National Online Safety – Passwords

22nd March 2023Louise Gatti
In 2022, Microsoft’s Digital Defence Report estimated that cyber criminals made more than 900 attempts to hack passwords every single second – and warned that the number was on the rise. Only around a tenth of those were successful, but the business magazine Inc. nevertheless reported approximately eight million passwords being stolen each day globally. Concerning, isn’t it?
 
In everyday life, simplicity can be a beautiful thing. In relation to passwords, though … well, not so much. The password ‘123456’, for example, has featured in data breaches some 23 million times to date. What’s more, around five million people still – incredibly – have their password set as just ‘password’. On average, that takes a half-way competent hacker less than a second to crack.

Sports teams are also best avoided (more than 750,000 hacked UK passwords were some variation on the name of a Premier League football club), as is anything we might accidentally give clues to on social media: family members’ names and birthdays, for instance. Check out this week’s #WakeUpWednesday guide for more password pros and cons.

Thankfully, there are plenty of steps we can take to make our valuable data less accessible to prying eyes. As well as recommending password management software and multi-factor authentication, our #WakeUpWednesday guide also suggests some even easier ways to come up with different passwords that are simple to remember – but difficult to guess.

Top Tips for Adopting Safe and Healthy Online Habits

15th March 2023Louise Gatti
The world, sadly, is all too often an unfair place. That’s why Comic Relief annually raises both funds and awareness to combat some of modern life’s worst inequalities. Unfortunately, many of these imbalances also play out in the online space, with young internet users often attacked because of a disability, their gender or their family’s financial circumstances.

As Red Nose Day 2023 gears up to help people through difficult times and put smiles back on young faces, our #WakeUpWednesday guide this week examines how to support children in dealing with negative things they watch, hear or read online. We’ve got top tips for safe, healthy online habits that can help youngsters to take potential pitfalls in their stride.

Important Notice Y9 ICT Options

9th March 2023Louise Gatti
Dear Parent / Carer,
It has been brought to our attention that there has been a mistake in our option blocks which have indicated that there is a Core ICT provision. This is not the case and we would like to offer our sincere apologies for any confusion caused by this. If students would like to continue with learning about ICT into Y10 and Y11 then they will need to choose it as their option in Block 2 (Cambridge National ICT). This mistake has now been rectified and the option form is now correct. If your child has already filled in their option blocks and now need to change as a result of this information then please ask them to see either Mrs Spratt, Ms Gatti or Mr Line and we will be happy to help.
We would also like to remind you that there is a virtual Option Support Evening on the 13th and 14th March where you can speak to a member of the options team about subject combinations if your child needs support. The link to use to make a booking through the SchoolCloud system has been sent to you in a previous correspondence.
Once again, apologies for any confusion caused by our mistake.
 
The Y9 Option Team

Y11 Revision / Support Sessions Spring 2023

6th March 2023Louise Gatti

Dear Student / Parent / Carer,

 

Recorded below is a list of the range of weekly support sessions that we have on offer to help you to be as prepared as you can be in the run up to the final exam period in May.

These sessions are open to any student who would like support, meaning that you can drop in when you need to, unless your teacher has told you that you must attend.

There are also additional sessions for Art but these are not on a weekly basis like the sessions above. These Art sessions are all at 3-4.30 in Ar1 on the following dates: 9/3, 13/3, 23/3, 27/3

 

Please make use of these sessions. Many are designed for you to drop in and get support with areas of the course that you feel you need help with. If you get this support and it helps to close any gaps in your knowledge and understanding then you will be more effectively prepared for the exams in the summer. We will be offering a mini bus service to Lynemouth after a number of the sessions to support student attendance.

 

Revision is most effective when it is done over a long period of time. With only two whole months remaining until the start of the final exam period you should now be ready to start the revision process. Remember that the best way to revise is to follow the 3 Way Revision Process outlined below.

 

1 Learn Re-write or condense your class notes; Make flash cards showing the most important information; Create mind maps or flow charts of topics to show how information relates to other information. Put these sheets up around your house.
2 Revise Go over your notes and try to further condense them; Reduce them to key words or dates or formulae; Try to copy your mind maps or flow charts from memory. Read your flash cards as often as you can
3 Test Write one word on flash cards and try to fill in as much information as you can from memory; Do past paper questions and use the mark schemes to see how you have done; Talk to people about a topic and tell them everything that you know

 

There is and will be plenty of revision material placed for you on Google Classroom and in many subjects you have use of other learning platforms such as Seneca Learning and Edi and some subjects may also provide you with revision booklets. Making use of these resources will help to make your revision easier. If you are unsure about anything then please see your teachers. They will be happy to help you.

 

Remember, the path to success begins with making the decision to try.

 

Good Luck,

Mr Line

National Online Safety Guide – NGL

2nd March 2023Louise Gatti
It seems people just can’t resist finding out what others really think of them – whether that’s for better or worse. NGL, an app which invites a user’s social media followers to send them anonymous questions and feedback, flew to the summit of the App Store’s charts last summer and racked up almost 30 million total downloads throughout 2022.

NGL is another of those ‘bolt-on’ apps which is designed to work alongside a major social media network. In this instance, the ‘host’ platforms are Instagram and Twitter – with NGL (meaning, as you may have surmised, ‘Not Gonna Lie’) inviting a user’s friends and followers to ask them questions anonymously. An intriguing novelty, perhaps – but also not without risk.Human nature being what it is, some people take the smokescreen of online anonymity as an excuse to behave in ways that they certainly wouldn’t if their identity were visible.

The brutal honesty – and outright malice – that such anonymity can encourage, however, brings obvious drawbacks for a young audience. Teens seeking validation or reassurance may instead find themselves bombarded by negative comments highlighting aspects of themselves that they were already insecure about.

 
The idea of exposing young social media users to anonymous messages is one which understandably concerns many parents: our #WakeUpWednesday guide brings you the facts about NGL.

KS4 Options Form

2nd March 2023Louise Gatti

Dear Parent / Carer

 

The Year 9 Option Process has now reached a point where, having had a series of assemblies, information videos and now the information evening,  students can now begin filling in their preferred option choices on the options form. The form for this year is on line and the link is recorded below:

 

KS4 Options Form (google.com)

 

Students will still be able to access support to fill in the form should they require it, with student interviews taking place between the 28-30th March and a virtual Options Support Evening for students and parents being held on 22-23rd March. More information about the Support Evening will be sent out nearer the time. Students can also ask for support in school from either myself or the other members of the Option Team, Mrs Spratt or Ms Gatti at any point between now and the deadline for completing the form on 31st March. There are also all subject videos available on the school website along with the prospectus and additional information and advice. To access these, please follow the link below:

 

Year 9 Options | Duke’s School (ncea.org.uk)

 

This will be the first time that you and your child have had a choice in what your child studies each day at school. This is both exciting and, to some, daunting but we hope that the support you will be provided with over the course of the process will ensure that your child is able to  make informed decisions that lead to positive experiences and outcomes for the future. 

 

Yours sincerely,

Ben Line

Deputy Principal

Online Safety Guide – Artificial Intelligence

27th February 2023Louise Gatti
Artificial intelligence is increasingly becoming a part of modern life and, for all intents and purposes, isn’t something we can shy away from. The explosion of ChatGPT, for instance, has brought this kind of technology into a more purposeful context, with millions now using the language model to help solve problems, write computer code or even complete their homework.
 
The rise of programmes like ChatGPT has brought the use of artificial intelligence solutions into sharp focus. Designed to potentially make our lives easier and support everyday tasks, this advanced machine-learning technology offers boundless possibilities and will be a part of our future, and our children’s future, for generations to come.

So how do artificial intelligence solutions work exactly? What kind of risks do they bring? Will they eventually negate the need for certain job roles, particularly in the creative industries? Ourguide explains what AI solutions are and suggests ways parents and carers can support children to use the technology with an open mind. In the guide you’ll find tips on a number of potential risks such as inaccurate information, reinforcing stereotypes and what impact the technology might have on children’s creativity and problem-solving skills


The opportunities that these AI solutions bring can’t be underestimated, so it’s important that we, as trusted adults, understand how they work, what they can be used for and what potential risks they could spawn.