SELF DEFENCE WORKSHOPS FOR SCHOOLS, COLLEGES, UNIVERSITIES
Trauma-informed, age-appropriate workshops in self defence and personal safety - designed to build student confidence, awareness and resilience.
Delivered across the UK and worldwide for secondary schools, sixth forms, colleges and universities.
Click below to request our education brochure. We also provide a comprehensive PSHE/RSHE content verification pack for schools, available on request.
What Makes Our Approach Different
We know schools are balancing safety, student wellbeing, time pressures, and budget. That’s why our workshops are built to be:
Trauma-informed - emotionally safe, inclusive and sensitive (delivered by TISUK Practitioner)
Time-efficient - from 60-minute keynotes to longer workshops, we work around your schedule
Trusted by staff and loved by students - with consistent 4x gains in student self defence confidence
Delivered by an expert - not outsourced. Every session is taught by our Co-founder, Dene Josham
Evidence-based - you’ll get clear, quantifiable feedback from your students after every session.
SCHOOLS, COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES WE HAVE TRAINED
WHAT TEACHERS SAY
“The students were informed, entertained, and most importantly prepared for occasions where self-defence may be needed. The first strategy of avoidance was excellent and persuasively explained why physical defence is not the first part of self-defence.
I haven’t heard a single negative comment. All of the students that I have spoken to have said how informative it was and that they enjoyed it.”
Mrs C Charles, Deputy Head, Stamford High School Sixth Form
“Amazing workshop delivered to children at a special school for high functioning autistic children. The staff and pupils were engaged and fixated throughout and all said they came away from the workshop with a new and improved look on what being ‘streetwise’ is. Dene answered all questions asked by the pupils.”
Lewis Russell, Churchill School
“I would like to extend my heartfelt thanks for the exceptional self-defense workshops you led for our students all day. Your dedication and expertise in conducting these sessions were truly commendable. The effort you put into preparing and delivering such engaging and informative workshops is greatly appreciated.
Feedback from both staff and students has been overwhelmingly positive, with many noting the valuable skills and knowledge they gained. Thank you once again for your time, effort, and commitment to empowering our students.”
Director of Co-curricular & Outreach, St Mary’s School
“Dene came to school to deliver a series of workshops for our Year 12 students. The sessions were excellently pitched and highlighted how our students could change their mindsets to help with their self-defence. Our students all commented on Dene's excellent communication.”
Oliver Murphy, Deputy Head of Sixth Form, Wycombe Abbey School
“We invited Dene to our boarding high school to help empower our students to handle—and avoid—potentially violent situations, and to equip them with practical skills before heading off to university. He did not disappoint. His two-hour session was rich with information and grounded in real, engaging scenarios.
Our students appreciated his personable approach, his stories, and his care in providing warnings when content or videos might be upsetting. We all left with valuable skills and a heightened awareness that we are still thinking about. Would totally recommend and hope to have him back!”
Cheryl D'Alessandro, Director of Communications, Canadian College Italy
Who Leads the Sessions?
All workshops are delivered by Dene Josham, Co-Founder of Streetwise Defence - a trauma-trained, highly experienced personal safety expert with over 30 years of frontline experience.
Dene is:
Enhanced DBS checked
A certified TISUK Practitioner (Trauma Informed Schools UK) with a Level 5 Diploma in Trauma and Mental Health
Trained in first aid, mental health first aid, and safeguarding
A former Royal Marine Commando, security expert for hostile environments and bodyguard for clients including Brad Pitt, Angelina Jolie and Russell Crowe
Experienced in delivering age-appropriate sessions from KS3 through to university level.
Violence prevention and self defence class at Ibstock Place School
Content Verification for PSHE/RSHE Workshops
To support schools with RSHE and safeguarding requirements, Streetwise Defence provides a comprehensive Content Verification Pack for every booking.
This includes the full slide deck, session outline, instructor credentials, safeguarding approach, and clear information showing how all content is age-appropriate, trauma-informed, and aligned with PSHE/RSHE outcomes.
Schools can review all materials in advance and have a live run-through of the workshop via video call, ensuring complete transparency and minimal admin for staff while meeting inspection and policy expectations.
self defence for schools - WHAT’S COVERED
Our self defence workshops include:
Situational awareness and environmental scanning
Understanding how adrenaline affects the body
Spotting risk and avoiding violence early
Reading body language and setting strong boundaries
Understanding types of attackers and common tactics
Verbal de-escalation and exit strategies
Self defence law and your rights
Simple physical techniques to escape from grabs or holds.
We do not teach martial arts, punching or kicking. We teach real-world, Special Forces-informed strategies designed to be effective regardless of strength, size or experience.
The techniques are suitable for all genders, fitness levels, and neurotypes.
Self defence and street safety workshop at Northern Ballet School
self defence CLASS FORMATS
In-Person Self Defence Workshops
Duration: 1 hour minimum, up to 2.5 hours
Delivered at your school/college/university
Keynote style delivery - unlimited participants
Includes demonstrations, video content, and real-life scenarios
Multiple sessions can be delivered in one day to fit your timetable.
We will work with you to create a format that suits the age and stage of development your students are at. Our approach is flexible and we are open to discussions to tailor our training to meet your needs.
2. Live Online Sessions
Delivered via Zoom, Microsoft Teams or your school platform
Ideal for international schools or multi-campus settings
Previously delivered to 800 students worldwide for The Delamar Academy and others.
3. On-Demand Video Courses
“How to Stay Safe at University or College” online course - for ages 16+
4.5 hours of flexible, self-paced video content - for students to complete in their own time
Bulk access available for schools, colleges and universities
Includes confidence, mindset, street safety and physical self defence
Want more info? Click below and we’ll send you our brochure - just select ‘Schools’ when submitting the enquiry form.
Violence prevention and self defence workshop at Hurst College
SHOULD SELF DEFENCE BE TAUGHT IN SCHOOLS?
In this inspiring interview, BBC Young Reporter winner Tegan explores why self defence should be taught in schools, highlighting the urgent need for skills to combat rising violence against women and girls.
Hear from students, teachers, and Dene Josham, Streetwise Defence Instructor, on the empowering benefits of self defence - and consider bringing a workshop to your school.
BBC Midlands Report on Why Self Defence Should be Taught in Schools
WHAT THE STATISTICS SAY
The Crime Survey for England and Wales (CSEW 2020) states that:
Men and women aged 16 to 24 years were more likely to be victims of sexual assault than those aged 25+
Full-time students were more likely to have experienced sexual assault than people in any other occupation type.
These statistics aren’t just numbers - they represent real young people.
We believe that personal safety education should be part of every school’s life skills curriculum.
Teaching a violence prevention workshop at Harris Academy Rainham
STUDENT FEEDBACK
We love reading the evaluation forms from students after our training - here are a few:
“Guy who did it was a legend!”
“Thank you for the lesson, it was better than physics!”
“Well done. So cool.”
“Amazeballs (it was interesting). Lush.”
“Ace.”
“Loved it!”
“Great talk. Legend.”
“#MoreTime - Amazing - Bring him back!”
“I appreciate the simplicity of a complex subject. Highly practical and engaging. Thank you!”
Student, Canadian College Italy
“They instantly made me and the other participants feel very comfortable, and created a safe space for all of us to get involved in. They covered various scenarios which helped to open our eyes to all possible places we would need to defend ourselves, and conversely, they helped us to understand how to avoid the situation also and just walk away before initiating any violence.
Overall it was an amazing session ran by great people, and I think I can speak for all the SHS students who participated that the class left us feeling not only aware but empowered.”
Year 12 student, Stamford High School Sixth Form
FEEDBACK AND ANALYSIS
We take an evidence-based approach to our training, gathering both qualitative and quantitative data that we share with you. This is to support your PSHE impact reporting or Ofsted evidence.
We ask students to rate their abilities, knowledge and confidence before and after the self defence workshop, as well as gathering their comments and feedback.
After each workshop, we send you:
A PDF summary of student feedback
Analysis of pre/post session confidence, knowledge and ability ratings with a graph showing the average improvement in each area.
Impact from 2,500 student evaluations
We analysed 2,500 student evaluations to determine the impact of our self defence workshops, here are the results:
Self defence knowledge: average increase from 4/10 to 8/10
Confidence and ability: increase from 4/10 to 7/10
Why It Matters
Teenagers and young adults should be able to enjoy their lives without fear - but sadly, many students feel vulnerable or unaware of the risks around them.
Our self defence training for schools, sixth forms, colleges and universities (including Students Unions) brings personal safety awareness to students.
Our sessions don’t scare. They empower students to trust themselves, take action early, and stay safer.
We believe that self defence is as important as first aid - an essential life skill for every young person.
Self defence workshop at a secondary school
CPD-Accredited Workshops
While CPD certification applies to professionals, our accreditation reassures schools that this training has been independently reviewed and meets national standards for structured learning. It can also be logged as CPD by staff who attend or oversee the sessions.
Empower Your Students
If you’re exploring this training, you’re already doing something powerful - giving your students the skills, confidence and awareness that stay with them for life.
Request the brochure below to see how we can support you in bringing this to your school.