Staying Safe in Class

Curriculum Area and Level

Area: Personal, Social, and Emotional Development (PSED)
Level: Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) – Reception
Specific Learning Outcome: Understanding simple health and safety concepts through exploring hazards and risks in the classroom.

Lesson Duration

30 minutes

Learning Objectives

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

• Recognise common hazards in the classroom.
• Understand what a ‘risk’ is in simple terms.
• Learn how to make safe choices to prevent accidents.

Resources Needed

• Picture cards of common classroom hazards (e.g. spilt water, loose shoelaces, open scissors).
• A teddy bear (for role-play scenarios).
• A ‘safe zone’ and ‘danger zone’ mat or colour-coded circles.
• Storybook: Timothy and the Tidy Classroom (or a similar child-friendly safety story).
• Stickers for positive reinforcement.

Lesson Breakdown

1. Introduction – Let’s Be Safety Detectives! (5 minutes)

• Gather children on the carpet in a circle.
• Introduce the lesson with a simple scenario: "Imagine our classroom is a big adventure! But on adventures, we need to watch out for things that might make us trip, slip, or fall. Today, we are going to be safety detectives and find out how to stay safe!"
• Show the teddy bear and explain: "This is Teddy. Today, Teddy might find some things in our classroom that aren’t safe. Can we help Teddy stay safe?"

2. Identifying Hazards – Spot the Danger! (10 minutes)

• Show the picture cards of common class hazards one at a time. Ask children: "Is this safe or not safe?"
• Encourage discussion with simple questions:
  • “What might happen if someone forgets to tie their shoelaces?”
  • “What should we do if we see some water on the floor?”
• Place hazard cards on the 'danger zone' mat as they are identified.
• Use Teddy for a role-play scene: Move him towards a hazard and ask, "Should Teddy go this way, or do we need to help him make a safer choice?"

3. Making Safe Choices – Classroom Explorers! (10 minutes)

• Guide children around the classroom in small groups to find examples of real-life hazards (e.g. a left-out chair, untidy craft scissors).
• When they spot something unsafe, children clap and say "Careful, careful!"
• Work together to ‘fix’ each hazard (e.g. tidying objects, wiping spills).
• Reinforce a simple safety message: “If we see something unsafe, we can tell a teacher or fix it safely!”

4. Reflection – How Can We Help? (5 minutes)

• Gather children back in a circle and read Timothy and the Tidy Classroom (or briefly summarise the story).
• Ask children to share one thing they learned about staying safe.
• Give stickers as a reward for participation and being great safety detectives!

Differentiation

• For younger/less confident children: Use visuals and physical demonstrations to reinforce ideas. Offer guided choices ("Do we need to step over the puddle or clean it up?").
• For more confident learners: Introduce simple cause-and-effect reasoning ("What could happen if someone runs inside?"). Allow them to share safety tips with the class.

Assessment Opportunities

• Observation of participation in discussions and activities.
• Children’s ability to recognise and describe hazards.
• Their responses to role-play situations.

Extension Activity

For continuous learning, have a ‘Safety Star of the Week’ where children can highlight safe behaviours they notice.

Teacher Reflection

• Did students engage well with the hands-on activities?
• Were they able to identify and communicate risks effectively?
• What could be adjusted for a future lesson?

This lesson introduces essential health and safety awareness in a fun, interactive, and age-appropriate way. By engaging in play-based learning, Reception children build foundational life skills that support their development in everyday safety.