Unlock your child’s musical potential at XP Gateshead!

By XP Gateshead18th July 2025

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 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 – https://youtu.be/-tcB979lD_g

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

Applying for a place at XP Gateshead – Fair Banding Assessment

By XP Gateshead18th July 2025

To ensure a balanced intake of students across all ability levels, all applicants to an XP secondary school must sit a Fair Banding Assessment. 

This multiple-choice test focuses on non-verbal reasoning and helps us place students into one of five ability bands. There is no pass or fail, and results are used solely to support a broad and representative admissions process.

Completing the assessment is a key part of the application and must be done to be considered for a place. 

Please ensure your child is registered by 31st October 2025 and prepared to attend the assessment on 22nd November 2025.

Find out more here – https://xptrust.info/XPTFBA

A Message for Parents of Students in Crew Shakespeare (G31)

By Stephanie Jamison28th August 2025

I would like to share the following post written by students from Crew Shakespeare to their parents and carers:

Dear parents and carers,

On Friday 29th August Crew Shakespeare students will be out on fieldwork, planning risk assessments and retrieving information to support the upcoming year seven as well as taking a step forward practising efficiency in building activities and educational locations to visit. We will be having a picnic en route and students will all need to bring a packed lunch as well as their assigned food to put towards the picnic.

Your child must also bring the following items to prepare for weather conditions or accessing work:

. Water bottle

. Sensible footwear (not Crocs)

. Charged iPad

. Coat 

. Hat 

. Pencil case with supplies 

. Sunscreen 

If your child suffers from hay fever, allergies or travel sickness, please ensure they have taken their tablets or inform a member of staff.

Thank you
Crew Shakespeare 

G32 Outward Bound Day 1

By Martin Said27th August 2025

In an age-old Outward Bound tradition, students’ first experience of adventure was to do a jog and dip into the lake at Ullswater. Crews challenged themselves to go as far into the lake as they could together, and then went for a swim or even a jump from the jetty or speedboat.

They have spent their evening planning and packing for their overnight expedition.

We will post more updates as soon as we can but from this morning students will be off-site until Thursday evening, which is when they will next have access to their phones.

We ended the day with a community meeting where students focused on the compassion and courage shown on their crews and introduced students to their Crew Read – ‘Seedfolks’ – a story of a diverse community uniting around a shared purpose.

The next couple of days are a great opportunity to demonstrate craftsmanship and quality in setting up camp and also showing integrity in ensuring that they give their all to meet their agreed goals as a crew, whether that be a summit or a traversal of the lake.

They are learning that together they are stronger, and that there is more in them than they know.

#WeAreCrew

#WeAreXPGateshead

Update for families – First week back: w/c Tuesday 26th August 2025

By Julie Mosley20th August 2025

Dear Families

Welcome back!

Next week we return to school for our first week back which is fundamental to us as an XP School. We will spend time introducing or reaffirming the importance of Crew which is the foundation of our culture at XPG, and take the time to build and tend to positive relationships in Crew through shared experiences and challenges. 

 ‘If we get Crew right, we get everything right’.

The activities in the first week back are carefully planned and bespoke to each year group. 

Arrival Times on Tuesday

We will be running a staggered start to school for students on Tuesday to ensure a smooth start back. Our theatre space continues to be out of use whilst ongoing repair work is underway so we are unable to collectively meet more than one year at a time.

  • G32 (Year 7)
    • Year 7 students will start at normal time, 8:25am and can arrive from 8am on Tuesday.
  • G28 (Year 11)
    • Year 11 students will start at 9:00am and can arrive from 8:45am on Tuesday.
    • Please note that Crew Stanton will be undertaking fieldwork on Tuesday and will have a later finish on Tuesday – more details below.
  • G31 (Year 8)
    • Year 8 students will start at 10:30am and can arrive from 10.15am on Tuesday.
  • G29 (Year 10)
    • Year 10 students will start at 11:00am and can arrive from 10.45am on Tuesday.
  • G30 (Year 9)
    • Year 9 students will start at 11:30am and can arrive from 11.15am on Tuesday.

First week back guiding questions and fieldwork next week 

Each cohort has a different guiding question for the week with purposeful activities which help them to answer this question. As such there is no PE this coming week, but there is physical activity for all year groups as you will see below.

G32 (Year 7) students – Outward Bound Expedition

G31 students head off to Howtown, Ullswater for their Outward Bound Expedition and their guiding question for the week which is:

“What does it mean to be crew?”

Importantly, students will need a packed lunch and a £10 deposit with them when they arrive at school on Tuesday. See the detailed website post which has full information on travel, kit, medical requirements, communication and return time back to school.

G31 (Year 8) students

“How can we support each other to lead the learning of our new Year 7 Crew?”

As part of their first week back in school, Year 8 students will be planning fieldwork in our local area which will involve them retrieving and consolidating their learning from last year’s expeditions as well as evaluating the effectiveness of new fieldwork activities in order to support the learning of our new Year 7 cohort.

G31 Fieldwork on Friday 29th August

To answer their guiding question, students will plan  and risk assess fieldwork.

Students will complete the fieldwork during the school day on Friday 29th August and will be back in school for around 3.30pm.

Each Crew will put together a ‘Crew picnic’. Your child will be able to give you more details on how they plan to contribute towards this picnic.

G31 students should also be prepared for the weather conditions, so they must have their regular kit and in addition:

  • Waterproof jacket
  • Appropriate clothing for the weather
  • Suitable footwear for a day’s walking in urban area
  • Water bottle
  • Suncream
  • A cap or hat

G30 (Year 9) students

This week serves as an introduction to the types of challenges that year 9 students will face as part of their Duke of Edinburgh Bronze award this academic year. Their guiding question for the week is:

“How do we form great habits to tackle initiatives as a Crew with increasing agency, independence and resilience?”

G30 Fieldwork on Thursday 28th August

As part of their first week back in school, Year 9 students will be carrying out a hike in Northumberland around Wylam, learning how to navigate together on Thursday during the school day. As this is a hike, a consent form will go home to students on Tuesday.

Each Crew will put together a ‘Crew picnic’. Your child will be able to give you more details on how they plan to contribute towards this picnic.

Students will be travelling by metro and train during the regular school day and will return back to school for around 3:30pm. We will keep you updated on the school website of our expected arrival time.

G30 students will need the following kit for the day.

  • Waterproof jacket
  • Appropriate clothing for the weather
  • Hiking boots or footwear that is suitable for a rural hike.
  • Water bottle
  • Suncream
  • A cap or hat

G29 (Year 10) students

Students will be working together in Crews on their guiding question:

‘How can we ensure that our future selves will thank us for the next two years?’

There are two foci for the students for the week. The first of which is focussing on the step up to Key Stage 4 and how they need to adapt their Crew norms to ensure that they are supporting and challenging each other to be successful.

Secondly students will continue their thinking about careers and pathways, beyond Key Stage 4 to Post-16. As part of the week students will travel to Gateshead College to hear from experts and employers about what pathways are available to them and what employers and education providers are looking for in candidates.

G29 Fieldwork on Thursday 28th and Expert sessions on Friday 29th August

For the fieldwork on Thursday we will be travelling to Gateshead College campuses by coaches, so Year 10 students will need:

  • Their regular school kit including a water bottle and fully charged iPad
  • Comfortable walking shoes or trainers
  • Clothing that is suitable for the weather 

During the week, students will also put together a CV based on their ambitions, strengths and skills to date, and on Friday they will have a mock interview with a professional who will give them feedback on how they present themselves, how they articulate their ambitions and reflect on themselves and how they respond to  questions. Year 10 students should wear more formal dress on Friday for their mock interviews.

G28 (Year 11) students – (including fieldwork throughout the week)

Year 11 students will have a week which focuses on

  • Facing the challenges of Year 11 head on, and thriving!
  • Developing resilience and being comfortable with challenge.
  • Self-regulation techniques, good learner behaviours and target setting.

As part of this week students will complete a high ropes challenge with their Crew Leader. This activity will be led by Mr Wayne Dobson, who has previously been a Crew Leader at the school and runs a professional outdoor adventure company High Tide Adventure. Students will be travelling to the high ropes course at Carlton Adventure in Stokesley and will travel there by minibus.

On the day that students complete this challenge they will finish at a later time arriving back at school at 4.30pm – this is of particular note for Crew Stanton who will do this fieldwork first on Tuesday.

  • Crew Stanton will carry out the challenge on Tuesday 26th August and finish at 4.30pm.
  • Crew Parks will carry out the challenge on Wednesday 27th August and finish at 4.30pm.
  • Crew Frank will carry out the challenge on Thursday 28th August and finish at 4.30pm.
  • Crew Angelou will carry out the challenge on Friday 29th August and finish at 4.30pm.

For the day of their challenge G28 students will need the following kit:

  • Footwear appropriate for sports as per PE:
    • Trainers, not baseball boots or plimsolls.
  • Comfortable clothing such as:
    • Leggings or tracksuit pants. Jeans are not appropriate.
    • Waterproof jacket and a warm top. Fleece or hoody.
  • A packed lunch for the day.

Regular Kit and dress code for this week

All students in Year 8-11 will need their regular kit for every day this week. They should also be in regular dress code for the start of school this week on Tuesday, just as in any other week. See our website post for a reminder on our dress code expectations.

A reminder that for day to day kit we expect students a school bag with the following:

  • A water bottle
  • A fully charged iPad
  • Headphones – ideally not expensive ones, for example here
  • Pencil case including: pens, pencils, ruler, eraser and pencil sharpener
  • Notebook

School Lunches 

Students can choose to bring in a healthy packed lunch (no confectionery, fizzy or energy drinks) or have a school meal with us. Please note there must be no nut products in snacks or packed lunches – this is especially important as we have students in this cohort who are highly allergic to nut products.

Our school dinners are very popular with our students, thanks to our wonderful kitchen crew. Students make a daily food choice in crew each morning and we have a three week menu. Here’s this year’s menu – we start on week 3 this week. There is one difference in that Tuesday’s lunch will be the all day breakfast option which is usually the Monday option.

For more on school meals this year, please see this detailed website post.

Staffing Update and Crew Leaders

We have four new Learning Coaches joining our team this term – Joe Allan, Emily Bennett, Tim Macdonald & Hannah Young.

We also have Lauren Cadenas (PE), Caroline Carter (Arts), Charlotte Fielding (Spanish), Jonny Foster (STEAM), Amy Rawcliffe (Human), Gary Watson (Human) joining our teaching team too this year.

A reminder that our Crew Leaders for this academic year are:

G32 Crew Leaders: Mr Allan, Miss Bennett, Mrs Diamond and Mrs Ross

 

G31 Crew Curie: Mrs Carter

G31 Crew Pankhurst: Mr Azam & Mr Foster

G31 Crew Shakespeare: Miss Jamison

G31 Crew Windsor: Miss Blain

 

G30 Crew Earhart: Miss Fielding

G30 Crew Kahlo: Ms Macphail

G30 Crew Darling: Mr Devitt

G30 Crew Einstein: Mr Watson

 

G29 Crew Attenborough: Miss Simpson

G29 Crew Watson: Mrs Horne / Mr Macdonald

G29 Crew King: Miss Rawcliffe

G29 Crew Nightingale: Ms Marshall

 

G28 Crew Parks: Miss Young

G28 Crew Frank: Miss Jones

G28 Crew Angelou: Mr Mead

G28 Crew Stanton: Miss Tatters

 

Regular timetabled sessions

Regular timetabled lessons and new learning expeditions will start for Years 8-10 on Monday 1st September.

When they return to school from Ullswater Year 7 will have two days in Crew on Monday 1st September and Tuesday 2nd September. This will give them time to further debrief their adventure, consider what it means to be Crew in academic sessions and further orient themselves in their new school and new building. They will start their new learning expeditions and timetabled sessions on Wednesday 3rd September.

There will be no clubs or extended study for the first two weeks of term.

We are really looking forward to welcoming all of our students back on Tuesday. 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 and a special thanks to our existing parents who have been sharing their XPG knowledge and expertise with our new G32 parents. Together we are definitely stronger #WeAreCrew.

Julie Mosley

Principal

 

School Meals at XP Gateshead 2025/26

By XP Gateshead Office20th August 2025

Dear Families please see the message Gateshead School Catering below:

Gateshead School Catering deliver the School Meals at your child’s school. We are Gateshead Councils in house catering service, with over 320 members of staff who provide over 10,000 meals per day across 72 sites. 

Our secondary school menu offers a wide range of options, all of them meeting the nutritional standards but with the look and feel of a modern food court. This can include sandwich, panini, curry/rice pot, jacket potato meal deals and a daily two course special – all at affordable prices. 

Our menus for each school are available on our website, to view your child’s school meals options, you can use the QR code below or visit https://www.gateshead.gov.uk/article/24688/School-meal-menu-menu-5. An image of the menu is also found below here.

 

 

 

We strive to ensure pupils of Gateshead can enjoy the nutritious and delicious school lunch on offer regardless of any allergies, intolerances, medical or alternative diets. We recognise medical diets as an extremely important aspect of our catering provision, aiming for all pupils to enjoy their lunch time experience, without the worry or being singled out. If your child has a medical or alternative diet, please contact your child’s school or email [email protected] and you will be provided with a form to complete so we can investigate options for them.

Children may be entitled to a free school meal if parents receive certain welfare benefits. For every valid application for free school meals, not only will your child receive a healthy, nutritious meal, the school will be able to claim additional funding which can really help provide the best environment to support your child’s learning and development. To find out if you qualify contact the free school meals team on 0191 433 3729 or by email [email protected]. 

To find out more about school meals, please visit www.gateshead.gov.uk/schoolmeals or ring the Catering & Cleaning office on 0191 433 5522.

Yours sincerely

Gateshead School Catering

G32 First Day and the Outward Bound Experience

By Martin Said20th August 2025

Students can be dropped off at XP Gateshead school from 8am on Tuesday 26th August 2024. They must be in school by 8.25am.

We will be leaving school at around 10.am to travel to Outward Bound, Howtown Centre, Penrith CA10 2ND on Ullswater.

The journey to Howtown will take approximately 2.5 hours by coach and we do not intend to stop at a service station. There is a toilet on the coach.

Students must bring a packed lunch in a plastic bag and this will be eaten on arrival at the centre. Meals will then be provided from that evening onwards.

All students need to bring their belongings in a suitable bag (e.g. a holdall or small suitcase) with their names displayed on a tag or written on the bag. Students may want to bring a small bag, wallet or purse to bring smaller personal items with them on the coach.

We expect to be back at school around 3.30pm on Friday, but will update the school website if there any delays.

Personal Kit List:

  • 1 large bag or suitcase to take kit on the coach
  • 2 bin bags –  to store wet and dirty clothes
  • 1 pair of trainers for getting wet – these trainers will definitely get wet so it is important that you have a second pair.
  • A second pair of trainers to stay dry for day to day wear – these are likely to get muddy so preferably not new.
  • 3 sweatshirts, jumpers, hoodies or fleeces – Fleeces are ideal as they dry quickly but any of the other items are a good substitute. You should include at least one warmer fleece for your expedition.
  • 3 pairs of trousers – Lightweight trousers (not denim) such as walking trousers, leggings or tracksuit bottoms.
  • 3 T-shirts – Aim for tops that cover shoulders from the sun.
  • 1 long-sleeved base layer/top 
  • 1 pair of shorts – Not denim
  • 1 pair of nightwear/pyjamas
  • 1 set of casual clothes for around the centre
  • 7 sets of underwear including socks – This is a minimum number. Trainer socks aren’t recommended as they may cause blisters.
  • At least 2 pairs of thick walking socks
  • Sunhat, sunglasses, suncream – don’t bring expensive sunglasses, suncream needs to be at least factor 30.
  • 1 set of warm hat and gloves
  • At least 1 towel – Quick drying microfibre towels are great. You will need a towel for showering and on activities, so bring at least one.
  • Watch with alarm if possible
  • 1 set of swimwear plus t-shirt and shorts for use in water
  • Toiletries – including soap, toothbrush and toothpaste, blister kit, plasters, insect repellent, lip salve, hand sanitiser, wet wipes. Please note that aerosols are prohibited on the Outward Bound site.
  • 1 pair of flip slops or sandals – optional
  • £10 deposit

Some of the activities will involve getting wet at some point, so please make sure your son/daughter has plenty of spare dry clothes to change into.

Medicine

If your son/daughter needs travel sickness tablets please ensure they take them before we depart school.

If your son/daughter needs to take medication during the course of the trip, or has travel sickness tablets for the return journey, please ensure the medication comes in its original packaging along with instructions for when the medicine needs to be taken and your son’s/daughter’s name written clearly on it.  All medication except inhalers must be handed to your crew leader before departing from school. 

All medication must have been documented on the medical consent form and signed.

Money

A refundable £10 deposit is required for each student for the use of the Outward Bound’s specialist activity/safety equipment. This must be handed to crew leaders before departure  in a sealed envelope with your son’s/daughter’s name on it. 

Communication

The signal for mobile phones can be unreliable. Students will not be allowed to take their phones with them on their daily activities. They will be handed into crew leaders and left securely on site. The students will have access to their mobile phones at a specified point in the evening on Tuesday and then again on Thursday evening. They will not have access to their phones on Wednesday evening as they will be staying overnight away from the main centre. If you need to get hold of a member of staff and/or get a message to your son/daughter please telephone the appropriate Outward Bound centre:

Howtown Centre Phone: 017684 86272

Please contact myself or the school office if you have any further questions.

Martin Said

[email protected]

VJ Day 80

By Michelle Ross15th August 2025

Today marks the 80th anniversary of Victory over Japan (VJ Day), the day in 1945 when the Second World War came to an end. We pause to remember and give thanks to all those who served and sacrificed, both at home and overseas, so that we may live in freedom today.

Although our school community is currently on its summer break, we acknowledge this important anniversary and reflect with gratitude on the courage, resilience, and commitment to peace shown by those who came before us. Their legacy continues to inspire hope for a better future.

Sharing our Stories: 18/07/2025

18th July 2025Geoff Hewitt

Beautiful Work This Week

Here’s a selection of beautiful work from across the XP Trust from the last two weeks of term! It’s been filled with all kinds of wonderful things from all of our schools. To read about other stories from across the XP Trust, visit xptrust.org.

Top of the Blogs

Why the Arts Matter at XP – Our Festival Highlights @ XP Trust

Year 6 leavers party 2025 @ Green Top

EYFS Sports Day @ Plover

Prom 2025 @ Carcroft School

At the Coalface: POL @ Norton Juniors

Climate Change Through Data @ XP

Crew Rosa Parks @ XP East

G29 What a Wonderful World POL @ 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!

From all of us here at XP – have a great summer break! We’ll be back in the new term with more beautiful work to share!

Why the Arts Matter at XP – Our Festival Highlights

18th July 2025Andy Sprakes

At XP, we believe education should help young people discover who they are, what they stand for, and how they can make a difference. The arts are at the heart of this.

Through music, dance, drama, and visual art, our students learn to collaborate, express themselves, and craft work of real depth and beauty. These aren’t “extras” to the curriculum – they are essential experiences that develop the character traits we value above anything else: courage, craftsmanship, respect, and compassion.

Last Friday, we celebrated these values at our second XP Festival of Arts & Culture – a day filled with music, dance, and art from across all the schools in our Trust. Every primary school showcased their dancing skills in collaboration with Phoenix Dance Company, alongside cheerleaders and singers from across the Trust.

The afternoon culminated in a show-stopping parade led by the New York Brass Band, bringing everyone together for an unforgettable rendition of Kool and the Gang’s “Celebration”. The evening carried the energy forward with live music from XP Doncaster and XP Gateshead students, alongside local bands and professional artists.

Our students were phenomenal – both on stage and in the audience – showing once again the power of Crew in action.

A huge thank you goes to the XP Doncaster and Plover staff who stewarded and supported the event. It was a powerful example of what’s possible when we create spaces for young people to thrive.

Here’s to next year!!!

In Crew,

Andy Sprakes

G29 9.3 – PoL 17.00 LIVE – What a Wonderful World?

By Rebecca Jones17th July 2025

At 17:00, G29’s Presentation of Learning goes live!

Our students have been working hard to craft powerful poems inspired by the beauty of nature and their study of interdependence within ecosystems. Some poems celebrate the natural world, while others serve as a compelling call to action. Feel free to add any messages to the message board about our students work.

A huge thank you to our Digital Leaders — Drew, Seb, and Lyra — for their dedication and creativity in editing the final showcase.

Below the video, you’ll find photos of the students’ final product — planting wildflowers in our planters to help boost biodiversity on our school site. Students also began surveying our site to find out what species live on our school grounds this will support any work that is done on our school site.

We hope you enjoy this inspiring collection of student work.