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TASK (Travel Awareness School Kit)
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PUTTING SAFER ROUTES TO SCHOOL PROJECTS INTO CONTEXT WITHIN THE SCHOOL
SRS projects do not sit in isolation from other areas of school development and curriculum / policies.
This is not a definitive list of key documents impacting on school life but it highlights links between different areas which may just make the workload look a little more manageable!
THE NATIONAL CURRICULUM – THE BASICS REVISITED…
Foremost is a belief in education, at home and at school, as a route to the spiritual, moral, social, cultural, physical and mental development, and thus the well-being, of the individual.
At the same time, education must enable us to respond positively to the opportunities and challenges of the rapidly changing world in which we live and work.
Aims for the school curriculum… These aims provide an essential context within which schools develop their own curriculum…
Aim 1: The school curriculum should aim to provide opportunities for all pupils to learn and to achieve.
By providing rich and varied contexts for pupils to acquire, develop and apply a broad range of knowledge, understanding and skills, the curriculum should enable pupils to think creatively and critically, to solve problems and to make a difference for the better… It should also develop their physical skills and encourage them to recognise the importance of pursuing a healthy lifestyle and keeping themselves and others safe.
Aim 2: The school curriculum should aim to promote pupils' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development and prepare all pupils for the opportunities, responsibilities and experiences of life.
The curriculum… should develop their awareness and understanding of, and respect for, the environments in which they live, and secure their commitment to sustainable development at a personal, local, national and global level… It should enable pupils to respond positively to opportunities, challenges and responsibilities, to manage risk and to cope with change and adversity.
These two aims reinforce each other. The personal development of pupils, spiritually, morally, socially and culturally, plays a significant part in their ability to learn and to achieve. Development in both areas is essential to raising standards of attainment for all pupils.
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SAFEGUARDING CHILDREN IN EDUCATION
This document gives guidance about Section 175 of the Education Act 2002 which came into force on June 1 st 2004 and introduced a duty on LEAs, the governing bodies of maintained schools… “to have in place arrangements to ensure that they exercise their functions with a view to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children…”
“Safeguarding… encompasses issues such as pupil health and safety and bullying and a range of other issues, for example… providing first aid, school security, drugs and substance misuse etc...”
Part of this can include work in the curriculum. Annex B of “Safeguarding Children in Education”, entitled ‘Helping to Keep Children Safe’, highlights the need for training, education through the PSHE curriculum and listening to children.
‘Safeguarding Children in Education’ , DfES/0027/2004, DfES, London, September 2004 (Status: Strongly Recommended)
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OFSTED
Work on Safer Routes to School projects and School Travel Plans have been favourably mentioned in Ofsted reports for the positive contributions they have made to Education For Sustainable Development (see below), Citizenship, Links with the community etc. Ofsted will also be actively looking for such contributions in their inspections.
There is also an expectation that Ofsted will look at the organisation’s performance in regard to their responsibility to safeguard and promote the welfare of children in accordance with the relevant legislation and guidance as part of an assessment of overall performance. This will include Health & safety, Risk Assessments and the curriculum supports safeguarding children from harm.
For example see “Taking the First Step Forward… Towards an Education for Sustainable Development; Good Practice in Primary and Secondary School”, Ofsted, HMI 1658, 2003 www.ofsted.gov.uk
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EXCELLENCE AND ENJOYMENT - A STRATEGY FOR PRIMARY SCHOOLS
“School Travel and Healthy Schools
5.16. If schools are to reduce the risk of accidents and widen participation in activities outside the normal school day, then they need to consider travel and access issues. Schools should work with the LEA to produce a school travel plan, which will allow them to identify their unique issues and potential solutions. Much of the work needed for a school travel plan, and later its maintenance, can be incorporated into the curriculum, offering a valuable opportunity for pupils to influence the environment around them.
5.17. Approaches to school travel can also promote a healthier lifestyle for pupils. Personal, Social and Health Education (PSHE) is supported by the National Healthy School Standard, a joint initiative between the Department for Education and Skills and the Department of Health, as part of which local Healthy School Programmes provide support to schools in becoming healthier places for pupils and staff to learn and work.”
Department for Education and Skills. (May 2003) Excellence & Enjoyment: a strategy for primary schools. (DfES/0377/2003) Nottingham, DfES.
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FIVE YEAR STRATEGY FOR CHILDREN AND LEARNERS
The DfES recently published its strategy for the next 5 years and beyond. The changes envisaged are underpinned by systemic changes, such as Every Child Matters, The Children Bill, and Children’s Trusts.
The strategy as a vision of all schools as “extended schools; community schools; healthy schools; inclusive schools and enterprising schools” and further as “healthy and sustainable schools, serving the needs of the whole child… every school should have… a good plan for school transport that encourages walking and cycling… schools must teach by example as well as by instruction”
“Department for Education and Skills: Five Year Strategy for Children and Learners”, DfES, TSO, London, 2004. www.dfes.gov.uk/publications/5yearstrategy/
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PUPIL PARTICIPATION AND INVOLVEMENT
WORKING TOGETHER: GIVING CHILDREN AND YOUNG PEOPLE A SAY
“In Spring 2004, the DfES produced guidance for school governing bodies and Local Education Authorities (LEAs), to encourage the involvement of children and young people in decision-making processes. LEAs and schools are required to have regard to this guidance under section 176 of the Education Act 2002. But it is for LEAs, teachers and governors to decide how best to involve children and young people. The guidance provides a basis for schools to decide how best to involve children and young people in all aspects of the life of the school, with examples of good practice for them to use and adapt.
It supports personalised learning through opportunities that already exist in citizenship education, personal, social and health education and in other wider school activities, for example the National Healthy School Standard (NHSS) and the Connexions service. OFSTED also now gives pupils opportunities to give views about their education as part of the inspection process. It also supports Article 12 of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) which concerns giving children the rights to put forward their views and ensuring that those views are taken seriously.”
“Working Together: Giving Children and Young people a Say”, DfES/0134/2004, DfES, London, April 2004. (Status: Statutory)
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THE NATIONAL HEALTHY SCHOOL STANDARD
Healthy Schools: Health and Education going hand in hand
Local healthy schools programmes , based in education and health partnerships, provide support to schools on becoming healthier places for staff and pupils to work and learn. This support might include guidance on leadership and managing change; staff professional development; school culture; policy; pupil, parent /carer and local community involvement; curriculum planning; teaching and learning and working with external agencies in a range of contexts such as Personal, Social and Health Education and citizenship. These activities ensure that work is grounded in supportive whole school practice and therefore more likely to have a greater impact on pupils’ health, learning opportunities, experience and indeed, their achievements.
The Government has a vision that half of all schools will be healthy schools by 2006, with the rest working to towards healthy school status by 2009.
The Cornwall Healthy Schools programme offers an active programme of support to schools through school visits, training days, workshops and a comprehensive guidance pack for schools taking part in the programme.
For more information see the Cornwall Healthy Schools Information page or visit our website at www.healthpromcornwall.org/healthyschools
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THE HEALTHY LIVING BLUEPRINT
The Healthy Living Blueprint is intended to support the new vision of Healthy Schools as it develops towards 2010 (and the hope that all schools will have become Healthy Schools). The Healthy Living Blueprint aims to help schools support children in leading a healthy lifestyle and to make the most of the resources which already exist.
“Schools can provide children with skills they need to be confident about leading a healthy lifestyle.
We want schools to play a more active part in shaping attitudes to health including food, sport and physical activity, through the Curriculum and wider school environment. There is good evidence that a multi-faceted approach, touching many different aspects of school life, is likely to be the most effective”.
5 Key Objectives
- To Promote a school ethos and environment which encourages a healthy lifestyle
- To use the full capacity and flexibility of the Curriculum to achieve a healthy lifestyle
- To ensure the food and drink available across the school day reinforces the healthy lifestyle
- To provide high quality Physical Education and School Sport and promote Physical Activity as part of a lifelong healthy lifestyle
- To promote an understanding of the full range of issues and behaviours which impact upon lifelong life health.
From Objective 4:
“Children should be encouraged to walk or cycle part or all of the way to school wherever this is safe and practical. We expect schools to work with their local authority school travel advisers, and put in place school travel plans that will identify things that schools, pupils, parents, highways and local education authorities can do to reduce car use on the school run – cycle and pedestrian training, secure cycle storage, improved road crossings and cycle paths, traffic calming, ‘park and stride’ facilities, for example.”
‘Healthy Living Blueprint for Schools’ , DfES/0781/2004, DfES London September 2004 (Guidance)
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EDUCATION FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT
“Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) is an approach to the whole curriculum and management of a school, not a new subject. It has its roots in environmental education and development education. As a result, many of the building blocks of education for sustainable development are already present in every school.
Education for sustainable development enables people to develop the knowledge, values and skills to participate in decisions about the way we do things individually and collectively, both locally and globally, that will improve the quality of life now without damaging the planet for the future.”
The National Curriculum, 1999
Government Panel for Sustainable Development Education, 1999
ESD has clear links with a number of curriculum subjects, notably geography, citizenship and science, and many other aspects of the curriculum, for example, literacy, numeracy, thinking skills and key skills.
Work on Safer Routes to Schools and School Travel Plans can form part of ESD. More information: www.nc.uk.net/esd/gq2.htm.
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THE ECO-SCHOOLS AWARD SCHEME
Eco Schools is much more than an environmental management system for schools. It is a programme for promoting environmental awareness in a way that links to many curriculum subjects, including citizenship, personal, social and health education (PSHE) and education for sustainable development. It is also an award scheme that will raise the profile of your school in the wider community.
The Eco Schools process is holistic. It works by involving the whole school (pupils, teachers, non-teaching staff and governors) together with members of the local community (parents, the local authority, the media and local businesses). It will encourage teamwork and help to create a shared understanding of what it takes to run a school in a way that respects and enhances the environment.
Eco Schools offers your school:
- an opportunity to make environmental issues a part of the life of the school
- an opportunity to help develop young people's decision-making skills
- curriculum materials and ideas for projects and events
- access to a network of support agencies
- links with other schools in the UK and Europe
- a prestigious award
- opportunities for local and national publicity
- potential for financial savings.
It requires:
- the support of the headteacher and governors
- a willingness to involve pupils in decision-making and action at every stage
- active involvement of staff and the wider school community
- a willingness to take action to instigate long-term change.
Eco-Schools covers 7 topics one of which is transport and at the heart of the topic is a Safer Routes to School project.
www.eco-schools.org.uk/about/about_index.asp
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BULLYING POLICIES
From ‘Bullying: Don’t Suffer In Silence’, DfES.0064/2000 (updated 2002)
Bullying outside a school's premises
19. “Schools are not directly responsible for bullying off their premises. A Court judgment ruled that the head's duty of care to prevent bullying generally only applied within the precincts of a school, although exceptionally failure to take disciplinary steps to combat harmful behaviour outside the school might breach the school’s common law duty of care (Leah Bradford-Smart v West Sussex County Council). A good deal of bullying takes place outside the school gates, and on journeys to and from school. The bullying may be by pupils of the school or pupils of other schools or people not at school at all.
20. A school's anti-bullying policy should encourage pupils not to suffer in silence and talk to pupils about how to avoid or handle bullying outside the school premises”.
Bullying or fear of bullying on the journey to school is often cited as a reason for not walking /cycling by pupils. Parents, too, often cite bullying as a reason for their reluctance to allow children to walk or cycle to school alone. Taking part in a Safer Routes to School project and considering these issues can contribute to an effective whole school approach to bullying.
http://www.dfes.gov.uk/bullying/pack/02.pdf
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EVERY CHILD MATTERS
Every Child Matters , sets out the Government’s proposals for reforming the delivery of services for children, young people and families. It builds on existing measures to ensure that we protect children at risk of harm and neglect from negative outcomes and support all children to develop their full potential.
Every Child Matters and its legislative framework, The Children Bill, will bring together social care, education and health to develop more effective services for children.
We want to help all children and young people to:
Be Healthy: enjoying good physical and mental health and living a healthy lifestyle;
Stay Safe: being protected from harm and neglect and growing up able to look after themselves;
Enjoy and Achieve : getting the most out of life and developing broad skills for adulthood;
Make a Positive Contribution : to the community and to society and not engaging in anti-social or offending behaviour;
Achieve economic well-being.
Department for Education and Skills (2003) Every child matters. (DfES/0672/2003) DfES, Nottingham.
Cornwall has its own ECM information site at: www.everychildmatters-cornwall.co.uk
There is more information about ECM in this site
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CHOOSING HEALTH: MAKING HEALTHY CHOICES EASIER. THE PUBLIC HEALTH WHITE PAPER 2004
“Choosing Health: Making Healthy Choices Easier” is the government’s recently published (November 2004) public health white paper. There is emphasis on the importance of starting children and young people on the right path to making healthy choices. One area considered is encouraging children to be physically active including on the journey to and from school. The white paper sets out plans to:
- increase the number of schools implementing School Travel Plans (with a target of all schools to have active travel plans by 2010),
- use a School Transport Bill to encourage local authorities to increase the numbers of pupils and parents walking and cycling to school.
- introduce a new national standard for cycle training
The white paper also highlights the important role that the Healthy Schools Programme has in helping schools to help pupils to make safer choices. It also emphasises the importance of teaching good risk education that can have an impact on so many areas of the pupils’ daily lives.
www.doh.gov.uk (go to alphabetical index under ‘c’)
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SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL ASPECTS OF LEARNING – SEAL!
The Behaviour and Attendance Pilot: Promoting social, emotional and behavioural (SEBS) skills in the primary school has now become SEAL and the resource is being distributed to all primary schools.
The Behaviour and Attendance Pilot provides a comprehensive approach to promoting positive behaviour in the primary school. At its heart is the belief that positive behaviour in schools requires a proactive, whole school approach to developing children's social, emotional and behavioural skills and abilities within a learning community that promotes the emotional well-being of all its members.
(There is also a KS3 Behaviour and Attendance pilot taking place in the secondary schools with an emphasis on bullying)
Work on Safer Routes to School projects can impact on SEAL by providing opportunities for children to work on developing skills, gain independence via the school journey and benefit from exercise etc. There are opportunities in most of the 7 SEAL themes for SRS to be included. SEAL could be a route to encouraging more parents to allow children to travel independently because the children will have learnt coping strategies and skills. Links with Protective Behaviours too.
download the SEAL material from the behaviour and attendence pilot website:
www.bandapilot.org.uk (username: BandA934, Password: Koopman)
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