Making Friends Online

28th April 2025Louise Gatti

Making friends online can open doors to exciting new experiences – but it can also expose children to serious risks. Around 19% of children aged 10 to 15 in England and Wales have chatted online with someone they’ve never met face to face.

 

With expert advice on encouraging safer habits, spotting red flags  and keeping communication open, this week’s free guide offers valuable guidance for parents and educators alike. It’s all about helping children navigate online friendships safely, confidently — and most importantly, happily

Incredible opportunity for Duke’s students to experience Morocco

11th April 2025Louise Gatti

Incredible opportunity for your Duke’s students to experience Morocco

We are excited to be able to offer an exciting 10 night trip to Morocco to our current year 11 students who will be staying on at Duke’s 6th form for year 12, the trip will be funded through primarily fund raising, which will be done as part of their 6th form enrichment option.

This is a life-changing opportunity for students to explore this unique destination with expert guides, while developing their life skills, confidence and independence. We’re partnering with World Challenge to offer this 10-night trip, which complements school learning.

To sign up for the trip or sign up for more information delivered on a zoom meeting on Wednesday 30th of April at 6pm

please email:

aaron.hart@dukes.ncea.org.uk

Mr Aaron Hart

Teacher of Business Studies and Travel & Tourism

Search Engines

9th April 2025Louise Gatti

Search engines are a huge part of daily life, helping us find information in an instant. But with this convenience comes a hidden risk, especially for young users.

With billions of websites just a click away, children can easily encounter misleading, inappropriate, or even illegal content. Search engines don’t always filter this effectively, and features like AI-generated summaries or unlabelled ads can make things even trickier to navigate.

That’s why this week’s #WakeUpWednesday guide focuses on what parents and educators need to know about search engines. From the risks of misinformation and AI errors to practical steps like activating parental controls and promoting digital literacy, it’s packed with expert advice to help keep children safe online.

Instagram

2nd April 2025Louise Gatti

Instagram remains one of the world’s most popular social media platforms, especially among teens – used by around 70% of 13 to 17-year-olds.

It may be one of the most familiar social media names around but features like AI-powered chatbots and Threads integration have added fresh challenges for families and schools to navigate. From worrying livestreams to issues like social exclusion and fear of missing out, Instagram isn’t just about photos. As the platform evolves, so too must the conversations we have with young people about how they use it.

Our latest #WakeUpWednesday guide outlines what these new features involve, the possible risks they bring and how to make the most of Instagram’s parental controls to keep children safe online.