Drug Education Policy
Introduction
Drug use and misuse are becoming increasingly common in our society. We
appreciate that this is an area of growing concern. We aim for the children at
The Colleton to receive education about drug issues which is relevant to their
age and experience. We believe that the ethos of The Colleton School is
instrumental in creating an environment where drugs education can be
successfully delivered. We place a strong emphasis on respect for all
individuals and encourage all members of our school community to care for
each other. We believe that in this environment the children will learn to make
good choices both now and in their future lives.
Objectives
 To promote healthy lifestyle choices
 To help our pupils recognise that they are unique and develop their selfesteem.
 To develop in children self-confidence and assertiveness enabling them to
make informed choices.
 To ensure that children are informed about the risks and consequences of
drug use and misuse.
 To follow government guidelines when dealing with drug related incidents
in school. (Please see Health and Safety Manual)
Teaching Methods
The skills needed to teach about drugs are the same skills required for
addressing any aspect of PHSE. This policy should be read in conjunction with
the PHSE policy, as drug education needs to take an unobtrusive place within
the more general PHSE curriculum. We believe that drugs education should
start early and deal with issues appropriate to that age group, e.g. safe use
and storage of medicines would be suitable for early years children.
There are a variety of different methods, which may be used to deliver this
area of the curriculum e.g. discussion in circle time, assemblies or debating
forums. They may work as a whole team, class or small group according to the
subject matter being covered.
Drugs education needs to start from where children are and appeal to their
integrity. At certain times we may feel it appropriate to invite a visitor e.g. a
school nurse to talk to a group of children in relation to a particular issue, or
take the children out of school to visit a relevant educational establishment
e.g. Amaze. However the main aspects of drug education will be delivered
during curriculum time as it is the Teachers who know their children well and are
ideally placed to provide sensitive drugs education.
Definition of Terms
When dealing with complex issues such as drug use it is useful to establish some
definitions of the terms used.
Drugs – Drugs are substances taken into the body to cause physical or
psychological changes: all legal drugs (including tobacco, alcohol and over the
counter prescription medicines) all illegal drugs and volatile substances,
Drug related incident – Evidence or suspicion of a specific event at school involving
one or more unauthorised drugs, and requiring immediate action by school staff.
Planning
All planning will be in line with school policy. The planning will make reference to the
cross-curricular links with other subject areas.
Assessment and record keeping
Please refer to the PHSE policy.
Resources
Resources for teaching drugs education are available in the staff library and in the
resources area. These include books, posters and worksheets.
Every effort is made to invite relevant guests to speak to the children or to offer them
opportunities to visit appropriate offsite education centres.
Cross-curricular links
Through the rolling programme relevant cross-curricular links should be established
and used where possible.
Equal opportunities and Inclusion
At The Colleton we provide a broad and balanced curriculum for all our pupils. All
pupils have equal access to the drug education programme in line with their
individual needs.
 Set suitable learning challenges
 Respond to diverse learning needs
 Endeavour to overcome barriers to learning for individuals and groups of pupils.
Please refer to the Special Needs Policy, the Able Child Policy and the Equal
Opportunities Policy.
This policy should be read in conjunction with the Child Protection Policy and The
Health and Safety Policy