First Aid Training for staff at Abercynon Primary School

On Friday 25^th October 2019, our Training team visited Abercynon Community Primary School to deliver first aid training to staff during their inset day. We have worked closely with Abercynon Primary for some time and the first aid training was delivered as part of their Gold package with New Directions Education.

Our Gold package offers added value training and other benefits, alongside supplying the school with high-quality education staff when required. Account Manager, Chloe Devereux, commented that “Abercynon are a Gold client, so we have a great relationship with them. We have multiple long-term staff members in the school and have even placed teachers in the past that are now permanent in the school. They also regularly take advantage of our penalty shoot-out goals and are due to have our fancy-dress costumes in November for Children in Need too.”

As part of the Gold package, our experienced trainers, Del, Steve and Oliver, delivered first aid training for staff at Abercynon Primary. It was attended by 35 teachers, who were all very receptive to the course, taking it seriously but also thoroughly enjoying the day.

Del, Steve and Oliver taught the group key life-saving skills, including CPR. Among the skills taught on the day, the teachers from Abercynon Primary learned how to safely check for consciousness and look for signs of breathing by assessing a casualty. They were taught to observe:

• Airway
• Breathing
• Circulation

Airway

If a person is unresponsive, it is imperative to check that their airway is not obstructed and to open their airway so that they can breathe without obstruction from their tongue. The teachers were taught to do this by placing one hand on their forehead and another on the tip of their chin, enabling them to tilt the casualty’s head backwards. This moves the tongue away from the back of the throat and clears the airway for breathing.

Breathing

Next, you should check for signs to ascertain whether the person is breathing by themselves or not. Del, Steve and Oliver talked the teachers through how to do this, by looking to see if the person’s chest is rising and falling with each breath; placing an ear close to their mouth and nose to listen for breathing sounds; and feeling for breath against your cheek as you listen and watch for other signs.

If you assess that a person is breathing normally by themselves, you can place them into the recovery position and keep an eye on them for any changes in their condition. The teachers were taught about the recovery position and how to do this safely and effectively. However, if the casualty is not breathing normally, you should call for help by phoning 999 and then begin CPR.

Circulation

If you have established that a person is unresponsive and not breathing normally, you must call for help immediately and start CPR as soon as possible. CPR stands for cardiopulmonary resuscitation, which is a resuscitation of the heart and lungs.

The aim is to re-establish and maintain the circulation of blood and oxygen to the brain, heart and other vital organs until help arrives or the person regains consciousness. It involves a combination of rescue breaths and chest compressions, and the teachers were taught the correct technique during their training day, equipping them with the skills required to perform effective CPR if they ever need to.

The teachers took part in practical, hands-on demonstrations to have a go at putting their new skills into practice. Despite it being a serious and important topic to learn, the teachers fully engaged in the CPR training and discovered new skills that could help them to save lives in the future. We think this is a huge achievement and congratulate the teachers of Abercynon Primary on setting a fantastic example for their pupils to follow.

If you too would like to find out more about receiving first aid training for teachers in your school, contact your New Directions Education Account Manager today or fill in the enquiry form below.