Dear Families
Welcome to the final week of this half term!
It is hard to believe that we have only been together for 7 weeks having achieved so much!
The work of our Comms Team will bring this to light again this week when they return to XPG to install more new displays of our students from all three year groups. We are also hoping to agree final details for our external signage and look forward to the installation on site soon.
There is more building work planned over the holidays as we get to the bottom of work required to ensure that our temporary space is of the high standard we need. Our huge thanks go out to the Gateshead teams who have continued to support us and the companies who have been contracted to carry out work on site. We are very lucky to be able to have the temporary space we have here at XP Gateshead.
G28 Crew Charity Events
This week saw the first of our Crew Charity events and Crew Stanton organised and ran a Halloween Disco for nearly 100 staff and students. They raised £245.81 for their chosen crew charity, Tiny Lives which is a charity in Newcastle that supports premature and unwell babies and their families. Our students loved the event with many dressing up for the occasion…
The night was a brilliant effort from everyone in Crew Stanton but I would like to praise standout work from Mason and Anya!
On Monday morning I will meet with representatives from all G28 crews to go through their plans for charity events in school this year.
G28 – How can structures help us to explain the world around us?
On Friday our local MP Ian Mearns worked with our G28 students as an expert for their current expedition. Our students had questions for Mr Mearns on Labour policy around social housing and also about his career as a politician.
Thomas Hepburn Memorial Service 2023
On Saturday 14th October some of our staff, students and families from G30 attended the annual memorial service for Thomas Hepburn at St Mary’s Church, Heworth. The service commemorates the life of Thomas Hepburn who spent his life working to improve the lives of miners and their families as well as being the founder of the Colliers United of Durham and Northumberland in 1825.
It was a real honour to be invited to the ceremony where the acclaimed filmmaker, Ken Loach, spoke about Thomas Hepburn’s life and his fight for social justice as a leader of the first miners’ trade union. The service also featured readings from the local MP for Easington Grahame Morris, the Mayor of Gateshead, Cllr Eileen McMaster and the Reverend Lucy Moss. The Durham Miners Association Brass Band were wonderful and accompanied the service throughout. Following the service, wreaths were laid at Thomas Hepburn’s grave and the Felling Banner group gave our students the great honour of laying their wreath.
Here’s a short film of the event made by Lonely Tower Film and Media.
Snapshots
Updated assessment information snapshots will be shared this week. For year 8 and year 9, these include HoWLs and academic progress. For Year 7 the first snapshot gives you an indication of HoWLs – we will put out a separate website post on Tuesday to help you to understand these snapshots.
Leaders of their Own Learning
Students in Year 7 and 8 have been considering how they can use our Thursday morning sessions to lead their own learning and become the best versions of themselves. Students have given us an initial indication of their preferences but please do discuss this at home. The sessions we have planned are:
- Targeted Support* – some students will be directed to these sessions
- Mandarin
- Fitness
- Creative writing
- Ethics and worldviews
- Personalised Research
- Art across time – learning about art history by making art
- Climate Action Plan
- Theatre – drama and performance
- French
These sessions will start on Thursday mornings after the half-term break.
Thursday morning sessions for Year 9 this year will have careers and Duke of Edinburgh as a focus.
Our week ahead
PE sessions this week
Our PE sessions this week are as follows. Please ensure that your child has their full PE kit.
All G30 students (Year 7) have PE on Monday this week.
All G29 students (Year 8) have PE on Wednesday this week.
All G28 students (Year 9) have PE on Friday this week.
Extended Study and taster sessions for clubs
As usual, we offer extended study sessions, from 3:15pm – 4:30pm each day this week Monday-Thursday.
Our taster sessions for clubs at lunchtimes and after school continue this week. Students will continue trying some sessions to help with decisions on weekly clubs they will sign up to attend after the holidays.
Early closure this Friday
Don’t forget that that school finishes at the earlier time of 1.30pm this Friday. This is to allow us time to “degunge” and set up for the next half term. Please make arrangements to pick up your children at the school gate for 1.30pm this Friday. As always, please be conscientious of our neighbours if parking as it is always very busy when students all leave school at the same time.
We return to school on Monday 6th November 2023.
G28 SLCs
Advance notice that Year 9 will be carrying out SLCs early in the next half-term in the fortnight commencing Monday 13th November. Crew Leaders will be in touch soon to give you the opportunity to book a slot.
Thank you for your continued support through this half term and we hope everyone has a good holiday. We are looking forward to the next half term where we will be continuing to focus on our culture of beautiful work, character and academic success. Students will be adding work to our “beautiful” work portfolios and getting ready for student-led conferences and presentations of learning which will be an opportunity for you to see some of the work your children have been doing – more on this later.
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].
Julie Mosley