There is more in us than we know.

Arrival in school tomorrow, Tuesday 25th August

Year 7 students will start at the normal time of 8:25am. They can arrive from 8:00am tomorrow. We will meet students and families at the gate to collect deposits and any medication.

Please do not wait for the departure of the coach later that morning. This makes it more difficult for children to take that first step. There is more in your children than you know!

Students will need a packed lunch for arrival at the centre. Following that all meals are provided by the centre.

Returnable Deposit

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

Medication

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

• Inhalers
• Epipens
• Travel sickness pills
• Painkillers
• Antihistamines

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

Kit List

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

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

Older clothes are far better for the week as they will get wet and or muddy.

• 1 large bag or suitcase to take kit on the coach
• 2 bin bags –  to store wet and dirty clothes
• 1 pair of trainers for getting wet – these trainers will definitely get wet so it is important that you have a second pair.
• A second pair of trainers to stay dry for day to day wear – these are likely to get muddy so preferably not new.
• 3 sweatshirts, jumpers, hoodies or fleeces – Fleeces are ideal as they dry quickly but any of the other items are a good substitute. You should include at least one warmer fleece for your expedition.
• 3 pairs of trousers – Lightweight trousers (not denim) such as walking trousers, leggings or tracksuit bottoms.
• 3 T-shirts – Aim for tops that cover shoulders from the sun.
• 1 long-sleeved base layer/top 
• 1 pair of shorts – Not denim
• 1 pair of nightwear/pyjamas
• 1 set of casual clothes for around the centre
• 7 sets of underwear including socks – This is a minimum number. Trainer socks aren’t recommended as they may cause blisters.
• At least 2 pairs of thick walking socks
• Sunhat, sunglasses, suncream – don’t bring expensive sunglasses, suncream needs to be at least factor 30.
• 1 set of warm hat and gloves
• At least 1 towel – Quick drying microfibre towels are great. You will need a towel for showering and on activities, so bring at least one.
• Watch with alarm if possible
• 1 set of swimwear plus t-shirt and shorts for use in water
• Toiletries – including soap, toothbrush and toothpaste, blister kit, plasters, insect repellent, lip salve, hand sanitiser, wet wipes, talcum powder (for your feet), etc.
• 1 pair of flip slops or sandals – optional

Mobile Phones

Students can bring mobile phones with then. These will be handed to Crew Leaders before departure and will not be used on the coach journey.

Students will be given some time to contact home before their evening meals on Tuesday and Thursday. On Wednesday students will be on overnight expedition and will not have access to their phones.

Should you need to contact the centre for any reason, here are the contact details:

The Outward Bound Trust

Howtown Centre

Howtown

Penrith

CA10 2ND

Tel: 017684 86272

If you do not hear from your child, this might be because they have not got signal, or they’re having too much fun! No news is good news.

Return to school on Friday 28th August

We expect to be back in school at around 4pm on Friday 28th August. We will update the website if there are any delays. Please be conscientious when parking and do not block the drives of any of our neighbours.

We ask that the space at the western end of Swards Road is kept clear for the coach to be able to park so that students can alight safely and collect their luggage.

Sessions in school the following week

Due to the Bank Holiday, students will return to school after Ullswater on Tuesday 1st September at the normal time arriving between 8:00am and 8:25am.

They will have two days of sessions in their Crew, where they will re-familiarise themselves with our building and daily protocols, reflecting on the importance of their shared experience at Outward Bounds and preparing for academic sessions. They will start their first academic learning expedition on Thursday 3rd September.

At XP, we are committed to ensuring that all students have access to the tools and experiences they need to thrive, both academically and beyond the classroom. As part of this commitment, we run an iPad Parent Contribution Scheme, which will place a personal iPad at the heart of each student’s learning journey.

We believe that having an iPad as part of daily school life is an essential part of modern education. It allows students to access resources, complete assignments, collaborate with classmates, and develop digital confidence – all skills that are increasingly expected in further education and future careers.

To make this possible, we are inviting all families to purchase or part-fund an iPad through the school’s supported scheme, which offers discounted pricing, extended warranty, and flexible payment plans to help spread the cost.

iPads are the most incredibly creative and productive device around, with GarageBand, iMovie, all the Adobe apps such as Photoshop and Illustrator and Google productivity applications and other Trust purchased apps available through our scheme included.

The iPad scheme includes:

• iPad – 11th Gen 128Mb
• Combo Touch Keyboard & Trackpad
• Pencil (Skriva)
• Screen Protector
• AcademiaCare for 3 years
• All apps included above

This academic year, 2026/27, we can provide this at a cost of £451 (RRP is £607, not including the price of apps) and parents can spread this cost across up to three years, to pay less than £3 per week.

We are aware that for some families, financial contributions may present challenges. In such cases, we ask that you notify the school on the order form and someone will contact you in confidence to discuss your situation. The school will explore all available avenues to support families in genuine need, but it is important to note that resources are limited and we rely on as much parental contribution as possible to make this scheme viable for all students.

Our aim is that every student has their own device to ensure full access to the digital curriculum, both in school and at home. With the support of our parent community, this approach offers significant benefits for your child’s learning and future opportunities.

To order your device, please fill the form by clicking here.

Thanks to G33 families for attending our event yesterday evening.

A few important reminders:

iPad Scheme

The iPad scheme is now live.

Music Tution Form

To ley us know what your child’s preferences for music tuition are, please click here.

Ullswater Participant Form

To complete the Outward Bound participant form please click here.

Please remember if there are any changes, for example an injury to your child, please log in and change the information on the participant form. To contact the Outward Bound Howtown (on Ullsw centre to inform them of changes to the form you can call: 017684 86272

Here are the slides from the evening:

Our ‘Meet the Crew Leader’ event will be hosted in school.

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

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

Good evening

We are looking forward to welcoming students in school for their transition next week.

For year 6 students, each day will start at 8.25am with students able to arrive from 8.00am.

Each day will end at 3.15pm.

Lunches

Students can have a school lunch or a packed lunch. If you have not already done so, please can you complete this Google form to let us know of your child’s dinner choices for each day.

At break and lunchtime, we will have activities led by our existing student leaders.

Kit

A reminder that for their daily kit, students should bring basic kit which includes a pen, pencil, eraser, ruler and pencil sharpener in a pencil case. Students should have a water bottle and a bag for resources. We recognise that you may not already have all of this equipment yet. It is important that this is in place for August when children start with us fully.

Dress Code

Some students choose to come in their primary school uniform or PE kit, however this is not necessary. Students need to dress modestly and appropriately for a day of learning in school. More details of our dress code can be found here.

Students will be introduced to PE at XP on Tuesday, so we recommend trainers and clothing appropriate for sports on Tuesday so that a change of clothes is not needed.

(When students start with us fully in the Autumn Term we will talk to them about bringing a change of clothes for their first PE sessions).

Plans for the days

Our guiding question for the two days will be:

“What will it take for me to be the best version of myself at XP?”

Tuesday 30th June

On Tuesday students will experience:

• Crew
• STEAM (Science)
• HUMAN (Humanities / English)
• PE

We will end the day with a Community Meeting where students will make appreciations to each other connected to our character traits of courage, respect, integrity, craftsmanship & quality, and above all… compassion. Our student leaders will support and model this process – as they will have been supporting in their sessions throughout the day.

Wednesday 1st July

On Wednesday students will experience:

• Crew
• STEAM (Maths)
• Art & Design
• Spanish

Again we will finish the day with a Community Meeting to celebrate the beautiful work and character of our newest students over the two days.

Tuesday 7th July – Meet your child’s Crew Leader

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

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

Ullswater Participant Form

If you have not already done so, please complete the participant form for Ullswater. More details on how to do this can be found here.

We are so excited to welcome G33 into school next week, and meeting you all again in the week after.

Good morning

The link to purchase branded clothing has now been updated on our website. We are still using the same provider, however they have a new website and a new link to the shop.

It is not an expectation that students wear branded clothing, however in particular the branded polo shirts are useful for events such as presentations of learning.

More details of our dress code can be found here. This has also been updated with the new link to the branded clothing shop.

The direct link to the brnaded clothing shop is here:

https://romirosport.com/product-category/education/xp-gateshead/

G33 join XP Gateshead in the first year of our music specialism.

To support this, we are funding instrumental tuition for all of our incoming Year 7 students, in partnership with Gateshead Music Hub.

Please use this form to tell us more about your child’s previous musical experience and their preference for music tuition moving forwards.

Ullswater Outward Bound – For all G33 Families

Our new Year 7 students’ Outward Bound adventure begins on Tuesday 25th August 2025. Students need to be arrive at school between 8.00am and 8.25am. The coach will depart later that morning.

Participant Form

Outward Bound Participant Form – Click here

Returnable Deposit

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

Medication

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

• Inhalers
• Epipens
• Travel sickness pills
• Painkillers
• Antihistamines

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

Kit List

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

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

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

• 1 large bag or suitcase to take kit on the coach
• 2 bin bags –  to store wet and dirty clothes
• 1 pair of trainers for getting wet – these trainers will definitely get wet so it is important that you have a second pair.
• A second pair of trainers to stay dry for day to day wear – these are likely to get muddy so preferably not new.
• 3 sweatshirts, jumpers, hoodies or fleeces – Fleeces are ideal as they dry quickly but any of the other items are a good substitute. You should include at least one warmer fleece for your expedition.
• 3 pairs of trousers – Lightweight trousers (not denim) such as walking trousers, leggings or tracksuit bottoms.
• 3 T-shirts – Aim for tops that cover shoulders from the sun.
• 1 long-sleeved base layer/top 
• 1 pair of shorts – Not denim
• 1 pair of nightwear/pyjamas
• 1 set of casual clothes for around the centre
• 7 sets of underwear including socks – This is a minimum number. Trainer socks aren’t recommended as they may cause blisters.
• At least 2 pairs of thick walking socks
• Sunhat, sunglasses, suncream – don’t bring expensive sunglasses, suncream needs to be at least factor 30.
• 1 set of warm hat and gloves
• At least 1 towel – Quick drying microfibre towels are great. You will need a towel for showering and on activities, so bring at least one.
• Watch with alarm if possible
• 1 set of swimwear plus t-shirt and shorts for use in water
• Toiletries – including soap, toothbrush and toothpaste, blister kit, plasters, insect repellent, lip salve, hand sanitiser, wet wipes, talcum powder (for your feet), etc.
• 1 pair of flip slops or sandals – optional