Officers join children for safety sessions

School children in Northampton have been learning how to stay safe and recognise their emotions with the help of their local neighbourhood policing team.

PC Spencer Lyman along with Police Community Support Officers Craig Matthews and Mark Foster, were invited to join Year 6 pupils at Fairfields School for the fun and interactive sessions.

Staff at the community special school, designed the sessions to meet the learning styles of the 11-year-olds, who have a range of complex educational needs and conditions including autism which affect concentration levels.

The sessions focussed on emotions, protective behaviours, internet safety, people you can trust and who they can talk to. The officers also spoke to the youngsters about the role of the police.

PC Lyman said: “Most of the children at Fairfields School have quite complex needs and disabilities, which can make these children extremely vulnerable. Working in partnership with specialist schools is invaluable.

“Staff at the school ran the sessions and we were on hand to answer any questions and help with any tasks. The children got so much from our visit and it was heart-warming to see the joy in their faces.

“We joined the children in the playground at break time, enabling us to meet the rest of the school, which improved their confidence and trust in the police. In fact there were a few tears when we left but we promised to visit again soon.”

PCSO Matthews added: “It was a great experience to engage with the children and have the opportunity to show them that the police care and are not there to take them away. We joined in their games, and they particularly enjoyed chasing me around the playground.”

At the end of the session, the children were given the opportunity to check out the patrol car, test the vehicle’s lights and siren before enjoying a short trip around the car park.