Mini Police programme refreshed to help engage with primary school pupils

A specialist programme designed to proactively engage with schoolchildren across Nottinghamshire has been refreshed.

The force’s Mini Police programme, which is tailored towards Year 5 pupils, has been updated to include more interactive activities to help continue engaging with children and young people in our communities.

Police Constables and Police Community Support Officers deliver the eight-week scheme in the classroom and provide Nottinghamshire’s schoolchildren with the opportunity to build rapport, trust, and confidence in their neighbourhood officers.

Mini Police has previously left a positive impression on schoolchildren across Nottinghamshire, with groups now proactively approaching officers in their community to raise concerns and talk with them in the street.

Each lesson is packed with information about the law, establishing right from wrong, as well as quizzes, games, activities, and group discussions.

The refreshed sessions will focus on bullying and a sensitive introduction to not sharing images, hate crime, antisocial behaviour, road safety and the fatal four, permission, and the criminal justice system.

The programme culminates with an interactive role-playing activity where schoolchildren will assume the different roles as part of the criminal justice system and act out a scenario taking an offender from arrest through to conviction and sentencing.

After completing the programme, each class of schoolchildren will attend a Mini Police graduation ceremony where each pupil is recognised and presented with a certificate, which is attended by parents and an officer from the force’s senior leadership team.

The programme aims to empower students with the knowledge and confidence to discuss the law and establish right from wrong and share this with their friends and family. Ultimately, it builds trust and confidence with pupils and helps to prevent young people from entering the criminal justice system.

Mini Police relaunches later this month in participating schools across Nottinghamshire.

The scheme is organised as part of the force’s Prevention Hub, which is a collaboration between multiple force departments responsible for developing and delivering strategies to prevent crime and disorder throughout the city and county.

It covers a range of areas including the youth outreach team, cadets, and Mini Police, with programmes that are designed to improve the life chances of young people and increase understanding of policing.

Citizens in Policing Coordinator Barbara Strang is Nottinghamshire Police’s Prevention Hub lead for Mini Police.

She said: “The reality is that many of the topics that are highlighted as part of the Mini Police programme affect the daily lives of some of the children we engage with.

“It’s important that we approach this proactively and equip them with the skills needed to confront these scenarios, should they arise.

“We are really pleased to be relaunching our Mini Police programme and look forward to working with our education partners and engaging with hundreds of enthusiastic young people.”