Today, we wish a happy St George’s Day to all who acknowledge and celebrate it.
St George, remembered as the patron saint of England and many other countries, is celebrated not only for his links to Christianity but also for the values he represents. Though his legendary tale of slaying a dragon is widely regarded as a myth, St George is honoured for his courage and steadfastness in standing up for his beliefs, even in the face of persecution.
The legendary figure of St George links well to the character traits we work hard to develop at XP: Respect, Courage, Integrity, Craftsmanship and Quality, and above all, Compassion.
Today is a good day to take a moment to honour those who show bravery, kindness and integrity in their daily lives.
All G31 students will undertake fieldwork tomorrow during school hours at Windy Nook nature reserve.
Please can parents be advised that all students will need to be prepared for all weathers including suitable footwear for walking (potentially a spare pair of shoes) that can get muddy, and layers for warmth. If your child suffers from allergies outdoors and would typically take medication for this then please ensure they do so.
Students will return in time for school lunch so a packed lunch is not necessary.
Regular kit is needed including a fully charged iPad and a water bottle.
On Thursday 24th April 3:30-4:30, Miss Tatters and Miss Simpson will be hosting a revision session for G28 students in advance of mocks.
The session will be split into 2 30 minute sessions, 30 minutes on Vikings and 30 minutes on A Christmas Carol.
Snacks will be provided!
Attending a revision class with a specialist in the subject who knows the exam is 100% a better way to spend an hour revising than doing your own thing at home.
If you would like support with directing your child to attend this session, please get in touch with your child’s crew leader who can support with ensuring their attendance.
Welcome back, we hope you have enjoyed the Easter Bank Holiday break.
We had a good start back to school last week and the vast majority of students have settled back with us quickly and, as always, have impressed us with their HoWLs, character values and their engagement in learning during last week’s immersion.
G28’s PoL – Are we really free to choose?
It was wonderful to see so many families last week for G28’s public debate at Newcastle Sixth Form College. Our students had a fantastic day on campus, getting a chance to use the great facilities on site and find out what’s available to them for post 16 study at the college.
It was great to see debating teams challenge each other around some key topics on democracy, feminism, genetics, social media, the right to protest and the persecution of minorities in Nazi Germany. The confidence shown by our students and their speaking skills conveying the deep understanding of content covered in this expedition was stunning.
G28’s Work Experience – w/c 30th June 2025
The slides that Mr Said spoke to during the PoL evening can be found by clicking here. Students will be introduced to the Placementt app in upcoming Crew sessions.
G31’s PoL – Why is it important to honour all those who sacrificed in WWI?
Like many of you I thoroughly enjoyed watching the pre-recorded G31PoL last Thursday which was broadcast on Youtube. For those who haven’t seen it, watch the presentation online by clicking on this link.
A huge congratulations goes to all of our Year 7 students for their craftsmanship and quality in this work and special mention to our Digital Leaders who recorded this work.
New Term – New Expeditions for G31 and G30
Our Year 7 and Year 8 students were working hard in immersion last week, making connections between their studies in lessons, building background knowledge and developing curiosity.
Year 7 were studying freshwater species and their adaptations in STEAM, and in HUMAN were investigating how the power of water has been represented in literature and its symbolism in religion. In ARTS students were carrying out observational drawing of water settings using the grid method.
In HUMAN Year 8 have been looking at how migrants and refugees stories have been represented, and have looked at first-hand accounts of both refuge and migration. In STEAM, students have also been studying the island nation of Tuvalu and their pleas for richer nations to take more urgent action to tackle climate change. In ARTS students have looked at objects with sentimental value and building skills in using oil pastels to represent these objects.
This week their new guiding questions will be revealed along with the challenges and new learning this term’s expeditions will bring.
G29 Expedition ‘You Give Me Fever’
G29 continued to work hard on their current expedition ‘You Give Me Fever’’. Our students continued to look at public health over time and investigate health inequalities in Gateshead today, looking at the correlation between disease and deprivation. Preparations have now started in earnest for the Public Health Conference which this year is on the theme of tobacco and smoking.
G29’s Presentation of Learning will be a Public Health Conference, hosted by our students in school on Friday 10th May, 2pm.
We appreciate this is an earlier than normal start, however this has been carefully considered and will allow us to make use of professionals as part of the process.
We need your support
Monitoring online activity
There are a minority of students who took longer to settle last week and we have invested a significant amount of staff time picking up issues around friendships which have played out online outside of school. This is definitely not what we expect or want to spend time on and we ask for your support, as parents and carers, to monitor your child’s online communications outside of school hours.
As you know, character growth is a key component of our 3-Dimensional curriculum at XP Gateshead and we all (students, staff and families) have a responsibility to support the development of our character values of courage, craftsmanship and quality, respect, integrity and compassion.
I understand the challenges that being a parent or carer of a teenager brings and how difficult this can be, especially around social media and finding the right balance between privacy, monitoring and trust. Here are some useful links to support conversations with your teenager:
This week marks the start of our mock exams with Fine Art students completing a practical mock exam in Art during the whole day on Tuesday. The mock exam for Photography students will take place in the final half-term.
The main mock exam session takes place between Monday 28th April and Thursday 8th May:
Students should continue the revision for their upcoming mocks. Staff have put together this revision website as a guide for families which has a wealth of information to help you to support your child right the way through to the final assessments in Year 11 next year.
You can access this any time by going to the XP Gateshead website and clicking on Parents – GCSE Revision on the menus.
G31 Fieldwork – Wednesday 23rd April
This fieldwork will take place in the Windy Nook Nature reserve on Wednesday morning – students will be back in school for the normal lunch time. The forecast is set to be dry and cool. Students will need to be prepared with:
Regular full kit – including a water bottle
Appropriate clothing for the weather including a coat
Comfortable walking shoes or trainers
PE sessions this week
Due to the shortened four day week, our PE sessions this week are shown below. Please ensure that your child has their full PE kit.
G31 students (Y7) have PE on Thursday this week
G30 students (Y8) have PE on Wednesday this week
G29 students (Y9) have PE on Thursday this week
Extended Study and Clubs
Extended study and after school clubs will be running this week.
If you have any questions please contact your child’s crew leader in the first instance.
A reminder that the pre-recorded PoL for this exhibition will be broadcast on Youtube this evening at 6pm to allow families to watch with their children at home.
You will be able to watch the presentation online as a family by clicking on the YouTube link below at 6pm tonight.
Join Our Crew – Maths Teacher Vacancy at XP Doncaster
We’re currently looking for a talented and passionate Maths Teacher to join us at XP Doncaster. Our approach to education is different – through Crew, Expeditions, and a culture of compassion, we support our students to do work that truly matters.
If you’re an educator who wants to be part of something meaningful and collaborative, we’d love to hear from you.
We’re excited to announce two fantastic opportunities to join the team at XP Gateshead.
We’ve got vacancies for:
Faculty Leader for Arts
Teacher of Art and Design
Teacher of English and History
Learning Coach (Teaching Assistant)
At XP, we do things differently. Our approach to education is rooted in Crew, beautiful work, and purposeful learning. If you believe in developing meaningful relationships with students, delivering real-world learning, and fostering creativity in every corner of the curriculum – we’d love to hear from you. XP Gateshead is part of the XP Trust family of schools, and we’re proud to offer an innovative, supportive and collaborative working environment.
Presentation of Learning at Newcastle Sixth Form College – Wednesday 16th April at 4.30pm
G28 will have their presentation of learning for their current expedition, which will take the form of a debate addressing themes associated with their guiding question: “Are we really free to choose?”. It is very important that you complete this google form so we can confirm all students will be safely escorted home at the end of the POL.
We will be travelling to Newcastle Sixth Form College in the morning by metro and then on foot. So students will need:
Full kit including a charged iPad
Comfortable walking shoes or trainers (the PoL is a formal event so students may want to bring a change of shoes)
A packed lunch
A waterproof coat – the forecast is cool but with a chance of showers.
We will also share details of work experience at the event, and we will be able to celebrate DofE bronze with students.
Fine Art mock examination – Tuesday 22nd April
Students in Fine Art will have a mock of the practical art exam during the whole day on Tuesday 22nd April. Students have been preparing for this in their art sessions. The mock for Photography will take place in the final half-term.
Revision
Students should continue the revision for their upcoming mocks.
Staff have put together this revision website as a guide for families which has a wealth of information to help you to support your child right the way through to the final assessments in Year 11 next year.
You can access this any time by going to the XP Gateshead website and clicking on Parents – GCSE Revision on the menus.
