Dear Families

Welcome back after what I hope has been a restful and safe half term holiday.

We are looking forward to seeing all of our students back this week, raring to go and ready to continue their hard work on current expeditions.

As always, a return to school gives us all the opportunity to make a strong start in terms of getting into good habits and being organised. I would like to remind everyone of the importance of punctuality, attendance and being fully prepared for learning and ask for your support in this to make sure that all of our students are getting it right.

Punctuality

All students need to be in school for an 8.30am start so they must arrive by 8.25am at the latest. A minority of students were frequently late for school last half term which impacted on the learning of others (staff and students). Please talk to your child about their punctuality and ensure that they are arriving on time every day. 

Attendance

At XPG we celebrate attendance and will support those students and families who need to improve their attendance. Snapshots will be shared with you this half term which include attendance information and Crew Leaders will be talking with students and their families  about how important attendance is to academic achievement and success in school.

As you may have seen in the news, school attendance continues to be a concern across the country. At XPG, we were proud of our attendance last year with attendance figures higher than local and national. There is no doubt that this was down to the hard work of all – students, parents/carers, Crew Leaders and our inclusion team. We all understand that school attendance is vital to the life chances of young people and that being in school improves health, wellbeing and socialisation throughout life. 

In the winter months we are all more susceptible to mild respiratory illnesses including general cold symptoms. It is usually appropriate for parents and carers to send their children to school at these times but it can be tricky making these decisions. The following NHS guidance includes information which may be useful – NHS ‘Is my child too ill for school?’ guidance.

Please share any worries you have around attendance or punctuality with your childs’ Crew Leader. We will be in contact with families where attendance or punctuality is a concern and put supportive improvement plans in place.

Being organised

As always, students need to bring a school bag every day with the following items

• A filled water bottle
• Pencil case including: pens, pencils, ruler, eraser and pencil sharpener
• A fully charged iPad
• Headphones – ideally not expensive ones
• A healthy snack for break (no confectionery (sweets), fizzy drinks or energy drinks, nut products)
• A notebook
• A reading book (e-reader book, school library book or book from home)

As you know, we ask for very few financial contributions from families but I would like to request that the following items are added to the kit list to support us in our spend on resources

• A gluestick
• A purple biro pen
• A highlighter pen

Please make sure your son/daughter is fully equipped for learning and contact us if there are any problems.

Our week ahead 

Working with experts and fieldwork

G30 – What does it mean to be human?

G30 Students are carrying out fieldwork at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital connected to their studies in Science around organ systems in the human body. They will also meet our contact at the hospital who has commissioned their final product: artwork which promotes organ donation.  More details on this fieldwork can be found here. 

G30 also have sessions with our longstanding humanist experts, who will help student to build on their learning about the golden rule of humanism, and uncover more about the Humanist belief that we have one life and therefore should ensure we make the most of our time on Earth by living the best life possible for ourselves and others, including future generations.

G29 – How are structures important in helping us to explain our world? 

G29 students are working alongside experts this week to make audio recordings of the built environment which can then be manipulated so that they can be used as part of the audio installation that students will produce as part of the ‘Concrete Dreams’ exhibition at the Farrell Centre.

G28 – Is charity enough

Connected to their studies of Dickens’  A Christmas Carol, G28 students will have a sessions with experts from the local Dickens society, giving students more contextual knowledge about Dickens’ life and how this informed the theme of charity in this novella and his other writing.

PE sessions this week

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

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

Extended Study and Clubs

Our clubs will all run this week (see schedule below) along with extended study sessions every day except Friday. Our before-school fitness and running clubs on Tuesday and Thursday will start at the earlier time of 7.45am this week.

Important dates for your diaries for next half-term

PoLs 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. We expect for every child to have a family member there to support them.

Below are the dates for our PoLs (Presentations of Learning) next term. 

• G31’s PoL will be on the evening of Monday 16th December at St. Mary’s church in Heworth. Start time is to be confirmed but we expect at around 5.30pm.
• G30’s PoL will be on Wednesday 18th December in school at 4.30pm.
• G29’s PoL will be on the evening of Wednesday 11th December at the Farrell Centre in Newcastle University Campus. Start time is to be confirmed.
• G28’s PoL will be on Thursday 19th December in school at 4.30pm.

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].

Julie Mosley

Dear Parents/Carers

We have come to the end of another full and busy half term and, as always, our whole community have worked together demonstrating courage, respect, craftsmanship and quality, integrity and above all compassion.  We have continued to work hard across this first half term, welcoming new students and staff,  continuing to build our culture through crew. 

As you know, an Ofsted team visited us this week for our first inspection. It has been a very positive experience for us at XPG. It is a challenge for an Inspection team to get a real understanding of our school and expeditionary curriculum since we do some things differently at XPG! Our lead inspector Hannah Millett, really took the time to do this and led the inspection with integrity, care and compassion.

The verbal feedback given at the end of the inspection was stunning. The commitment, passion and care that staff, students and governors have for the work we do here at XPG has shone through. Ambition was commented on several times across the inspection – the ambition we all have (adults and children) to change lives and our communities.

A special thanks to all of those families who took the time to respond to the Ofsted parental survey. We get to see the final statistics on each question but don’t see the written comments you make so thank you to those who took the time to share their lovely comments with us too.

We should receive our draft report after the half term break and hope to get our final report published before the end of November. I really look forward to seeing this and sharing it with you all.

Important dates for your diaries for next half-term

PoLs 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.

Below are the dates for our PoLs (Presentations of Learning) next term. It is important to note that we expect for every child to have a family member there to support them.

• G31’s PoL will be on the evening of Monday 16th December at St. Mary’s church in Heworth. Start time is to be confirmed but we expect at around 5.30pm.
• G30’s PoL will be on Wednesday 18th December in school at 4.30pm.
• G29’s PoL will be on the evening of Thursday 12th December at the Farrell Centre in Newcastle University Campus. Start time is to be confirmed.
• G28’s PoL will be on Thursday 19th December in school at 4.30pm.

Have a wonderful break with your children

So, it’s been an exhausting one,  and I think that we can all agree that it’s time now for a well deserved rest!  Have a great half term break and we look forward to seeing all of our students on Monday 4th November at the normal time. It will be week 3 on the lunch menu when we return.

Thank you, as always, for your ongoing support.

.Julie Mosley

Good afternoon

Today we received notice that XP Gateshead will be inspected by Ofsted tomorrow and on Wednesday.

Below is a letter which includes a link that you can follow to give feedback to Ofsted on our school.

We are delighted to have the opportunity to demonstrate the great work that your children do with us, and strongly encourage as many families as possible to take the time to complete the parentview survey.

We look forward to the next two days, and thank you all for your continued support.

#wearecrew

Kind regards

Julie Mosley

A families’ guide to inspections can also be found by clicking here.

Dear Families

Welcome to the final week of this half term! 

It is hard to believe that we have only been together for 7 weeks having achieved so much! Our students have continued to work hard to develop their beautiful work, character and academic success and they, like staff,  will be ready for a well deserved rest and two week half term break when we finish this half term on Friday 18th October.

G28 and their start to GCSE 

G28 students have made a great start to their GCSE courses and all staff working with this cohort have commented on their mature approach to learning, their resilience and willingness to take risks with their learning and appetite for challenge. 

In Religious Studies, students have been using their collective knowledge to develop really strong answers to an exam style essay question about the story of the virgin birth in The New Testament.

   

GCSE Geographers have planned and carried out their first fieldwork with the enquiry question “Has regeneration had a positive impact on the Ouseburn?”

     

in GCSE photography students have been setting up miniature studios to start to get to grips with the powerful cameras that most of them carry with them every day, in advance of learning skills on DSLRs.

   

And

This week also, as a consequence of the weather, students from Level 2 Sports were able to put together a fitness warm-up for Miss Jones given that they would be indoors for the session.

DofE for G29 students

All of our Y9 students complete the DofE bronze award as part of our curriculum. G29 have started working on the physical and skill sections through sessions including badminton, urban-walking and mindful arts and crafts.

   

G30 work with expert Sister Josepha

G30 have had an expert session with Sister Josepha from St Anthony’s convent, who discussing how her beliefs and the teachings of her catholic faith about the afterlife have informed the way that she has lived her life and in turn her perspective on what it means to be human. 

Our students were full of admiration for Sister Josepha and the great work that she has done in service to her community and to those in need around the world.

G30 work with expert Andrew Lowes

This week G30 also met Dr Andrew Lowes from the QE hospital. He was able to talk to students about the impact of G29’s work last year and the importance of organ donation. Again this year, we are delighted that our students’ artwork will be curated in our local hospital promoting such a worthy cause of organ donation.

Ongoing professional development for staff

As you know, we are a school invested in learning for staff and students alike. Like our students, we complete induction, present Educator-Led Conferences (ELC’s), and plan collaboratively to produce a high-quality curriculum.

Each week and across the whole year we offer professional development (CPD) opportunities for staff, which this term has included:

• A focus on the holistic nature of our teaching and learning model
• How to plan and deliver effective explanations
• Instructional rounds – an affirmative process where we learn from observing each others’ practice with an expert facilitator to help participants unpack their learning
• A training programme for Early Career Teachers in partnership with Three Rivers Teaching School Hub
• Leadership of learning expeditions
• Development opportunities for staff for e.g.
  • Participation in Networks within our wider school trust.
  • Working with industry partners such as the Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Shipley and Victoria & Albert museums, and the Farrell Centre to develop authentic products for expeditions.
  • Participation in national programmes such as Maths Mastery.
  • Working with Newcastle University researchers to further develop connections between our KS3 and KS4 curriculum and the wider world.

We are a very small team, which is part of a relatively small school trust. I just wanted to take this opportunity to commend our staff for their commitment to our school, evident in the way that we support each others’ development, providing capacity for each other to attend training or opportunities, providing opportunities for students through carefully crafted learning expeditions and not least the wide offer of clubs and opportunities. Our staff really are exceptional in their commitment to our children: their development and success.

The 2024 Thomas Hepburn Memorial Service

This weekend students from across all years 8-10 attended the Thomas Hepburn memorial service at St Mary’s church in Heworth. Each year the NUM and Reverend Lucy coordinate a service which pays tribute to Hepburn’s commitment to working people and the trade union movement. Aside from the connections to our local history and students’ first learning expedition in year 7, we are of course keen to keep the connection to our community. As you know the school that was once on our site was named for Thomas Hepburn, and our school sits right on top of the roadways that extended from Felling Pit.

There was a particularly beautiful addition to our attendance this year, in that members of our choir were included in the service, performing one of G29’s songs “Justice Forever” which invoked a wonderful reception from the attendees – the biggest round of applause of the day!

   

Students laid a wreath to honour Hepburn alongside wreaths from many other dignitaries. Local MPs and former MPs were in attendance alongside local councillors and members of the education community. All were full of praise for our students’ performance and the quality of the music that G29 had written. I think we already have at least a couple of additional gigs on the back of this!

We were also very lucky to be able to accompany Bill Elliott, a local folk singer and part of the Elliott family of miners from Birtley who we hope to be able to work with further in putting together folk songs for G31 as part of their final product. All in all a wonderful way to spend a morning with wonderful young people.

Our week ahead 

G29 fieldwork

On Monday Year 9 students will participate in local fieldwork visiting the site of the Owen Luder car park, using the space as inspiration for designing their own structure and collecting sounds to accompany their personal oral histories. Students will also be collecting primary data to answer the enquiry question: “Are there inequalities on Gateshead High Street?”. Students will have lunch in school and should dress appropriately for fieldwork and possible changes in weather.

Extended Study and Clubs

Our usual offer of extended study and clubs will all run this week (see schedule here) every day except Friday. Our before-school fitness and running clubs on Tuesday and Thursday will start at the earlier time of 7.45am this week.

Insert schedule here – can it be amended to show extended study too please

PE sessions this week

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

Pumpkin Decorating Competition – Friday 18th October

Crew Stanton are hosting a pumpkin decorating competition to raise money for our crew charity Tiny Lives. Students will need to bring in their decorated pumpkins on the morning of 18th October 2024. Please see the website post for full details of competition categories, entry fee and prizes. 

Early closure this Friday 18th October

Don’t forget that school finishes at the earlier time of 1.30pm this Friday. This is to allow us time to “degunge” and set up for the next half term. Please make arrangements to pick up your children at the school gate for 1.30pm this Friday. As always, please be conscientious of our neighbours if parking as it is always very busy when students all leave school at the same time.

We return to school on Monday 4th November 2023. 

Thank you for your continued support through this half term and we hope everyone has a good holiday. We are looking forward to the next half term where we will be continuing to focus on our culture of beautiful work, character and academic success. Students will be adding work to our “beautiful” work portfolios and getting ready for student-led conferences and presentations of learning which will be an opportunity for you to see some of the work your children have been doing – more on this later.

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].

Julie Mosley

Dear Families

Club Tasters

As well as tasty tacos on Friday (see above), this week our students had the chance to try some of the clubs on offer this year before school, at lunchtime or after school. As a small school, it can be challenging to offer a wide variety of extra-curricular opportunities but staff at XPG always go that extra mile and it has been wonderful to see such a choice of clubs offered as well as daily extended study clubs. We have extended our offer this year with more sports clubs, a school newspaper, psychology, languages clubs including Mandarin, music and arts opportunities and targeted study support. It is great to see real leadership in our students with some G28 student leaders running clubs this year in girls football and cheerleading.

Please encourage your son/daughter to get involved in clubs and make use of an extended study slot or two to keep on top of their work load with help on hand from their peers and staff.

G29 Fieldwork

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Once again G29 students worked on a university campus at Newcastle University, beginning preparation for their final product, which will be sound installations as part of the ‘Concrete Dreams’ exhibition at the Farrell Centre for architecture. They also were able to spend time at the beautiful Edwardian Hatton Gallery, considering how abstract art can use visual structures to illicit meaning. In both settings students had input from our expert partners and were able to make further connections between the arts and design and their wider expedition and guiding question “How can structures help to explain our world?’  

Open Evening

On Tuesday we held our Open Evening and welcomed over 400 people to our school. As you know, on evenings like this our students take centre stage and as always, they shine.

Families attended 4 sessions – XPG Mythbusting, Beautiful work, Character and Academic Success. Every session, apart from the Mythbusting one, was a showcase ran by students who shared the work done at XPG and answered questions from their audience.

The positive feedback on exit tickets was stunning, our students definitely communicated our culture well with very few questions left unanswered. Here is just one of the many comments we received:

“I just wanted to say what a brilliantly executed evening it was last night and what absolute stars the students were. They were so articulate, passionate and professional. They gave thoughtful answers and were fantastic ambassadors for their school. I have seen a couple of them present previously and the difference in their confidence and presentation skills was remarkable.”

The confidence shown by our young people and their ability to articulate what we do and why we do it is stunning and we are extremely proud and grateful to all students who were involved. A thank you to families too who supported this event.

G31 Fieldwork

Our history and our story forms the backdrop for G31’s first learning expedition with a timeline that starts in the events surrounding the Norman invasion of England in HUMAN sessions and brings in the development of our society, our language, church and industry. In STEAM students have already studied the industrial revolution and how we exploited our mineral wealth in the coal-powered Industrial Revolution. In the last few lessons, students have taken that same timeline and looked at our geological story, in the deep past. The fieldwork this week helped students to see how, by working alongside our expert, they could make inferences about 250 million years ago just by looking at the rocks in Marsden Bay. It also helps that we picked a perfect day in terms of the weather, although conditions were not quite the tropical temperatures from the Permian Period when those rocks were first laid down. 

And as always, we are working hard, getting smart and being kind

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We continue to challenge our students in every session around our habits of work and learning (HOWLs). Our students reflect on their HOWLs each week during Thoughtful Thursday Crew session, setting pledges for the week ahead and challenging each other to be better and offering support to each other to get there. Over the next two weeks our staff will be entering their assessment of students’ current HOWLs and academic performance in each subject. This will be shared with students and their families after the half-term in preparation for our first Student-Led Conferences this year.

Our week ahead 

Extended Study and Clubs

Our clubs will all run this week (see schedule below) along with extended study sessions every day except Friday. If a student attends an after school club or extended study session they must attend the full sessions until 4:30pm.

Our before-school fitness and running clubs on Tuesday and Thursday will start at the earlier time of 7.45am this week.

PE sessions this week

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

Looking ahead to next week

Half term break starts Friday 18th October 

On Friday 18th October, we will finish at 1:30pm as is our usual for our end of half-term de-gunge. This allows classrooms packs to be replenished and checks carried out to ensure that spaces are ready for learning when we come back from the break.

We return to school on Monday 4th November at the normal start time.

 

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

It was another very busy and productive week, even with four days due to our second staff day on Monday. We really do work hard here to produce beautiful work with staff and students always striving to be the best versions of themselves.

The importance of reading 

As you know, reading is a key focus at XPG. It is not only the first building block to allow students to access all areas of the curriculum but reading also plays a significant role in their life chances and their wellbeing. We know that to be good learners, students need to first be good readers. Studies have shown that ‘those who read for pleasure have higher levels of self-esteem and a greater ability to cope with difficult situations. Reading for pleasure is also associated with better sleeping patterns’. 

At XPG our students are exposed to many texts – reading in sessions, studying an anchor text in each expedition, a weekly Crew Read during Tranquil Tuesday and the daily 20-30 minutes reading expectation of their accelerated reader book. Over the last few weeks, students who are not currently reading at an age appropriate level have started attending intervention sessions. 

Please support us by monitoring your child’s reading, ensuring they are reading their accelerated reader book (which may be on ePlatform or a physical book they have borrowed from our in-school library) and reminding them to complete their daily 20-30 reading minutes.

Extended Study

Our students are working hard on their weekly extended study tasks and, this week in Crews, discussed how to manage their time effectively to ensure deadlines are met and support each other with this. We do recommend that students commit to at least one after school extended study slot each week where support is on hand from staff and peers.

 

You can find more on our rationale for Extended Study by clicking here. 

 

Our week ahead 

Taster sessions for lunchtime and after school clubs

This week students will have the opportunity to sign up for taster sessions for lunchtime and after school clubs. Please discuss these with your child and encourage them to get involved in as many clubs as possible. Remember we also run extended study sessions Monday – Thursday.

PE sessions this week

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

G29 Fieldwork – Tuesday 1st October

   

G29 are carrying out fieldwork in Newcastle on Tuesday next week. They will be travelling from school by foot and metro, so will need to be prepared with their regular kit and be ready for the weather. At the moment the forecast is cool and mostly dry.

Students will need a packed lunch for the day. They should arrive to school at the normal time.

They will be visiting the Hatton Gallery and Farrell Centre to do preparatory work with University colleagues and experts from the arts sector in readiness for their final product which will be shared in their presentation of learning at Newcastle University on Wednesday 11th December.

We will leave for the metro from Newcastle at 2.30pm, so students may be back to school a little later, around 3.30pm.

Open Evening – Tuesday 1st October

On Tuesday we will be hosting Year 6 families and their children. This means that on Tuesday we will not have Extended Study provision or clubs after school as spaces will be being set up for the evening.

Our students as always will be centre stage and we have enlisted student volunteers to host and run the evening. This is a great opportunity for our students to demonstrate leadership and communicate what makes our school so wonderful. Thank you to the parents of our volunteers for their support of the evening with later pick ups.

G31 Fieldwork – Thursday 3rd October

G31 have their first STEAM fieldwork next week. Each class will spend half a day in Marsden Bay analysing the rock formations in there, connected to their studies of the rock cycle and deep geological time. As an integral part of the curriculum, this fieldwork and working alongside our expert Karl Egeland-Eriksen will bring to life the standards that students have been learning about Earth’s structure and rocks. 

Students will need a packed lunch for the day. They should arrive at school for the normal time.

We will be travelling by coach, but will be outdoors for the entire fieldwork. Students will need their regular kit including their iPad, and will need to be prepared for the weather. The current forecast is cool with a chance of showers so waterproof coats will be needed.

Class 2 will carry out work in the bay in the morning and will eat lunch in the bay before returning to school for their regular afternoon sessions.

Class 1 will carry out work in the bay in the afternoon and will eat lunch in the bay on arrival. Class 1 will set off by coach from the bay at 3.15pm, so may be a little later back to school – around 3.45pm.

 

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

It is a particularly packed week next week with our open evening and fieldwork. We will post our usual weekly update, however for next week it is important to note:

Tuesday 1st October – Open Evening

We have our open evening for Year 6 families on Tuesday evening from 5.45pm. There will be no extended study provision after school on Tuesday next week. Extended study will run as normal next week on Monday, Wednesday and Thursday.

The Open Evening is led by our students. Tomorrow student leaders will bring home permission slips given that the event will finish at around 7.45pm. Student leaders will be preparing for their roles in presenting and being ambassadors throughout tomorrow, on Monday and Tuesday next week.

This event is now nearly fully booked! To book a place – please click here.

 

Tuesday 1st October – G29 Fieldwork in Newcastle

G29 are carrying out fieldwork in Newcastle on Tuesday next week. They will be travelling from school by foot and metro, so will need to be prepared with their regular kit and be ready for the weather. At the moment the forecast is cool and mostly dry.

Students will need a packed lunch for the day. They should arrive to school at the normal time.

They will be visiting the Hatton Gallery and Farrell Centre to do preparatory work in readiness for their final product which will be shared in their presentation of learning in Newcastle on Wednesday 11th December.

We will leave for the metro from Newcastle at 2.30pm, so students may be a little later back to school, around 3.30pm.

 

Thursday 3rd October – G31 Year 7 Fieldwork in Marsden Bay

G31have their first STEAM fieldwork next week. Each class will spend half a day in Marsden Bay analysing the rock formations in there, connected to their studies of the rock cycle and deep geological time.

Students will need a packed lunch for the day. They should arrive at school for the normal time.

We will be travelling by coach, but will be outdoors for the entire fieldwork. Students will need their regular kit including their iPad, and will need to be prepared for the weather. The current forecast is cool with a chance of showers so waterproof coats will be needed.

Class 2 will carry out work in the bay in the morning and will eat lunch in the bay before returning to school for their regular afternoon sessions.

Class 1 will carry out work in the bay in the afternoon and will eat lunch in the bay on arrival. Class 1 will set off by coach from the bay at 3.15pm, so may be a little later back to school – around 3.45pm.

Taster sessions for lunchtime and after school clubs

Tomorrow we will publish our initial list of proposed clubs to the students. They will have the opportunity to sign up for taster sessions next week. Please discuss this with your child and encourage them to get involved in as many clubs as possible.

Dear Families

It is a shorter update this week due to our staff days.

Today staff have been working on learning expedition and curriculum plans to ensure that our children continue to receive a great deal in terms of beautiful work, character growth and academic success.

Extended Study

Extended Study will continue to be on offer for all students after school each day except Friday. Regular setting of extended study has now commenced. You can find more on our rationale for Extended Study by clicking here. This now includes the schedule of extended study for Year 10.

Staff will finalise our rich offer of clubs this week and taster sessions for lunchtime and after school clubs will start next week.

PE sessions this week

• G31 students (Year 7) have PE on Wednesday
• G30 students (Year 8) have PE on Tuesday
• G29 students (Year 9) have PE on Thursday
• G28 students (Year 10) have PE on Thursday

Open Evening Next Week

On Tuesday next week we will be hosting Year 6 families and their children. This means that on Tuesday 1st October we will not have Extended Study provision or clubs after school as spaces will be being set up for the evening.

We will be drawing upon the brilliant start that Year 7 have made and asking for student volunteers to host and run the evening – as we do each year. This represents a great opportunity for Year 7 to demonstrate leadership and communicate what makes our school so wonderful, with support from their peers in Years 8-10.

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

Principal

Dear Families

We have continued to be impressed with 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 G31 have made and hear the praise from the team who work with our new cohort. 

On Friday it was wonderful to hear students’ appreciations, apologies and stands during our online Key Stage 3 (G31, G30, G29) Community Meeting at the end of the day.  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.

Great North Run Junior

Congratulations to all of our students that ran, or supported the Great North Run last week. A big well done to Mrs Diamond, Señorita Quested and Miss Tatters for completing the big run on Sunday last week too.

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Guiding Questions

At the start of this last week immersion came to the end for all  year groups. After lots of wondering and suggestions, students in G31 enjoyed the big reveal to find out their expedition guiding questions.

GQs (guiding questions) are a crucial part of the anatomy of an expedition.

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.

This terms’ Guiding Questions and Presentation of Learning dates are:

G31 – “How can stories influence and shape communities?” The presentation of learning for this event will be held on the evening of  Monday 16th December at St Mary’s Church in Heworth. Please keep this evening free in your diaries. We will confirm a start time as soon as we can, but typically Presentations of Learning begin around 4.30pm to 5.00pm and last for around 60-90 minutes.

G30 – “What does it mean to be Human?” G30’s presentation of learning will be held on Wednesday 18th December in school.

G29 – “How are structures important in helping us to explain our world?” G29 have an exciting presentation of learning on the Newcastle University campus at the Farrell Centre on Thursday 12th December.

G28 – Study two expeditions this term with GQ’s  “How did bonding help the Vikings forge a strong legacy?” and “Why could ‘A Christmas Carol’ be thought of as the ultimate Christmas story?” The combined presentation of learning for these expeditions will be held in school on Thursday 19th December in school.

Our week ahead 

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.

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

Extended Study 

Teachers have started to 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.

There is a step up in expectations at GCSE in Year 10 and beyond. 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.. We will publish the regular schedule for the setting of and the deadlines for extended study for Year 10 later this week.

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.

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 sees the first of our staff days where students are not expected to be in school.

• Friday 20th September – Staff Development Day 
• Monday 23rd 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 24th 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

Principal

Dear Families

We welcomed all of our students and staff into school last week so, for the first time, four year groups were all together. We are delighted by how our new G31 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 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. Our older students in G28 and G29 enjoyed their first PE sessions last Thursday with Mr Devitt and Mrs Cadenas. Mrs Cadenas is an experienced PE teacher, personal coach and works with many schools and youth groups running sessions in dance, fitness, etc. She joins our staff crew on a part-time  basis and will work with our older students in PE.

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. 

G31

G31 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 G31 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 G31 students, as well as headphones. We advise against buying expensive headphones. It is worth noting that the newer iPads that G31 have do not have a regular 5mm headphone socket, so it may require purchasing an adapter such as the one linked here, to allow use of any existing headphones that you have.

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.

G30

G30 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 text “The Body: A guide for inhabitants”. 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 next week.

G29

G29 have 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. At the end of the week students had a session with an expert from our partners at the Farrell Centre in Newcastle, who introduced them to their brief for a final product which will be influenced by their learning about physical and societal structures. Connected to their new guiding question “How are structures important in helping us to explain our world?”students will work on a design brief to produce a maquette of a new sculpture for Gateshead.

G28

G28 have also found out their guiding question “How did bonding help the Vikings forge a strong legacy?” for an expedition which will encompass content from their GCSE studies in History, English and Science. Students spent the week testing materials for their strength and have also been recalling their prior learning about Vikings, and tackling misconceptions about the nature of Viking society.

This expedition will also make connections to their English Literature texts, where this week students have been deepening their knowledge of the context of Dickensian Britain, which will all support in working on the guiding question “Why could ‘A Christmas Carol’ be thought of as the ultimate Christmas story?”

Our week ahead 

G31 students (Year 7) 

Students will continue with their immersion this week, thinking about what their guiding question could be, having considered the influences of the Romans and the Vikings on Medieval England and also the importance of coal as part of the Industrial Revolution. 

This week students will carry out fieldwork focused on a historical enquiry into Anglo-Saxon and monastic life in the Northeast. The fieldwork will take place at St Bede’s Monastery, and Jarrow Hall Museum and Anglo Saxon farm and settlement in Jarrow. 

Year 7 Class 2 Students will carry out this fieldwork on Monday 9th September with Year 7 Class 1 completing it on Tuesday 10th. Please see the website post from Mrs Ross which details the kit needed, packed lunch requirements and timings for the day. 

PE sessions take place on Wednesday for both Year 7 classes this week so students need a full PE kit to change into on this day.

G30 students (Year 8) 

G30 students will begin formal studies of the learning targets for their new expedition. This week they will begin reading “Noughts and crosses” in earnest, and move from creation stories to teaching and beliefs about the afterlife in Abrahamic faiths. Students will also start looking at ventilation and the lungs as part of wider learning about the respiratory system.

PE sessions take place on Monday for both Year 8 classes so students need a full PE kit on this day.

G29 students (Year 9) 

Students will consolidate their learning from the film “I, Daniel Blake” by carrying out virtual fieldwork to the Byker Wall, the setting of the film. They will also start reading their anchor text “Lord of the flies”, a classic text which gives an insight into what could happen when conventional structures for children are removed. Connected to Hiroshima, Nagasaki and Chernobyl, students will also peer inside the structure of the atom to begin to be able to answer questions about the chemical and nuclear stores of energy therein.

PE sessions take place on Thursday for both Year 9 classes so students need a full PE kit on this day.

G28 students (Year 10) 

G28 students will start to look at VIkings in Scandinavia and their trade relationships within their society and with other parts of the world. They will also build on their learning about the atom from Key Stage 3, and develop more refined mental models for chemical bonding of ionic and covalent molecules. 

PE sessions take place on Thursday for both Year 10 classes so students need a full PE kit on this day. Students have one timetabled PE session in Year 10 and we will be encouraging all students to join an after school sports club or fitness activity as part of their continued wellbeing.

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

Principal