Speak Out Stay Safe

In March 2023, all of the children in Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2 participated in the NSPCC’s ‘Speak Out, Stay Safe’ class assemblies. The programme, which is delivered in an age-appropriate way, helps children understand:

• abuse in all its forms and how to recognise signs of abuse

• that abuse is never a child’s fault and that they have the right to be safe

• where to get help and the sources of help available to them, including via ChildLine

The assemblies, which feature Ant and Dec, support children to feel empowered - knowing how they can speak out and stay safe and include access to supporting classroom resources.

With the help of the NSPCC’s mascot, Buddy the speech bubble, children were taught that they have the right to:

• speak out and be heard

• be safe

• get help when they need it

How safe is your child?

For a lot of children, going online is an everyday event. Whether it’s making new friends and keeping in touch with them over apps, playing the latest game, getting a new phone or spending more time online doing school work, it is important that children understand how to stay safe. A couple of really useful resources that we would recommend all parents look at is the Net Aware website and the National Online Safety website.

Net Aware and National Online Safety contain the latest information about the most popular websites, games and apps that children may be using, as well as guides on how you can help ensure your child stays safe. Websites and apps reviewed include Fortnite, Houseparty, Zoom, Messenger, WhatsApp, Minecraft and Roblox, to name just a few.

The #wakeupwednesday campaign from the National Online Safety allows parents to sign up for weekly guides on ways to keep children safe online on apps, websites and games. Click on the star below to see previous parent guides.

Walking to School

It is important that parents and carers support their children in their journey to becoming safer, independent pedestrians and road users. The good news for schools and families is that Oxfordshire County Council have a child pedestrian Road Safety scheme called Footsteps, aimed at parents and carers.

When children are at primary school, they are normally walked to school by their parents who ensure they cross the road safely by telling them where and when it is safe to cross. This does not prepare children for the time when they start to walk to school without an adult.

The Footsteps programme is simple for parents to use as it can be carried out in normal everyday situations such as walking to school or to the local shops. Rather than telling children what to do, parents are encouraged to ask lots of open questions to make the children think about the decisions they are making. Making these decisions safely while in the company of a supporting adult will mean they will be better prepared for dealing with roads and traffic once they begin going out on their own.

For more information, please see the Footsteps guide here: Walking with children | 365Alive.