"Staying Safe..." in the Healthy Schools Programme

“I think every child should have a hill of his own to climb. And I think every child should have one star up in the sky that is all his own. And I think every child should have a tree that belongs to him. That is what I think should be.” DIBS

In today's 'risk averse' society we would put a fence round the hill to prevent access, ban looking at stars because there is too much risk assessment paperwork involved and cut down the tree… just in case.

We are in a world where children are driven everywhere, not allowed out to play, are wrapped in cotton wool, becoming less fit, and spending more time in social isolation in front of computer games.

“Staying safe…”

...aims to give all children in Cornwall access to Dibs' dream

"Staying safe..." is not just about safety education / accident prevention it is about emotional safety, personal safety, staying safe around drugs and helping others be safe.

“Staying safe…” means equipping children with the skills and strengths they need to embrace the challenges and opportunities of life, including learning and achieving, head on and with confidence.

“Staying safe…” is one of the five national outcomes in Every Child Matters outlining educational and health priorities. From September schools will be expected to demonstrate how they are contributing.

These pages outline what “Staying safe…” means for the Healthy Schools Team and how we would like to support schools to bring together many different elements into a meaningful (and possibly more manageable) whole relevant to the needs of school life and the curriculum.

Safety within PSHE helps pupils to:

• Recognise risk and make safer choices
• Take responsibility for safety
• Follow rules, codes, procedures
• Get help confidently
• Give help and advice assertively
• Recognise stereotypes and pressure to take inappropriate risks
• Meet and work with safety experts,

Source Teachernet PSHE pages.

All aspects of "Staying Safe..." encompass these.

• Cornwall Health Education Substance Safety (CHESS)
• Protective Behaviours
• Social and Emotional Aspects of Learning
• Circle Time
• Heartstart Emergency Life Support
• Look Alive / Travel Awareness School Kit (TASK)

Download a "Staying Safe..." information leaflet. (in pdf format)