Sun Safe Schools is a FREE national accreditation programme developed by Skcin. We provide primary schools nationwide with all the tools, resources and support they need to fulfil their duty of care to safeguard children against UV, raise awareness of skin cancer across the wider school community and develop children’s knowledge of sun safety to prevent skin cancer through education.
The Sun Safe Schools programme was developed by Skcin in 2012 as our first born national accreditation with a mission to plant the seeds of sun safety in primary education, drive much-needed behavioural change and prevent skin cancer for future generations. Having lobbied government under the banner of ‘Skin Cancer UK’ to get Sun Safety on the national curriculum prior to our launch, Skcin were subsequently involved in key consultations that resulted in success almost a decade later in 2020. Since that time the Sun Safe Schools programme has received official recognition as Best Practice by the National Institute of Health and Care Excellence (NICE).
Whilst some sun is good for us, over-exposure to UV is a serious health risk and the primary cause of the UK’s most common and fastest rising cancer. UV radiation is classified as a group 1 carcinogen, damage is cumulative, irreparable and burning as a child can dramatically increase a person’s risk of developing the disease in later life.
Children spend almost half their childhood at school, where they are outdoors regularly during peak UV hours (11am – 3pm). It is therefore imperative that schools fulfil their duty of care to ensure children are safeguarded from UV damage and develop children’s knowledge of sun safety to influence behaviour and prevent skin cancer in later life.
Our mission via the Sun Safe Schools national accreditation programme is to provide primary schools with all the tools, advice, guidance and resources they need to successfully achieve the accreditation criteria which provides evidence of their commitment to:
To gain their Sun Safe Accreditation, schools must complete the 4-step process detailed below, providing written feedback on-line following the completion of each step. Extensive supportive resources have been developed to help schools achieve each step effectively and efficiently, with maximum impact on required outcomes and minimum strain on valuable time and resources.
Our on-line policy maker makes it easy for schools to tailor and download their own Sun Protection Policy. With key areas made mandatory, the process ensures schools have covered all essential guidelines and recommendations and can be confident that they are implementing a suitable policy to present to parents and protect their staff and pupils.
In accordance with a school’s tailored policy, a personalised letter is automatically generated to download and present to parents along with their policy and sun safety information to reinforce key messaging at home. This ensures schools are requesting the required level of support from parents, advising them correctly about sun safety and doing great work to increase vital knowledge about skin cancer prevention and early detection across the wider school community.
Promoting a whole school approach to sun safety forms an important part of the accreditation process. A range of bespoke resources including assembly plan, presentation slides, script, music and our infamous ‘Slip, Slop, Slap’ song are made available to help schools conduct an assembly to remember. The fun and factual assembly engages children of all ages, encouraging participation and a whole school approach to staying safe in the sun.
A comprehensive range of fun and engaging, curriculum linked, educational resources and activities for key stage one and two pupils are provided to introduce, reinforce and develop knowledge regarding ‘safe and unsafe exposure to the sun and how to prevent skin cancer’- which forms part of the new PHSE Curriculum. Year 6 pupils are also provided with a bespoke leavers presentation, workbook and graduation certificate to extend their level of understanding and ensure they take vital knowledge with them into secondary education and beyond.
Once all of the steps have been completed and feedback has been provided, schools are awarded their Sun Safe Schools certificate of accreditation. The accreditation is valid for one year, with a renewal process in place for schools to; review their sun protection policy; reinforce support with the existing school community; introduce to newcomers and develop children’s knowledge of UV radiation and sun safety through education.
We are extremely proud of the amazing feedback we receive each year by schools taking part in their initial accreditation and renewing their annual accreditation. We have literally thousands of individual pieces of feedback for the various steps required and this enables us to monitor programme effectiveness, maintain best practice and provide evidence of success.
“Being part of the annual Sun Safe Schools accreditation programme has had a profound influence on our school community. Achieving accreditation as a sun safe school has played a pivotal role in shaping children’s behaviour towards sun safety. The programme has effectively raised awareness amongst students, instilling in them the significance of adopting sun protection measures in their daily routines. Collaborating with parents through this initiative has proven to be instrumental in garnering their whole-hearted support and expanding awareness across the wider school community. This partnership with parents has facilitated a holistic approach towards reinforcing sun safety practices within the school environment. The benefits of our accreditation have been far-reaching, positively impacting the entire school. Our participation in the programme has further solidified our dedication to sun protection, education, and collaborative efforts. The resources provided by the programme have been invaluable assets, bolstering our capacity to effectively promote sun safety practices and drive collaboration amongst stakeholders. In summary, our school’s engagement in the Sun Safe Schools accreditation programme has not only culminated in us attaining accredited status but has also enriched our school ethos with a pervasive culture of unwavering sun safety awareness and commitment.”
St. Joseph’s RC Primary School, Glamorgan
By taking part in the Sun Safe Schools programme, schools have access to a wide range of fun and engaging, FREE teaching resources for all ages and abilities from reception through to class 6.
We love shouting about the feedback from the thousands of schools across the UK that are benefitting from the Sun Safe Schools programme - but don’t just take our word for it, see for yourself what they have to say...
As of 2020 all English primary schools must teach children about safe and unsafe exposure to the sun and how to reduce the risk of sun damage, including skin cancer as part of the PHSE curriculum.
Skcin have partnered with trusted manufacturers SC Johnson Professional to provide primary schools with an excellent quality sunscreen, bespoke Sun Safe Schools dispensers and sun stations with UV dial and mirror.
If you’d like to promote the Sun Safe Schools accreditation programme to your child’s school or help engage schools in your local area, please download our promotional material here.
Sun safety education isn’t just for schools. If you want to educate your child(ren) on the importance of sun safety, check out our range of bespoke, educational resources to support young learners.
