Recommendations from BRAKE Help Schools Deliver More Consistent Road Safety Education

A report from Brake reveals that budget shortfalls, a lack of resources and qualified staff, and having no statutory place in the curriculum are impeding teachers from sharing crucial information about road safety.

Brake sought the views of teachers and educational advisers to determine how road safety is currently taught in UK schools, and recommend how resources to support the teaching of road safety in schools should be developed. Road crashes are the leading cause of death for children and young people worldwide. In the UK, more than six children under the age of 15 are killed or seriously injured on roads every day, mainly while walking or cycling .

Despite this, there is currently no statutory guidance for teaching road safety in UK schools. Many schools cover the subject through PSHE or Citizenship lessons – but this inevitably means that the frequency, methodology, quality and effectiveness of how it is taught vary widely.

An overwhelming majority of participants in Brake’s project said they would like road safety teaching to be part of the national curriculum and that they would like more resources to support this.

But they also expressed concerns over the potential for curriculum squeeze, and the lack of time to teach additional subjects.

Brake’s report includes 12 key recommendations that can be used by anyone who is developing resources to teach road safety in schools.

The report includes recommendations that resources should: • meet curriculum requirements; • state clear learning objectives; • meet teachers’ needs; • easily fit into a tightly packed curriculum; • be engaging and appealing; • provide high levels of interactivity; • follow teaching theory and best practice; • reflect the needs of pupils with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND); • provide differentiation activities to support less able pupils and challenge more able pupils; • be produced in collaboration with teachers, pupils, parents and road safety experts; and • be compatible with digital learning platforms that schools use.

Sophie Dilley, managing editor at Brake, said: “Road safety is a vitally important subject for schools to teach, because road crashes are a major cause of death and injury among the young, with the risk rising as children reach secondary school age and gain more independence. Danger from traffic is also a big factor in whether children and young people can walk and cycle to school, to the park or to see friends, and therefore affects their ability to be healthy and socially active.

“This report shows that there is overwhelming support among teachers and the wider education sector for road safety to be given a place in the curriculum, and underlines the need for teachers to be involved with the creation of new resources that meet their needs and enable them to achieve their learning objectives.

“We hope that everyone involved in developing new road safety resources for schools will take on board these recommendations so that we can all play our part in engaging children and young people with key road safety issues, and speaking out together about the need for safe and healthy mobility for all. Together we can make our communities safer, help children and young people to live active lifestyles, and stop needless tragedies before they happen.”

WHAT IS AVAILABLE TO SCHOOLS IN WORCESTERSHIRE? For primary school children • Classroom talks • The Road Safety Team is happy to plan work to address the needs for your age group and environment. • Foundation Stage and Key Stage 1 - We discuss with pupils why it is important not to cross the road on their own, who they should cross with, the importance of holding hands with a grown up and the meaning of STOP, LOOK LISTEN. • Year 2 Step Outside Pedestrian Training - Practical training in correct behaviour when walking and crossing roads with adults. • The ‘Stepping Out’ Pedestrian Project - Has been developed for children in Year 4 to help them develop their basic pedestrian skills. The programme contains teacher led classroom-based work via our website as well as two practical activities on the roads near the school. • Scooter skills training package is available free of charge - This has been developed in response to an increase in pupils using scooters. The lesson plans are available from the Road Safety Team and include an introductory lesson and Smarter Scooting levels one to three.

For older pupils • We can discuss risk taking, the Green Cross Code and include preparation for making independent journeys.

Pre-driver Training This course is delivered to Year 12 pupils via our partners Safer Roads Partnership. It aims to equip new drivers with the vital skills and knowledge they need to stay safe on the roads before they start formal driving lessons. • We also have a limited number of loaned resources are also available to schools upon request. In order for the scheme to be sustained at a high quality the following charges apply: year 2 Step Outside Programme: £1 per pupil • year 4 Stepping Out Programme: £2 per pupil

Togo and Nogo The Togo and Nogo Project aims to give Early Years and Primary aged children a greater understanding of the importance of Road Safety and help them to face the challenges that they will encounter on or near roads.

The website has a great mix of downloadable worksheets, interactive games and short video clips. It has a ‘Kids Zone’ as well as a dedicated ‘Teachers Area’, complete with lesson plans.

If you are a teacher and would like to receive login details for the Teachers Zone, please contact the Road Safety Team. n

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