Dear Parents / Carers of Y7
Due to unforeseen circumstances we have had to change the date of the Mathematics progress test for those students who are in the X band for their Maths lessons. The test was originally scheduled to take place on Monday 30th January during period 2 but will now be moved to period 2 on Thursday February 2nd. Please accept our apologies for any confusion or inconvenience this change causes.
Most of us habitually check our doors are locked each night. We don’t leave our cars open with the keys in the ignition. We take care not to let anyone watch us enter our PIN at the cash machine. When it comes to cyber-security, however, many people aren’t anywhere near as routinely cautious – which is one of the reasons that online crime continues to pose a major threat.
In the last couple of decades, the volume of online traffic has increased exponentially – but, by and large, people’s awareness of the accompanying risks hasn’t grown along with it. To illustrate the scale of the issue, consider this: a report by the Internet Crime Complaint Centre found that, in the US during 2020, there was a successful cyber-attack every second. Yes: every second.
The UK had the largest percentage of cyber-crime victims per million internet users in 2022; the US had the second-highest ratio. Nations with (relatively) wealthy populations who spent a lot of time online are, therefore, lucrative hunting grounds for cyber criminals.
Criminals continue to find new and devious ways to attempt to hijack our online transactions and harvest our private information. To them, the smart devices that many of us now use as standard at home are simply a convenient back door into our lives – and our networks. Check out our #WakeUpWednesday guide for advice on beefing up your household’s cyber resilience. In the guide you’ll find tips on a number of potential risks such as how to use a password manager, how to back up your data and how to check for breaches.
Spring 2023 Year 10 Revision Topic List
Spring 2023 Year 9 Revision Topic List (1)
Spring 2023 Year 8 Revision Topic List
Spring 2023 Year 7 Revision Topic List
Reminder KS3 and Y10 Progress Assessments are commencing.
Please click on these useful links to help prepare your child to revise and ‘Let their light shine’
Although it’s since been expanded to 280, Twitter’s initial 140-character restriction (the limit imposed because Twitter was originally conceived as an SMS platform, trivia fans) was designed to make posts short and punchy. Counter-intuitively, however, these bite-size injections of information and opinion can drive users to engage with Twitter for hours at a time.
There are a mind-boggling 6,000 tweets sent every second, for example, while around 250 million people (roughly two-thirds of its total user base) go on Twitter every single day. For young people, there is clearly a risk of compulsive use – and, as today’s #WakeUpWednesday guide explains, that’s not the only pitfall on Twitter that trusted adults
need to stay aware of.
Big thankyou to Alex Brown (former student) who gave advice to Y11 students on revision and planning tips at Duke’s last week. Alex is an inspirational role model and embodies our 80/20 
motto.
motto.Hope this inspires you for your mocks Y11!
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.
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.
