What’s it all about?

Road Safety Week, which runs from November 10, aims to help cut the numbers of children killed or injured on UK roads - currently one every 18 minutes. Schools have a vital role in educating children and young people about the risks they face.

Assembly ideas

With the very youngest children, you could start with an assembly that reinforces the message that to stay safe near roads, they must hold an adult’s hand. If that adult’s hands are full, what could they hold?

With seven to 11-year-olds, your theme could be the importance of visibility. Ask pupils what they have noticed about journeys to and from school as the autumn term advances. How early does it get dark now? And can children’s winter clothes help them be seen?

Enlist three children, one wearing light clothes, one dark, and a third in a reflective or fluorescent jacket. Darken the hall and ask which child is easiest to see. Use a torch to show how the reflective material works.

In secondary schools try safe cycling - 14 is the peak age for child casualties on bikes. You could start by finding out how many pupils own bikes and how they use them, and emphasise that those riding on the roads have responsibility for their own and others’ safety.

Then you could do a quiz on the Highway Code, using an overhead projector and getting the pupils to vote on the options, giving the right answer each time.

Help, I don’t have enough time to prepare

There are ready-made assemblies for all age groups at www.rospa.comRoadSafetyinfoschool_assembly.pdf.

Chevron is releasing a series of resources to coincide with Road Safety Week, available to download from www.hectorshome.com.

Where can I go for more information? www.roadsafetyweek.org.uk.