The Friends of Frome Hospital are funding a scheme aimed to ensure that all children between the ages of 4 and 13 in Frome and the surrounding villages receive education about their bodies and how to look after them.
The scheme is being offered by the Friends to all 13 first schools and the two middle schools in the Frome area
The education is provided by the charity Life Education Wessex through mobile classrooms which visit the schools. It recognises the importance of starting this type of education at an early age and its motto is “Helping children make healthy choices”. The classrooms have trained educators on board and are equipped with high-tech teaching aids.
The educator is assisted by Harold the giraffe, a large puppet who is extremely popular, particularly with the younger children.
The scheme provides the children with knowledge and advice on the effects of alcohol, drugs and obesity and helps them develop skills to support their emotional well-being. It is run in accordance with the requirements of the National Curriculum and as the children get older, it provides practical training and role playing on how to resist peer pressure and bullying. Schools also receive SCARF, a comprehensive, online resource enabling them to further develop pupils’ health education, well-being and resilience throughout the year.
Peter Smith, chairman of the Friends said, “We, and the schools, recognise the value of this type of education because it not only benefits the individual child but also the community as a whole. It is aiming to develop a generation which does not succumb to drugs, obesity and alcohol and the medical, social and criminal problems which can result from these excesses. Regrettably the increasing demands on schools have resulted in many finding it difficult to fund this education. As Friends of the hospital we believe very strongly in the benefits to be derived from it and we will consider sympathetically any application for support from schools in the Frome area.”
The scheme started with visits to Vallis First School, St Louis Catholic Primary School, and St John’s First School during April.
Sarah Priddle (SENCO), St John’s CE VA First School, Frome said, “A big “thank you” to the Friends of Frome Hospital for funding our Life Bus this year. What a great resource; a fun, engaging and valuable learning opportunity for all of our children.”
The Friends of Frome Hospital’s educational participation in schools has also included CPR/defibrillator training with students at Oakfield and Selwood Academies earlier in this academic year.
