Reading Time: 1.7 mins

March 28, 2023

Six killed in Nashville school shooting

  • Six people, including three children and three staff, have been killed at a private Christian school in Tennessee.
  • Three of the victims were pupils aged nine or under.
  • The shooting was carried out by an ex-student of the school, 28-year-old Audrey Hale.
  • Police believe the attack was pre-meditated after finding detailed plans at the attacker’s address.
  • According to data compiled by Education Week, there have been 12 school shootings that resulted in death or injury in the US this year.
  • For more on this story, please visit the BBC News website.

Experts warn of WhatsApp ‘family emergency’ scam targeting users across UK

  • WhatsApp fraud is when cybercriminals pretend to be a victim’s acquaintance and then ask for money.
  • Currently the most prevalent form of ‘family emergency’ WhatsApp scam is from criminals posing as a friend or family member claiming to need financial help.
  • The fraudster will typically pretend there is urgency to the situation which would entice their victim to act quickly.
  • Usually, the phone number used by the criminal is unknown, but the photo attached will be familiar to the victim as the criminal has copied it from social media platforms.
  • You can check out our safeguarding update on our website titled ‘The ‘Hi Mum’ WhatsApp scam’ for more advice.
  • For more on this, please see the IFA Magazine’s website.

School cycling proficiency scheme funding axed

  • The Department for Infrastructure has announced that paying for school children to be taught cycling proficiency is no longer affordable.
  • Budget constraints have meant the department cannot afford to pay instructors.
  • Schools who wish to continue the scheme will have to pay teachers.
  • Teachers will have to register with the department to receive appropriate training.
  • Schools have from Friday 21st April to inform the department if they intend to continue running cycling proficiency classes before the end of the 2022/23 school year.
  • For more on this story, please visit the BBC News website.