Pupils make the right choices

Pupils from schools across the Five Towns have been learning more about making the right choices.

The children took part in the 30-week CHOICE programme, which offers them a chance to learn more about the work of agencies such as West Yorkshire Police, West Yorkshire Fire Service, WDH, Wakefield Council and other partners.

The 98 children got involved in police work and fire training and looked at actions and consequences in terms of anti-social behaviour, crime, drugs, internet safety, stranger danger, missing children, diversity and hate crime, railway safety, and the magistrates courts, including a visit to a custody suite.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

The scheme is organised by Pontefract Education Trust to help pupils who need additional support to raise their confidence. The children were then presented with a certificate of achievement for their efforts.

Organiser Annette Jones said: “Parents have told me that the programme has had a positive impact upon their child at home - while teachers have noted improvements in school attendance and achievement.”

The trust recently ran two courses, with children from Pontefract schools Carleton Park Primary, De Lacy Primary, Rookeries J&I, Orchard Head J&I and Holy Family and St Michael’s Catholic School being presented with their certificates at Pontefract Town Hall, and youngsters from Northfield Primary South Kirkby, Moorthorpe Primary, Upton Primary, Carlton Primary in South Elmsall and Mackie Hill Primary, Wakefield, getting theirs at the Westfield Centre, South Elmsall.

The Choice programme has been running for five years and this year, for the first time, involved from children in the hearing impairment unit at The Rookeries at Pontefract.