Statutory First Aid in PSHE explained (Incl teaching resources)
'Pupils can support their own and others’ health and wellbeing, including basic first aid.'
- Department for Education, February 2019
New first aid teaching requirements for health education in schools
From September 2020, all state-funded schools in England will be required to teach first aid as part of health education for all Key Stages.
Why is this being introduced?
By the time they leave secondary school, all children in England will have been taught how to administer CPR, the purpose of defibrillators, and basic treatments for common injuries.
Education Secretary Damian Hinds (at the time of this quote) said: "Learning the basic skills of first aid and techniques like CPR will give young people the confidence to know that they can step in to help someone else in need and in the most extreme cases - it could potentially save a life."
Does this have to be delivered by a trained first aider?
No, the new guidance has been designed to be delivered during PSHE. There’s no set time allocation for these lessons – Medical Tracker's teaching resources can be used as a toolkit for teachers to build bespoke lessons for their students.
Who has to comply with this legislation?
All state-funded schools in England will be required to teach first aid as part of PSHE . This will include basic first aid for primary school children, for example dealing with common injuries, such as head injuries. Young people in secondary schools will be taught further first aid.
What do primary schools have to cover during PSHE?
Pupils should know:
• know how to make a clear and efficient call to emergency services if necessary.
• concepts of basic first-aid, for example dealing with common injuries, including head injuries.
What do secondary schools have to cover during PSHE?
Secondary school pupils will be required to learn further first aid skills such as CPR and the purpose of defibrillators.
