Breakfast – Every Morning 8:00–8:25

25th January 2026Rebecca Jones

Did you know we run a Breakfast Club every morning from 8:00–8:25am? It’s a great way for students to start the day feeling full, and ready to learn — and we’d love to see more students come along.

One of the best things about Breakfast Club is that it’s run by our brilliant G30 students, with support from staff. They do a fantastic job welcoming students, helping things run smoothly, and creating a positive and friendly atmosphere.

Eating breakfast can really help with focus, energy, and concentration, but it’s also about more than food. It’s a chance to relax, feel settled, and start the day on a positive note!

You don’t have to come every day either — popping in once or twice a week is absolutely fine.

So why not give it a go?
Just turn up between 8:00 and 8:25am, grab some breakfast, and start your day right.

We can’t wait to see you there!

Sharing our Stories: 23/01/2026

23rd January 2026Geoff Hewitt

Beautiful work this week

Here’s a selection of beautiful work from across the XP Trust!

To read about other stories from across the XP Trust, visit xptrust.org.

Top of the Blogs

Extended Study Learning @ Green Top

Amazing home learning in Year 6 @ Plover

Baking biscuits @ Carcroft School

High energy and big wins @ XP

Weekly Update for Families @ XP Gateshead

Crew Hamilton: Orienteering Extraordinaires @ Norton Infants

Academic Thursday in Crew White @ XP East

Share your stories with us!

We now have a new dedicated news email so that you can send your stories, updates or ideas about potential news articles directly to us in Comms.

It might be something you or your students have achieved, a charity you’re supporting or anything at all that deserves a wider audience.

Write to us at [email protected] –  we want to hear about it, write about it and celebrate it!

G31 Fieldwork to see Weird!

19th January 2026Emmy Tatters

On Friday 30th January, G31 will be going to the Theatre Royal in Newcastle to see a performance of Weird! This is a musical interpretation of Macbeth from the perspective of the 3 witches. This will support their understanding of the Shakespeare play they are studying in English and act as a model of excellence for their own performances as part of the Presentation of Learning. A big appreciation to Ms Simpson for applying for tickets for this event on behalf of G31.

The performance begins at 1:30 and we will be travelling via metro to Monument station and then walking 3 minutes to the theatre. Students will have an early lunch in school at 12, allowing us to leave at 12:30. Students who normally have a school lunch will be able to do this as normal.

The performance is 70 minutes long with no interval so will finish at 2:40. We will then travel back to school via metro. We will return to school by approximately 3:30. Any changes to this time will be communicated via the school website.

Students are not permitted to bring snacks to the theatre, they will eat lunch in school before we go. They MUST have a water bottle with them in school and they will be directed to fill it before we leave.

As we are walking to the metro, students must wear appropriate footwear (crocs are not acceptable) and have a coat.

Weekly Update for Families – W/C Monday 19th January 2026

By Julie Mosley18th January 2026

Dear Families

This week we have revealed the full details of our new expeditions for all cohorts.

This terms’ Expeditions, Guiding Questions and Presentation of Learning dates

You can see more detailed information on each of the new expeditions by clicking here.

  • Year 7 HUMAN – Why do we need to honour all those who sacrificed in WWI?
    • The PoL for this expedition will be streamed online on Wednesday 25th March at 6pm. We will post details of how to join the Youtube stream closer to the time of the PoL.
  • Year 7 STEAM – Is survival sufficient?
    • This expedition involves some service learning with our partners Edberts House. The PoL for this takes place in the school day with experts from the charity. Families do not need to attend this PoL.
  • Year 8 – What is Power?
    • PoL on Tuesday 24th March at Caedmon Hall, above Gateshead Central Library at 5pm.
  • Year 9 – How can we continue to make progress on public health?
    • This PoL will take place shortly after we return from the Easter break on Wednesday 15th April in school from 2pm. This Presentation of Learning is in the form of a Public Health Conference, hosted by our students.
  • Year 10 – Are we really free to choose?
    • The provisional date for this is the evening of Thursday 26th March at Newcastle Sixth Form College.  We will post an update as soon as we have this confirmed.

Working with experts in school

This week our G30 students worked with Neil Metcalf from Positive Futures. Neil is an early intervention coordinator for the Young Persons Drug & Alcohol Service in Gateshead which is part of the Change Grow Live Charity. 

His session provided an overview of the risks and impacts of drugs and alcohol, shared insights into his career pathway, and explained what services are available in Gateshead for young people and families. Neil has also challenged G30 students to design informative leaflets that may be used within the positive futures service across Gateshead. He will also be attending G30’s upcoming public Conference, where students will showcase their work and and continue discussions around public health and wellbeing. 

Positive Futures offers vital support to children, young people, and families affected by drug and alcohol dependency, including:

  • Advice, information, and support around drugs and alcohol for young people up to the age of 25
  • One-to-one specialist support sessions for young people up to 25
  • Support to stop smoking or vaping
  • Specialist support for children aged 5–18 who are impacted by parental substance or alcohol use

If you feel this service could be beneficial to you or your family, please follow the link for more information. We look forward to continuing our work with Positive Futures and exploring further ways they can support the wellbeing of our school community.

IntoUniversity 

This week Into University continued to work with us to support your child’s aspirations, helping them achieve their goals and think ambitiously about their future.

IntoUniversity provides long-term academic support, mentoring, and programmes that develop key skills and confidence in young people aged 7 to 18. Their aim is to empower students to realise their potential and make informed decisions about their education and future careers.

One of the ways they are supporting students at XP Gateshead is through their Secondary FOCUS Programme. These are engaging workshops and trips that take place throughout the school year, designed to help students:

  • Explore different career paths and higher education options
  • Develop key skills like teamwork, problem-solving and public speaking
  • Build motivation and confidence
  • Understand what university is really like, and that it could be for them

These sessions are delivered by IntoUniversity and take place both in school and on educational trips. 

All students involved have met their coordinators and will engage with 2 workshops over the course of the academic year. This programme is part of our targeted support provision and is currently delivered to a selected group of students to ensure resources are used where they have the greatest impact.

Into University also provides after school support to the students involved. 

They run free Academic Support sessions at IntoUniversity Gateshead centre (near Felling Metro, NE10 0JP). These sessions take place after school, twice a week (Monday and Thursday) and are open to eligible secondary students.

At Academic Support, students can:

  • Get help with homework or revision
  • Work in a quiet, focused environment
  • Access books, computers and resources
  • Receive one-to-one support from staff and trained volunteers

It’s a great opportunity to stay on top of schoolwork and build positive study habits – all in a friendly and supportive space. They also run half-term holiday programmes that aim to expand student’s horizons and involve creative activities and fun trips!

For any enquiries or to register for AS, please get in touch using the contact details below.

Telephone: 0191 500 4821

Email: [email protected]

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 27th January 2026. It is an expectation that all families attend SLCs to fully support their child’s progress. You should receive a link to book an appointment soon if you have not already had this . Our students continue with their preparations this week.

For Crew Windsor, Mr Said will be in contact next week with updates for families, please look out for an email from Mr Said.

Passage Preparation G30

Our year 9 students continue with preparation for their Passage Presentations which will take place during the 16th and 17th March and slots will be available during the days. We will soon send out the system to book a passage presentation slot.

TSLC Preparation G29

G29 students had a short community meeting on Friday where we outlined the process for Teacher Student Led Conferences. These are taking place on the evening of Tuesday 17th February and give Year 10 families the opportunity to hear from their child and each of their subject teachers about their progress so far in Year 10 and their readiness for mocks which start after the Easter break. Students will receive a document this week with details on how to make bookings of your slots with each teacher.

Staff Days on Friday 23rd  and Monday 26th January

Please note that our whole staff will be travelling to Doncaster on Thursday 22nd 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 always, students are not expected to be in school on staff days Friday 23rd and Monday 26th January.

G30 Family Information Evening – Wednesday 28th January at 5.30pm

For more details of this event click here.

G28 February Mocks

For more details, including the exam timetable please click here.

 

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

Sharing our Stories: 16/01/2026

15th January 2026Geoff Hewitt

Beautiful work this week

Here’s a selection of beautiful work from across the XP Trust!

To read about other stories from across the XP Trust, visit xptrust.org.

Top of the Blogs

Year 1 and 2 Drone @ Green Top

We are Rockstars! @ Plover

Mayan Mask @ Carcroft School

An awesome first week back! @ XP

G32 Expedition Reveal @ XP Gateshead

The Bus was for Us! @ Norton Infants

Share your stories with us!

We now have a new dedicated news email so that you can send your stories, updates or ideas about potential news articles directly to us in Comms.

It might be something you or your students have achieved, a charity you’re supporting or anything at all that deserves a wider audience.

Write to us at [email protected] –  we want to hear about it, write about it and celebrate it!

G28 February Mocks

14th January 2026Darren Mead

Dear Parents and Carers, G28 will start their mocks on Thursday 29th of January and will last for two weeks. These will give them a new experience of revising over an extended exam period, and another chance to hone exam skills. Most importantly they can get the ball rolling on revision for the Summer GCSE exams.

XPG G28 February Mock Exams 25_26 – February (1)Download

As in the previous Mocks in Year 11 we will run these as we will the Summer GCSE exams so that students develop ther exam skills and learn the rules and protocols of public examinations.

This very useful video from The Exam Office that remind students of these rules that will make their exam experience as smooth as possible.

If you have any questions or queries, please don’t hesitate to get in touch.

Mr Mead and The G28 Team.

G30 Family Information Evening – Wednesday 28th January at 5.30pm

13th January 2026Martin Said

We will be hosting an information evening for all G30 families on Wednesday 28th January in school at 5.30pm. This will be around 45 minutes with an opportunity to ask questions at the end of our presentation. This replaces the event that had been advertised as Thursday 15th January, apologies for any inconvenience.

The evening on 28th January will give details of:

  • The Passage Presentation Process and how to book a slot for you child’s presentation
  • Pathways at Key Stage 4 for GCSE and Level 2 courses starting in Year 10 and our careers provision
  • The Bronze Duke of Edinburgh Award

Students do not need to attend the evening, and you do not need to book to attend as a family.

Our theatre space is still unavailable. For this reason we ask that no more than 3 people from each family attend. This includes your child if you decide to bring them.

Join our Crew at XP Gateshead

13th January 2026Geoff Hewitt

https://youtu.be/s-a5ct_w6G8

At XP Gateshead, we believe that every child can achieve extraordinary things – and every adult in the building plays a part in making that happen.

We’re looking for a Pastoral Lead and a Learning Coach. We are also looking for an English teacher and a teacher of Humanities. We need people who are passionate about helping young people thrive. Someone who brings positivity and the belief that relationships are the foundation of great learning.

If you want to make a real difference, work in a strong and supportive team, and be part of a school that values kindness, collaboration and creativity – this is the place for you.

Find out more about the roles here:

https://xptrust.org/xp-gateshead-learning-coach-teaching-assistant/

https://xptrust.org/xp-gateshead-pastoral-leader-phase-leader/

https://xptrust.org/xp-gateshead-english-teacher/

https://xptrust.org/xp-gateshead-humanities-teacher/

G32 Expedition Reveal: Do Your Bit!

By Michelle Ross12th January 2026

This term, Year 7 students are embarking on the HUMAN and ARTS expedition “Do Your Bit!”. After an engaging immersion week—including activities like a gallery walk of WWI artefacts, the “notices and wonders” protocol, and reading the play White Poppies—students explored how art reflects the realities of war through WWI artists’ work. The week concluded with the reveal of the guiding question: “Why do we need to honour all those who made sacrifices during WWI?”

The expedition delves into the causes of WWI, the impact of propaganda, the “unheard voices” of war, the Commonwealth’s contributions, Sikh beliefs and their influence on soldiers, and the lasting effects of the war.

Case Studies and Anchor Texts
The expedition is divided into three case studies:

  • The Call to Arms – Exploring the causes of WWI and propaganda’s role in recruitment, with creative writing tasks imagining the pressures of war.
  • The Call of the Motherland – Examining the Commonwealth’s role through expert sessions and a visit to Newcastle’s Sikh Gurdwara where they will experience how Sikhs meditate to connect their body and mind, fostering a deeper understanding of this spiritual practice as well as the practice of Sewa (selfless service to others) by preparing and serving Langar.
  • The Call Home – Investigating WWI’s long-term effects, including PTSD, racism, and grief, with fieldwork at Heworth Cemetery.

The anchor text, War Girls: A Collection of First World War Stories Through the Eyes of Young Women, enriches the students’ understanding of the period.

Artistic Connections, Drama, and Crew
In drama, students are staging scenes from White Poppies, making directorial decisions. In art, they are exploring colour theory and composition while recreating WWI-inspired works by artists like CRW Nevinson and Otto Dix. During Crew, they are reading Michael Morpurgo’s Private Peaceful to understand the war’s impact on families and communities.

Celebration of Learning and Final Product
The expedition concludes with a Presentation of Learning on 25th March at 4:30 pm. Students will present their learning, read extracts from their creative writing, and show some of their artwork, interspersed with dramatic performances of White Poppies. Their final product—a wartime-style radio broadcast featuring extracts from their creative writing to amplify WWI’s unheard voices—will air on Memory Lane Radio on Remembrance Sunday in November.