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To experience realistic emergency, dangerous or potentially
dangerous scenarios
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To test reactions to these scenarios through role-play
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With the professional input of a variety of community
agencies, to learn reactions to the scenarios that are appropriate
to being a responsible citizen in the community
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The main beneficiaries
Participating children
The Agencies
The environment
The wider community
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The initiative
The initiative has been running in Tower Hamlets for at least
7 years. Eight agencies were involved in delivering Junior Citizens
in 2001:
Children are split into 11 groups and each group moves through various
safety and citizenship scenarios offered by the different Agencies involved.
In each scenario children have to react quickly to an emergency or crisis
situation. The scenarios are as realistic as possible and enable children
to react to and then learn about more appropriate actions relating to
each scenario. The scenarios include a fire, a situation involving bullying,
kitchen safety and a crisis requiring an emergency telephone call.
Each group is given a score depending on how they react to the scenario
and the members from the winning team from each half-day session receive
medals. The school with the highest score over the two weeks receives
a cup which this year was presented to St Mary's and St Michael's school
by the ex-mayor of Tower Hamlets and the Director of Tate and Lyle.
"I'm sure the scenarios have made a big impression on the groups
and will make some difference to their behaviour in the future." Teacher,
Malmesbury Junior school
"It was absolutely brilliant. The children learned an awful
lot from being put in role-playing situations. They responded really
positively and were talking about it for hours afterwards." Teacher,
Harbinger Primary School
"A great day out! I'm a safer person!" Pupil, Harbinger Primary
School
"A fun outing, it was also very educational; a good all round activity
to take part in." Pupil, Harbinger Primary School
"I learned lots of things and one day it could save my life." Pupil,
St Saviours Church of England Primary School
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The outcome
Many schools have follow up assemblies on the event, usually involving the
children who attended Junior Citizens. Children often design safety posters
which are displayed or have the letters they have written displayed. Several
Agencies including the Metropolitan Police, Transport for London and WAGN
have been involved in follow up work in schools with children who attended
Junior Citizens
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Evaluation and assessment opportunities
There is no formal assessment but the initiative clearly has a lasting impression
on children. An organiser who has been working on Junior Citizens for a
number of years reports that young people who attended the scheme some
years ago still recall scenarios and how they responded to them whenever
she sees them. Many schools encourage the children to write letters of
thanks to the organisers; many letters demonstrate what has been learned
and the impact the initiative has had on them.
There is a comments book which has a record of teachers and other
adults comments.
"The activities were well planned and superbly resourced and managed.
The adults who worked with the children related well to the children
and managed to get the best. This could not have been achieved at
school" Deputy Head, Hermitage school
"Brilliant! A fantastic learning experience for the children -
and great fun. This is important work. Long may you continue to do
this." Community Relations Manager, Tate and Lyle
"An extremely well organised morning. Informative and dealt with
very serious, important issues in an accessible, fun way. Both children
and staff enjoyed it and learnt a lot." Stepney Greencoat school
"The children have learnt such a lot in a short time and in an
interesting way! Thanks to all the workshop leaders who had a great
way with the kids and a real interest in getting their important
messages across." Teache,r Cyril Jackson school
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Challenges encountered
There have been three main challenges:
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Difficulty in finding a suitably sized site for the Agencies
to deliver the initiative given the large space required and limited
funding available. This year's site, the Tate and Lyle building in
Silvertown, was in fact outside the borough which meant transporting
children some distance to reach it
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Co-ordination of the Agencies. As the programme works over two
weeks it is often difficult to get different Agencies to commit to
the same two weeks and for that length of time. Often Agencies do
no commit until less that three weeks before the programme is due
to begin
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Communication with schools. Schools that are not expected to
attend arrive; schools expected to arrive don't turn up. Communication
occurs primarily by letter which can cause problems.
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Cross curricular links
In addition to fulfilling Citizenship and PSHE objectives, Junior Citizens
provides opportunities for follow up work in English, drama and art and
children often take part in assemblies sharing what they have learnt with
the rest of the school.
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Links with other schools, community groups and organisations,
local and national
Junior Citizens provides an ideal opportunity for Agencies operating
in the community to meet children and make them aware of the important
role they play within the community and society at large.
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Project contacts
PC Denise Wales
Isle of Dogs Police Station
Manchester Road
London E14 9HW
Tel: 020 7275 4278
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Key Stage 2 Citizenship
and PSHE National Curriculum relevance
Pupils should be taught:
- to face new challenges positively by collecting information, looking
for help, making responsible choices, and taking action (1c)
- about the range of jobs carried out by people they know, and to
understand how they can develop skills to make their own contribution
in the future (1e)
- to recognise the different risks in different situations and then
decide how to behave responsibly… (3e)
- that pressure to behave in an unacceptable or risky way can come
for help and use basic techniques for resisting pressure to do wrong
(3f)
- to make real choices and decisions…about issues affecting their
health and well-being…[and] on the use of scarce resources (5d)
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