Harton Choir at Durham Cathedral

19th February 2025N Trotter

Harton Choir were randomly selected on Friday 14th February, to be a part of the ‘Choir Of The Year Competition 2025’ at Durham Cathedral.

They had to sing alongside 5 other schools in front of 2 judges.

The children sang ‘Rule The World’ by Take That and they were AMAZING! 

Unfortunately, they did not win the competition but they were given some valuable feedback about how they could improve in the future and there were a lot of positive comments about their performance.

Well done, Harton Choir! 

E-Safety Information – Whatsapp

19th February 2025L Forster

According to Ofcom’s most recent Media Use and Attitudes Report, roughly 55% of 3-17-year-olds in the UK are using WhatsApp as their primary messaging service  Not only does that make WhatsApp the most popular messaging platform among children and young people in the UK; it also means that of the app’s approximately three billion users, over seven million of them are British youngsters – keeping in touch with friends and family, but also being exposed to its various risks ⚠️

 

As parents and educators, it’s our responsibility to stay up-to-date on the safety concerns around this highly popular app, and know how to protect children and young people who are on the platform ️ That’s why we’ve put together this expert-led free guide, breaking down WhatsApp’s most prominent risks and advising you on how best to safeguard the app’s younger users.

WhatsApp is one of the most popular messaging apps available and, as of 2024, has been made accessible to users as young as thirteen. With end-to-end encryption preventing even the platform itself from viewing any messages that users send on it, this app has been regularly utilised by those looking to keep their conversations private.

Unfortunately, the service poses several risks to its younger users – from misinformation and bullying to potential criminal exploitation – and it’s vital that parents and educators understand these concerns and how to address them. This free guide delves into the online safety risks of WhatsApp and offers expert advice on how to safeguard any young people who use the platform.

Y5 Table Cricket

10th February 2025Kathryn Smith

Recently several pupils from our Year 5 had the chance to try out a new sport, table cricket.  The game is a cross between table tennis and table football and the children really enjoyed learning the new sport and playing against children from other schools.  Despite the children having never played before they won every game they played and will move on to represent South Tyneside in the Durham County Cricket Club finals.

E-Safety Information – Scams and Fake News

5th February 2025L Forster

‘Fake news’ is a widespread issue in the digital world, and it’s overwhelmingly likely that both children and adults will be exposed to it online ❌ In fact, a study from the Alan Turing Institute has found that 94% of people in the UK have encountered misinformation on social media  and that’s only the ones who were aware of it!

However, while some fake news is shared mistakenly by well-meaning individuals, it’s also shared by scammers and other cyber-criminals to lend legitimacy to their con. While this presents a clear risk to children and young people online, the question remains as to how we can protect them against such tactics ️ This week’s free guide offers expert advice on the specific ways scammers use misinformation and how to safeguard younger users against these techniques.

While misinformation and ‘fake news’ are well-known concerns online, it’s also the case that scammers and other cyber-criminals can try to utilise this phony material to manipulate, frighten or otherwise persuade their victims into cooperating.

With constantly evolving scams and such a high volume of misinformation online, it’s vital that parents and educators know how to safeguard the children in their care against these kinds of tactics. Our guide breaks down the most prominent ways in which scammers attempt to use ‘fake news’ to their advantage, as well as how to protect youngsters from being manipulated by such techniques.

Newcastle Eagles

28th January 2025R Errington

Last week, Year 5 had a fantastic visit from the Newcastle Eagles. We enjoyed developing our basketball skills as well as learning about how to stay healthy. We discussed the different food groups, how much water we should drink each day and ways to take care of our mental health too. Thank you, Newcastle Eagles, for a great afternoon!

Fantastic French feast!

15th January 2025R Errington

Year 5 had a great time with La Petite Crêperie, where we practised our conversational French to politely order our crepes. They were delicious and we were very proud of the children for responding to a range of questions in French!

Harton Mini Police visit Northumbria Police Maritime Policing Unit

14th January 2025G Booth

Our Mini Police officers were invited to the Northumbria Police Maritime Policing Unit in Jarrow to find out about policing our local water areas. We learned about the skills needed to police the river, lakes and sea. After looking at the specialist diving equipment, we saw their deep training pool and learned about what they use to rescue people.

Harton Choir at the Civic Christmas Carol Concert

16th December 2024N Trotter

On Monday 2nd December, we were so proud of our choir when they sang beautifully alongside a number of other schools at the Carol Concert held at Temple Park.

For obvious reasons, the performance is not filmed but Radio Shields do record the event and it’s due to be aired as follows:

“Tune In to the Sounds of Christmas!

Radio Shields is proud to showcase this year’s South Tyneside Civic Christmas Carol Concert – a festive celebration of music and community spirit!

Broadcast Times:

Monday 16th December at 2 PM

Wednesday 18th December at 2 PM

Friday 20th December at 2 PM”

 

Well done Harton Choir!