Penrice Academy has reached a major milestone having trained 3,000 students in basic first aid. 

Launched in 2017, the Mini Medics programme was designed to teach children first aid without any confusing terminology, covering CPR, defibrillator usage, asthma, handling wounds, choking and the Heimlich maneuver, and more.

Initially, first aid instructor Donna McGrath trained every student – approximately 1,200 – in Years 7 to 10 (students), and every Year 7 cohort since. 

“We have just reached the 3,000 mark, which is massive for the students and for Penrice Academy,” she said. 

“It’s incredible to think that there are 3,000 young people in and around the St Austell area who know how to perform CPR and use a defibrillator, and many other first aid skills. They feel so empowered knowing what to do in emergency situations.”

Mini Medics training is specifically geared towards illustrations, wording and technology to keep young students engaged, focused and having fun whilst learning essential life skills.

Year 7 student Billie-Jo said: “Mrs McGrath makes things really easy to understand. We learned how to do CPR to the beat of the Bee Gees song Staying Alive, which is the correct speed, and that it’s perfectly okay and actually quite common to break the patient’s rib. The most important thing is keeping the person alive.”

The programme has already made a positive impact on the wider local community. 

“A few years ago, a mum wrote a letter to thank us for the training,” said Mrs McGrath. “The day after her child received the training, they found a member of the public collapsed in the street. The student was able to put them in the recovery position while calling 999.”

When Year 7 student Finlay collapsed in December 2021, class-mates understood the severity of the situation and raised the alarm immediately. The rapid alert from students meant that Mrs McGrath was on the scene within 60 seconds to administer CPR and use the school defibrillator. Finlay made a full recovery.

That incident further fuelled national campaigns for defibrillators to be placed in all schools. 

Penrice had purchased its own in 2017 for approximately £2,000 out of the school budget. Local company Henry Orchard and Sons donated £10,000 to Penrice’s multi-academy trust (CELT) in early 2022 to ensure more local schools could purchase defibrillators. 

In Norway, CPR has been an essential part of the curriculum since 1961 and the average survival rate for an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest is 25 per cent. In the UK, this figure stands at less than 10 per cent, and the government recently changed legislation ensuring the teaching of CPR became a compulsory part of the curriculum from 2020 onwards; and in January, the government announced that all schools across the country will be provided with defibrillators for free before the end of the year.