In the Spring term, all Key Stage 3 students at Great Park Academy enthusiastically participated in this exciting translation competition, designed to celebrate and encourage young linguists. Following a rigorous selection process, five top translations from each year group were submitted in February, showcasing the incredible linguistic talent within our school.

We are immensely proud to celebrate our North East regional winners:

• Cooper Cole & Mamadou Saine (7 Birch): Level 1 Area Winner for North East, Mandarin
• Alice Martin (9C/9X): Level 1 Area Winner for North East, German

The good news continues with an even more impressive announcement! We are absolutely thrilled to share that Cooper Cole and Mamadou Saine (7 Birch) have not only achieved regional success but have also been selected by the judges as National Winners for Mandarin Level 1! They competed for this highly coveted national title against other Regional Winners in their category, demonstrating exceptional linguistic prowess and understanding.

This is a truly remarkable achievement, especially considering the sheer scale of the competition. Over 22,000 students from across the UK participated this year, and nearly 5,000 final entries were meticulously judged. To be recognised at a regional level among such a vast and talented pool of young linguists is a testament to their dedication and skill.

Ms Khalid, Curriculum Leader for MFL, expressed her immense pride:

"We are incredibly proud of Cooper, Mamadou, and Alice. Their success in the Anthea Bell Prize for Young Translators is a testament to their hard work, dedication, and natural aptitude for languages. It's fantastic to see our students not only engaging with language learning but also excelling on a national stage. This achievement truly inspires all our young linguists at Great Park Academy."

Would you like to see their award-winning translations? Both of our regional and national winners expertly translated poems that were originally written in Chinese and German. You can view their impressive entries here:

• Great Park Academy L1 German Translation (Alice Martin's entry)
• Great Park Academy L1 Mandarin Translation (Cooper Cole & Mamadou Saine's entry)

For an entire week, our pupils had the invaluable opportunity to fully immerse themselves in German language and culture. They stayed with host families from the Elisabeth-von-Thadden-Schule in Heidelberg, gaining firsthand experience of German daily life and attending a German school day.

Beyond the classroom and family life, the exchange offered a packed itinerary of cultural and educational excursions. Pupils explored Germany's largest interactive science centre, the Experimenta in Heilbronn, and delved into the world of media art at the ZKM Centre for Digital Art in Karlsruhe. A trip to the zoo provided a fun way to learn the names of animals in German.

Adventure was also on the agenda! After a sunny boat trip down the River Neckar, pupils embarked on a challenging hike up a steep hill to the impressive fortress of Dilsberg. This historical site offered a perfect opportunity to compare it to Dunstanburgh Castle, which pupils visited during the first leg of the exchange back in October.

A highlight of the trip involved a collaborative project where pupils, working with their German exchange partners, produced fantastic videos interviewing each other about their daily lives in each other's language. It was truly inspiring to witness the confidence with which our pupils began to use German outside the traditional classroom setting.

What Our Staff Had To Say:

"Participating in the German exchange for the first time has been an incredible experience for our Great Park Academy pupils," commented Ms Khalid, Curriculum Leader for MFL at Great Park Academy. "They've not only significantly improved their language skills but also gained a deeper understanding of German culture and forged lasting friendships. We're thrilled to be part of this long-standing tradition."

Ms Schneider, German-Exchange Coordinator at Gosforth Academy, added, "It was wonderful to see the collaboration between Gosforth and Great Park Academy pupils flourish. The exchange continues to be a cornerstone of our MFL department, providing an unparalleled opportunity for our students to develop their linguistic abilities and global awareness. The confidence they gained in speaking German was truly remarkable."

Why Order Early?

1. Avoid Last-Minute Rush: Ordering early means you won't be caught in the last-minute scramble. This ensures you have everything you need well before the first day of school. Our approved supplier, Michael Sehgal & Sons Ltd, recommends you place your order before the 1st of July.
2. Guaranteed Availability: Popular sizes and items can sell out quickly. By ordering now, you guarantee that you get the right sizes and styles.
3. Peace of Mind: Knowing that your uniform is sorted gives you one less thing to worry about as the new school year approaches.

Uniform items which do not include a school logo (badge) can be purchased from any retailer as long as they meet our uniform policy standards.

All uniform items with a school logo (badge) and our school coats should be ordered from our approved supplier, Michael Seghal & Sons Ltd.

You can visit their store located at: Unit 17 Airport, Industrial Estate, Kingston Park, Newcastle, NE3 2EF (near to Tesco), where you can also benefit from a measuring and fitting service. Or you can order online at www.michaelsehgal.co.uk/great-park-academy/ You can contact them on 0191 230 2320 or email at sales@michaelsehgal.co.uk.

Our school and uniform supplier can also help with access to secondhand uniform items.

Please contact us if you need any more information or assistance. We're here to help!

I am writing to introduce a new leadership model across our trust that will help strategic growth and collaboration across our family of schools.

From the start of the summer term, Steve Campbell will become the Executive Headteacher of Jesmond Park Academy and Gosforth Junior High Academy whilst Pete Fox will become Executive Headteacher of North Gosforth Academy and Great Park Academy.

Steve and Pete bring a wealth of experience and a passion for education, and I am confident that they will provide effective strategic leadership to both schools under their direction as well as being an asset to our wider community of schools. They are committed to fostering a culture of collaboration, inclusion, and high achievement across the Trust, and they will ensure that the schools fulfil the Trust’s vision.

Each school will also have a ‘Head of School’ who will deal with the day to day running of the school to ensure that it meets its educational objectives and that students continue to thrive.

The following Heads of School have now been appointed:

• Dave Merrifield will become the Head of School of Jesmond Park Academy
• Mark Fryer will become the Head of School of Gosforth Junior High Academy
• Susanna Cooke will become the Head of School of North Gosforth Academy
• Katherine Billingsley will become the Head of School of Great Park Academy

We are delighted that we have such an experienced and talented group of leaders who will work tirelessly to ensure that each school continues to be successful and that all students can reach their potential.

Yours sincerely,

Dr Alexandra Thorp, CEO

It includes guidance on the option selection process and detailed information about all the subjects students will study in Years 10 and 11.

Additionally, students will have the opportunity to meet with a senior staff member to discuss their course selections before submitting their option requests by Friday, 7th March.

We are excited to invite you to our Year 9 Options Open Evening at Great Park Academy. The event will take place on Monday 13^th January at Gosforth Academy, accessible directly from the Sport@Gosforth entrance opposite Great Park Academy.

The evening will commence at 4:15 PM with a presentation by Miss Billingsley, our Principal, and Mr. Hall, our Assistant Principal. Following the presentation, you will have the opportunity to visit staff members who will be showcasing their subject areas and will be available to answer any specific questions you may have about particular subjects.

Doors will close at 6:00 PM. We look forward to sharing our Options information with you and helping you and your child make informed decisions about their future studies.

Change to school coats purchased through Michael Sehgal

We would like to inform you about an update regarding our school coats. While a school coat purchased from Michael Sehgal is still required and our school uniform policy remains unchanged, our uniform supplier's new stock of our school coats will no longer feature the school logo. Please be assured that your child should continue to wear their current school coats, which carry the school logo until this needs to be replaced due to wear or fit.

Removing the school logo will facilitate stock sharing across all our schools within our Trust, and our parents/carers may get more value from the school coat as without the logo, children can wear their school coats outside of school. This change will also make it easier to pass on unwanted, yet in still good condition, coats to family members or friends who may benefit from them.

Please note that while the coats will no longer carry the school logo, they remain a required part of our uniform policy and should continue to be purchased through our designated uniform supplier, Michael Sehgal, based in Kingston Park. Our uniform supplier will continue to sell the existing stock of our school coats, which have a school logo on them until this stock runs out and is replaced with the new stock of coats without a logo. 

We appreciate your understanding and support as we implement this change. If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to reach out to the school office.

Yours sincerely

Katherine Billingsley, Principal

The Gosforth Group follows the Department for Education's School Admissions Code (September 2021). As part of this Code, we consult on admissions arrangements whenever there is a change which requires consultation and at least once every seven years, even if there is no change.

Proposed changes for 2026 include amendments to the criteria used for determining admissions to Gosforth Group Academies and changes to the Published Admission Number for Great Park and Callerton Academies (following a move from temporary to permanent accommodation). There is also a proposed change to the Published Admissions Number for the Sixth Forms at Gosforth and Jesmond Park Academies to accommodate increased student numbers across Gosforth Group Academies.

This consultation process provides an opportunity for stakeholders to comment on the proposed changes. The consultation process will run for six weeks (not including school holidays) starting on Monday 25 November 2024 and closing on Monday 20 January 2025. At the end of the consultation period, responses will be considered and the final admission arrangements will be 'determined' by the Board of Trustees. The admission arrangements must be determined by 28 February 2025 and published by 15 March 2025.

Should you wish to participate in the consultation, please forward any comments regarding our proposed 2026 Admissions Policies to admissionsconsultation@gosforthgroup.org.uk

Changes have been made following a small number of parental complaints to the School’s Adjudicator earlier this year, regarding the admissions process for September 2024. In particular, parents raised concerns regarding the fairness and legality of the Group’s admissions process.

The Schools’ Adjudicator subsequently completed a review of the Group’s admissions processes in the four academies and submitted reports, which included any changes which needed to be made, at the end of September.

The Schools’ Adjudicator reports confirmed that our admissions procedures are lawful and fair but highlighted the need for us to revise our policies to ensure greater transparency and clarity, especially regarding how our oversubscription criteria are applied.

We take the Schools’ Adjudicator's ruling very seriously and accept all the recommendations. We have sought legal support to ensure that our revised admissions policies are now easy to understand and transparent, whilst continuing to comply with all regulations.

We recognise and understand the frustration and concern that the lack of clarity in the admissions policies has caused, and on behalf of the Gosforth Group, I would like to apologise to those affected and thank parents for their patience whilst these changes have been made. 

We remain committed to providing equal opportunities for all families who wish to apply for a place in our academies. We will ensure that a consultation with parents on any proposed changes to the admissions policies for September 2026 will begin after the closure of the September 2025 admissions window.

Parents of children who have already completed their application for September 2025 will be notified by Newcastle City Council of the change in policy and sent further information as to how to make changes to their application if required.

Dr Alexandra Thorp, CEO Gosforth Group.

The full inspection report can be found below. It highlights that we have created an environment where students thrive both personally and academically, which is a source of great pride for us. The report also recognises the efforts of our school leaders in establishing a unique school identity and acknowledges the positive impact of our practical science focus days, which make use of laboratory facilities within our trust.

During the inspection, our students represented the school admirably, confidently responding to questions from the Ofsted inspectors. We would like to express our gratitude to them. The report also notes that inspectors found our students to be polite and respectful. We are pleased to see positive feedback from our students and the observations from Ofsted reflected in the report.

"Pupils show high levels of respect for each other and adults. They behave well in lessons and act maturely around school, including at social times. They have pride in their school and are excited about how the school will develop as it grows in size and moves to its permanent home."

"Pupils enjoy coming to school. Attendance is very high."

"Adults know how to get the best out of each individual pupil. Pupils who need it receive highly effective support."

"Pupils achieve very highly, including in the end of Year 6 national curriculum tests."

"Pupils benefit greatly from an exceptional personal development programme."

"Behaviour in lessons and around school is exemplary. Lessons are free from disruption. Pupils get along well with each other."

"In mathematics and English, pupils, including those with SEND, achieve highly in their end of Year 6 national curriculum tests."

The report also provides valuable feedback and highlights the steps needed to move our school forward to achieve excellence, which we strive to achieve. However, the happiness of our pupils in their learning journey and their academic development remains our top priority at Great Park Academy.

Finally, I would like to express my gratitude to the entire school community, including students, staff, and our parents/carers. Everyone has made an enormous effort, and we appreciate your continued support.

Katherine Billingsley

Principal 

At our Open Evening you can learn about our values and ethos, our curriculum offering and what life is like for our students at Great Park Academy. You'll also learn about our new and extended facilities at our current home and hear exciting updates on our new school building and its state of the art facilities, which will open to students from September 2025. Our teaching and support staff and students will be on hand to answer any questions you may have and provide advice and guidance on our admissions policy and process.

Due to the high number of families we hope to welcome on the night, our Open Evening is being held at our sister school, Gosforth Academy: Gosforth Academy, Knightsbridge, Great North Road, Gosforth, NE3 2JH. On arrival, please head to the school's main front reception. 

What to expect:

• Meet our Principal
• Walk around our school facilities
• Talk to our students
• Speak to our staff and senior team
• Take part in a variety of departmental activities
• Listen to the school presentation delivered by our Senior Team

Our Open Evening is always a popular and well attended event and parking at the school is limited. Therefore, if you can walk or use alternative transport such as public transport, please do so. 

As part of the Gosforth Group, we are proud of the achievements our students make during their time with us.  Post GCSE's, students can choose to stay and join our successful Sixth Form to study for A Levels/BTECs, many of which progress into higher education through our great university links.

As I come to the end of my first two weeks as CEO of the Gosforth Group, I wanted to write to formally introduce myself to you and to welcome you back to the new school year. It is an absolute privilege to be leading the Gosforth Group MAT. Our schools already provide an extremely high level of education for all our students and the dedication of all staff, both in schools and in the central team, is clear to see. This is a firm foundation from which we can grow and develop, so that we provide all our students with the best life chances possible.

This term, we will be strengthening the links across our schools, providing opportunities for staff and students to collaborate and develop. We will be reviewing and improving the consistency of our communication to you as parents and carers to ensure that, no matter which school your children attend, you understand the routines, systems and expectations of the trust. We welcome your views and thoughts on how we can get even better and will provide opportunities for you to share these ideas and contribute to our future development.

On Tuesday, I had the privilege of visiting the new buildings for Callerton and Great Park. Both sites are progressing quickly with visible classroom areas and corridors beginning to take shape. I know that there have been frustrations with the delays, however, I saw first hand the speed at which the schools are coming together. They will create some amazing teaching and learning spaces for our students and staff.

Good attendance will remain a focus across all our schools this year. We will work with you to help remove any barriers to attendance. It is so important for all children to be in school regularly and on time.

This is an exciting time in the development of the Gosforth Group. I look forward to keeping you updated on the developments and achievements in the weeks and months ahead.

Dr. Alexandra Thorp

CEO

The School Games Mark is a Government-led award scheme launched in 2012, facilitated by the Youth Sport Trust to reward schools for their commitment to the development of competition across their school and into the community, and we are delighted to have been recognised for our success. Our sporting achievements this year include:

• Over 90% of students attending a sports club in 2023-2024
• U11 Bob Maddison Cup 1^st place
• U11 Simpson League 1^st place
• U11 Sports Hall Athletics 1^st place
• Newcastle School Dodgeball 1^st place
• U11 County Netball 2^nd place

Other top 4 finishes in:

• Sports Hall Athletics
• Dodgeball
• Table Tennis

With a total of young people competing in local inter-school competitions this year, we are extremely proud of our pupils for their dedication to all aspects of school sport, including those young volunteers, leaders and officials who made our competitions possible. As part of our application, we were asked to fulfil criteria in the areas of participation, competition, workforce and clubs, and we are pleased that the hard work of everyone at our school has been rewarded this year. A special thanks to:

All staff at GPA for providing opportunities for our students to participate and compete in extra-curricular sporting activities

Our partners from community clubs that work with our students in school and within the community

Our committed team of Student Sports Leaders

We look forward to applying once again in 2025!

Yours sincerely,

Anthony Veitch

Leader for Teaching and Learning in Physical Education