TITAN Primary

TITAN Primary is a FREE programme that helps young people to travel safely and confidently. It's aimed at year 6 students and focuses on their transition to year 7 in secondary school. It joins together young people, parents/carers and schools.

We know that for some young people, moving school can bring new travelling challenges. For example, getting the bus on their own or walking to a school further away.

How schools can get involved

All primary and junior schools across Norfolk can sign up to be part of the TITAN Primary programme. Schools that sign up will receive free TITAN primary workbooks for all year 6 students, for them to work through in class. Along with the TITAN Primary workbook, there is an accompanying PowerPoint presentation to make it a straightforward and fun way to deliver the programme to help year 6 students with their new journey to school. 

Interested schools should fill out the sign up form or contact titan@norfolk.gov.uk with any questions about the programme. 

Supporting your young person to become an independent traveller in year 6

As a parent/carer, you are an important part of your young person's transition journey. Before year 7, talking to your young person about their new journey to school, and practising it, can help them feel more prepared and confident. 

You can use the information on these pages to help you. If your young person has a TITAN Primary workbook from their school, you can complete the BINGO challenge on the back page too. Even if you don't have a TITAN Primary workbook, you and your child can still use these pages to learn about travel and take part in the activities. 

We also have some helpful factsheets with some quick and easy things that you can do to help your child's travel transition journey. 

Being a good pedestrian is an important skill. It will help to keep you safe on your journeys, and show adults and friends that you are ready to travel independently.

Now that you are starting a new school and might be walking a different route or travelling in a new way, you need to think about road safety.

Green Cross Code

The Green Cross Code is a great way to remember how to safely cross the road. There are four steps:

Stop - Stop and wait on the pavement where you want to cross the road. A lot of the time, you will be stopping at a crossing but sometimes you might need to cross where there isn't a crossing to use.

Look - Once you have stopped, you need to make sure you look both ways - left and right - to check for oncoming traffic or other road users. Doing this will make sure you know what is coming and you will be aware of any dangers.

Listen - Sometimes you can hear traffic before you can see it, so listen out for any other road users that might be coming your way.

Think - Finally you must think about whether it is now safe to cross. Is it a safe time to cross and are you in a safe place to cross?

As you cross the road, always remember to keep looking both ways and listening for anything you might not be able to see. It's important to walk across the road - never run - because you could trip over as you're walking.

Road ready? Expect the unexpected

Here are some tips about how to stay safe when you're walking close to a road.

Watch this video about road safety and keep an eye out for some things to avoid on your travels to stay safe.

Practice makes perfect

Every time you want to cross the road remember to:

• Stop at the crossing or on the pavement
• Look both ways to check for vehicles and other road users
• Listen as you can sometimes hear traffic before you can see it
• Think about whether you can now cross
• Only when it is safe to cross, should you step out and walk to the other side of the road, looking both ways as you go

When you're travelling, let people know if you need help or if your plans change. For example, if the bus is running late to school or you miss it completely. It's good to update your family and school so that everyone knows where you are and that you are safe. It's also helpful if you know who some 'Safer Strangers' are within the community, and when, why and how they can help you.

Here are some communication top tips for when you're travelling:

• If you have a mobile phone, make sure you charge your phone before you leave the house
• Consider using an app to 'share your location' with close family/friends, but don't share your location with people you don't know
• Send a quick text to your parent/carer when you reach your destination
• Have a list of important people and their phone numbers to contact if you need help
• Let at least one person know where you are going and what time you should arrive

Who is a Safer Stranger?

Sometimes you might need to ask for help when travelling, so it's useful to identify someone who is safe to talk to.  Safer Strangers are people that usually wear a uniform or work in safe places. Some examples of Safer Strangers are police officers, library assistants and bus drivers. You can also check they have an ID badge with a photo.

If you are lost, feel unsafe or need help and there is no one around who you know or trust, you can find a Safer Stranger to ask for help. This might mean that you have to go into a safe building to find someone if there is no one around outside. Examples of safe buildings are:

• Banks
• Libraries
• Doctors surgeries
• Police stations
• Supermarkets
• Bus/train stations

Make sure you find someone who works there.

When speaking to Safer Strangers, share only essential information, trust your instincts, and prioritise your safety.

1. Share Only Essential Information
   • Avoid oversharing personal details.
   • Stick to what's necessary for the situation.
   • For example, if asking for directions, focus on the location rather than personal detailsT
2. Trust Your Instincts:
   • If something feels off or uncomfortable, listen to your gut.
   • It's okay to politely decline further conversation or assistance if you sense any red flags.
3. Prioritize Your Safety:
   • Always prioritise your well-being over being polite or accommodating.
   • If the stranger's behaviour raises concerns, distance yourself and seek help from another source.

Remember, safety comes first!

Practice makes perfect

Now you have learned how to be a good communicator, you can practise using some of the skills when you are next travelling. Text a parent or carer to stay in touch and let them know where you are.

Here are some examples that you could use:

• 'Hey Mum, I've just got on the bus. I should be home at 4:10pm'
• 'Hello, I'm now walking home, might stop at the shop on the way so I will see you in 30 mins'
• 'Now on my way home, be back in 25 mins'
• 'Hi, I'm walking with my friends tonight, I will be back around 4:30pm'

Staying safe is the most important thing when travelling. You learnt about Safer Strangers and who can help you in the last section. Now we are thinking about how to keep you and your belongings safe when travelling.

Staying healthy

When travelling, you might not think that what you're eating or how many hours of sleep you're getting are important. But staying healthy helps you concentrate throughout your journey. You might already know about how to lead a healthy lifestyle to keep functioning at your best. Refresh and check your knowledge with this healthy lifestyle quiz from BBC Bitesize.

Feelings and emotions

Sometimes when doing a different journey, you might feel a bit anxious or worried because you don't know what to expect. These feelings are completely normal. We've got some tips to help you identify and manage these feelings so you feel happier about your new home to school journey. This article about feelings and emotions from BBC Bitesize can help you to understand how you might be feeling, with some tips to help you manage your emotions.

Staying safe

When travelling independently it is important to be aware of your surroundings and to keep yourself and your personal belongings safe. We've included some tips below to help you out:

• On buses, the safest place to sit is at the front
• Keep belongings close when travelling to prevent them being lost or stolen
• Make sure you are aware of your surroundings for example only use one headphone so you can hear what is going on around you
• Use your mobile phone discreetly where possible and keep it in a safe place when not in use
• If you have a bag with you, keep it closed/zipped up when not in use
• Make sure nothing important is visible in your pockets when walking around, for example do not have your phone in your back pocket

Practice makes perfect

Now you know how to lead a safe, healthy and happy lifestyle, take time each evening to think about how you can use these tips on your journey. The school holidays are a good time to start some healthy new habits.

Problem solving is a big part of our everyday lives. From deciding what shoes to wear, to crossing the road in a safe place - all these decisions help us to lead successful lives.

In this section, you will start to understand all the decisions that you will need to make on your new journey to school. And how you can solve any problems along the way.

Follow these steps to identify and solve a problem:

1 - Predict the problem

Think about the problems you could face before they happen.
For example, you could forget your bus pass or the bus might break down.

2 - Identify the problem

Work our exactly what the problem is and the effect it will have.
For example, the bus hasn't turned up so you're going to be late for school.

3 - Find solutions

Think about what you can do to help with the situation.
For example, you can either get the next bus or find another way to get to school.

4 - Take action

Decide on the best action for you to take.
For example, check the bus timetable online or electronic information boards at the bus stop and get the next bus.

5 - Evaluate

Did you solve the problem? How could you prevent it from happening again?
For example, you were 10 minutes late for school, but you had already told school and your family.

When travelling on your own, you are going to have to make some decisions that may affect your journey. Have a go at this game about making safe choices on the Think! website (opens new window) and see if you can make it to school safely.

Practice makes perfect

You should now know how to start solving problems on your own. A problem can seem like a disaster at first. But the more you get used to solving problems, the easier it becomes and the more confident you'll feel.

Have a go at making a list of all the decisions you've made today. Could you have made any different choices for a better outcome?

Being able to plan your journey is a valuable skill. Knowing what should be happening next can help you feel confident, calm and able to identify any issues.

When we talk about planning your journey, there are tools you can use to help you become more familiar with your new route. Looking at a map and planning out how you might walk or catch a bus to school is one way of being more prepared.

Give these activities a go to help you feel more prepared for travelling.

When thinking about a new journey, it's useful to look at it on a map before doing it for the first time. That way you have an idea of where you will be going, which roads you will need to cross, and how long it might take you to get there.

Use Google Maps to familiarise yourself with your new journey. See if you can find out three things when looking at the map:

• How long will your journey from home to school take you?
• Which roads will you be using?
• What places will you be passing on your way?

Landmarks can be a helpful way of checking the progress of your journey. You can use them to judge how close you are to school or home. It's also useful to know where you are on your journey in case you have any problems.

It can be any fixed landmark that's easy to remember and helps you to know where you are on your journey. Some examples of landmarks are:

• Post boxes
• Shops
• Big trees
• Road signs
• Buildings

Have a think about some of the landmarks near to you right now.

Practice makes perfect

Next time you are travelling to a new place, try to pick out three landmarks you notice on your way there. Then see if you can spot them on your way back. The more you practise noticing the landmarks around you, the easier it will be to remember a new route.

Your new home to school journey might seem a little scary now. But there are lots of skills that you have learnt to make it easier for when you start your next school.

Have a look at the suggestions below for ways that you can practise your travelling skills:

Pedestrian skills

With a friend or family member, go for a walk to a different place. Practise your pedestrian skills and focus on the things below:

• When you cross the road, remember to stop, look and listen
• If you need to cross the road, try finding the nearest crossing to use - it might be a zebra crossing or a pelican crossing
• When walking, be wary of other users on the pavement - think about who has right of way

Communication skills

Remember that communication is a vital part of everyday life. You can practise great communications skills by doing the following things when you are out:

• Next time you go into town/the city, have a look for places that you could find safer strangers that could help if you needed them to
• When you leave the house to go somewhere, practice sending your parents/carers a message telling them where you are going and what time you will be back
• Make sure you have your important contacts list with you when you next go out

Personal health, safety and wellbeing

Looking after yourself and managing your feelings in new or challenging situations is important.

• Try and practise some techniques to help you stay calm when you are next in a situation that makes you feel anxious. Talk to your friends and family about the things that could help.
• Have a chat with your family and think about what you need to do so you're prepared for your new journey to school
• Next time you are going out, think more carefully about where you keep your possessions and how often you use your phone

Problem solving

Problems happen, but how you handle them can make a big difference. Be prepared and practise solving problems when you can to help improve your skills.

• Thinking ahead of any journey will help reduce problems that may occur and help you manage them. Whenever you go out, think about problems that may happen and how you can prevent or resolve them. For example:
  • Remember your bus pass and money
  • Think about the weather
  • Check bus apps for changes to the service

• Start using the bus more often with friends and family. Practise solving problems by getting off at an earlier or later stop and use your planning skills to get back on track to your destination.

Journey planning

Getting out and about and practising your new skills will help you feel more confident and ready to take on the new challenges at your new school.

• Practising your new journey to school before you have to do it in September will help you be more prepared and confident when you start your new school. Even if it means getting a family member to drive the route with you.
• When you are next travelling in a car or on a bus, look out of the window and see which landmarks you can spot on your way

If your school is interested in signing up to TITAN Primary, fill in our form and we will get back to you with more details.

Sign up form for Titan Primary