The children of Oldfield Park Junior School enjoyed two days of emergency awareness and first aid training with Wiltshire Air Ambulance on 19 and 20 March. With age-appropriate course content, 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 more common but equally important 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 Oldfield Park follows a government trial that started in 2020 covering 1,600 state-funded schools, as well as 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 basic first aid skills including common injuries and head injuries together with the ability to contact emergency services. The training held at Oldfield Park training was extensive and far exceeded the government’s basic requirements.
Oldfield Park Junior Schools 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 registered charity that provides an emergency helicopter service to the people of Wiltshire, Bath and 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.