A free whole-school First Aid pack: six core drills, each with EYFS-Y2 and Y3-Y6 versions. Curriculum-mapped to PSHE H43. Everything you need to teach the skills your pupils could one day need at home, on holiday, in the playground.
The single biggest predictor of survival isn't an ambulance — it's whether someone nearby knew what to do before the ambulance arrived. Children learn this skill faster than adults. They retain it longer. And when they need it, they use it.
Source: British Heart Foundation, 2024
Each drill below has two versions on the same card — a simpler one for EYFS and Year 1/2, and a deeper one for Year 3 to Year 6. Run them in sequence over a half-term, or pick the three most relevant to your end-of-year programme.
For when someone is unconscious but still breathing — rolling them onto their side keeps the airway clear.
Cough first: if they can cough, tell them to keep coughing — that’s the strongest thing that can shift it. Only when the cough goes weak or silent: 5 back blows, then 5 abdominal thrusts. If that first round does not clear it, call 999 and keep alternating until help arrives. Anyone who has had abdominal thrusts must be checked at hospital afterwards, even if the object came out. Under 1 year old: back blows and chest thrusts only — never abdominal thrusts on a baby.
Knowing your address. What to say. Staying on the line. The exact script every primary child should leave Y6 with.
Children's hands can do real chest compressions. Hard, fast, on the centre of the chest, to the beat of "Stayin' Alive".
Cool running water for at least 20 minutes. Nothing else. No creams, no butter, no ice. Cover loosely after.
Apply firm pressure with a clean cloth. Don't peek to check if it's stopped — just keep pressing.
Every primary child should be able to give these five things, in this order, calmly. Practise it as a class. Print and keep on the wall. Worth more than any worksheet you'll teach this term.
When 999 answers, the operator will ask "Emergency, which service?" — just say Ambulance. They'll connect you. Then give these five things, calmly:
Picture a 9-year-old at home with his grandmother when she suddenly collapses. He’s just done a first aid lesson like this one at school three weeks before. He puts her in the recovery position, calls 999, and gives the operator the address.
By the time paramedics arrive, his grandmother is breathing steadily on her side — because those first minutes matter most.
First aid is now a statutory part of health education in England’s primary schools — these are skills any child can learn.Children remember first aid lessons. When the moment comes, they use them.
A few headteachers have flagged that some teachers feel unsure about teaching first aid. It’s a fair worry — and it’s one we hear a lot. Here’s the short answer.
This isn’t medical training. It’s about awareness, calling for help, and building the right instinct. Children learn first aid faster than adults — and they remember it. Their job (and yours) isn’t to perform surgery. It’s to recognise, act, and call 999.
The pack gives you the language for each scenario. You’re reading from a script, not improvising. If you’d prefer, follow it word-for-word.
What sticks is "stay calm, get help, don’t panic" — not technical perfection. Pupils who’ve done basic awareness sessions act faster, even years later.
If a child knows to roll someone onto their side and call 999 — even if they don’t do it perfectly — that’s significantly better than freezing. Resuscitation Council UK guidance is clear on this.
Want a deeper hands-on session? The Spark2 Save a Life workshop brings a trained presenter to deliver real practice with real kit, across the full school day. The pack gets you started; the workshop takes you further.
Statutory PSHE Health Education has named first aid since September 2020. The 2026 framework deepens this. This pack covers both.
Where it sits today, and what’s coming. All six drills in this pack map to both.
Mapped to the statutory PSHE framework + the upcoming 2026 framework. All six drills work in a mixed-age class.
Where each drill fits across PSHE, Computing, Science, and PE.
| Subject | Drills it covers | Where it fits |
|---|---|---|
| PSHE H43 & H44 | All 6 drills | PSHE Association programme of study (non-statutory). Basic first aid is separately named in the DfE statutory Health Education framework. |
| PSHE H43 | 999 calling, online emergency contact | Knowing how to summon help in an online or offline emergency. |
| Science (Y2 + Y5) | Burns, bleeding, recovery position | Y2 humans (looking after our bodies) · Y5 animals incl. humans (the circulatory system). |
| Computing | 999 call simulation | Following structured steps, online safety, knowing your address. |
| PE crossover | CPR rhythm, recovery position | Body awareness, partnered work, controlled movement. |
| FSP "First Aid" skill | All 6 drills | One of the 12 future skills on the Spark2 Future Skills Passport. |
A trained Spark2 presenter delivers six sessions across the school day, every year group, real practice with real kit. Already booked in 1,000+ UK primaries. Pairs perfectly with this pack — the pack is the warm-up, the workshop is the deep-dive.
See workshop details →One free classroom-ready pack a month, straight to your inbox. Pick your subjects below — we'll only send what's useful for your role.