Suffolk Fire and Rescue Service are entering in to an exciting new partnership with Chantry High School and Sixth Form Centre which will see a firefighter work with the children for one day a week.

Suffolk County Council's Chief Executive Andrea Hill along with the school's Headteacher Andrew Fell launched the scheme yesterday which will see a current firefighter take up the role of School Fire Liaison Officer at the school.

Their role will be to support curriculum wide activities by delivering presentations and taking lessons while delivering fire safety messages to the school community. The officer will also be a positive role model within the school who will mentor individuals and lead a fire cadet scheme for selected pupils.

Andrea Hill, Suffolk County Council's Chief Executive, said; "The thought of having a firefighter in school for a day a week is a wonderful prospect. Education is fundamental in determining the quality of people's lives and as a result one of the county council's key priorities is to transform learning and skills across the county.

"The initiative is a fantastic opportunity to see how positive role models, such as firefighters, can raise the aspirations of children and help them get the very best from their education."

Andy Fry, Chief Fire Officer, said; "Our experience from working with children from different backgrounds across Suffolk has demonstrated that firefighters have a very special ability to engage with young people from all backgrounds as great role models.

"By combining this ability with the talents of the teaching staff at schools such as Chantry High, we think we have a real opportunity to enhance the educational experience of the pupils and help them achieve more than they would do otherwise."

Andrew Fell, Headteacher of Chantry High School and Sixth Form Centre, said; "We recognise our pupils as individuals who come from diverse backgrounds and bring a range of experiences and talents to the school. As a result they have a wide range of educational needs and we need to tailor opportunities on that basis.

"The Fire Liaison Officer will be a welcome addition to the staff here and the initiative will add an exciting dimension to this approach and I am sure it will bring a real benefit to Chantry High School and other schools nearby.

The School Fire Liaison Officer will work with the whole school and take part in lessons across the curriculum to help demonstrate the link between traditional subjects such as Maths, English and science and the world of work for firefighters.

They will also work closely with a number of individuals on a one-to-one basis in order to build their self esteem, encourage team work, improve fire and road safety awareness and teach practical firefighting and first aid skills. The firefighter will use his role model status to raise the aspirations and performance of pupils.

Once recruited the School Fire Liaison Officer will be the first of their kind in the county and, if successful, the scheme could role out to other schools across Suffolk.