Pupils in Dagenham are having a think about what jobs they’d like to do in the future.

This week, Dorothy Barley Junior Academy in Ivinghoe Road have been holding an aspirations week, where students are being encouraged to consider their future careers.

Every day, seven and eight-year-olds are hearing from people in a variety of careers, finding out what they did on a daily basis and how they ended up where they are today.

The week began with a firefighter, who gave a demonstration with his full kit and helmet. Next came a GB athlete, who gave a more active performance of what he gets up to during training. There were speeches from gymnasts on how they got into athletics, and some ex-pupils spoke about the transition to secondary school.

Today (Thursday) saw a talk from a Barking and Dagenham Post reporter, who demonstrated shorthand and showed some examples of The Post’s quirkiest stories, and there will also be a speech from a computer engineer who works in the city.

On Friday, pupils will be given the opportunity to dress up as a career they aspire to work in.

Abbie Robinson, Year 3 lead, said: “The aim of the week is to inspire our children to dream big, think creativity and to achieve well in whatever they choose to do.”