Dear Parent / Carer,

Our first set of Progress Assessment weeks for this academic year are taking place from the 30th January for Years 7,8 and 9 and from the 6th February for Year 10. Please see the timetables below which show exactly when each assessment for each year group will take place. 

Years 8-10 will have sat these style of tests twice during the last academic year and should now be familiar with the process. For Year 7 students the tests will be different to what they are used to with each test being taken in our examination hall under full exam conditions. Students have been provided with revision materials and knowledge organisers for each subject in which they will be sitting a test and they will be expected to use these materials to revise and prepare for the tests. Revision can be a daunting thing to do for children of any age so in order to provide some advice there is a link on our website for a guide on how to effectively revise for tests and exams (https://dukes.ncea.org.uk/student-hub/revision-tips-and-ideas/). Although some of these guides are aimed at Y11, they still contain lots of ideas and tips to ensure that students of all ages develop their skills and effectiveness in this area. There is also some advice on how, as parents, you can support your child with revision.

The main idea behind these assessments is to ensure that students experience as much practice as possible in the sitting of controlled tests so that by the time they come to sit their final exams at the end of Year 11 they are familiar and confident in the examination and revision process and are in a position to perform to their potential. The results of these assessments will also help to inform the school of the progress of the students in key subjects and will help us to ensure that they are receiving the correct provision and support. Results of the tests will be reported to parents after each of the assessment periods. Outcomes may result in some students moving classes to ensure that they are receiving the correct levels of support. 

Yours sincerely,

Ben Line

Deputy Principal

In 2020, smartphone and tablet users spent a global total of around £330 million on downloading apps over the Christmas period. The following year, the UK alone saw almost seven million video games being given as gifts. The holiday season, in short, heralds a major spike in young people encountering new games and apps for the first time.

So far, so festive. And although games and apps mainly offer harmless fun, there are still risks to remain aware of – from realistic violence in this year’s must-have shooter to contact from strangers on the latest networking platform.

Millions of new phones, tablets, laptops and games consoles will be nestling under Christmas trees this year. However, even if parents and carers have gone to the trouble of setting up these new devices and enabling the safety features, there are still potential hazards in the apps, games and software that children will want to install and use. Knowing what to look for and discussing those risks with your child may help avoid any nasty surprises this Christmas. Here are our top tips for ensuring that unwrapping this year’s presents doesn’t unleash any unexpected dangers.

In the guide, you’ll find tips such as disabling in-app purchasing, take note of age ratings and watching out for imitators.

Over 1000 items collected for Wansbeck Food bank and families in the community. Great team work from all Duke’s students, families and staff which showed great compassion for others, especially in these tough times. Staff from the food bank were genuinely overwhelmed by how much we collected and the van was full. Students from the Arc were a great help in organising and setting up the collection on the day. A huge thank you from Beacon staff.

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An estimated one-third of children have a social media account, so it’s important that trusted adults know what content young people are consuming, what they’re posting and the interactions they’re having. On social media, it can be easy to go down a rabbit hole that isn’t beneficial to our wellbeing. As platforms grapple with managing ‘legal but harmful’ content, lives are being impacted – sometimes to tragic effect. We might be daunted by the scale of the tech giants and their content which enthrals young people, but we can still help children to be mindful of their mental wellness: recognising when something isn’t OK … and knowing what to do about content that upsets them.

In the guide, you’ll find tips such as how to hide content, setting daily limits and discussing what children have seen online.