The Stay Safe Programme
As part of the school’s Social Personal and Health Education programme (SPHE), we teach a personal safety education programme called Stay Safe.
The aim of the Stay Safe programme is to teach children personal safety skills so they can look after themselves in situations which could be upsetting or dangerous. It deals initially with common situations which most children will experience at some stage or other, e.g., getting lost or being bullied. The programme also teaches children the safety skills necessary to protect themselves from physical or sexual abuse and emphasises the importance of telling a trusted adult about any problems they have.
Features of the Stay Safe Programme
The Stay Safe programme is a compulsory programme, part of the Social, Personal and Health Education curriculum which all primary schools are required to implement. Co-operation between parents and teachers is essential to the success of this programme. It is, therefore, important that parents are aware of the content of the Stay Safe lessons and are able to discuss the lessons with their children.
There have been some important changes to the programme. To assist parents in familiarising themselves with these changes, we organised a guest speak to the school in October. This meeting was very well attended.
How it will be taught in 4th and 6th class
We are now proceeding to teach the programme. It will be delivered in 4th and 6th classes, and will run from 6th January to the 3rd April, each Thursday. Pupils will receive homework sheets after each session. This homework will involve discussion and conversations between the children and their parents. It is an essential part of the programme and all parents are asked to engage with their children each Thursday evening.
We hope that all parents will support us in implementing this programme fully. If you have any questions in this regard, please do not hesitate to contact me.
Yours sincerely,
Enda McGroman
Principal 7th January, 2020