Teaching Children Fire Safety

9th October 2024Louise Gatti

A Home Office study has found that approximately 350 children are injured in accidental fires every year. Naturally, this highlights the importance of educating young people on fire safety – ensuring they’re aware of what precautions they can take to keep themselves protected around flammable materials and naked flames. 

 

It can be difficult to know where to start when teaching children and young people about this potentially life-saving topic. That’s why we’ve put together this free guide, offering expert advice on how to educate those in your care about fire safety. It breaks down the steps you can take to protect youngsters in common situations – from bonfire night to lighting a few scented candles 

In-Game Chat

2nd October 2024Louise Gatti

If you’ve played or seen any online games from the past few years, you’ve probably noticed that almost every title of this kind has some kind of chat functionality. Whether allowing players to send text messages to one another or letting them use their mics to chat together on voice if you’re on a multiplayer game, chances are you can talk to your fellow gamers, one way or another.

 

Sadly, such a function comes with its fair share of risks – as is to be expected with a feature intended to connect gamers from around the world and it is immensely important for parents and educators to understand these concerns and help young players address them. That’s why we’ve put together this free guide, breaking down the most prevalent issues associated with in-game chat and letting you know how to keep youngsters as safe as possible if or when they’re exposed to this feature. 

RBC Race for the Kids

27th September 2024Louise Gatti

WHAT?

Great Ormond Street Hospital Charity (GOSH Charity) annual fun run.

WHEN?

Monday 7th October 3-4pm.

WHERE?

Duke’s Secondary School.

WHY?

Join the race to help beat childhood cancer. The funds raised from RBC Race for the Kids 2024 will help build the new Children’s Cancer Centre at Great Ormond Street Hospital (GOSH).

WHO?

All interested pupils and staff.

HOW?

Choice of a 2k OR 5k distance race.

HOW TO DONATE?

https://fundraise.gosh.org/fundraisers/dukessecondary/rbc-race-for-the-kids

Instagram

25th September 2024Louise Gatti

As of 2024, social media giant Instagram has over two billion active users, with 8% of those (approximately 1.6 million) being under-18.That’s a lot of children and young people making use of this platform, exploring its features … and being exposed to its risks – from influencer marketing to contact with strangers and plenty more.

As parents and educators, it’s important to understand how to keep children protected as they discover new regions of the digital landscape – and this is no different for Instagram. Fortunately, our updated guide tells you all you need to know about potential safety concerns around Instagram and offers advice on how to safeguard children and young people as they use this platform.

Final Fantasy XIV

18th September 2024Louise Gatti

Final Fantasy XIV is an online game which allows thousands of players to occupy a far-reaching world simultaneously – embarking on quests and fighting monsters alongside one another – which has risen to a high level of popularity in more recent years. According to a study from the UK Safer Internet Centre, 73% of young people have experienced unpleasant or inappropriate behaviour while enjoying an online game. As an always-online game, several safety concerns can arise when playing this PEGI 16-rated multiplayer title – especially for young people.

As a trusted adult, it can be intimidating to figure out where the risks lie when dealing with such a huge and expansive game – but being aware of these concerns and how to mitigate them is absolutely vital when making online safety decisions if there are younger gamers in your care – especially under-16s, for whom the game is unsuitable according to its PEGI 16 rating. Fortunately, this week’s free guide offers expert advice on the risks present in Final Fantasy XIV, and suggests steps you can take to ensure young people are as safe as possible online.

Supporting Children To Manage Conflict Effectively

11th September 2024Louise Gatti

One of the most valuable skills a child can carry into adulthood is conflict resolution. From simple playground spats to much more serious fights, handling these disagreements in a mature, constructive way can sometimes be uncomfortable and can also prove rather tricky. This is especially important to remember when it comes to children, who could be experiencing this kind of situation for the very first time. 

 

Bringing effective, reasonable solutions to disputes is a difficult talent to learn and an even harder one to master. It’s vital that parents and educators know how to support young people in developing this critical skill, and our free guide teaches you exactly that. This week, we’re covering how best to help children manage conflicts.