Dear Parent,

The Year 11 Mock Examination Period will take place from the 16th to the 27th January 2023. During this period students will sit exams in the vast majority of their subjects in order to reflect the demands of the final summer GCSE examination period.
Although mock examinations do not count towards the overall grade of a GCSE they are very important preparation for the summer examination period and students should take them seriously. Mock exams support students in three main areas:
:
Improve subject knowledge and understanding
Help develop examination skills
Support resilience and students’ ability to deal with intense examination periods

The more preparation that students put into these mock exams then the more beneficial they will be as preparation for the actual GCSE exams in the summer. Statistically, students who do well in the mocks go on to perform better in the summer.
The link for accessing the full mock exam timetable on our website is at the bottom of this letter. Please support your child to prepare as carefully as possible. Teaching staff will be placing a range of revision resources on Google Classroom or through other learning platforms to help them prepare and our website contains a number of revision guides to support students in their preparation. There are also a number of tips on how parents can support their children in the revision process. The link to access these documents is below.

Student Exam Timetables

Revision Tips and Ideas | Duke’s School (ncea.org.uk)

May I take this opportunity to wish your child well over the mock examination period.

Yours sincerely,

Ben Line
Deputy Principal

A sprawling fantasy epic of wizards and warriors, World of Warcraft has raked in an estimated $9 billion plus in revenue, mainly through monthly subscription fees and in-game purchases. It’s this lucrative seam which has helped guarantee the game’s incredible lifespan: Warcraft continues to receive developer support and expansion packs almost 20 years after its initial release.

World of Warcraft originally launched way back in 2004, and since then the game has blossomed into a major entertainment property. It’s spawned spin-off novels, merchandise and even a Hollywood movie adaptation … but why are we still talking about it in 2023? World of Warcraft’s most recent iteration, Dragonflight, launched last November and marks the game’s ninth major expansion. This latest addition has attracted a whole host of lapsed players back to the game – as well as newcomers jumping into the realm of Azeroth for the first time.

The game’s longevity is matched by its immersive – and often addictive – nature. There are frequent reports of players eating meals at their keyboard, guzzling energy drinks to prolong marathon gaming sessions late into the night. Our #WakeUpWednesday guide highlights this and other potential pitfalls that parents of young Warcraft fans should be aware of.

In the guide, you’ll find tips on a number of potential risks such as the potential for online addiction, in-game purchases and simulated violence.

In a seasonal survey of parents and carers by the e-commerce platform Groupon, more than half (55%) reported having Christmas dinner interrupted by someone’s phone or other device – while almost two-thirds (64%) said that there’s invariably at least one family member who can’t bring themselves to put their phone down or switch their console off over the festive break.

Of course, smartphones and suchlike can be invaluable for Christmas catch-ups with friends and family or for coordinating Yuletide gatherings – but that doesn’t mean they have to dominate the rest of the holiday! Our #WakeUpWednesday guide has expert tips for keeping screen-time under control so your family can get on with making wonderful Christmas memories together.

You might have read the above and assumed we meant parents being frustrated about children going online over Christmas … but actually, grown-ups are just as reliant on their devices. In fact, the survey found 72% of parents check their phone before a single present’s been opened on Christmas morning; more than half admit to using social media more frequently over the holiday.

So modelling healthy behaviour around your phone and laptop during the festive season is essential, too. With winter walks, classic family story time and making your own decorations among the tech-dodging tips in this week’s #WakeUpWednesday guide, we hope you’ll find some inspiration for reducing the amount of screen-time in your household this Christmas!

Dear Parent,

The Year 11 Mock Examination Period will take place from the 16th to the 27th January 2023. During this period students will sit exams in the vast majority of their subjects in order to reflect the demands of the final summer GCSE examination period.
Although mock examinations do not count towards the overall grade of a GCSE they are very important preparation for the summer examination period and students should take them seriously. Mock exams support students in three main areas:
:
Improve subject knowledge and understanding
Help develop examination skills
Support resilience and students’ ability to deal with intense examination periods

The more preparation that students put into these mock exams then the more beneficial they will be as preparation for the actual GCSE exams in the summer. Statistically, students who do well in the mocks go on to perform better in the summer.
The link for accessing the full mock exam timetable on our website is at the bottom of this letter. Please support your child to prepare as carefully as possible. Teaching staff will be placing a range of revision resources on Google Classroom or through other learning platforms to help them prepare and our website contains a number of revision guides to support students in their preparation. There are also a number of tips on how parents can support their children in the revision process. The link to access these documents is below.

Student Exam Timetables

Revision Tips and Ideas | Duke’s School (ncea.org.uk)

May I take this opportunity to wish your child well over the mock examination period.

Yours sincerely,

Ben Line
Deputy Principal

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.