Primary Times - the definitive what’s on and where to go family guide of activities and events for children of primary school age. Things to do with your kids during the school holidays including arts and craft activities, music and theatre for children, parties, competitions, days out, and family attractions along with term time drama schools, dance classes, after school clubs and sports activities. Things to do at a place near you!
Road safety charity and children’s TV presenter launch new short film for schools
Road safety charity Brake has teamed up with children’s TV presenter Maddie Moate to create a brand new short film for primary schools.
The five-minute film, called speed matters with Maddie Moate, has been created for UK Road Safety Week 2017, which is coordinated by Brake and starts on Monday 20 November.
Maddie Moate is a TV presenter and YouTube educator, who is best known for hosting the hit CBeebies series Do You Know?
Speed matters features six primary school children talking to Maddie about key aspects of road safety. In keeping with the theme of this year’s Road Safety Week, Speed Down Save Lives, there is a particular emphasis on speed. The film explains how and why children view roads differently and why it is so important for drivers to keep their speed down in places where people live. It gives a simple introduction to kinetic energy and stopping distances, and ends with the children talking about what they would like grown-ups to do to help keep them safe near roads.
Speeding is still a major problem in the UK and contributes to one in four fatal crashes on British roads. Speeding causes needless crashes, untold suffering and stops people living safe and healthy lives. Driving is unpredictable and if something unexpected happens on the road ahead – such as a child stepping out – it is a driver’s speed that will determine whether they can stop in time and, if they can’t stop, how hard they will hit.
Speed matters with Maddie Moate will be shown by hundreds of schools across the UK during Road Safety Week and is now available for teachers, families and parents to access for free by registering at www.roadsafetyweek.org.uk/action-pack. The film will then be available on Brake’s YouTube channel from Monday 20 November.
Filming took place at Churchill Gardens Primary Academy, London, and features pupils Emad Matroudzadeh (aged 10), Rayan El-Sayed (aged 11), Aliya Alam (aged 11), Saima Nuzhat Syeda (aged 10), Vanessa Dinis (aged 10) and Andy-Thomas Trivic-Vranari (aged 10).
Established 20 years ago, Road Safety Week inspires teachers, youth workers and early-learning educators to engage pupils of all ages in lessons and activities that encourage safe and responsible road use. It’s also a fantastic opportunity for schools to send important messages about road safety home to parents and the wider community.
Brake has created additional free resources following the Speed Down Save Lives theme, including posters, lesson plans, assembly presentations, activity sheets, advice and case studies.
In 2016, nearly 8,000 schools, organisations and groups ran Road Safety Week activities, with the majority taking place within primary school settings.
To view those who have registered for Road Safety Week 2017, take a look at Brake’s new interactive map.
Dave Nichols, community engagement manager for Brake, said: “Speeding remains a major problem in the UK. Not only does it put kids' lives at risk every single day, but it prevents them from being able to walk and cycle safely in their communities. We know this because the children themselves tell us. This short film is a chance for them to have a voice; to help explain some of the science behind speeding to their peers; and to get those all-important messages home to grown-ups.
“As a charity that supports bereaved and seriously injured road crash victims, we know only too well the devastation and heartache caused by speeding drivers. That is why we were so pleased to be able to work with a talented presenter like Maddie, who really helps explain the important messages in a way that is easy to understand for both children and adults.”
Maddie Moate, TV presenter and Youtube educator, said: “I love explaining how things work in simple, interesting ways, so when Brake asked me to be involved with their film for Road Safety Week I jumped at the chance!
“It’s so important for us all to understand why young people are one of the highest risk groups when it comes to road safety and the children in this film can certainly teach us a thing or two. Their ideas and opinions about what they want grown-ups to do to help keep them safe on the roads should be heard by everyone.”
Janella Ajeigbe, headteacher at Churchill Gardens Primary Academy, said: “The busy streets around our schools can be a dangerous place for young children. That’s why it’s really important that parents and teachers use easy ways to explain the dangers of speeding and methods for staying safe.
“Our pupils were really excited about the opportunity to appear in a film and work with Maddie. They are thrilled that the film will help other children to spread important messages and help grown-ups keep them safe.”
Emad Matroudzadeh, aged 10, of Churchill Gardens Primary Academy, said: “When we’re kids, our journeys look a bit different to what the grown-ups see, but grown-ups don’t always realise this.
“We want slow traffic.”
Aliya Alam, aged 11, of Churchill Gardens Primary Academy, said: “Because of the way our brains are developing, we find it much harder to tell how fast a car is travelling when it’s coming towards us.
“We want less traffic. We want clean air to breathe.”