Derbyshire schoolchildren learn about trust with kind police and firefighter visit

Firefighters from Shirebrook Fire Station and officers from Derbyshire Police’s Shirebrook safer neighbourhood team paid a visit to the town’s Stubbin Wood School – where the children took great delight in hosing down PC Tom Warsop, with help from the ‘water fairies’.

The visit was part of the Common Lane school’s kindless curriculum, where children in all TEAM Education Trust schools have been learning about the importance of trust and how, once lost, it can be difficult to get back.

A school spokeswoman said the visit helped ‘bring reality to the importance of trust’, as the emergency services personnel explained how important trust is to them within both their jobs and everyday lives.

Highlights of the visit were a chance to explore a fire engine, see the sirens and lights – and soak PC Warsop.

Talking about the visit, a fire station spokesman said:”Students had the opportunity to look round the appliance & talk to us both about all that we do to protect & help our community.

“The ‘water fairies’ might have even helped students wet PC Warsop as well.”

A police team spokesman said: “We have a lovely visit with our fire friends from next door in Shirebrook – the kids and teachers even loved hosing down our PC Warsop too.”

Laura Brooks, trust special educational needs co-ordinator, who leads on the kindness curriculum, said: “We can talk about the importance of trust, but it’s when our emergency services come to school with a fire engine and police car that the lessons really come to life.

“Our students really valued the opportunity to meet our local firefighters and police who made it so clear how important trust really is to enable everyone to stay safe.”

Kirstie Knapper, who leads speech and language at Stubbin Wood, one of Derbyshire’s largest special schools, said: “The children were really enthused by the visit and, while the sirens and lights were clearly a delight, it was clear the purpose of the visit, to discuss what trust means, really helped students comprehend and find methods and words to communicate their new thoughts.”