The Infants and Juniors at Burgess Hill School for Girls have all enjoyed a day of workshops this term with the school's Police Liaison Officer, PC Debbie Cummins, from Burgess Hill Police Station.

The Reception class learned about 'People who help us'. Pupil Victoria concluded, "We need police ladies like PC Debbie to keep us safe." Aimee noticed that "PC Debbie wears a badge to let everyone know who she is." Hetty found out that "Dogs are used by the Police because they smell really well."

With the dark nights quickly approaching, Year 2 had a timely lesson in road safety. "We learnt how to cross the road safely" said pupil Megan Vandersluis. Amelia Amer added "I must remember to never cross the road on my own". Juliette Browning wisely remembered "You can always ask a Police Officer or a Lollypop Lady to help you cross the road."

Year 3 and 4 thought about ways to stay safe. The girls learnt what to do if they are not collected from school and how to keep themselves safe. Year 4 also looked at internet safety with PC Cummins. They learnt about the dangers of chatting to people they do not know and how important it is not to give their name, address or contact numbers. Several of the girls have since decided to abandon internet sites such as 'Moshi Monsters'.

The girls in Year 6 worked in groups to plan an outing without parents, highlighting areas which needed attention to keep them safe.

Junior School Deputy Head, Mrs Pearson, said "All classes gained an enormous amount from the day and we very much look forward to welcoming PC Cummins back next year to further enrich our Citizenship curriculum."

Trying on a police outfit

19/10/10