Dear Families

Students have settled back into school and routines well and it has been great to hear staff and students recognising this in themselves and each other during briefings, crew sessions and community meetings. 

Immersion

Last week we launched our new learning expeditions across all years. As is always the case, expeditions start with a week of immersion which 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 GQ (guiding question) for the expedition. 

G32 Immersion

Year 7 students have two new learning expeditions in STEAM and HUMAN. Their STEAM immersion has involved reading extracts from a dystopian novel called Station 11 and preparing to carry out food tests, making connections back to their study of elements, compounds and mixtures from term 1.

In HUMAN and ARTS year 7 have been building background knowledge about World War I, and beginning to read a play called White Poppies as well as revisiting skills from term 1 to represent medals in graphite pencil drawings.

G31 Immersion

Year 8 have carried out a gallery walk in HUMAN, making connections between stimulus images on natural hazards and Shakespeare’s Macbeth. They have also started to read an abridged Modern English version of The Scottish Play to put together a storyboard of its key moments, before grappling with the full text. Connected to this in STEAM students have grappled with an excerpt from A Short History of Nearly Everything by Bill Bryson about the genius of Sir Isaac Newton. 

G30 Immersion

Year 9’s immersion has involved building background knowledge about health around the world and in our own country as well as trying to unravel a mysterious connection from these ideas to a 17th century poem by John Dryden. In STEAM students have been building viral, fungal and bacterial cells from scrap materials as part of their immersion. 

G29 immersion

This term Year 10 have an expedition that combines HUMAN and STEAM. The week of immersion has involved studying Nazi ideology and how pseudoscientific arguments were used to promote fear and division, as well as a study of The Weimar Republic of Germany between wars, and the impact that The Treaty of Versailles had on living conditions and society pre-WWII. Connected to this students have made connections from this and their wider studies from previous expeditions about the class system in Britain, that of today and of the past.

As you can see, these immersive and intensive experiences at the beginning of a learning expedition help to generate curiosity and excitement about the topic, build background knowledge and provide students a solid starting point to launch into and tackle their guiding questions for the rest of their learning expedition.

Guiding Questions

This week will see all of the GQs (guiding questions) revealed for our new expedition. GQs are a crucial part of the anatomy of an expedition and are revealed at the end of immersion.

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.

G28 

Our Y11 students have made a strong start to their final Spring Term at XPG. As subjects move towards course completion, more time will be dedicated to revisiting and securing prior knowledge with revision and exam preparation becoming more prevalent this term. G28 students continue to show high levels of maturity and commitment which will serve them well in the coming months.

This week we started our Tuesday and Thursday Academic Crew sessions which have allowed us to run more targeted intervention sessions across Science, Maths, English, Art, Photography. This intervention block will run until February half term and we will look at new intervention groups and subjects next half term. 

At the end of this month we will start our final mock session which will run across 3 weeks. We will be publishing our mock exam timetable later this week and continuing to work with students to support their preparation and revision. Please look out for the upcoming website post from Mr Mead.

XPG students are once again published

Last term, as part of celebrating National Poetry Day; 21 of our students entered the Young Writers’ poetry competition ‘I have a Dream’. This week we found out that every single entry from XPG had been selected to be published which is a phenomenal achievement and we are delighted. Look out for the post from Ms Tatters this week where she will share more details – our poets and some sneak peeks of their beautiful work due to be published. Huge congratulations to all of our poets for their beautiful work and courage in sharing with a wider audience.

Staffing update

On Friday we said farewell to Miss Blain. Again I want to take the opportunity to thank Miss Blain for her work with our students as a Phase and Crew Leader, Learning Coach and member of our SEND team. We have advertisements in place for posts of both a Phase Leader and a Learning Coach/Crew Leader and will look to make quality appointments as soon as possible.

The week ahead

PE sessions this week

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

• For G32 students (Y7)
  • G32 Class 2 students have PE on Monday
  • G32 Class 1 students have PE on Wednesday
• G31 students (Y8) have PE on Tuesday
• G30 students (Y9) have PE on Thursday
• G29 students (Y10) have PE on Monday
• G28 students (Y11) have PE on Monday

SLC Preparation G32 and G31

SLCs for G32 and G31 will take place this term in the two weeks commencing 26th January 2026. You will soon receive an email from your child’s Crew Leader asking you to make an appointment through Google Calendar.

Crew Windsor’s SLCs will take place later in the term although they will still start preparation for that. Mr Said will be in touch with Crew Windsor families starting next week to give updates around HoWLs and academic progress.

We invest a lot of time in giving students opportunities to reflect upon their learning and growth. A significant amount of Crew time is devoted to this in the run-up to SLCs.  Please do also ask your child about how their preparation is going

Clubs and Extended Study

Lunchtime and after school Clubs and supervised Extended Study sessions after school return this week.

Upcoming Events

Passage Presentations for G30 and Pathways into KS4

This half-term we will host an information evening for G30 families to discuss the rest of the year ahead including Passage Presentations and pathways into GCSEs. Look out for a separate post this week with more information.

Teacher / Student Led Conferences for G29 – Tuesday 17th February

G29 will have their first TSLCs (Teacher / Students Led Conferences) on the evening of Tuesday 17th February. During a TSLC your child will sit alongside their teacher to update you on the progress they are making in their GCSE and Level 2 courses.

Each conference will be strictly five minutes, with a few minutes of input from your child which our staff will support, and then there will be an opportunity for you to ask any questions of your child or their teacher.

Following these events next week, we will post some further guidance about revision and Year 10 study habits in the run up to mock examinations which will take place early in the Summer Term after the Easter holidays.

We will share information on how to book slots closer to the time.

Upcoming Staff Days on Friday 23rd and Monday 26th January

Please note that our whole staff will be travelling to Doncaster on Thursday 23rd January for a twilight CPD session which will launch an XP Trust Teaching and Learning conference on Friday so school will end at the slightly earlier time of 1.30pm on Thursday 22nd January to allow for this.

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

Principal

W/C Monday 5th January 2026 

Dear Families

Happy 2026! We hope you have had a great Christmas and a safe and restful New Year. 

We are really looking forward to welcoming students back tomorrow to the start of our new term at XP Gateshead. 

There is a lot of information in this start of term update. Please read all of the following information carefully as there are important notes for all families and children. 

 

Important reminders for a good start back to school…

Punctuality

School opens at 8:00am every morning. Students should arrive between 8:00am and 8:25 am and there are spaces available for socialising, reading or completing extended study. Students must be on site for 8.25am for the call to Crew. A calm start to the day is really important for students to settle into learning so we ask that parents support their child with this. 

 

Dress code

Please refer to our website post for full details on our dress code. Can I remind parents of the following expectations around daily dress within school and ask for your full support around this as we move in to a new term 

For a normal day within school, it is not 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
  • For example heavy chains, thick sovereign rings, or false nails
• Impractical footwear:
  • For example sliders, flip-flops or high heels

 

Daily kit list

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

• A filled water bottle
• Pencil case including: pens, pencils, ruler, eraser, pencil sharpener, glue stick and purple biro pen. 
• A fully charged iPad.
• Their AR reading book (please remember that as part of our reading strategy, we expect all students to read between 20-30 mins. each day)
• Headphones 
• A healthy snack for break (no confectionery (sweets), fizzy drinks or energy drinks, nut products)
• A notebook

Last term we continued to have issues with individuals arriving at school without a charged iPad. Please ensure your child has a charger at home so that charging issues can be avoided this term. We do not provide replacement chargers. 

 

PE sessions this week

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

• For G32 students (Y7)
  • G32 Class 1 students have PE on Monday.
  • G32 Class 2 students have PE on Wednesday.
• G31 students (Y8) have PE on Tuesday.
• G30 students (Y9) have PE on Thursday.
• G29 students (Y10) have PE on Monday.
• G28 students (Y11) have PE on Monday.

 

Extended Study and Clubs

There will be no extended study or school clubs running this week. After school and lunch sessions will all start again next week.

 

New Term – New Expeditions

A new term means new and exciting expeditions for our students. Immersion takes place this week and our students will be working hard to find out what their new guiding questions are and the challenges and new learning their expeditions will bring. 

 

Staffing Changes for the New Year

As detailed last term, there is one staffing change for the Spring term. Miss Blaine will be leaving us on Friday 9th January. We will be contacting families of Crew Windsor later this week with crew plans for this term.

 

Dates to note this term 

Here’s our 2025/26 Calendar again for you to see our term dates this year. 

 

Student-Led Conferences G32 and G31

SLCs (Student-Led Conferences) replace the conventional parents’ evenings at XP Gateshead. During an SLC, your son or daughter will share their learning with you and their crew leader. You will have an opportunity to look at work from their portfolio and ask questions about their HoWLs (Habits of Work and Learning) and AP grades (Academic Progress). They will also share their progress around pledges set last term with you during the SLC and you will be able to ask questions around these. 

SLCs for G32 and G31 will take place this term in the two weeks commencing 27th January 2026. In the coming weeks you will receive an SLC invite from your son or daughter’s crew leader. It is an expectation that all families attend SLCs to fully support their child’s progress. 

 

Passage Presentations G30 

Our Y9 students will give passage presentations in March.  Passage presentations are an opportunity for students to reflect on their learning and their readiness to move on to the next phase of their education. G30 students will provide evidence to an audience of family, their Crew Leader and an XPG invited guest to demonstrate that they are ready to start their GCSE journey. 

In the coming weeks you will hear more about passage presentations from your son or daughter as they start preparing for this key passage at XPG. Passage presentations will take place during the 16th and 17th March and slots will be available throughout the days. There will be a booking system in place and shared with families in coming weeks.

We will be able to share more information about these important rites of passage, as well as our Key Stage 4 offer of GCSEs and other courses as part of an information evening for all Year 9 families which will take place on Wednesday 29th January at 5:30pm.

 

G28 mock exams: Thursday 29th January to Friday 13th February

Our Y11 students will sit their final set of mock exams this half term in the week and we are planning for them to complete full sets of papers across subjects. We will be publishing a provisional mock timetable in the coming weeks. 

 

Staff Days

A reminder that we have two staff development days each half term; 

Friday 23rd and Monday 26th January. Our whole staff will be travelling to Doncaster on Thursday 22nd January for a twilight CPD session which will launch our XPTrust Teaching and Learning conference on Friday so school will end at the slightly earlier time of 1:30pm on Thursday 22nd January to allow for this.

Our second set of staff days this term are on Friday 13th and Monday 16th March.

As normal, students are not expected to be in school on staff days.

 

Holiday dates

Please note that our dates do not always fully align to other Gateshead schools.

Spring half term break starts Friday 20th February. We return to school on Monday 2nd March 2026. 

 

Easter Holidays

We break up for Easter holidays Friday 27th March and return to school on Monday 13th April 2026. Please note that the bank holiday weekend of Good Friday 3rd April and Easter Monday 6th April fall within our two week break this year. See our 2025/26 Calendar.

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

Principal

Final Post of 2025

Thanks to our families for your support this term, the last couple of weeks of Presentations of Learning (PoLs) are always a special time, giving students an opportunity to present the best versions of themselves to their families. We have had fantastic feedback from all who attended the PoLs in Years 7, 8, 9, 10 and 11 and look forward to showcasing work on our website where we will curate each expedition and link to our final products.

G32 PoL at St. Mary’s church in Heworth, Tuesday 16th December

What a fabulous first PoL for our Year 7 students. This was a truly impressive and packed culmination of their cross-curricular expedition. It seamlessly interwove centuries of North East history, from the Romans through the Industrial Revolution, with core science concepts, culminating in a published book of creative writing and compelling performances of music and drama. The deep dive into local figures and events like the Felling Pit Disaster demonstrated a profound and personal connection to their community’s story.

What a great way to finish the term, alongside their fantastic advent challenge.

G28’s Final PoL at XPG, Wednesday 17th December

G28’s final PoL was a truly spectacular and powerful abridged performance of Romeo and Juliet, staged across a range of spaces within the school to immerse the audience in the world of the play. The students delivered their lines with passion and provided insightful scene analysis, demonstrating a deep understanding of the text’s themes and characters. It was a production that truly made their final PoLone to remember! As one might say, ‘O, it doth teach the torches to burn bright!’

   

Staffing Update 

As you may be aware, we have recently advertised a Learning Coach/Crew leader role and a Pastoral Leader (Phase Leader) role at XP Gateshead (see website post).

We are unfortunately losing Saoirse Blaine from our team at the end of our first week back to school in January. Saoirse is resigning from her position as Learning Coach and Y8/9 Phase Leader at XP Gateshead and going to work with the NHS as a Children’s Wellbeing Practitioner. 

Expert in school – Craig Buglass

On Thursday, Craig Buglass Co-Founder of Spark Design Academy and world-renowned designer spent the morning at XPG talking to our students from Y8, 9, 10 and 11 about his work in design and his creative career which has ranged from fashion design to football kits including world cup winning Brazil shirts and the Arsenal invincibles team. Craig also talked about his progression to leading teams of designers and consulting for organisations on their brands.

It was great to hear Craig talk honestly about his journey, stressing the importance of curiosity, resilience, and backing yourself, and how unconventional pathways can still lead to meaningful and fulfilling work. 

Craig has since been in touch with high praise for our students and school culture:

“It was genuinely inspiring to see the school in action. The sense of purpose, strong Crew culture, and the way learning is brought to life through expeditions and real-world relevance really stood out. I was grateful for the opportunity to share my own life journey and introduce the work we’re doing with Spark Design Academy. The learners’ openness and thoughtful questions were brilliant. I left feeling genuinely energised and optimistic about what schools like XP Gateshead are enabling young people to become.”

We want to thank Craig and the team at Spark Design Academy for the time they have given to our students and are excited to be at the start of a partnership with their organisation.

XPG – above all, compassion 

As is always the case at Christmas, our crews come together to support charities and this year it was great to see G32 support Gateshead Foodbank in their Reverse Advent Challenge – see post.. 

Crews from the rest of the school put shoeboxes of kindness together to support the CHUF (Children’s Heart Unit Fund which delivered to the Children’s Heart Unit at the Freeman Hospital – see post.

Finally, we would like to thank you all for your ongoing support this term and the contribution you make to our crew. Can we take this opportunity to wish all of our students and families a very Merry Christmas and restful holiday period. 

 

We return to school on Monday 5th January 2026 and look forward to another successful New Year at XP Gateshead.

Julie Mosley

Principal, XP Gateshead

Dear Families

As we come to the end of term, we continue to celebrate our expedition work with Presentations of Learning where our students publicly share their final products and answers to their guiding questions with an audience of peers, staff, families and invited guests. To mark the end of the term, our expedition work always culminates in Presentations of Learning. During these events, students share their final products and the answers to their guiding questions with an audience that includes their peers, staff, families, and invited guests. This is a continued celebration of students’ hard work from this term.

Our Year 9 students took over the Farrell Centre at Newcastle University, creating a living expedition. They shared their knowledge around art and architecture, atomic structures in science, structures in government and society and made connections to the anchor text for this expedition, Lord of the Flies. 

We owe a huge thanks to all of the people who supported us at The Farrell Centre, Newcastle University and also a special thanks to Max Farrell who ran a workshop with our students.

Our Chief Academic Officer Andy Sprakes joined us for the preparation in the afternoon and has written about his experience of working alongside our Year 8 students here.

Year 10 presented their learning through a series of lessons connected to their guiding question “To what extent does transformation benefit society?”. Students used our learning model to teach their families about topics from metallic bonding to the trading partnerships of the Vikings.

Year 8 students presented their learning through a variety of Ed Talks answering the guiding question of “What does it mean to be Human?” through multiple lenses such as the importance of the arts and music, or the future of humanity’s relationship with tech and what history teaches us about our shared humanity. 

We are delighted to be able to share with you now the draft layout of the final product for G30, which will be an art installation at The RVI Hospital in Newcastle highlighting the importance of organ donation. Students have reviewed and critiques the initial plans and will work with our Comms Team to develop the final design.

Standing back and listening to our students ‘lead the learning’ in every sense of the word was simply stunning and we all could not have been prouder of G29, G30 and G31. Thanks to all families that supported their students and for your feedback through our exit tickets. Your feedback is invaluable to us in helping to sharpen the formats for PoLs year on year whilst holding to a step up in expectations as they move through the school.

 

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

G29 Work Placements – May 2026

Here are the slides that Mr Said shared with G29 families about work placements for Year 10 which will take place in the week commencing 11th May 2026.

Please start having conversations at home now about potential placements and employers and we will pick this up with students as soon as we return in the new academic year.

Our week ahead 

As always, we will be working hard until the end of Friday at XP Gateshead and students will be continuing to complete work on end of term assessments, final products, answers to GQ’s (guiding questions) and preparing for presentations of learning.

Presentations of Learning

• G32’s PoL will be on the evening of Tuesday 16th December 2025 at St. Mary’s church in Heworth from 4:30pm until 5:45pm
• G28’s PoL will be on Wednesday 17th December in school at 4.30pm. Doors will open at 4.15 for the first performance to start promptly at 4.30pm.
  • Parents and carers for Crew Angelou, your staggered start will be at 4.30pm.
  • Parents and carers for Crew Frank, your staggered start will be at 4.40pm.
  • Parents and carers for Crew Parks your staggered start will be at 4.50pm.
  • Parents and carers for Crew Stanton, your staggered start will be at 5pm.
    • Please see Miss Simpson’s post for more details.

No Extended Study and Clubs

We are not running our extended study offer or clubs this week due to Presentations of Learning this week.

PE sessions this week

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

• G32 Class 1 students have PE on Monday
• G32 Class 2 students have PE on Wednesday
• G31 students have PE on Tuesday
• G30 students have PE on Thursday
• G29 and G28 students have PE on Monday.

Christmas lunch this week on Thursday

• XPG Christmas Lunch will take place on Thursday 17th December. There will be a vegetarian option for Christmas lunch but none of the usual deli options on this day. If your child does not want a Christmas lunch, please provide a packed lunch on Thursday. We are really looking forward to our whole school community having lunch together on Thursday; it’s always a special one thanks to the hard work of our kitchen team. We’d love to see students in Christmas jumpers if they do have them too!

Early closure this Friday

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 term. Please make arrangements to pick up your children at the school gate for 1.30pm. 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 5th January 2026. 

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

Principal, XP Gateshead

Dear Families

It’s been another busy and productive week at XP Gateshead. 

In these final weeks of term, rather than wind down, our students step up in their work and dedication to craftsmanship and quality. They are all working hard on final products, responses to their guiding questions and preparing for upcoming Presentations of Learning. This brings lots of challenges as you can imagine but I am  proud, as always, of the courage, determination and resilience shown by our staff and students on a daily basis. 

Character and Integrity

As you know we are relentless in our focus to ensure students grow their character and are guided by our Character Traits & Habits of Work and Learning (HOWLs) 

On Friday, I held a whole school meeting after it was brought to my attention by other students that some students had not been following our acceptable use of ICT policy. This was quite a serious breach of trust from a minority of students, in terms of a lack of integrity and actions which are completely counter to our culture. This puts our school’s reputation at risk – something that the overwhelming majority of our students, staff and you as families have worked so hard to establish and maintain. We are a community.  More than that ‘We are Crew’.  Therefore it is important that I am honest with you in calling this out, and in asking for your support – as always – moving forwards, in line with our home-school agreement.

In short, a small number of children in our school have been making videos during the school day and posting these on social media. Disappointingly, a further minority of students have then liked or commented on these videos without calling it out. Our huge appreciation goes to the students across year groups that brought this to our attention – it is really important that we are able to have a school community where we hold each other to account, holding true to our character traits and strong culture.

The actions described above are in clear conflict with the following statements from the acceptable use of ICT policy that all families and children have signed:

• I will use the technology provided to me by XP, or my own personal devices, only when permitted and only for learning purposes.
• Permission must be given by a staff member to use personal devices for anything other than permitted learning purposes.
• I will report any unacceptable use to my Crew Leader.

The culture of any organisation rests upon how honest we are able to be with each other and about ourselves. Our character traits of integrity, courage, compassion, respect and above all… compassion are not just words on a wall, they are an expectation from each of us.  This is an expectation that we can all be excellent, that we may and will all make mistakes and importantly that we can have the courage and integrity to put it right, and the compassion to support each other when we do get it wrong.

Navigating an increasingly tech-oriented world

As we continue to inhabit a world where developments in technology change at pace, it can be challenging to know what is best for our children as parents, guardians and indeed as educators and professionals.

For those of you who are finding navigating tech at home challenging, there is a wealth of information available online. A particularly good source of advice is the NSPCC website. This offers guidance from topics such as ‘setting up parental controls on devices’ to being vigilant for signs of grooming when our children are online.

You can access the NSPCC’s range of resources here; this page is updated frequently.

As families, and a crew together it is important that we maintain healthy boundaries with regards to our children’s use of tech, balancing the need to prepare them for the modern world, with the need to also expose them to the other things in our world that will enrich their lives: conversation, exercise, reading, solving a puzzle, the arts or simply time invested in each other’s company.

The Week Ahead

G28 Teacher/Student-Led Conferences – Monday 8th December

Following their recent round of mocks, G28 students continue to reflect on their progress at our Teacher Students Learning Conference (TSLC). Students will sit alongside their subject teachers to present their learning and share their revision plans and readiness for KS4 exams. 

Thank you to the families of Class 1 who joined us on Thursday. This week is the turn of G28 Class 2 along with those students from Class 1 who didn’t attend TSLCs on Thursday due to Further Maths at RGS. G28 Class 2 will have their TSLCs tomorrow from 4pm – 7pm

Each student has a booking sheet which has been shared with them through their Google Classroom.

G30 PoL at Farrell Centre and Great North Museum, Newcastle University – Tuesday 9th December, 4:00pm-5:00pm

We are really looking forward to seeing our Y9 present their learning this week at Newcastle University. They will be sharing their responses to the guiding question from this expedition – “How are structures important in helping us to explain our world?”

Students will be travelling over to Newcastle after an early lunch in school. They need to be prepared for the weather, as they will also have a campus tour as part of their day.

Families should arrive at the Farrell Centre on Newcastle University Campus from 3.45pm. We will put out a separate post with further information. The presentation is taking place at two sites close to each other – families will be directed to the correct starting point for their children – the PoL start at 4pm.

Parking is available further north on Claremont Road, or the two presentation sites are within walking distance from Haymarket Metro Station.

G29 PoL at XP Gateshead – Wednesday 10th December 4:30pm-6:00pm

Our “A Change Would Do You Good”  POL takes place from 4.30pm on Wednesday 10th December. Doors will open at 4.15 pm so that the lessons can start promptly at 4.30pm. Yes, you read that right… lessons. Our PoL will take the form of taught lessons where students will teach you about transformations during Viking History; Chemical reactions; and in Dickens A Christmas Carol from our expedition all in service of answering our guiding question: “To what extent does transformation benefit society?”

Please see Mr Mead’s post from last week if you have not signed up for sessions. 

G31 PoL at XP Gateshead – Thursday 11th December, 4:30pm- 6:00pm

G31’s POL will take the form of a series of speeches inspired by “TED talks” answering the brilliant guiding question of “What does it mean to be Human?”. Each family will see their own child’s talk which could look at the answer to the guiding question through the lens of: The Arts, or Human History and many more. You will then see one more TED talk, which gives our children the opportunity to step up further in terms of presenting to less familiar and more intimate audiences, with a chance to look at the student work that has inspired the talks at the end of the evening.

PE sessions this week

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

• For G32 students (Year 7)
  • G32 Class 1 students have PE on Monday.
  • G32 Class 2 students have PE on Wednesday
• All G31 students (Year 8) have PE on Tuesday.
• All G30 students (Year 9) have PE on Thursday.
• All G29 students (Year 10) have PE on Monday.
• All G28 students (Year 11) have PE on Monday.

Christmas Jumper Day 2025 and our charity work

Christmas Jumper Day 2025 in the UK is officially on Thursday, December 11, 2025. At XPG many students have already chosen to wear festive jumpers but we are encouraging as many of our students as possible to wear their festive knits this Thursday 11th and next Thursday 18th when we will be enjoying our Christmas Lunch together. 

We’d like to encourage as many of our students as possible to wear festive jumpers and donate to support children in need. Many charities will benefit from donations alongside Save the Children with charities such as UK Sepsis Trust and local hospice care also joining the festive fundraising. Collections will be taken by Crew Leaders on Thursday.

We will share how much we have raised in our charity update at the end of this term which will also include an update on our Y7 ‘Reverse Advent Calendar’ and their donations for the Gateshead foodbank along with our Y8-11 shoebox Advent Challenge which supports the Children’s Heart Unit. Thank you to all families who have contributed donations so far.

Looking ahead – important dates

Presentations of Learning

• G32’s PoL will be on the evening of Tuesday 16th December 2025 at St. Mary’s church in Heworth from 4:30pm until 5:45pm
• G28’s PoL will be on Wednesday 17th December in school at 4.30pm

Christmas Lunch – Thursday 18th December

XPG Christmas Lunch will take place on Thursday 18th December. There will be a vegetarian option for Christmas lunch but none of the usual deli options on this day. If your child does not want a Christmas lunch, please provide a packed lunch on Thursday. We are really looking forward to our whole school community having lunch together, it’s always a special one thanks to the hard work of our kitchen team. We’d love to see students in Christmas jumpers again here too! 

End of term – Friday 19th December

Don’t forget that school finishes at the earlier time of 1.30pm on Friday 19th. We return to school on Monday 5th January 2026. 

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].

Yours, in the spirit of Crew

Julie Mosley

XP Gateshead

Dear Families

Over the next few weeks we will be fully into preparation for Presentations of Learning (PoLs).

At XP we make our work public. One of the most important ways we do this is through PoLs. 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.

We look forward to seeing all families at the following Presentations of Learning for their children:

• G32’s PoL will be on the evening of Tuesday 16th December 2025 at St. Mary’s church in Heworth from 4:30pm until 5:45pm
• G31’s PoL will be on Thursday 11th December in school at 4.30pm
• G30’s PoL is on Tuesday 9th December – starting at 4pm at The Farrell Centre in Newcastle.
• G29’ PoL is on Wednesday 10th December at 4.30pm in school.
• G28’s PoL will be on Wednesday 17th December in school at 4.30pm

Staff Days

Over the past two staff days our staff teams have spent time focussing on long and medium term planning for term 2 expeditions and our wider support and pastoral provision for all students.

The Week Ahead

G30 Student Led Conferences

This week sees the second week of SLCs for Year 9 students. All families should have booked their SLC slot. Please contact [email protected] if you need more support with this.

G28 Teacher/Student-Led Conferences

Following their recent round of mocks, G28 students will begin the preparation needed to reflect on their progress and at their next round of Teacher Students Learning Conference (TSLC). Students will sit alongside their subject teachers to present their learning and share their revision plans and readiness for KS4 exams. 

Slots will be available from 4pm – 7pm on each evening.

• G28 Class 1 will have their TSLCs on the evening of Thursday 4th December.
• G28 Class 2 will have their TSLCs on the evening of Monday 8th December.

Each student has a booking sheet which has been shared with them through their Google Classroom.

Students in Class 1 that are attending Further Maths at RGS on Thursday are able to attend on Monday 8th December instead of this Thursday.

PE sessions this week

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

• All G32 students (Year 7) have PE on Wednesday.
• All G31 students (Year 8) have PE on Tuesday.
• All G30 students (Year 9) have PE on Thursday.
• For G29 students (Year 10) and G28 students (Year 11)
  • Due to the staff day there is no PE session this week.

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

As always, weeks go by at XP Gateshead and they are filled with high quality, beautiful work from our students and staff alike. The cold weather has brought its challenges but these have been made easier in a school community who support each other, showing compassion and care and it’s been wonderful to see this during delayed morning starts due to travel disruptions. A special thanks goes out to Kenzie, Connor, Ryan and Francis who helped us to grit our car park and paths, keeping students, staff and visitors safe on site.

Updates from the week in brief

It has been such a bumper week with Crew Day being a sharp focus and great way to end the week, but so much more has been happening too.

This week Year 11 students have started their 1:1 guidance meetings with Mrs Burns – Careers Lead across our trust. By Wednesday of this week every student will have had personalised guidance about Pos-16 and beyond.

Year 8 have carried out fieldwork this week at Byker Wall in quite challenging conditions. Despite this, the majority of students showed the resilience needed to make the most of the experience. Students worked with experts to gain an understanding of the importance of Byker Wall to Newcastle and how they have tended to the local community.

A Culture of Crew

On Friday we had our first Crew Day of the year which gave all crews the chance to ‘tend’ to and strengthen Crew, to support and challenge each other to be the best versions of ourselves and carry out some important work together.  As you know, Crew is our support network at XPG and key to the continued success of everyone at our school.

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

G32 students (Year 7) continued their work on researching suitable people after whom to name their crews – people who have achieved great things and who display our character traits of courage, integrity, respect, craftsmanship and quality, and above all compassion. I’m pleased to introduce our four Year 7 crews:

• Crew Booth – (Miss Bennett’s Crew)
  • William and Catherine Booth were the founders of The Salvation Army.
• Crew Thomas Hepburn – (Mr Allan’s Crew)
  • Thomas Hepburn was a leading figure in the Mining Trade Union Movement, and is the person for whom our school building was named.
• Crew Robson (Miss Ross’ Crew)
  • Named after former England and Newcastle United Manager, Sir Bobby Robson.
• Crew Swan (Mr Diamond’s Crew)
  • Named for Joseph Swan, a prominent physicist and chemist and pioneer of electric lighting.

Year 7 have also taken up the advent challenge. Each Crew will create a ‘Reverse Advent Calendar’. The idea being that they will spend the next few weeks in the run up to Christmas, bringing donations for the Gateshead foodbank so that families across our region can have something to look forward to, and can spend the Christmas period knowing that they have been thought of and that people care.

It was great to see our Year 7 students working hard in crews to support each other through their presentation and the advent challenge throughout the day and hear their appreciation for each at the end of the day in our community meeting. 

G31 students (Year 8) worked on their pitches for which charity they wanted their crew to support. I’m pleased to introduce our Year 8 chosen charities are:

• Bliss – Crew Pankhurst (pitched by Lucy, Sadie and Yosh)
• Cancer Research UK – Crew Curie (pitched by Leila)
• Greggs Foundation – Crew Windsor (pitched by Pearl)
• Malan Syndrome Foundation – Crew Shakespeare (pitched by Amelia Y)

It is a real testament to the strength of Crew when students share personal connections to charities and why they matter to them and their families. Students really step up when they know that their work matters and it was wonderful to listen to the reasons for the choices of charities in our community meeting.

Students also completed an initiative as a Crew to tackle an escape room, requiring strong communication, collaborative skills and a creative mindset to be successful.

G30 students (Year 9) had the chance to work in the kitchen alongside experts  from Nourish Food School on Friday morning. Our visitors were full of praise for the hard work and commitment shown by all students and the high quality food they prepared. Students tried new flavours and for some, really pushed themselves out of their comfort zone in terms of tasting new foods. I hope that families enjoyed the stir fry that was made (if it managed to get home and not eaten before that). 

Year 9 also spent time on preparing for their Student Led Conference (SLCs) which start next week, gathering together work to share with their families from different subject areas.

In the final community meeting of the day, G30 shared some of their work from the day on plans for charity events for their respective charities, connecting back to and developing the plans that they made in their first week back in September. 

G29 students (Year 10) Crew Day attended to their wellbeing (mind, body, soul) alongside improving their skills of collaboration. Working successfully with others is key to success in school and beyond and as our students move towards GCSE the support of everyone around them is vital. Year 10 Crews  enjoyed challenge sessions including badminton. cake decorating, creative expression and problem solving. Across the whole day, crew leaders observed how well they collaborated against success criteria set at the start of the day. I’m really looking forward to our community meeting on Monday when crews will find out final results. 

Year 10 also spent some time on their Crew Day returning to thinking about Careers, and possible avenues for exploration around Work Placement which will take place in the Summer Term. Mr Said will talk to all Year 10 families about the practicalities of these placements in the upcoming presentation of learning.

G28 students (Year 11) came together for an inaugural XPG Traitors which started on Wednesday morning and has had us all guessing. After their hard work over the last weeks getting ready for a set of mocks, it was great to see our students relaxing and enjoying their time in crews together. As well as the conclusion of Traitors, students were also working together on activities which supported their preparation for this term’s PoL which will take place on Wednesday 17th December. Each crew was set a challenge to perform a key scene from An Inspector Calls and it was great to see the creativity they showed from drama performances to stop motion play dough modelling. This was a great opportunity for students to reconnect with plot and characters from the play and their work will be put together as a high quality revision resource for themselves and other students to use.

After a busy morning, Year 11 enjoyed a RSC screening of Romeo and Juliet which gave plenty of inspiration for their own acting endeavours.

For all of our students, Crew Day was an important reminder that:

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

Christmas Advent Charity work 

Christmas can be a challenging time for many people and every year at XPG we work together to show our care and support to others and support the work of local charities. Our advent challenges were launched on Friday so please talk to your son or daughter to get more details.

As you have seen above, our Year 7 Crews will be taking part in a ‘reverse advent’ food bank collection. Details will follow from Mrs Ross and the Year 7 team.

We have launched a shoebox Advent Challenge for our Crews in Years 8–11 to support the Children’s Heart Unit. Each crew have been asked to put together a shoebox of small comfort gifts—treats, toiletries and other thoughtful items that will be collected in the final week of term and delivered to the Children’s Heart Unit. We aim to gather boxes suitable for a range of ages and are especially keen to include some for parents, who we know often need just as much care and encouragement during long hospital stays.

Our week ahead 

G30 Student Led Conferences

This week sees the start of SLCs for Year 9 students, which are taking place over the next couple of weeks. All families should have booked their SLC slot. Please contact [email protected] if you need more support with this.

PE sessions this week

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

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

Staff Days – Friday 287th November and Monday 1st December

We have a staff day this coming Friday and next Monday. The focus for these staff days are forward planning, especially our exciting new learning expeditions for term 2 from January. 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.

Looking ahead – important dates

G28 Teacher/Student-Led Conferences

Following their recent round of mocks, G28 students will begin the preparation needed to reflect on their progress and at their next round of Teacher Students Learning Conference (TSLC). Students will sit alongside their subject teachers to present their learning and share their revision plans and readiness for KS4 exams. 

The system for booking slots will be shared soon. Slots will be available from 4pm – 7pm on each evening.

• G28 Class 1 will have their TSLCs on the evening of Thursday 4th December.
• G28 Class 2 will have their TSLCs on the evening of Monday 8th December.

POLs (Presentations of Learning) this term – dates for your diary 

• G32’s PoL will be on the evening of Tuesday 16th December 2025 at St. Mary’s church in Heworth from 4:30pm until 5:45pm
• G31’s PoL will be on Thursday 11th December in school at 4.30pm
• G30’s PoL is on Tuesday 9th December – starting at 4pm at The Farrell Centre in Newcastle.
• G29’ PoL is on Wednesday 10th December at 4.30pm in school.
• G28’s PoL will be on Wednesday 17th 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 Families

“There is more in us than we know. If we can be made to see it, perhaps for the rest of our lives, we will be unwilling to settle for less” 

Every week we ask students to push themselves and step out of their comfort zones, as part of our relentless focus on the development of character alongside beautiful work and academic success. With this in mind, G28 have stepped up again in terms of their attitude and approach to their latest round of mocks, supported by Years 7 – 10 in their calm movement around the school to ensure that G28 could focus on the task at hand.

At XP we work to ensure that our students grow their character, create beautiful work and achieve academic success. We develop our curriculum so that learning is relevant, purposeful and authentic and we encourage our students to be compassionate citizens, expanding opportunity so that they can impact positively on others both in the school and in the wider community. We work hard to nurture and develop an understanding of how kindness, empathy and concern for others must define us, as both individuals and also as part of society, if we are to create a more just and compassionate world. Students work hard, so that they can get smart, so that they can go out into the world and be kind.

Here are some of the highlights from this last week:

G32 Fieldwork at Beamish Museum

G32 have this week completed fieldwork which supported their guiding question of “What’s the story of our community?” and their’ studies of the Industrial Revolution and the importance of coal in shaping life in the Northeast. The workshops encouraged speaking, listening, and historical investigation, helping students make meaningful connections between their Human studies and their work in STEAM where students have been building on their understanding of state changes and how George Stephenson applied these principles to experiment with the development of steam engines and machinery that powered the Industrial Revolution.

 

G31 Expert Session – Live from Kathmandu

Students in G31 this week met with Mr Sadan Dhodari, Vice Principal of Nagarjuna Academy in Kathmandu. This expert session was focussed on Hindu beliefs and teaching about the value of life, what it means to live a good life and the afterlife in support of their guiding question: “What does it mean to be Human?”.

Excitingly, we have also discussed with Sadan. and the Principal Mr Sunil Sijipati, future partnerships, especially around our curricular seam of Protecting the Planet, which is a major focus of the curriculum at Nagarjuna, Nepal being particularly exposed to the consequences of climate change.

NHS Careers Webinar

A group of students this week met with Ålliance Healthcare workers from the NHS this week to learn more about some of the roles in the NHS that are typically less well-known but just as integral to supporting us all to live healthy lives. Expert speakers included physiotherapists, podiatrists and a dietetic assistant.

G29 Geography GCSE fieldwork

Students in G29 braved the weather to complete fieldwork in the Ouseburn. They collected data to investigate the regeneration of the Ouseburn area in Newcastle. Students were joined by Northumbria University geographer Michael Jeffries, who provided valuable insight into the history and geography of the Ouseburn. In the coming weeks, students will analyse their findings and answer the fieldwork question: “Has regeneration had a positive impact on the Ouseburn?”

G28 Post-16 provider carousel

Following their mocks, G28 had a range of speakers in school on Friday morning from local Post-16 providers: Cardinal Hume Sixth Form, Gateshead College, Newcastle College and Newcastle Sixth Form College.  These sessions prompted further thought and discussion from our students about next steps. More on this below, as G28 prepare for their 1:1 careers guidance interviews starting this week.

Our week ahead 

G28 1:1 Careers guidance meetings

Over the next two weeks, all students in G28 will have a 1:1 meeting with Kathryn Burns, our Trust Careers Lead for impartial advice on their next steps at Post-16 and beyond into their career.

To support students in preparing for this, please continue to have conversations at home around your child’s next steps; you can use our Careers Website to start conversations. It is important at this stage in the academic year for all students in Year 11 to start preparing for and putting together applications. The message from all providers  that spoke to students on Friday was to keep options open and put in multiple applications to a range of providers. We will reinforce this message and continue to support students through Crew.

Post-16 Open Evenings this week for G28

• Thursday 20th November 5.00pm – 7.00pm at Lord Lawson Sixth Form
• Thursday 20th November  5.00pm – 7.30pm at Cardinal Hume Sixth Form
• Wednesday 19th November 2025: 5:00pm – 7:00pm at Energy Academy Wallsend (for courses related to sustainable energy and associated engineering)

G30 Byker Wall Fieldwork – Tuesday 18th November 

G30 students will be carrying out fieldwork to support their guiding question “How can structures help us to explain our world?” Please Miss Jones’ post for further details.

G31 Expert session – Tuesday 18th November 

G31 will this week have another expert session where they will have the opportunity to talk to individuals whose lives have been impacted by organ donation. This has been a wonderful session in previous years and really propels students to invest in the quality of their work to promote organ donation through their artistic final product.

Crew Day – Friday 21st November

This Friday will be a Crew Day for all cohorts from Year 7 to Year 11. Each cohort will have a different focus, ranging from supporting charities and local partners, to crew identity.

Each Crew Day is an opportunity to tend to Crew and return to the principle that: We are crew not passengers, strengthened by acts of consequential service to others.

This time invested reaps dividends not just in terms of strengthening Crews, but also in our wider Culture of Crew which is evident in classrooms on a day to day basis.

PE sessions this week

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

• G32 students
  • Class 1 have PE on Monday
  • Class 2 have PE on Wednesday
• All G31 students have PE on Tuesday.
• All G30 students have PE on Thursday 
• All G29 students have PE on Monday.
• All G28 students have PE on Monday.

Looking ahead – important dates

G30 SLCs

Year 9 will be carrying out SLCs in the fortnight commencing Monday 24th November. If you have not already done so, you should receive an invitation to book a slot from your child’s Crew Leader.

Staff Days – Friday 28th November and Monday 1st December

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. 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.

POLs (Presentations of Learning) this term

• G32’s PoL will be on the evening of Tuesday 16th December 2025 at St. Mary’s church in Heworth from 4:30pm until 5:45pm. 
• G31’s PoL will be on Thursday 11th December in school at 4.30pm.
• G30’s PoL will be on the evening of Wednesday 10th December at the Farrell Centre in Newcastle University Campus. Start time is to be confirmed.
• G28’s PoL will be on Wednesday 17th December in school at 4.30pm.

As usual if you have any questions about your child please get in touch with your child’s Crew Leader in the first instance.

Julie Mosley

Dear Families

Our students have returned well after the half term break and quickly got back into the swing of things, working hard and enjoying the great learning opportunities they have had this week. We’ve had some amazing expert sessions in school which continue to feed into current expedition work supporting our students in their response to their guiding questions.

Working with experts

G31 – What does it mean to be human?

Our Year 8 students interviewed Humanist experts in school on Monday. Our experts  supported students to build on their learning about the golden rule of humanism, and uncover more about Humanist beliefs.

Our students enjoyed their session with the Humanist experts who spoke to them 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. As is always the case, the experts praised the high quality questions and discussions they had with our students and the maturity they demonstrated.

G32 – How are structures important in helping us to explain our world? 

On Thursday our G32 students had an expert session with Kate Osborne Member of Parliament (MP) for Jarrow and Gateshead East as part of their current expedition  ‘Another Brick in the Wall’ with students working to answer a guiding question ‘How are structures important in helping us to explain our world?’. As part of their work students have been looking at political structures in Government and been investigating housing policy of the Labour Party and other major political parties in the U.K. Our Year 9 really took the opportunity to ask Kate questions and discussions covered climate action, sustainability, housing policy, immigration along with more personal questions around Kate’s passion for politics and the North East.

 

 

Beautiful work

G32’s handmade poppies in preparation for Remembrance

G31’s stunning Memory Lane Radio broadcast 

I think that the biggest highlight of the week though must be our G31’s final product from their 7.2 expedition ‘Do your bit‘ radio broadcast. This was played on Memory Lane Radio on Sunday 9th November as part of a programme of their Remembrance programme. The segment features excerpts from students’ creative writing on the theme of unheard voices from World War I. Their work explores and responds to the guiding question: ‘Why is it important that we honour all who sacrificed in WWI?’

Listening to the beautiful voices and words of all 50 of our students was simply stunning, their writing was powerful and really emotive. If you didn’t get the chance to tune in on Sunday,  I highly recommend you get a cup of tea, sit back and enjoy the programme.

You can listen here.

Charity work 

Crew Stanton’s Halloween Disco 

On Tuesday, Crew Stanton ran another successful school disco to support their crew charity Tiny Lives. Tiny Lives is a charity in Newcastle that supports premature and unwell babies and their families. Crew Stanton have supported Tiny Lives for the past 3 years, running a range of charity events. They were very keen to run a final event before they leave XPG. I would like to appreciate the students for really leaving a strong legacy at XPG for what Crew charities can really achieve. Across the last 3 years, they have raised over £3000! Crew Kahlo also be ran some additional Day of the Dead and Frieda Kahlo themed games to raise money for their Crew Charity,

It was a great evening, enjoyed by students and staff alike and there were some fantastic halloween outfits on the evening

Our week ahead 

Anti-Bullying Week 2025: Power for Good

Every November schools right across the UK take part in Anti-Bullying Week. This is an opportunity to highlight bullying and consider the steps we can take together to stop it. Anti-Bullying Week 2025 takes place from Monday 10th – Friday 14th November with the theme ‘Power for Good’ . It is coordinated by the Anti-Bullying Alliance, which is based at leading children’s charity the National Children’s Bureau. This year the organisation has worked with children and young people up and down England, Wales and Northern Ireland to decide the theme. This Anti-Bullying Week they urge adults and young people alike to come together to have discussions about how we can use the power we have for good, to bring bullying to an end. 

Please see the Parent and Carer pack for more details

G28 November Mock Exams

This week our Year 11 students will undertake a set of mock GCSE exams:

Please note that students will not sit an exam for every component of their examinations in this mock window. There will be another mock session for G28 in February where all components will be examined.

G32 Fieldwork to Beamish – Wednesday 12th November

As part of G32’s current expedition of learning, students will be taking part in important fieldwork at Beamish Museum in County Durham on Wednesday 12th November.

This visit will provide an authentic and immersive learning experience, supporting students’ studies of the Industrial Revolution and the importance of coal in shaping life in the Northeast. The workshops will encourage speaking, listening, and historical investigation, helping students make meaningful connections between their Human studies and their work in STEAM where students have been building on their understanding of state changes and learning how learning how George Stephenson applied these principles to experiment with the development of steam engines and machinery that powered the Industrial Revolution. The visit will allow them to see these concepts in action and understand how scientific innovation transformed industry and everyday life.

For full details, see the website post

G29 GCSE Geography Urban Fieldwork – Friday 14th February

G29 Geography students will investigate the regeneration of the Ouseburn area in Newcastle, building on their first unit of study, where they explored the question: “Is Newcastle a city of opportunity or challenge?” We will be joined by Northumbria University geographer Michael Jeffries, who will provide valuable insights into the history and geography of the Ouseburn.In the coming weeks, students will analyse their findings and answer the fieldwork question: “Has regeneration had a positive impact on the Ouseburn?”

Students will spend the full day conducting fieldwork. They should bring their regular kit, including their iPads, a packed lunch and be prepared for the weather. The current forecast is cool with a strong chance of rain.

PE sessions this week

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

• All G32 students (Year 7) have PE on Monday..
• All G31 students (Year 8) have PE on Tuesday.
• All G30 students (Year 9) have PE on Thursday
• All G29 students (Year 10) have PE on Monday.
• G28 Class 1 students (Year 11) have PE on Monday.

Extended Study and Clubs

Our clubs will all run this week (see schedule below) along with extended study sessions every day except Friday. 

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].

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 regularly 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 pleased that our attendance figures were higher than local and national figures last year and  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. We will continue to work hard on attendance and punctuality this half term and will be in contact with families where this is a concern and put supportive improvement plans in place.

As the winter approaches, 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. 

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)
• A glue stick
• 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 

G31 – What does it mean to be human?

G31 will have sessions with our longstanding humanist experts on Monday, who will help students 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.

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

This week our G30 students will have an expert session with Kate Osborne Member of Parliament (MP) for Jarrow and Gateshead East as part of their current expedition ‘Another Brick in the Wall’ where they are working to answer the guiding question ‘How are structures important in helping us to explain our world?’. As part of their work students have been looking at political structures in Government and been investigating housing policy of the Labour Party and other major political parties in the U.K. 

PE sessions this week

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

• For G32 students (Year 7)
  •  G31 Class 1 students have PE on Monday.
  • G31 Class 2 students have PE on Wednesday.
• All G31 students (Year 8) have PE on Tuesday.
• All G30 students (Year 9) have PE on Thursday.
• All G29 students (Year 10) have PE on Monday.
• All G28 students (Year 11) have PE on Monday.

Extended Study and Clubs

Our clubs will all run this week (see schedule below) along with extended study sessions every day except Friday. 

Important dates for your diaries 

Presentations of Learning (PoLs) this term:

• G32’s PoL will be on the evening of Tuesday 16th December 2025 at St. Mary’s church in Heworth from 4:30pm until 5:54pm. 
• G31’s PoL will be on Thursday 11th December in school at 4.30pm.
• G30’s PoL will be on the evening of Wednesday 10th December at the Farrell Centre in Newcastle University Campus. Start time is to be confirmed.
• G28’s PoL will be on Wednesday 17th December in school at 4.30pm.

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

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.

Julie Mosley