Pol Ed is now available in Merseyside
Every school across Merseyside is now being invited to take advantage of free access to a major new PSHE education programme aimed at keeping children safe, thanks to investment from the Merseyside Violence Reduction Partnership (MVRP).
The Pol‑Ed programme – developed by teachers and quality‑assured by policing professionals – provides a full suite of classroom‑ready lessons designed to help children understand risk, consequences and the law, while strengthening their resilience and wellbeing.
The MVRP has fully funded access to the resources on behalf of all schools and educational settings, making the entire programme completely free from early years to post‑16. The roll out is part of its approach to equipping schools to be safeguarding hubs and is being delivered in partnership with Merseyside Police.
The resources will go live online from April 15 onwards and two free events are being held on the launch day to support schools and educational organisations to get started.
Professionals are invited to attend the sessions at the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner on Mather Avenue in Liverpool.
- Primary education session: 9:30am – 11:30am
Register here: Pol Ed launch for Merseyside (primary)
- Secondary and youth input session: 12:30 – 14:30
Register here: Pol Ed launch for Merseyside (secondary)
All attendees will receive full access for themselves and their school immediately following the launch.
“Keeping our children and young people safe is vital and giving them the knowledge and confidence to make positive choices is critical to doing that.
“Pol‑Ed provides teachers with trusted, high‑quality lessons that help children understand risks, consequences and the law in a way that is engaging, age‑appropriate and easy to deliver.
“By making Pol‑Ed free for every school in Merseyside, we’re removing barriers and ensuring that all pupils – wherever they live and whatever their background – have access to this fantastic resource. I’d encourage all schools and education providers to sign up today and to attend one of our launch sessions on 15th April.”
Merseyside Police and Crime Commissioner Emily Spurrell
Originally created by West Yorkshire Police, Pol‑Ed is designed to help keep children and young people safe by providing teachers with a comprehensive package of high-quality, ready-to-useeducational materials that meet all statutory PSHE requirements, including:
- Fully planned lesson content
- Assemblies
- Pol‑Ed Passport sessions taught live from the Pol‑Ed.co.uk platform
- Year‑group‑specific schemes of work
These resources equip teachers with everything they need to build pupils’ knowledge, strengthen key protective factors, and support positive, informed choices.
The online resource already contains more than 250 lessons, with a minimum of 20 lessons per year group, with new materials regularly being added.
A number of Merseyside-specific resources will also be available on the site, including a suite of educational resources previously funded by the MVRP and created by the Ariel Trust on issues including grassing and grooming, consent and online abuse.
“Early intervention and education are fundamental to preventing harm, protecting young people and reducing vulnerability, so we’re so proud to be launching Pol-Ed for educational across Merseyside today.
“Pol‑Ed gives schools a consistent, evidence‑based set of tools that help build resilience, confidence and understanding in classrooms and in educational settings across our region.
“The fact that these resources have been written by teachers, for teachers – and quality‑assured by policing professionals – means schools can rely on them to be accurate, relevant and practical.
“We are delighted to be able to offer Pol‑Ed at no cost to schools and look forward to supporting educational partners to make full use of the programme.”
MVRP Director Superintendent Georgie Garvey
“Pol-Ed’s purpose is to keep children safe by developing their understanding of risks, consequences, and the law, in order to develop their resilience and ability to help and support each other.
“Great care has been taken to ensure our materials complement the statutory guidance towards PSHE and Citizenship, provide innovative assessment opportunities and of course, look great!
“Pol-Ed lessons can easily be embedded within current schemes of work used in schools or can be taught as standalone lessons to address specific needs of the school community and the pupils within it. Alongside resources for schools, there is a range of educational materials for police forces and Local Authorities to deliver in a school or other setting.
“Available in 15 Police Force areas, over 5,000 schools and 38,000 teachers now regularly access the Pol-Ed website.
“Our approach is holistic, focusing on educating children, preventing harmful behaviours, and providing ongoing support to ensure their well-being. By addressing these areas comprehensively, Pol-Ed strives to create a safer and more nurturing environment where children can grow, learn, and develop into responsible, confident adults who contribute positively to their communities and society as a whole.”
Head of Pol-Ed Amy Watkins
“Although the initiative’s main focus is on young people in secondary schools as part of PSHE programme, it is also available to primary schools so that children can understand from an early age about being a good citizen and building healthy relationships with people.
“Pol-Ed is widely delivered by teachers, however there are elements of the curriculum where our officers are in the classroom engaging with pupils to talk about topics such as anti-social behaviour, hate crime, violence against women and girls, knife crime and county lines. This enables us to build positive relationships with young people, encourage them to make better life choices and staying safe from harm.
“It’s about having those open and honest conversations early on, providing them with opportunities to identify those at risk, and ensuring young people feel heard and supported.
“Education is vital, and this programme is aimed at creating awareness for them to make informed decisions, spot the signs of being coerced into criminality and being vulnerable to exploitation – ultimately so that they feel empowered and more equipped to take the right path and lead better lives.”
Faye Smith, Merseyside Police Safer Schools Coordinator
Register your school today
Pol-Ed is now completely free for all Merseyside schools.
All materials meet PSHE and RSE curriculum requirements and are mapped against the PSHE Association’s objectives. Pol Ed covers all statutory PSHE content and will meet at least 90% of the PSHE Association’s Programme of Study once fully complete.
A reporting function is also available for PSHE leads to track delivery and analyse lesson engagement.
Schools can register directly at www.pol-ed.co.uk, add their staff members, and begin using the resources from 15th April.
Support for schools
The Pol‑Ed team are on hand to help with onboarding, technical support and lesson suggestions. Schools can also submit ideas for new content through the “Suggest a Lesson” form on the website.
For more information or support, contact: Pol.Ed@westyorkshire.police.uk