Special school pupils get the ‘Right Start’

A school for children with profound learning difficulties is working hard to ensure its pupils have the knowledge to become safer pedestrians.

Over 50 children attending The Coppice School in Bamber Bridge, Preston, have successfully completed Stage 1 of the 'Right Start' child pedestrian training programme. The Coppice teaches children aged between 2 and 19 years with severe and profound learning difficulties.

Right Start is designed for use with primary age children and involves schools and parents working in partnership with Lancashire County Council's Road Safety Group. Since the Right Start programme was introduced four years ago over 200 Lancashire primary schools have been involved with the scheme.

Nursery nurse Christine Jones explained: "Road safety is an important part of the curriculum so it was decided to train support staff to help implement Right Start - so pupils will be more independent when in the community.

"All our pupils use the local facilities and they use their road safety skills on a regular basis for a variety of curriculum areas, including library visits, shopping and the use of local cafes."

Road safety adviser, Viv Clayton, added: "The Right Start programme is based on research which shows that children learn best through practical experience in the traffic environment. There are three stages, each consisting of a number of elements including classroom discussions, practical activities at the roadside and follow up worksheets."

For further information about Right Start contact the Road Safety Group on 0800 328 1635 or visit www.lancashireroadsafety.co.uk