Helping young people with additional support needs

Our range of road safety resources are available for all young people in Scotland

Road safety learning is for everyone

We aim to make sure that children and young people with additional support needs are given the right kind of help on their road safety journey. 

Here, you’ll find some background information on Road Safety Scotland’s approach to developing resources for children and young people with additional support needs. You will also discover more about the specific road safety resources we offer.

What you need to know

  • All children and young people have the right to a mainstream education
  • They’re entitled to have the best learning experience available
  • We believe in making road safety learning accessible for all 
  • We work with professionals to produce a range of road safety learning resources
  • A2B Safely supports pedestrian training for young people with additional support needs

Learning in Scotland

All children and young people have the right to be educated in a mainstream school. This is outlined in Article 24 of the UN Charter for People with Disabilities.

Most schools are able to teach young people with additional support needs, but there are times when a child might find a specialist setting more suitable.

Curriculum for Excellence (CfE)

  • All children are entitled to the best learning experience through Curriculum for Excellence
  • This is designed to give young people the knowledge, skills and attributes they need for learning, life and work
  • More about the 3-18 curriculum

The right support for every child

Getting it Right for Every Child (GIRFEC) is Scotland’s national approach for all professionals supporting children. It aims to make sure they work in partnership and achieve the best possible outcomes.

More about Getting it Right for Every Child

Additional support needs

This term was created via The Education (Additional Support for Learning)(Scotland) Act 2004 (amended 2009).

It places duties on local authorities to identify, provide for, and keep under review, the needs of pupils who they’re responsible for.

More about The Additional Support for Learning Act

Road safety learning for children with additional needs

We want to make sure children and young people with additional needs have all the support they need to learn about road safety.

We work in partnership with professionals in education. This includes Education Scotland and the Scottish Government’s Learning Directorate. 

Together, we aim to produce a range of quality road safety learning resources, which children engage with – giving them the knowledge and skills to stay safe on the road.

Access for every child in Scotland

We believe that road safety learning should be accessible for all children and young people in Scotland aged between 3 and 18 years old.

Our learning resources have always been ‘child-centric’.  They’re co-produced with teachers and linked to Curriculum for Excellence (CfE)

About the resources we offer

  • Our resources are designed to encourage active and experiential learning
  • They address issues like risk-taking, decision-making and peer pressure, which all influence the ability to minimise risk
  • We also focus on self-reflection, relating to making choices and behaviours around roads
  • The learning journey for children with more complex needs can vary a great deal:
    • Some children may never become independent road users
    • An individual approach is often needed 
    • Our resources can easily be adapted to make lessons relevant
  • Feedback from children is used in the development of our resources

A2B Safely

  • This is a resource which offers pedestrian training for young people (aged 10-18+) with additional learning needs
  • It can also be used as a tool for people learning English as a second or foreign language
  • It gives young people the chance to learn about roads and traffic in a safe and supported environment

Mapping it

This map of a typical Scottish town is great for getting young people thinking more about staying safe around roads and traffic.

Step by step guide

This handy guide will equip young people with the knowledge and skills to stay safe around roads and traffic.

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