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Located in rural and remote NSW, Coonamble Preschool is a community-based, not-for-profit preschool that welcomes children aged 3-5 years. Personal safety education is a central part of the preschool’s program.

The preschool’s Body Safety ����vlog���� program supports children to learn about the 5 body safety rules in age-appropriate ways, which Nominated Supervisor Heidi Cormie described as:

• learning the correct names for body parts
• understanding safe and unsafe touch
• recognising early warning signs
• knowing the difference between secrets and happy surprises
• identifying trusted adults in their safety network.

The program is closely aligned with the , particularly . Educators at the preschool are supported to consider body safety when helping children develop strategies that support their health, wellbeing and personal safety.

Educators use resources such as the OCG’s and to make these concepts engaging and accessible.

“These ideas are reinforced through play-based learning,” Heidi said. “For example, after reading Jayneen Sanders’ story on secrets and surprises, children play a game where they move to a happy or worried face depending on the scenario.”

“Educators also model and practise phrases such as, ‘No, this is my body and I say what goes,’ so children feel confident to respond to unsafe interactions and seek help from a trusted adult.”

Families are engaged through annual letters, daybooks and displays of children’s work. Heidi explains that children often take home activities they’ve done at the service, such as drawings of trusted people in their safety network.

“We encourage families to display these on the fridge or on a surface in sight of family members and visitors,” Heidi said. “They are great conversation starters for discussing child safety at home.”

To inform its work, Coonamble Preschool embeds child safety education webinars such as CELA’s into its staff induction, ensuring educators have the relevant understanding and guidance to have age-appropriate conversations with the children in their care.

Rainbow Preschool, a community-based service in Far West NSW, centres its philosophy on empowering children to be active participants in their own learning and safety. This focus on recognising their voices and fostering trusting relationships with educators guides the preschool’s approach to teaching personal safety and protective behaviours.

Director Nicole Delbridge explained that personal safety is embedded throughout the service’s daily program. Educators also use the OCG’s , alongside the Child Safe Standards and the to inform their practice.

The service engages children through short, age-appropriate storytelling in which characters face safety challenges. Educators pause to ask, “What could the character do?”, encouraging children to think critically, practise responding to uncomfortable situations and use protective language such as, “Stop, I don’t like it.”

Safety concepts are also reinforced across everyday routines, including indoor and outdoor play, bathrooms, small group activities and excursions supporting children to apply their learning in real-world contexts.

“Prioritising children’s voices is central to the program,” Nicole said. “For example, small group discussions allow children to share ideas about safety, co-develop safety agreements, and explore what safe and unsafe situations look and feel like.”

“We create spaces and opportunities for children to express their ideas, feelings and emotions across all environments in accessible ways, such as creative arts. Children illustrate their thoughts through individual drawings and reflect on warning signs they see in themselves and others.”

Educators at the service participate in ongoing professional development, including the course delivered by CELA, and receive guidance on embedding body safety education into daily routines.

The service also actively engages with its local community, inviting emergency services and NSW Police to the service to help children learn about personal safety and strengthen staff knowledge and confidence.

Nicole encourages other services to prioritise regular training, nurture strong relationships with children, hold open conversations about safety and reflect on the effectiveness of their approaches.

East Gosford Early Learning carefully adapts its approach to personal safety to suit children across different developmental stages.

Nominated Supervisor Brooke Field emphasised the importance of introducing the concept of personal safety early. This is an embedded practice in the service that is supported by educators and educational leaders, Irena and Bonnie.

“Starting personal safety discussions at a young age helps children recognise their feelings, understand boundaries and know who to turn to if they ever feel unsafe,” Brooke said.

“It lays the foundation for self-advocacy as they grow.”

This can be done by having conversations with children about scenarios where they might need help from emergency services.

“Children are taught to call the police if they ever feel unsafe,” Irena said.

“The children are confident in labelling what ECEC service they attend and are taught what phone number to call in an emergency. This is practised quarterly during evacuation and lock down drills.”

Personal safety is also embedded into daily routines. Indoor and outdoor play, transitions and small group discussions provide ongoing opportunities for children to recognise warning signs and practise protective behaviours.

Educators use a variety of resources to help older children understand their bodies and recognise unsafe situations. In particular, Bonnie shared that the book My Body, My Rules by Nikki Esler-Gill has been useful in helping children learn about positive body boundaries.

“By consistently using anatomically correct language, children are able to understand and communicate clearly about their bodies,” Bonnie said.

For infants and toddlers, the focus is on observation, responding to comfort levels and establishing trust through everyday routines. Educators pay close attention to non-verbal cues, ensuring children feel safe and supported in their early interactions.

Engaging staff in professional development is a priority for the service and supports educators to keep their child protection knowledge current.

“After participating in the Behaviour Management and Trauma-Informed Care workshops run by Engaging Curriculum Solutions, we have seen positive improvements in our practice, such as creating a calm classroom environment and conducting regular emotional check-ins with the children,” Brooke said.

Irena also noted the usefulness of the OCG’s in providing ongoing reflection and identifying areas for improvement.

Ultimately, Brooke said strong, trusting relationships with children are the foundation of personal safety education. She also encourages services to “start with what children already understand, build on that foundation and draw on available resources and professional development to support meaningful learning."

NSW Early Learning Commission

• Child Safety Regulatory Priority Program
• Child Safe Standards and Implementing the Child Safe Standards resource suite
• Child protection units and resources for school-aged children
• Child safe resources

NSW Office of the Children's Guardian

Bravehearts

National Office for Child Safety

United Nations