Incident at Fairfield Industrial Park

By Julie Mosley5th May 2025

It is with profound sadness that we at XP Gateshead acknowledge the deeply upsetting news regarding the incident at Fairfield Industrial Park in Bill Quay on Friday night. Our thoughts are with all of the families and individuals affected by this tragedy during this difficult time. We understand that this news will be concerning for our school community, and we want to assure you that we are here to support our students and families.

In light of this event, we have received the following important message from the local police service:

“We are aware of footage and information circulating online in relation to an incident at Fairfield industrial park in the Bill Quay area of Gateshead on Friday night.

We would like to remind members of the public not to speculate on details of the incident.

What might seem like an innocent post on social media to you, could in reality disrupt an on-going investigation.

It is also important to note that anyone suspected of a crime must not be named publicly for legal reasons and those who are under 18 have anonymity.

Thank you to those of you who have cooperated so far. We would ask that if you have information in relation to what has happened, please speak to us directly by sending us a direct message on social media, or by using the live chat on our website.

If you’re unable to contact us online, please call 101.”

We urge everyone to respect the police’s request and to be mindful of the impact of sharing unverified information. Our focus remains the wellbeing of our students and staff. If your child is struggling with this news or requires support, please do not hesitate to contact us. We are here to listen and provide assistance.

G29 Presentation of Learning – Reminder

By Rebecca Jones2nd May 2025

 

G29 students have been working with determination this week as they put the finishing touches on their final product: a public health report exploring the impact of smoking and vaping on the local community. These reports represent weeks of research, collaboration, and thoughtful writing.

Next week, students will begin rehearsing for their Presentation of Learning (PoL) – XPGateshead’s second annual Public Health Conference. We are excited to welcome you to school at 13:30 Friday 9th May for an afternoon of youth-led activism, informed debate, and meaningful dialogue.

Please note: final product reports have not yet been printed, so students are encouraged to use this weekend to make any last-minute edits or improvements.

I would also like to take a moment to recognise G29 for the exceptional maturity they demonstrated during today’s ethics debate. As part of their Religious Studies and Ethics series, students tackled the complex question: “Should vaccinations be compulsory?” Our student team leaders – Arlo, Scarlett, Eleanor, and Seth – led their peers with confidence, and I was thoroughly impressed by the quality of the arguments presented across all teams. Their ability to approach sensitive topics with respect and insight is a credit to their growth and learning.

#BetterWorldWeek at XP

2nd May 2025Geoff Hewitt

At XP Trust, we’re proud to be long-standing partners and friends of EL Education. We take part in Better World Week every year – not as a one-off event, but as an extension of the work we do every day in our schools. Like EL, we believe that learning should be purposeful, rooted in community, and driven by the desire to make a positive impact. It’s a shared mission that sits at the heart of our relationship and everything we do.

In every XP school, students take on meaningful work that matters to real people. From campaigning for local change to producing high-quality expedition products that leave a legacy, our young people learn not just how to succeed – but how to contribute. Better World Week gives us the opportunity to shine a light on that work, celebrate the voices of our students, and stand alongside a global network of educators who are committed to doing things differently…

Click ‘read more’ below to see our students’ beautiful work from this year…

Continue reading →

Sharing our Stories: 02/05/2025

2nd May 2025Geoff Hewitt

Beautiful Work This Week

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.

Every year, our friends and partners at EL Education invite schools across the world to take part in #BetterWorldWeek – a celebration of student work that makes a meaningful difference in the world.

Just like at EL, at XP this isn’t a one-off event – it’s the work we do every day. But this week gives us a moment to pause, reflect, and share the incredible ways our students have stepped up.

In the last year, they have:

  • Hosted tea parties to tackle loneliness
  • Campaigned for safer streets around their schools
  • Created environmental art with purpose
  • Challenged inequality through powerful public products
  • Brought communities together

…and that’s just the beginning.

You can read all about their beautiful, purposeful work here:

https://xptrust.org/betterworldweek-2025/

Top of the Blogs

Class 8 Monarch Sketches @ Green Top

Self portraits @ Plover

Memory Jars @ Carcroft School

Weekly update for families @ XP Gateshead

If you go down in the woods… @ Norton Infants

Magnificent Magma @ Norton Juniors

Cheerleading competition @ XP

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!

G28 Breakfast revision

By Emmy Tatters30th April 2025

There is no 8am breakfast revision tomorrow as all students have a history lesson in the morning, prior to the exam.

Students are still welcome (and encouraged) to arrive at school from 8am and can complete their own revision, supported by friends, at the canteen tables.

G28 Breakfast Revision

By Emmy Tatters28th April 2025

Tomorrow morning’s 8am breakfast revision session will be focused on the Unseen Poetry section of the Literature exam (which is tomorrow morning). This is worth 40 out of the 120 marks on the paper.

We have spent the least amount of time on this section in sessions so a very strong recommend for students to attend!

Weekly Update for Families – W/c Monday 28th April

By Julie Mosley27th April 2025

Dear Families

It has been another busy week at XP Gateshead with some great work from students and staff alike. We have had several visitors in school this week who have all commented on how confident and articulate our students are when talking about their learning, the strength of relationships at XPG which mean our students are safe, are known, feel seen and valued.

Whenever visitors come to XPG, it is our students who give ambassador tours. Like our open evenings, Presentations of Learning, Student led Conferences and Passage presentations it is the voice of our students which is the most important and we continue to use every platform for them to use their voice and be the leaders of their learning. Here is some feedback Brodie and Scarlett in Year 9 received this week from a visitor:

“I am writing to thank you for your time today. I am so grateful to you for explaining the way your school works and the special things about your experience as students there which make it such an excellent place to learn.

I have had the opportunity to visit many, many schools in my time but I have never been as impressed as I was today by the clarity and meaningfulness of what you shared with me. I agree with you that you are receiving a brilliant education which is going to help you to become the people you want to be. I have no doubt that you will put it to good use for the benefit of the wider community.

Thank you again. As I said, I will not forget you; you have made a profound impression on me and you did a fantastic job of representing your school community in a very positive light.”

Summer term expeditions 

G31 and G30 students have all had their Summer expeditions and guiding questions revealed and have made a great start to these new expeditions. This term’s expeditions and guiding questions are:

Year 7: How does water shape our world?

Students will investigate how river and coastal processes shape the land and the species that live in these ecosystems. They will also study a range of literature inspired by water including an anthology of poems and Shakespeare’s ‘The Tempest’. They will create art inspired by nature and as a final product will write articles connected to the water quality in our rivers and seas and will do service learning to clean up local wild spaces.

Year 8: Is Migration worth the risk?

Students will look at push and pull factors that lead to migration, and will study some cases where conditions have led people to seek refuge such as war or climate change, as well as economic factors such as rural to urban migration in India. They will work with our partners at the Comfrey project to be able to hear the stories of migrants first-hand and will create artwork inspired by the geometric patterns found in Islamic art and architecture connecting this to data about migration.

Last week’s highlights

Year 7 Class 1 students carried out fieldwork this week to our local nature reserve to investigate the area close to the pond and how the water in this area impacts on biodiversity. Class 2 will carry out the same fieldwork in a few weeks time.

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G29 students have continued to impress us with their high quality script writing in readiness for their Public Health Conference which takes place on Friday 9th May at 2pm. 

Last week saw the start of our G28 mock exams for year 10 students which will continue over the next two weeks. We are running these exams in the same way that final GCSEs run so that our students get a realistic experience to learn from and build upon. See the recent mock exam information post for parents and students here.  

As you know our 3-Dimensional curriculum has a relentless focus on beautiful work, character growth and academic success. We have seen that when children are supported and challenged to go beyond their comfort zones, to produce beautiful work beyond which they thought possible, then in turn they grow and become stronger in character. This sets them on a pathway to achieve well and enjoy academic success. 

This week

G32 Transition – Family meetings

Transition has started for our new G32 cohort. We are really looking forward to getting to know our new students and families this week as online family meetings take place for every child with their family. Families will receive invites to these meetings in the coming days.

PE sessions this week

There are some changes to PE sessions again this week due to staff absence.  As you know, Mr Devitt is recovering from a broken ankle and we have been working hard to cover sessions with staff who are known to our students. We are grateful to Lauren Cadenas for supporting us further at XPG and allowing us to get another afternoon of sport expertise for students on top of her usual Thursday sessions with Year 9 and Year 10. Please make sure that your child has their full PE kit for sessions.

  • G30 students (Y8) have PE on Tuesday this week
  • G31 students (Y7) have PE on Wednesday this week
  • G29 students (Y9) have PE on Thursday this week.
  • For G28 students (Y10) have PE on Thursday this week.

Extended Study and Clubs

Extended study and after school clubs will be running Monday to Thursday as usual this week.

If you have any questions please contact your child’s crew leader in the first instance. 

Julie Mosley

G29 Duke of Edinburgh Update

By Rebecca Marshall25th April 2025

Duke of Edinburgh Award Update – G29 Summer Term

This term, G29 will be embarking on their Duke of Edinburgh expedition. Today in school, students received an update on what’s coming up as part of their DofE Award this summer, and we’d like to share the key information with parents and carers too.

Key Information for Parents and Carers

Key Dates

Monday 12th May – Crew Day

During this Crew Day, G29 will be developing essential expedition skills. This includes learning how to pitch and dismantle a tent, cook on a camp stove, and pack a rucksack effectively. Students are encouraged to bring their kit so they can pack their bags exactly as they would for the final expedition (see below).

Friday 16th May – Practice Expedition (location TBC)

Students will travel by Metro with their packed rucksacks and complete a 10km walk while carrying their gear. Upon returning to school, they will use their skills from Crew Day to cook a meal, pitch a tent, and repack their bags independently.

It is essential that all students complete this successfully before leaving the site to ensure they are fully prepared for the final expedition.

G29 will finish at the later time of 4:30pm on this day to allow time for these tasks. However, students are expected to stay beyond 4:30pm if necessary to complete all activities. The spirit of Crew will be vital—students will be encouraged to support one another to ensure everyone finishes on time.

Friday 13th June – Kit Deadline

While we recommend students have their kit ready for the 12th May bag-packing activity, we understand this may be short notice. All students must have their full kit—or a clear plan for acquiring it (e.g. borrowing from school)—by Friday 13th June. This allows time to resolve any outstanding issues.

Friday 4th & Saturday 5th July – Final Expedition (near Hexham)

Students should arrive at school as normal on Friday 4th July. They will travel by coach to the expedition starting point and complete a 10km walk, before camping overnight at Greencarts Campsite.

On Saturday, they will complete another 10km walk and return to school by coach. Parents should expect an arrival time of approximately 4:00pm, though this may vary depending on how quickly groups complete the route.

Friday 11th July – eDofE Evidence Deadline

All evidence for Volunteering, Physical, and Skills sections must be uploaded to eDofE by this date. Crew leaders will support students, but they already have access and are encouraged to upload evidence as they go.

Evidence can be flexible—photos are helpful, but written reflections are also valid. If your child is using an external activity (e.g. football training), a brief note from a coach (typed or handwritten and photographed) is sufficient. Students have full control over their eDofE accounts and can access them at any time.

Kit

Students should now begin preparing their expedition kit. Ideally, this should be complete by 12th May for the bag-packing activity. Where possible, we ask for your support in helping students gather their kit.

While items can be purchased new, borrowing from friends or family is a great way to reduce costs. The school also has a small selection of kit available to borrow for families facing financial difficulty.

Please see the Bronze DofE Kit List and guidance on Choosing Kit and Suppliers. It’s important to read this carefully before buying anything to avoid spending money on inappropriate gear.

Boots

Footwear is the most important piece of kit. Students must have waterproof walking boots with good ankle support.

It is highly recommended that these boots are worn during the practice expedition on 16th May to ensure they are comfortable and suitable for the final two-day expedition.

Trainers are not appropriate—the route includes soft, rocky, and muddy terrain. Proper boots help keep feet dry, prevent injuries, and make the experience far more manageable. Walking and camping for two days is challenging enough without soggy socks, blisters or twisted ankles!

Further updates will follow as we approach key dates. In the meantime, if you have any questions, please contact Ms R Marshall via email.

Sharing our Stories: 25/04/2025

25th April 2025Geoff Hewitt

Beautiful Work This Week

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.

Top of the Blogs

Class 8 are Historians @ Green Top

Children dress up day @ Plover

Crowning the King and Queen of Carcroft @ Carcroft School

G31 Year 7 POL – Tonight! @ XP Gateshead

A Fairytale Tea Party @ Norton Infants

Fabulous Fieldwork @ Norton Juniors

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!

G28 Mock Exams – Important Information for Parents and Students

By Rebecca Jones24th April 2025

On Monday, G28 students will begin their mock exams. These assessments are designed to closely mirror the formal GCSE exams they will sit in Year 11, giving students valuable experience and helping them feel confident and prepared for next year.

Attached to this post is a copy of the Instructions for Candidates. This guidance will also be shared with all students tomorrow and is available on their Google Classroom.

Please take a moment to review these instructions with your child and remind them of the importance of following official exam conditions. Failure to comply with exam regulations could lead to disqualification from their GCSEs.