A preliminary evaluation of the effectiveness of RIDE 2000 delivered at four schools in NE Surrey on behalf of the Metropolitan Police was reported by Laura-E.Frith in January 1997. The evaluation involved questionnaires for pupils who underwent the programme in 1996 and the year before, their teachers and parents. The management summary concluded:
This evaluation found that RIDE programme effective in providing children with beneficial life skills. The programme is well received by pupils, patents and teachers and all recognise its beneficial effects on childrens' knowledge, attitudes and behaviour towards drugs.
The report made several recommendations for the further development of the programme, most of which have been implemented.
The multi-agency trial of the RIDE 2000 programme was developed by local Police, Health and Education authorities and run at 13 secondary schools in County Durham during 1996-7. Some 2200 pupils, their parents, 51 teachers, 9 school nurses and 20 police officers were involved. The final report concluded:
The following were the main points from the questionnaire returns:
1) The RIDE programme proved very suitable to the task and purpose. The benefit to the pupils involved, in raising awareness of drugs related issues and personal esteem and better equipping them to face the issues and choices in the future, was demonstrable.
2) The pupils themselves found the programme interesting, informative and useful and were particularly impressed with the involvement of police officers and their own parents.
3) Liaison between teachers, school nurses and police was good and the partnership approach was clearly to the benefit of the programme. Involvement of the parents was important in cementing relationships. The teaching staff were impressed by the programme success.
4) Every school that participated in the trial wishes to continue with the RIDE programme.
The Evaluation Team recommends unreservedly that the RIDE programme is continued in the 13 schools and extended to all other secondary schools in the County.
RIDE 2000 continues to run in County Durham in association with the Durham Constabulary and local authorities. RIDE 1000 is currently being introduced to some primary schools.
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Letter to South Yorkshire Police
Danum School in Doncaster ran RIDE 2000 for the first time in the academic year 1999-00. The following are extracts from her letter to South Yorkshire Police who helped set up the programme and participated in its delivery:-
"Having just reviewed the input from our visitors, I have been overwhelmed by comments made from both the teaching staff and pupils as how the programme has gone and feel I must convey this message to you.
I feel I cannot praise or thank the police enough for their input into this scheme. I am totally convinced that this is the way forward not only for drug education but also for citizenship."
Val Snowden, Head of PSHE
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The Magna Carta School, Staines, Middlesex
"I would like to register with you how pleased we have been as a school to use the RIDE programme.
Tutors have found the pack to be very user friendly with a great deal of additional resources and ideas within the Instructors' Manual. The students have found the course really stimulating and interesting. The variety of teaching approaches is a real strength of the programme and undoubtedly has contributed to its success.
The links we have continued to develop with our Community Police Officer through the RIDE scheme have also been of huge benefit to Year Seven and the whole school. The students have really enjoyed the sessions we have run with the sniffer dogs.
Thank you for your continuing development and work within this vital area."
P. Jackson, Head of Year Seven
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St Martins C.E. Junior School, Epsom, Surrey
"Drug education still remains a sensitive subject with parents and no one wants to think of their young children having to face the difficulties which result from living in a drug using society.
My experience over the last five years is that the RIDE project provides an excellent introduction to the subject. When teachers are supported by sympathetic agencies from the other services, it is a powerful educational tool. I would commend it to all schools."
Chris Poole, Headteacher
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Fullbrook School, New Haw, Surrey
"The RIDE programme has been very successful here at Fullbrook School. Our PSE Programme in Year 7 includes a wide range of subjects and the RIDE scheme, introduced by our Police Liaison Officer and continued by our specialist teachers, allows students to learn, discuss and role play in the safety of the classroom. It is an excellent starting point for our drugs education and is featured highly in the Substance Abuse Policy of the school. Parents are invited to a meeting to inform them of the content, to discuss the issues and our PTA fund an information pack for each parent in Year 7. The evaluation of the RIDE programme by our staff, students and parents shows us how valuable it is in positively promoting awareness of the key issues and equipping students with knowledge and skills"
M.A. Eden, Headteacher
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