Children’s safety can encompass many things, from road to online safety whilst ensuring they are able to grow and learn, free from serious harm. Behaviours change as our children grow, teenagers can feel invincible and often believe that the benefits of risky actions outweigh their costs. They can also be more susceptible to peer pressure, over estimate their abilities, and can under estimate risk.
The evidence is clear regarding PSHE education’s role in keeping children safe and supporting them to seek help when necessary. If planned and localised to your school setting, it gives an opportunity to equip young people with the knowledge, support and strategies to cope with our complex world. It provides the best context for this learning, as part of a whole school inclusive approach to preventative wrap-around care.
If you would like any support or advice please email kentchft.wholeschoolhealth@nhs.net.
The PSHE Association Programme of Study (key stages 1-5) and Programme Builders show you how to plan personal safety throughout your PSHE education curriculum. This includes teaching pupils how to identify risk and manage personal safety in face to face and online social settings. Children and young people must also know where to get advice and report concerns about their own or others’ personal safety.
The National Crime Agency’s CEOP Education has just launched their new, free-to-download Connect lesson pack - helping pupils aged 9-12 develop online independence and safer connections.
A new rail safety programme for 3-16s that encourages young people to stay Switched On around the railway. Through a range of age targeted films, interactive games and classroom activities, Switched On teaches pupils to be aware of risky behaviour and develop hazard-spotting skills.
NSPCC have created a range of free classroom activities and resources to help your school keep children safe. They provide teaching resources and lesson plans for early years, primary, secondary and special needs setting. Developed by experts in child protection and safeguarding, the resources cover the issues schools need - including bullying, sex and relationships and e-safety.
The Child Accident Prevention Trust have free educational resources to help keep children safe. Search through their entire free catalogue. Or use the menu to skip to the safety topic or type of resource you are looking for.
British Red Cross offer free teaching and learning resources to help enrich national curriculum subjects like PSHE and citizenship and connect human crisis with human kindness.
The BBC offer a collection of teaching resources that can be used to explore online safety with both primary and secondary pupils.
The Ben Kinsella Trust have free lesson plans for young people explore the themes surrounding knife crime and help to educate them to make better choices.
UK Safer Internet Centre have lesson plans, resources, guidance, all the information you need to teach online safety in the classroom.