Medway’s Junior Road Safety Officer Scheme

Currently there are 16 Primary and Junior Schools in Medway participating in this initiative and feedback from schools and the JRSOs has been very positive.

The scheme enables a small team [usually between two and four upper KS2 pupils] to raise the profile of road safety within their schools. Not only does this achieve its own objectives but it has been reported that it often has had a very positive impact on pupils’ self esteem and raises their profile among peers.

This is achieved by carrying out a small number of pupil-led activities including:
• Assemblies.
• Competitions.
• Displays of posters and guidance materials.
• Class talks and distributing guidance materials [which Medway Council may be able to supply].
• Writing letters and sending appropriate information to specific audiences within the whole school community.

During 2010, Medway’s road safety team will support participating schools and pupils by:
• Presenting the initiative to the group of pupils who will select the JRSOs, which will help inform their decision to apply for the role.
• Inviting the JRSOs and their adult guide to a road safety information afternoon which will be attended by the road safety team and other road safety organisations including the police, fire and rescue, ambulance service, parking enforcement, safety camera partnership and neighbourhood officers. JRSOs will have the opportunity to meet these officers and inspect the equipment that they use. This will take place towards the end of October 2010.
• Providing an enamel badge and folder to all JRSOs.
• Meeting the JRSOs to identify the focus of their school-centred actions, set simple objectives and identify what activities they could conduct to achieve these.
• Attending and supporting the JRSO before and during one assembly each year.
• Supporting the JRSO in other activities during the year (for example, sending in a contribution to the newsletter).
• Sending three newsletters per year to the JRSOs via their adult guides [in terms two, four and six].
• Presenting the JRSOs and their school with a certificate of recognition of support during term six. This could be during a school assembly.
• Presenting gold certificates to schools and their JRSOs that make outstanding contributions to the JRSO initiative.
• Being a contact point for the JRSOs for advice and support as required. (Although all staff are CRB approved, all emails that are answered by a safer journeys officer are always copied to the adult guide, for child protection purposes.)

The team has held two JRSO end of year celebration events, one at a school and one at a local adventure centre. Both were well received and children enjoyed watching a magic road safety show, rock climbing and archery, alongside an awards presentation.

Ideally JRSOs should have photo permissions so that press stories about this initiative can released during the year.