Dear Parents
I would like to start this week by wishing our wonderful Year 10 and 12 good luck with their Work Experience next week. This is such an important opportunity for our young people to get a taste of the world of work and help them with their decision making for the future in terms of their next steps. A massive thank you to Vicky Brenton, Kim Brown and the Year 10 and Sixth Form Teams for their relentless encouragement of young people to find a placement and for all of the administration that goes on behind the scenes to make this possible.
The new Year 7 Induction evenings this week have been lovely. A great way for us to meet our new Year 7 and introduce them and their parents to the ways of Hardenhuish. Thank you to all the staff and young people involved in making these evenings a success. I am looking forward to meeting our new Year 7 and 12 as complete cohorts today when they come in for the first of their two induction days.
Thank you for helping us to maintain our high standards of uniform as we head towards the end of term. If you are replacing uniform over the summer and have any that could be passed on, please bring this into Reception.
Non-uniform day yesterday has added to our changing room refurbishment fund with a total so far from Sports Week in excess of £2000. There is still time to donate to this fundraising campaign (https://www.justgiving.com/campaign/hardenhuishsportsweek2024) or Hardenhuish Educational Trust on a monthly basis (include QR code) and we are very grateful for your support with the continued improvement of our facilities for the benefit of our young people .
Have a good last week of term (or WEX if your young people are in Y10 and 12), the final Headlines of 2023/4 will be published next Thursday.
Lisa Percy
Headteacher
News Items
Wiltshire Council Attendance Changes
Please see the letter below from Wiltshire Council:
Wiltshire Council Parent Letter – Attendance Changes
Sixth Form National Theatre Trip
On Wednesday this week Year 12 Drama students were fortunate enough to get excellent seats for an exclusive schools’ performance of Theatre de Complicite’s iconic production: ‘Mnemonic’ at the National Theatre on London’s South Bank.
This ‘re-imagination’ of the original production has been staged to mark the 25th anniversary of the original. This really was a once in a lifetime opportunity to see some of the best theatre in the world. We were amazed by the power of the experimental staging and the sophistication of the storytelling. This is an experience that we will remember for years to come and which will really help us with our Year 13 Drama exam.
Thanks to Ms Willcox and Ms Rowcliffe for taking us!
Year 12 Criminology Workshop
Last Thursday the Year 12 Criminologists spent a day learning a range of crime scene investigation techniques. In the morning, they learnt how to lift fingerprints from a surface and how to take a set of fingerprints. They also had a chance to take footprints and the Pulse CSI team explained the importance of DNA and trace evidence. In the afternoon they worked in teams applying what they had learnt and processed a crime scene and trying to work out which suspect had committed the crime. Two teams successfully identified the correct suspect and received a prize for their efforts. It was a very engaging and informative day for those involved and will be very useful in helping them complete their Unit 3 module Crime Scene to Court room. The students were delighted that they got to keep their crime scene suits so have an outfit ready for Halloween later in the year!
Online Safety Update – Sextortion
Sextortion is a form of Internet blackmail where criminals threaten to share sexual images, videos or information about someone for financial gain or a similar motive. Due to a rising number of sextortion cases nationally we felt it was the appropriate time to highlight the issue and offer some support and guidance to the school community.
Anyone of any age can be a victim of sextortion, however, there has been a rise in young people being targeted. Typically, the criminals find their targets through social media or online gaming services, building a rapport or relationship with the young person and then coercing them to share indecent material. Once the material has been shared, the victim can be blackmailed to either send money or send more indecent content with the threat of the images/videos being made public.
The criminals will not pose as themselves and will instead hide behind a persona to mislead the young person and gain their trust (such as someone the same age, or even a public figure/celebrity). Once someone has fallen victim to the crime, they may be too embarrassed or ashamed to speak up and get help, impacting on their well-being, mental health, and in some extreme cases, taking their own life.
There are many warning signs that young people should be aware of:
- May receive friend, follow or add requests from people they do not know.
- May have someone trying to start a romantic relationship with them quickly, they could even send an indecent image first.
- May ask a young person to do things they are not comfortable with.
- May encourage the conversation to move from a public online space to private communication (e.g. messaging apps).
- May be threatened that their accounts are compromised and they must comply as a way to get their accounts back.
There are steps that can be taken to reduce the risk of sextortion:
- Get them to review privacy settings on social media platforms to ensure only friends and family can see the content.
- Report any worries or concerns they have about other people they are talking to online. Many platforms have a report feature for these types of situations. This will not only protect themselves but other young people using the platform.
- Consider the age rating of apps and games they are playing, as they are more likely to interact with older individuals when exploring content not designed for their age.
- If they do make a mistake and share indecent content, although they may be embarrassed or scared it is important they speak up and get help.
At Hardenhuish School pupils will have already covering the topic of ‘sexting’ in their KS3 ICT and PSHCE lessons so should already be aware of the dangers of sharing indecent content online. We are hoping that this information will allow you to have an open conversation with your young people at home to discuss the dangers of sextortion and most importantly, what to do if they do make a mistake.
Pupils will also have a directed tutor time before the end of term which will discuss sextortion, giving context to the risks and what young people can do to stay safe. The presentation being used for this session is linked below for your reference.
More help and support can be found on the websites below:
- Sextortion cases for young people can reported via CEOP – CEOP Safety Centre.
- The national crime agency has more information on sextortion – linked here .
- Childline can be contacted for free, confidential support and advice.
- Young minds is a mental health charity with help and support.
- ‘So you got naked online’ is a resource that supports young people who may have shared indecent material online and need advice on what to do next.
Additionally sextortion does not just affect young people, anyone over the age of 18 who is a victim of sextortion can also seek help by doing the following:
- Visiting your local police force website.
- Revenge porn helpline – free, confidential help and support for adult victims of intimate image abuse living in the UK.
- Samaritans – free, confidential listening service for any issue, with no pressure or judgement.
The digital landscape is constantly changing with new risks emerging at an alarming rate. With that said it is important to remember that technology is a staple of many young people’s lives, with it fully integrated in how they socialise, learn and digest entertainment. The most important thing is that young people feel empowered and equipped to deal with any threats that they encounter in this ever-changing digital world. It is not the technology itself that should be feared, but the behaviours of those who use it for negative reasons.
Lost Property
Vacancies – Hardenhuish School