STUDENTS at Northmoor Academy students had an inspirational and memorable visit from Greater Manchester Police, Oldham Council and national knife crime adviser Paul McGovern, and police officers and PCSOs from the community policing team and HMP Manchester Community Team.

The purpose of the team’s work in schools is to spread a powerful message: “Educate today’s young for a better tomorrow.”

The event was also organised to enhance the “The Harmony Trust Pledge” for all pupils to be provided with opportunities to understand how to be safe, happy and healthy.

The day focused on educating the children with the underlining theme that “Actions have Consequences”.

Mr McGovern launched the day with a stark message: “It only takes 20 minutes to get a criminal record.”

He was awarded an MBE for his pioneering work educating in schools. He advises on knife crime and spent a lot of his career working in prisons and with the drug dogs.

The team delivered a hard-hitting interactive and educational day of an assembly to Years 2 to 6 and half-day workshops to children in Year 5 and 6.

The children learned about 999 calls, stranger danger, mobile phone safety, social media safety, drug misuse, bullying, alcohol misuse, knife crime, peer pressure, childline, ways to contact the emergency services and safeguarding.

And they also met one of the police drug dogs and learned their role in assisting police officers in apprehending criminals.

Year 5 Teacher Kate Cochrane said: “Thank you so much for your lively and informative presentation of how and why to stay safe.

“The fun activities, interspersed with serious information and messages, meant the children we fully involved in the presentation. We were still talking about their learning from it the following day. Thank you for making such a crucial topic memorable and engaging.”