Dear Families
Another week of great work at XP Gateshead from staff and students alike.
Our G28 Pioneers are continuing to lead the way and set the standard for all students with their approach to GCSE exams. They have continued to show real maturity, determination and resilience and we could not be prouder of them. The spirit of crew has been strong across the whole school with the rest of our students showing respect and being mindful when moving around the school when the exams are taking place.
This week we had a successful JCQ exam inspection. These inspections are unannounced and check a school’s compliance with exam regulations. This was a successful visit and we were praised for the quality of our work. A huge thank you and congratulations go to Mr Mead who is our Exams Officer, Mr MacDonald who provides exam admin support, our three new invigilators and our staff for their craftsmanship and quality.
On Friday, our Year 11 students received their leavers hoodies and it was great to see them worn with pride during Friday’s History exam. Thank you to Mrs Dobson who coordinated the purchase of hoodies this year and Lily and Hannah for their work in distributing them.
G29 students return to us on Monday after a successful week on work experience and we are really looking forward to hearing all about their time in the workplace.
Students have experienced a range of placement in fields such as the charitable sector, engineering, architecture, retail, finance, education and more.
We have had positive feedback from employers and families. Thanks once again to all of the organisations and families that have supported this process.
As mentioned earlier this week, those students that did not manage to secure placements have been working in school this week on virtual work placements alongside training in tech and media production. We will continue to work with families and organisations to organise placements for the next half-term, ideally in the week of 29th June.
This week
G28 GCSE exams
Exams continue for our Y11 students with another full week
- Monday 18th May
- Science – Chemistry Combined Paper 1 (1hr 15, am)
- Tuesday 19th May
- English Lit – Christmas Carol, An Inspector Calls, Unseen Poetry (2hr 30, am)
- Wednesday 20th May
- Religious studies – Component 2 Christianity (1 hr, pm)
- Thursday 21st May
- English Language – 20th Century Fiction Reading, Creative Writing (1hr 45, am)
We have continued to put timetable changes in place to allow focused revision sessions prior to exams and make sure that our Y11 students are fully prepared.
Good luck again to all of G28 – keep on keeping on, you have definitely got this!
Like we did across the Easter holidays, we will be offering May Half Term Revision sessions for our Y11 students which will take place during morning and afternoon sessions.
Students who would like to attend revision sessions will need to arrive for the start of the advertised times in the morning and/or afternoon as the reception desk will not be staffed throughout the day. Students will also need to bring a packed lunch if necessary, they will be permitted to leave site between sessions if they are working across the day, however this is just a thirty minute break.
I am sure that G28 families will want to join me in thanks once again to the staff who have offered their holiday time to run revision sessions for our students.
G29 return to school
This week students will return to sessions and start preparation for their upcoming SLCs in Crew. SLCs will take place in the fortnight commencing 1st June, and will include reflections from students on their work placements as well their mock grades.
Mock grades will be shared with students on Wednesday of this week.
Working with Northumbria University
On Monday experts from Northumbria University will be working with G29 students to look at study skills. We will be following up on sessions like these as we move towards GCSEs so our Y10 students are fully prepared for academic success next year.
A group of Year 9 students will also be working with our partners from Northumbria University in a session designed to promote thinking about university-life and study.
Our continued work with Newcastle University, Northumbria University and Durham University is indicative of our ambition for all students. A university pathway is something that all children should both consider and be prepared for.
G30 Ouseburn Fieldwork – Wednesday 20th May
On Wednesday 20th May, G30 students will be taking part in a fieldwork visit to the Ouseburn to explore interdependence within ecosystems.
The current forecast predicts sunny weather, with a chance of showers and temperatures of around 20°C. Please ensure your child comes fully prepared with:
- A full water bottle
- Rain jacket
- Suncream
- A sun hat
- Their full school kit
- Packet lunch
For more details please see Miss Jones’ website post.
G32 and G31 Student Led Conferences (SLCs)
SLCs continue this week for our Year 7 and Year 8 students.
SLCs, like PoLs, are key moments in the development of our students and it is vital that parents, carers and families fully support SLCs. It has been wonderful to hear of the pride our families, staff and students have felt following SLCs last week and we look forward to hearing more this week.
Mr Said will be in contact with families of Crew Windsor with details for their SLCs which will take place in person in school following the half-term break.
G33 In-Person Information Evening, Wednesday 20th May at 6pm.
As part of our transition work, we have now met almost all our new students and their families online. This is a huge undertaking, as you can imagine but having 30 minute family meetings allows us to start getting to know our students well.
On Wednesday at 6pm, we will hold an Information Evening for all of our new families in Year 6. It is vital that all families attend as we will give important information about the Outward Bound course that takes place for all students at the start of Year 7 as well as our iPad scheme. In addition, we will address some of the misconceptions about our school so that families are completely clear on what we are: ‘A mainstream school with a relentless focus on beautiful work, character growth and academic success’, and also what we are not. There will be an opportunity for you to ask us questions too of course. Please see the website post for more details.
PE sessions this week
Our PE sessions this week are as follows. There are some changes due to exams so check the days carefully. Please ensure that your child has their full PE kit.
- G32 students (Y7)
- Class 1 have PE on Thursday this week
- Class 2 have PE on Wednesday this week
- G31 students (Y8) have PE on Tuesday this week
- G30 students (Y9) have PE on Monday this week
- G29 students (Y10) have PE on Monday this week
Extended Study and Clubs
Extended study and after school clubs will not be running this week due to exams, G32 and G31 Student led Conferences and G33 In-Person Information Evening.
Half term break starts Friday 22nd May
We come to the end of a six week half term on Friday 22nd May and as always, we will finish at 1:30pm for our usual de-gunge.
We return to school on Monday 1st June 2026.
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