Schoolchildren across County Durham have been using their creativity to learn and share messages about road safety.
Durham County Council has been working with primary schools to teach pupils the importance of staying safe near roads.
Local illustrator Holly Sterling was invited by the council’s road safety team to St Bede’s RCVA Primary School, in Sacriston, to deliver illustration workshops to the pupils.
Holly worked with the children to create drawings following the theme of road safety, which she is now using to create a mural for display outside the school.
The mural will include messages to drivers to encourage them to slow down and take care near the school premises, particularly around busy times when pupils will be crossing the road.
Holly said: “I thoroughly enjoyed my time working with pupils at St Bede’s to help them think about what road safety means and how we can turn this message into illustrations. I am excited to transform the children’s work into a mural, which will encourage road safety for the pupils, their families and drivers passing the school.”
Four other schools received a visit from local author Adam Bushnell, who got pupils to put on their writing caps for some story workshops.
Pupils at St Pius RCVA Primary School in Consett; St Patrick’s Catholic Primary School in Langley Moor; Langley Park Primary School; and St Margaret’s CE Primary School in Durham learned all about road safety and used their knowledge to create tales of safety superheroes.
The four primary schools involved in the writing workshops have benefitted from the introduction of a reduced speed limit of 20mph outside the grounds as part of the Slow to 20 for Safer Streets programme, which has been funded by the council, local AAPs, and developers.
Adam said: “It has been great to work with schools to use writing and creativity to encourage road safety. The pupils had lots of fun creating their safety superheroes and have written some brilliant stories about how to be aware around roads.”
Cllr Elizabeth Scott, Durham County Council’s Cabinet member for economy and partnerships, said: “We were delighted to welcome both Adam and Holly to our primary schools to teach pupils very important messages about staying safe around roads. The workshops have been a real benefit to pupils in helping them engage with the messages through their creativity. Their finished work, such as the mural, will also serve as a reminder to drivers to take care on the roads, particularly in areas near schools.”
For more information about the council’s road safety team, visit www.durham.gov.uk/roadsafety
