EDUCATION IN PRIMARY AND SECONDARY SCHOOLS AND COLLEGES

All children have a right to planned progressive road safety education throughout their schools years. Each local authority should establish the key objectives for its provision within its local road safety plan.

It is important that it is delivered within a partnership between road safety officers, the LEA advisers, the school governors and teachers, and with the parents. A whole school approach should be taken and all schools should be encouraged to adopt a road safety policy and plan, within which the level of road safety activity will be determined. Other agencies – for example police and health - may have a role in providing road safety education and the road safety officer should ensure liaison.

Road safety education should aim to develop knowledge and skills and should foster a positive attitude to safety. It should reflect the local circumstances and environment and wherever possible children should experience the real situation.

THE ROLE OF THE ROAD SAFETY OFFICER
The level of support that the Road Safety Officer is able to offer schools will be determined within local road safety plans. The training needs of road safety officers involved in road safety education in schools will also be established in the light of the TRL 'Good Practice In Road Safety Education' project recommendations. All resources and programmes should be accredited by a recognised body.

Support offered to schools should include:
• Pre-service and in-service training for teachers and staff
• Assistance in the development of school policies and plans
• Curriculum planning and support
• The provision of resources
• Support activities in or out of the classroom

MONITORING AND EVALUATION
The road safety officer should monitor the level of road safety activity in schools against their own key objectives/road safety plan. Their involvement in schools, the use and appropriateness of resources and the effectiveness of their own input should be evaluated.

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Click here to contact Road Safety GB administrator Brian Hogarth or ring 0033 553 2021 76.