G30 (Einstein, Kahlo and Darling) are scheduled to arrive back at XPGateshead at 15.25.
We’ve have a fantastic day, get ready to greet some worn out students!
Sharing our Stories: 12/06/2026
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
Beautiful work from Harry in Year 10 @ XP Gateshead
Crew Nightingale Hunt for a Rainbow in the Rain! @ Norton Infants
A settled and productive afternoon @ XP East
Share your stories with us!
Write to us at [email protected] – we want to hear about it, write about it and celebrate it!
Harry recently represented The Police Cadets at an event in his former primary school as part of National Volunteering Week. Harry worked with Year 6 in a question and answer session, a bleep test and creative activities.
Whilst Harry is known to the school as a former pupil staff from the school contacted us to how impressed they were with his professionalism and conduct throughout. Harry also took the initiative to seek out senior staff to personally thank them for hosting the cadets, which was very well-received.
Harry’s conduct was a credit to his family, our school, his cadets and most importantly himself.
Great work Harry!
Dear families,
We have kindly been offered the following STEM opportunity for students in Year groups 8-10. This is a fantastic change for those interested in Science, Technology, Engineering or Maths to develop their skills. Students who wish to sign up can do so via the information on student notices or via the attached poster. Any students who’d like to find out more about this should speak to Mr Macdonald.
The Engineering Development Trust (EDT) is an educational charity that works with schools, colleges and industry partners to inspire young people into STEM careers through accredited programmes and industry-led experiences. Students at XP Gateshead have been offered access to a free online accredited course through funding from the North East Pathways to Employment Event.
Students can partake in an online course to achieve their accredited Bronze award free of charge. The course has been designed to develop their coding and digital skills, while also giving them access to resources to support their development and awareness of STEM careers.
The course will take approximately 10–12 hours to complete; students can break this up as they wish and complete the course at home. The course is accredited at Industrial Cadets Bronze level, which is nationally recognised and looks excellent on CVs, college applications and future opportunities. This course is open to all students from Year 8 to Year 10.
Elina won The Customs House Young Performers Company’s highest award last night. The award is the ‘Mamma G’ award, named after their teacher’s mum. It is awarded to the student who has stood out during the year, for their hard work, skills progress and attitude. What an amazing achievement, well done Elina!
Dear Families
We’ve enjoyed a good first week to our final Summer half term. There’s been high quality work in and out of sessions as usual. We had a great G32 fieldwork at the Baltic last week alongside a careers event for some G29 students with KPMG. G28 exams continued and our Year 11 returned with full focus again after the half term break. It has also been great to hear from families following SLCs last week where our G32, G31 and G29 students have once again taken the lead in their own learning sharing their progress to date, work they are proud of and the areas they are targeting for improvement this half term.
Water Safety
Last week we used our Theatre space for the first time. After 2 years of ongoing hard work from Gateshead Council we are finally able to use this space again. On Friday we used our Theatre to gather all students together with another input on water safety. Unfortunately over the May half term holiday there were another 17 reported water-related deaths in the UK so it is important that we share water safety messages with our students. Royal Life Saving Society UK data shows that child drowning deaths in England have doubled in recent years, with 125 accidental deaths over a four-year period. Around 47% of accidental drownings in the UK happen between May and August, so this is a particularly important time to be reinforcing these messages. All students were shown the following video https://vimeo.com/514252164 this week in readiness for Drowning Prevention Week 13-20 June which is run by the Royal Life Saving Society UK. This focuses on helping children and young people to understand how to stay safe in, on and around water.
Punctuality
A calm start to the day is really important for students to settle into learning and this happens in Crew each morning. Students must be on site for 8:25am for the call to Crew and be ready to start sessions at 8:30am. Crew is inextricably linked to our Narrative for Success and these routines and practices in Crew ensure that students are safe and are set up to succeed at the start of every day at school. Poor punctuality affects a student for the rest of the day and as you will agree, good punctuality is needed in all future jobs. It is vital that we are building the habit of excellent punctuality now. We ask all parents/carers to fully support our expectations around good punctuality.
Staffing Update
Over this half-term we will have some of our new staff joining us for induction in readiness for the new term. We are now fully staffed in terms of teaching and support at XP Gateshead.
- Mrs Melissa Girling continues to work with us as a teacher of HUMAN
- Miss Gayle Crowder will be joining us as our new Y7 Phase Lead and a teacher of STEAM
- Mrs Helen Chambers joins XP Trust as a Maths Lead working across all XP schools and will be based at XP Gateshead
- Miss Rebecca Denny-Holmes will be joining us later this half term as a teacher of SPANISH
We have also appointed some internal leadership roles which I will share later this half term.
This week
G28 GCSE exams
This week is a final full week of exams for our Y11 students
- Monday 8th June
- Science – Biology Combined Paper 2 (1hr 15, am)
- Further Maths Paper 1 (1 hr 45, pm)
- Tuesday 9th June
- Spanish – Paper 1 (45mins) and Paper 3 (1 hr) am
- History – Paper 3 Viking expansion, Living under Nazi rule (1 hr 45mins, pm)
- Wednesday 10th June
- Mathematics – Paper 3 Calculator (1hr 30 am)
- Thursday 11th June
- Geography – Paper 3 (1hr 30, am)
- Friday 5th June
- Science – Chemistry Combined Paper 2 (1hr 15, am)
- Interactive Media (1hr 30, pm)
- Statistics – Paper 2 (1hr 45, pm)
We have continued to put timetable changes in place to allow focused revision sessions prior to exams and make sure that our Y11 students are fully prepared.
Please see the recent website post for a full G28 update.
G29 Student-Led Conferences
We continue to welcome our Y10 families into school this week so that G29 can present their SLC with a focus on recent mock results, work placement and their next steps in terms of readiness for Year 11.
G31 Experts in school
This week we have a host of experts in school, working with Year 8 in readiness for their presentation of learning on Thursday 18th June for their expedition with the guiding question: “Is migration worth the risk?”.
On Thursday this week Dr Scott Boldt from The University of Cumbria will be joining our Year 8 students to help them to understand migration to and from and within the island of Ireland.
Also on Thursday Zeek Burgess from Phosphorus Theatre will work with all students in a drama workshop which will explore the lived experience of refugees. Then in the afternoon they will work with a group of Year 8 students in the afternoon to help them to devise a piece of drama that will be performed for families on 18th June – which coincides with Refugee Week.
On Friday of this week all Year 8 students will have the opportunity to work with Kema Kay, a local writer, actor and musician. Along with Rob Kitchen from Gateshead Music Hub, Kema will support our students to devise rap lyrics, using a piece of Bollywood music as a stimulus alongside ideas from their current expedition. This will then be followed up on Monday 15th June with another session with Haaji Ka Halva who will run expert workshops supporting our students to use music technology to further develop and remix the music that they will write on Friday this week. This music will then also be performed by our students for families on 18th June. Thanks to Rob Kitchen from the Gateshead Music Hub for his support in helping to organise these events.
G29 and G30 Sports sessions at Gateshead College on Friday 12th June
On Friday this week, G30 and G29 students will spend the day at Gateshead College Academy for Sport. This day has been organised by Keavy Steel as part of our continued partnership at Gateshead College. The day will include access to a range of sports and the world class facilities at the college. Students will meet staff and student leaders from the college as participating in sports throughout the day. Students will need a packed lunch for the day and should come to school in their regular PE kit.
A huge appreciation to Keavy, Jo Chadwick and Tom Bradley for their continued support for our students’ sporting development.
PE sessions this week
Our PE sessions this week are as follows. There are some changes due to exams so check the days carefully. 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) G29 students (Y10) have PE all day Friday this week at Gateshead College
Extended Study and after school clubs
After school clubs and extended study will run this week.
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
Since we met with G30 families for the GCSE information evening earlier this term, students have had a series of meetings with teachers of the courses that are part of our KS4 offer. Thanks to all of those families that attended our drop-in session earlier this week.
The slides linked here and embedded below have details of all of the courses being offered, how students will be assessed and where courses could lead.
Please discuss these pathways with your children and let us know your thoughts as a family be completing this Google Form.
We are aiming to finalise decisions on pathways by 26th June. We would therefore appreciate it if all G30 families could complete this form before Thursday 11th June.
G28 UPDATE
Not long to go now!
Students have done brilliantly this week both in exams and getting stuck into the in-school revision sessions. It is wonderful to see and hear students speaking so confidently and positively as they come out of exams.
Next week marks the final FULL week of exams for the students:
Next week, revision with subject teachers continues so it is important that everyone is in school every day to help them prepare. Being in school with subject specialists is the best way for students to revise and prepare for their upcoming exams.
There will be after school History revision on Monday – this is especially important for students who do Spanish who will be doing their exam on Tuesday morning when the revision for history is scheduled.
On Tuesday there is after school iMedia revision for 1.5 hours.
On Thursday 11th June there is after school iMedia revision for 2 hours including a break with pizza provided.
Looking ahead, there is also a Physics revision session on Sunday 14th June AM – this will be live online with Mr Mead. There will be a sign-up and more information to follow but I wanted you to have this on your radar.
Thank you to everyone who has booked a Final Word slot on the week commencing Monday 22nd June. Students will be in school for all of the Final Words (any parents who would like to stay and hear from other crew members are welcome too). Other crews have their Final Word on Tuesday and Wednesday and if invited to do so, students are welcome to come into school and attend the Final Word of friends from other crews.
Prom is then on Thursday 25th June and the coach will be leaving from school to transport students to the venue at 6:30pm. It is compulsory for the students to come on the coach. The school site will be open from 5:30pm for students to get photos with others.
The coach will be leaving Beamish Hall at 10:30pm then arriving back at school at 11pm for those who will be collecting students. Please make sure you have made arrangements for your child to get home
The final G28 community circle will be on Friday 26th June at 2pm in school and will finish at around 3:15pm.
We are nearly at the finish line and we are incredibly proud of them all and can’t believe they are almost ready to leave us!
…
Sharing our Stories: 05/06/2026
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
POL and our first XPG Live for all families @ XP Gateshead
Seaside explorers @ Norton Infants
Spotting Greatness in X32 Skipper: Working Hard, Getting Smart, and Being Kind @ XP School
Share your stories with us!
Write to us at [email protected] – we want to hear about it, write about it and celebrate it!