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All schools teach drug education (or should teach drug education) if you want to find out what happens in these sessions speak to you child’s school and ask to speak to either the Personal, Social Health Education Co-ordinator or the Pastoral Head, these should have information on curriculum aspects.

You should also be able to have sessions on drugs yourself, again speak to either of these people in school and ask if something can be arranged for you, or a group of parents. Some examples of the types of things taught:

Drug education in primary schools
At Key Stage 1 pupils learn about being safe with medicines and household substances and the basic skills for making healthy choices and following safety rules.

At Key Stage 2 pupils learn about the effects and risks of alcohol, tobacco, volatile substances and illegal drugs and basic skills to manage risky situations. They learn how to make informed choices about their health, how to resist pressure to do wrong and to take more responsibility for their actions.

Drug education in secondary schools
At Key Stage 3 pupils learn more about the effects and risks of drugs and the laws relating to drugs. They learn the skills to recognise and manage risk and to resist pressures. They continue to develop the skills to make choices for a healthy lifestyle and learn about where to go for help and advice.

At Key Stage 4 pupils build on their knowledge and learn more about the effects of drug misuse on family, friends, community and society. They gain greater understanding through clarifying their opinions and attitudes in discussions and debate and considering the consequences of their decisions.

Drug education of pupils with special educational needs (SEN)
Pupils with SEN within all educational settings should receive their entitlement to drug education. The framework set out earlier in this section should be used as a basis. Teachers may need to focus more on developing pupils’ confidence and skills to manage situations which require making decisions about drugs. This may include developing competence to manage medicines responsibly, staying safe and understanding and managing feelings. Teachers should pay particular attention to enabling pupils to seek help and support when they need it.