Public Transport Safety

Overview

Unit: Understanding Street Safety (Lesson 7 of 10)
Duration: 30 minutes
Class Size: 20 students
Age Group: Year 2 (ages 6-7)
Curriculum Alignment:

• PSHE Association Programme of Study for Key Stage 1
• DfE Personal, Social, Health and Economic education (PSHE) guidance (2017)
• National Curriculum for England: Health and Wellbeing strand in PSHE

---

Learning Objectives

By the end of this lesson, pupils will:

1. Understand simple rules for using public transport safely, including waiting for the bus, boarding, and sitting properly.
2. Recognise the importance of following rules to keep themselves and others safe.
3. Develop awareness of appropriate behaviour on public transport.
4. Begin to identify potential hazards when using public transport and how to stay safe.

National Curriculum References:

• Health and Wellbeing – Key Stage 1
  • Pupils should learn how to recognise risk in simple everyday situations and what action to take to minimise harm.
  • Explore ways to keep safe, including basic road safety and safe behaviour when travelling.
• PSHE Association Guidelines:
  • Core Theme 1: Health and Wellbeing – Keeping safe and managing risk.
  • Pupils understand and appreciate the need for rules to keep themselves safe.

---

Resources Needed

• Large printed or laminated bus stop sign
• Toy bus or bus model
• Chairs arranged like a bus seating layout
• "Safety Rules" visual cards (e.g., wait at the stop, board carefully, sit down, hold handrails)
• Scenario cards illustrating safe vs unsafe behaviour on public transport
• Stickers or star stamps for participation and good answers

---

Lesson Structure

1. Introduction (5 minutes)

• Engage: Gather students in a circle and ask what they know about buses and other public transport.
• Purpose: Explain that today they will learn how to be safe when using buses and other public transport.
• Connect: Link to previous lessons on street safety and the importance of following rules.
• Share Objectives: “Today we will learn the rules to stay safe on buses and why it’s important to follow them.”

---

2. Interactive Story Time with Visuals (8 minutes)

• Tell a short illustrated story about a child going on a bus journey, highlighting safe behaviours:
  • Waiting calmly at the bus stop
  • Standing back from the road
  • Boarding the bus one at a time
  • Finding a seat and sitting properly
  • Listening to the driver and holding the handrail
• Use the toy bus and chairs to demonstrate actions.
• Show "Safety Rules" cards as the story progresses for visual reinforcement.
• Check Understanding: Ask questions like “What should you do while waiting for the bus?” or “Why must we sit properly on the bus?”

---

3. Role-play Activity (12 minutes)

• Set up stations:
  • Bus Stop Area: Students practise waiting safely in line.
  • Boarding Area: Practice boarding one by one safely, using handrails on the toy bus.
  • Seating Area: Practise finding a seat and sitting properly.
• Instructions: Divide the class into small groups and rotate through each station.
• Focus: Encourage following the safety rules and friendly behaviour.
• Teacher Role: Observe, prompt, and reinforce good practice with positive feedback and star stickers.
• Peer Feedback: After each rotation, ask students to share what they did well or how they helped their friends stay safe.

---

4. Group Discussion & Scenario Sorting (4 minutes)

• Present simple scenario cards with pictures/text showing safe and unsafe behaviours on public transport (e.g., standing too close to the edge of the road, running on the bus).
• In groups, pupils decide if the behaviour is safe or unsafe and explain why.
• Highlight the importance of following rules to keep everyone safe.

---

5. Plenary & Assessment (1 minute)

• Quick round of questions: “Name one rule for using the bus safely.”
• Praise and reward participation.
• Note any misconceptions for follow-up or future lessons.

---

Differentiation

• For SEN pupils: Use simplified language, more visual cues, and adult support during role-play stations.
• For more confident learners: Encourage explaining rules to peers or suggesting additional safety tips.

---

SEND and Safeguarding Notes

• Emphasise empathy and respectful behaviour towards others in public spaces.
• Ensure all role-play scenarios are inclusive, depicting diverse backgrounds and abilities.

---

Follow-up/Homework Suggestion

• Encourage children to discuss bus safety rules with their family or draw a poster illustrating a bus safety rule learned today to share in the next class.

---

WOW Factor Ideas for Teachers

• Use a simple augmented reality app on a tablet showing a virtual bus stop scene to enhance visual learning (optional).
• Create a classroom bus “travel badge” that pupils earn when they demonstrate safe behaviours in role plays.
• Invite a local bus driver or public transport officer for a brief Q&A session (in person or virtual) in a future lesson to reinforce learning.

---

This lesson embraces active learning, role play, and discussion to embed key road and travel safety behaviours, fully aligned with the National Curriculum for England’s PSHE association framework for Key Stage 1.