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Here’s a selection of beautiful work from across the XP Trust from this week. To read about other stories from across the XP Trust, visit xptrust.org.
Crew Attenborough Charity Event @ XP Gateshead
EYFS Community Meeting @ Norton Infants
Where is Doncaster on the map? @ Norton Juniors
XP Festival of Arts and Culture – Tickets available now!
As we approach the end of G30’s second year at XPG, we find ourselves reflecting on what a fantastic and jam-packed year it has been. The third and final Presentation of Learning (POL) for Year 8 will take place in school on Wednesday, 16th July at 4:30 PM.
This event will feature a Hosted Gallery Walk, during which your child will guide you through images from their current expedition, ‘Should I Stay or Should I Go?’ The guiding question for this expedition is ‘Was Migration Worth the Risk?’ Students will also present their final product: a piece of artwork inspired by Islamic art, incorporating both visual storytelling and mathematical analysis.
Drawing on their learning in both Art and Maths, students explored the use of geometric pattern and calligraphy in Islamic art—connecting this to stories of migration. Purposeful imperfections in their tile designs were used to symbolise outliers in data, linking to their work on scatter graphs. The project culminated in students digitally arranging their artwork to reflect statistical patterns, blending creativity with analytical thinking.
Throughout the event, students will explain their learning journey and the knowledge they have acquired. This will provide insight into the rigour of our academic curriculum and highlight the development of their HoWLs (Habits of Work and Learning): Work Hard, Get Smart, and Be Kind, along with our core character traits: Respect, Courage, Craftsmanship and Quality, Integrity, and above all, Compassion.
We ask that students dress in a more formal manner for Presentations of Learning. This helps foster a professional mindset and emphasises the importance of the event and its audience. Students may choose to wear a shirt/blouse, trousers and shoes, or a formal dress. Our branded polo shirts are also appropriate for this occasion.
Students will remain in school on the day for a walkthrough rehearsal to ensure the evening runs smoothly. They may bring a healthy snack to enjoy after the school day ends.
It is essential that each student has at least one family member in attendance. Presentations of Learning are a key component of our educational model, designed to help students develop character, showcase their beautiful work, and reinforce the vital partnership between family, school, and students in their academic and personal growth.
We look forward to welcoming you for the final time this academic year and celebrating the incredible achievements of our students.
On Friday 11th July, the XP Festival of Arts and Culture returns to XP Doncaster, bringing together students, families, staff and artists for a joyful celebration of creativity and community.
Throughout the day, you’ll experience live music, powerful performances, vibrant art installations, and the beautiful work that defines XP. Students from every XP Trust school will be contributing, sharing their talents and passions through exhibitions, dance, storytelling, and more – all designed to connect, inspire and make a difference.
The festival is a key moment in our XP Live programme – a growing Trust-wide initiative that gives young people authentic opportunities to produce, perform and create. It builds on our commitment to purposeful learning and supports our belief that every child can do meaningful, creative work that impacts the wider world.
More details on the line-up will be shared soon – we can’t wait to welcome you.
G31 Class 2 will take part in fieldwork at Windy Nook Nature reserve on Wednesday morning – students will be back in school for the normal lunch time.
The forecast is set to warm but cloudy, though students should be prepared for all weathers.
The reserve will likely be muddy following several days of rain so students should ensure they are wearing suitable footwear (not crocs) or a change of shoes if desired. Students will also need to be prepared with their usual kit and fully charged iPad.
On Wednesday 11th June from 3:30pm – 5:00pm Crew Attenborough are hosting a viewing of the documentary ‘David Attenborough’s: A Life on Our Planet‘ in school.
Tickets will be on sale during Tuesday and Wednesday break and lunch. All money raised will go to The WWF. Each ticket costs 50p which goes towards a portion of popcorn.
Popcorn and drinks will be available to buy on the night. It would be great to see as many students as possible attending to raise funds for a worth cause.
“This partnership has great motivation and determination to be the best, they are always working hard to continue perfecting their routine and because of this they have been very successful at all their competitions this past season and have constantly been improving their score. Keep up the hard work and let’s see what this competition season will bring!”
We’ve enjoyed a good first week to our final Summer half term.
It was great to hear appreciations, apologies and stands from students and staff in our community meetings last week and all agreed on with the work we needed to do going forward to ensure we hold true to our character values every day – consistently high levels of respect for others, encouraging each other to be the best we can be, positively committed to our own education and that of those around us. Community meetings are a really special place to be, hearing students hold each other to account within a safe and supportive environment is unique and our students show sensitivity and maturity beyond their years.
There’s been high quality work in and out of sessions as usual. We’ve had great work in sessions as usual this week as well as in G31 and G30 SLCs, work alongside experts in Science in G31 and G30 PE, G31 Geography fieldwork along the River Tyne, G28 mock results and information evenings for our G29 families.
Thank you to all families who came along to our drop in evening last week. This was an opportunity to meet staff and students to ask questions about our Key Stage 4 pathways. Can all G29 families please complete this form to let us know your thoughts, and if you have any remaining questions. This is not a final choice for your child at this stage, this will be confirmed through your child’s Crew Leader.
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 to support this and this half term Katy Horne our Safeguarding and Attendance Lead is working with Crew Leaders to support any key students and families who are struggling with punctuality.
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 have one more round of recruitment for Learning Coach positions which is ongoing.
Today you will be sent an email with a summary of the mock papers that students sat, along with a link to ask questions of your child and their Crew Leader in advance of their SLC. Crew leaders will be sending out invites to SLCs through Google Calendar.
We will also continue the drive to support students in ensuring that they are ready and organised for their work placements. Students should now be inputting details of their placements into the placementt app. There are students in each crew trained to support peers if they need help on this.
Inevitably, there are some placements for students that have not been able to be organised where we had hoped that this would be possible.
If there are any families from organisations or with contacts in any sectors of employment that could support Year 10 students with a placement in the week of Monday 30th June, please do get in contact with Mr Said on [email protected] .
On Monday Year7 class 2 will be heading out of school to carry out Geography fieldwork and investigations in our local river environment Newcastle and Gateshead Quayside. Please see last week’s post for full details of timings, kit required including a packed lunch.
This week our Year 10 students will be going to the Victoria Tunnels at Ouseburn to conduct fieldwork for their ‘History All Around Us’ Local Site Study module for their History GCSE. This module encourages students to work as historians to investigate a site of significance in their area which has seen significant change in its use over time.
Students will be travelling by metro to Newcastle but also walking the above ground route before touring the tunnels. For this reason, students must be wearing appropriate footwear. Students should be appropriately dressed for our changeable spring weather, optimistically a hat and suncream but the forecast is showing a chance of rain so a raincoat will be required.
On both fieldworks, students will be back in time for lunch so there is no need to bring a packed lunch (unless this is the norm for them).
We will be leaving school at 8:30am so students must arrive by 8:15am at the latest to allow registration and be ready to leave the site promptly at 8:30am.
The tunnels are tall enough that students will be able to stand at their full height, and there is space for students to be able to pass each other if necessary. See this link for more details.
As you know, each year we have a festival of arts at which students from across the Trust are able to contribute with creative performances. Again this year we will be taking a group of students to Doncaster to contribute to the festival. To help our dancers to prepare for this, each Tuesday over the coming weeks an expert from Phoenix Dance Theatre will be working with the group. This will happen during the school day on Tuesday; those students that are part of the dance group will need an appropriate change of clothes as per regular PE sessions.
This year we will take just over 30 students to perform in bands, to dance and sing as part of the festival.
Our PE sessions this week are as follows. Please ensure that your child has their full PE kit.
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
Here’s a selection of beautiful work from across the XP Trust from this week. To read about other stories from across the XP Trust, visit xptrust.org.
Weekly update for families @ XP Gateshead
Once upon a time… @ Norton Infants
Phoenix Dance Theatre Project 2025 @ XP
When NJS met a Gladiator @ Norton Juniors
Following our presentations students over the last few weeks, and the drop-in evening this week, can all G29 families please complete this form to let us know your thoughts, and if you have any remaining questions. This is not a final choice for your child at this stage, this will be confirmed through your child’s Crew Leader.
G28 Students have today been given the results for the written papers that they sat in their recent round of mock examinations.
These results include the grades from the mock exams, and importantly the predictions that we are making for their final GCSE grades. These predictions do not represent a limit on what students can achieve – they are our professional judgements of a most likely grade based on the performance of students in these mocks and everything that we know about their preparations, capability, capacity and motivation.
We have had a community meeting this afternoon to reinforce important messages about the purpose of any sets of mocks being about learning for, and building towards the final assessments in Summer 2026. We are really proud of our students’ efforts over this mock period and overall the picture is looking strong.
We will email out a guide which details the papers that students were given in this round of mocks and how grades have ben reached. Students will also receive an updated snapshot which includes other important information about their narrative for success, including attendance and habits of work and learning.
All of the above will form the basis for the upcoming SLCs.
When you receive the email with the guide to the mock papers, you will also be given a link to ask questions in advance of the SLCs.
During the community meeting we also reminded students that over the coming week we need them to finalise their work experience arrangements – most importantly once they have an offer, to put the details into their Placementt app. Then we will pick up the exchange of documentation from that point.
Thanks to all of our G28 families for your ongoing support!
