G30’s First Week Back

By Michelle Ross31st August 2024

We are delighted to share that Year 8 students (G30) have had an exceptional first week back at school. Not only have they settled in brilliantly, but they have also shown remarkable leadership skills as they worked collaboratively in their Crews to plan and execute fieldwork activities for the new Year 7 students (G31), who will be joining us next week.

Our G30 students demonstrated true craftsmanship and quality in their planning. They meticulously worked out routes, conducted extensive risk assessments, and created a range of resources for the fieldwork. Their attention to detail was evident as they planned carefully to ensure that the timings and costs of public transport would allow the fieldwork to be completed within the time allotted.

On Friday, the Crews put their plans into action, testing the effectiveness of their fieldwork activities. This hands-on approach not only allowed them to evaluate their own work but also provided a practical learning experience that will be invaluable when they complete their debrief and evaluation on Monday.

Crew Earhart and Crew Kahlo took on the challenge of enhancing both geographical enquiry and the study of beliefs and worldviews different from our own. Their fieldwork included a walk through Bill Quay Farm and along the Tyne River Trail to Hebburn Riverside Park, where they consolidated their learning on river processes and land use. After lunch, they visited the Dhamakaya Buddhist Centre in Hebburn, where they had the unique opportunity to learn about Buddhism and even participate in a meditation session with their teachers.

    

Crew Darling and Crew Einstein focused on a historical enquiry into Anglo-Saxon and monastic life in the Northeast. Their fieldwork took them to Jarrow Hall, where they explored farm and village life in Anglo-Saxon Jarrow and learned about the monastic life of St Bede. They also visited St Paul’s Church, walking in the footsteps of St Bede himself as they re-enacted a monk’s liturgical service in the Anglo-Saxon part of the church.

We are incredibly proud of the students for their excellent attitude towards learning and the true spirit of Crew they demonstrated throughout this first week back. Their hard work and dedication will set a wonderful example, and we are confident that their efforts will make a positive impact on the incoming Year 7 students.

G30’s Crew Leaders want to thank you for your continued support, and we look forward to another fantastic term ahead.

G31 additional delay

By Martin Said30th August 2024

We have been delayed again unfortunately due to an accident on the A66. We are through the congestion now and the latest estimated arrival time is 16.20pm.

Weekly Update for Families – W/C Tuesday 27th August 2024 – First Week Back

By Julie Mosley25th August 2024

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. 

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.

  • G31 (Year 7) students will start at normal time, 8:25am and can arrive from 8am on Tuesday.
  • G30 (Year 8) students will start at 10:45am on Tuesday.
  • G29 (Year 9) students will start at 11:15am on Tuesday.
  • G28 (Year 10) students will start at 11:45am on Tuesday.

IMPORTANT: Due to the staggered start school lunches for G30/G29/G28 students need to be pre ordered for Tuesday, please complete your choice on the google form here. 

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.

G31 (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.

G30 (Year 8) students – Fieldwork on Friday 30th August

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 Year 7 expeditions as well as evaluating the effectiveness of new fieldwork activities for supporting the learning of our new cohort. To do this the students will carry out their planned fieldwork on Friday 30th August. Students will be using this fieldwork to answer the question linked to theme of student leadership for the week:

“How can we lead and support the learning of our new friends in G31?”

Students will complete the fieldwork during the school day 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.

G30 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

G29 (Year 9) students – Fieldwork on Thursday 29th August

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

Students will be learning how to navigate together as a Crew and will be planning a Crew picnic. This serves as an introduction to the types of challenges that they will face as part of their Duke of Edinburgh Bronze award this academic year, and also connects the guiding question for the week which is:

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

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.

G29 students will need the following kit for the day. The current forecast is showers and sunny intervals.

  • 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

G28 (Year 10) students – Fieldwork on Wednesday 28th and Expert sessions on Friday 30th August

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 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 Careers Centre to hear from experts and employers about what pathways are available to them and what employers and education providers are looking for in candidates.

For the fieldwork on Wednesday we will be travelling to Gateshead Careers Centre by foot and metro, so 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 – the forecast is currently sunny with showery spells.

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. Students should wear more formal dress on Friday for their mock interviews.

Regular Kit and dress code for this week

Students will need their regular kit  and 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 wek.

If your child receives a free school meal, we will provide lunch. Please contact the school office if you have any questions around school meals.

As mentioned above, please pre-order lunch for Tuesday 27th August here.  

Staffing Update and Crew Leaders

Kati Donlan accepted a new job at the start of the school holidays so, due to notice periods, will not return to XPG in the new term. I’m sure that you will join me in thanking Kati for all of her high quality work at XP Gateshead as a Learning Coach and a Crew Leader. She has had a huge impact on staff, students and families with the work she has done supporting young people to access all areas of our curriculum. 

We have three new Learning Coaches/Crew Leaders joining our team this term – Nicky Evans, Nelly Mosley, and Charlie Parry. As you know we also have Mohammed Azam and Hannah Simpson joining our teaching team too this year, both of whom have been working with us since June.

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

G31 (Year 7) – Mr Azam, Mrs Diamond, Miss Jamison, Mr Parry / Mr Said

 

G30 Crew Earhart: Mrs Evans / Miss Mosley

G30 Crew Kahlo: Ms Macphail

G30 Crew Darling: Mrs Ross

G30 Crew Einstein: Miss Simpson

 

G29 Crew Attenborough: Miss Blain

G29 Crew Watson: Mrs Horne / Mrs Downes

G29 Crew King: Señorita Quested

G29 Crew Nightingale: Miss Marshall

 

G28 Crew Parks: Mr Devitt

G28 Crew Frank: Miss Jones

G28 Crew Angelou: Mr Mead

G28 Crew Stanton: Miss Tatters

Regular timetabled sessions

Regular timetabled lessons will start for G28, G29 and G30 in the week commencing Monday 2nd September. As you know, we are reviewing our classes and changes will be made to the makeup of both class 1 and class 2 in both cohorts.

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 G28, G29 and G30 parents who have been sharing their XPG knowledge and expertise with our new G31 parents. Together we are definitely stronger #WeAreCrew.

Julie Mosley

Principal

G31 – First Day and the Outward Bound Expedition at XP Gateshead

By Martin Said15th August 2024

Students can be dropped off at XP Gateshead school from 8am on Tuesday 27th August 2024.

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.

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.

XP School Trust and Outward Bound encourage students to bring magazines and/or books for them to read in their dormitories at night before lights out.  Each bed has a light allowing students to read whilst not disturbing other students in the room.

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. 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 your crew leader if you have any further questions.

 

Martin Said

[email protected]

From The Ground Up: LISTEN NOW!

29th July 2024Geoff Hewitt

Check out one of our students’ latest beautiful Expedition products, featuring powerful folk songs created by Year 7 at XP Gateshead, inspired by the rich mining heritage of North-East England. From performing mining-related songs to studying historical events and visiting Beamish Museum, our students have captured the essence of the miners’ stories.

Dive into the history and heart of mining communities with us and listen along in all your favourite places here!

LISTEN HERE!

What An Amazing Celebration of Learning for G30 Students!

By Michelle Ross17th July 2024

What a wonderful first year it’s been for our current Year 7 students! Outward bound activities, working alongside experts, carrying out fieldwork, student-led conferences, and presentations of learning—it’s been a year jam-packed with fantastic learning experiences culminating in beautiful work and the development of their character.

A huge thank you to everyone who attended G30’s Celebration of Learning last night. It was absolutely fantastic to see our youngest students shine and beam with pride as they shared their impressive end products from their first three expeditions this year.

 

Additionally, the hosted gallery walk showcasing their learning from the current and final expedition of the academic year was a testament to their courage, integrity, and real craftsmanship and quality. This event provided insight into the rigour of our academic curriculum and highlighted the development of the students’ Habits of Work and Learning (HoWLs): Work Hard, Get Smart, and Be Kind. This was further evidenced by the positive feedback and the new learning summarised on the exit tickets completed by family members.

For anyone who didn’t manage to purchase the CD of songs last night, they are still available for £5.00. Students can buy them with cash from Mrs. Dobson at reception, or families can contact reception and pay via iPay.



Presentations of learning this week

15th July 2024Martin Said

G28 Presentation of Learning

The event for G28 will be streamed live on YouTube from 6pm on Thursday evening.  Here is the link to join.

G29 Celebration of Learning

We are looking forward to seeing all G29 families this Wednesday at 4.30pm as part of their expedition with the guiding question “Is migration worth the risk?”.

Please could G29 families that have not yet done so, complete this form to let us know how many adults are attending and if there are any dietary requirements we need to be aware of.

G30 Presentation of Learning

As you may have seen, we have a limited first print of CDs of students’ music from their first learning expedition. Please bring £5 with you if you would like to purchase a copy.

The event for G30 families starts tomorrow at 4.30 pm.