Today marks the 80th anniversary of Victory over Japan (VJ Day), the day in 1945 when the Second World War came to an end. We pause to remember and give thanks to all those who served and sacrificed, both at home and overseas, so that we may live in freedom today.
Although our school community is currently on its summer break, we acknowledge this important anniversary and reflect with gratitude on the courage, resilience, and commitment to peace shown by those who came before us. Their legacy continues to inspire hope for a better future.
Here’s a selection of beautiful work from across the XP Trust from the last two weeks of term! It’s been filled with all kinds of wonderful things from all of our schools. To read about other stories from across the XP Trust, visit xptrust.org.
At XP Gateshead, we believe music has the power to inspire and shape young minds. Each year, we offer a unique opportunity for children with a natural flair for music to gain a place in Year 7 through our dedicated Musical Aptitude route.Â
Whether your child already sings or plays an instrument, or simply has a keen ear for rhythm, melody, and pitch, this pathway recognises raw musical potential.Â
With access to expert tuition, vibrant performance opportunities, and a culture that celebrates creativity, XP Gateshead is the perfect stage for your child to flourish musically and academically. Click here to see highlights from our recent annual XP Festival of Arts and Culture – https://youtu.be/-tcB979lD_g
Apply now, and don’t miss this chance to join a learning community where talent is nurtured and passion takes centre stage!
To ensure a balanced intake of students across all ability levels, all applicants to an XP secondary school must sit a Fair Banding Assessment.Â
This multiple-choice test focuses on non-verbal reasoning and helps us place students into one of five ability bands. There is no pass or fail, and results are used solely to support a broad and representative admissions process.
Completing the assessment is a key part of the application and must be done to be considered for a place.Â
Please ensure your child is registered by 31st October 2025 and prepared to attend the assessment on 22nd November 2025.
At XP, we believe education should help young people discover who they are, what they stand for, and how they can make a difference. The arts are at the heart of this.
Through music, dance, drama, and visual art, our students learn to collaborate, express themselves, and craft work of real depth and beauty. These aren’t “extras” to the curriculum – they are essential experiences that develop the character traits we value above anything else: courage, craftsmanship, respect, and compassion.
Last Friday, we celebrated these values at our second XP Festival of Arts & Culture – a day filled with music, dance, and art from across all the schools in our Trust. Every primary school showcased their dancing skills in collaboration with Phoenix Dance Company, alongside cheerleaders and singers from across the Trust.
The afternoon culminated in a show-stopping parade led by the New York Brass Band, bringing everyone together for an unforgettable rendition of Kool and the Gang’s “Celebration”. The evening carried the energy forward with live music from XP Doncaster and XP Gateshead students, alongside local bands and professional artists.
Our students were phenomenal – both on stage and in the audience – showing once again the power of Crew in action.
A huge thank you goes to the XP Doncaster and Plover staff who stewarded and supported the event. It was a powerful example of what’s possible when we create spaces for young people to thrive.
At 17:00, G29’s Presentation of Learning goes live!
Our students have been working hard to craft powerful poems inspired by the beauty of nature and their study of interdependence within ecosystems. Some poems celebrate the natural world, while others serve as a compelling call to action. Feel free to add any messages to the message board about our students work.
A huge thank you to our Digital Leaders — Drew, Seb, and Lyra — for their dedication and creativity in editing the final showcase.
Below the video, you’ll find photos of the students’ final product — planting wildflowers in our planters to help boost biodiversity on our school site. Students also began surveying our site to find out what species live on our school grounds this will support any work that is done on our school site.
We hope you enjoy this inspiring collection of student work.
We are proud to share with you the G28 presentation of learning Power to the people. It is the culmination of a lot of hard work and thinking on the part of our students. Who have explored the UK’s energy future. Our guiding question “How can we use the planet’s resources more sustainably?” is at the heart of this work, where students have designed and justified Energy Plans for the UK in the year 2040.
The student work can be found here on this website. It contains the Energy plans and student online jigsaws.Â
Our “Exit Ticket” is here to leave the students some praises and for you to make a pledge about our energy future, after you have watched their presentations.
As always thank you for your support and we wish you all a very happy Summer Holiday!
Later on today, we will post our online POL presentation and student work for our G28 expedition Power to the people. Our guiding question “How can we use the planets resources more sustainably?” is at the heart of this work, where students have designed and justified Energy Plans for the UK in the year 2040. The presentations last for around 50 minutes.
Please standby for the release of this material and enjoy our student work together with your family. As always there will be an “Exit Ticket” to complete when you have watched their presentations.
This weekend, Mrs Dobson was thrilled to be part of the audience for a stunning performance of Mamma Mia by the ‘Acting Up’ theatre school, featuring the exceptional talents of G28’s Hannah Dobson, G30’s George Dobson, G31’s Yoshni and Yoshna Vimal, Ellie Brown, and one of our new incoming G32 students, Ashton Bain. Mrs Dobson said their energy, dedication, and stage presence shone through in every scene, delighting the audience from start to finish.
All of us at XPG are incredibly proud of the Courage and Craftsmanship and Quality shown by these students. Their hard work and commitment to excellence truly embodied our character values.
