Leicestershire’s Police and Crime Commissioner is officially unveiling the new E-Safety learning experience at Warning Zone in Leicester today (Monday 5 October).
Sir Clive Loader contributed £30,000 towards the overall cost of the new zone. He said;
“I was keen to give financial support to the development of the new E-safety zone because I want to help protect young people whether they are out and about in public or at home in their sitting rooms and bedrooms. It is so important that we stay one step ahead of new crimes such as cyber-crime, cyber bullying and on-line grooming so that we can continue to protect the most vulnerable. I know eighty percent of Year 6 school children in Leicester, Leicestershire & Rutland visit Warning Zone so it made perfect sense to me to support the development of this new zone knowing that thousands of pupils will benefit from it.”
Warning Zone offers an interactive and stimulating experience for children in Year 6 to help prepare them for the following year when they progress to senior school and become subject to the type of peer pressure never before experienced. As they move through the zones they are taught about the risks and probable outcomes associated with certain types of behaviour. The eight zones cover the dangers around water, alcohol, playing on the railways, road safety, safety in the home, arson, personal safety and building sites.
Now, thanks to funding from a range of organisations, it has opened a 9th zone about E-Safety. It is designed to look like a colourful and exciting Fun Fair, but like all such places there are hidden dangers. It uses hands-on fun fair attractions to teach key messages about internet safety without a computer in sight. As the children move around the stalls in the fair they are taught about the importance of staying safe online and subjects covered include phishing, grooming, bullying and inappropriate imagining.
Members of the Child Sexual Exploitation Team at Leicestershire Police worked with staff at Warning Zone on the content of the zone and helped with the training of the volunteer facilitators to make sure they had the latest information about the currently possible threats to young people online.
Chief Superintendent David Sandall, who is Head of Crime and Intelligence for Leicestershire Police, said;
“I was really pleased that members of the CSE team were able to work closely with Warning Zone to develop the new E-Safety section. Officers went to the training sessions to ensure the volunteers had the latest information about the sorts of incidents the police deal with every day. When it comes to cyber-crime, prevention is better than cure and I think Warning Zone is the most fantastic resource and would encourage every school in Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland to send their Year 6 pupils.”
Chairman of Warning Zone, Simon Wright, said;
“The trustees, staff and over eighty volunteers at Warning Zone are sincerely grateful to the Police and Crime Commissioner for his generous donation which has been helped make the new E Safety Zone a reality.”
Cheryl Henderson, Headteacher of Slater Primary School, Leicester, said:
“As regular visitors, the new E-safety zone will offer a fantastic additional, interactive learning experience that will greatly enhance the teaching of e-safety to our pupils.”
Sir Clive Loader will unveil a plaque at the official opening of the new E-Safety Zone at 6.30pm on Monday 5 October at Warning Zone.
Posted on Monday 9th May 2016