9th February 2024
HEADLINES
By James Saunders
I hope this brings a smile to your face as it carries some wonderful news. Every journey starts with a small step. We made that small step back in September, at the start of the academic year. A step based on a vision that we could turn a crisis into an opportunity. I am pleased to say that we have reached a key milestone in that journey and that our vision is now more likely to become a reality. Today, the Department for Education announced that we are one of nine secondary schools in Essex to be put on the Schools Rebuilding Programme. It is early days but I feel that this is something for our community to be proud of the hard work has finally paid off. SAFER INTERNET DAY February is an important month for technology as it features Safer Internet Day - A day designed to help inspire a national conversation about using technology responsibly, respectfully, critically and creatively. In school I have been tackling this theme within my recent assemblies. However, internet safety is not just something we should focus on for one day; it should be of constant interest to us all. The national website for this event contains some useful resources for parents to engage in:
Some key advice includes the following: •
not using phones and mobile devices at the dinner table - talking as a family is very important for development
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keeping screens out of the bedroom at bedtime
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talking as a family about keeping safe online and about cyberbullying and what children should do if they are worried
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not using phones when crossing a road or doing any other activity that requires a person’s full attention
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making sure children take regular breaks from screens by getting up and being active
https://saferinternet.org.uk/guide-and-resource/ parents-and-carers
SOCIAL MEDIA AND THE DANGERS OF DEEPFAKES Schools across the country are constantly dealing with situations in school that began outside of school. Situations such as these would not happen if social media had not been misused by children operating out of earshot late at night. Whilst we do our best to educate everyone about how to behave online and through social media it is our collective responsibility to ensure our learners are safe in their use of technology in and out of school. Parents, do you know how your children are using their technology in the evenings? In my assemblies I have used the backdrop of Safer Internet Day to discuss how Generative AI is impacting internet safety through the creation of deepfakes.
You can find further information and links in our monthly safeguarding newsletters.
The following video provides a useful introduction and explanation:
The internet is wonderful. It has transformed the way we live, work and interact forever. However, for all the good technology does for us there remains many risks. Understanding how to use parental-controls is one way families can keep their children safe. Another way to protect children is to engage in the conversation.
Click to watch the video In my assemblies I have been demonstrating how difficult it is to differentiate between what is authentic and what is fake. Whilst AI has many positives there
are most definitely things that we need to be aware of. It all comes back to being careful about what you put online. I came across this headline just before Christmas:
Glitches – There are typically signs if you look closely at the video itself. Is there rippling, pixelation or blurring around key facial features, like the neck, eyes, or mouth? This may become more obvious when a person moves, blinks, or turns their head or body. Audio – There may be an indication that lip movements do not match what you are hearing. Look closely for natural mouth movements. Key terminology to be aware of:
It is clear that young people need to be aware of the impact of this emerging technology. The harmful side of Deepfakes Bullying Deepfakes have been used in cases of cyberbullying to deliberately mock, taunt, or inflict public embarrassment on victims. The novel appearance of these images may distract from the real issue that they can be used to bully or harass children. Extortion and Exploitation Deepfakes can be used to create incriminating, embarrassing, or suggestive material. Some deepfakes are so good that it becomes difficult to distinguish between them and the real thing. Convincing other people that an embarrassing or abusive image is fake can create additional layers of vulnerability and distress. These images can then be used to extort money or additional ‘real’ images. Image-Based Sexual Abuse Deepfake software can be used to remove clothing from victims digitally. It is important to be aware of the risks of this form of (non-contact) sexual abuse. In some cases, victims themselves may be unaware that their images have been harvested and misused to create deepfakes. How to spot a deepfake Deepfakes can vary in their quality and professionalism. Some will be quite obviously fake. For others, it can be tricky to spot whether they are real or not. Here are some telltale signs to look out for:
Bad Actor - a person or organisation responsible for actions that are harmful, illegal, or morally wrong Troll - a person who deliberately posts offensive, inflammatory, highly partisan content in order to provoke people. Trolls will often write posts and join discussions for the sole purpose of causing conflict. Sockpuppet - this type of impostor account involves the creation of a false online identity, often to influence opinion about a person or organisation with the intention of making it seem like the account is not affiliated in any way with that person or organisation. Bots - automated user accounts that interact with Social Media using an application programming interface (API). Think of it as a computer program that is designed to post content automatically according to a set of guidelines, without human intervention. It is worth reflecting on the impact our use of technology can have - adults as well as children. As a school that embraces technology it has always been our belief that educating about the risks is better than just taking action that can drive the behaviour associated with such risks underground and I would recommend that we all engage in the conversation. Have a lovely weekend
James Saunders
C8 Football Honywood v Gosfield Team: Daniel Spragg, Stanley Pyne, Henry Beazely, Riley Preston, Archie Hopkins, Sonny Jacobs, Stanley Moxham. Matthew Slater, Luc Sykes, Patrick Devine, Finley Greer, Harry Irwin ad Liam Makamure. Final Score: Honywood 3 Gosfield 2
0-1 Half Time
Gosfield were the stronger team in the first half and deservedly took the lead which they maintained until half time. In the second half, Honywood through the midfied of Stanley Moxham, Henry Beazley and Sonny Jacobs started to control the game and this led to the home team creating a number of chances. Honywood finally made a break through by equalising early in the half and stormed into a 3=1 lead with goals from Luc Sykes, Sonny Jacobs and Stanley Moxham. Moxham caused Gosfield a number of problems and could have added to his goal tally but was prevented from doing so by some excellent saves by the visitor’s goalkeeper. Even though Honywood dominated the second half they could not find a way to add to their total and it was Gosfield who broke away in the final minutes to make the score 3 -2. There were some good performances by Archie Hopkins, Riley Preston and Daniel Spragg but the player of the match performance came from Stanley Moxham. Our next game is Thursday 15th February at Honywood v Alec Hunter
On Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Fridays, during Learning Session 5 (30 minutes), all Cohort 11 learners will rotate between one of the three core GCSE subjects (English, Maths and Science). These sessions will be delivered by subject specialists and learners will be in groups of a typical class size. On Mondays and Thursdays, sessions will take place at the end of the school day (3.25pm - 4.25pm) and will be delivered by teaching staff. Based on where staff feel the most progress can be made; each Cohort 11 learner will be directed towards either one or two subject areas. The average class size on a Monday will be six learners per teacher and on a Thursday, three learners per teacher. This will be an opportunity for personalised and bespoke revision intervention sessions for each learner in Cohort 11.
Sessions will start after the February half term break and learners will receive their own timetable to follow. It is an expectation that all Cohort 11 learners will attend the revision intervention sessions they have been allocated to.
Dates for the Diary Fri 16 Feb 9am
Whole C11 Photo
Fri 16 Feb
Ski trip departs
Mon 19 Feb - 23 Feb
Half term
Wed 28 Feb
C8 Mercury Theatre visit