Breadsall Hill Top Primary school have had a defibrillator installed on site and the community surrounding the school could not be more overjoyed about this. This is not the first instance of care shown at Breadsall, with the children actively learning first-aid and CPR before the installation took place.

Year 6 pupils at the school regularly receive first aid training with Spondon-based Bespoke First Aid as part of one of their extracurricular curricular activities. Guided by a team of experts, including lead TA and senior first aider Ryan Madeley, staff and pupils regularly practice lifesaving skills such as CPR with dummies provided by the company.

Headteacher Matt Lawrence said: “Caring for our children and community is one of our fundamental core values. We are a community that encourages everyone to fulfil their potential, discover new talents and develop a love of learning that also goes beyond the classroom.”

The children go one step further and use their first aid knowledge to teach each other, developing their leadership skills which will serve them well in their future careers.

Kelly Kidd, director and registered care manager at Bespoke First Aid said: “We are only too happy to provide training sessions and life-like dummies so that the children can practice effective CPR. It is an incredibly important skill for all of us to master regardless of age.

“Breadsall Hill Top Primary School has been incredibly proactive in providing CPR training to its staff and pupils.”

The school secured funding for a defibrillator from the Department for Education. This was then fitted free of charge by local electricity firm Power and Control. The need for a defibrillator onsite was highlighted after a pupil’s sibling previously collapsed at the school while collecting them.

Mr Lawrence added: “This one occasion made us realise the importance of having our own defibrillator on site that could be accessed by our local community in an emergency. It now means that in a life-saving situation there won’t be any ‘what ifs’ and ‘if onlys’ as we have sought a way to mitigate any future incidents.

“It is not only about safe-guarding and future proofing for an incident that might or might not occur, but rather having the equipment ready ‘just in case’, because you just never know.”

Mr Lawrence said: “Power and Control has been so generous to us in fitting this equipment with no cost to the school. The company has seen how important defibrillators are within a community and wanted to support the school. We are so lucky, and immensely grateful, to be a part of such a giving community.”

Dan Kelly, Director and Training and Development Manager, said: “Breadsall is a great community-led school. We were delighted to install the defibrillator free of charge because it’s an essential piece of kit that literally saves lives. It’s for everyone to use within the local community and you just never know when you will need one.