Dear Families

Here we are at the end of our first May Bank Holiday weekend. I hope you have enjoyed the additional family time this weekend.

Last week saw a lot of hard work from students across all year groups and a highlight for me was the way all of our students have supported the G28 Art and Photography exams as well as G29 mock exams which took place last week. 

Our Year 11 students continue to show real determination as final exams approach. Last week we saw all G28 students complete 10 hours of assessment in art exams. These exams represented the culmination of months of preparatory work (worth 40% of their final GCSE grade) and students produced a final, focused outcome based on their chosen theme. 

Last week, Year 10 students sat their first GCSE mock exams which they approached with maturity and commitment. Their courage was admirable as they had their first real experience of GCSE exam papers and conditions and they deserve full congratulations. We will be working with them to make sure they understand that this is the start of their journey and we will be supporting them all the way. In the coming weeks after marking and moderation takes place, we will share the mock results with students along with our predictions at this stage for their final outcomes next year. 

I also want to congratulate our year 7, 8 and 9 students for the respect, compassion and support they have shown our older students. As a community we all support each other to get to the top of the mountain at XP Gateshead.

Ellen McGonical, a visitor in school last week, shared her reflections after spending time with our students, which included the following:

“I was completely blown away by XP yesterday.  From the moment I walked through the doors, I felt the strength and spirit of the school, it radiates from every corner of the building and every student I met.”

“What stood out so powerfully at XP is how much everybody cares – about their learning, about each other, and about the world around them.”

“XP is far from ordinary. This is education at its most thoughtful and impactful – an environment where young people are empowered not just to succeed, but to care deeply, think critically, and truly thrive”

G33 Transition – Online family meetings

We have enjoyed meeting many  of our new students and their families this week online. Family meetings will continue this week. This is all part of us getting to know our new students and their families as much as possible before they start with us on Tuesday 25th August 2026. Please see our recent website post for full details on our transition timeline for 2026 (shown below).

G32 and G31 Getting ready for Student Led Conferences (SLCs)

Our Year 7 and 8 students have started their preparation work for SLCs which take place over the fortnight beginning Monday 11th May.

Please note that we expect all families to attend SLCs. These, like PoLs, are key moments in the deliberate development of character for our young people and it is vital that parents, carers and families are present to support these events. 

You should have already received an email with an updated snapshot from your child and a link to ask questions of them in advance of the SLC. Click here for that link if your child has not yet sent that on to you.

We will be in touch with families of Crew Windsor in G31 soon with plans for their next SLCs.

You will also receive a link to sign up for a time slot from your child’s Crew Leader this week. Please contact [email protected] if you do not receive this.

Saying Goodbye to Suzanne Purdy

On Monday we found out that Suzanne Purdy, our school chef, was leaving us. Suzanne worked for Gateshead Council catering services and has been part of the team supporting us since we started XP Gateshead back in September 2021. 

Suzanne has cared for us all, looking after students and staff alike every day. She has led her teams across the last 5 years producing meals for our whole school community, keeping us all nourished. Suzanne has really cared about every young person at XPG, showing kindness and compassion for all. 

Like staff, our students were sad to hear the news that Suzanne was leaving XPG and we will look to celebrate her time with us in the coming weeks. We wish Suzanne every success in her new role and thank her for commitment to XPG and the care she has shown our students.

This week

G28 Exams – Health and Social Care / Sport

This week Health and Social Care, Sports and Entry Level English exams take place. A huge thank you to Mrs Diamond, Mr Devitt and Ms Young for all of their hard work and support they have given our Y11 students. Our students have really appreciated their support.

PE sessions this week

There are some changes to PE sessions this week due to the bank holiday and Crew Day on Friday.

• G32 students (Y7) 
  • Class 1 have PE on Thursday this week
  • Class 2 have PE on Wednesday this week
• G31 students (Y8) have PE on Tuesday this week

Crew Day – Friday 8th May 

Every half term, we run a Crew Day which is an opportunity to ‘tend’ to crew and culture. Crew is our support network at XPG and key to the continued success of everyone at our school. We will revisit what it means to be crew, and our responsibilities in getting everyone to the top of the mountain. The investment in crew is the most important one we make – if we get crew right, we get everything right!

We will put out separate posts this week for each year group to give further details of each Crew Day and the kit needed for each year group.

Extended Study and Clubs

Extended study and after school clubs will be running Tuesday to Thursday this week.

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