Fire service help Wiltshire pupils heading to secondary school stay safe
Online lessons help pupils become independent travellers
Dorset and Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service has launched a new online lesson to help pupils heading to secondary school for the first time.
It aims to help Year 7 pupils at a critical stage of their lives when they start travelling independently.
The aim is to help identify potential hazards and highlight some of the steps safe like wearing a helmet when riding a bike.
Christine Sharma is the Road Safety Manager at Dorset & Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service.
"The transition from primary to secondary school can be a challenge for young people and their families as they gain their independence and travel to school or to meet their friends alone”
“It’s a vulnerable age, but thanks to our kind sponsors, the new lesson empowers students to develop decision-making skills and own the concept of taking measures to prevent injury and harm to maintain their personal safety. It also prompts learners to consider the impact of their actions on those around them, alongside all the benefits that different types of travel can present.”
The resource is free on the TES website so it's hoped schools and pupils across the country will access it.
The project has been sponsored by Arval UK.
HR Director, Ailsa Firth, said:
“It’s an incredibly exciting stage in young people’s lives as they start out on their own independent journeys – we’d like to help keep them safe as they travel."
“The new lesson shares knowledge so that people aged from 11 years and older know how to make sensible decisions for themselves and those around them as they travel. With more than 175,000 vehicles on our own fleet, it’s really important we help to keep young people safe as they make their first journeys independently.”
Earlier this year Dorset and Wiltshire Fire and Rescue launched 'Passenger Power' which aims to help Year 10 pupils give constructive feedback to drivers if they feel unsafe.