PUPILS are learning to be road smart thanks to support from a Dorset law firm’s charity arm.

Hundreds of young children are now receiving life-saving lessons in road safety after schools responded positively to help from Battens Solicitors Charitable Trust.

The trust made a total of £18,000 available for schools to spend on road safety lessons and to access a dedicated resource kit with a simulated road layout helping youngsters to learn through role plays involving mini road signs, traffic lights and tabards.

Some of the kits have been made available on a ‘free loan’ basis thanks to a tie-up with the Weymouth-based SafeWise safety education partnership. They have been so successful they are booked out until the end of February.

Among the first schools to receive its own resource pack was Sticklands Primary in Evershot.

Headteacher Kathy McCann said: “Teaching children to be safe on the roads is obviously a hugely important lesson for them to learn. The resources we’ve been given will enable us to do that in a very practical way which will be fun for the children.”

Other schools that have received packs so far include Southill Primary and Holy Trinity in Weymouth, Manor Park, Prince of Wales and Damers First School in Dorchester, Symondsbury, St Andrew’s in Preston, Cerne Abbas First School and Sherborne Primary.

Battens decided to focus on children’s safety awareness after a huge reduction in the Department for Transport’s national budget for primary age road safety promotion.

Hannah Brown, a personal injury solicitor at Battens, said: “We work hard at Battens to achieve rightful compensation and access to rehabilitation for road safety victims every day. This initiative is close to my heart, both as a personal injury lawyer and as a mother, and we are pleased to do our bit to ensure road safety lessons are instilled in our children from an early age.”

Battens Charitable Trust was set up to aid good causes in the community.

To request a loan pack, schools should contact SafeWise on 01305 753050.