Community Safety Skills

Overview

This 40-minute session is designed for a group of four Year 3 students with special educational needs, specifically autistic, non-verbal, and visually impaired learners. The lesson aims to introduce very simple concepts of safety in the community, focusing on recognising safe and unsafe situations and what actions to take, with continuous adult support. The plan is closely based on the National Curriculum for England’s Personal, Social, Health and Economic (PSHE) Education statutory framework, adapted to the needs and abilities of the students.

National Curriculum Links

PSHE Education (Key Stage 2, Years 3 & 4)

Health and Wellbeing: Recognising risk and keeping safe (NC reference: PSHE Association Programme of Study)
Working with others: Learning to communicate needs, understanding community roles
Personal Safety: To recognise safe people, places, and actions with support

This lesson supports the statutory requirements to develop pupils' knowledge about safety in the wider community, through adapted sensory and communication methods.

Learning Objectives

By the end of this lesson, pupils will be able to:

Identify, with adult support, two examples of ‘safe’ places or people in the community (e.g., a crossing, a police officer).
Recognise, with support, one ‘unsafe’ situation or person using sensory cues (sounds or simple verbal cues).
Show understanding of what action to take (e.g., stay close to a trusted adult, move away) using assisted group work and an independent task.

Resources and Support Materials

Tactile symbols/cards for ‘safe’ and ‘unsafe’ situations (e.g., textures like soft fabric for safe, rough for unsafe)
Audio cue recordings: Crossing sound (beep/beep), police radio sound, a stranger’s voice saying ‘come here’
Large, high-contrast printed pictures with Braille labels for visually impaired use
Communication boards with simple symbols linked to safety behaviours
A quiet, distraction-free space for sensory engagement
Assistive listening devices, if available
Staff or teaching assistants for 1:1 support

Lesson Structure

1. Teacher Introduction (10 minutes)

Activity:
- Begin by welcoming students and using a familiar sensory cue (e.g., ringing a bell) to signal start.
- Use tactile symbols and audio cues to introduce the idea of safety: Explain “safe” means we feel okay and protected; “not safe” means we feel worried or must leave. Use simple language paired with symbols.
- Play sound clips of ‘safe’ places (e.g., crossing beep, police radio chatter) and ‘unsafe’ cues (e.g., stranger calling). Use teacher voice to assist understanding: “This sound means safe,” “This sound means not safe.”
- Encourage students to feel tactile symbols and listen to sounds paired with teacher cues.

2. Teacher-Supported Group Identification (12 minutes)

Activity:
- Present paired tactile symbols and pictures: safe places/people vs unsafe situations.
- Teacher guides students in a turn-taking activity: Each student is encouraged to touch a symbol, listen to the corresponding sound, and identify with the teacher’s help whether it is safe or unsafe.
- Use a communication board to allow students to express ‘yes’ or ‘no’ or use gestures to select the correct option.
- Reinforce with positive verbal praise and/or a familiar sensory reward (e.g., a soft touch or favourite object).

3. Independent Supported Work (10 minutes)

Activity:
- Students individually use their communication boards or assistive tech to match tactile symbols with simple statements supported by adult prompts.
- For example, set up a tray with items representing: a crossing symbol, a person with a stab vest (police officer), and a ‘stranger’ symbol, asking, “Which is safe? Which is not safe?”
- Students indicate choices independently but with adult help to clarify if required.
- Use personal attention to ensure understanding, adapting the level of support to each student’s communication mode.

4. Plenary (8 minutes)

Activity:
- Circle time: Using tactile symbols and sound cues again, briefly recap the safe/unsafe signs introduced.
- Each student is invited to participate by choosing one symbol or sound and demonstrating the action related (e.g., holding up a safe symbol and nodding, or moving away from an unsafe cue).
- Teacher summarises key points using simple sentences and clear cues.
- End with positive reinforcement and a calming sensory activity (e.g., gentle hand massage or soft music).

Assessment

Formative Assessment:
- Teacher observations during group and individual activities to check if students respond correctly to safe/unsafe stimuli with support.
- Use a simple checklist to record student recognition of safe places/people and their understanding of appropriate actions.
Summative Assessment:
- By end of lesson, each student should demonstrate basic identification of at least one safe and one unsafe situation, either via communication board, gesture, or assisted choice.
Recording Progress:
- Include descriptors on engagement levels, responses to sensory cues, independence in making safety choices, and communication attempts.

Differentiation and Inclusion

Use multimodal approaches (tactile, auditory, simple verbal cues) tailored to each student’s sensory and communication needs.
Support non-verbal students to express understanding using augmentative and alternative communication (AAC), including eye gaze, switches, or symbol boards.
Allow extra time and one-to-one support to ensure comprehension without pressure.
Use repeated exposure to sensory symbols over multiple lessons for consolidation.

Teacher Reflection Points

Were all students engaged and able to identify safe vs unsafe with support?
Did sensory aids (sounds, tactile cards) effectively support learning for visually impaired and non-verbal learners?
How did each learner communicate understanding, and can the method be enhanced in future lessons?
What additional community safety scenarios could be introduced in next lessons to build confidence and independence?

This lesson seeks to build foundational community safety knowledge through highly accessible sensory experiences, empowering each student to experience safety positively while fulfilling National Curriculum standards on health, wellbeing and personal safety.