Sharing our Stories: 06/09/2024

Beautiful Work This Week

Welcome to our first selection of beautiful work from the brand new 2024/2025 academic year!

Highlights from our first week back!

At XP Trust we always use our first week back to establish and reaffirm our culture of Crew. This year has been another resounding success as young people across our schools have considered deeply the purpose of Crew through a range of opportunities and experiences and how Crew develops character and service so that they can help themselves, others and the wider community to be compassionate and successful. 

At Carcroft we saw students engaging fully in a community meeting reflecting on their habits of work and learning and expressing what working hard, getting smart and being kind looks like every day at school. Students at Norton Infants Y5 visited local Care Homes delivering glasses cases they had made as well as treats! At Plover students were working alongside the RSPCA to capture and tell the stories of abandoned pets and, alongside drawing beautiful pictures of the animals, helping to find them homes as well as creating stunning murals in a street art style to promote the importance and legacy of Crew.

Students at Green Top took part in a fundraising Colour Run which was quite frankly spectacular whilst also creating kindness key rings that they gifted to members of the community! At XPG, Year 8 showed their qualities as leaders of their own learning by planning, organising and leading Year 7 activities including creating resources and fieldwork opportunities for their peers. Finally at XPD, students carried out acts of random kindness at the Lake side and welcomed past students who came back to school to talk about how Crew and their time at XP shaped the beautiful people they are today.

It was striking to hear a member of staff at Carcroft say, ‘I’ve been teaching for over twenty years and this is the best start back I’ve ever experienced.’ – I think that says it all!

In addition, our new Year 7’s from XP Doncaster and XP Gateshead spent their first days of secondary school building Crew together in the Lake District with Outward Bound. This is something we have been proud to do with our students for ten years now and it was inspiring to see students cultivating resilience, compassion and teamwork – especially through some very adverse weather! We are looking forward to seeing Crews grow together over the coming years…

Andy Sprakes at BridgeFest

Our Chief Academic Officer, Andy Sprakes was the keynote speaker at Spaghetti Bridge’s ‘BridgeFest’ earlier this week. He shared beautiful work and stories from our students at XP as part of their inspiring itinerary celebrating the last year. We are proud to be a part of their story and a key influence on the work that they do.

XP Alumnus Alfie is Oxford bound!

Alfie Lockey was part of the X22 cohort at XP and left two years ago to study for his A Levels at New College. His results of 3 A*s and and A, helped secure him a place at one of the oldest and renowned universities in the world – Christ Church College, Oxford. Alfie will be studying biology; a lifelong love and something that during his time at XP was actively encouraged and supported.

He created an allotment at school, had an opportunity to take part in an online conference organised by the Edge Foundation, which addressed climate change. That day Alfie spoke alongside the co-creator of the Eden Project in Cornwall, Sir Tim Smit KBE. An office at XP also became the perfect place for Alfie to experiment with growing a variety of plants for several years; bringing a touch of hot house greenery to XP!

CAO of the XP Trust, Andy Sprakes commented:

“Alfie is one of our many alumni who are already making a positive difference to the world. We’re always thrilled to hear about how our students are progressing and where they are now – they will always be part of our Crew.”

XP Doncaster’s High Flying Birds

In Summer 2024, XP and XP East’s Year 8 students embarked on Learning Expedition called ‘Should I Stay or Should I Go?’, where they aimed to answer the guiding question: ‘Is migration worth the risk?’.

In Art, they looked at the work of artists who used imagery of birds to represent migration. Leonardo da Vinci studied anatomy and used that to design flying machines. The students took his ideas and constructed their own three dimensional bird designs. They then made large scale sculptures of the birds that you can see on display, here. Before culminating in the display, the sculptures were paraded at this summer’s inaugural XP Festival of Arts & Culture.

We’re got vacancies across XP Trust!

Find out more here to apply now and #JoinOurCrew

Top of the Blogs

Settling in @ Norton Infants

First Week Back @ Green Top

Wonderful Wilderspin @ Plover

Music Composition in MI @ Carcroft School

We’re all in this together! @ XP School

Crew Da Vinci E28 @ XP East

Acts of Kindness @ Norton Juniors

Weekly Update for Parents @ XP Gateshead

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 Jarrow Hall and St Bede’s Monastery

As part of G31’s first expedition of learning students will carry out fieldwork focused on a historical enquiry into Anglo-Saxon and monastic life in the Northeast.

This will build on the immersive experiences they have gained this week in school where we have consolidated prior learning about the influences of the Romans and the Vikings into Medieval England.

This fieldwork will take place at St Bede’s Monastery, and Jarrow Hall Museum and Anglo Saxon farm and settlement in Jarrow. 

Year 7 Class 2 Students will carry out this fieldwork on Monday 9th September with Year 7 Class 1 completing it on Tuesday 10th. Students will be required to be at school by no later than 8:25am as usual and we will be leaving school at 08:45. We have a later than usual finish and expect to return to school by 3:30pm. 

G31 students will need to bring a backpack including:

A filled water bottle, Pencil case including: pens, pencils, ruler, eraser and pencil sharpener, notebook and reading book but will not need to bring their ipad.

They should wear comfortable shoes and bring a waterproof jacket and sun cream depending on the weather. 

A healthy packed lunch will also be needed (this will be supplied by school, for those students who are entitled to a free school lunch, if it is required) and as always we must stress that this should not include nuts, fizzy drinks or energy drinks please.



Upcoming Film Viewing: I, Daniel Blake for G29 Students

As part of our Immersion G29, students will be watching the film I, Daniel Blake. We believe this film is important for our students as it is set within our local community and provides valuable insight into the lives of people who may live in our neighbourhoods. The film addresses several mature themes, including strong language, sex references (including references to prostitution) prescription drug use, criminal behavior, and some unintentional racism. The British Board of Film Classification (BBFC) has rated this film as suitable for viewers aged 15 and above.

I, Daniel Blake tells the story of a 59-year-old carpenter from Newcastle named Daniel Blake. After losing his wife and suffering a heart attack, Daniel’s doctor advises him to rest and avoid working. However, the benefits system declares him ‘fit for work,’ preventing him from claiming unemployment benefits. The film follows Daniel’s challenging journey through the British benefits system as he appeals the decision. Along the way, he befriends a single mother of two who is also struggling with the system.

Class 1 will watch the film on Thursday, and Class 2 will watch it on Friday.

If you have any concerns about your child watching this film, please feel free to contact your crew leader or myself at [email protected].

Thank you for your understanding and support.

 

G31 iPads – After initial setup

After school your child’s iPad behaves exactly like any other iPad. During the day we manage the iPads so that only certain apps are available.

In order to download apps at home that you have agreed your child can have, you will need an Apple ID. If you do not have one, you can find instructions on how to set one up here.

If you have separate Apple ID’s – for example if your child already has an apple device – you can link Apple ID’s in a family sharing group. More info on that can be found here.

Screen time and other parental controls are also available. You can find guides to these here.

For additional protection we recommend that you filter what your children can access at home using your own Wifi. Most hubs for your Wifi at home will have settings that will also restrict content. Log in to your broadband provider account and search for parental controls.

G31 iPad set up

iPad required set up

Screen protector

The screen protector must be installed to keep the Applecare warranty  on the iPad valid, please do this first to ensure the most successful installation. 

You can follow the written guide below or use our instructional video here. Please note the password for this year is not enrolment as stated in the video, it is summer2024 

https://youtu.be/Ai-GkrT-Wb4

Don’t unbox the iPad until you are ready to install the screen protector. 

Make sure you have lots of space and a clean dust free flat surface before you start. 

  1. Remove the screen protector from its case and the iPad from the box.
  2. Take care not to touch the iPad screen before installing the screen protector. 
  3. If any dust particles fall on the screen you can remove them with the stickers in the toolkit.
  4. Very carefully remove the protective film from the screen protector, take care as the screen protector is made of glass. 
  5. Using the paper tab on the protector, remove the plastic protective film protection.
  6. Align the cutout  for the home button and applying a small amount of pressure to the middle of the protector touch it down to the middle of the screen. 
  7. If there are any air bubbles under the protector you can push these to the side using the polishing cloth. 

Installing the iPad in the logitech keyboard case 

This is really nice and easy, open the case from the box, align the camera on the rear to the top right of the case and clip it in.

First time login

  1. Select English as your language
  2. United Kingdom as your region (this is really important)
  3. Select “Set up Manually” from the bottom of the page
  4. Select your Wi-Fi
  5. Enter the password and tap “join” and then “next”
  6. Wait while the iPad activates (this may take a few minutes)
  7. A screen with the title “Apps & Data” will appear – select “Don’t Transfer Apps & Data”
  8. A new screen will appear with the title “Remote Management” – click “Next”
  9. A page with a login box will appear
  10. Add your username. This is the start of your school email address. Eg. if your email address is [email protected]

Then then username would be firstname.surname31 

(We apologise if the surname is not the preferred surname – these were set up using the information provided from your application to the school during Year 6. These usernames will only need to be used once.)

  1. The default password this year is “summer2024
  2. The next page will ask you to click to “Enroll this device” tap the blue button
  3. The next screen will ask you to “Enable Location Services” please make sure this option is selected. 
  4. Your enrolment is now complete and default applications will now start to download. 

G28’s First Week Back

G28 kicked off the new academic year with an impressive first week. The students were guided by the question: “How can we ensure that our future selves will thank us for the next two years?” This question set the tone for a week filled with exploration, reflection, and growth.

Throughout the week, students explored various future career paths, gaining valuable insights into what lies ahead. To help them reflect on how aspirations evolve over time, they watched clips from The Up Series, a documentary that follows a group of children from ages 7 to 21. This series provided a unique perspective on how early dreams can align—or diverge—from reality as life unfolds.

On Tuesday, the students took a trip to Gateshead Career Centre, where they participated in workshops focused on different post-16 options. This experience broadened their understanding of the diverse opportunities available to them. A special congratulations to Lily and Anya, who excelled in the apprenticeship quiz competition, and to Crew Frank, who worked collaboratively to construct a bridge closely resembling the iconic Tyne Bridge

After their insightful morning at Gateshead Career Centre, students were well-prepared to start crafting their CVs. They teamed up with their critical friends to exchange constructive feedback, fine-tuning their CVs to ensure they were polished and professional. These revised CVs were then sent off to their interviewers, ready for the big day on Friday.

When the day of interviews arrived, G28 students stepped up, taking on various roles with enthusiasm and professionalism. They meticulously prepared the interview rooms, arranged refreshments, and provided ambassador tours of the school.

Each student then participated in a 20-minute interview, during which they showcased their skills, experiences, and aspirations. The interviewers provided valuable feedback, giving students practical insights to help them refine their approach and boost their confidence as they continue their journey towards their future careers.

 

Well Done G28 and thank you to all our expert interviewers it was a brilliant experience for our students!

 

 

 

Dear Families

What a first week back we have had! As I said last week, our first week back is fundamental to us in terms of tending to and building crew as well as setting the scene for students of their year to come.  

We really believe that, ‘If we get Crew right, we get everything right’ and I think of the many photographs took last week, this one embodies the meaning of crew:

Year 7 (G31) first week back

Our G31 students have had a fantastic week at Ullswater finding out what crew means. I hope they returned to you full of tales of their outward bound adventures and new friendships. Across the week, students began to form strong bonds with their crew and crew leaders, supporting each other to rise to every challenge set. We could not have been more impressed by our new year 7 students. The level of challenge meant that all Crews had to support and challenge each other to do more than they thought possible. They were compassionate, courageous, respectful and showed integrity in equal measure across the week. 

We will post a further update with more images from the week.

Year 8 (G30) first week back

Our G30 students returned to school strong and spent their first week considering the question ‘How can we lead and support the learning of our new friends in G31?. Y8 Crew Leaders have been blown away by the quality of student work, depth of thinking, collaboration and leadership shown by G30 this week. There is no doubt that Y8 students will work with us to ensure that our new students are welcomed into XPGateshead and are quickly part of our school community. 

The week ended with a fantastic day of fieldwork planned by Year 8 ready for our new Year 7 expeditions to come. This work is a fantastic example of student leadership with students co-constructing learning with their peers and adults in school. The G31 teaching team are delighted with the fieldwork planning and the resources that have been made which are indistinguishable from that of adults. G30 conduct on fieldwork was exceptional too. Please see the website update for more details.

Year 9 (G29) first week back

Our  G29 students had a strong return to school, working in Crews to answer the guiding question ‘How do we form great habits to tackle initiatives as a Crew with increasing agency, independence and resilience?’ They displayed greater maturity and had a clear sense of purpose as they were challenged to rethink how they best work as crews and the norms they use, strategically planned crew charity events for this year and prepared for fieldwork reconnecting with the Outdoors. This fieldwork was also an introduction to the types of challenges that they will face as part of their Duke of Edinburgh Bronze award this academic year

Thursday’s hike in Northumberland around Wylam tested students’ new knowledge and map skills as they navigated together as a Crew. Students travelled by metro and train to get to Wylam (train travel a first for  XPG!) and carried out a 6km hike without a moan and smiles all round. Student conduct on fieldwork was exceptional.

Year 10 (G28) first week back

Our G28 students worked together in Crews last week on their guiding question: ‘How can we ensure that our future selves will thank us for the next two years?’ They really stepped up to the challenge, considering how they will support and challenge each other to be successful over the next two years of GCSE. The week also provided lots of opportunities to continue their thinking about careers and pathways, beyond Key Stage 4 to Post-16. 

Our students had a great morning with the Learning and Skills team at Gateshead Local Authority who put together a carousel of careers sessions led by experts and employers on pathways available and what employers and education providers are looking for in candidates.

Our students also worked on a first CV based on their ambitions, strengths and skills to date, and on Friday they had a mock interview with an external professional who gave  them feedback on how they presented themselves, articulated their ambitions and responded to questions asked during the interview. Again, we raised the bar on our expectations and our students stepped up!

Our week ahead 

Change of Classes

Unlike many other secondary schools, we do not group our children based on their ability into sets or streams. However like most schools, we do change the make-up of our classes and move students between classes at the start of an academic year. In Year 10, this has been done to accommodate the pathways that students have chosen for Key Stage 4. 

For Years 8 and 9, we have done a wholesale adjustment of classes, as we did at the start of last academic year. There are many factors that we consider when making changes to the classes, and of course we get to know our students better and better each year. The aim is still, and will always be to make classes as heterogeneous as possible with a representative mix of genders, attainment,  backgrounds etc. We appreciate that change can cause some level of anxiety or even upset for some students, and we will work to ensure that this is minimised with an orderly and purposeful start to the year in our new academic classes with new learning expeditions.

G31 students (Year 7) 

Students will be working in their Crews on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday morning reflecting on their Outward Bound experience and thinking about what Crew looks like in the classroom and around our school, and how learning will work at their new school – especially learning through expeditions.

They will get tours of the school on Monday and our new spaces as well as an introduction to PE (students do not need their PE kits this week). 

We will hand out iPads to G30 students on Monday at the end of the day. These will come  with instructions on how to set these up on the school management system which is a fairly straightforward process. Students will need to set these up at home on Monday evening ready for a first training session on Tuesday. It is really important that the screen protector is applied as soon as you take the iPad out of the box, without this any insurance claims will not be valid.

We will post a separate update for families explaining how to set up the iPads on our website on Monday.

On Wednesday, students will find out their new classes and Immersion for their new learning expedition will start.

G30 students (Year 8) 

After a morning in Crew on Monday, students will begin a week-long immersion for their new learning expedition this week. 

They will have their first PE session on Monday and the second on Tuesday so will need PE kit on both days please.

On Monday, students will find out their new classes and their seating plans.

G29 students (Year 9) 

After morning Crew sessions, students will begin immersion for their new learning expedition this week. 

G29 PE sessions take place on Thursday so students will need their PE kit.

On Monday, students will find out their new classes and their seating plans.

G28 students (Year 10) 

After morning Crew sessions, students will begin immersion for their new learning expeditions this week. 

G28 PE sessions take place on Thursday so students will need their PE kit. 

On Monday, students will find out their new classes and their seating plans.

Making the right start

All students need to be in school for an 8.30am start so they must arrive by 8.25am at the latest. There will be staff in school supervising so students can arrive from 8.00 am.

We will finish formal sessions at 3.15pm and there will be no extended study or activities after school this week

Kit List

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

  • A filled water bottle
  • Pencil case including: pens, pencils, ruler, eraser and pencil sharpener
  • A fully charged iPad (G28, G29, G30 from Monday, G30 from Tuesday) and headphones (ideally not expensive ones, for example here)
  • A notebook
  • A reading book

Students also need to bring a healthy snack for break time – no confectionery (sweets), fizzy drinks or energy drinks please as we do not allow these in school. Please note there are to be no nut products in snacks or packed lunches – this is especially important as we have students in this cohort who are highly allergic to nut products. 

Mobile phones should be switched off and in school bags each morning. Students should not be using mobile phones during the day without permission from a member of staff. If you need to contact your son or daughter please do so via the school office at [email protected] or on 0191 4814360. 

Safe arrivals and exit from site

Cars and parking outside of school

The start of a new academic year is always busier at pick up and drop off, with new Year 7 students getting used to making their way to and from a new school, and all students finishing at 3.15pm until extended study and clubs are up and running.

Please can you ensure that you consider our neighbours when parking and do not block any pathways or drives onto their properties. Of even more importance is the safety of our students when crossing the road outside of school. Please leave space by the barriers outside of the main gates, as we have staff here who can ensure that children are crossing the road safely. With a clear road here we will more easily be able to see any approaching traffic.

Cycling to school

We are really pleased to see so many of our students cycling or scooting to school. Can I remind parents that if  students are to bring bikes or scooters to school then they must have a bike lock. In terms of safety, students should also have a bike helmet. Please check that your child’s bike is in good condition frequently.

Please note that electric scooters (escooters) are not allowed in school or as a means of getting to school. This includes all other  ‘powered transporters’ too such as hoverboards and electric unicycles.

Lunches

We are a no nut school. This is very important as we do have children with severe allergies.

Students can choose to bring in a healthy packed lunch (no nut products, confectionary, fizzy or energy drinks) or have a school meal with us. 

Our school dinners are very popular with our students, thanks to our wonderful kitchen crew. Students make a daily food choice in crew each morning and we have a three week menu. Here’s this year’s menu – this week we start on week 1.

If your child receives a free school meal, we will provide lunch. Please contact the school office at [email protected] if you have any questions around school meals or paying for meals via ParentPay.

We are really looking forward to welcoming all of our students back tomorrow. 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 for your ongoing support and a special thanks again to those parents who have been supporting our new G31 parents with their XPG knowledge and expertise. 

Julie Mosley

Principal

G30’s First Week Back

We are delighted to share that Year 8 students (G30) have had an exceptional first week back at school. Not only have they settled in brilliantly, but they have also shown remarkable leadership skills as they worked collaboratively in their Crews to plan and execute fieldwork activities for the new Year 7 students (G31), who will be joining us next week.

Our G30 students demonstrated true craftsmanship and quality in their planning. They meticulously worked out routes, conducted extensive risk assessments, and created a range of resources for the fieldwork. Their attention to detail was evident as they planned carefully to ensure that the timings and costs of public transport would allow the fieldwork to be completed within the time allotted.

On Friday, the Crews put their plans into action, testing the effectiveness of their fieldwork activities. This hands-on approach not only allowed them to evaluate their own work but also provided a practical learning experience that will be invaluable when they complete their debrief and evaluation on Monday.

Crew Earhart and Crew Kahlo took on the challenge of enhancing both geographical enquiry and the study of beliefs and worldviews different from our own. Their fieldwork included a walk through Bill Quay Farm and along the Tyne River Trail to Hebburn Riverside Park, where they consolidated their learning on river processes and land use. After lunch, they visited the Dhamakaya Buddhist Centre in Hebburn, where they had the unique opportunity to learn about Buddhism and even participate in a meditation session with their teachers.

 

  

Crew Darling and Crew Einstein focused on a historical enquiry into Anglo-Saxon and monastic life in the Northeast. Their fieldwork took them to Jarrow Hall, where they explored farm and village life in Anglo-Saxon Jarrow and learned about the monastic life of St Bede. They also visited St Paul’s Church, walking in the footsteps of St Bede himself as they re-enacted a monk’s liturgical service in the Anglo-Saxon part of the church.

We are incredibly proud of the students for their excellent attitude towards learning and the true spirit of Crew they demonstrated throughout this first week back. Their hard work and dedication will set a wonderful example, and we are confident that their efforts will make a positive impact on the incoming Year 7 students.

G30’s Crew Leaders want to thank you for your continued support, and we look forward to another fantastic term ahead.

G31 additional delay

We have been delayed again unfortunately due to an accident on the A66. We are through the congestion now and the latest estimated arrival time is 16.20pm.