Understanding County Lines: A Resource for Young People (KS2)

Awareness Raising for Year 6 pupils – helping schools meet their safeguarding duties


An exciting new teaching resource from 'Narrative Alchemy's '2 Pears Films' project: CountyLines provides a compelling film and a complete pack of seven 30-minute step-by-step lessons, empowering staff to lead confident, impactful discussions around this complex and sensitive issue. 

Even in rural or seemingly ‘safe’ areas, County Lines exploitation can reach young people as they prepare to move up to secondary school.  Recent reports from The Children’s Society and The Guardian highlight that primary-age children - some as young as seven - are already being targeted by gangs.  This makes Key Stage 2 a crucial moment for prevention and awareness.

Understanding CountyLines is a professionally produced streamed film resource created specifically for Year 6 pupils.  It helps children understand how grooming and criminal exploitation work - and, most importantly, who they can turn to for help and advice.

The resource is based on the award-winning applied theatre play, CountyLines (Narrative Alchemy), which tours UK secondary schools and has reached tens of thousands of young people.  We developed this new KS2 version in direct response to requests from primary schools who wanted something age-appropriate for their pupils at the point of transition.

Check out the trailer...

What's included?

  • Film Resource


    At the heart of the resource is a professionally produced 10-minute film featuring Dex. He's likeable, confident, and engaging; but as he begins to explain how he 'recruits' children & young people into County Lines operations, the tone gradually shifts. Pupils are taken step-by-step through the stages of grooming - from friendship and trust to manipulation and control.


    Teachers have found it a powerful way to help children recognise how exploitation works and, most importantly, understand who they can turn to for help and advice.

  • 7 x 30-Minute Structured Lesson Plans


    Complementing the film is a complete seven-lesson resource pack. Each lesson is fully structured with clear objectives, timed activities, and guided discussion points, supported by facilitator notes, content warnings, and safeguarding guidance.


    Students are encouraged to explore the issues through creative tasks, scenarios, and role-play, helping them practise boundary-setting, build empathy, and develop a shared vocabulary around criminal exploitation. The resource pack provides teachers with everything they need to deliver confident, impactful lessons without additional planning.

  • 12 Months Unlimited Access


    A single subscription provides 12 months of unlimited access across your whole school, giving every member of staff the confidence and flexibility to use the resource whenever needed.

    This allows you to deliver the session to different classes in different year groups at a time that suits you - ensuring as many students as possible benefit from this essential safeguarding education.

    The package is designed to be entirely teacher-ready, with slides, prompts, and step-by-step guidance built in.

'The CountyLines KS2 resource tackles a really difficult subject in a way that’s completely appropriate for Year 6. It’s powerful, thoughtful and perfectly pitched - it helps us open up vital conversations before pupils move on to secondary school.'

- Primary School Head Teacher

What's covered

Through the film and the guided classroom activities, pupils learn to recognise and talk about the warning signs of manipulation and exploitation in a way that feels safe, age-appropriate, and empowering. The lessons help them understand how grooming works and what they can do if they ever feel pressured, unsafe, or unsure.

  • By the end of the programme pupils will:-

  • Recognise the tactics criminals like Dex use to build trust and control.

  • Understand why young people might be vulnerable to these tactics, and that it’s never their fault.

  • Know where and how to seek help — from trusted adults, teachers, or support services.

Why Trust Us?

Narrative Alchemy Limited

This resource was created for 2 Pears Films by Narrative Alchemy.

Narrative Alchemy is a UK-based organisation dedicated to using film, storytelling, and education to tackle complex social issues affecting young people. Through impactful films, applied theatre, workshops, and digital learning resources, we create engaging, research-backed content that helps schools, educators, and communities address critical topics such as County Lines, Child Sexual Exploitation, Domestic Abuse & Coercive Control, and Knife Crime.

Beyond working with schools, colleges, and universities, we collaborate with the NHS, MoD, police forces, and social services, providing effective intervention tools to safeguard young people. Our work extends across the UK and internationally, partnering with educators, safeguarding professionals, and policymakers to develop solutions that spark conversations, build resilience, and drive real change - ensuring young people are equipped with the knowledge and confidence to make safe, informed choices.

Individual schools can bring this fantastic resource into their classrooms, with 12 months unlimited access, for only £180 inc VAT (£150 exc VAT)*

*as VAT-registered educational institutions, most UK schools can reclaim the VAT through their usual finance process - effectively making the cost only £150 for the year! If your setting needs to pay via invoice rather than online subscription, please get in touch: [email protected]

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*Authority and Cluster Licensing

As well as individual school access, we offer bulk licences for local authorities, trusts, or school clusters. Buying in bulk gives vastly reduced rates (costs in chart below), making it a cost-effective way to provide consistent safeguarding education across multiple schools. To discuss options, talk about how it could logistically get rolled out in your area, or request a tailored quote, please click the link below.

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