On Monday 16th March we have a staff day. Students will be able to come into school to prepare for their passage presentations, however we will not be providing lunch on that day.
Tuesday 17th March is not a staff day. Year 9 teachers will be involved in passage presentations throughout the day so we will not be running a regular timetable for this day for Year 9 students. Students that come into school will be supervised and will work on extended study.
There are three options for Year 9 students on this day:
Come into school for the full school day (including staying in school after a Passage Presentation).
Come into school for a Passage Presentation and then leave with their family.
Work on extended study from home.
Please can all G30 families use this Google Form to let us know what your child will be doing, and whether they will need a school lunch.
Wednesday 18th and Thursday 19th March are regular school days. Students with passage presentations on these days will be given time to prepare.
On Friday morning (20th March), G32 will have the opportunity to work in person with Elizabeth Smith from the Commonwealth War Graves Commission (CWGC). She will deliver a presentation on how to interpret war graves and the information that can be gained from them.
Following this, Elizabeth will accompany students, along with staff, to St Mary’s Church to investigate the Commonwealth war graves and apply their learning in a practical context.
This represents a valuable and authentic learning experience. We are very grateful to the CWGC for supporting our students as they explore the guiding question for their current Human expedition: ‘Why should we honour all those who sacrificed during WW1?’
Students should wear comfortable footwear suitable for walking (no Crocs) and bring a waterproof coat in case of inclement weather.
Without a doubt, last week has seen our G30 students step up to the challenge as they get ready for their Passage Presentations taking place this coming week. Students have been working hard writing with deep reflection about their progress since joining us and their readiness for GCSEs.
The presentations we saw today were strong and our students spoke with such integrity and authenticity. We are delighted today that all students have either passed their passage presentations, or passed with conditions that need to be met over the coming weeks. Multiple expert panelists today talked about the high quality passages and the quality of reflection our students show about their learning.
In preparing for passage, Year 9 really are demonstrating their readiness for the next stage in their education and their potential for greatness in the years to come. What a joy and honour it is to sit alongside families watching their children shine and talk so beautifully about themselves with such honesty.
The week ahead
G30 Passage Presentations
Presentations continue on Tuesday during the school day and on Wednesday and Thursday afternoon. A huge appreciation to our panellists for helping to make this a rigorous process and for their kind, specific and helpful feedback to our students. And of course thanks to you, our families for supporting your children in this important work.
Year 9 Families: If you have not already done so, please make sure that you have let us know about arrangements for tomorrow and whether your child will be attending school or working from home using the form linked here.
G31 fieldwork – “What is Power?”
On Thursday this week, year 8 students will be carrying out fieldwork at The Discover Museum in the morning – this will involve looking at sources associated with suffrage in Newcastle. This will take place during the regular school day – we expect to be back in school at around 3.30pm.
They will then step back one hundred years to explore the stories of the decades-long campaign for the women’s vote as they walk through the heart of the city centre and learn more about the remarkable local women who contributed to the movement.
The forecast at the moment is cool and dry.
Students will need:
Their regular school kit
A packed lunch
A coat
Comfortable walking shoes or trainers (not crocs)
G32 Commonwealth War Graves Commission Fieldwork – “‘Why do we need to honour all those who made sacrifices during WWI?”
Year 7 students will be carrying out fieldwork this Friday at St Mary’s Church in Heworth with an expert from the Commonwealth War Graves Commission. This fieldwork will help students to uncover some of the stories of local people who served for our country during The Great War, ultimately leading to their burial in our local church.
This fieldwork will take place in the morning before lunchtime so there is no impact on lunch.
The forecast at the moment is cool and dry.
Students will need:
Their regular school kit
A coat
Comfortable walking shoes or trainers (not crocs), the church graveyard is likely to be muddy.
PE this week
G32 (Year 7)
Class 1 have PE on Thursday this week
Class 2 have PE on Wednesday this week
G31 (Year 8) have PE on Tuesday this week
G30 (Year 9)
Class 1 have PE on Wednesday.
Class 2 have PE on Friday
G29 (Year 10) have PE on Thursday.
Core PE returns next Monday for Year 11.
Extended Study and Clubs
Due to passage presentations some clubs are not running this week. Please ask your child to check student notices and our timetable for more details.
As usual if you have any questions please contact your child’s crew leader in the first instance.
Congratulations to the students who have completed their passage today. I just wanted to remind parents that our G30 9.2 Public Health Conference will be held on Wednesday 15th April, 14.30-16.30 at our school.
We look forward to welcoming you all again. As always, please contact your crew leader if you think you may be unable to attend.
On Wednesday 14th March, XPG collaborated with our friends at NEDES and The Dialogue Society to host our first Multi-Faith Iftar Dinner. XPG welcomed members of our school and wider community of all faiths to come together, building understanding, trust and compassion for one and other.
Ramadan is a holy month in Islam observed by Muslims around the world. During this time, Muslims fast each day from dawn until sunset, refraining from food and drink as an act of worship and self-discipline. Fasting is one of the Five Pillars of Islam and is intended to encourage spiritual reflection, empathy for those in need and a renewed focus on kindness, generosity and community. The fast is broken each evening with a meal known as Iftar, often shared with family, friends and the wider community.
Our students helped to prepare the food for the event as well as helping the volunteers from NEDES and The Dialogue Society in decorating the event space.
The event was a stunning display of the Diversity and Belonging seam that threads through many of our learning expeditions. It built on students’ knowledge from 8.1 centred around Being Human and the understanding that there is a lot more that unites us than divides us and was a great precursor to the learning expedition G31 will embark upon after Easter.
Our GCSE RS students were also able to build on their knowledge of Islam by participating as volunteers, helping to make the event a huge success.
A special appreciation to Harris (G28) and Yousif (G31) for MCing the event so wonderfully.
We cannot wait to build on this event next year, welcoming even more of our school community!
Some of the feedback received from guests who attended:
‘A quick note to thank you for the invitation to the Iftar Dinner. It was a real pleasure to be able to be part of the event – the words, the music, the food, the fun and most of all, the opportunity to meet so many people. Your students were great ambassadors for XPG. Well done to all who made the evening such a success.’
‘I just wanted to say thank you again for inviting me and the girls to the Iftar event. It was a lovely evening, but more than that, it showed how coherent XPs culture of community, diversity and inclusion is. The whole XP Team work tirelessly to hook our young people into XPs empowering and broad curriculum. And mitigating the polarising impact of current politics and social media trends through education is no easy task. However, the way the students approached the event, gave all who attended an enormous amount to be optimistic about. From the photographers to the hosts, organisers, podcasters and Y8s who were there simply to take part, every one of them took away something special. Whether it was a skill, religious or cultural knowledge, trying a date or just listening- what an opportunity!’
We’d also like to wish Eid Mubarak to all of our Muslim families at the end of the week.
On Tuesday 10th March our G31 Rock Band students visited ‘Blank Studios’, a recording studio in Newcastle Upon Tyne, to record their unique version of ‘People Have The Power’; a song written by Patti Smith about empowering individuals to create social, political and environmental change.
Since opening in 2009, Blank Studios has been Newcastle’s leading music studio, priding itself on being an affordable recording space that is accessible to all, whilst also housing a huge range of high-quality recording equipment that you’d find at the likes of Abbey Road, Electric Lady and many other world-leading studios. The studio has worked with hundreds of esteemed artists over the years, most notable of which being local hero Sam Fender. Here is Abbie playing the guitar used by Sam during his recording session at Blank!
Our Rock Band students had the opportunity to become immersed in a recording studio environment; learning about studio equipment and how to record audio, and then recording their own song with the help of professional music producer Josh Ingledew. This experience not only enabled students to record a high quality version of their cover but also provided an insight into the many different jobs available in the music industry right on our doorstep!
The students crafted a beautiful and unique version of ‘People Have The Power’ using drums, bass, guitars, keyboards and vocals. Putting their own spin on this popular protest song, each student added a line of their own about a cause that they care about, drawing the song to a close with a group chant of “people have the power to be kind!” which is a message that we can all get behind.
Today our Year 7 and Year 8 students had the opportunity to watch a powerful travelling theatre performance in school by Theatre Space Northeast.
The 60-minute production, Split Decisions, delivered an emotive and thought-provoking exploration of pedestrian safety. Through an engaging and dramatic storyline, the performance highlighted the very real dangers young people can face when travelling near roads or using public transport. Important messages were explored around common distractions such as mobile phones, music and friends, as well as the risks associated with impulsive or unsafe behaviour.
A key focus of the performance was helping students recognise and respond to peer pressure. By showing how everyday choices can have serious and far-reaching consequences, the production encouraged students to think carefully about the decisions they make and the influence others may have on them.
Our students responded to the performance with real maturity. During the discussions that followed, they were able to reflect thoughtfully on the issues raised and contribute sensible, critical comments about the importance of making safe and responsible choices.
The performance provided a valuable and memorable learning experience, reinforcing essential messages about awareness, responsibility and personal safety.
During the interfaith section of the Iftar evening, Daria delivered a beautifully written intersessional prayer that provided a thoughtful and moving moment of reflection.
Her words offered a sincere acknowledgement of the discipline, commitment and faith demonstrated by Muslims during the holy month of Ramadan. At the same time, the prayer celebrated the diversity that exists within our school and wider community, recognising the importance of people from different backgrounds and beliefs coming together in a spirit of understanding and mutual respect.
Daria’s prayer captured the values of compassion, tolerance and unity that sit at the heart of interfaith dialogue. It was delivered with care and sensitivity, and reflected a deep appreciation of the significance of the occasion.
Her contribution was a powerful reminder of how thoughtful words can bring people together and encourage reflection, understanding and respect across communities.
Unfortunately, we have made the decision to cancel G30’s fieldwork scheduled for Thursday due to the forecast of high winds and poor weather conditions. As the visit is planned as a full day outdoors, it would not be possible to conduct the fieldwork safely in these conditions.
Students will spend time completing virtual fieldwork. Using GIS (Geographic Information Systems) they will investigate inequalities for the safety of their classroom.
Scarlett competed in the under 16 rugby national cup final last Sunday in Lichfield. Her team finished runners up and were presented their medals by England rugby legend Amy Cokayne!
Hector has also recently been presented with his outstanding achievement award for trampolining.
