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Council makes learning fun for kids
1st July 2008
Following the successful launch of our educational website for children last year, we are pleased to report that the Educational Electrical Safety Fun Pack, which featured in the summer 2007 issue of Switched On, has also been very well received by schools, Guides, Scouts, community safety bodies and parents throughout the UK.
We have been inundated with requests for packs, and have now sent out more than 80,000 copies. And the children’s website, www.switchedonkids.org.uk, has had thousands of visitors each month since the pack was launched.
We have also received hundreds of emails complimenting us on the pack’s innovative and fun approach to teaching children about electrical safety, of which the following are typical:
“These packs are a very good compliment to our current science programme”
Pre-preparatory school, Twycross
“What a great kit - the next best thing to actually handling the objects and switching them on and off. Kids love the stickers too. Well done and thank you.”
Primary school, Pwll
“They are an excellent resource to stimulate discussion. We are a Welsh medium school, but as there are only images on the plan it can be used very effectively through the medium of Welsh.”
School in Powys
“The kits are super and the children will love the stickers! Since I caught a fairly intelligent year 4 trying to mend a glue gun by sticking a pair of metal scissors into it while it was attached to the mains, I have appreciated the importance of electrical safety!”
Science Co-ordinator, school in Bisley, Gloucestershire
“These are really good - well done!! It's good to see something a bit different.” Community Fire Safety, Kettering “Teachers were very impressed with the resource and have lots of ideas on how to use it.”
Primary school, Co Tyrone, Northern Ireland
“…. the children are finding them great fun, especially the stickers”
Head Teacher , Isle of Jura Primary School, Scotland
The Goldsmith Infant School in Southsea, Hampshire sent us photos of their children using the Fun Packs in class. The Year 1 & 2 Leader said “Thank you for the fun kits - the children loved them and they learned so much from them.”
The Fun Pack also received some good educational media coverage and appeared in a number of publications, including The Teacher (circulation 303,000), Headteacher Update (circulation 25,000) and Guiding (circulation 81,000).
In addition to the success of the Fun Pack, 8000 entries were received for the poster design competition, which closed in April. The standard of the entries was very high, which made judging difficult. The judges were, however, encouraged by how much the children knew about electrical safety and how well they demonstrated a number of key electrical safety messages in such a creative way on their poster designs.
Details of the winning entries to the poster competition can be found on our electrical safety website for children, www.switchedonkids.org.uk.
