Thousands of children in Avon and Somerset to benefit from new crime prevention lessons
A new education programme is being rolled out to schools across Avon and Somerset to help children better understand crime and its influence
Schools across Avon and Somerset are being given free access to a new education programme designed to help children understand risk, consequences and the law.
Police and Crime Commissioner Clare Moody is funding the rollout of Pol Ed for all primary and secondary schools in the region.
The programme provides teachers with more than 400 lesson plans, worksheets and support materials covering topics including exploitation, consent, wellbeing, anti-social behaviour, hate crime and responsible citizenship.
It is aimed at helping schools take a more consistent approach to crime prevention education, while giving young people practical knowledge to help keep themselves and others safe.
The resources align with the PSHE and RSHE curriculum and can be adapted by teachers to reflect issues affecting their local area.
Speaking to Greatest Hits Radio Somerset, Clare Moody said: “Pol Ed picks up on the breadth of issues that our young people are facing.
“Children don’t just suddenly get involved in serious youth violence; it isn’t something where one day the switch is turned. There are ways that they get drawn into that and there are ways we can help prevent that from happening.”
The PCC says the programme will support teachers and help young people better understand the choices in front of them, including how to reduce their risk of becoming either victims or suspects of crime.
Avon and Somerset Police officers will also be able to feed in information about the types of crime affecting different communities, allowing schools to choose lessons that are most relevant to their pupils.
The rollout will be managed by the Avon and Somerset violence reduction partnership, chaired by Clare Moody, with support from Avon and Somerset Police.