Shropshire schoolgirls train for terror emergency
A Shropshire girl's school is bringing terrorism response training into the classroom in the light of recent attacks.
With a packed programme of summer activities planned, including visits to crowded centres and attractions in cities such as Birmingham and Liverpool, Adcote School has decided to act now to prepare girls for potentially life-threatening situations.
The school says it is taking sensible steps to educate the students, make them aware of recent events and know what steps they need to ensure they are safe.
Lou Hudson, head of student wellbeing at the boarding school, said: "In the light of the recent tragic events in Manchester and London, the school is now looking to deliver pragmatic advice on how to behave should attacks occur."
She said the school was following guidelines set by the gov.uk website and CitizenAID such as the ‘run/hide/tell’ advice, as well as recognising and reporting suspicious activity and items.
Adcote is also using personal, social and health education lessons to talk to pupils who may want to discuss the recent traumatic events and is integrating guidance from the PHSE association, on coping with the wide range of emotions that might arise as a result.
She said: “Clearly, our girls have been affected by the recent events and we feel very strongly that is the right thing to do to prepare them, both in practical terms, but also psychologically, for a possible terrorist attack.
“It goes without saying that we would much rather not have to be doing this, but such is the world these girls are now inheriting, we need to be proactive and future-looking and seek to adapt to the reality of 21st century terrorism here on British soil.
“Our PHSE programme provides the space and opportunity for discussions that provide timely support for pupils at a difficult and sensitive time. Our thoughts are with everyone affected in any way by the recent tragic incidents.”
Teachers select from PHSE guidance aspects that are relevant for the nature and circumstances of a particular event – such as the Manchester bombing – and gauge their delivery based on the age and readiness of the children, and the whole-school ethos and values.
CitizenAID has been developed by experienced UK civilian and military clinicians working in collaboration with industry to improve public resilience. When there is a shooting, stabbing or bomb explosion the initial priority will be public safety. CitizenAID enables the general public to be effective in these situations before the emergency services are available to provide professional medical support.
