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CHAPTER SIX Road Safety Resources
6.1 Specific Resources for Children with
Learning Difficulties
There are a small number of road safety resources
available which have been developed specifically for young
people with learning difficulties. This section outlines
the content of these resources and explores user views on
the value of these.
6.1.1 Everyday Skills Pack (Road Safety) -
Dundee
NHS Trust
Dundee
NHS Trust - in conjunction with the
Scottish Road Safety Campaign - has developed an 'Everyday
Skills Pack - Road Safety' which is designed as a flexible
teaching resource to accommodate a wide range of learning
needs. The resource can be used with children or adults,
depending on their needs. The pack contains:
- video programmes, photographs and diagrams
- teaching manual
- assessment framework
The pack focuses on teachers, parents or carers running
through a series of road safety lessons with their
child(ren) and recording progress made. The aim is for the
child's needs to be comprehensively assessed, an action
plan developed and lessons to be ordered on the basis of
this. Suggested learning plans are given for classroom
activity - including use of videos, photos and diagrams -
and practical roadside activity.
The resource is very comprehensive but is likely to be
more use to teachers or special needs assistants more used
to this type of framework, than parents. The cost of this
pack also reflects the focus on organisations rather than
individual parents - £199 plus
VAT for statutory organisations and £159
plus
VAT for voluntary groups.
Four of the schools participating in the study had made
use of the resource, with two stating the resource was good
and two that it was "okay". No further comments were
offered and none of the parents had heard of, or made use
of the pack.
6.1.2 Road Safety for Makaton Users - London
Accident Prevention Council
Makaton is an internationally recognised language and
communication programme for people with learning
difficulties. A pack was produced jointly in 2002 by London
Accident Prevention Council and the Makaton Vocabulary
Council Development Project to assist in the teaching of
road safety for people with learning difficulties who use
the Makaton language. This pack provides basic road safety
guidance for road users, teachers, parents and carers. The
pack covers a range of road safety procedures, and includes
photographs, text, and Makaton symbols and signs. The pack
is available to anyone for the cost of £25 plus postage and
packaging.
The resource consists of photographs of road situations
accompanied by Makaton signs to convey basic road safety
messages. The pack focuses only on road safety as a
pedestrian, and ensuring that children understand how to
cross the road safely and can identify road safety risks
effectively.
None of the schools or parents had used or heard of this
resource, which has only recently become available
nationwide.
6.1.3 Paving the Way - Scottish Road Safety
Campaign
The Scottish Road Safety Campaign resource 'Paving the
Way' was produced in 1995 for use with adults and young
people with learning disabilities. The resource comprises
:
- tutor booklets (for use by teachers, parents or
carers)
- an assessment profile booklet
- 24 A4 colour photographs
- a set of memory jogger cards for 'on the road'
practical activities
The resource has been developed for tutors to use with
small groups, ideally on a one-to-one basis. The booklets
detail outdoor activities which should ideally be
undertaken prior to indoor work with the photographs
provided. Overall, the resource outlines an approach which
is tailored to the needs of the individual student and
highlights that, while some students may progress beyond
the resource to more challenging road environments and
practical tasks, others may never progress past the initial
steps of the core material. Tutors are encouraged to select
the activities and assessment undertaken based on the needs
of individual students, and to take an overall approach of
encouragement and reassurance.
To date, this resource has been largely targeted at
adults and has been distributed to adult leaning centres
rather than schools. However, in our survey of schools,
four per cent mentioned that they had made use of the
resource. Both primary and secondary schools had used the
resource - one for children with Additional Support Needs
and two mainstream.
Road Safety Officers reported that in some areas the
Paving the Way pack had been used by both schools and adult
groups with learning difficulties, and reported good
feedback from users. However, overall
RSOs felt that the use of the pack had
declined in recent years. Road Safety Officers felt that
the content and scope of the pack remained appropriate but
that the visual resources in the pack needed to be updated.
One Road Safety Unit had taken their own pictures for use
with the pack in order to update its appearance.
6.2 Mainstream resources
In addition to specialist resources, there are many
mainstream
RSE resources which can be used with
children with learning difficulties. Participating schools
and nurseries indicated that they had used a wide range of
mainstream resources with children.
6.2.1 Children's Traffic Club in
Scotland
The Children's Traffic Club in Scotland (
CTCS) is run by the Scottish Road Safety
Campaign and aims to provide all children aged 3 to 5 in
Scotland with a series of six resource books containing
basic road safety messages. All children receive their
first book aged 3, and parents are asked to register to
receive the remaining booklets. Complementary resources are
distributed to nurseries through the 'Nursery and Playgroup
Pack', with the aim of combining road safety work done at
home and at school. Recently,
CTCS Gym Cards have also been developed,
aimed at promoting road safety through physical
education.
Our survey of nurseries identified that 50 per cent (7
nurseries) had used the
CTCS Nursery and Playgroup Pack, and all
believed the resource was "good" or "okay". Only two
nurseries had used the Gym Cards - which are relatively
new. Nurseries generally felt that the
CTCS resources were user friendly,
effective and at the right level for the majority of their
children. However, some nurseries did feel that the
resources were most effective with children who were
'developmentally aware' and that there was a need
for some differentiation of materials to meet specific
needs.
6.2.2 Streetsense resources
The Streetsense pack was developed by the Scottish Road
Safety Campaign and launched in September 2003. The pack is
a road safety resource for primary schools, and contains
suggested lesson plans, pupil activities and teachers'
notes. The pack is linked to attainment targets within the
5 - 14 National Guidelines.
One third of primary schools participating in our survey
had used the Streetsense resource. The vast majority of
these schools were mainstream schools with integrated
Additional Support Needs provision (79 per cent). Only one
specialist primary school for children with Additional
Support Needs had used this resource. In addition, six
secondary schools had used this resource - predominantly
schools only for children with Additional Support
Needs.
Many schools believed that Streetsense was an excellent
resource, using this as the core of road safety provision.
The resource was often adapted or augmented with other
activities such as practical visits to the surrounding area
to ensure that children with learning difficulties could
transfer the messages to real life. Some schools indicated
that, as Streetsense was a relatively new resource, they
had yet to assess its effectiveness.
6.2.3 Streetwise Guys
The Streetwise Guys website was developed by the
Scottish Road Safety Campaign and is targeted at children
aged eight to fourteen. The aim is to educate children in
the transition from primary to secondary school, when they
are most at risk. The website contains a series of
interactive games which aim to educate children in a fun
way.
Only 15 per cent of primary schools had used the
Streetwise Guys website, and 11 per cent of secondary
schools. The secondary schools using this resource were
largely those only for children with Additional Support
Needs. The website was seen as easy to use, fun and with
'funky' characters which the children related to.
6.2.4 Junior Road Safety Officers
The Junior Road Safety Officer scheme was introduced by
the Scottish Road Safety Campaign and is targeted at pupils
of primary school age. Generally, two children in Primary
Six are appointed as
JRSOs and their job is to work with the
local Road Safety Officer to promote road safety.
Almost one fifth of primary schools surveyed had Junior
Road Safety Officers - a total of ten schools.
JRSOs were used equally by mainstream
and specialist schools, and many schools indicated that the
use of
JRSOs was particularly useful for
children with mild to moderate learning difficulties. A
number of secondary schools also indicated that they
participated in the scheme - three special needs schools
and one mainstream school with Additional Support Needs
provision. The scheme was seen as appropriate and easily
adapted to different needs.
6.2.5 Other resources
In addition to the above resources, two per cent of
schools stated that they used the 'Nine Lives of Roddy
Hogg' materials (produced by the Scottish Road Safety
Campaign) or the 'Safety Street'
CD Rom (produced by Lothian and Borders
Police). The 'Roddy Hogg' materials are role play resources
educating children on personal safety, including road
safety. The 'Safety Street'
CD was developed by Lothian and Borders
Police to promote road safety among primary school children
in a fun but educational manner.
Adapting Existing Resources - Kilpatrick
School, Clydebank
Kilpatrick School in Clydebank uses innovative
approaches to overcome the limitations of existing
RSE resources for children with mild to
moderate additional support needs. Teachers adapt
mainstream materials for individual and group needs, and
develop alternative teaching methods to increase the
appropriateness for the young people involved. The school
is currently using Ways to Safety workbooks and is adapting
and rolling out Streetsense.
Kilpatrick School is a special education needs school
for children with Additional Support Needs and incorporates
a pre-school / nursery unit, a primary school and secondary
school. The school contains pupils with mild to severe
learning difficulties with approximately half being
described as having mild to moderate support needs.
At the school, road safety education is delivered as
part of a wider programme of Personal, Social and Health
Education (
PSHE) and is delivered from P1 to S6.
The Ways to Safety workbooks are used throughout primary
school and into the early secondary years. These workbooks
are gradually being augmented by the material in
Streetsense.
Workbooks and resource packs contain written material
and tasks which would not be of benefit to many of the
young people in the school due to limitations with reading.
In addition, simply using resources for young people at an
older age often means that the material is inappropriately
'childish' and is of less interest to pupils. Teachers at
Kilpatrick take a flexible approach to the materials that
they use and combine exercises that they feel are of the
suitable level for the individuals and material which is
age appropriate.
Teachers at the school have put together a programme of
PSHE lessons and a database of
appropriate
RSE resources for each level. Written
material and exercises are often above the reading ability
of the pupils and, if used, are used with background
support. Written material is usually read out to the pupils
and more complicated exercises are adapted - pupils play
games, act out role plays and compete for points rather
than completing questions. Teachers focus on the visual
material in the workbooks and introduce materials from
elsewhere such as local authority posters and leaflets to
enhance the lessons.
The school has recently introduced Streetsense. The
resource runs through levels A to E and, for mainstream
pupils, is expected to begin in P1 with completion by S2.
At Kilpatrick the resource is used in a more flexible way.
Primary pupils do not move from Level A but visual elements
from the higher levels are brought in for class activities.
Staff report that the material is very 'user friendly' as
much of it can be used without any written material.
Teachers at the school have also been able to work with
the "Nine Lives of Roddy Hogg" materials. Pupils from
Kilpatrick were invited to a local high school to see a
production of the play and teachers received the
accompanying resource pack. Teachers have found the pack
(which is aimed at mainstream pupils in S1 and S2) very
easy to adapt as it has a strong aural and visual impact
for the pupils.
The adaptation of resources for children with Additional
Support Needs is time consuming and many teachers struggle
to find the time to commit to it. At Kilpatrick head
teachers have put together the main programme of
PSHE lessons and the lists of worthwhile
resources. Teachers are encouraged to share ideas and
report back on the success of different approaches in
lessons.
Classroom based teaching is augmented by practical
guidance on weekly school outings and outdoor
RSE teaching in the spring and summer
terms.
Road safety in the 'real world' and on public
transport - Bankton Primary School, Livingston
At Bankton Primary School road safety education focuses
on real life situations, including the safe use of public
transport. Bankton is a mainstream school with an
Additional Support Needs unit supporting children with mild
to moderate support needs. Children are integrated into
mainstream lessons and, where possible, pupils are
encouraged to learn road safety skills in 'real world'
environments.
Children in the Additional Support Needs unit are bussed
to school by a variety of bus companies and the school
feels that the pupils should experience practical road
safety education where appropriate.
In order to make road safety a broad consideration, all
staff have some involvement in road safety and there is a
strong emphasis on parental involvement. The local Road
Safety Officer and community police officers visit the
school regularly. Mainstream pupils have been appointed as
Junior Road Safety Officers and are particularly involved
with the children from the Additional Support Needs unit.
The Junior
RSOs work with the younger children
prior to any trip on public transport and organise meetings
and competitions for the children.
Pupils travel to swimming classes by bus once a week and
road safety guidance is emphasised on the journey. Pupils
are taught about getting on and off buses safely, looking
out for other traffic when exiting the bus, and sitting
safely on the bus. Students are also involved in trips to
Edinburgh by train. Children walk to the train station,
purchase tickets and are encouraged to sit safely on the
train. In lessons prior to the trip, students discuss the
journey and the likely issues that might arise on public
transport. Pupils from the Additional Support Needs unit
also travel to the local shopping centre, discuss public
transport and practise crossing at traffic lights and zebra
crossings.
Journeys on public transport are rigorously planned by
the staff, with risk assessments conducted and
consideration of the appropriateness for the children with
Additional Support Needs. Meetings are conducted with
parents prior to any long journey and discussions focus on
road safety.
6.3 Parental Use of Resources
Discussion with parents identified that very few were
aware of or making use of any resources to assist in
educating their children about road safety. While some
parents of young children were aware of the Children's
Traffic Club in Scotland materials, they felt that they
were too complex for their children when aged 3 to 5. Some
indicated that they may be useful in the future when their
children grew older. No parents with older children were
aware of the
CTCS materials.
Parents in two local authority areas - South Lanarkshire
and Aberdeen City - had made use of road safety packs
distributed by the local authority Road Safety Unit through
schools. Both packs were designed for use by parents with
children, and the pack distributed in South Lanarkshire was
perceived as particularly useful for children with learning
difficulties. The pack contained a 'Singing Kettle' tape
with songs about road safety and a video featuring
Sooty.
Only one parent mentioned using other resources such as
standard books or videos to convey road safety messages.
This parent gave the example of 'Wind in the Willows' -
which features a toad speeding and crashing his car - being
a useful way of discussing road safety.
6.4 Improving Resource Provision
6.4.1 Resources for schools
Overall, 40 per cent of schools believed that the
resources for teaching road safety education currently
available to them were very good (10 per cent) or good (30
per cent). However, over one third felt resources were just
'okay' and fourteen per cent indicated that they were very
poor. Generally, those believing that resources were poor
indicated that the resources available simply were not
appropriate for use with pupils with Additional Support
Needs. While the topics covered were felt to be good,
schools expressed a desire for more resources which offered
a range of teaching methods for children with mild to
moderate learning difficulties.
Overall, 41 per cent of schools indicated that they
adapted resources when using them with children with mild
to moderate learning difficulties - for example, through
adding more pictures or symbols; reading information to
pupils rather than expecting them to read themselves;
simplifying the language; making more use of group
discussion rather than written answers; breaking down
skills into simple steps; and repeating lessons. Many felt
that the focus should be on developing an understanding of
the best way to use and adapt these existing resources.
Only a small number felt that there was a need to
develop entirely new resources for use with children with
Additional Support Needs. Schools and other consultees such
as Road Safety Officers highlighted the difficulty in
producing resources tailored particularly for children with
learning difficulties. Firstly, the fact that the
individual needs of children with learning difficulties are
so different means that it would be difficult to develop a
suitable resource. Secondly, schools believed that for
children in mainstream classes, receiving specific
resources might lead to them being singled out.
The focus of consultees was therefore on ensuring that
existing resources - such as
CTCS materials, Streetsense, Streetwise
Guys and
JRSOs - lend themselves to different
methods of learning. Both schools and
RSOs highlighted the value of visual
resources; photographs and sketches; simple messages and
mixed age references.
6.4.2 Resources at home
Parents involved in this study were keen to see specific
resources developed for use at home with their children.
The clear message emerging from the majority was the need
for a resource which would assist parents when undertaking
roadside training with their children. Parents sought basic
information on what road safety messages should be conveyed
to their children - such as what to do to cross the road
and how to identify risks. Parents also wanted guidance on
how these messages could best be conveyed - for example,
through simple phrases repeated regularly - and what
practical assistance parents should offer - such as hand
holding. Generally, parents felt that this information
could be provided to parents through a very simple, short
booklet or through training from teachers or Road Safety
Officers.
A number of parents also expressed a desire for
resources which were linked to school activities. One group
of parents suggested the development of complementary home
and school packs, so that messages were constantly
reinforced in the same manner. This idea was supported by
schools,
RSOs and other consultees. Again,
parents stressed that this pack should be simple and focus
on a range of ways of conveying these messages to
children.
6.5 Summary
- There are currently a small number of resources
available specifically targeted at educating children
with learning difficulties on road safety, and a wider
range of mainstream resources
- The majority of schools are making use of
mainstream resources, and adapting these according to
the individual support needs of the child
- Parents are currently making very little use of
existing resources as these are not seen as appropriate
to their children's needs
- Where suitable resources are available, parents are
making use of these
- Schools highlight the need to adapt existing
resources for a range of learning needs, rather than
develop new resources
- Parents clearly identify the need for new
resources
- a resource including basic
information on core road safety messages
- a resource linking
RSE at school to the home
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