Calderdale students learn life saving skills

Year 10 students from Todmorden High took part in the training.

Around 60,000 people a year in the UK experience an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest, more than 90 per cent of whom will typically die as a result. However, if Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) is started early enough, it can double a victim’s chance of survival.

21 pictures looking back at big nights out in Halifax back in mid 2000s

The Year 10 pupils volunteered to develop their life-saving skills and gain practical, hands-on experience by attending the session which was led by qualified first aid instructor Amy Gault of Splat Training.

Amy said: “As first aiders, we all hope that we’ll never have to use our skills, but it’s important to have them because they can make all the difference in a life or death situation.

“The 12 pupils that volunteered to take part will now be better placed to come to the rescue of friends, family, classmates and members of the public.”

The pupils went on to cascade their new knowledge to fellow students at an off-curriculum ‘ARCH’ day during which the school’s values are reinforced, including care for the community and wider world. However, in line with measures introduced to reduce the spread of Coronavirus, the wider school audience practised compression-only CPR using manikins on loan from Splat.

The training was organised by Head of Religious Education Jake Womak. He said after the ARCH day: “The children that had been trained were brilliant. I checked on all classrooms, and all the pupils were really engaged. This will be an annual thing for Year 10 from now on.”

“It’s great that the pupils who took part were able to share their newly acquired skills with other children in their year group, and are now equipped to come to the aid of people whose lives may depend on them,” said Amy.

Her business, based in Hebden Bridge, is currently unable to conduct first aid training in person right now whilst strict social distancing measures remain in place, and so has been forced to adapt quickly by introducing a range of online health and safety courses that people can access and complete whilst at home on lockdown.