Safety campaigners target school walkers.
Birmingham-based DriveSafe & StaySafe is introducing its new early learning book about road safety to education professionals at this year’s Education Show.
The Conies: Walking to School Safely Journal will be exhibited by DriveSafe & StaySafe – a not for profit organisation – on the Goodmedia Ltd stand J93 at the leading education event being held at the NEC in Birmingham from March 16th-18th.
The 40-page illustrated book, produced with the support of the Birmingham Community Safety Partnership, is aimed at Key Stage 1 pupils (4-6 years). It features a family of traffic-cone cartoon characters whose creators hope will become national heroes of road safety for children.
DriveSafe & StaySafe will also be exhibiting a support guide to the journal for teachers along with Conies-branded pencils and Hi-Vis snap bands at the show, which is expected to attract more than 10,000 visitors from across the UK, from school teachers and administrators to education suppliers.
The first 2,700 copies of the book, which was launched in January by West Midlands Assistant Police and Crime Commissioner Ashley Bertie, are currently being delivered, along with teacher’s support books, to 37 primary schools in Yardley, Hall Green and Hodge Hill, all locations identified in the 2016 Birmingham Road Safety Strategy as child accident hot spots.
Every Key Stage 1 pupil at these schools will receive a copy of the book, which has been designed to meet the Early Years Foundation Stage and Personal Social Health Education (PSHE) learning and development requirements. The children will also receive a Hi-Vis snap band and Conies pencil, while their teachers receive a teacher’s support Journal.
Jess Phillips, Labour MP for Yardley, commented: “This is a brilliant initiative to help children keep safe and I am delighted this Journal is being delivered to local schools in my constituency area and was delighted to be part of making this happen.”
Fay Goodman, creator of the Conies and director of DriveSafe & StaySafe, said: “I hope The Conies will become our new national heroes of road safety for children, just as the Green Cross Code man and Tufty the Squirrel were in their day.
“The Conies: Walking to School Safely Journal has been designed to engage children in road safety through reading, listening and acting out scenarios from the book, and there is a review at the end to test how much the child has learnt and absorbed. Teachers will be able to keep this page as ‘evidence’ of the child’s learning and reward it with a certificate or star to offer continued encouragement.”
