The UK’s leading children’s charity delivered its Speak Out, Stay Safe programme to pupils, helping Stirling cross the 100 per cent mark for schools visited by the educational anti-abuse project.
Fallin became the 40th Stirling school to host the assemblies and workshops, making the council the 10th Scottish local authority area to have had 100 per cent of their primary schools take part in the initiative.
More than 5,100 children across the area had already received the charity’s Speak Out, Stay Safe programme since it began in Stirling in February 2014, forming a total of 180,000 pupils across Scotland who have been equipped with age-appropriate information and advice on staying safe from abuse and learning which adults they can turn to for help.
Research from the charity has shown that an average of two children in every class across the UK have been a victim of abuse or neglect, while in 2015-16 there were 4,368 recorded sexual offences against children in Scotland - an all-time high and a figure which has almost doubled since 2011-12.
The Speak Out, Stay Safe project aims to tackle this growing problem by complementing what is already taught in schools, giving children the tools and advice they need to avoid abuse.
NSPCC Schools Service Area Co-ordinator for Stirling, Enola Butler, said, “The NSPCC’s Speak Out, Stay Safe programme works with Primary Schools to ensure that children across P1-7 have an understanding of abuse in all its forms, they know how to get help and to help them think about which trusted adults they could talk to if they are worried about anything at all.
“Our visit to Fallin Primary School means that every primary school across the area has had the service at least once; in fact more than half have had at least two visits. We greatly appreciate the support of Stirling Council and look forward to that partnership continuing long into the future.”
Service Manager for Additional Support Needs and Wellbeing with Stirling Council Bryony Monaghan said, “Our Children’s Services Plan has been developed to ensure that partners are working well together to safeguard and promote wellbeing for children. We are delighted to work in partnership with NSPCC Scotland who have now delivered their Speak Out, Stay Safe programme in all of our primary schools.
“Pupils take part in assemblies and workshops allowing them to learn about keeping themselves safe in a fun and interactive way.”
Convener of the Education Committee, Councillor Susan McGill, said, “The NSPCC does invaluable work with children throughout the country, and it is fantastic news that every school across Stirling Council has had the opportunity to benefit from the advice the charity can offer via their Speak Out, Stay safe campaign.
“We will always seek to improve the way we help and educate children by working together with partner agencies, and I am sure the pupils at Fallin Primary School will find the information provided via the NSPCC programme extremely useful.”