G29 end of half term blog post

By Emmy Tatters16th October 2026

What a fantastic half term it has been for G29!
Our Year 11 students have hit the ground running this term, demonstrating maturity and focus as they prepare for the vital year ahead. We kicked off the term with a series of crew activities and a brilliant visit to Whickham Thorns, where students engaged in challenges designed to help them reconnect with their crews and reinforce that we can achieve anything when our crew has our back.
Out and about on fieldwork, students visited the Victoria Tunnels to deepen their contextual understanding, Geographers completed their second compulsory fieldwork and RS students visited a Mosque. A select group of students participated in a pioneering ‘Scaffolding for Schools’ course, developing practical industry skills and representing our school brilliantly.
In school, our students have been taking big strides toward their qualifications:
  • English Language Speaking & Listening: Students have completed their spoken language examinations, demonstrating impressive public speaking skills, preparation, and confidence. The confidence shown and the questions asked demonstrated great compassion and support for each other.
  • Art & Photography Critique Gallery: Students showcased their creative work in a critique gallery, taking pride in their progress and offering constructive feedback to their peers.
  • Open Evening Ambassadors: A special thank you goes to the students who supported our recent Open Evening—especially those incredible individuals who have volunteered to support every single Open Evening since the start of Year 7! Your dedication to our school community is inspiring.
  • Spanish Speaking Mocks: Congratulations to the students who completed their Spanish Speaking mocks this week; it requires courage to speak in a second language and you all did great. Remember, if you need to build more confidence around this, you can practice with Miss Denny-Holmes on Friday lunchtimes.

Preparing for Mocks & Important Updates

Looking ahead, mock exams are just around the corner. Please refer to the Mock Exam Timetable that was shared at the end of September.
As students begin their revision schedules, it is crucial that they balance revising for mocks with proper rest and rejuvenation. GCSE preparation is a marathon, and taking time to recharge, step away from study materials, and enjoy time with family and friends is essential for maintaining well-being and peak performance.
Please Note: There is a date change for our Presentation of Learning (POL). Updated details and timings will be communicated via Crew Leaders shortly. This will now take place on Thursday 3rd December.

Free Local Activities for the Holidays

If you are looking for ways to unwind over the break, here are some great, free activities available across Newcastle and Gateshead:

We return to school on Monday 2nd November 2026. 

Thank you for your continued partnership and support. If you have any questions, please reach out to your child’s Crew Leader in the first instance. Have a restful, safe, and well-deserved holiday break!

G30 End of half term blog post

By Emmy Tatters16th October 2026

What a fantastic half term it has been for G30!
Our students have settled brilliantly into Key Stage 4, making great starts to their new GCSE subjects. Across classrooms, we have seen excellent focus and determination as they take on the step-up in expectations. A key part of this term has been helping students look towards their next steps and post-16 pathways.
A real highlight was the 1:1 interviews conducted with external professionals. Aligning with their career interests, these sessions gave students the opportunity to put their public speaking and interview skills to the test. The feedback from our visiting professionals was glowing—praising our students for being articulate, confident, thoughtful, and authentic. It was wonderful to see so many proud, smiling faces as they completed their interviews!
In our Learning Expeditions, students have started exploring our new guiding question: “How do we know that bonds help us forge a strong legacy?” We are examining this theme through multiple lenses—from chemical bonds in Science, to social and moral bonds in A Christmas Carol and 19th-century literature, to historical connections during the Viking age. The POL for this expedition will be ‘A Night at the Museum’. An event where students will give illuminating lectures on the real viking artefacts they have seen and handled, alongside their museum cafe, where they will serve an ‘A Christmas Carol’ inspired afternoon tea. This will take place on Wednesday 9th of December. 
Beyond the classroom, our students continue to model what it means to take responsibility for their own learning and community:
  • Open Evening Success: A big thank you to the number of G30 students who offered great support during our recent Open Evening, acting as brilliant ambassadors for our school.
  • Art & Photography Catch-Up: It’s been fantastic to see a dedicated group of students regularly attending Thursday and Friday catch-up sessions for Art and Photography, taking clear ownership of their progress.
  • Extended Study: Students are building really positive, consistent habits around their Extended Study completion, ensuring they are retrieving key knowledge and getting organised early in their GCSE journey.
  • Thomas Hepburn Memorial: Congratulations to the students who represented the school at the annual Thomas Hepburn Memorial event on Saturday.

Holiday Rest & Local Activities

As we reach the break, we want to emphasise the importance of rest and rejuvenation. Key Stage 4 is a marathon, not a sprint, and taking time to recharge, step away from screens, and spend quality time with family and friends is essential for coming back refreshed for next term.
If you are looking for things to do over the holidays, here are a few free activities available in the Newcastle and Gateshead area:

We return to school on Monday 2nd November 2026. 

Thank you for your ongoing support throughout this half term. If you have any questions or concerns, please reach out to your child’s Crew Leader in the first instance. Have a restful and safe holiday!

Whole School Flu Immunisation – Change of date

9th October 2026XP Gateshead Office

Good Afternoon – please note that the date for Flu Immunisations has now changed to 25th November 2026.

Please see details below.

Good afternoon, please find the information below from our school immunisation team regarding their vaccination programme for all year groups.

 The flu vaccination programme will commence in the Autumn term for children in year 7 up to and including year 11.

The date for your school is 25/11/2026

Can all parents/carers of those attending in September complete the following link before the end of term.

https://www.northumbriaimmunisations.co.uk/Forms/Flu

The school code is: NB148617

G32/33 Football Fixture tonight.

7th October 2026Tom Devitt

The next G32/33 football fixture is today at Cardinal Hume school, 4pm kick off. We will take part in fixtures against Cardinal and Kingsmeadow Secondary School. Students selected will need to bring football boots, shin pads, football socks, and a PE top to travel in. Official football kit will be provided to all students. 

Students will travel to the venue straight from school at 3.15pm and will be brought back to school after. The arrival time will be around 5.45pm and this will be updated should there be any change. Parents are able to attend this fixture if they wish too and are able to take their child home straight from the fixture, as long as this has been communicated with Mr Devitt before departing Cardinal Hume. 

If there are any further questions please don’t hesitate to email Mr Devitt. Thank you. 

Lockdown in school today – Wednesday 30th September

By Julie Mosley30th September 2026

Dear Families

I am writing to let you know that this morning, our school was placed in lockdown for a period of ten minutes. This was due to an intrusion onto our school site, by a young person known to the school.

The police were contacted immediately and the situation was dealt with promptly by our staff. Police picked up the individual from school.

We have tiered levels for lockdown procedures, dependent on the level of risk. This was determined to be the lowest level of alert. Students stayed in their classes and continued learning at the time of the lockdown. We also then briefed students in the theatre following the event to reassure them that they were safe and that the incident had been handled appropriately.

We want all families to be assured that the safety of our children will always be our number one priority.

G29 Update!

By Emmy Tatters25th September 2026

What a fantastic week for G29!

A massive shout-out and praise to the 18 students who have been dedicating their mornings to attending our early revision sessions. They are setting the tone for G29 in Y11 and showing real commitment to their education.

We also want to celebrate the engagement of our students during their recent fieldwork visit to the Victoria Tunnels. The Victoria Tunnel is a preserved 19th-century underground wagon-way beneath Newcastle, originally built to transport coal to the River Tyne and later used as an air-raid shelter during World War II. Visiting this site firsthand provides real-world context for the ‘History Around Us’ module of our OCR B History qualification. This module is designed to help students construct a rich understanding of how physical, local sites contribute to our understanding of local history and directly builds on their understanding of the national importance of North East industrial heritage, nurtured at XP since ‘From the Ground up’.

Key Reminders, Extended Study & Daily Expectations

  • Daily Essential Kit: Please ensure your child comes fully prepared to school every day with their full kit:

    • A backpack or suitably sized bag

    • A filled water bottle

    • A complete pencil case (pens, pencils, ruler, eraser, sharpener, purple pen, and a glue stick)

    • A fully charged iPad and headphones (ideally non-expensive)

    • A notebook and a reading book

  • Wednesday PE: A reminder that G29 have PE on Wednesdays, and bringing full PE kit is essential. Physical activity plays a vital role in supporting both physical and mental health, which is especially important as GCSE workload pressures build up.

  • Extended Study & Lunchtime Catch-Ups: Please see Mr Said’s post for the extended study timetable; we appreciate your support in ensuring students are meeting deadlines as this helps them build the habits necessary for revision and exam success. Extended Study in school runs Monday through Thursday from 3:30 PM to 4:30 PM, offering a quiet space supported by adults for extended study completion and revision. Additionally, students taking Art and Photography should make full use of our regular lunchtime catch-up sessions on Thursday and Friday to stay on top of their practical coursework and portfolio development.

  • Post 16 options: Please see Mr Said’s post about our post-16 option evening on Thursday15th October.  This is an important event to ensure your young person is fully informed about their potential next steps and how we can help them get there.

If you have any questions or concerns regarding extended study, morning revision sessions, post-16 options or extra-curricular clubs, please reach out to your child’s Crew Leader in the first instance. Thank you for your continued support.

Student bike issue – UPDATE

By XP Gateshead Office23rd September 2026

Thanks to all of those families that have read and followed up on our earlier message. The issue has now been resolved and both bikes are safe.

ALL FAMILIES PLEASE READ: Possible issue with a student bike

By XP Gateshead Office23rd September 2026

We have a bike that has been left in school this evening which was in the bike rack outside our building.

Another student is missing a similar bike. We suspect that the wrong bike has been brought home in error.

Please can you check that your child has brought the correct bike home. Staff will be in school for the next two hours until 7pm if you need to come and collect this bike as it is still outside and locked to the bike rack.

The bike that is at school is a Carrera, pictured here.

The missing bike is a Carrera Vengeance similar to the one in the image below but with white text stickers. We can keep this bike in school tonight if you are able to bring it to school. We will post this to the Parents’ Facebook Group too.

G30 Blog Post

10th September 2026Emmy Tatters

What a fantastic couple of weeks for our G30 students!
We kicked off with an expert session led by Professor Marc Jackson from Newcastle University, who introduced our students to the differences between historians and archaeologists and explored how physical artefacts help us construct ideas about life in the distant past. This led perfectly into our fieldwork trip to the Yorkshire Museum on Wednesday. Students behaved and engaged impeccably! While at the museum, students saw firsthand some of the ‘hoards’ we will be studying this term and even handled genuine Viking-age pieces. We really appreciate your patience regarding our slightly delayed arrival back to school.

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Miss Tatters recently shared a powerful quote with us in community: “The greatest discovery of my generation is that a human being can alter their life by altering their attitude of mind.” We have been using this to reflect on mindset, self-talk, helpful thoughts, and resilience. As we build these strong habits, please remember the vital importance of daily attendance and punctuality to keep our momentum going.
Students also had their Guiding Question reveal for their new Learning Expedition: “How do we know bonds help us to form a strong legacy?” Across their subjects, they will be linking this core question to:
  • Science: Studying different types of elemental bonds.
  • English Literature: Exploring A Christmas Carol.
  • History: Investigating the Vikings.
  • English Language: Examining modern and 19th-century texts to explore key themes of poverty, community, and loneliness.
Key Reminders, Extended Study & Clubs
  • Daily Essential Kit: Please ensure your child comes prepared every day with their full kit:
    • A backpack or suitably sized bag
    • A filled water bottle
    • Pencil case containing pens, pencils, ruler, eraser, pencil sharpener, purple pen, and a glue stick
    • A fully charged iPad and headphones (ideally not expensive ones)
    • A notebook and a reading book
  • Dress code: Please ensure you have familiarised yourself with our dress code and ensuring students are leaving the house meeting these expectations. A reminder that coats/body warmers cannot be worn in crew rooms or classrooms. We encourage students who know they find the school cooler than others to wear jumpers and hoodies.
  • Wednesday PE for G30: G30 have PE on Wednesdays, and bringing full PE kit is essential. Physical activity plays a huge role in supporting both physical and mental health, which is crucial as stresses increase with the added pressures of GCSE subjects.
  • Extended Study: Extended Study begins again next week, running Monday through Thursday from 3:30 PM to 4:30 PM. It offers a quiet, focused study space supported by adults who can provide help and guidance. In KS4, regular retrieval of key content knowledge and synthesising material is crucial for long-term retention—especially since these topics aren’t formally tested until the end of Y11! It is also a fantastic way to get organised and build positive revision habits early.
  • Clubs Launch: Our full timetable of lunch and after-school clubs launches next week. We strongly encourage all students to join in and participate in the activities on offer.
Thank you for your ongoing support. If you have any questions or concerns, please reach out to your child’s Crew Leader in the first instance.

G30 First Week Back

2nd September 2026Emmy Tatters

What a first week back G30 had! 


The guiding question for G30 was ‘How can we ensure that our future selves will thank us for the next two years?’ As always, we utilised our first week back to reconnect with the principles of crew and what it means to be OUR crews. Throughout the week, students engaged in initiatives – challenges that they had to overcome together as a crew. Through engaging in these, students were able to identify the features of a strong initiative and design their own. 


Students also explored the importance of building strong habits from the outset to ensure we are all as successful as we can be in our GCSEs in Summer 2028. To help motivate students, they looked at possible post-16 pathways and courses. 

This led students to create a professional CV which encouraged them to identify their strengths and reflect on all of the incredible things they have already done in their time at XPG and out of school. 
Students also had the opportunity to engage in 2 workshops with external professionals. These sessions focused on developing public speaking skills and interview skills. 


Students were then able to utilise these skills in the culmination of the week; every student in G30 had a 1:1 interview with an external professional, largely aligned to the student’s future career interests. 
I do want to share some of the incredible feedback we received from these visits: 

  • ‘Engaging and thoughtful speaker’ 
  • ‘Great communication, eye contact, confident but with humility’ 
  • ‘Engaging – great two-way conversation’ 
  • ‘Excellent interview, you showed great courage and will handle an interview very well.’
  • ‘Came across as kind and someone who likes to help others.’
  • ‘Unbelievably articulate’
  • ‘All answers felt authentic.’
  • ‘Should be very proud of herself. This was a fantastic interview. She was thoughtful, well prepared and confident throughout.’ 

It was truly a delight to see the smiles on the faces of the students as they walked away from their interviews. Interviews are something all our students will have later in life so this really is an invaluable experience for them to have at this point in their schooling. 

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Students will work with the feedback they have been given through their Thoughtful Thursday crew sessions over the coming weeks.

I want to thank you for the strong start that G30 have made to this important year. 
If you have any questions or concerns, please reach out to your child’s crew leader in the first instance.