🩹 Statutory Health Education Provision

First Aid Workshops for Primary Schools

First aid has been part of statutory Health Education in primary schools since September 2020. Spark2 delivers hands-on, age-appropriate first aid workshops for EYFS to Year 6 — calling 999, the recovery position, choking, bleeds, burns and basic CPR. Taught through interactive activities children remember, not slideshows they forget. Free Save a Life trial available now.

📅 Restart a Heart Day 2026 is Friday 16 October — see our dedicated landing page →
1,800+
UK schools booked
9.3/10
Average rating
FREE
Save a Life trial
This workshop is part of our PSHE hub — see all PSHE strand coverage →

Why first aid in primary schools matters

Cardiac arrests outside hospital have a survival rate of around 9% in the UK. In countries where CPR is taught in schools from primary age — Norway, Denmark, the Netherlands — survival is two to three times higher. Teaching first aid to primary-age children isn't just curriculum compliance. It changes outcomes. Children remember what they learn, share it at home, and become the bystanders who can help.

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Statutory since 2018

Health Education — including first aid and emergency life-saving skills — has been a statutory part of the primary curriculum since September 2020. Schools must demonstrate provision; subject leads need evidence.

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Hands-on saves lives

Pupils need to physically practise the recovery position, simulate calling 999, and (KS2) try chest compressions on manikins. A 50-minute workshop creates muscle memory worksheets can't. We bring everything.

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Restart a Heart Day

16 October each year — the UK's national CPR awareness day. October is our busiest first aid window. Schools build a whole week of activity around it. Book early to secure dates.

🎁 Try before you book

Save a Life — free trial for your school

Run an introductory Save a Life session at your school for FREE. No payment, no commitment. Schools that love it book the full first aid workshop afterwards. Schools that don't, don't. Either way, your pupils get a high-quality first aid taster session.

Claim your free Save a Life trial →

What's covered, by year group

Every first aid workshop is differentiated by the year group in front of us. EYFS focuses on recognising adults who can help and how to call 999. KS1 layers in the recovery position and basic responses to bleeds and burns. KS2 adds the primary survey, CPR, the choking response and AED awareness.

EYFS & KS1

Who can help and how to ask

  • Recognising adults who can help
  • Knowing your address and full name
  • Practising calling 999 (role-play)
  • What an emergency looks like
  • Calm and brave story characters
Lower KS2

Practical responses

  • The recovery position (practice)
  • Choking response — back blows
  • Cuts, grazes and minor bleeds
  • Burns and scalds — cool and cover
  • When and how to call 999 (live drill)
Upper KS2

DRABC, CPR and AED awareness

  • The primary survey (DRABC)
  • Chest compressions on manikins
  • Choking — back blows + Heimlich
  • What an AED is and how to find one
  • Reporting an incident clearly

What the statutory Health Education framework requires

Since September 2020, Health Education is a statutory part of primary RSHE. The Department for Education's guidance explicitly names "first aid and emergency life-saving skills" as required content for all pupils by the end of primary school. A focused, evidenced first aid workshop is the cleanest way for primary schools to demonstrate they're meeting this duty.

From the statutory guidance (England, 2020 onwards)

By the end of primary school pupils should know how to make a clear and efficient call to emergency services if necessary, and concepts of basic first-aid, for example dealing with common injuries, including head injuries.

— Department for Education, "Relationships, Sex and Health Education (RSHE) Statutory Guidance" (Sept 2020).

Book a workshop to demonstrate provision →

What's included in a Spark2 first aid workshop

  • An expert Spark2 first aid facilitator
  • All manikins, props and printed materials provided
  • Differentiated activity packs for EYFS, KS1, LKS2, UKS2
  • Optional whole-school assembly to kick off the day
  • Pre-visit briefing call with your subject lead
  • Printed certificates for every pupil
  • Pupil feedback collection (governor reports)
  • Post-visit follow-up activity pack for teachers

Pair with our free at-home first aid resources

Every school that books a first aid workshop also gets free access to our First Aid at Home activity pack — parent and child activities, family CPR drills and a home emergency action plan. The learning carries on after we leave.

Workshop progress is also tracked inside the Future Skills Passport — first aid is one of the 12 future-ready skills your school can show progression on year-on-year.

Mission-Led Pricing for Future Skills

Every child deserves these skills. We’ve kept Future Skills workshops accessible to every school’s PSHE budget — including Pupil Premium — so price is never the reason a class misses out.

Half Day

Up to 4 sessions

£599 Future Skills accessible price
£499
+VAT
Up to 4 workshops · £3.90 per pupil
  • ✓  45–50 min per session
  • ✓  Up to 32 pupils per session
  • ✓  EYFS–Year 6 adaptable
  • ✓  Hands-on kit & resources included
  • ✓  Dedicated facilitator
✨ After your workshop

Make it stick — add the Future Skills Passport

Workshops are how schools meet the Future Skills Passport. The Passport is the year-long journey — pupils carry their progress from one workshop to the next, and teachers get the statutory PSHE evidence built in.

  • Year-long progression tracking across all 12 Future Skills strands
  • Pupil badges & certificates they can show parents and take to Year 7
  • Statutory PSHE auto-mapped to the DfE framework — no spreadsheets
  • One-click inspection PDF — per pupil, per class, whole-school
  • Members’ discount on every additional Spark2 workshop
  • Free staff training session included with every subscription
Explore the Future Skills Passport →

From £249/year for a single class · whole-school options available

Connected first aid resources

A workshop is the headline event. Spark2's primary first aid programme also includes free downloads for teachers, parent activities for home learning, and progress tracking through the Future Skills Passport.

First aid workshop FAQs

The questions teachers, PSHE leads and Heads ask most when booking a first aid workshop for their school.

Is first aid a statutory part of the primary curriculum?

Yes. Since September 2020, Health Education has been statutory in all English primary schools as part of the RSHE framework. The statutory content explicitly includes "first aid and emergency life-saving skills" by the end of primary school.

What does a primary first aid workshop cover?

Calling 999, the DRABC primary survey, recovery position, choking response, bleeds, burns and basic CPR. Differentiated by year group — EYFS focuses on getting help, KS2 layers in CPR on manikins and AED awareness.

How much do first aid workshops for schools cost?

Half-day workshops start at £499; full days £499_TEMP. Most schools book a full day to reach every year group. Pupil Premium, PSHE and health & wellbeing budgets routinely cover the cost. All manikins, props and resources included.

Can we trial first aid teaching for free?

Yes. Spark2 offers a free Save a Life trial through the Future Skills Passport. Run the introductory session for free with no commitment, then decide whether to book the full workshop. Start your trial →

When is Restart a Heart Day?

16 October each year. It's the UK's national awareness day for cardiac arrest survival and CPR teaching in schools. October is our busiest first aid window — book early to secure dates around Restart a Heart Day or Week.

Do you provide certificates for pupils?

Yes. Every pupil who takes part receives a printed certificate of attendance. Schools also get editable certificate templates from our resources hub, plus a single-page provision summary perfect for governor and subject-lead reports.

Are workshops suitable for EYFS pupils?

Yes. EYFS sessions focus on recognising who can help, knowing your address, and practising calling 999 — taught through stories, role-play and characters rather than clinical content. No content is unsuitable for the youngest learners.

What's the link to the Future Skills Passport?

First Aid (often delivered as "Save a Life") is one of the 12 future-ready skills tracked in the Future Skills Passport. Every workshop unlocks progress tracking, so first aid becomes a year-on-year measure — not a one-off event.

Make sure every child in your school knows how to help

Trusted by 1,800+ UK primary schools, rated 9.3/10 by teachers. Whether you book the full workshop or start with a free Save a Life trial — your pupils will leave knowing how to act in an emergency.

Try Save a Life FREE → Book a Workshop