 Blog @ XP Gateshead

Year 11 History: Living under Nazi rule @ 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!

G29 GCSEs and Post-16 Information Evening – ADDITIONAL IMPORTANT DATES

By Martin Said25th September 2026

An important part of this year will be considering Post-16 options for the next stages in your child’s education and training. Throughout this year, we will continue to work with students to help them to make informed decisions about what they want to do and where they want to go after their time at XP.

G29: GCSE and Post-16 Information Evening – Thursday 15th October

We will be hosting an information evening for all G29 families on Thursday 15th October at 6pm.

This will include information on supporting your child through Year 11 examinations, as well as guidance around helping them to make choices for Post-16 pathways.

 

Our local colleges and sixth forms also host a range of Open Evenings for students and their families to find out more about the courses that they offer. We are sharing these links and dates (where published) now so you can plan if you would like to attend.

Open Evenings for Post-16 providers

Open Evenings start in earnest soon, typically from the start of October.

Gateshead College

Gateshead College offer a range of A-Levels, Level 2 & Level-3 vocational courses and T-Levels.

https://www.gateshead.ac.uk/support/16-18-how-to-apply/

Gateshead College will publish their Open Evenings here.

Gateshead College’s first Open Evening event is on Monday 12th October.

Newcastle College

Newcastle College offer a range of A-Levels, Level 2 & Level-3 vocational courses and T-Levels.

Newcastle College will publish their Open Evenings here.

Newcastle College’s first Open Evening event is on Wednesday 7th October.

Newcastle Sixth Form College

Newcastle Sixth Form College offer a range of A-Levels and a Year 12 access course. The college is adjacent to the Rye Hill Newcastle College campus.

https://www.newcastlesixthformcollege.ac.uk/subjects/

Newcastle Sixth Form College Open Evenings:

Newcastle Sixth Form College publish their Open Evenings here.

Newcastle Sixth Form College’s first Open Evening event is on Wednesday 7th October.

Gateshead Sixth Forms

The following schools in Gateshead have sixth forms as part of their provision, see their websites for more details:

Other outside area sixth forms that our students are typically interested in include:

G30 Blog

By Emmy Tatters24th September 2026

What another busy and productive week for G30! As we continue to navigate through Key Stage 4, building strong habits remains at the heart of everything we do.
Attendance & Punctuality
A reminder of the vital importance of daily attendance and punctuality to school. Every minute in crew and lessons counts toward building long-term confidence and progress in GCSE subjects. Students must be in school by 8:25am each morning. If a student is unable to come to school, it is crucial parents/guardians ring the school office between 8-8:30am to let us know.
Mobile Phone & ICT Use Policy
Please also note that mobile phones are not permitted to be used at all during the school day. Phones must be switched off and stored safely in students’ bags from the moment they enter the building. Mr Said shared this post earlier in the week which may be helpful if any students are struggling with managing screen time. There are several methods of adding restrictions to devices.
Reading & Accelerated Reader
Reading remains a crucial cornerstone of our curriculum. Please ensure your child has a reading book in their bag every single day. Students should also be actively using Accelerated Reader to complete quizzes on books they have read to track their comprehension and progress.
Human Deadlines & Extended Study Extended Study runs Monday through Thursday from 3:30 PM to 4:30 PM, providing a quiet, supportive environment with adult guidance. Mr Said posted the extended study schedule earlier this week, you can view it here. Please note: if students miss the Wednesday 8am deadline for Human, they are required to stay after school for Extended Study until 4:30 PM to catch up on their work. Parents will receive an email to let them know. We greatly appreciate parental support with this to help ensure no student falls behind in their learning.
Sparx Maths & Timetable Update
We are aware there have been a few technical issues with Sparx Maths this week, see this post for more details. If your child is still experiencing persistence issues, please ask them to speak directly with their maths teacher so we can help get it resolved.
Please note a slight timetable change for next week: G30 will have PE on Friday next week (rather than Wednesday). Bringing full PE kit on Friday is essential so everyone can take part safely.
Clubs & Enrichment Our lunch and after-school clubs are up and running! Attending clubs is a brilliant way for students to explore new interests, build social bonds across the school, and look after their well-being. We strongly encourage all G30 students to get involved in at least one club.
Daily Essential Kit Please check that your child leaves the house fully prepared with their daily kit:
  • A backpack or suitably sized bag
  • A filled water bottle
  • Pencil case containing: pens, pencils, ruler, eraser, pencil sharpener, purple pen, and a glue stick
  • A fully charged iPad and headphones (ideally non-expensive ones)
  • A notebook and a reading book

A reminder as the weather begins to turn that students must not wear coats in sessions. If they are cold, they must ensure they are wearing appropriate layers (e.g. a hoody).

Thank you as always for your ongoing support. If you have any questions or concerns, please reach out to your child’s Crew Leader in the first instance.

G31 – Farrell Centre Fieldwork

24th September 2026Rebecca Jones

On Wednesday 30th September, G31 will head out on fieldwork to the Farrell Centre, an architecture museum in Newcastle upon Tyne. During the visit, students will take part in a workshop on regeneration in Newcastle and Gateshead, helping them explore and answer their guiding question:

“Why are structures important in helping to explain our world?”

Students will also complete a guided architectural walk to investigate the structures that help build and foster society.

  • Students will return to school by the end of the day. Please ensure your child:
  • Brings a packed lunch – if your child is eligible for free school meals, we will ask them beforehand if they require a packed lunch provided by the school.
  • Wears their full kit.
  • Brings a jacket – the forecast is cool and cloudy with a low chance of rain.
  • Wears comfortable shoes or trainers.

Students will travel to and from the Farrell Centre during school hours, if there is any disruption to our return the blog will be updated.

Students will return to the Farrell Centre for their POL on the evening of Tuesday 1st December from 3:30pm to 5:30pm (Newcastle University Campus). We understand this is an earlier time for families, but as the Farrell Centre is a public building, we must wrap up so staff can secure the venue.

Sparx Extended Study: Platform Issues

By Stephanie Jamison23rd September 2026

Dear families,

We are aware of issues with the extended study platform Sparx which has temporarily led to students being unable to access their account.

We are working to fix this as soon as possible, but please be reassured that there is no expectation for students to have this completed by the usual deadline this week as they are unable to log in. We will let families know via our website once the platform is back up and running and extended study is resumed. Thank you to all students and families who had already engaged with Sparx and completed their tasks earlier in the week.

 

 

 

Acceptable Use of ICT – Reminders and updates around wider tech use.

By Martin Said23rd September 2026

This last week we have dealt with a couple of incidents related to use of technology inside and outside of school that have had a significant impact on staff time and school resources.

We ask all families to ensure that they re-familiarise themselves with our Acceptable Use  of ICT policy (linked below). We also need your support as parents and guardians to:

  • Discuss healthy use of technology with your child
  • Monitor their use of technology outside of school
  • Support us in teaching your children and holding them to account for their use of tech, so that we can keep our school a place where tech is used to enhance learning.

Young people need to develop good habits around tech use, and this will not come from preventing students from having any access to technology, but from strong schooling and parenting in partnership.

In that regard, please read the following very carefully as it contains important information and some recent updates…

Mobile phones, tech in school and acceptable use of ICT.

As has always been the case, mobile phones are not allowed to be used in school – this is now also a government directive.

Mobile phones must be switched off and in students’ bags for the whole school day (not on silent, not in a pocket). Mobile phones can only be used in exceptional circumstances, agreed by a member of staff. Phones will be confiscated from students if they are used during the school day.

For the few students who bring their own device (home iPad or laptop), this must be done through our school network, not using a hotspot phone connection.

Here is the link to our acceptable use of ICT policy which all families and students have signed.

iPads are a requirement for students at our school, and it is an expectation that they are used in line with our acceptable use policy.

Government Consultation & Social media accounts

The government has been consulting on restricting use of tech for children, including:

  • Age Restrictions: Exploring potential age limits or bans for under-16s on social media, some gaming platforms, and AI chatbots.
  • Addictive Features: Reviewing restrictions on addictive design elements like infinite scrolling, streaks, and algorithmic content delivery.
  • Screen Time & Curfews: Assessing digital curfews and screen time guidance for parents of children aged 5 to 16.

The government have recently announced that Social Media will be banned for Under-16s from Spring 2027. More information can be found here:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/fact-sheet-new-rules-to-protect-children-online/fact-sheet-new-rules-to-protect-children-online

We see in schools, all too frequently the harm that unrestricted or unsupervised access to social media can cause. Sadly in some cases this harm is very serious.

The NSPCC has recently posted on the social media platforms that are most linked to abuse of children. More information can be found here:

https://www.nspcc.org.uk/about-us/news-opinion/2026/new-childline-data-reveals-top-five-platforms-apps-linked-to-online-child-sexual-abuse/

Wider tech-use and health habits

Personal devices are powerful tools that empower our students to be creative and professional, they also require constant stewardship and clear boundaries to ensure they remain a force for good.

We ask that you remain ever-vigilant regarding your child’s tech use at home not just in terms of e-safety and knowing who they are communicating with and how, but also in fostering healthy habits that prioritise sleep, face-to-face connection, and “switching off”.

To support these conversations at home, here are some organisations providing expert advice:

  • Internet Matters: Provides comprehensive, age-specific guides to help parents keep children safe online, including advice on setting parental controls and managing screen time.
  • NSPCC – Online Safety: Offers practical tips on everything from social media and gaming to dealing with online bullying and mental health.
  • UK Safer Internet Centre: Offers a wealth of resources including tips, advice, and educational films to help you stay safe online.

Ensuring safe use of school-managed iPads at home

After 4.30pm the safety controls are handed over to you as a family.

For the best level of protection we recommend setting up an Apple family set of accounts, and using parental controls such as screen time.
If you do not already have an Apple iCloud account, guidance on how to do that is here: https://support.apple.com/en-gb/108647
Here are some instructions on how to set up a family sharing set of accounts and add any existing accounts with Apple: https://support.apple.com/en-gb/108380
Once you have the child account linked to yours through a family set of accounts you can then also use parental controls to determine what features can be accessed and at what times: https://support.apple.com/en-gb/105121
You can also control screen time on the iPad directly, without a family account, by inputting a screen time password which only you know: https://support.apple.com/en-gb/102677.
Thanks for your continued support. The world of tech changes quickly; we will do what we can to ensure that our children are equipped for the modern world and protected from the potential harms of tehnology.

G29 Fieldwork to the Victoria Tunnels 23rd and 25th September

22nd September 2026Hannah Simpson

Dear parents and carers of G29,

This week sees our students heading out on their historic site study visit. This is a required practical element of their history GCSE, for the component entitled ‘History All Around Us’.

A reminder, Class 1 are heading out tomorrow. The visit is wholly within school hours and they will be back in time for lunch, so a packed lunch is not needed. The weather forecast tomorrow has an 80% chance of rain, so please ensure your child has a waterproof hooded jacket and sensible footwear. It can also be cold in the tunnels, so please ensure they have an extra layer to wear during our tour.

Class 2 are heading out on Friday. The visit is wholly within school hours and they will be back in time for lunch, so a packed lunch is not needed. The weather forecast shows a chance of rain, so please ensure your child has a waterproof hooded jacket and sensible footwear. It can also be cold in the tunnels, so please ensure they have an extra layer to wear during our tour.

They will be travelling by metro.

Kind regards

Team G29