Road Safety Education Programme for Children and Young
People
Two thirds of all fatal accidents involving children and young
people are as a result of road collisions (source: Department for
Transport) - the only way we are going to have any impact on this
is to educate from as early an age as possible. The Road Safety
Team offer a progressive education programme in pre-schools,
schools and colleges to help do this.Some of the initiatives from
this programme can also be run through out-of-school groups.
Teach Our Tinies Traffic Safety (TOTTS)
An introduction to road safety, designed for Pre-school groups
and Reception / Year 1 and stimulates young children's
awareness through play. Supported by a TOTTS resource box
containing books, games and DVDs, role play outfits and child size
pedestrian crossing sets all available for loan free of charge. An
ideal resource for Child Safety Week, Beep Beep Day or simply to
support a road safety topic. Contact the Road Safety Team
to arrange a loan.
Let's Walk
Let's Walk is a child pedestrian training programme for Year 3
and 4 pupils. The programme aims to increase children's knowledge
and understanding through practical experience and training and to
prepare them to become independent road users. We hope this will in
turn encourage parents to walk to school with their children and
therefore reduce traffic and congestion at the school gate.
Let's Bike
Let's Bike is an off-road cycle training course offered to Year
5 and 6 pupils. The course takes place on the school playground and
is run by volunteer instructors from the school that have
been trained and accredited by the Road Safety Team.
During the course, pupils are taught a number of basic cycling
skills and manoeuvres and road safety knowledge in preparation
for future on-road riding.
The future of Let's Bike... The 2010/11
school year will be the last year that Let's Bike is supported in
Cheshire East. The Road Safety Team will no longer be training
any new Instructors or providing any free printed materials for the
scheme once current stocks have been used up. This means that for
this school year Let’s Bike can only be delivered in schools
who have already got trained and accredited Instructors and where
the school is willing to allow the scheme to continue as a
curriculum activity covered by their own risk assessments and
insurances. From September 2011, Bikeability will be the
borough's only official cycle training scheme for schools and other
organisations. See below for further information on how the
Bikeability scheme is being rolled out in Cheshire East.
Bikeability
Bikeability is a National
Standard for Cycle Training course currently being delivered
to Year 5 and 6 children in schools across the UK. It covers basic
cycle control skills, the use of safety equipment, road safety
knowledge and cycling manoeuvres with a view to trainees
having the skills and confidence to make their every day
journeys by bike. Part of the training takes place on quiet roads
to enable trainees to apply their learning in a real
environment.
Cheshire East Council is working in partnership with
Cyclists' Touring Club (CTC), the UK's
national cyclists' organisation, to offer as many Year 5, 6
and 7 children across the borough as possible the opportunity
to receive FREE Bikeability training by 2012. The key outcomes for
Bikeability cycle training are to give children the knowledge and
experience to ride safely on roads and understand how traffic
behaves. This method has been seen to encourage cycling as both a
leisure activity and a commuting tool.
All primary and secondary schools across the Borough are
currently being contacted to offer them FREE Bikeability
training for all their pupils in Year 5, 6 and 7 and beyond
thanks to funding from ‘Cycling England’. Training is
delivered by Cyclist Training Ltd
(CTL) , a professional cycle training company who are working
on behalf of Cheshire East Council. All instructors are fully
qualified, insured and CRB checked.
Training takes place over 2 full days on a date to suit the
school and includes a small amount of theory homework that pupils
complete overnight between day 1 and 2.
If you are a school who would like to book Bikeability for your
pupils, contact CTL direct (details below). Cheshire East
Council are also working towards offering Level 2 Bikeability
training more widely than schools. To find out where else you can
access training, contact either Cyclist Training Ltd on 01785
818193 or enquiries@cyclist-training.co.uk or contact
the Road Safety Team.
Junior Road Safety Officers
Up to 2 children in Year 6 are nominated to become Junior Road
Safety Officers to act as a focus for promoting road safety
messages in their school. Visit our Junior Road Safety Officer page for more
details.
Speed Project
A project that involves pupils investigating why drivers speed,
what the consequences can be, why there are different speed limits
on different roads, ways to control vehicle speed and analysis
of road safety publicity. Pupils also have the
opportunity to conduct a roadside survey of traffic speeds in their
local area using a speed gun.
Resource Loans
We have a large selection of road safety themed books, games,CD
Roms, DVDs and teachers packs for all age groups available for loan
free of charge. Many link to the National Curriculum and are
suitable for use in most curriculum subjects. Ideal for
PSHE or safety
days. Contact the Road Safety Team to discuss what's available and
to arrange a loan.
Road Safety Roadshow
An emotive presentation aimed at Year 11 students exploring the
circumstances leading to and consequences of a road traffic
collision invloving a group of young people. The presentation
focuses on the role and responsibility of being a passenger in a
vehicle and the consequnces their choices and behaviour can
have. Presented in partnership with Cheshire Fire and Rescue
Service, Cheshire Police and the Health Authority.
Sixth Form Programme
A package of 2 presentations, one for Year 12 and one for Year
13 students, exploring issues around becoming a new driver
including drink/drug driving, speed, seatbelts,
vehicle condition and peer pressure. A separate
presentation that goes into more detail about drug impaired driving
is also available. An informal, interactive initiative called the
Cheers Bar also tours schools and colleges to promote key messages
about the risks of drink and drug driving and how to avoid
becoming a drink driver.
Contact us for further information on our road safety education
programme for children and young people.
