Dear Families

We have continued to be impressed with the vast majority of our students this week and the HOWLs (habits of work and learning) they are exhibiting in sessions. It has been great to see the fantastic start G32 have made and hear praise from the team who work with our new cohort. 

On Friday it was wonderful to hear G32 students’ appreciations, apologies and stands during their Community Meeting and I look forward to this week’s Community Meetings with our other year groups.  The language our students use around our character values and HoWLs shows a real depth of understanding and commitment to character development. These are not just words on a wall at XPG

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Guiding Questions

At the start of last week immersion came to the end for all year groups and guiding questions (GQs) have been set with all students. 

GQs influence, shape and act as a reference point for student learning. GQs provoke thinking and deepen learning throughout the 12 week expedition and allow students to be engaged in authentic and purposeful work which makes connections between different subject areas and disciplines. During the course of a learning expedition, our children experience a range of case studies, with challenging texts which deepen their understanding and help them to develop an answer to the rich GQ for the expedition.

Presentations of Learning

At XP we make our work public. One of the most important ways we do this is through Presentations of Learning (PoLs). PoLs usually take place towards the end of expeditions and they are used as an opportunity for students to showcase their learning from their most current learning expedition. PoLs enable students to grow their character and further embed their learning through presenting their work in front of a range of authentic audiences and in a variety of contexts. In addition, students develop oracy skills by presenting to different audiences and in different contexts which builds confidence and further allows students to grow their character whilst developing key skills. 

It is essential that each student has at least one family member in attendance at PoLs. Presentations of Learning are 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.

This terms’ Guiding Questions and Presentations of Learning:

G32 -“What’s the story of our community?”

The presentation of learning for this event will be held on Tuesday 16th December 2025 at St Mary’s Church in Heworth from 4.30pm until 5.45pm. Please keep this evening free in your diaries.

G31 – “What does it mean to be Human?”

G31’s presentation of learning will be held on the evening Thursday 11th December in school.

G30 – “How are structures important in helping us to explain our world?”

G30’s presentation of learning will take place on the evening of Wednesday 10th December at Newcastle University Campus including the Farrell Centre.

G29 –  “To what extent does transformation benefit society?”

The final product for this expedition is service learning, and the presentation of learning for this expedition will take place at Edberts House in our community. More details to follow.

G28 – What’s love got to do with it?

Students will be producing revision resources to Romeo and Juliet as their final product and will also perform excerpts from the play with directorial narration and analysis of each scene.

This Presentation of Learning will take place on the evening of Wednesday 17th December in school.

Our week ahead 

Breakfast Club supported by Magic Breakfast

Last week we launched our brand-new Breakfast Club, giving every student the chance to start their day in the best possible way. My thanks go to Miss Jones who has worked with Magic Breakfast and the team from Crew Frank and Crew Parks who set up every day this week offering delicious toast, bagels and crumpets to our students.  The club runs every school morning from 7.45am to 8:10am and all students are welcome to attend. We have talked to our students this week about the importance of looking after themselves and making sure they start each day in the right way. Can I remind parents that energy drinks and sweets are not allowed in school and ask for your support around this.

PE sessions this week

Please can parents make sure that their child has a PE kit  for PE sessions. We expect students to change into their appropriate PE kit, and not wear the same clothes they wear in school. Similarly, students must change out of PE kit afterwards, into their normal school clothes. For safety, jewellery must be removed and hair must be tied back.

• G32 students (Year 7) – Class 1 PE sessions take place on Monday, Class 2 PE sessions take place on Wednesday.
• G31 students (Year 8) have PE on Tuesday.
• G30 students (Year 9) have PE on Thursday.
• G29 students (Year 10) have PE on Monday.
• G28 students (Year 11) have PE on Monday.

Extended Study 

Last week teachers set extended study and students have begun to build their extended study timetable. In a typical week, for Years 7-9 there is around 45-60 mins set  per night. Each subject area sets the extended study and it is due on the same day each week, so that students can organise their time and get into good habits around additional study outside of sessions. Here is our KS3 (Years 7-9) extended study timetable:

There is a step up in expectations at GCSE in Year 10 and Year 11. All GCSE-level courses now have examinations as their main form of assessment. There is a lot of content that students need to internalise and it is just not possible for students to do this in Year 11 in the run up to their examinations. As such, students are expected to spend more time on their extended study in comparison to Years 7-9. This means that there should be no need to rely on cramming in Year 11 and students should be in good habits around working outside of sessions in readiness for the revision needed to be successful. Here is our KS4 (Years 10-11) extended study timetable:

Please see our earlier post on Extended Study at XP Gateshead which includes more details on our rationale.

After school extended study sessions will start this week.

We offer extended study sessions from 3:15pm – 4:30pm Monday – Thursday.  Students attending these sessions must stay for the full session until the end at 4.30pm. These sessions allow students to work with their peers and staff on extended study tasks in school where support is on hand. Extended study is optional for most students but for some who struggle to complete and miss deadlines, extended study may be directed.

If you have any questions about extended study or how you could best support your child, please contact their Crew Leader for support.

We will be launching our new lunchtime and after school clubs programme by the end of September.

Staff Development Days

We have staff days each term at XP so that our teachers can collaborate across the Trust to create and deliver the high quality curriculum that our students study. These are shown in blue on our calendar.

This week and next see the first of our staff days where students are not expected to be in school.

• Friday 19th September – Staff Development Day 
• Monday 22nd September – Staff Development Day 

On staff days our students do not attend school and there is no expectation that they complete work beyond their regularly set extended study (homework). Students will find this work on Google classroom.

Students are expected back to school on Tuesday 23rd September by 8:25am at the latest.

As usual if you have any questions about your son or daughter please get in touch with your child’s Crew Leader in the first instance or email general enquiries to [email protected].

Thank you as always for your ongoing support. Together we are stronger #WeAreCrew.

Julie Mosley

Dear Families

We welcomed all of our students and staff into school last week so for the first time, five year groups were all together. We are delighted by how our new G32 students have all settled into school and how students in other year groups have welcomed our new cohort, settled into their new classes and sessions and daily life of school. A Kurt Hahn quote that has continued to resonate with us over these last weeks is

“We are crew not passengers, strengthened by acts of consequential service to others”

We build our culture of crew at XP Gateshead so that all members of our school community are impelled to work together as a team, to pitch in, to help others. This happens in crew, in classrooms, during social times and at the start and end of the day.

Students are settling into their new classes, working with new teachers, new learning partners and getting used to new spaces. Unfortunately, we are still without a theatre space so are unable to have whole school community meetings in person at the moment. We’ve been pleased with how adaptable and mature our students have been especially during lunchtimes as we get used to another 50 students on site. 

Last week saw the start of  immersion for all new learning expeditions. Immersion is an opportunity for students to dip their toe into the content of the learning expeditions, to build background knowledge and generate curiosity about the guiding question for the expedition. Guiding questions are revealed to students at the end of each immersion. 

G32 – Year 7

G32 started their week in Crews unpacking what they learned at Ullswater about ‘What it means to be Crew’ and considering how that is applied back at school with an additional question: “What will my learning be like at my new school?”

All Crews took time to curate their Outward Bound fieldwork and the individual journeys they had all taken along with the character traits they had demonstrated. They then spent time agreeing their crew norms and what they would look like, sound like and feel like in classrooms. 

All G32 students have now set up their iPads and completed initial Google training as part of their induction to school.  Students have resigned our ICT acceptable use agreement, which helps to ensure that students use technology appropriately and most importantly safely.

A fully charged iPad is now expected as part of daily kit for G32 students, as well as headphones. We advise against buying expensive headphones. 

There is additional guidance for families here on setting up apple accounts to download additional apps, and also on how to set sensible boundaries at home using screen time functions and parental controls on your home Wifi router.

G31

G31 have completed their immersion which included study of the human body through the emotional true story of Peter the human cyborg and also Bill Bryson’s texts “The Body: A guide for inhabitants” and “A short history of nearly everything”. In a bumper week, they have been introduced to the text “Noughts and Crosses” by Malorie Blackman, studied various creation stories and considered what makes effective speeches. All of this has come to a focal point with their guiding question revealed to be “What does it mean to be Human?”

Students also carried out fieldwork at The Baltic gallery where they were toured the exhibits  and took part in workshops which provoked thoughts connected to their guiding question around human creativity, conflict and how art can be used as an important form of expression.

On Friday they met with excerpts from the RVI in Newcastle which will be the home for their final product: artwork which promotes organ donation in children – a much-overlooked area in the national conversation around public health.

G30

G30 started their new expedition by learning about the geography and history of Russia around the turn of the 20th century. Connected to this, and to build further background knowledge they have also been studying the atomic bombs that were dropped at the end of WWII, and have seen further evidence of the power of the atom by learning about the impact of the Chernobyl meltdown in the former Soviet Union. They have also used Ken Loach’s film “I, Daniel Blake” to develop questions and curiosity about how societal and governmental structures can impact on the way that we live our lives. 

On Thursday our G30 students participated in local fieldwork, collecting primary data to answer an enquiry question : “Are there inequalities on Gateshead High Street?”

 

G29

G29 have also found out their guiding question “To what extent does transformation benefit society??” 

As part of their immersion, students first discovered what the Vikings were not, where they looked at some of the misconceptions that people have of them. They also investigated a ‘Viking Horde’ to discover what artefacts they had, what materials they were made from and what it tells us about Viking lives. This also led to students considering how objects can tell a story which connects to their GCSE Art projects. We also did some close reading of travel writing to provide pupils with a background knowledge of Scandinavia, whilst deepening their understanding of literary devices. 

In Science immersion we began to explore the properties of metals and what makes them useful, and performed a simple extraction reaction that helped them revisit the reactivity series of metals.

In English, students have been considering conditions in workhouses such as that at Southwell to better understand the social and historical context of the novel ‘A Christmas Carol’.

G28

G28’s new expedition kicked off with a focus on History and explored Elizabeth’s famous quote ‘I have already joined myself in marriage to a husband, namely the kingdom of England. Better beggar woman and single than Queen and married’. Students also watched a mystery piece of Elizabeth’s famous speech at Tilbury to demonstrate what a passionate queen of England she was. 

Students have also begun to read an abridged version of Romeo and Juliet in order to create a storyboard and character map to support their reading and analysis of the original text.

Our week ahead 

G32 students (Year 7) have their first academic fieldwork this week

Year 7 students will continue with their immersion this week, continuing to develop curiosity around what their new guiding question could be.

This week students will carry out fieldwork focused on a geological and historical enquiry around the former Whitburn Colliery Pit.

Year 7 Class 1 Students will carry out this fieldwork on Wednesday 10th September with Year 7 Class 2 completing it on Thursday 11th. Please see the website post from Mr Said which details the kit needed, packed lunch requirements and timings for the day. 

Year 7 PE sessions take place on Monday for Class 1 and Wednesday for class 2 this week so students need a full PE kit to change into on these days.

G28 Into University Sessions

On Tuesday this week, a cohort of our G28 students have their next session with Into University – who provide learning experiences designed to inspire young people to consider university, especially when they are from backgrounds that are underrepresented in the wider university population.

G31 Safety in the community

In light of the tragic events that struck our community last academic year, our younger students have an important session with the Tyne & Wear Fire Service on Wednesday this week. This session will highlight some of the risks that come from anti-social behaviour. Our Year 7 students will have a similar session later in this half-term.

PE Sessions this week

• G32 Year 7
  • Class 1 have PE on Monday this week
  • Class 2 have PE on Wednesday this week
• G31 have PE on Tuesday this week
• G30 have PE on Thursday this week
• Both G29 and G28  have PE on Monday this week

Meeting our expectations

Dress code

As you know at XP, we believe that:

• Children need to learn to express themselves responsibly.
• Children are not all the same, so they should not be forced to look the same.
• Families would rather spend their money on clothes that their children can wear inside and outside school.

We do not have a school uniform however we do have a dress code and we ask our students and staff to dress appropriately and modestly.

For a normal day within school, we do not think it appropriate that students wear:

• Hats, hoods & coats inside school
• Revealing clothing, i.e. revealing the midriff, chest or upper thigh
• Noticeable make-up, including false eyelashes
• Valuable, sentimental or impractical accessories / jewellery (eg. heavy chains, thick sovereign rings, or false nails)
• Impractical footwear (eg. sliders, flip-flops or high heels)

Please see our website post on dress code so you are aware of our expectations and can fully support these.

Punctuality

Can I remind all families that students need to be in school for an 8.30am start to sessions. They must arrive by 8.25am at the latest. There will be staff in school supervising so students can arrive from 8.00 am. The vast majority of our students had perfect punctuality last week but not all of them. Please support us with our high expectation around punctuality to school.

Extended Study 

Teachers will start to set extended study this week and students will begin to build their extended study timetable.

After school extended study sessions will start next week and students attending these sessions must stay until the end of the session at 4.30pm. These sessions allow students to work with their peers and staff on extended study tasks in school where support is on hand.

We will be launching our new lunchtime and after school clubs programme by the end of September.

As usual if you have any questions about your son or daughter please get in touch with your child’s Crew Leader in the first instance or email general enquiries to [email protected].

Thank you as always for your ongoing support.  Together we are stronger #WeAreCrew.

Julie Mosley

Dear Families

Apologies that this update is a little later than normal on a Sunday. We wanted to share some more images from last week with you, however there are some problems with uploading new images to our website at the moment that we have been unable to resolve. We will share more photos as soon as we can.

What a first week back we have had! As I said last week, our first week back is fundamental to us in terms of introducing or reaffirming the importance of Crew, the foundation of our culture at XPG. Staff and students took time to build and tend to positive relationships through many great experiences and challenges reminding each other that 

Year 7 (G32) first week back – What does it mean to be Crew?

Our G32 students have had a fantastic week at Ullswater finding out what crew means. I hope they returned to you full of tales of their Outward Bound adventures and new friendships. Across the week, students began to form strong bonds with their crew and new crew leaders, supporting each other to rise to every challenge set. We could not have been more impressed by our new year 7 students. The level of challenge meant that all Crews had to support and challenge each other to do more than they thought possible. They were compassionate, courageous, respectful and showed integrity in equal measure across the week. 

Year 8 (G31) first week back – How can we support each other to lead the learning of our new Year 7 Crew?

Our G31 students returned to school strong and Y8 Crew Leaders were blown away by the quality of student work, depth of thinking, collaboration and leadership shown by students across the week. There is no doubt that Y8 students will continue to work with us across the G32 transition to ensure that our new students are welcomed into XPGateshead and are quickly part of our school community. 

The week ended with a fantastic day of fieldwork planned by Year 8 ready for our new Year 7 expeditions to come. This work is a fantastic example of student leadership with students co-constructing learning with their peers and adults in school. The G32 teaching team are delighted with the fieldwork planning and the resources that have been made which are indistinguishable from that of adults. Student conduct on fieldwork was exceptional too. 

Year 9 (G30) first week back – How do we form great habits to tackle initiatives as a Crew with increasing agency, independence and resilience?

Our G30 students showed real strength and character last week returning to school displaying greater maturity and a clear sense of purpose. They were challenged to rethink how they best work as crews and the norms they use, starting to strategically plan crew charity events they’d like to run this year and prepared for fieldwork reconnecting with the Outdoors. The fieldwork to Wylam on Thursday gave them an introduction to the types of challenges that they will face as part of their Duke of Edinburgh Bronze award this academic year.  It was great to see students support each other during the hike which tested students’ new knowledge and map skills as they navigated together as a Crew. Students travelled by train to get to Wylam and carried out a 6km hike without a moan and smiles all round. Student conduct on fieldwork was exceptional as usual.

Year 10 (G29) first week back – How can we ensure that our future selves will thank us for the next two years?

Our G29 students really stepped up to the challenge last week, working in Crews to consider how they will support and challenge each other to be successful over the next two years of GCSE. The week also provided lots of opportunities to continue their thinking about careers and pathways, beyond Key Stage 4 to Post-16. 

Our students had a great morning at Gateshead College and spent time visiting three campuses – The Baltic Campus, the Academy for Sport and the Skills Academy for Automotive, Engineering, Manufacturing & Logistics. Students got a taste of the post 16 courses available at Gateshead College along with the industry standard kit, equipment, resources and facilities available there..

Y10 students also worked on a first CV based on their ambitions, strengths and skills to date, and on Friday they had a mock interview with an external professional who gave  them feedback on how they presented themselves, articulated their ambitions and responded to questions asked during the interview. Again, we raised the bar on our expectations and our students stepped up! The feedback we received from all interviewers was exceptional, commenting on our students’ maturity, confidence and the focus they had on their future success.

Year 11 (G28) first week back – How can we nurture the best version of our future selves?

Our G28 students enjoyed a week-long journey developing their resilience and exploring what it means to be an independent learner,  taking ownership of their own education by consciously thinking about how they learn and actively seeking ways to improve. They learned that resilience isn’t a solitary trait but a collective strength. As crews they faced challenges together, building trust and discovered that a strong crew provides a vital support system for overcoming adversity. It was great to see confidence and belief growing across the week, especially with academic challenges. A great start to their final year as they move closer to final GCSE exams.

Our week ahead 

G32 students (Year 7) 

Students will be working in their Crews on Monday and Tuesday reflecting on their Outward Bound experience and thinking about what Crew looks like in the classroom and around our school, and how learning will work at their new school – especially learning through expeditions.

They will get tours of the school on Monday and our new spaces as well as an introduction to PE. 

We will hand out iPads to G32 students this week. We are aiming to do this on Tuesday.  These will come with instructions on how to set these up on the school management system which is a fairly straightforward process. Students will need to set these up at home on the evening.

We also will post a separate update for families explaining how to set up the iPads on our website on the day that they are sent home, including important information on how to make sure they are protected in their cases too.

On Wednesday, students will find out their new classes and Immersion for their new learning expedition will start.

G31 students (Year 8) 

After a Crew session on Monday, students will begin a week-long immersion for their new learning expedition this week. 

They will have their first PE session on Tuesday so will need PE kit please.

G30 students (Year 9) 

After a morning Crew session, students will begin immersion for their new learning expedition this week. 

G30 Class 2 PE sessions take place on Thursday, Class 1 PE will take place on Friday this week so students will need their PE kit.

G29 students (Year 10) 

After morning Crew sessions, students will begin immersion for their new learning expeditions this week. 

G29 PE sessions take place on Monday so students will need their PE kit. 

G28 students (Year 11) 

After morning Crew sessions, students will begin immersion for their new learning expeditions this week. 

G28 PE sessions take place on Monday so students will need their PE kit. 

Making the right start

All students need to be in school for an 8.30am start to sessions so they must arrive by 8.25am at the latest. There will be staff in school supervising so students can arrive from 8.00 am.

We will finish formal sessions at 3.15pm and there will be no extended study or activities after school for the next two weeks.. 

Kit List

As always, students need to bring a school bag with the following kit :

• A filled water bottle
• Pencil case including: pens, pencils, ruler, eraser and pencil sharpener
• A fully charged iPad (G28, G29, G30, G31 from Monday, G32 on the day following their distribution to students) and headphones (ideally not expensive ones, for example here)
• A notebook
• A reading book

Students also need to bring a healthy snack for break time – no confectionery (sweets), fizzy drinks or energy drinks please as we do not allow these in school. Please note there are to be no nut products in snacks or packed lunches – this is especially important as we have students in this cohort who are highly allergic to nut products. 

Mobile phones should be switched off and in school bags each morning. Students should not be using mobile phones during the day without permission from a member of staff. If you need to contact your son or daughter please do so via the school office at [email protected] or on 0191 4814360. 

Safe arrivals and exit from site

Cars and parking outside of school

The start of a new academic year is always busier at pick up and drop off, with new Year 7 students getting used to making their way to and from a new school, and all students finishing at 3.15pm until extended study and clubs are up and running.

Please can you ensure that you consider our neighbours when parking and do not block any pathways or drives onto their properties. Of even more importance is the safety of our students when crossing the road outside of school. Please leave space by the barriers outside of the main gates, as we have staff here who can ensure that children are crossing the road safely. With a clear road here we will more easily be able to see any approaching traffic.

Cycling to school

We are really pleased to see so many of our students cycling or scooting to school. Can I remind parents that if  students are to bring bikes or scooters to school then they must have a bike lock. In terms of safety, students should also have a bike helmet. Please check that your child’s bike is in good condition frequently.

Please note that electric scooters (e–scooters) are not allowed in school or as a means of getting to school. This includes all other  ‘powered transporters’ too such as hoverboards and electric unicycles.

Lunches

We are a no nut school. This is very important as we do have children with severe allergies.

Students can choose to bring in a healthy packed lunch (no nut products, confectionery, fizzy or energy drinks) or have a school meal with us. 

Our school dinners are very popular with our students, thanks to our wonderful kitchen crew. Students make a daily food choice in crew each morning and we have a three week menu. Here’s this year’s menu – this week we start on week 1.

If your child receives a free school meal, we will provide lunch. Please contact the school office at [email protected] if you have any questions around school meals or paying for meals via ParentPay. New families and parents of Year 7 will receive a letter which gives details of how to add your child’s XPG lunches to a parentpay account. This will be sent home with your child.

We are really looking forward to welcoming all of our students back tomorrow. As usual if you have any questions about your son or daughter please get in touch with your child’s Crew Leader in the first instance or email general enquiries to [email protected].

Thank you for your ongoing support and a special thanks again to those parents who have been supporting our new G32 parents with their XPG knowledge and expertise. 

Julie Mosley

Principal

Dear Families

Welcome back!

Next week we return to school for our first week back which is fundamental to us as an XP School. We will spend time introducing or reaffirming the importance of Crew which is the foundation of our culture at XPG, and take the time to build and tend to positive relationships in Crew through shared experiences and challenges. 

 ‘If we get Crew right, we get everything right’.

The activities in the first week back are carefully planned and bespoke to each year group. 

Arrival Times on Tuesday

We will be running a staggered start to school for students on Tuesday to ensure a smooth start back. Our theatre space continues to be out of use whilst ongoing repair work is underway so we are unable to collectively meet more than one year at a time.

• G32 (Year 7)
  • Year 7 students will start at normal time, 8:25am and can arrive from 8am on Tuesday.

• G28 (Year 11)

• • Year 11 students will start at 9:00am and can arrive from 8:45am on Tuesday.
  • Please note that Crew Stanton will be undertaking fieldwork on Tuesday and will have a later finish on Tuesday – more details below.
• G31 (Year 8)
  • Year 8 students will start at 10:30am and can arrive from 10.15am on Tuesday.
• G29 (Year 10)
  • Year 10 students will start at 11:00am and can arrive from 10.45am on Tuesday.
• G30 (Year 9)
  • Year 9 students will start at 11:30am and can arrive from 11.15am on Tuesday.

First week back guiding questions and fieldwork next week 

Each cohort has a different guiding question for the week with purposeful activities which help them to answer this question. As such there is no PE this coming week, but there is physical activity for all year groups as you will see below.

G32 (Year 7) students – Outward Bound Expedition

G31 students head off to Howtown, Ullswater for their Outward Bound Expedition and their guiding question for the week which is:

“What does it mean to be crew?”

Importantly, students will need a packed lunch and a £10 deposit with them when they arrive at school on Tuesday. See the detailed website post which has full information on travel, kit, medical requirements, communication and return time back to school.

G31 (Year 8) students

“How can we support each other to lead the learning of our new Year 7 Crew?”

As part of their first week back in school, Year 8 students will be planning fieldwork in our local area which will involve them retrieving and consolidating their learning from last year’s expeditions as well as evaluating the effectiveness of new fieldwork activities in order to support the learning of our new Year 7 cohort.

G31 Fieldwork on Friday 29th August

To answer their guiding question, students will plan  and risk assess fieldwork.

Students will complete the fieldwork during the school day on Friday 29th August and will be back in school for around 3.30pm.

Each Crew will put together a ‘Crew picnic’. Your child will be able to give you more details on how they plan to contribute towards this picnic.

G31 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

G30 (Year 9) students

This week serves as an introduction to the types of challenges that year 9 students will face as part of their Duke of Edinburgh Bronze award this academic year. Their guiding question for the week is:

“How do we form great habits to tackle initiatives as a Crew with increasing agency, independence and resilience?”

G30 Fieldwork on Thursday 28th August

As part of their first week back in school, Year 9 students will be carrying out a hike in Northumberland around Wylam, learning how to navigate together on Thursday during the school day. As this is a hike, a consent form will go home to students on Tuesday.

Each Crew will put together a ‘Crew picnic’. Your child will be able to give you more details on how they plan to contribute towards this picnic.

Students will be travelling by metro and train during the regular school day and will return back to school for around 3:30pm. We will keep you updated on the school website of our expected arrival time.

G30 students will need the following kit for the day.

• 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 (Year 10) students

Students will be working together in Crews on their guiding question:

‘How can we ensure that our future selves will thank us for the next two years?’

There are two foci for the students for the week. The first of which is focussing on the step up to Key Stage 4 and how they need to adapt their Crew norms to ensure that they are supporting and challenging each other to be successful.

Secondly students will continue their thinking about careers and pathways, beyond Key Stage 4 to Post-16. As part of the week students will travel to Gateshead College to hear from experts and employers about what pathways are available to them and what employers and education providers are looking for in candidates.

G29 Fieldwork on Thursday 28th and Expert sessions on Friday 29th August

For the fieldwork on Thursday we will be travelling to Gateshead College campuses by coaches, so Year 10 students will need:

• Their regular school kit including a water bottle and fully charged iPad
• Comfortable walking shoes or trainers
• Clothing that is suitable for the weather 

During the week, students will also put together a CV based on their ambitions, strengths and skills to date, and on Friday they will have a mock interview with a professional who will give them feedback on how they present themselves, how they articulate their ambitions and reflect on themselves and how they respond to  questions. Year 10 students should wear more formal dress on Friday for their mock interviews.

G28 (Year 11) students – (including fieldwork throughout the week)

Year 11 students will have a week which focuses on

• Facing the challenges of Year 11 head on, and thriving!
• Developing resilience and being comfortable with challenge.
• Self-regulation techniques, good learner behaviours and target setting.

As part of this week students will complete a high ropes challenge with their Crew Leader. This activity will be led by Mr Wayne Dobson, who has previously been a Crew Leader at the school and runs a professional outdoor adventure company High Tide Adventure. Students will be travelling to the high ropes course at Carlton Adventure in Stokesley and will travel there by minibus.

On the day that students complete this challenge they will finish at a later time arriving back at school at 4.30pm – this is of particular note for Crew Stanton who will do this fieldwork first on Tuesday.

• Crew Stanton will carry out the challenge on Tuesday 26th August and finish at 4.30pm.
• Crew Parks will carry out the challenge on Wednesday 27th August and finish at 4.30pm.
• Crew Frank will carry out the challenge on Thursday 28th August and finish at 4.30pm.
• Crew Angelou will carry out the challenge on Friday 29th August and finish at 4.30pm.

For the day of their challenge G28 students will need the following kit:

• Footwear appropriate for sports as per PE:
  • Trainers, not baseball boots or plimsolls.
• Comfortable clothing such as:
  • Leggings or tracksuit pants. Jeans are not appropriate.
  • Waterproof jacket and a warm top. Fleece or hoody.
• A packed lunch for the day.

Regular Kit and dress code for this week

All students in Year 8-11 will need their regular kit for every day this week. They should also be in regular dress code for the start of school this week on Tuesday, just as in any other week. See our website post for a reminder on our dress code expectations.

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
• Notebook

School Lunches 

Students can choose to bring in a healthy packed lunch (no confectionery, fizzy or energy drinks) or have a school meal with us. Please note there must be no nut products in snacks or packed lunches – this is especially important as we have students in this cohort who are highly allergic to nut products.

Our school dinners are very popular with our students, thanks to our wonderful kitchen crew. Students make a daily food choice in crew each morning and we have a three week menu. Here’s this year’s menu – we start on week 3 this week. There is one difference in that Tuesday’s lunch will be the all day breakfast option which is usually the Monday option.

For more on school meals this year, please see this detailed website post.

Staffing Update and Crew Leaders

We have four new Learning Coaches joining our team this term – Joe Allan, Emily Bennett, Tim Macdonald & Hannah Young.

We also have Lauren Cadenas (PE), Caroline Carter (Arts), Charlotte Fielding (Spanish), Jonny Foster (STEAM), Amy Rawcliffe (Human), Gary Watson (Human) joining our teaching team too this year.

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

G32 Crew Leaders: Mr Allan, Miss Bennett, Mrs Diamond and Mrs Ross

 

G31 Crew Curie: Mrs Carter

G31 Crew Pankhurst: Mr Azam & Mr Foster

G31 Crew Shakespeare: Miss Jamison

G31 Crew Windsor: Miss Blain

 

G30 Crew Earhart: Miss Fielding

G30 Crew Kahlo: Ms Macphail

G30 Crew Darling: Mr Devitt

G30 Crew Einstein: Mr Watson

 

G29 Crew Attenborough: Miss Simpson

G29 Crew Watson: Mrs Horne / Mr Macdonald

G29 Crew King: Miss Rawcliffe

G29 Crew Nightingale: Ms Marshall

 

G28 Crew Parks: Miss Young

G28 Crew Frank: Miss Jones

G28 Crew Angelou: Mr Mead

G28 Crew Stanton: Miss Tatters

 

Regular timetabled sessions

Regular timetabled lessons and new learning expeditions will start for Years 8-10 on Monday 1st September.

When they return to school from Ullswater Year 7 will have two days in Crew on Monday 1st September and Tuesday 2nd September. This will give them time to further debrief their adventure, consider what it means to be Crew in academic sessions and further orient themselves in their new school and new building. They will start their new learning expeditions and timetabled sessions on Wednesday 3rd September.

There will be no clubs or extended study for the first two weeks of term.

We are really looking forward to welcoming all of our students back on Tuesday. As usual if you have any questions about your son or daughter please get in touch with your child’s Crew Leader in the first instance or email general enquiries to [email protected].

Thank you for your ongoing support and a special thanks to our existing parents who have been sharing their XPG knowledge and expertise with our new G32 parents. Together we are definitely stronger #WeAreCrew.

Julie Mosley

Principal

 

More footage will be coming from the comms team who had a range of cameras capturing performances on the day.

In the meantime, here are excerpts of the footage taken by our students on the day.

Dear Families

Welcome to our final weekly update of this academic year. It is another exciting week for us at XPG with our final presentations of learning for each expedition, our final Crew Day of the year which is a Sports Day on Thursday.  We will share updates from these events with you over the next week.

There was great work achieved as always last week and our students continued to work hard, get smart and be kind even as end of term tiredness kicked in. Seeing students work together supporting each other to be their best versions, leaning in on crew and culture was a real strength. Here are a some of the highlights from our week:

Into University Pathways – G28

A cohort of our G28 students worked with experts to investigate pathways to University on Tuesday. These sessions were organised by our partners Into University, who provide learning experiences designed to inspire young people to consider university, especially when they are from backgrounds that are underrepresented in the wider university population.

G32 Meet your child’s Crew Leader 

On Tuesday it was great to welcome back our G32 families to a final transition meeting of the year. Like our students, our new ‘family crews’ circled up and got to know XPG staff, each other along with some of the protocols we use at XPG. Can I thank all families for their time on Tuesday, especially our already established families who were on hand offering advice , guidance and support to new families.

Here is a link to a post with the slides from the event.

G30 Fieldwork Shipley Art Gallery – Thursday 10th July

G30’s sculptural artwork from Term 2’s expedition “What is Power?” is now being exhibited at The Shipley Art Gallery. On Thursday, all G30 students and staff involved in the expedition walked to the Shipley Gallery where they were presented with design certificates from the V&A.  

We would encourage all families to visit the Shipley Gallery with your children to see their work… and so much more over the Summer. 

XP Festival 2025

On Friday Mr Said and Mr Parry travelled to Doncaster with Eve Walker (our visiting dance teacher) alongside our performers. The groups have been working on performances over the last term and put on a fantastic show, including performances from our cheer group, dance group, two rock bands and our singing group.

Video and photographs were captured by our Comms team in Doncaster at the event which will be shared later in the week. Mr Said will put some footage from students’ cameras together tomorrow. Much more to follow!

Staffing Update

Recruitment has continued over this half-term and on Thursday we appointed Miss Hannah Young who will be joining us as a Learning Coach/Crew Leader in the new term. 

This week we will be saying goodbye to three members of staff:

• Emily Quested who has been our Spanish Teacher since the start of XPG. Emily is setting up new ventures outside of education including a travel company (https://www.quested-travel.com). Our thanks go to Emily for all of the work she has done at XPG, setting up and delivering our Spanish curriculum and for the work she does with Crew King on a daily basis as well as the outdoor joy she brought to G29’s DofE this year. 
• Nelly Mosley who has worked at XPG this year as a Learning Coach and Crew Leader. Our thanks go to Nelly for the work she has done and the support she gives to students on a daily basis including her dedication to Crew Earhart. Nelly is set to continue her post graduate studies at The University of Manchester next year and we wish her all the best.
• Charles Parry who has worked at XPG this year as a Learning Coach and Crew Leader. Our thanks go to Charlie for the support he has given students inside and outside of sessions and his commitment to establishing culture with Crew Windsor. Charlie is set to start a PGCE next year in his next steps to become a Maths Teacher.

As is always the case, it’s sad to see staff leave our school but we will always be grateful for the work they have done and the part they have played in shaping our school and its culture whilst they have been with us. I know that as parents and carers you will join me in thanks to these staff for the care and compassion they have shown to your children. 

This week

G31 Presentation of Learning, Monday 14th July

This event will take place in school and will include a hosted gallery walk where students will discuss their learning from across this last term around the guiding question “How does water shape our world?”. This will start at 4.30pm in school. More details here.

G28 Presentation of Learning, Tuesday 15th July 

The final presentation of learning for G28 will be available online at 6.30pm on Tuesday, and includes student perspectives on a sustainable energy future in answer to the guiding question: “How can we use the planet’s resources more sustainably?”. More details of how to join will be posted in a separate post.

G30 Presentation of Learning, Wednesday 16th July 

This event will take place in school on Wednesday, 16th July at 4:30 PM. Students will be presenting their learning around the guiding question “Is migration worth the risk?”. More details here.

G29 Presentation of Learning, Thursday 17th July 

The final presentation of learning for G29 will be a live stream on Youtube at 5pm, which includes poetry inspired by nature and in response to the guiding question: “What is our relationship with our natural world?”. More details of how to join will be posted in a separate post. 

Crew Sports Day, Thursday 17th July

We are looking forward to our final Crew Day of the year this week and crews are getting organised with their sign ups for Thursday’s events. Crew Days allow us time to build and tend to our culture and celebrate the greatness of our crews; this time the theme is sport and physical challenge.

Sports Day will involve a range of activities with healthy competition within each cohort between Crews. Students should come dressed in full PE kit for the day. A reminder of PE kit can found by clicking here.

PE sessions this week

There will only be PE sessions for Years 7 and 8 this week due to Sports Day. Our PE sessions this week are as follows, please ensure that your child has their full PE kit.

• G30 students (Y7) have PE on Tuesday this week
• G29 students (Y8) have PE on Tuesday this week

ALL students will need a full PE kit for Sports Day on Thursday.

No Extended Study and Clubs

Due to the Presentations of Learning this week we are not running clubs or extended study this week.

Summer Holidays

We break up for Summer holidays this Friday 18th July and return to school on Tuesday 26th August. Please remember that, as always, our students finish at 1:30pm on Friday to allow staff to de-gunge and replenish rooms and teaching spaces ready for the new academic year.

As usual if you have any questions about your son or daughter please get in touch with your child’s Crew Leader in the first instance or email general enquiries to [email protected].

Thank you for your ongoing support 

Julie Mosley

Dear Families

As I said just weeks ago, when you look back on the week past it is hard to believe that so much can be achieved in a week and this is definitely the case for last week when we only had four days with our students!

We achieved so much last week with Staff days, Transition Days, Fieldwork, Experts working in school, attending Local and National Conferences and our DofE bronze final expedition. To hear staff and students talk with genuine care for each other, our culture and the school we are building together is unique and I have been lucky to hear, see and feel this many times over this last week. 

Staff Days

On Friday 27th and Monday 30th June our staff team spent time together planning upcoming expeditions for the Autumn term. This included working with colleagues across Trust planning with expedition teams and subject teams, visiting other provisions to learn from others with expertise in SEMH, autism and regulation strategies. As you know we are a small staff at XPG and the quality curriculum that we offer our students to support and challenge them to produce beautiful work, grow in character and see academic success is down to the hard work, commitment and quality of our staff. 

 

Conferences 

Whole Education Summer Conference 

On Monday 30th June, Martin Said and I attended the Whole Education Summer Conference 2025. Whole Education is a network of educators and leaders who are committed to providing a holistic education for our young people, nurturing well-rounded individuals by developing not only academic knowledge and skills, but also character, socio-emotional well-being, and the ability to thrive in life, learning and work. This year’s conference took place over two days exploring the theme of “Better for Everyone”. Martin and I attended the first day which explored all aspects of a whole education in how we can build an education system that allows everyone to thrive in a transforming world. The conference was also a tribute to David Price OBE, a close friend and supporter of XPG. David passed away earlier last year after a lifetime devoted to children and education – David was a staunch believer that children are capable of far more than they are often given the opportunity to achieve.  As families of G31 know, as part of their Year 7’s first expedition. David and his work was immortalised in the song they wrote and performed: “The Power of Us”. The opening tribute of the conference to 1200+ delegates from all over the world started with the song by our G31 – as you can imagine, this was an incredibly emotional and special moment to be part of; to hear and see the effect of our student’s beautiful work on others.

MTIC (Maths Teaching Innovation Collaborative for the North East) Conference 

On Thursday, Ms Marshall and I had the privilege of attending the MTIC Conference with 11 students from G29 and leaders from Schools, Colleges, Universities and Industry partners from the North East who came together to consider the challenge around maths education in our region. Our students opened the conference at the Common Room in Newcastle with a keynote speech and then joined in with table discussions alongside education leaders. Our students also enjoyed time with Archivists from the Common Room in the afternoon considering how we can further develop our expeditions at XPG and draw on the historical wealth of engineering greatness we have in the North East. 

The work of our students was truly beautiful and every person in the room was blown away by their insight into education and their response to the question ‘What makes a great education?’

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Alison Shaw, who organised the conference shared the following feedback after the conference

“Thank you for being a key part of what I think participants felt to be a useful day yesterday – you, your staff, your visitors and, especially of course, XP students – made a wonderful contribution.

I will be in touch on a more individual basis in due course, but I would immediately this morning like particularly to thank Dakota, Scarlett, Reuben, Eliza, Brodie and Winnie for their remarkable opening keynote address. They delivered it with exceptional wisdom, insight and poise and it spoke to every single parent and teacher in the room, to the business and political leaders and to other students from across the region. They provided a perfect start to the day and I am ever grateful to them for doing so. I hope they will remember it as a positive and formative experience. My warmest thanks to Eleanor, too, whose willingness to pick up an unexpected and exposing responsibility showed a wonderful level of resilience and responsibility. I am so grateful to them all.

Thank you, for committing the time and the energy of XP Gateshead and the wider Trust. I very much look forward to continuing to work with you”

G32 Transition Days

We finally got to meet our new cohort of students last week and G32 got to know each other on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday last week. Transition Days were a huge success and it was great to see new friendships form, confidence grow and smiles on the faces of our new students. G32 enjoyed two full days in school which included crew along with sessions in Spanish, PE, Art, Human, Science and Maths. At the end of each day it was great to circle up for community meetings with all 50 students and hear their appreciations to each other and their answers to the guiding question we had set for transition days ‘What will it take for me to be the best version of myself at XP Gateshead?’

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The work of student leaders across transition days was exceptional from supporting sessions and end of day community circle  to running clubs at break and lunch time. The vast array of student-led social time sessions is a testament to our students and the warm welcome they gave to our new year group – basketball, dance, book club, music, robotics, arts and crafts, football.

Ryder Architecture

On Monday students from Year 9 and 10 were welcomed to our partners Ryder Architecture for a studio tour, introduction to the work of an architect and the chance to sit in on a team meeting. All students that visited took lots from the experience. We are very grateful to the team at Ryder for organising this for our students.

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Herten Big Band at XPG

On Thursday the EKS Big Band (Herten Big Band, Germany) consisting of 50-70 students, mostly from grades 9 and 10, performed at XPG for our students and staff. Their repertoire included songs from the genres of jazz, rock/pop, rock ‘n’ roll, oldies, film music, and musicals. Every year the Big Band undertakes concert tours to other European countries (Greece, Great Britain, France, etc.) so we were incredibly lucky to have them perform for us at XPG.

G31 Fieldwork working with Durham University Biosciences Department

On Friday, G31 enjoyed an amazing day at Durham University to further study aquatic food chains as part of their current expedition, “How does water shape our world?” Our students worked alongside scientists and postgraduate students in the lab using microscopes to look at a variety of aquatic species.

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G29 Assessed Duke of Edinburgh Expedition 

On Friday and Saturday our G29 students embarked on their final assessed Duke of Edinburgh expedition. As you know, DofE (like our Year 7 Ullswater Outward Bound experience) is an important aspect of our curriculum in challenging students to develop their character and push them beyond their comfort zone and I’m delighted to say that G29 smashed it! Weather conditions were challenging with wind and rain but our students and staff showed remarkable resilience 

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Students covered a huge distance of over 22 km across country, whilst being supervised remotely. All students that took part have now successfully completed the assessed expedition section of their award, and all that remains before they can be signed off to be awarded bronze is to complete the de-gunge in school tomorrow morning.

There were many highlights from across the two days. Seeing students support each other and battle through pain and the challenge of such distance with a significant amount of kit on their back and tough weather conditions reminds us of how important the Duke of Edinburgh scheme is – not just in terms of the accreditation of the bronze award but most importantly in showing students that there is more in them than they know, and that tackling challenges as a Crew is always more successful. 

Thank you to all staff and families who have supported our G29 students to successfully complete their bronze DofE qualification and the time they have invested in this (inside and outside of school hours) – Miss Marshall, Miss Jones, Miss Quested, Miss Blaine, Mr Devitt, Mr Said and Mrs ap Harri. A special thanks and congratulations to Miss Marshall for his leadership of the G29 DofE at XP Gateshead.

I’m sure that it is clear to all families that Crew is as important to staff as it is to students and I feel grateful and privileged to be part of such a great staff crew. Huge thanks go out to all staff this week for their continued care and support of every student at XPG.

This week

This week we welcome back our G28 students from their work experience placements. We are looking forward to hearing from them and all they have achieved last week in the variety of placements they had.  

End of year assessments for G31, G30, G29 (Years 7-9) 

As we come towards the end of the year, students will continue to complete end of year assessments in all KS3 cohorts. Year 9 will have some of their core examinations in the hall / room g6 in the type of conditions that they will experience as part of their GCSEs. This will assist us in continuing to develop and practise providing access arrangements for those students that need them. Students have been briefed by their teachers on the nature of the assessments that they will complete in the coming weeks.

The core assessments in GCSE-style conditions for G29 students will be carried out during the second half of this week.

G32 Meet your child’s Crew Leader – Tuesday 8th July

Our ‘Meet the Crew Leader’ will be hosted in school. This is an important opportunity for families to meet their child’s Crew Leader and begin forming the strong relationship that will be needed to support and challenge your child to become the best version of themselves. This event is for adults from families only, you should not bring your child to this event.

This event will start at 5pm on Tuesday evening next week and is expected to last for around 45 minutes.

G30 Fieldwork Shipley Art Gallery – Thursday 10th July

G30’s sculptural artwork from Term 2’s expedition “What is Power?” is now being exhibited at The Shipley Art Gallery. To recognise this, all G30 students will be taking part in a celebration of learning at the Shipley this week on Thursday this week during the school day.

Students will be walking to The Shipley Art Gallery and will return in time for a regular school lunch. The forecast is currently sunny spells and warm. Students in G30 will therefore need:

• Their regular full school kit
• Comfortable shoes or trainers for walking.
• A full large water bottle.
• Sun cream and a hat. 

Please note that this is different to the presentation of learning with families for their current expedition which will be in the final week of term on the evening of 16th July in school. Families do not need to attend this Thursday, however we would encourage all families to visit the Shipley Gallery with your children to see their work… and so much more!

XP Festival 2025 – Friday 11th July

On Friday this week students taking part in the annual XP Trust Festival of Arts will be travelling to Doncaster by coach. Students should arrive at school at the normal time. The journey time is around 2 hours 30 minutes. If your child needs to take travel sickness medication, please make sure that you make our office aware by contacting [email protected] . Your child will need to bring a packed lunch and any healthy snacks plus any equipment that is needed for their performance.

Our Dance facilitator has asked if at all possible if the dancers could be in black leggings with plain T-shirts in rainbows colour of either red, yellow, green, blue, and purple. Music performers will know if they are choosing to bring their own instrument.

We will depart Doncaster at around 5.30pm and expect to be back at XP Gateshead at around 8pm. A packed lunch can be made up for your child if they usually have a free school meal.

PE sessions this week

Our PE sessions this week are as follows. Please ensure that your child has their full PE kit.

• G31 (Year 7) students
  • Class 1 have PE on Monday
  • Class 2 have PE on Friday
• All of G30 (Year 8) have PE on Wednesday
• All of G29 (Year 9) and G28 (Year 10) have PE on Thursday.

Extended Study and after school clubs

After school clubs and extended study are cancelled this week and next due to ELCs (Educator Led Conferences) and PoLs (Presentations of Learning). More information on Presentations of Learning will be posted by each individual expedition lead teacher. This week’s update has been somewhat of a bumper edition!

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

Dear Families

Often, when you look back on the week past it is hard to believe that so much can be achieved in a week and this is definitely the case in the final half term of Summer when every week is full – time with new staff in school, ongoing expert sessions and fieldwork, final assessments of the year, Y6 transition, G29 DofE, G28 work experience, PoL’s, the list goes on… and we are also looking ahead planning for the next academic year. 

We get the chance to see your children and their greatness every day and see how hard they are working to produce beautiful work, grow their character and be successful academically. We also get the chance to see and hear them challenging and supporting each other to be better and, like staff here, our students ‘sweat the small stuff’ and have high expectations of themselves and their peers.  G29, G30 and G31 community circles this week were full of honest reflection from students and staff, which is only possible in a culture where everyone feels safe to use their voice. 

A new member of staff  who joined community meetings this week and shared her reflections at the end of the week, stated that:

“One of the most impactful experiences has been seeing the compassion in crew and the crew community sessions. Amazing and inspiring”. 

XPG Staff Crew

Like our student crew, a strong staff crew is key to our success at XPG. Over this half-term we have some of our new staff joining us for induction in readiness for the new term. Last week we were delighted to appoint Mrs Stefanie Dickson as another Learning Coach to our team.  We have one more round of recruitment for a Learning Coach position which is ongoing and then all posts will be filled and we have a complete team in place..

As part of our growth, I am delighted that we have appointed Michelle Ross and Saoisre Blain as Phase Leaders this year. Phase Leaders lead and support Crew Leaders in the  implementation of our narrative for success for every student at XPG. Mrs Ross will lead our Transition/Year 7 phase and Miss Blain will lead our Year8/9 phase.  

G31 experts and fieldwork

This week our Year 7 students enjoyed working with expert John Hayton from Durham Wildlife Trust. John gave them an insight into the nature of conservation work and why it is important to protect and maintain biodiversity. On Wednesday students headed out to Whitley Bay to carry out an ecological field study looking at interdependence of species within that ecosystem and the importance of freshwater and saltwater to those species. Whilst there, our students supported the work of our partners Surfers Against Sewage carrying out a beach clean as an act of service in our community. 

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G28 SLCs

Student Led Conferences started this week which gave our Year 10 students a chance to share their response to recent mock exams, their updated snapshot with HoWL and attendance information and the plans they have moving forward in readiness for Year 11 success. Students, Crew Leaders and families also took the opportunity to talk about plans for their upcoming work experience. It has been great to talk to students and families following SLCs and hear such confidence and ownership over their learning and clearly plans for success next year. Thank you to all families who have attended SLCs so far.

This week

This week all Year 7 to Year 9 students will start work on a written reflection of the year which will be shared with you alongside their Crew Leader reflections and a final snapshot at the end of term.  Year 10 students will complete a reflection around work experience and families will have a final chance to ask questions of Crew Leaders following this. 

G29 Fieldwork – Wednesday 25th June

On Wednesday of this week G29 students will be taking part in a fieldwork visit to the Ouseburn to explore interdependence within ecosystems. They will be working with expert ecologist Dr. Mike Jeffries, a lecturer from Northumbria University. Please see the website post for more details.

G29 Pathways

Thanks to all of the families that have indicated their thoughts around pathways for G29 students as they start GCSE and Level 2 courses. If you have not already done so, please let us know your thoughts by completing this form.

Staff will be meeting this week to finalise pathways for next academic year. Crew Leaders will then be in contact with families to confirm finalised pathways, or to pick up where additional conversations with families are needed.

PE sessions this week

Our PE sessions this week are as follows. Please ensure that your child has their full PE kit.

• All of G31 (Year 7) have PE on Monday
• All of G30 (Year 8) have PE on Wednesday
• All of G29 (Year 9) and G28 (Year 10) have PE on Thursday.

Staff Day – Friday 27th June

Friday is the first of our staff days this half term, the second is on Monday 30th June. Our staff team will be planning for next year’s expeditions. Students will not be expected to be in school on Friday or Monday.

Extended Study and after school clubs

After school clubs and extended study will run as normal this week.

Dear Families

“At XP, we build our community through activism, leadership and equity, sharing our stories as we go…”

This one ‘simple’ statement captures all of the work we do and the design of every aspect of our school:

Building our community

“What do we do to survive, sustain and thrive… ?”

Activism

How are we actively contributing to building a better world… ?

Leadership

“How are we moving towards where we want to be … ?”

Equity

“What do we need to be the best version of ourselves… ?”

Sharing our stories

“How are we doing the right things, in the right way, with the right tools, and how can we show this to our community… ?”

Last week, as ever, there were many examples of staff and student work which brought this statement to life and it was great to hear staff’s reflections during Friday’s staff crew on work they were proud of and wanted to share with others from the week. Here are just some examples of the great work from last week:

• Staff giving time to a weekend recce for DofE to ensure readiness for the assessed expedition.
• CPD (continuous professional development) for staff led by staff and students
• G31 fieldwork along The Tyne and G28 Fieldwork at Victoria Tunnels
• High quality work in classrooms and great thinking from students

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We were also lucky this week to have a visit from a great educator and friend, Jill Flack who is visiting the UK from Melbourne, Australia. Jill has extensive classroom teaching experience in Australia, USA, UK and Sweden, teaching in pre-schools, primary, secondary and University settings. It was a real joy to have Jill in school with us sharing her knowledge, energy and wisdom. 

Here is her email of thanks which is extended to you too.

Dear Gateshead XP students, Staff and School Community,

This week I had the privilege and pleasure of visiting your school.

It was a pleasure as I am a long time Educator and passionate about what educational opportunities can do to enrich our lives. I always love to see students, teachers and school communities at work but it was also a privilege because I was able to experience the optimism and enthusiasm for learning that is evident in your school.

Ambassadors Katie and Bella proudly explained and pointed out the features of learning at Gateshead XP as they showed me around. Small groups of students chatted with me about their own experiences and the staff I talked to reflected the positive tone and aspiration that I had heard from everyone throughout the day.

The development and benefits of working together in crews is certainly a feature and the pride in developing academically and personally is a joy for any educator to hear.

Your curriculum, its design and the way it is offered and experienced seems to me to acknowledge the need for a change in the way schools can meet the needs of a contemporary world.

Thankyou for openly sharing with me your thoughts, ideas and hopes for the education offered at your school and best wishes to all of you as you continue to grow and develop.

This week

As you know G31 are studying a learning expedition with the guiding question: “How does water shape our world?”. In science students have been looking at ecosystems which connect to the river and coastal environments and processes that they also have studied in Geography. There are two important pieces of work for G31 this week which will support them to develop their answer to their guiding question:

G31 Expert sessions – Biodiversity

On Monday our Year 7 students will be working with John Hayton from Durham Wildlife Trust. Given that students have been learning about the importance of water within ecosystems and the interdependence of species, John will work with the students to dissect owl pellets to give them an insight into the nature of conservation work and why it is important to protect and maintain biodiversity.

Climate Action Plan Group – Final Session

The above workshop has been organised by SOS as part of our student leadership group’s  work on sustainability. Students that have been part of our Climate Action Plan have their final session on Thursday this week. They will finalise their presentation on how our school can be made more sustainable in a range of areas such as energy consumption, resources and waste management etc. They will then present this to Mrs Mosley so that it can be brought to our Local Governing Committee where actions can then be agreed. We are thankful to our partners and the experts at SOS who have supported this important work.

G31 Fieldwork – Beach Clean and Ecological Fieldwork on Wednesday 18th June

G31 have fieldwork to Whitley Bay this Wednesday. See Mr Devitt’s post for more details. Students will need:

• Sun cream
• A hat
• A large water bottle (or two smaller water bottles)
• Comfortable walking shoes or trainers
• A packed lunch – students that usually have free school meals can be provided one by the school.

G28 Student Led Conferences

SLCs start for our Year 10 students and their families this week. Students have worked to prepare for their conference and will be ready to share their response to recent mock exams, their updated snapshot with HoWL and attendance information and the plans they have moving forward in readiness for Year 11 success, they will also talk through their work experience planning. Please can I remind all families that SLCs, like PoLs, are key moments in the development of our students and it is vital that parents, carers and families fully support SLCs. 

Here is the link to ask questions of  your child if you have not already done so. You should have now received a link to sign up for a time slot from your child’s Crew Leader. Please contact [email protected] if you do not receive this.

Festival Dance Prep

Students dancing at our festival of arts will continue to have their Tuesday morning prep sessions with our expert Eve from Phoenix Dance. Students will need their PE kit to change into for these sessions each week.

PE sessions this week

Our PE sessions this week are as follows. Please ensure that your child has their full PE kit.

• G31 (Year 7) students
  • Class 1 have PE on Monday
  • Class 2 have PE on Thursday
• All of G30 (Year 8) have PE on Wednesday
• All of G29 (Year 9) and G28 (Year 10) have PE on Thursday.

Extended Study and after school clubs

After school clubs and extended study will run as normal this week. 

Looking Ahead 

Staff day – Friday 27th and Monday 30th June

Friday is the first of our staff days this half term, the second is on Monday 30th June (these are our last staff days this academic year). Our staff team will be planning for next year’s expeditions. Students will not be expected to be in school on Friday or Monday.

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

Dear Families

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. 

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G29 Pathways Drop In Evening

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.

Punctuality

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.

Staffing Update

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.

• Mrs Caroline Carter will be joining us as a teacher of ARTS
• Miss Charlotte Fielding will be joining us as a teacher of SPANISH
• Miss Amy Rawcliffe and Mr Gary Watson will be joining us as teachers of HUMAN
• Miss Bennett and Mr Macdonald will be joining us as LEARNING COACHES

G28 Student Led Conferences

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.

G28 Work Placements

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] .

This week

G31 Geography Fieldwork – Class 2, Monday 9th June

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.

G28 History Fieldwork – Victoria Tunnels, Ouseburn 

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. 

• Class 2 will conduct the fieldwork on Monday 9th June

• Class 1  will conduct the same fieldwork on Wednesday 11th June.

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.

XP Trust Festival of Arts – Dance sessions on Tuesdays

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.

PE sessions this week

Our PE sessions this week are as follows. Please ensure that your child has their full PE kit.

• G31 (Year 7) students
  • Class 1 have PE on Tuesday
  • Class 2 have PE on Friday
• All of G30 (Year 8) have PE on Wednesday
• All of G29 (Year 9) and G28 (Year 10) have PE on Thursday.

Extended Study and after school clubs

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