The Heart of a School

Published on isbi School News dated Tuesday 12th of November 2013

It is not often that a pupil can go home after a day at school and, in response to the question: 'What did you learn today?' be able to reply: 'How to save a person's life.' Yet that is precisely what pupils at St Benedict's School, Ealing did to support 'Restart a Heart Day'. Led by Nurse Susan Newing, pupils were able to watch a game-in-a-film that gets you to make the choices you would have to make in a real emergency. The pupils learnt by doing: do it wrong, see the consequences; do it right and they had the thrill of saving a life.

In addition pupils were able to get hands on, literally, using 'Resusci Anne' and a defibrillator. Many relished reliving scenes from 'Casualty' and 'ER'!

The event was part of an initiative by Resuscitation Council (UK), a medical charity that produces guidance for CPR and is calling for all schools to teach emergency life support. Nurse Newing commented: 'The importance of staying calm and knowing what to do in such a situation is vital for our pupils. I believe that all schools should have the opportunity to teach basic life support.'

English teacher Mrs Julie Greenhough, who attended the heart session said: 'Should anyone have the misfortune to be one of the 60,000 people each year in the UK that have an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest then there are now plenty of 'trained' St Benedict's Middle School pupils at St Benedict's only too willing to step in and help!'