This is a school protection programme that aims to train a group of youngsters from across Year 8 by inviting them to attend their local fire station for an interactive workshop aimed at raising awareness of the dangers of fire.

Two young people from each class in Year 8 are selected by their teachers on the basis of their good character and motivation and the group is then accompanied to the local fire station by a member of the school staff.  They will be met by the members of the Duty Watch who have arranged the session with the school and who will be delivering the training programme.

As well as looking at the various types of fire and emergencies that are dealt with by the Fire and Rescue Service, the group will also focus on the danger to their school posed by deliberate fire setters.  They are taken through a series of check sheets of things to look out for inside and outside the school that enable them to reduce the opportunities for an arson attack.

At the end of their training session, pupils are issued with a certificate as well as a clipboard, a badge and a pen that they will use on patrols around the school.  The visit to the fire station concludes with their return to the school, accompanied by local firefighters who take them on a tour of the school using the check sheets they have been given.  These sheets will be used when they patrol the school in pairs on a daily basis, reporting their findings back to a member of staff.

It is anticipated that schools will follow up the scheme each year.  As well as providing valuable protection for the school, Fire Watch is also a positive indicator contributing to the moral, social and spiritual ethos of the school.