E-Safety Information – Emojis

4th June 2025L Forster

They say a picture’s worth a thousand words and when it comes to emojis, that’s often true  But in the wrong context, these innocent-seeming icons can take on a whole new meaning, sometimes hinting at things that aren’t as light-hearted as they appear.

This week’s #WakeUpWednesday guide breaks down some of the slang and symbols young people use online and explains how some could be masking real issues, from bullying and exclusion to harmful behaviours. With our handy cheat sheet and top tips, adults can keep pace with this ever-changing digital language ✨

Emojis aren’t just digital decoration — they’re often used as a coded language that young people use to express identity, humour and emotion. Without context, they can easily be misunderstood by adults, leading to confusion or missed signals. Some emojis may even mask risky behaviours or emotional struggles.

This guide helps decode this ever-evolving language, empowering parents and educators to have more open, informed conversations with the children in their care. It also highlights the meaning of some common emojis and offers practical tips for staying clued-in without snooping or suspicion.

https://nationalcollege.com/

Y2L’s Coastline walk

23rd May 2025H Langley

Y2L had a lovely time on our coastal walk along South Shields seafront. We used what we know to identify human and physical features of a seaside location and used our mapping skills to create our own maps.

E-Safety Information – Violent Content Online

21st May 2025L Forster

Around 70% of teenagers say they’ve seen real-life violence on social media in the past year. Violent content online isn’t just something young people are occasionally stumbling across – in many cases, it’s becoming a routine part of their digital world . From fights  and stabbings ️ to toxic ideologies ☣️, disturbing videos are often just a click away on social media or group chats. Many children don’t go looking for this material, it finds them via algorithms or peer sharing.

This week’s #WakeUpWednesday guide highlights the unseen risks this poses to children’s mental health , sense of safety ️, and social behaviours. With insights from a leading expert ‍, it offers practical ways for parents and educators to respond with empathy  and support  – not punishment or panic .

The guide outlines key concerns, including the mental toll of repeated exposure, shifts in behaviour, and the worrying normalisation of harmful ideologies. It also explains how such content can escalate from screen to street, and why some young people may feel pressured to share or even create violent media themselves.

Y2 South Shields Coast

16th May 2025E Jones

In Geography this half term we are learning all about the South Shields coastline. We have looked at a range of photos recently and identified the human and physical features. We will be using and sketching simple maps of the area next week.

Y2J Forest School

13th May 2025E Jones

Today Y2J have enjoyed working in our new forest school space. We have helped to plant some small trees and plants. We enjoyed watering them and finding out how they will grow.

Christian Foley Visit

2nd May 2025P Mullea

This week we were lucky enough to have a visit from the writer, rapper and teaching sensation- Christian Foley.

Christian made a big first impression on the children, wowing us with his freestyling skills in a whole school assembly. The children loved his performance and joined in with his nursery grimes and other freestyles.

He then worked with all children from Reception to Year 6 in workshops to develop their poetry skills. The children got to hear stories that Christian has written and also come up with their own ideas.

It has been amazing to see how inspired the children have been following this visit and I know they enjoyed it.

His books can be purchased online.

If you want to know more about Christian Foley please look at his website https://www.christianfoley.co.uk/ 

 

OPAL UPDATE

28th April 2025Charlotte Kirkham

During the Easter break, some of our amazingly talented staff have been in and added more wonderful areas for the children to play with. The children now have a mud kitchen, a water area, a dinosaur digging area and a hill slide! We can’t wait to see what they do and make in these new areas.

We kindly ask parents to ensure children do not play in these areas at home time, as the equipment and areas need to be supervised by staff.

 

Thank you for your cooperation.