Adapting lessons for special educational needs and disabilities (SEND)
Road safety education and training should be appropriate and effective for pupils of all ages and abilities, including those with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND).
When adapting lessons, please be aware of pupils’ individual requirements and adapt lessons to fit their needs. Use visual aids and sensory play to help pupils learn and understand the connection between road danger and their own safety. Focus on road safety basics, such as holding hands with a grown up when walking near roads, how to cross roads at safe crossing places and always wearing a seat belt/sitting in a child seat when travelling by car.
Background information
Riding a bike is great fun. It’s good for our bodies and good for the planet as well. But cycling can be dangerous, and drivers and cyclists need to take proper care to keep each other safe. Cyclists are some of the most vulnerable road users, and children are at particular risk. About 100 children under the age of 11 are killed or seriously injured in cycling collisions every year.
Brake recommends that children under the age of 10 should always ride with a grown up and should only cycle on safe, segregated paths away from motorised traffic.
Talk about cycle safety in class
Explain to children that, while it's not a nice fact to hear, more than six children are killed or seriously injured on roads every day in the UK. These crashes have a devastating effect on families and their communities.
Ask children to watch a short animated film by Brake called We love to cycle. This film shows the benefits of cycling and shows children how to stay as safe as possible when riding a bike.
After watching the film, talk to children about what they have seen.
Here are some questions you could ask, and some suggestions for answers.
- Why is cycling good for us?
Cycling is good for our bodies and good for the planet. Cycling is an excellent form of exercise and can help keep us fit and healthy, and improve balance and coordination. It can even boost brain power by increasing blood flow to the brain! Cycling also helps to keep the planet healthy. If more people choose to cycle instead of driving, there will be less traffic on the roads and the air will be cleaner to breathe. - How can grown ups help children stay safe when cycling?
Children should cycle with a grown up on safe cycle paths away from traffic. Traffic is heavy, it hits hard and can hurt people, and most roads are unsafe for children, especially fast and bendy rural roads and busy roads in towns and cities that do not have separate spaces for cyclists. - How can cycle training help?
Training helps children learn the skills and confidence they need to prepare them for cycling safely on the roads. Organisations like Bikeability, Cycling Scotland and Cycle Training Wales run training sessions for all ages and abilities, and cover topics from balance and control to planning independent journeys on busier roads. - How can we protect ourselves when cycling?
We recommend that all children wear a helmet to protect their head if they fall off. Wearing bright clothes can help drivers to see cyclists.
We love to cycle
Watch a short, animated film for primary schoolchildren shows the benefits of cycling and how to stay as safe as possible when riding a bike.