£10 million in sales within 10 days and 50,000 simultaneous players, The fighting game Tekken 8 has enjoyed an astounding degree of success since its release in late January. Its impressive presentation and entertaining roster of characters has struck a chord, both with long-term fans and newcomers to the Tekken series – many of whom are children and young people. 

Tekken’s relative lack of gore distinguishes it from similar titles such as Mortal Kombat, making it seemingly more suitable for under-18s. Its inherent focus on violence, however, plus a highly competitive online play mode against (often older) strangers and some potentially problematic strands of the plot combine to earn it a PEGI 16 age rating. Our #WakeUpWednesday guide has the full story.

In April we’re also running webinars specifically to help parents and carers support children sitting exams. Please let parents know about this free session, especially if they are worried about their child’s anxiety:

Please click on these links to attend.

Mon 22 Apr. 1-2pm

Thu 25 Apr. 6-7pm

Barclays Equal Access for Girls
In 2019 Barclays announced the biggest ever investment into UK female sport by a brand. Barclays are the sponsor of both the Men’s Premier League and the Women’s Super League – the top divisions of English football for both males and females.
Barclays aim to ensure that all school aged girls have equal access to football in schools as their male peers. Barclays believes in the power of football and its ability to speak to the nation and create confidence and opportunities for young people. For example, 80% of girls show more confident behaviour having played football.

In support of the Biggest Ever Football Session there will be various activities running on Friday 8th March where female students will have the opportunity to play and be involved in football.

Before school – small sided games in the sport hall from 8am-8:25am.

PE lessons – girls with PE on Friday 8th March will take part in competitive football matches on the 3G instead of their current activity.

Break time – small sided games in the sport hall from 10:45am-11am.

Barclays Biggest Ever Football Session runs on International Women’s Day which is a day to celebrate the social, cultural, economical and political achievements of women.
Between 1921 and 1970 the FA had banned women from playing football. On International Women’s Day it would be amazing to see as many female students as possible involved and having the opportunity to play in celebration of how far women’s rights have come.

Girls football club takes place every Monday after school 3-3:45pm on the 3G and is open to all year groups.

If you are interested in attending (even just to try it out!) then make sure you are signed up to attend the club or see the PE team for more information.

A number of teen online dating apps have emerged over the past few years – and the most popular of these recently hit a huge one million users worldwide. With some teens spending more time online than with their friends – young people are increasingly using the internet to meet new people and form relationships.

Unfortunately, making friends and dating online can come with serious issues – from catfishing, to scammers, to stalking and harassment. With the inherent risk that users might also arrange face-to-face meetups, it’s easy to see how these services can present a range of #OnlineSafety risks to their young audience. Our #WakeUpWednesday guide dives into online dating and relationships, detailing the associated risks and offering tools and strategies to keep your child safer online.