Common Sense Media

Are you playing games/watching movies that are appropriate to your age or as a parent would you like to check the age classification  or appropriateness of a game. An excellent USA based website is Common Sense Media (Click here) on this site you can get reviews of games, films, books and apps. The website has heaps of recommendations for positive media that you can view and interact with.

Bullying

Bullying can happen to anyone at any age. Being bullied or witnessing bullying behaviour at school, home or online might involve someone pushing you, hitting you, teasing you, talking about you or calling you names. Nobody has the right to hurt you or make you feel bad. You don't have to deal with things alone. Please see the range of guidance here to help if you have a concern regarding bullying. Remember your mentor, head of house or any member of staff at school will always take your bullying concerns seriously and you can always use our online reporting system Whisper.

Digital Parenting Online

The excellent digital parenting service offered by Vodafone (click here). They also produce an excellent magazine which can now be accessed online here.

'Legal' Highs?

• Recently the drug Methoxetamine was banned by the government under the new temporary class drug order. Formally it was known as a ‘legal high’, a substance which creates the same, or similar effects, to drugs such as cocaine and ecstasy, but is not controlled under the Misuse of Drugs Act. The terminology ‘legal high’ is unhelpful since it is illegal to sell, supply or advertise these substances for “human consumption” under current legislation. However, sellers refer to them as research chemicals, plant food, bath crystals or pond cleaner to overcome this. Furthermore, legality is frequently linked with safety yet ‘legal highs’ are far from this for the following reasons -

  • It is being frequently seen that ‘legal highs’ can have similar health risks to drugs like cocaine, ecstasy and speed.
  • Risks of ‘legal highs’ can include reduced inhibitions, drowsiness, excited or paranoid states, coma, seizures, and death.
  • These risks are increased if used with alcohol or other drugs.
  • It is likely that drugs sold as a ‘legal high’ may actually contain one or more substances that are illegal to possess.
  • Since ‘legal highs’ are often new, the risks are unpredictable and the chemical ingredients in a branded product may change without the user’s knowledge. The number of ‘legal highs’ in the UK has been steadily increasing over the past number of years. In 2014, more than 350 new substances were identified breaking all previous records. It is vital that our young people are fully aware of the risks involved.

Risks of ‘legal highs’ can include reduced inhibitions, drowsiness, excited or paranoid states, coma, seizures, and death. 


To find out more about these drugs, their effect, their risks and the law click here.

During their year 10 LVS course, pupils will be learning and discussing about risk taking behavior, including experimenting with legal highs and what effects these drugs can have. For more information about PSHE at RGS please contact: Mr Fisher:Leader of Personal Development & PSHE; Ms Roberts:Personal development PSHE; Well being coordinator for KS3. PSHE is delivered through the APEX curriculum in KS3 and through LVS in KS4.