Five and six year olds are asked to learn behaviours they will use in the future when there is a fire emergency. This is a difficult task for a five or six year old; however the Fire Service has significant anecdotal evidence that five and six year olds who learnt Firewise behaviour at school have got out safely from burning homes.

The Get Firewise for year 1 and 2 programme is based on national and international research on how children learn and retain safety information.

This does mean that the programme is more prescribed that some other learning programmes and teachers are encouraged to use the programme as it is presented.

Learning behaviours that will be required in future emergency situations are not suited to an inquiry learning approach. It can be likened to learning to drive a car or learn a new swimming stroke. There are steps along the way you need to understand and consolidate before you learn the next bit and you need to practise, practise, and practise the behaviour until it is second nature.

You may need to recall and use the behaviour when you are waking from a deep sleep and can see flames and smoke and you are very frightened.

However other sections of the Get Firewise programme can be approached as inquiry learning.

Get Firewise Image Slideshow

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