MINI medics have been learning the ABCs of lifesaving as part of a school achievement award.
Year 6 pupils from Barnard Castle Preparatory School spent the day with Andy Clarke, from the First Aid Training Academy, practising a host of lifesaving skills.
The first aid training is part of the pupils’ Achievement Award which is designed to be a less stressful, more diverse and enriching alternative to SATs.
Andy began the session with the DR ABC approach to first aid. This stands for Danger, Response, Airways, Breathing and CPR and is used on anyone who collapses or is injured.
He also demonstrated how to call for help, including dialling 999, 112 and 111, how to use a defibrillator, how to deal with choking, bleeds, dressings, asthma and shock.
He told the pupils it was important they always knew where they were, so they needed to learn their home address and postcode, as well as how to look for landmarks, such as the Castle, Bowes Museum or churches.
If the incident happened at home they should turn the lights on, open the front door and send someone outside to direct the emergency services. Saving a few minutes could save someone’s life.
“There are no public service first aid adverts anymore and this training will give the children the confidence to have a go if someone needs help, which could make the difference between life and death,” he said. “Hopefully they will also carry these skills into adulthood.
“The pupils were so responsive and engaged and showed no fear about getting their hands on a casualty, which is great.”
Headmistress Laura Turner said: “The mini medics day remains a crucial element of the Prep School’s Achievement Award, which Year 6 pupils complete in their final year.
“As a more useful and enriching alternative to SATs, they not only gain valuable life-skills but are enriched with greater awareness of the needs of others and a greater consciousness of their own capabilities, making them more self-confident and self-reliant and better at working in a team.
“The Achievement Award is something unique to Prep School, which has been developed over the past nine years. Unlike SATs, the programme lasts all year and is entirely relevant to their future lives.”
