THE seeds of innovation are being sown at Aloeric Primary School as part of careers and aspirations week.

More than 300 pupils from the Melksham school dressed up in their favourite job roles on Monday, including firefighters, police officers and sports stars.

Aside from the fancy dress, youngsters were also treated to talks, tips and hints from an array of people from different professions, helping the children to gather ideas for the future.

Speakers included IT managers, doctors, library managers, anaesthetists, entrepreneurs and athletes.

"The children have absolutely loved it. They are so enthusiastic, so motivated and so keen to learn about all these people from different working backgrounds," said headteacher Martin Nightingale.

"It is so encouraging seeing them really embrace this occasion. They are asking very intelligent questions about how people got where they are, what skills they need and why they chose that path.

"We had a lot of pupils dressing up as firefighters and policeman, unsurprisingly, but what is great about these events is that it gets them thinking about other inspiring and rewarding jobs too.

"We aim to emphasise the importance of aiming high, working hard and maximising your potential – it is all very exciting for them."

Professionals from a multitude of backgrounds delivered talks, Q&A sessions, practical exercises, showed videos and got the children using interactive whiteboards.

This is the second time the school has hosted the week and Mr Nightingale says it is fast becoming one of its most eagerly anticipated events.

"The idea is to get the children to appreciate the skills and knowledge that can be developed and honed in school that can help them in their future careers," he said.

"We like to talk about what former pupils have gone on to do and if you go down the list it is quite remarkable.

"One ex-pupil carried the Olympic torch a few years ago and others have gone on to compete in Commonwealth and European sporting events so we like to tell them that if you put your mind to it, anything is possible.

"What is great about these weeks is that it gives them the chance to see everyday people doing incredible things and that is very special."

To cap off a memorable week, the pupils' parents came into the school where they were shown what the children had been up to and what they had learnt.