Our Year 9 Options Evening, held on 21st January, aimed to introduce students to various career paths and guide them in making informed decisions about their future after school. This was a well attended and successful evening.

Below, we have pulled together the key guidance information and links to subject areas and potential career options which you and your child may find useful. 

For more information, please visit the Gosforth Academy Careers page on our website or search for the Careers page on Frog.

For students who are still feeling uncertain, support is available in The Progression Hub (Room 156) from Mrs. Carter and Mr. Limbrick, our Careers Leaders. Additionally, assistance is provided by the Careers & Guidance Team at Newcastle City Council.

Gosforth Academy has been named one of the Top 200 Sports Schools nationally based on its performance in several sporting competitions. The top 200 chart celebrates the best of the best, with state schools battling it out with their independent rivals on the same list. And the list rates performance above everything else, with results compiled from more than 20 sports and more than 120 events. Schools usually have to reach the later stages of at least two, three or four national competitions to make the list.

This year, Gosforth Academy was ranked 80th in the country for sports performance, which is down to students excelling across a range of sports, including netball, football, basketball, athletics, badminton, squash and Rugby Sevens. This position puts us in the top 2% of schools nationally!

Congratulations must go to all the students who have represented teams over the years, and, of course, a huge thanks to all colleagues who run teams and give up their time so generously. We look forward to another successful year of sport culminating in our end of year Sports Awards Evening on Wednesday 2nd July 2025.

More information on the awards and the list can be found below:

Top 200 sports schools of 2023 - School Sport Magazine

Gosforth Academy was delighted to host our annual Senior Citizens Christmas Party, spreading festive cheer to the local community in what has become a much-loved tradition. 

The event began with a warm welcome in the reception area, where guests enjoyed delightful in school-made non-alcoholic punch and mince pies while our talented brass band played classic Christmas tunes, setting the perfect seasonal atmosphere. 

Guests were then invited into the main hall to experience a stunning showcase of talent from our student singers and musicians. The performances truly highlighted the exceptional creativity and dedication of our students, leaving everyone in awe. 

The festive fun continued in the dinner hall, where a sumptuous full Christmas dinner was served. Our catering team outdid themselves, ensuring that every guest enjoyed a hearty and delicious meal to mark the occasion. 

After dinner, it was back to the main hall for an afternoon filled with laughter and joy. Bingo games brought out everyone’s competitive side, followed by a special visit from Santa Claus himself! The event wrapped up with a rousing sing-along, spreading the holiday spirit and leaving everyone with smiles and warm hearts. 

Thank you to all the students, staff, and volunteers who made this magical afternoon possible. It was a heartwarming reminder of the power of community and the joy of coming together during the festive season. 

Merry Christmas to all from Gosforth Academy! 

Parent/Carer Academy Advisor for Gosforth Academy Advisory Group

The academy is seeking nominations to fill one parent place on the Academy Advisory Group (AAG). The term of office will be for a period of four years. This AAG serves Gosforth Academy, which is within the Gosforth Group Multi Academy Trust (MAT).

AAG members are volunteers from a wide variety of backgrounds, who have an interest in children’s education in their local community. Advisory Groups act as a critical friend to the Principal on matters of academy performance, education, behaviour, attendance and staff performance.

As a Parent/Carer Academy Advisor, you have an opportunity to take a full and active part in the work of the Advisory Group. However, it is important to understand that you would be a representative of the whole parent body and not representing the parent body or any particular group of parents. As such you will not have a mandate or a specific constituency

The nomination process

Please find below a nomination form. When submitting nominations, the following points should be noted:

• To be eligible to take part in the nomination / election process, an individual must be included on the Gosforth Academy’s admissions register as being the parent or carer of a child currently attending the school.
• You can put yourself forward by completing the attached nomination form and by asking a parent/carer of another child currently at the school to second your nomination. You should also complete the personal statement. All nominations (including the personal statement) must be returned to Joy Davison, PA to the Principal, Main Reception, Gosforth Academy, Knightsbridge, Great North Road, Gosforth, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE3 2HJ by 09:00am on Monday 20th January 2025.
• People who are bankrupt or have criminal convictions may not serve as school Academy Advisors. These and the other circumstances disqualifying individuals from holding office as AAG members are set out in full in the Trust's Articles of Association. Further information is available from Steph North, Head of Governance and Compliance at the Gosforth Group on steph.north@gosforthgroup.org.uk

Additional useful information

The structure of the Academy Advisory Group consists of:

• 2 Parent Members
• 5 Community Members
• 2 Staff Members
• 2 ex-officios – (Gosforth Group CEO and Principal)

The AAG is scheduled to meet four times during the academic year.

Nominations are sought from parents and carers of pupils at Gosforth Academy. Following this process, if there is more than one eligible nomination, an election will be held, so that the Parent/Carer Academy Advisor can be appointed as soon as possible.

If you have any queries in the meantime please do not hesitate to contact Steph North whose contact details are above.

Yours faithfully

Nick Girdler
Chair of Academy Advisory Group

Please click below to view and download the Nomination form.

Following the release of the DFE school performance tables last week, the Gosforth Group Multi Academy Trust would like to share with you some of the amazing successes in outcomes from across our schools.

The Religious Education Department welcomed 3 visitors from HMP Northumberland to support our Year 11 classes who are currently studying the theme of crime and punishment as part of their GCSE course. Christine is the prison’s Christian chaplain. Pat and Joanne run the restorative justice programme, The Sycamore Tree, as volunteers for the charity, Prison Fellowship. Students gained valuable insights into the experiences of prisoners and the prison system. Using real life case studies, our guests were able to engage students in purposeful reflection on themes such as justice, retribution, deterrence, forgiveness and reformation. Interesting debate and discussion ensued about the purpose of prisons, the aims of punishment and the challenges for society in dealing with those who break the law. Here are some of the students’ reflections:

‘For me, the experience was very eye-opening as I learned many things about our prisons and what prisoners experience in them. For example, I was shocked to learn that most prisoners in HMP Northumberland are usually locked up for 23 hours per day. It was moving to hear about one man who had had an incredibly traumatic childhood being helped to turn away from a life of crime, come off heroin and start working to help other prisoners rehabilitate. The session inspired me to think of prisoners in a different light, and, as someone aiming for a career in law, it was very useful in providing me with a better understanding of our legal system’.

‘Our visitors told us stories that were deeply shocking and sad. Many of the prisoners they work with have never had the experience of a loving and nurturing home environment. The prisoners themselves are shocked that volunteers from Prison Fellowship willingly give up their time to come into the prison to work with them and spend time with them without receiving any payment’.

Our visitors share their reflections on the sessions in the short video below. We look forward to welcoming them back to Gosforth Academy on Curriculum Enrichment Day in March. For further information about Prison Fellowship, including The Sycamore Tree project, please see: www.prisonfellowship.org.uk.

Please view the video and photos from the visit below.