There seems to be considerable confusion as to what First Aid training schools and nurseries should be organising in order to fulfil Ofsted EYFS and HSE requirements, so I thought it would be helpful to offer a brief overview. For any further information, please feel free to contact me.
Schools and Nurseries need to be compliant with both HSE and Ofsted EYFS requirements (or equivalent criteria if they are not subject to Ofsted approval).
For legal purposes you need to be able to prove that you have made appropriate first aid provision for your organisation. From the HSE perspective, there should be at least one person available at all times (per 50 employees) who is trained with an HSE qualifcation. For up to 50 employees this can be a one day EFAW qualification (ideally tailored to schools including child first aid, heart attack, head injuries and anaphylaxis in addition to the EFAW HSE syllabus). For more than 50 employees you should have 3 day FAW qualifications with EFAW staff supporting them.
For the EYFS and Ofsted requirements you should have at least one 12 hour full paediatric first aid qualified member of staff available at all times including cover for sickness, holidays and trips. The 12 hour paediatric first aid trained staff can be supported by one day Emergency Paediatric First Aid trained staff.
This is also the criteria for Milly’s Mark.
The 12 hour full paediatric qualification can be a full 2 days in the classroom or a blended option – with 6 hours pre-learning online and 6 hours as a practical course.
It is a good idea to upskill as many additional staff as possible with a 3 hour First Aid for Schools course.
For our next full day scheduled EFAW, Emergency Paediatric or 12 hour blended Paediatric first aid qualifications, please check out our scheduled courses page.
For the HSE qualifications we run a fully regulated and approved 3 day blended First Aid at Work course. This will be suitable as a 3 day blended with the pre-learning online, or as the 2 day FAW re-qualification, with just the practical days alone. The course will be tailored to schools and nurseries and will include adult and child first aid. These courses book up extremely fast, but we can add additional dates or organise bespoke courses if need be.
Any of our courses can be bespoke group courses for your organisations.
For more information and supporting documents please click here.
We also offer first aid for children and teenagers. Our trainers are all highly experienced medical and emergency services professionals and engaging knowledgeable teachers to adults and children.
Can anyone do first aid in a school without a certificate as long as it’s just putting a plaster on?
Dear Sue, The duty of care means that the person administering the first aid should be appropriately first aid trained and full accountable for their actions. I hope that helps. Best wishes Emma
How long is the 12 hour paediatric 1st aid qualification valid for?
The certificate is valid for 3 years
Could you possibly give me a list of the OFSTED approved first aid certificates for schools
Dear Debbie, Ofsted don’t approve any certificates per se, however, there are set guidelines for Early Years – where you should have at least one person available at all times including cover and off site trips who has an in-date 12 hour full paediatric first aid qualification.
For more information on First Aid requirements in schools, please see the article I wrote for The British Journal of School Nursing – https://firstaidforlife.org.uk/project/british-journal-school-nursing-first-aid-requirements-schools/
Hi. If we have 4 staff in our early years area which is not separate from our main school building and 3 of them are 1 day first aid trained with 1 staff member a 3 day FAW first aider do we have to have a paediatric trained member of staff too? Almost all the school staff have 1 day certificates and there are 2 further 3 day FAW first aiders in the school.
Dear Dee, thank you for your comment. Schools need to legally comply with the HSE requirements for staff – your HSE First Aid at Work qualifications and comply with Ofsted and EYFS. All training should ideally include children to fulfil your requirements for duty of care towards the children in your care. The EYFS require that you have at least one 12 hour full paediatric first aid trained member of staff available at all times – including off site trips, sickness and absence for any other reason – so multiple EYFS trained staff specifically to care for your Early Years Children. More information can be found in the article I wrote for the British Journal of School Nursing https://firstaidforlife.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/BJSN-Schools-First-Aid-Sept-2016-2.pdf
Hello
I was wondering if ypu could helo me , i have just been “let go” for not administering first aid tto a child. I didbt do this as im not first aid trainned abd there we 3 orher .e.bers of staff present who were first aid trainned . Surely this isnt ok,
I am so sorry to hear about this, but I am afraid I am unable to comment as I do not know the full circumstances or background and it would not be appropriate for me to do so. In an ideal world, all nursery staff would be first aid trained, as with Millie’s Mark.
Dear Emma,
I work at pre-school and I’ve done the pediatric first aid course. I would like to do more advanced first aid course, could you please recommend one?
Thank you
Dear Mirka, I will email more information through to you. Best wishes Emma
Hi my name is Nadia and I wanted to ask what is alternative to not having a first aid room in your school.
Dear Nadia, thank you for your message. You do need to have a designated and appropriate, safe and comfortable place for students who are unwell and awaiting to go home.
Dear Emma,
Do Newly Qualified Teachers (NQTs) have to undertake a first aid qualification?
Dear Helen, there is no legal requirement to do so, but it is a good idea. https://firstaidforlife.org.uk/project/british-journal-school-nursing-first-aid-requirements-schools/
I understand that schools need to have a qualified first aider on site at all times but, is there a specific requirement for them to have one in the Early Years setting due to the age of the children?
Thanks
Dear Shera, thank you for your message. I will email a more detailed response, but the regulations for EYFS are similar, except they require at least one person with the 12 hour paediatric course to be available on site at all times. We are more than happy to help with any of your needs. Best wishes Emma
How long is the short 3 hour first aid for school course valid for?
A 3 hour course isn’t externally monitored so it doesn’t have validity in that sense. 3 hour certificates are awarded by First Aid for Life and we advise that you refresh your knowledge every 3 years. So sorry it’s taken so long to get back to you x
Hi Emma, I have just read your article on First Aid requirements for Schools and Nurseries which is very informative; however I feel I need to point out to you that you are incorrect in your comments surrounding HSE qualification, there is no such thing. The HSE stopped approving First Aid courses on 1st October 2013, they now merely give a recommendation on what criteria an employer etc should look for when choosing a First Aid trainer. These criteria include:
the qualifications expected of trainers and assessors
monitoring and quality assurance systems
teaching and standards of first-aid practice
syllabus content
certification
Therefore your comments could be misleading but more to the point First Aid for Life should not be claiming to be HSE approved. That said I am sure you are doing an amazing job and training people to a high standard. As a registered paramedic and Senior Lecturer in Paramedic Science at University I know the importance of good First Aid before the Emergency services arrive. Keep up the good work.
Thank you for your message and I am really sorry if you felt I was misleading. That was really not my intention, I know the HSE don’t approve first aid training providers and we are approved through TQUK and Qualsafe to deliver HSE qualifications. I will read through and ensure we are appropriately presenting ourselves. Very best wishes Emma
Is it a legal requirement to have a first aider on a school trip?
Dear Sally, the legal requirements relate to first aid for employees. However you do have a duty of care to your pupils and make appropriate first aid provision for their care and safety. I would therefore strongly advise that you do have someone first aid on the school trip.
More information can be found in this article in the British Journal of School Nursing https://firstaidforlife.org.uk/project/british-journal-school-nursing-first-aid-requirements-schools/
We are very happy to help if you need us. Best wishes Emma
Hi Emma.
I currently work as a lunchtime supervisor and I’m not first aid trained. My school is sending other members of staff out to be trained but I am not put down for it. My headteacher knows this and still expects me to first aid for the children during lunchtime.. Should I, by law, stop doing first aid? Like cleaning cuts and putting plasters on, getting ice packs ect? or am I fine to do that? Obviously, for anything more serious I would get the first aider to come and help me. I dont want to be doing anything that can get me into trouble. Thanks.
Dear Kiera
Thank you for your message. You should only administer first aid to the level that you are trained and competent to deliver. Best wishes Emma
Dear Sarah, Lovely to hear from you. It sounds like you have everything sorted. You need to ensure you have cover for your nursery at all times, including lunchtimes and trips away. To qualify for Millies Mark you would need everyone in the Nursery to be first aid trained, but to comply with HSE and Ofsted you just need appropriate cover at all times including absence for any other reason.
We would be delighted to help with your first aid training and can send a copy of our award-winning book Burns, Falls and Emergency Calls – if that would be useful. Please just email emma@firstaidforlife.org.uk with your full address.
Very best wishes
Emma
Hi Emma
I am managing a nursery and reviewing current first aid provision. Full time staff are all qualified, but bank staff and lunch time cover are not. Is there a legal requirement to ensure all staff are qualified in 1st aid? Bank and lunch time staff are never left to work without fully qualified childcare staff and 1st aid qualified staff.
Hi , please can you tell me the legal requirements.. should a first aides be on duty at break time and lunch in the playground x should the casualty go to find the first aided x thank
Dear Pam, thank you for your message. Schools need to ensure there is appropriate first aid cover for staff and pupils at their school and there are appropriately trained staff on duty to provide first aid cover over breaks.
Hi
I work in a school. Can a member of staff who has the FAW qualification administer first aid on children? eg plasters, ice packs etc?
Please check if their FAW qualification included child first aid. If so, no problem. All our courses routinely include adult and child first aid.
Hi
So if it didn’t cover child first aid they couldn’t administer to children? Although surely plasters and other minor first aid is the same.
Ideally the first aid training should be appropriate to the age of the person they are routinely responsible for providing first aid to.
All our courses cover adults and children
Dear Emma,
I teach a Reception class and am not currently first aid trained, although I am booked on a course in March, and there is a member of staff with paediatric first aid training in the school. If I were to take my class on a trip before March, would I need to take someone with specific paediatric first aid training with me, rather than someone with a regular first aid certificate?
Thanks 🙂
Dear Hannah, if you are taking a reception class on a trip you should have someone with me who has the 12 hour paediatric qualification. There also needs to be at least one person at the school with the 12 hour paediatric certificate at all times, in order to comply with Ofsted Early Years requirements. We are more than happy to help and have just put on additional classes. It is possible to complete the online pre-learning as and when it suits you and then join the practical course on one of our scheduled dates afterwards. The next available dates are the 6th Feb, 8th Feb, 15th and 16th February. Please let us know if you need any further help, Emma
I have an issue with how my child was dealt with by first aid officers after a recent slip in school. They did not remove the shoe and sock from the injured foot causing the foot to swell more. When we arrived at a&e the triage nurse asked why the sick and shoe had not been removed and what first aid was administered. The excuse I was given by school was that their training was not to remove restrictive clothing as this could make the injury worse. When I was a qualified first aide in a high school my training was to remove constricting clothing and check the injury against the uninjured limb to compare…. what are the current guidelines please as I believe my child has not received the duty of care he should have. It’s worth mentioning that the child had broken his hip his ankle and his hand at the same time seven months ago and school were given a hospital report about his injuries but no one knew he’d previously broken that ankle
Dear Zoe, Thank you for your message and sorry to hear about your child’s accident. The standard guidance for a sprain or strain is to rest, apply a wrapped ice pack, apply a comfortable supportive bandage and elevate. To do this I would anticipate that the sock would be removed. However, if the child was taken straight to A&E then all this first aid could occur in the A&E department and I would not anticipate removing the sock, or leaving it in place for a short amount of time, would dramatically make a difference to their outcome.
This is what I would have done when I was a practicing first aider to be able to assess the injury. The school are telling me their training tells them not to remove a shoe in case of further injury but I fail to see how you can assess appropriately without removing it. Just trying to confirm what I’m being told is correct as the school isn’t being very forthcoming with answers to my questions. Thankyou for taking the time to answer my query I do appreciate it
Hi, I am a Registered Nurse with years of nursing experience and do regular updates in resuscitation at work and in the past have done a lot of first aid training in St John Ambulance. The church I go to offers an emergency first aid child/adult 5hr session every 3 years but there is a restriction in the number of people that can do it because of cost. I usually do it but rarely learn anything new and just wonder if I really need to do it in order to be recognised as a first aider?
Dear Karen, Thank you for your message. To continue to be a first aider, you need to keep your 3 day FAW qualification up to date or as a minimum complete the 6 hour regulated EFAW course. It doesn’t sound like the course you have been attending is at the right level to maintain your qualifications. You are most welcome to come and join one of ours. Best wishes Emma
Hello Emmam
I recently attended a first aid at work training. We were told a few occasions by the tutors that we should have the paediatric training as well. We have always had the first aid at work training and have administered on children.
Do we also need a separate paediatric certificate or does our first aid at work certificates cover us for administrating first aid to children seeing as majority of the first aid deal with is to the children?
Many thanks.
We always cover adult and child first aid on our first aid course and ensure we cover the full paediatric syllabus. The standard EFAW courses do not cover head and spinal injuries or asthma – both of which are vital for first aid in schools. The First Aid at Work courses are to comply with your HSE requirements for staff – the paediatric one is to comply with Ofsted and EYFS – it is important to ensure your content covers both and your certification reflects what you have learnt. Please email emma@firstaidforlife.org.uk if you would like us to come and teach for you. We would also be delighted to pop one of our books and brochures in the post to you.
Hi, my son Is going on a school trip which involves an over night stay , there are about 65 pupils going, how many first aiders should be going with them?
Dear Clare, the school should have undertaken a risk assessment and allocated an appropriate number of first aiders to accompany the children, taking into consideration the age of the children, what activities they will be doing and whether there are other first aiders at the organised activity too.
Hi, if a child in year 4 at primary school faints and is unconscious and added to that falls banging her head and has other facial injuries,including a droopy eye should the first aider have phoned an ambulance?
I am really sorry but it would be inappropriate for me to comment on a particular case. If you have an issue with the way this was handled, please approach it with the school directly. I do hope the child has now made a full recovery.
Hi. I am a teacher for 3 year olds and 5 year olds but I don’t know what to put in the First Aid Kit. If you have any suggestions please email me.
Thanks!
Dear Kate, Please have a look at this link https://firstaidforlife.org.uk/what-put-in-first-aid-kit/ as it details all the essentials for your first aid kit. It is often cheaper to buy
a new one. Best wishes Emma
Hi
I am a first aide in a secondary school of just over 1250. When I started we had 5 first aides in my office who dealt with every first aid incident, and this was a stretch with 5 of us. Our office is now down to 2 first aides, same amount of children ( this is when schools aren’t closed). First aid is not my primary job in the office, but with only 2 staff to deal with an entire school of children I do not feel this is acceptable or safe. Once schools are back to normal I feel I will not be able to provide first aid safely as I won’t have time to look at every case properly. Is there anything I can do?
Thank you for your message. All schools have a legal and regulatory requirement, in addition to a duty of care to ensure they have appropriate first aid cover, in line with their risk assessments. Ofsted have made it clear that that the pandemic does not obviate the legal and regulatory requirements.
We can come and run covid-secure, practical and regulated training to help you fulfil these requirements. If people are uncomfortable undertaking practical training now, they can start with the online element of pre-learning and complete the practical course once this peak has subsided.
We also have superb online first aid courses on http://www.onlinefirstaid.com that can refresh knowledge and act as annual refreshers.
If you would like any further help please email emma@firstaidforlife.org.uk
I am trying to ensure we have adequate First Aid Cover at school, we currently have 3 Pediatric First Aid staff and 4 First Aid at work staff. However we would like some of our TA’s and Lunchtime supervisors to have a basic certificate. Could you recommend anything online?
Thank you for your message. We have a great online First Aid for Schools course – I will email you more information and a link now. Best wishes Emma
Hi,
I work for a sports coaching company and deliver primary school PE lessons and extracurricular activities. During the holidays we also run sports camps for children aged year 1 to year 6. We have 5 members of staff. Would we be required to conduct the 12 hour paediatric first aid course?
Thanks.
Dear Matthew, Thank you for your message. You need to have appropriate cover to comply with your risk assessment and someone who is suitably trained available at all times. If your camps are not Ofsted registered, then this does not need to be the 12 hour paediatric qualification. Many people in your situation find that the online First Aid for Sports course that covers adult and child first aid in a school environment, works perfectly for their needs. https://onlinefirstaid.com/our-courses/first-aid-for-sports-including-child-first-aid/
Best wishes Emma
If you prefer a practical course, we are very happy to help with that too
We are a primary school with 59 employees.
Several of our 6 hour paediatric first aid qualifications have run out but we still have 5 members of staff who have this qualification so feel that we meet the requirements of EYFS/Ofsted.
However, members of staff who were First Aid at Work qualified have left us and we now do not have any staff with this qualification. Do we need to have this specific qualification in school or will the Paediatric training cover the HSE requirement?
Dear Tracy, The HSE qualification covers the First Aid for Employees and the emphasis is on adult first aid (although ideally it should include child first aid too). To comply with the EYFS, staff working in this area need the full 12 hour Paediatric qualification, the 6 hours is insufficient. Did the 6 hour paediatric qualification include adult as well as child first aid? You need to demonstrate appropriate first aid cover for the adults and children you are responsible for. I hope this helps Emma
Thanks for your reply Emma. My mistake – all of our first aiders attended 12 hour paediatric training and the courses did cover adult and child first aid but there is nothing on any certificate that states this. The course details state ‘The course also includes basic adult first aid skills’ and ‘This course meets the requirements specified by OFSTED and also includes the requirements of the appointed person in the workplace.’ so if asked to demonstrate appropriate first aid cover for adults I assume we could refer to this?
We are a preschool with children aged 2yrs 9mnths – 5 years. We have 5 staff including a room based deputy manager and all have the paediatric 12 hour first aid certificate.. so we are fully compliant with OFSTED regulations, with more than enough qualified first aiders.
My question is my first aid is due to run out next year and as manager I am office based & not part of the ratios and do not work directly with the children on a day to day basis, apart from the odd registration or storytime session, so I’m considering not renewing my first aid but make sure that the staff have theirs up to date.
Does it matter if I don’t renew as long as all other staff have theirs?
Dear Mark, thank you for your message. Ideally everyone would have a first aid qualification and you would be in a position to apply for Millie’s Mark, however so long as you have sufficient staff trained to comply with EYFS then you are meeting your minimal requirements. Please let us know if you would like us to help in any way? Best wishes Emma
Hi Emma, I would like some clarification on the removing of clothes when administering first aid to children. Can you also confirm the correct procedure when a child has hurt/injured their private area as this seems to be a grey area. Our school policies do not cover this eventuality.
Dear Dianne, this should be explicitly covered within your School’s Safeguarding policy. Best wishes Emma
Hi Sue
Can you tell me how many Paedeatric trained staff i should have and to what ratios if possible?
Hello.
Could you please advise me, I work in a AP Academy, and mainly are with KS3 and KS4 children although KS2 are nearby. What First Aid course should I take to be covered for KS3 & 4, I have for many years, always done Paediatric for students and then work place for adults, now I am unsure as I am now required to do one again to cover the students…Please advise
Dear Emma,
Please can you tell me, do you have to have a first aid qualification to put on a plaster. If a child has a small graze at school and the first aiders are not available, is it ok for me to do it?
Hi there. For a school with 200 staff and 1000 children. Two building both with 3 floors. How many first aiders should there be.