The safety of our youngsters today is paramount, one only has to look at or hear news headlines to see this. Children as young as 5 years of age have been offered drugs, are abused, go off with someone, get involved in incidents, or they are injured is some other way. It is now extremely important that Personal Safety Messages are extended to children in Key Stage 1.

CASE (Children And Safety Education) is an exciting weekly educational programme delivered by retired Police Officers who are vastly experienced in life skills education with children in schools.

The CASE Instructors know that children and young people need self-awareness, positive self-esteem and confidence to:

• Stay as healthy as possible
• Keep themselves and others safe
• Have worthwhile and fulfilling relationships
• Respect the differences between people
• Develop independence and responsibility
• Play an active role as members of a democratic society
• Make the most of their own and others' abilities
• Say no to the things that they know they should not be involved in.

The CASE programme helps at Key Stage 1 in the development of social and moral responsibility, community involvement and some basic preconditions of citizenship. The benefits of this programme framework will help children to:

• Value their achievements
• Assess and deal with certain types of risk
• Meet the challenges of life, both now and in the future
• Identify their values and strive to live up to them

It will help schools to:

• Raise standards of achievement by children who are more secure, motivated, confident and independent learners
  Promote equal opportunities for all
• Improve the health of their children
• Relate positively to their neighbourhood and local communities

The provision of the CASE programme within school should compliment the personal and social development of young children at home and in school. The CASE Framework helps schools to:

• Build on what they may already be doing in PSHE and Citizenship Education
• Vary their depth of coverage
• Consider the values they wish to approach
• Reflect the principles from the statement on inclusion on the National Curriculum Handbook for primary teachers in England
• Promote continuity and progression

There are two broad areas for assessment of the CASE programme:

· The children's knowledge and understanding, e.g. of health, safety, rules, and consequences
· How well children use their knowledge and understanding in developing skills and attitudes

CASE helps our youngsters to:

• Develop self-esteem, confidence, and responsibility
• To make the most of their abilities
• Prepare to play an active role in citizenship
• Develop a healthier, safer life style
• Develop good relationships and to respect the differences between people
• Resist the bad pressures of society

Social gains as a result of the CASE programme are:

• Healthier and more active children
• Children who are confident in what they do in society
• Reduction in crime, alcohol and drug related incidents

The CASE programme meets with the recommended framework of the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority (Q.C.A.) for Personal, Social and Health Education and Citizenship in that it:

• Provides essential knowledge, skills and understanding
• Relates to other initiatives including the National Healthy School Standard
• Benefits children, schools and society
• Is flexible and offers a basis for continuity and progression

CASE Instructors are retired Police Officers who are vastly experienced in life skills education of children in schools. The programme consists of 10 lessons, each being a regular weekly input of 30-40 minutes duration, and is delivered in conjunction with the class teacher. Each lesson focuses sharply upon the safety of each child and looks closely at stranger-danger, safety in the home, safety on the playing field, personal safety, what to do in an emergency, etc.

Each CASE Instructor is of smart appearance and acts as a role model for our young people to look up to.

The National Healthy Schools Standard launched in 1999 supports the effective implementation of the PSHE and Citizenship Framework so schools, working with local partners and agencies, can promote PSHE, citizenship, drug education, emotional health, healthy eating, physical activity, safety, and sex and relationship education. CASE is the local partner who can help to keep our youngsters safe.

The CASE programme has been designed to complement the D.A.R.E. (Drug Abuse Resistance Education), Life-Ed, Road Safety, Railway Safety and Fire Safety programmes in schools not to replace them, hence CASE is directed at Key Stage 1 pupils.

Head of Priestsic Primary School, Sutton-in-Ashfield, Dave Binks said: "The great thing about CASE is that it covers such a broad range of issues, like stranger-danger, water, road and rail safety, drugs and bullying.
We don't go into detail about drugs because these children are too young for that. We try to make them see that some drugs like paracetamol or an asthma inhaler can be safe, but there are also drugs which can be very harmful and should be avoided."

Children and Safety Education Ltd. acknowledges the guidance it has received through the publication "Personal, social and health education and citizenship at Key Stages 1 and 2 - Initial Guidance for Schools",
© Qualifications and Curriculum Authority 2000.