Training

Terrorism safety advice for UK schools

by Mark Rowe

Police have made terrorism safety advice available to teach in UK schools. Counter-terror police commissioned an animated film to teach young people aged 11 to 16 years how to react if caught up in a gun or knife terror attack. If you’re concerned about how a child is feeling after recent attacks or would like advice on how to talk to your children about terrorism, you can call the NSPCC helpline on 0808 800 5000.

While as the authorities say attacks are rare, 2017 events in London (pictured; Borough Market) and the Manchester Arena concert bombing remind us that attacks can occur at any time or place without warning. Police want young people to have the correct knowledge they will be taught to RUN if they are able to, HIDE if they are not, and TELL police of the threat only when it is safe to do so. They will also be told NOT to stop and use their phones until they are safely away from danger.

The new animated film will be the cornerstone of two specially-designed PSHE (personal, social, health and economic education) lesson plans, one for Key Stage Three and one for Key Stage Four pupils, available to education practitioners and youth groups. These lessons, with teacher guidance, have been created by the PSHE Association, a national body for personal, social, health and economic (PSHE) education. The video and all necessary teaching materials are available to download via the NPCC website.

At the National Police Chiefs Council (NPCC) Lead for Protective Security, Met Police Deputy Assistant Commissioner Lucy D’Orsi said: “We knew we needed to educate a younger audience and we knew that, if done correctly, this could be a campaign which will continue to keep people safe for decades to come. We created this education piece with that aim in mind, to produce a generation of young people who not only would know exactly what to do in the unlikely event they were ever caught in gun or knife attack, but would pass that information on to others.”

The film, titled ‘Run, Hide, Tell – The story of Nur, Edih and Llet’ is a mix of action and graphic novel style animation, and follows the story of three young people who find themselves caught up in an attack on a shopping centre. As well as the official UK ‘Run, Hide, Tell’ advice, the lessons include other safety and preparedness information, such as how to spot suspicious activity and behaviour. There is also a session plan designed for use in youth organisations such as the Scouts and Girlguiding UK, to support them to deliver the ‘Run, Hide, Tell’ message.

Another lesson, available to both schools and youth groups will also teach children to TREAT – an extra element designed by medics from St John Ambulance to inform young people how to deliver basic first aid to injured people while hiding.

Lucy D’Orsi said: “These lessons will go way beyond the basic messaging we have delivered through previous public-facing campaigns. Teachers will be able to pause this video at specific points to discuss elements of the safety advice with their pupils, giving young people the chance to discuss more complex topics – such as what constitutes suspicious behaviour – at greater length and in a safe school or youth group environment.”

“We appreciate that parents and teachers might have concerns about speaking to young people about such topics, but that is exactly why we have worked closely with the PSHE Association to deliver messaging which is age-appropriate, engaging and could save lives. The NSPCC also provides excellent advice for parents who wish to speak to their children in a constructive way about difficult topics such as terrorism.

For the NSPCC advice visit https://www.nspcc.org.uk/what-we-do/news-opinion/supporting-children-worried-about-terrorism/.

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