Norwich pupils become first in England to earn St John Ambulance awards as part of school curriculum

Pupils from City Academy Norwich are presented with their St John Ambulance Young First Aider certificates by Lynford Brunt (left) and Peter Rose (right) of St John Ambulance. Photograph Simon Parker

David Freezer Thursday, December 20, 2012
1:56 PM

Pupils at City Academy Norwich have become the first in England to earn their status as trained first aiders from St John Ambulance as part of their school curriculum.

Pioneering pupils

James Blackburn

Liam Bulldeath

Jordan Corstorphine

Kimberley Dennis

Mia Finch

Jade Fox

Micheala Frazer

Tyler Hammond

Susan Harwin

Aron Hinton

Chantelle Loveridge

Maria Lukacs

Shaun Metcalf

Harry Nobbs

Rinalds Ozols

Shaznae Smith

Kerry Townsend

Luke Weston

There are 18 pupils who have been awarded their certificates at the Earlham high school, from years nine to 11, after successfully passing the St John Ambulance Young First Aider course.

The course has been part of the school’s curriculum since September and has been led by a team from the first aid charity for two lessons a week.

All of the pupils are now able to deal with a range of situations and potentially be the difference between a life lost and a life saved.

All the pupils are now officially part of a St John Ambulance cadet unit at City Academy Norwich – the first of its kind to be formed in the country as part of a school curriculum.

Mick Coley, East of England regional management team member for St John Ambulance, said: “This is fantastic news and we’re really pleased that so many pupils worked so hard to achieve these qualifications this term.

“The teaching of first aid in schools is something we believe should be on the curriculum everywhere and we’d love to hear from other schools in the east of England, and further afield, that would like to work with us to deliver these essential skills to their pupils.”

All 18 of the pupils were also awarded a qualification in the use of Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs) – first aid equipment which can shock a heart and return it to a normal rhythm in the event of a heart attack.

David Brunton, principal of City Academy Norwich, added: “We are delighted to pioneer this partnership with St John Ambulance and we hope this project, which is the first of its kind in the country, will encourage young people in other institutions to participate in such a worthwhile activity.”

For more details about the course, go to www.teachthedifference.org.uk.

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