Front Page News | XP Gateshead

G30 return to school

By Martin Said1st September 2023

We have set off from Howtown on Ullswater and are now through Pooley Bridge.

We expect to be back at school very soon after 4pm. We will keep you updated if there are any delays.

G30 Outward Bound

29th August 2023Martin Said

We’re on our way and chatting away on the bus, getting to know each other.

We’ll be posting regular updates on X (Twitter). You can follow using the hashtag #XPGOutwardBoundG30 or from our Twitter homepage here.

G28/G29 – First week back for Year 8 and Year 9

By Julie Mosley25th August 2023

Later start on the first morning of term for G28 and G29

G28/G29 students will start at 10.45am on Tuesday 29th August.

They can arrive in school from 10.30am on Tuesday.

We are now using the entrance at the east side of the school. The car park is for staff only, so you should use the street to park but please be considerate of our neighbours when parking.

Staff will be at the student gate to greet students.

Regular Kit and dress code

Students will need regular kit on and regular dress code for Tuesday.

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

New ParentPay system

Due to our continued expansion, we have now set up our own XP Gateshead ParentPay account after sharing the account with our Doncaster schools for the last few years.

All students will be sent home with a letter on Tuesday detailing how to set up/link your ParentPay account so that you can continue paying for school lunches.

All credit/debts will be carried across from the old account at the start of the new academic year.

If you do have any issues or do not receive the letter from your child please email the [email protected] for support.

New building and first week back

Students will be given an orientation for the new parts of the building on their first day back in school on Tuesday morning.

The first week back in school for G28 and G29 focusses on the importance of Crew and each cohort has a different guiding question for the week with purposeful activities which help them to answer their guiding question for the week. As such there is no PE this coming week, but there is physical activity for both groups as you will see below.

Regular timetabled lessons will start for G28 and G29 in the week commencing Monday 4th September. As you know, we are reviewing our classes and changes will be made to the make up 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 whilst we get used to using the new building during regular hours.

Fieldwork next week

G28 – Fieldwork on Thursday 31st August

As part of their first week back in school, Year 9 students will be carrying out a hike in Northumberland around ‘The Sill’ area taking them past Sycamore Gap.

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’. You child will be able to give you more details on how they plan to contribute towards this picnic.

Students will leave by coach during the regular school day and will return back to school for around 4.00pm. We will keep you updated on the school website of our expected arrival time.

G28 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

G29 – Fieldwork on Friday 1st September

As part of their first week back in school, Year 8 students will be planning and carrying out fieldwork in the NewcastleGateshead area on Friday 1st September. Students will be using this fieldwork to answer the question linked to theme of student leadership for the week:

“How can we find out what is on our doorstep to enrich future learning expeditions for all future students?”

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’. You child will be able to give you more details on how they plan to contribute towards this picnic.

G29 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

Crew Leaders

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

G29 Crew Attenborough: Miss Blain

G29 Crew King: Señorita Quested

G29 Crew Nightingale: Miss Marshall

G29 Crew Watson: Miss Power

G28 Crew Angelou: Mr Mead

G28 Crew Frank: Miss Jones

G28 Crew Parks: Mr Devitt

G28 Crew Stanton: Miss Tatters

G30 Ullswater – Important final details and reminders

By Martin Said25th August 2023

Important final details and reminders for Tuesday 29th August

Packed Lunch

Students will need a healthy packed lunch for the very first day. We will eat lunch at the centre as soon as we arrive. Following this, all meals are provided.

- Please make sure there are no nut products in the packed lunch
- Please put the packed lunch in a box or bag separate from your child’s main luggage so that they have easy access to it on arrival..

£10 Deposit

All students must bring a £10 cash deposit to school with them. We will collect this as soon as they arrive. Crews’ deposits are pooled as each Crew has joint responsibility for their specialist kit for the week. Deposits are returned at the end of the week once all specialist equipment has been checked back in.

Medication

Any medication for students must be in the original box, clearly labelled with your child’s name and details of regularity of administration and dose. This includes: Inhalers, Epipens, Travel sickness pills, Painkillers, Antihistamines.

You need to clearly state that you give permission for your child to self-administer if this is what they usually do.

Please let us know when you drop off your child if they have any medicine with them.

Mobile Phones

Students can bring mobile phones with them, but these will be handed to their Crew Leader on Tuesday morning. They will have an opportunity to call you on Tuesday – likely around teatime and then again on Thursday afternoon when they return to the centre from their expedition – however reception at the centre is patchy so we cannot guarantee a call. Students will not be able to call you on Wednesday as they will be away from the centre on an overnight expedition. Please be assured that no news is good news! We will do our best to keep our Twitter stream updated with photographs during the week.

Snacks are not required

Snacks, drinks and sweets for the coach or for throughout the week are not permitted and are not required. Please do not put any additional food in your child’s bag apart from their packed lunch for the first day.

Additional Money

Students can bring a small amount of money in addition to their deposit if they wish – no more than £10. There is a tuck shop on site where students can get treats or Outward Bound branded kit such as pencils or beanie hats if they choose. This is usually opened on the final Thursday evening.

Return to School

We expect to be back in school at around 3.30pm-4.00pm on Friday 1st September. We will keep you updated through out Twitter stream and through the school website.

G30 – First day of term and Ullswater – 29th August

By Martin Said25th August 2023

Our new Year 7 students’ Outward Bound adventure begins on Tuesday 29th August. Students need to be arrive at school between 8.00am and 8.25am. The coach will depart later that morning.

Year 8 and Year 9 will start later than usual on Tuesday and at the normal time for the rest of the week, we will put out a separate post with information for parents later today.

Arriving at school

We are now using the entrance at the east side of the school. The car park is for staff only, so you should use the street to park but please be considerate of our neighbours when parking.

Staff will be at the student gate to greet students and to take their deposits. Please leave your children with us at the gate.

Returnable Deposit

Students must bring a £10 deposit with them on the morning which will be handed back to them at the end of their adventure if there is no loss or damage to equipment. This is an important part of the process for the week, and teaches the students about join responsibility as a Crew.

Medication

Any medication for students must be in the original box, clearly labelled with your child’s name and details of regularity of administration and dose. This includes:

Inhalers
Epipens
Travel sickness pills
Painkillers
Antihistamines

Please get in contact with [email protected] if your child will be bringing medication and we can provide you with a self-administration or permission to administer form.

Kit List

Specialist equipment such as walking boots, tents, sleeping bags, hiking rucksacks and waterproofs will be provided by the centre.

The kit list for students is listed below. Please ensure that your child has all of these items.

If you are having problems sourcing these please get in touch with our office via [email protected] . Older clothes are far better for the week as they will get wet and or muddy.

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, talcum powder (for your feet), etc.
1 pair of flip slops or sandals – optional

G30 – New Year 7 – iPad scheme

By Martin Said2nd August 2023

Thanks so much to the families that have signed up to the iPad scheme.

If you have already completed the form, there is nothing more that you need to do right now. We will order the iPads on your behalf and organise payment with you at the start of the academic year.

If you have not already done so, please complete the form here to order your child’s iPad.

Weekly update for families – Sunday 23rd July 2023

By Julie Mosley23rd July 2023

Dear Families

Here we are at the end of another academic year and what a year it has been! Our students have continued to work hard producing beautiful work and developing their character.

Here are a couple of quotes from our external school review which took place in June, which illustrate the quality of our work:

‘Staff are committed and relentless in their pursuit for culture to be right’

‘Crew is an effective system for ensuring that primarily students are known very well to adults, and that students exist in a safe place to talk with confidence about many issues’

‘The curriculum model, is being implemented successfully, thanks to experienced leaders, as well as collaboration with other experienced leaders across the trust, which is positive’

‘Interpersonal skills are being well developed – students are skilled at listening to others, being respectful and sensitive, as well as in offering advice, critiquing others, and in offering their own opinions and thinking’

We have enjoyed two fantastic Celebrations of Learning with you this week in which we have showcased the work of our students from across the year and it has been wonderful to see your smiles and hear your praise for this work.

It is the staff team at XP Gateshead who enable all of this greatness and I want to celebrate their hard work and efforts. We have an incredibly passionate, professional and skilful team of staff here who exemplify our character values on a daily basis. It is a privilege to work alongside them.

As you know, Mark Lovatt leaves us as Co Principal, taking a wider role across XP Trust. He will continue to support our work at XPG next year as we grow.

XP Trust would like to extend our special thanks to Mark Lovatt who, having been the founding Principal at XP Gateshead, now moves into the Trust to work on developing XP instructional practice and developing leadership. Mark’s work has been highly significant showing that the XP model can be rolled out and work in other parts of the country and he should be proud of the work he has accomplished in the past three years.

Looking Ahead:

Tuesday 29th August – Term starts for all students.

There will be a staggered start time for different year groups on Tuesday and we will communicate these details to you prior to the start of the new term. Our website, as always, will be our main channel of communication so please make sure that you have subscribed to this so are alerted when updates are posted.

All that remains is for me to thank you all for your ongoing support this year, thank you for being ‘Crew’. When we work together, in service to each other and with integrity we achieve extraordinary things.

I hope you and your families have a great summer.

Julie Mosley

Principal

Sharing our Stories: 21/07/2023

21st July 2023Geoff Hewitt

Beautiful Work This Week

G29: From The Ground Up – launch at Seven Stories!

G29 Students at XP Gateshead launched their book ‘From The Ground Up’ which answered the guiding question ‘What do the communities of North East England owe to the miners?’ at Seven Stories in Newcastle!

They also celebrated all of their beautiful work from their first year at XPG – you can view a collection of it here!

Plover’s Mining Gala

Year 5 and 6 Students at Plover School launched their awesome new Poetry Anthology ‘At the Coalface’ at a Mining Gala they hosted for their local community – beautiful work!

Beautiful Curation at XP Gateshead

Plover Early Years: Transport Day

Celebrating Success at Green Top

Over 5 years ago Miss Stewart and Miss O’Neill started their journey with us at Green Top as apprentices. They then progressed and secured Learning Coach positions whilst studying towards a degree in Education. Over the last two years they have both completed their degree and qualified as teachers! We are so unbelievably proud of them both and grateful that we were a part of their special journey. Sadly we didn’t have any teaching positions for them at Green Top so they have secured teaching positions in other schools. Again, we are so, so proud of them! We wish them both lots of luck in their new schools and know that they will be wonderful teachers inspiring many children in the future!

School Cook retires after 30 years at Green Top

This year we say goodbye to Sue, one of our school cooks. She has been looking after us all for 30 years and we will be sad to see her leave!

We presented Sue with flowers and gifts today and celebrated her time at Green Top!

Good Luck Sue!

XP Students gift their gorgeous terrariums to care homes in Doncaster

Year 9 students from XP and XP East gifted 30 terrariums they created for the residents of the Oaklands Care home this week. The home on Bawtry Road was delighted to accept the miniature indoor gardens, which the residents will look after and keep.

Darren the Oaklands manager is pictured here accepting the terrariums – all of which are low maintenance and were happily handed over to residents.

Ed Miliband praises XPCC23

Ed Miliband shared an update from his Facebook page about XPCC23, praising students for their awesome work and involvement in the conference.

Top of the Blogs

Pizza Party! @ Carcroft School

Weekly update for families @ XP Gateshead

Red Carpet Celebrations @ Plover

Final Word @ Norton Infants

Products at the Picnic @ Green Top

Ahoy there, Shakespeare? @ Norton Juniors

Year 10’s Final Year Group Community Meeting @ XP

Jeff’s Law – exciting Expeditions on the horizon! @ XP Comms

Thank you for joining us for another great year of beautiful work and stories from across the XP Trust – we hope you have a wonderful summer!

We’ll see you in September!

XP Comms Crew