Nottinghamshire Police officers top class at teaching

Overall 11 schools and early intervention officers and a youth outreach worker were backed by the force to take a Level 3 teaching course, which is the equivalent of an A-Level.

Schools and early intervention officers were reintroduced by the force in 2018 to embed within school communities across Nottinghamshire and give valuable lessons about good citizenship and build trust with young people in the community that they take into later life.

The course was designed to arm those officers who often work with young people with the knowledge and tools to make sure they’re getting the most they can out of this engagement.

PC Amie Whitehouse, a schools and early intervention officer covering the Ashfield area, said: “This course was a fantastic opportunity and in the main, it’s really positive to be able to embed the theory we learned into the practical now.

“Frustrations that young people might feel in the classroom can often be what leads to poor behaviour, so keeping them engaged and understanding the dynamic of the room is really important.

“The course really went into detail about different educational needs, modifications that can be applied to make sure no one is left behind and also a variety of special educational needs.

“Having this qualification means we can now say to a school or college that we have this level of understanding when it comes to how young people learn. I think it also gives us that credibility when going into that environment and it’s great that the force are willing to invest in us professionally and see that added value of the role, putting skills into this different type of policing and reach more young people effectively."

Chief Constable Craig Guildford said “This kind of proactive policing and engaging with young people early is a key part of our preventative work. As such, it’s important that we invest in the officers that work with them in such ways as this qualification."