More than 260,000 schoolchildren across the West Country will be encouraged to learn about farm and rural safety as part of the school curriculum.

The initiative, developed by insurance firm Cornish Mutual, aims to teach children at 1,300 schools about dangers on farms and in the countryside.

Farmsafe for Schools is an online teaching resource linked to the Key Stage 1 and 2 curricula, covering topics including farm, road and rail safety. It will also warn children about potential dangers with livestock, poor hygiene and electricity.

“As an insurer for the rural community, we understand that farms and the countryside can sometimes be a dangerous place for children,” said Alan Goddard, managing director at Cornish Mutual. “We have developed this teaching resource to help pupils identify some of the dangers and learn how to deal with them.

“We hope that our Farmsafe for Schools initiative will provide primary school teachers in the south west of England with everything they need to deliver engaging lessons and help their students to stay safe in the countryside.”

The pack includes lesson plans and downloadable practical worksheets to be used in the classroom, with 16 different activities designed for children between the ages of five and 11.

For more information visit the Cornish Mutual website.