Purpose

Following development of the GM Education Hive, feedback from teachers is that they would like access to more online resources that can assist with lesson plans and keeping updated regarding presenting risks to children.
The VRU team has no expertise in developing such resources and researched existing available options. Pol-Ed is a West Yorkshire Police developed online education programme and resource, written by teachers for teachers in schools. Its purpose is to keep children safe by developing their understanding of risks, consequences, and the law, in order to develop their resilience and ability to help and support each other.
Content for schools includes a wide range of fully resourced lessons, assemblies, passports for personal development and assessment, planning matrices and other supporting documents to successfully embed Pol-Ed within a school setting. Designed and created by specialist subject matter teachers and police officers, the lessons and resources cover a wide range of key issues, specifically linked to the objectives within the PSHE, Citizenship and RSE statutory curriculum.
The ready-to-go Pol-Ed resources include schemes of work overviews, lesson plans, supporting resources such as pupil activities, assemblies, and special event packs to support standalone day/week focuses within school. Pol-Ed lessons can easily be embedded within current schemes of work used in schools or can be taught as standalone lessons to address specific needs of the school community and the pupils within it. POL ED will provide online access and IT / lesson plan support to all schools in Greater Manchester for a 12-month period, accessed via an online portal.
Other available resources were not as comprehensive and were cost prohibitive (charging per school). Over 1300 educational establishments in GM).
The contract with the Chief Constable of West Yorkshire and the West Yorkshire Combined Authority has a rolling term but includes an option to terminate the contract by giving not less than 3 months’ written notice to terminate, such notice to expire on an anniversary of the Activation Date (16 June 2025). Only the first year’s term has guaranteed funding. The VRU team will need to ensure that the possibility of future funding is secured by the end of February. If no funding is available, they should serve notice on the Chief Constable of West Yorkshire and the West Yorkshire Combined Authority to terminate the contract to avoid unauthorised expenditure.

Decision

1) The GMCA enters into a rolling contract with the Chief Constable of West Yorkshire and the West Yorkshire Combined Authority for the delivery of the POL ED online teaching resource for GM schools.
2) That the first year’s contract sum of £20,000 is committed as set out in the report noting that the GMCA contribution is match funded to a £20,000 contribution from GMP.
3) Note that unless funding is secured for future years that notice will need to be given to terminate the contract upon 3 months written notice to expire on the anniversary of the Activation Date (16 June 2025).
(VRU funding has been identified for year 2 and will be subject to a further Decision Notice to extend until June 2027).

Please note this is an update to the original DN (signed May 2025) at the request of the shared legal service. This is due to a slight variation to the contract in terms of the +1 year clause which has been retrospectively agreed by procurement and has taken time to process. The funding envelope and the terms of the contract have not changed.