Train-ing Day for the Mini Police!

Twenty pupils from Evergreen Primary School recently swapped the classroom for the railway, enjoying an exciting journey from Stapleton Road to Bristol Temple Meads. The trip gave students the opportunity to put their rail safety knowledge into practice while gaining valuable travel experience and a behind-the-scenes look at the railway industry. 

The students, all members of the Avon and Somerset Mini Police programme led by PCSO Nick Clarke, took part in the visit following a rail safety workshop delivered at the school by Sophie from Platform Rail Education Scheme. 

During the workshop, Sophie introduced key rail safety messages, helping students understand how to stay safe around the railway. The subsequent trip provided a valuable opportunity to reinforce this learning in a real-life environment, allowing pupils to apply their knowledge while travelling by train and navigating busy station environments. 

The visit began with a train journey from Stapleton Road to Bristol Temple Meads, helping to build confidence in using public transport and encouraging independent travel skills. For some students, this was their very first train journey, making the experience even more memorable.  

At Bristol Temple Meads, Sophie and Emma from Platform, took the class on a whistle-stop tour of one of the country’s busiest and most historic stations, ticking off places on their station I Spy sheets as they went! 

A particular highlight of the tour was meeting Harp, one of the station’s Customer Service Managers, who shared insights into their role and answered questions from the enthusiastic group, giving students a valuable insight into the people behind the railway and the wide variety of careers available within the industry. 

 

Sophie from Platform Rail Education Scheme said: 

“By bringing together education, community policing and the rail industry, this trip demonstrated the positive impact that partnership working can have in inspiring young people. By turning classroom learning into a real-world experience, this trip helped students build confidence, broaden their horizons and see the railway in a completely new way, opening doors to new experiences and opportunities that can have a lasting impact”. 

PCSO Nick Clark said: 

“I work closely with all our local Primary Schools in Easton.  Our trip to Temple Meads represented a great opportunity for our Mini Police to not just learn about railway safety but also to go on an exciting excursion.  Without PLATFORM this would not have been possible, and I am grateful to Sophie for her enthusiasm and organisational skills.  We all had a great time and learnt a lot.  We’re already planning future trips so that more Mini Police can benefit from this fantastic initiative” 

Platform would like to extend its sincere thanks to PCSO Nick Clark and Avon and Somerset Police for their continued support in creating opportunities for young people to engage with rail safety education. Thanks are also due to Great Western Railway (GWR) for funding the scheme and providing travel passes that made the journey possible, and to Network Rail for facilitating the station tour and giving students a unique opportunity to learn more about the railway first-hand.