Drug Education

Introduction

Drug Education is a responsibility we share with parents, families and the wider community.

We consider Drug Education to be very important, but do not include it as a separate subject within the curriculum. Much of it is delivered through our Science topics, but P.S.H.E., English, Religious Education, Physical Education and many other subjects have a role to play.

Why Teach Drug Education?

The teaching of Drug Education is essential.

The DFES ‘ Drug Education: Curriculum Guidance for Schools’ booklet indicates that :-

"There is justified public concern about the incidence of drug misuse among the young. The average age of first misuse of drugs appears to be falling, and the range of drugs available is expanding. Drug misuse now affects many communities in the country and crosses gender, ethnic and social boundaries."

Drug Education provides children with information about what is good and what is harmful and gives them the skills to use this knowledge.

“ Schools alone cannot ‘ solve ‘ the problem of drug misuse in society but an effective programme of Drug Education in schools can be an important step in tackling it. “

Definition

A drug is defined as a substance that can change the way a human body works, either physiologically or psychologically.

This policy will encompass all drugs :-

Volatile substances e.g. petrol, aerosols, butane.
Over the counter medicines e.g. paracetamol, cough medicines.
Alcohol.
Tobacco.
Other legal drugs e.g. caffeine
Illegal drugs e.g. cannabis, heroin, ecstasy.

Aims and Objectives of Drug Education

We have identified the following aims :-

To enable pupils to make healthy informed choices.

To achieve our aim we have drawn up a list of primary objectives :-

To provide opportunities for pupils to acquire knowledge and understanding about the dangers of drug misuse.
To minimise the number of young people who ever engage in drug misuse.
To persuade those who are experimenting with or misusing drugs to stop.
To enable any pupils who are misusing drugs or who have concerns about the misuse of drugs to seek help.
To increase knowledge of social and personal issues relating to drugs in line with the National Curriculum.
To enhance young people’s decision-making skills more generally, using drug education as a vehicle.
To develop sympathetic yet realistic attitudes to others experiencing drug problems and understand ways in which those people can be helped.

Methodology

We use a wide variety of teaching approaches to convey our Drug Education messages, including :-

Role play.
Discussions and activities with a class, group or individual basis.
Educational visits.
The use of relevant T.V. programmes, videos, internet sites and other media.
Whole school activities.
Assemblies.

Curriculum Content

Certain aspects of Drug Education are a statutory requirement as part of the National Curriculum Science Order. This states that pupils should be taught :-

At Key Stage 1 ( 5 – 7 years ) about the role of drugs as medicines.

At Key Stage 2 ( 7 – 11 years ) about the effects on the human body of tobacco, alcohol and other drugs, and how these relate to their personal health.

Moreover, the National Curriculum Council has published ‘ Curriculum Guidance 5. Health Education ‘. It breaks the Health Education Curriculum into nine components, the first being ‘ substance use and misuse ‘.

Content of Learning

We at Anchorsholme feel there are three strands to teaching Drug Education effectively. These are :-

Knowledge and understanding.
Skills
Attitudes

Teaching these strands throughout the child’s life will enable us to accomplish our main aim of enabling our pupils to make healthy informed choices.

Reception

Knowledge and Understanding

We want children to :-

Know the school rules relating to medicines.
Know simple safety rules about medicines and other substances used in the home.
Understand the roles of medicines ( prescribed and over-the-counter ) in promoting health and the reasons people use them.
Have knowledge of the people who can help children when they have questions.
Have basic information about how the body works and ways of looking after the body.
Understand that all drugs can be harmful if not used properly
Know the dangers from handling discarded syringes and needles.

Skills

We want children to :-

Communicate feelings such as concerns about illness and taking medicines.
Follow simple safety instructions.
Know when and how to get help from adults.

Attitudes

We want children to :

Value one’s body and recognise its uniqueness.
Improve attitudes towards medicines, health professionals and hospitals.

Year 1 ( Key Stage 1 )

Knowledge and Understanding

We want children to :-

Know the school rules relating to medicines.
Know simple safety rules about medicines and other substances used in the home.
Understand the roles of medicines ( prescribed and over-the-counter ) in promoting health and the reasons people use them.
Have knowledge of the people who can help children when they have questions.
Have basic information about how the body works and ways of looking after the body.
Understand that all drugs can be harmful if not used properly
Know the dangers from handling discarded syringes and needles.

Skills

We want children to :-

Communicate feelings such as concerns about illness and taking medicines.
Follow simple safety instructions.
Know when and how to get help from adults.

Attitudes

We want children to :

Value one’s body and recognise its uniqueness.

Improve attitudes towards medicines, health professionals and hospitals.

Year 2

Knowledge and Understanding

We want children to :-

Know the school rules relating to medicines.
Know simple safety rules about medicines and other substances used in the home.
Understand the roles of medicines ( prescribed and over-the-counter ) in promoting health and the reasons people use them.
Have knowledge of the people who can help children when they have questions.
Have basic information about how the body works and ways of looking after the body.
Understand that all drugs can be harmful if not used properly
Know the dangers from handling discarded syringes and needles.

Skills

We want children to :-

Communicate feelings such as concerns about illness and taking medicines.
Follow simple safety instructions.
Know when and how to get help from adults.

Attitudes

We want children to :

Value one’s body and recognise its uniqueness.
Improve attitudes towards medicines, health professionals and hospitals.

Key Stage 2

Many of the ideas introduced in Key Stage 1 are re-visited in Key Stage 2. There is, however, a progressive development, with ideas being extended and new topics gradually introduced.

As certain concepts rely heavily upon the maturity of the children, we carefully match the curriculum to the age, development and the needs of the individual.

Year 3

Knowledge and Understanding

We want children to :-

Know the school rules relating to medicines.
Have knowledge and understanding of the different types of medicines ( both prescribed and over-the-counter ).
Have knowledge of the people who can help children when they have questions or concerns.
Understand that all drugs can be harmful if not used properly
Know the dangers from handling discarded syringes and needles.

Skills

We want children to :-

Follow safety procedures when using medicines.
Cope with peer influence.
Communicate with adults.
Know when to give and get help.
Identify risks.

Attitudes

We want children to :

Value oneself and other people.
Take responsibility for one’s own safety and behaviour.

Year 4

Knowledge and Understanding

We want children to :-

Know the school rules relating to medicines, alcohol, tobacco, solvents and illegal drugs.
Have more detailed information about the body, how it works and how to take care of it.
Have knowledge of the different types of medicines ( both prescribed and over-the-counter ), legal and illegal drugs including their form, their effects and their associated risks.
Have an introduction to the law relating to the use of legal and illegal drugs.
Have knowledge of the people who can help children when they have questions or concerns.
Understand that all drugs can be harmful if not used properly
Know the dangers from handling discarded syringes and needles.

Skills

We want children to :-

Follow safety procedures when using medicines.
Cope with peer influence.
Communicate with adults.
Know when to give and get help.
Identify risks.

Attitudes

We want children to :

Value oneself and other people.
Take responsibility for one’s own safety and behaviour.
Improve awareness towards attitudes and beliefs about different drugs and people who use or misuse them.
Be aware of possible responses to media and advertising presentations of alcohol, tobacco and other legal drugs. ( Included in Life Education Programme for Year 4 )

Year 5

Knowledge and Understanding

We want children to :-

Know the school rules relating to medicines, alcohol, tobacco, solvents and illegal drugs.
Have more detailed information about the body, how it works and how to take care of it.
Have knowledge of the different types of medicines ( both prescribed and over-the-counter ), legal and illegal drugs including their form, their effects and their associated risks.
Have an introduction to the law relating to the use of legal and illegal drugs.
Have knowledge of the people who can help children when they have questions or concerns.
Understand that all drugs can be harmful if not used properly
Know the dangers from handling discarded syringes and needles.

Some of these may be taught through the visit to the Life Education Centre.

Skills

We want children to :-

Follow safety procedures when using medicines.
Learn how to cope with peer influence.
Communicate with adults.
Know when to give and get help.
Identify risks.
Make informed decisions and be assertive in situations relating to drug use.

Attitudes

We want children to :

Value oneself and other people.
Take responsibility for one’s own safety and behaviour.
Improve awareness towards attitudes and beliefs about different drugs and people who use or misuse them.
Be aware of possible responses to media and advertising presentations of alcohol, tobacco and other legal drugs.

Year 6

Knowledge and Understanding

We want children to :-

Know the school rules relating to medicines, alcohol, tobacco, solvents and illegal drugs.
Have more detailed information about the body, how it works and how to take care of it.
Have knowledge of the different types of medicines ( both prescribed and over-the-counter ), legal and illegal drugs including their form, their effects and their associated risks.
Be aware of the law relating to the use of legal and illegal drugs.
Have knowledge of the people who can help children when they have questions or concerns.
Understand that all drugs can be harmful if not used properly
Know the dangers from handling discarded syringes and needles.

Skills

We want children to :-

Follow safety procedures when using medicines.
Learn how to cope with peer influence.
Communicate with adults.
Know when to give and get help.
Identify risks.
Make informed decisions and be assertive in situations relating to drug use.

Attitudes

We want children to :

Value oneself and other people.
Take responsibility for one’s own safety and behaviour.
Improve awareness towards attitudes and beliefs about different drugs and people who use or misuse them.
Be aware of possible responses to media and advertising presentations of alcohol, tobacco and other legal drugs.

Methods and Organisation

Drug Education will be provided in the broader context of the teaching of Personal Health and Social Education ( P.H.S.E. ) as part of a pupil’s life skills and preparation for adulthood.

Children may work as individuals, in groups and as classes. Sometimes larger units such as year groups may be used, for example, as an audience to listen to a guest speaker, such as a member of the Police Force.

Each class teacher will take the responsibility for the teaching of Drug Education.

Monitoring and Review

Monitoring of the implementation of the document will be undertaken by the Drug Education Co-ordinator.

The suitability and effectiveness of the policy shall be reviewed every two years. This will take into account any changing trends or new initiatives.

Equality of Opportunity

It is important that the children are given a broad and balanced view of the world we live in.

Drug Education is essential if we want our children to grow up with the knowledge and strategies required to recognise and reduce drug misuse within the community.

All children at Anchorsholme from Reception upwards will receive some form of Drug Education. This will be presented in a clear and honest manner that informs without encouraging drug misuse.

When using primary or secondary materials, children should be encouraged to think about who it has been written by and question whether stereotype images are being portrayed.

Use of Outside Speakers

Many people may find that visiting speakers such as a local health promotion officer can fulfil a valuable expert role. However there should be no question of teachers abdicating their responsibility for Drug Education by simply arranging an outside talk or screening a video. Where outside speakers are involved, their contribution should have been properly planned as part of an overall programme and should complement other teaching. The tone and substance of any input should match the age and maturity of the pupils involved. Teaching staff should always be fully aware of the content of any external input.

Dealing with Incidents

Incidents resulting in medical emergencies

See Staff Handbook

Incidents not resulting in medical emergencies

See Staff Handbook.

Please note that when syringes or other drug related paraphenalia are found on the premises the Site Supervisor, should be notified immediately so that safe disposal can be arranged.

Recording drug related incidents

See appropriate documentation available from Headteacher/Secretary/Drug Education Co-ordinator.

Boundaries

Drugs and drug related incidents on school premises will be dealt with using the procedures described in this document. The official school boundaries are considered to be the school grounds bounded by the perimeter fence. Obviously, if an incident takes place just outside our boundary that is likely to have consequences for school this would be dealt with using the procedures described in Appendix B. If there was not an immediate problem for school the appropriate authorities would be informed in the usual way.

Confidentiality

The law provides considerable protection for those confiding information.

Therefore the need to protect children from harm must mean that adults do not promise absolute secrecy when it is not appropriate and this must be made clear to pupils at the time.

Confidential information must never be used against a pupil.

There is no statutory duty to pass on confidential information . However, when a breach of confidence is justified, it is down to the moral and professional judgement of the teacher.

Two clear situations would include :-

Where there is a child protection issue.
Where the life of the person is at risk.

With the exception of terrorism, there is no general duty in criminal law to disclose information that criminal offences have been committed. However, if you are aware an offence is being committed on the school premises you are responsible for and you do nothing to stop it, you have committed an offence.

Helplines and Local Contacts

Obtained from School Office

Resources