This week, Year 6 were excited to be visited by St John Ambulance to learn some basic information about how to react to an emergency and some simple first aid if they were the first on the scene.
The session started by considering the two emergency numbers the children might have to call – 999 and 112. They looked at what they might need to say when the call is answered and the importance of being able to give an address or location so that the emergency services could respond.
They then looked at how they might treat a casualty, carrying out a primary survey of DANGER, RESPONSE, AIRWAY, BREATHING and CIRCULATION. One of the children’s favourite parts of the day was learning about the recovery position – although some of their attempts may have led to more injuries than the casualty had to start off with! The session finished with some basic bandaging skills and a chance to ask questions.
This was a fantastic opportunity for the children to think about the possibilities of a career in the paramedics, ambulance service or healthcare in general and also gave them a greater idea about how to keep safe.
