National Online Safety- Wizz

4th May 2023Louise Gatti

Wizz is a networking app which allows users to connect and chat with other people around the world. Its principle is similar to a dating platform: users have a profile and up to three photos, with optional interests and hobbies tags. This allows other like-minded people to be recommended in searches. If a user likes what they see on someone’s profile, they can initiate conversation through the instant message feature; otherwise they swipe on. The app does use age verification technology when an account is created and groups users by age.

As of spring 2023, Wizz sits in the App Store’s top 20 social networking downloads and has amassed an impressive 10 million users globally. The majority of its user-base hail from Generation Z (that’s anyone currently between the ages of about 8 and their early 20s), with the app’s aim being to enable young people to forge rewarding online connections with others.

Despite its verification processes and security checks, Wizz can still be prone to risk, however. Bypassing the age limit of 13 isn’t particularly difficult, and – regrettably – wherever young people gather to chat online, potential predators and the possibility of explicit material are seldom far behind. Our #WakeUpWednesday guide has the lowdown on Wizz.

Investor in Careers Quality Award

27th April 2023Louise Gatti

Duke’s Secondary School was awarded the IiC quality award in Careers Education and Guidance in July 2018. This is a nationally recognised award that demonstrates a school is meeting the highest of standards in preparing its learners for the world of work.
The Trustees and staff of Duke’s Secondary School are committed to regaining The Quality in Careers Standard by 31st July 2023. We have incorporated this reassessment in our current school development plan.

Our aim is to provide an outstanding programme of careers education, information, advice and guidance activities that satisfy national requirements and provide guidance which enables us to address the career development needs of all our students.

National Online Safety – Media Use and Attitudes Report

26th April 2023Louise Gatti

Ofcom’s annual ‘Children and Parents: Media Use and Attitudes’ report provides a comprehensive picture of how young people used and interacted with the internet in the preceding year. It’s a fascinating snapshot of what games and apps young people are currently favouring, how long they spend online and how tastes change at certain ages.

While some of Ofcom’s latest findings will probably come as scant surprise (YouTube being by far the most popular platform among under-18s, for instance), other conclusions may raise an eyebrow or two. This special #WakeUpWednesday guide presents some of the report’s most eye-catching facts and figures in an accessible infographic format.

In the guide you’ll find statistics and trends such as the current most popular platforms for young people and the proportion of children in each age group who play online games.

National Online Safety – Managing Device Stress and Anxiety

30th March 2023Louise Gatti

With smartphones, tablets, laptops and games consoles now the norm, it’s no surprise to learn that almost nine out of ten (89%, to be exact) 10 to 15-year-olds in the UK go online every day. What’s perhaps less expected, though, is that more than one in four (27%) say their parents or carers don’t talk to them much – or, in fact, at all – about what they actually do in the digital world.

This leaves many children feeling like they lack a source of emotional support if something online is causing them stress. As today’s #WakeUpWednesday guide discovers, maintaining a regular avenue of communication about our digital lives is just one step that trusted adults can take to help children feel more in control of how – and when – they use internet-enabled devices.

Helping Children and Young People with Managing Device Stress and Anxiety
According to recent figures, a third of 5 to 7-year-olds in the UK have at least one social media profile; 69% of 8 to 11-year-olds play games online; and a whopping 97% of 12 to 15-year-olds use messaging apps or sites. Whichever way one slices it, digital devices are an increasingly integral part of how today’s young people live their lives.

There are many positive aspects to this, of course, but what’s also true is that the lure of their screens and the frequently brutal law of the online jungle can create a huge amount of additional stress for youngsters. This week’s #WakeUpWednesday guide has some practical advice on how parents and carers can help their child to manage the pressures of living online.