HIS bearing and his ram-rod straight back stand out as Steve Priday makes his way along a corridor full of students heading for their lessons. His demeanour gives clues to his background. So does the Army camouflage netting and the military flags pinned to one of the walls of his classroom.

There's also a fair amount of blue and white police tape, normally used to cordon off crime scenes, almost making a frieze along another wall. The 'décor' isn't there to remind Steve of his 14 years service in the Army or his two years full-time as a policeman but as visual aids for his students who have aspirations to join the armed forces or the emergency services.

"I am always looking out for bits and pieces I can bring into the classroom to create the right environment for the students. They should treat their lessons in this classroom as work experience" explained Steve.

He's in the news following the call by the education secretary Michael Gove for former servicemen and women to take up teaching.

Announcing his plans in a government white paper Mr. Gove said: "I can't think of anything better than getting people who know all about discipline, teamwork and a sense of pride into our schools to complement the huge numbers of great teachers we have there at the moment".

The government proposes that ex-military personnel would take a two year re-training course similar to America's Troops to Teachers programme. Steve has been teaching at Bedminster Down Secondary School since September 2009.

"I bring a bit of diversity to the school. I have the ability to remain quite calm in all situations. I think that the calmness rubs off onto the students" he said.

He says that communication, problem solving and team working are some of the skills which the forces are particularly good at and which are also useful in the classroom.

He gained plenty of experience of teaching first in the army where he drilled recruits in physical education, weapons and first aid, and later with the educational charity Skills Force.

After leaving the army as a sergeant with the Royal Military Police, he joined Avon and Somerset Constabulary.

"After two years I took a career break from the police and joined Skills Force. I enjoyed working with the police but I really wanted to go into teaching.

"This is an organisation which mainly uses military instructors who work in secondary schools with challenging students. I was working in four schools across Bristol mentoring and instructing them.

"I was supporting the permanent teaching staff and helping the students to get back into mainstream education."

After seven years with the Skills Force, during which time he gained his certificate of education at night school, Steve was offered a teaching post at Bedminster Down School.

Here he teaches a BTEC first diploma course in uniformed public services, and personal, social, health and economic (PSHE) education.

He says that when he first went into a classroom students were more awestruck than frightened of him.

"It was natural that they would ask questions about my work in the army and the police.

"I served in Belfast, Bosnia, Kosovo and in the first Gulf war. All were trouble spots that hit the headlines.

"Recently they've been asking him about his role in helping to police the riots in Bristol as a special constable.

Steve is working with three Year 10 and Year 11 groups on the diploma course.

"A pass is equivalent to four GCSE's at grade C and successful students can go onto college to take the course at a higher level.

Some of the students have strong desires to go into public service, he says.

His own experience comes into play as he tells the students, for example, about the role that fingerprints play in crime detection

He sets up tests for them in which they have to identify fingerprints.

They also have to learn about the role and responsibility of public services and study such things as crime its effect on society.

Steve says that although he had a childhood ambition to join the armed services – he signed up for a junior leaders' regiment two days after leaving school – he now wants to pursue a career in education.

"I'd like to see myself in a leadership role, and eventually become a headteacher. That would be my target," he said.