CITIZENSHIP The Police Community Clubs
April 2012 The Respect Issue
magazine for schools
Bullying: Take it as Red The Boys in Blue Talking Point: Racism Pupils’ Corner
Contents
Welcome from the Editor
Hello and once again welcome to this latest issue of Citizenship Magazine. I trust all our readers are looking forward to the spring and summer terms and are busy already planning lessons and activities for their class. We discuss a range of subjects in this edition, slightly breaking away from the trend of having a magazine dedicated to one specific subject area. Instead, we tackle a number of issues which have featured in the media over the past few months and hope we can provide answers on how to answer some difficult questions which children may be asking. One of the difficult issues we cover is educating children on racism and diversity. Often seen as a ‘delicate’ matter, we look into practical ways of implementing good citizenship attitudes in our young learners. With the media spotlight shining brightly on England REGULAR ITEMS captain, John Terry, and the Patrice Evra and Luis Suarez case, the Police Community Clubs 5 campaign to educate children on racism has gained more momentum of Great Britain: News and we feel it is important we recognise this by discussing this critical A guide to growing your own: 32 issue in these pages. Tomatoes Along with the topic of racism and diversity we also look to provide Pupils’ Corner: 36 information on the role of the police and their influence at primary Respect, bullying and the role school level where children start developing vital decision making of the police skills. We provide background information on our police force along with lesson plans and ideas on how to teach children about the role the police play in our society. LESSON IDEAS As ever, Pupils Corner will offer an insight into what children know about the issues raised in the magazine and we will focus on the What is a global citizen? 8 Community Education Awards and in particular The Barney and Where is this place? 10 Echo Action Against Bullying Project Award. Entries continue to Bullying: what is bullying? 16 flood in for this fantastic event and for more information you can Your local police station 29 visit www.communityeducationawards.co.uk Please take a moment to check out our website for our latest blog, follow our Twitter updates (@Citizenship_Mag) and apply Notice to Advertisers for our free subscription service. And if you have any suggestions Whilst every care is taken to ensure that on how to help develop citizenship and PSHE teachers, email me the contents including advertisements are at andrew@thecitizenshipmagazine.org accurate, the publisher cannot assume FEATURES Talking Point: Racism 6 Nisha Rani on racism in schools Take It As Red 20 We look at the issue of bullying and ‘growing up ginger’ The History of the Boys in Blue 24 The role of the police in the past explained
responsibility for errors.
Editor
Andrew Davies, Editor
Andrew Davies
Contributors Dave Harris Nisha Rani Design
Joanne Hewitt
Advertising 01244 316629 support@thecitizenshipmagazine.org
Publisher
Community Initiatives Associates 0800 783 5805
Police Community Clubs of Great Britain Barry Jones MBE Po Box 160, Bideford, Devon, EX39 9DL 01237 474 869 www.thepolicecommunityclubs.org
© All rights reserved. No part of The Citizenship Magazine for Schools may be reproduced or stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form without the written permission of the editor. Copyright2009 ISSN Applied For.
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The Police Community Clubs of Great Britain NEWS
Future Projects Since our last issue we have secured a contract with the Prison Service which will see a number of released prisoners entering into a coaching pathway. Both ourselves and the prisons management team are very excited at this innovative programme. As we go to press we are awaiting notification as to whether we have been successful in our bid to the Home Office in the delivery of targeted programmes of gun and knife crime to various police service areas throughout the country, I will no doubt report on this in our next edition. Sport On the sporting front, we have just launched a new citizenship programme aligned to non-contact Olympic-style boxing called The Contender Plus+ course. This delivers fully insured instruction in all elements of the sport together with delivery of our citizenship programmes. All who wish to proceed to the delivery of this project must be registered with the Police Clubs, be fully insured by ourselves and hold a risk assessed current Enhanced CRB Disclosure certificate. We have recently signed a new contract with both Derbyshire Police and Derbyshire County Council which enables the Clubs to deliver our Contender Plus+ programme, first aid training and safeguarding courses to the members of the Derbyshire Volunteer
Barry Jones MBE
Passport programme. This has proved to be very successful. Dizzy Heights As previously reported, our business partners, Community Initiative Associates in Chester have developed an ‘App’ which features a game around our ‘Barney & Echo’ characters called Dizzy Heights. To download Dizzy Heights for free, visit www.barneyecho.co.uk/dizzyheights New Patron Lastly and by no means least I am proud to announce that we have a new Patron in Martin Hewitt who is currently a Deputy Assistant Commissioner with the Metropolitan Police with the lead in London for Organised Crime and Criminal Networks, and Gun Crime. In closing, I would like to thank all of our sponsors, partners, clubs and volunteers for their hard work and continuing support. For more information about the Police Community Clubs of Great Britain, please visit www.policecommunityclubs.org. Barry T Jones MBE Founder of the Police Community Clubs of Great Britain
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Talking
Racis 6
Did you ever see any racism in school when you were growing up?
to the children that they are all equal and it doesn’t matter what colour your skin is.
I went to a mixed-race school and during my primary school years there was no racism, however, in my secondary school there was a great deal of racism which I felt was very hard to deal with. There were constant fights about the colour of people’s skin, who was better, and this caused a lot of conflict and I felt this made studying harder too. Walking home, getting on to the bus or even during lessons there was a lot of racism, children would throws things at other children, trip them over and then racially abuse them.
What did teachers teach you about racism when you were in school?
Back when I was in school, I remember being taught about racism but not in great detail. Teachers would always express that everyone is the same and we should all be treated equally within our school environment. I remember one teacher saying that we may all have different opinions about each other but that has nothing to do with the colour of our skin.
Have you seen racism since you’ve gone into teaching?
Are children today more aware of how important it is to treat everyone equally?
I now work in a multicultural school where most of the children are Muslims or Somalian Muslims and despite their religion being the same, I have still seen and heard many racist comments to one another. I found when talking to the children about this issue they didn’t really understand the concept of racism. I had to explain
Yes. Children are very aware of how to treat one another but I feel that being aware and actually treating people the same are different. When asking a child ‘why did you do that?’ they know exactly why they did it and can explain the right and wrong to it but I feel that it won’t stop them doing it again due to peer
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pressure around them. The old problem of a pupil seeing their friends doing it and believing this means they can too. Schools help a great deal by having displays up around the school and also holding regular discussions which are related to racism. Is there anything you do personally to help educate children on racism and prejudice? In my current school we have a lady that comes to our school to do an assembly which is based on the bible. Every term she will choose a different passage from the bible and discuss this with all the children. She will use pictures to make sure that the children are engaged with the story and then ask questions about what she’s read. Most of the time the passages are based on people’s feelings, treating everyone the same, how we can help one another, etc.
What would you like to see more of in terms of measures to stamp out racism?
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TALKING POINT
Nisha Rani is a Hindu trainee teacher based in the Midlands where she was also educated. Here, she talks about racism in primary schools, what more can be done and how much of an influence the media can have on events in the classroom.
I feel there needs to be many more discussions about racism in schools and also outside of school about how this can and is affecting many people. There could also be case studies that children can read and then discuss the pros and cons of each case study talking about how they felt or what they would do in a certain situation or if they knew of someone who was put in that situation. Children may actually need to see how racism can affect people around them and what people do if they are getting racially abused. Maybe more assemblies need to take place with a real life situation included so children can see the scenario and gain a better understanding of the issue. Do you feel the messages children hear from teachers in school about racism are the same as the ones they get from their parents?
I feel that schools have more of an influence when it comes to racism than parents as teachers tend to deal with the problem straight away and if needed, parents are
involved too. If there are problems related to racism in a school, there tends to be a discussion within the class about racism and what it is and how we should deal with it. Many times in school, there are circle time activities if there has been an issue which is related to racism or prejudice. Parents are then usually informed if there are racism issues and many times parents are brought into the classroom to discuss the issue with teachers and the child as well. Do you feel racism can be stamped out completely? As a teacher, I believe that racism will always be part of our lives and children’s lives too but it is how teachers and society around us deal with the issue. If children from a younger age are taught that everyone is equal then racism can be stopped. If parents, teachers and the wider community work alongside each other then maybe racism won’t be as big of an issue. What impact do you feel the media has on children when it comes to racism? For example,
have children been asking more questions after the John Terry case which was all over the news? The media can have a great impact on children as many are exposed to television every day. Children tend to see what happens on television, discuss this with their friends in school and sometimes even try and replicate what they have seen on television. I have sometimes heard many children discussing the issues raised on programmes such as Eastenders and also through sport and in particular, the John Terry incident, but many times children discuss the issue within their peer groups. I have heard children talking about what was right and wrong and what should have been said and what shouldn’t have been said in situations they have seen or read about. It’s important that if a child strongly agrees with something they share those feelings with their fellow pupils, then this can cause very interesting debates with other children in the classroom and we as teachers can work to educate them further.
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What is a Global Citizen? Global Citizenship in the Whole School: Ages 7-11 Lesson plan 1: What is a Global Citizen? Age group: 7 - 11 Aims: For pupils to realise their potential to change things; to accept and act on group decisions; to compromise; to gain a sense of importance and self-worth and a growing respect for difference and diversity; to hold a belief that things can be better and that individuals can make a difference.
What to do: You will need a set of the nine points listed below, per group of about four or five. Each point needs to be on a separate slip of paper. 1. I try to understand what other people are feeling. 2. I am as important as everyone else. 3. Everyone else is equal to me but different from me. 4. I know what is fair and not fair and try to do the right thing. 5. I look after the environment and don’t waste things. 6. I try to help others and not fight with them. 7. I have my own ideas but can alter them if I realise they are wrong. 8. I want to learn more about the world. 9. I think I can change things in the world.
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LESSON PLAN In small discussion groups, ask pupils to place the statements in order of importance. This can be done in the form of a diamond with the most important statement at the top and the least important at the bottom. Statements of equal importance are placed alongside each other. Pupils need to work cooperatively and to give reasons to others within their group for their individual views. After about 15 minutes discuss the activity as a whole class, with each group explaining what their final layout was, and why. Then ask the pupils to work in groups on what they could do to show that these things are important. For instance, under the first point, suggestions might include listening to others, asking others what is wrong or how they are feeling, or befriending others who are lonely. The most difficult one for the pupils to do is probably, ‘I am as important as everyone else’, so perhaps you could give them some examples, such as ‘I am especially good at …’, or ‘I help in the class by …’. The suggestions can be written as pledges of what pupils will try to do to show they can be Global Citizens, and they can be put on display.
© (2012) with the permission of Oxfam GB, Oxfam House, John Smith Drive, Cowley, Oxford OX4 2JY, UK www.oxfam.org.uk/education. Oxfam GB does not necessarily endorse any text or activities that accompany the materials.
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Where is this place? Global Citizenship in the Whole School: Ages 7-11 Lesson plan 1: Where is this place? Age group: 7 - 11 Aims: For pupils to gain an awareness of the nature of prejudice and ways to combat it, be able to detect bias, opinion and stereotypes, and feel empathy towards others locally and globally.
What to do: This activity is adapted from Speaking for Ourselves, Listening to Others published by Leeds Development Education Centre.
You will need: • a copy of the ‘Where is this place?’ - statements worksheet (page 12). • some photographs and information about a country you have chosen, preferably one the pupils do not know much about. In a whole-class session, ask pupils to describe the country you have chosen. Discuss where they got their information, and if they think it is true. (Ensure you counter negative stereotypes if they arise.) Tell the pupils some interesting facts about the country and show a range of photographs. Discuss how the initial views and the reality may differ. Give out two different sets of statements from A, B, C and D to each pair of pupils. First, ask each pupil individually to decide which country is being described on their paper, giving reasons for their decision. They swap statements with their partner, and come up with a suggested country and reasons for their decision for this statement. Then they join with their partner and compare answers and reasons. In a plenary session, ask pupils to share their thoughts. When each group has been heard, tell them that all the phrases represent views of England (use Britain if you prefer). They came from Kenyan girls (A) and boys (C) and Greek boys (B) and girls (D). Is anyone surprised? Why? Stick the statements onto a chart with two columns: Those that they think do describe England, and those that they think don’t. Talk about where the views may have come from - for example, the media, films, tourists, school textbooks.
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LESSON PLAN
Planned outcomes: That pupils begin to appreciate that misconceptions about others occur throughout the world; that they begin to understand the importance of questioning information and stereotyped views.
Possible extension work: Ask the pupils, working in pairs, to think about how they would portray their locality using 8-10 photographs and descriptions, to give an accurate picture of it to someone living elsewhere. Would they include a run-down area? A homeless person sleeping rough? A stately home? What are the reasons for their decisions? If possible, enable them to take digital or conventional photographs of some of the areas they feel they should include. Use these to make up a Locality Book, either computer or paper based. These could be swapped with a partner school, either within or outside Britain, via email or post.
Š (2012) with the permission of Oxfam GB, Oxfam House, John Smith Drive, Cowley, Oxford OX4 2JY, UK www.oxfam.org.uk/education. Oxfam GB does not necessarily endorse any text or activities that accompany the materials.
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LESSON PLAN Global Citizenship in the Whole School: Ages 7-11 Worksheet: Where is this place?
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Bullying can happen to anyone at any age. Being bullied at school, home or online might involve someone pushing you, hitting you, teasing you, talking about you or calling you names.
BULLYING What is bullying? Bullying can mean many different things. These are some ways children and young people have described bullying: • being called names • being teased • being pushed or pulled about • having money and other possessions taken or messed about with • having rumours spread about you • being ignored and left out • being hit, kicked or physically hurt in any way • being threatened or intimidated
Bullying can also be part of other forms of abuse, including neglect, emotional, physical and sexual abuse.
Why am I being bullied? • People can be bullied for all sorts of reasons or no particular reason at all. • Sometimes people who bully others pick up on a small thing that makes someone stand out and they use it to hurt them. This might be the way someone looks, the things they like doing or even what kinds of clothes they wear. • Everyone is different, and it’s these differences that make people who they are. If you are being bullied in person or online, then you might think that it’s your fault - it isn’t.
Different kinds of bullying: Homophobic – Bullying someone because they are a different sexual orientation from you. Saying that someone is ‘gay’ or using words like ‘gay’ as an insult. Racist – Treating people differently because of their race, the colour of their skin, where they are from or what they believe in and using offensive words that describe race to bully people. Sexist – Treating people differently based on whether they are female or male. For example, thinking that boys are better than girls. Disabilist – treating someone differently if they are disabled, or using offensive language to describe people who are disabled and using this to bully people. Lookist – Bullying someone because they look different such as if they have ginger hair or wear glasses. Classist – Deciding that someone is from a particular social class – usually if they are seen as being rich or poor - and bullying them because of this. For example, calling somebody a, ‘chav’ or, ‘snob’.
How can words used to bully you make you feel?
Words might not physically hurt you, but they can stay with you for a long time and make you feel bad. Using words and language to bully people is a form of emotional abuse. If you are being called names or someone is calling you names it can make you feel scared, anxious, lonely and sad. In extreme cases, being bullied might make some young people want to withdraw and may cause problems with school and family relationships. It may also lead to young people self-harming or finding other ways to let their feelings out.
Bullying and Prejudice –
take it as Red A
ll over the country there will be name calling taking place on school playgrounds today. Some of it might be playful, some might be vicious, but it has become part of our learning experience to go through such ‘character building’ exercises. This article is not meant to evoke sympathy or draw parallels between names I may have been called whilst going through primary and secondary school with racism; it’s simply to say that too often the names I was called were dismissed as teasing when in truth they struck like punches. I have ginger hair. Not red, not orange; ginger. I have been one of
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FEATURE – BY ANDREW DAVIES
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FEATURE – BY ANDREW DAVIES Britain’s ‘silent sufferers’ at school because lets face it, people with my hair colour have been the butt of many peoples jokes for decades. We have become the easy target, the stand out punchline for comedians in clubs and perhaps more significantly; bullies in the playground. When someone would say something to me in school about my hair I was told by teachers and parents to ignore it, to rise above it, to not react. On occasions I did react, I was told to calm my temper and that ‘red hair’ was the cause, as if there was some scientific reasoning behind my occasional tantrums in the face of name calling. If ginger haired people are more prone to mood swings, it is because of their hair colour but not in the way you think. Ginger haired people get annoyed, particularly at a young age, because they have to simply put up with being called ‘ginge’ or ‘carrot top’. Being called a ‘ginger so and so’ and a ‘black so and so’ are understandably different. I’m not saying that bullying a ginger boy or girl is racist. But by not really identifying the seriousness of it, there is an acceptance that it is OK. When a national newspaper carried a story on a 12-year-old boy being bullied, the headline was ‘Boy is taught on his own… for being GINGER’; the next line described the child as ‘flame haired’. Now, if that child had been black; how would the story have been written? Can you see the headline? No. Because it would be unthinkable to report in that way on something which has clearly left a young child unable to enjoy school life because of bullies. The school bully is believed to be the mean kid who goes around the playground pushing kids over and there were children in my
school growing up who fitted that description. But the most unfortunate thing I found about growing up with ginger hair is that anyone can be a ‘bully’. Nicknames would be used by classmates who would see the chance to join in with the fun and become part of the ‘cool’ crowd. There were occasions teachers were also in on the joke. Even in university, a tutor once said to me in a lecture theatre after I tried to answer a question: “I don’t quite agree with you but don’t worry its got nothing to do with your hair colour.” Cue laughter and the idiot letting out a self-congratulatory chuckle. Prejudice and bullying should be dealt with no matter what the victim is being prejudiced over. When a boy is forced out of school it is completely ridiculous to point to his hair colour ahead of a schools stance on bullying or even the bullies themselves. But this message about respect will be lost if it is not consistent with what goes on outside the school gates. In adulthood, I have seen little to suggest that my ‘gingerness’ will become any more accepted. If there is a new soap character with ginger hair, I will often wait for the first Facebook comment or tweet which will tell me how I’m the ‘spitting image’ of the new guy on Eastenders or Coronation Street. As a semi-professional footballer, I will be subjected to taunts and abuse when I take a throw-in and even playing in the Welsh Premier League, I’m aware that ‘pen coch’ means ‘red-head’. And yet even with that, there will be those who read this and will instantly dismiss my claims in the paragraphs above. Many I am sure will think ‘get a grip’ or ‘how can he say that’s the same?’. The point is I’m not saying it’s the same. I’m not saying its better or worse than racial abuse other
children and adults receive all over the country on a daily basis. What I’m saying is that whilst there is this attitude of ‘its only teasing’ every time a remark is made towards a child with ginger hair, we’re making it acceptable for someone else to say the same thing, then the next person, then the next. Until you get to a point where you have a situation in which a child is forced to move schools, unable to cope anymore and sick of not being listened to. Ginger hair colour might mean you are seen more than others, but it does not necessarily mean you are heard. Helping to tackle bullying in your school? Nominations are now open for the Barney and Echo Action Against Bullying Project Award for the Community Education Awards 2012 which will be held in November. To nominate an anti-bullying project or for information on any of the other 23 awards to be presented, visit www.communityeducationawards.co.uk
THE POLICE
The history of the
Boys in Blue Children can always identify a police officer through their uniform and when they pass in their brightly coloured cars or vans. Their presence is constant and from an early age, children associate the police with ‘responsible adults’ such as teachers and parents. For police officers, the interaction with pupils in primary school can be pivotal in establishing their importance not in an overly authorative way, but in a way which can see them respected. By creating a positive relationship early on, the role of the police can be clearly defined to young children and a trust can be established and maintained throughout their childhood in order for them to become good citizens. Here we look at the history of the police force which can be used as a way to introduce your class to their work and to examine the differences between a police officer many years ago to that of an officer/PCSO today.
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Crime This list of crimes and criminals was recorded in London in 1837. The figures are not very accurate because many crimes went unrecorded, but they indicate some of the felonies that were often committed.
Crime
• 4,500 thefts and robberies • 2,700 disturbances of the peace, brawls, etc • 800 pick-pocketing offences • 1,000 vagrants, tramps, travelling and homeless people • 400 frauds, con-men and street criminals
Sir Robert Peel Sir Robert Peel was Home Secretary from 1822-27 and 1828-30. He revolutionised law enforcement in Britain by organising a uniformed group of men to patrol the streets of London in 1829 and prevent crime. He had already organised a similar force in Ireland when he was Chief Secretary there from 1812 to 1818. This was the first real police force. An Act in 1814 established a local police force. Peel believed that people should be deterred from committing crime by the fear of being caught rather than the fear of punishment. This system of preventative policing is still followed today. Policing is about preventing crime taking place and taking action after a crime has been committed. Police officers are expected to know their area and the people who live there and to be aware of potential crime situations. Today, the police operate three services: • Preventative policing by patrolling officers • Response policing when police officers are called to an incident or crime • Detective policing, after a crime has been committed, attempting to identify the offender
Objectives of the Police 1829 “The primary object of an efficient police is the prevention of crime: the next that of detection and punishment of offenders if crime is committed. To these ends all the efforts of police must be directed. The protection of life and property, the preservation of public tranquillity, and the absence of crime, will alone prove whether those efforts have been successful and whether the objects for which the police were appointed have been attained.” Sir Richard Mayne, Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police, 1829. Is this statement still relevant to today’s police force?
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THE POLICE
The way it was The County of Lancaster Constabulary Force laid down a number of rules for constables in the late nineteenth century. These included the following instructions:
Early Policemen known as ‘Peelers’
• Constables are placed in authority to PROTECT, not to OPPRESS the PUBLIC. • Be COOL and INTREPID in the discharge of duties in emergencies and unavoidable conflicts. • Be perfectly neat and clean in Person and Attire. • Never sit down in a PUBLIC HOUSE or BEER SHOP. • AVOID TIPPLING. • It is in the interest of every man to devote some portion of his spare time to the practice of READING and WRITING and the general improvement of his mind. Ignorance is an insuperable bar to promotion.
Early Detectives The logic behind creating a force of detectives was to allow police officers to mingle with the public and gather intelligence. In this way, they could collect information to prevent crime and apprehend criminals. Undercover officers worked in the streets in the 1830s. In 1840, divisions were told to select men who would work on individual cases rather than patrol a beat. These men wore their own clothes so they were not easily identifiable; they were the first plain-clothes detectives. It soon became obvious that these detectives were producing results in preventing and solving crime. A more co-ordinated force was needed. The detective branch of the Metropolitan Police in London was The name of that square has become founded in 1842 and the Detective Branch was first synonymous with detection and solving stationed in a house at the back of a small square. crime - it was Scotland Yard.
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Truncheons The truncheons used by the first official police force in 1829 were about 20 inches long and were carried in the tail of an officer’s coat. In 1887, the Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police Force ordered policemen to carry their truncheons in a specially adapted trouser pocket so they would be less conspicuous. Through the years, the design of truncheons has been modified. Some were made of wood, others made of iron. The use of truncheons is strictly controlled. Officers should only use them when all other methods of subduing a prisoner have failed and the prisoner may escape or hurt the arresting officer.
A selection of police truncheons
The Second World War Police around the country faced a massive task during the Second World War. Not only did they have to prevent and detect crime, they were also heavily involved in civil defence work dealing with the threat and aftermath of bombing raids. The police supervised the National Registration Scheme. Everyone had to carry an identity card which the police could demand to see at any time. Rationing and general shortages of food and consumer goods meant that theft and trading on the black market were a problem. There was also the risk of looting from damaged buildings. All this increased the workload of the police and extra officers were drafted in. This was the beginning of Mutual Aid at heavily bombed areas. Thousands of civilians became Special Constables, Police War Reserve Officers and Women Auxiliary Police Corps members. The war years changed attitudes towards women officers and many stayed on afterwards and joined the regular force. Many officers also joined the armed forces.
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THE POLICE
Classroom Questions: Crime: What offences are commonly reported in your area? You can find out by studying the local crime statistics. You could also monitor your local newspaper and list reported crimes over a period of time. Read Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens. It includes a lot of detail about street life and crime in Victorian Britain.
The way it was: What do you think are the most important points police officers need to be aware of when they carry out their duties? Write a set of six rules that you think should apply to constables today.
Detectives: Detectives have always been a rich source of stories for writers, film and television directors. How many books, films and TV programmes can you list that feature detectives?
Modern Equipment: What equipment do police officers carry to help them in their work? This information was taken from www.timeforcitizenship.org a free school resource.
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Lesson Plan Your Local Police Station Objectives Children should learn: • about the work carried out at the police station and at any specialist police facilities. • to ask relevant questions and identify key points.
Activities • Arrange a class visit to your local police station. Before the visit, help the children to prepare by locating the police station on a map of the local area and asking them what they expect to see and learn during their visit. Ask them to write down three things to find out about during the visit, e.g. what crimes do children commit most often? What happens when a suspect is brought to the police station? Who looks after the police dogs? • Before the visit, ask your local school police liaison officer (if you have one) to come to the school for a preliminary discussion with the children. Encourage the children to ask questions and, if necessary, gain reassurance about the forthcoming experience. • Following the visit, reflect on what the children discovered about the role of the police in preventing crime and keeping the community safe. Ask the children to talk about three things that they found out about during the visit, then to design and make posters showing what they learnt. Display the posters in the classroom or elsewhere in the school.
Outcomes • ask questions and identify key points. • know what happens at the police station. • understand that the police are part of the community and help prevent crimes and keep the community safe for all of us.
Points to note • Visits to police stations are not always possible but if they are, they should be planned well in advance. • Some parents may not wish their children to participate. It is advisable to send letters home beforehand, clearly outlining the aims and objectives of the visit and how it is linked to areas of study. • During visits to police stations, children are normally given a tour of the main facilities and have an opportunity to learn about the broader responsibilities of the police force and crime prevention. • If specialist facilities are not available at your local police station, or are restricted for some reason, your school liaison officer may be able to arrange visits to the school by dog handlers, mounted police, etc.
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GROW YOUR OWN - LESSON PLAN
GrowYour Own
Tomatoes come in many different colours, shapes and sizes, including large beef steak types, oblong plum varieties, small cherry types and even purple, yellow, orange and sometimes striped types. What’s more, there are varieties that can be grown as standard cordons, some as bush plants and others in hanging baskets.
Tomatoes
There are indoor and outdoor varieties to choose from, depending on your specific requirements, and ones which can be grown in small areas, for those short on space. Most tomatoes are grown in grow bags, however they can also be raised in large pots or grown straight in the ground in warmer areas.
Our latest Grow Your Own lesson plan is provided by www.goselfsufficient.co.uk
Sowing Tomato Seeds
GoSelfSufficient was formed to offer a unique reference point on becoming self sufficent. Their features and articles are written by experts - who have experience, or a particular interest in this area.
Sow seeds in seed trays or small 5cm pots and prick each seedling out into a 9cm pot when they have formed at least two ‘true’ leaves. If you grow tomatoes in a heated greenhouse, you can sow the seeds from mid-January to early February. However if you don’t have a heated greenhouse, sow them in late February to mid-March on a windowsill or in an unheated greenhouse. It is not advisable to sow tomato seeds outside in the UK; once the soil temperature has reached a level suitable for them to germinate and thrive (roughly 18°C), plants that have been raised indoors will already have flowered and be producing fruit. Related on Go Self Sufficient... Grow Your Own Basil Grow Your Own Rosemary Grow Your Own Tarragon Grow Your Own Parsley Care and Maintenance of Tomatoes Transfer young plants (approximately 15cm tall) to 23cm pots or grow-bags, or plant them outside in warmer areas, 45-60cm apart when the flowers of the first truss are beginning to open (harden them off first by slowly acclimatising them to outside conditions). Tie the central stem to a vertical support (such as a
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cane) if you are growing a cordon variety. Bush or hanging basket varieties do not need support. Remove side shoots on standard varieties and water the plants regularly to keep the soil moist. You may need to feed the plants with a general fertiliser if they are grown in pots or grow bags. Tomato Growing Tips Once the plants have reached the top of the greenhouse or have seven trusses indoors or four trusses outdoors, remove the growing point of the main stem to allow the plant to concentrate its energy on producing fruits.
Harvesting Tomatoes The longer you leave the fruit on the vine, the tastier it becomes. It also develops more lycopene if left to ripen on the vine. Lycopene is thought to help prevent prostate and breast cancers. You can either pick each fruit off the truss, or snip the whole truss off the plant and remove each fruit later on. At the end of the growing season pick the remaining green fruits and store them in a drawer or paper bag with an apple or banana skin, which contain ethylene and will help speed up the ripening process.
Keep the soil or compost evenly moist to avoid the fruits splitting. Irregular watering can also lead to blossom end rot, where the bottom of the fruit turns brown and becomes sunken, rendering it inedible.
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36 The Citizenship Magazine for Schools
PUPILS’ CORNER In this instalment of Pupils’ Corner, Dave Harris is given the task of finding out what pupils in his Year 5 class know about the role of the police, racism and prejudice and respect for others. What is the job of the police? Although pupils are aware of who the police are and how to identify them, I wanted to test the children’s knowledge on their role and responsibilities. “They arrest bad people,” was the response from Kirsty who, like many, is aware of what an ‘arrest’ means and its repercussions. As is often the case with definitions from children, Kameron gives an answer perhaps taken from the television rather than a textbook. “To protect and serve and to prevent chaos from happening,” he tells me. Both Bethany and Lawson explain how the police “prevent people from breaking the law” and “calm people down” whilst Dathusan and Tamzin look at the crime prevention side of policing and the service they give to the public. “To keep people safe and help them when they are in need,” they said. Do the police make you feel safe? Police officers can often visit the school to give talks on a range of issues regarding pupil safety. I asked Clare and Alex if these talks and the interaction with police officers made them feel safer. “They do help me feel safe because without them bad people could cause us harm,” said Clare. It was clear through Alex’s answer that the ‘visibility factor’ was a positive way of offering assurances to children that they are safe. He said: “They keep us safe through being visible and using cameras to catch people or stop them committing crimes.” The role of the Police Liaison Officer is important in developing a positive relationship between pupils and the police. Alex added: “I talk to our Police Liaison Officer, Sergeant Midgley every week
when he is in our school. He does lessons for us and always listens to what we have to say!” What does racism mean? It has been almost impossible to avoid the recent media attention surrounding racism, particularly in the world of football. I thought it would be appropriate to gauge pupils understanding of this issue. One pupil described racism as “when you call someone names about where they are from” which showed a good knowledge of what it means to be prejudice against people from other countries. “If someone is from a different country and you are nasty to them.” That was the response offered by Tamzin, again showing she is aware of the need to respect others from different countries. Nicole offered the best definition by stating: “If someone has different religious beliefs or are a different colour and people say things about it.” Whilst none of the answers pinpointed the exact definition, I was pleased they were aware of prejudice if not totally aware of racism and its implications. What are you taught about racism in school and at home? This question was about testing their understanding of why they need to know about prejudice and racism and Lawson told me that “we are taught that everyone is equal and to treat everyone the same” which is in-keeping with promoting good citizenship. Through being taught about the importance of equality, Nicole had developed an understanding of the effect racism has on others. “I know that racism is wrong. It can hurt people and it shouldn’t be done. We should treat everyone the same,” she commented.
What is done in your school to make sure everyone is treated equally? “In school everyone is treated the same, we have the same lessons and everyone is given the chance to take part in all clubs, trips and activities,” said Clare. Of course where we, as teachers, always aim to promote equality in the classroom and the playground, I was delighted to see that pupils were taking the message on board. Adam also pointed out the part sport plays in including everyone by saying: “We have boys and girls sports teams of all ages so everyone can take part.” PSHE offers pupils the chance to learn about bullying and racism and in terms of preventing bullying, our school adopts a ‘buddy’ system. Laura explained: “We have a buddy system at break times where 12 children from year 6 patrol and make sure everyone is happy and not left out. We have buddy benches at break time for children to sit on if they have no one to play with, then the buddies will spend time with them.” What would you like to see done to stop being bullied or prejudiced? Incorporating prejudice and bullying, I finally asked pupils to tell me what they would like introduced at the school. “We have buddies in school that really help with bullies but I would like to see bullies get expelled if they do it a lot because it is so mean,” was the opinion of Laura. It was interesting also to hear the importance placed on the link between the school and the police in dealing with this problem when Laura added: “Sgt Midgley does lessons on bullying and we do circle time but I think more lessons could be done on what is bullying and how to deal with it.” The Citizenship Magazine for Schools 37
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BARNEY & ECHO FROM THE POLICE COMMUNITY CLUBS
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The Police Community Clubs of Great Britain in partnership with Community Initiatives Associates helps to educate children on environmental issues by delivering the Barney & Echo Citizenship Project to schools.
Sparky's Big Idea poster set
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Sparky’s Big Idea: Barney Says Let’s Talk about The Environment is the latest title in the range of Barney and Echo educational resources for schools. The book was developed to help teachers and parents introduce primary school children to the topic of the environment in an ageappropriate manner, enabling pupils to understand both the nature of the problems the environment faces and also the importance of sustainability. With the environment under threat, it is incumbent of schools to encourage children to make responsible choices and develop a sustainable lifestyle. Aimed at pupils in key stage 1-2, Sparky’s Big Idea aims to educate children on the importance of protecting the environment and using sustainable energy. Sparky’s Big Idea is the sixth book in the series. Living in a forest, there appears to be an endless supply of wood but as the animals use it up without planting new trees the forest starts to die. Sparky Fox tries to tell everyone to recycle and save energy but nobody will listen until the Treetop Forest
Council announce that they will need to cut down an area of forest to supply wood for the winter. This includes cutting down Echo Squirrel’s home. It’s time for change and with Sparky’s help, Echo starts an Eco Club. The mixture of puzzles and activities that punctuate the narrative then offer them the chance to consider their own thoughts on the issues raised which they can then discuss with others in the group. In addition to the resource itself, all schools will benefit from the Sparky’s Big Idea schools programme pack including colourful and informative posters, a dramatisation of the book and extra lesson plans to be found online on our dedicated website www.barneyecho.co.uk. There are also five other books in the series. The Magic Mirror addresses the dangers of drugs, tobacco and alcohol in a fun but informative way by looking at how a group of friends cope with harmful substances. A Friendship Made tackles issues relating to bullying and vandalism, and examines what life would be like
For more information please go to
www.barneyecho.co.uk To see additional projects that The Police Community Clubs of Great Britain are involved in visit www.policecommunityclubs.org
in a society where people have no respect for each other or the environment. Echo’s New Watch approaches the dangers of knife crime within the social environment of children. Caught in the Web tackles internet safety and The Bad Apples looks at anti-social behaviour. These stories are intended to not only warn children about the dangers that they might be confronted with in everyday life, but also to educate children and their carers on numerous subjects relating to the promotion of life skills. Included with each title is a play based upon the narrative of the book which pupils can use as part of their lesson plan, and posters which convey the message of each resource booklet. As part of promoting the citizenship programme, The Police Community Clubs of Great Britain and Community Initiatives Associates hold instructive conferences at which schools and organisations involved in sponsorship and support of the programme can come together and share ideas.
AWARDS2011 In association with The Police Community Clubs of Great Britain For more information on the Community Education Awards 2011 winners and for pictures and highlights from the ceremony hosted by Esther Rantzen CBE, visit www.communityeducationawards.co.uk The Awards were a major success and plans are now already underway for
AWARDS2011
The Community Education Awards 2012 In association with The Police Community Clubs of Great Britain
We know that next years event will be even better with a wider range of awards categories opening up this prestigious occasion to every single school in the British Isles, enabling the schools and teachers to showcase their achievements at a ceremony dedicated to rewarding those who go that extra mile. Nominations are currently being accepted for next year’s awards categories. The list of award categories plus details of how to make a nomination will be available on The Awards website.
2012 ChildLine founder Esther Rantzen CBE and former sports minister Richard Caborn are proud to act as brand ambassadors for the Community Education Awards
Esther Rantzen CBE has campaigned tirelessly for children's rights for more than 20 years. Having first found fame as the presenter of That's Life! - the BBC's long-running consumer programme she went on to set up ChildLine, the first 24-hour confidential helpline for children. After it was merged with the NSPCC she went on to serve as the charity's trustee and continues to work for child welfare.
THE COMMUNITY EDUCATION AWARDS 2012 Award Categories Environment Health & Lifestyle Community Internet/Technology Finance Mentor/Individual Awards
We look forward to another night of celebration at
The Community Education Awards 2012 CL U
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CITIZENSHIP The Police Community Clubs
magazine for schools
ONLINE WWW.THECITIZENSHIPMAGAZINE.CO.UK There’s much more to our website than just the latest issue… News – Our news section provides you with all of the latest developments in PSHE and citizenship Twitter – Social media enthusiasts can follow the @Citizenship_Mag account and have updates sent straight to their own home page Blog – Our editor, Andrew Davies, offers advice, reflections and insights e-Subscription service – We offer a free subscription service that enables readers to receive a round-up of the latest news as well as links to new features and resources
Our website also makes it even easier for you to get in touch and contribute to Citizenship. We welcome anyone who wishes to provide feedback, suggestions or resource contributions. All methods of contact can be found on the site.
AWARDS2012 In association with The Police Community Clubs of Great Britain
www.communityeducationawards.co.uk
AWARDS2012 In association with The Police Community Clubs of Great Britain
CRIMINAL RECORDS BUREAU [CRB] DISCLOSURE
The process made easy Are you a company, nursing home, local authority, teacher, nurse, child minder, sports coach, home tutor, volunteer or one of the thousands of people who need to obtain a CRB Disclosure? Whatever your role, if you or your staff/volunteers have unsupervised contact with children and young people or vulnerable adults – we can help. The Police Community Clubs of Great Britain is a registered body under the Criminal Records Bureau [CRB] and as such can provide all the documentation and support administration to secure Criminal Records Bureau [CRB] Disclosures for you. Our clients are single applicants through to multi-national companies and national governing bodies of sport and we are a leading provider in the UK. All our team are serving or retired police officers and provide a wealth of knowledge when risk-assessing Disclosures on your behalf. All profits from this service support community based projects for children and young people.
If you wish to engage the Police Clubs CRB Service or wish to discuss further: Please call on – 01237 474 869 E-mail: barryjones@policecommunityclubs.org
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Providing opportunities Creating successful Communities