Staying Safe Out

Overview

Duration: 45 minutes
Class size: 3 students
Age group: Year 4 (8–9 years)
Subject area: Other — Personal, Social, Health, and Economic (PSHE) Education, with a focus on Travel Safety
National Curriculum links:

• PSHE Association Programme of Study (England, Key Stage 2):
  • Health and Wellbeing: "Recognise the factors that affect mental health and strategies to manage these; how to ask for help if they are worried about themselves or others"
  • Relationships: "Identify different types of relationships and who to turn to for help and support"
• Statutory guidance on Safeguarding: Understanding appropriate and safer contacts

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Learning Objectives

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

1. Identify Safer Contacts
   • Recognise trusted adults and safer strangers they can ask for help when travelling.
2. Understand Communication
   • Know when and how to update parents/carers about their whereabouts or changes in travel plans.
3. Choose Wisely
   • Explain who to contact in different travel situations (e.g., lost, feeling unsafe) and why.
4. Practice Safe Communication
   • Use polite language and appropriate communication methods when asking for help.

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National Curriculum References

• PSHE Education (Key Stage 2)
  • Health and Wellbeing: "How to manage risks in different familiar and unfamiliar situations,"
  • Relationships: "How to ask for help if they are worried about themselves or others"
• Statutory Safeguarding Guidance (Keeping Children Safe in Education, 2023): Emphasises awareness of trusted adults and safer strangers for safety outdoors.

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Resources

• Scenario cards with different travel-related situations
• Visual aids: Trusted adult badges, green/red go/no-go cards
• Role play props (e.g., toy phone, bags)
• "Safer Contacts Chart" worksheet
• Polite communication posters with example phrases
• Reward stickers

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Lesson Structure

1. Introduction (5 minutes)

• Gather students in a circle.
• Briefly discuss types of situations when they might travel alone or with friends (e.g., walking to shop, school, a friend's house).
• Introduce the concept of trusted adults (e.g., parents, teachers, police officers) and safer strangers (e.g., uniformed public transport staff).
• Show visual aids identifying trusted adults versus strangers.

Teaching tip: Personalise by asking students about who their trusted adults are.

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2. Activity 1: Identifying Safer Contacts (10 minutes)

• Hand out Scenario Cards describing common travel situations:

  • Lost on the way home
  • Someone is making them feel uncomfortable
  • Missed the bus
  • Need to change plans

• Students work as a trio to discuss each scenario and identify:
  a) Who should they ask for help?
  b) Why is this person safe to talk to?

• On "Safer Contacts Chart," write or draw their answers to reinforce learning.

• Teacher monitors and guides discussion, correcting misconceptions kindly.

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3. Activity 2: Understanding Communication (10 minutes)

• Explain why it’s important to update parents/carers when travel plans change (e.g., bus delayed, going to a friend's after school).

• Discuss polite ways to talk or write messages to parents/carers, emphasising respect and clarity.

• Role Play:

  • One student plays the child explaining a change of plan to their parent on the toy phone.
  • Other students provide supportive feedback focusing on politeness and clarity.

• Practise phrases such as:

  • "Hi Mum/Dad, I just wanted to let you know that the bus is late."
  • "Hello, I am going to my friend’s house after school today."

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4. Activity 3: Choosing Wisely & Practising Safe Communication (15 minutes)

• Present mixed travel situations, including safe and unsafe scenarios (e.g., stranger offers help, or uniformed adult offers assistance).

• Students decide:

  • Who to contact in each scenario?
  • How to ask for help politely?

• Role play each situation twice: once using polite and safe language, once using less effective communication for contrast.

• Use green/red cards to vote on whether the communication shown is safe and polite.

• Teacher highlights key phrases and methods:

  • Using "excuse me,"
  • Speaking clearly,
  • Staying calm,
  • Not following strangers without adult permission.

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5. Plenary and Assessment (5 minutes)

• Recap main points with a quick quiz:

  • True or False statements related to the day’s focus.
  • Ask each student to name one trusted adult and one safe phrase to use when asking for help.

• Discuss what they would do next time they are travelling alone or with friends.

• Distribute reward stickers for active participation and insightful answers.

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Assessment

Formative assessment through:

• Observation during group discussions and role plays.
• Review of "Safer Contacts Chart" to check understanding.
• Responses to quiz questions and plenary participation.

Criteria for success:

• Students correctly identify trusted adults and safer strangers.
• Students demonstrate polite and effective communication skills in role plays.
• Students show confident understanding of when to update parents/carers.

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Differentiation

• Provide sentence starters and visual prompts for students who need extra support during role play.
• Allow more independence for confident students to lead group discussions.
• Use physical props to engage kinaesthetic learners fully.

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Extension ideas

• Homework: Create a mini poster of “My Trusted Contacts” and share it at home.
• Invite a local community officer or bus driver to discuss how they help children stay safe.

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By integrating role play, discussion, and personalised content, this lesson helps Year 4 pupils confidently navigate travel safety using trusted contacts and polite communication, in line with the England National Curriculum and safeguarding guidance.