Pupils at Oldfield Park Junior School in Bath have benefitted from two days of emergency awareness and first aid training with the Wiltshire Air Ambulance charity.
Taking part in the first aid sessions at Oldfield Park Junior School | Photo © Wiltshire Air Ambulance
The children learned a range of vital skills including how to make a call to the emergency services and how to manage a variety of first-aid situations.
In sessions lasting between half an hour and 90 minutes, the children watched professional demonstrations and learned how to put someone in the recovery position, the basics of CPR, and how to use a defibrillator.
They also faced the challenges of managing choking and bleeding.
In recognition of their participation, each child received a certificate reflecting their achievements and success in the programme.
The decision to incorporate first aid training at the Oldfield Park school follows a government trial that started in 2020 covering 1,600 state-funded schools, and also as a result of government lobbying by the Red Cross for more than a decade.
The government directive outlines that basic first aid training for primary school children should include common injuries and head injuries, together with the ability to contact emergency services.
Executive Headteacher Dave Goucher commented: “We are thrilled to collaborate with Wiltshire Air Ambulance to deliver this vital training.
“Empowering our children with these life-saving skills meets government requirements and, more importantly, builds confidence in our children and fosters a culture of safety and responsibility within our school community.”
Wiltshire Air Ambulance is a charity that provides an emergency helicopter service to the people of Bath, Wiltshire and the surrounding areas.
The partnership between the school and charity ensures that children are equipped with essential life-saving skills from an early age.
Parents are encouraged to support their children’s learning by discussing their training at home and continuing to reinforce the importance of these skills beyond the classroom.
