Year 8 Become London Lifesavers

On Thursday 2nd October, our Year 8 students took part in a vital and empowering training session delivered by the London Ambulance Service. The focus of the session was on life-saving skills, specifically, how to perform CPR and use a defibrillator in the event of a cardiac arrest.

This hands-on experience has now made our students official London Lifesavers, a programme designed to equip young people with the knowledge and confidence to act in emergency situations. With 76% of cardiac arrests occurring at home, the importance of knowing how to respond cannot be overstated. Tragically, 9 out of 10 people who suffer a cardiac arrest outside of hospital do not survive, largely because too few bystanders know what to do.

During the session, students learned the essential steps of DRS ABC, a structured approach to assessing and responding to a casualty:

• D – Danger: Check for any danger to yourself, the casualty, or others.
• R – Response: Try to get a response from the casualty by speaking loudly and gently shaking their shoulders.
• S – Shout for help: Call for assistance immediately.
• A – Airway: Ensure the casualty’s airway is open and clear.
• B – Breathing: Check if the casualty is breathing normally.
• C – CPR: If the casualty is not breathing, begin CPR and ask someone to fetch a defibrillator.

Students practised chest compressions and were shown how to use an Automated External Defibrillator (AED), a device that can help restart the heart in cases of cardiac arrest. The training was practical, engaging, and potentially life-saving.

We are proud of our Year 8s for embracing this opportunity with maturity and enthusiasm. Their new skills could one day make the difference between life and death and that’s a powerful legacy to carry forward.