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‘Restart A Heart Day’
On Monday October 16th 2017, all of Year 8 took part in a bespoke STEM-based curriculum to learn all about ‘restarting a heart’. ‘Restart a Heart’ is a nation-wide initiative started by the British Heart Foundation, a charity that helps people if they suffer a ‘cardiac arrest’ (where the heart stops working).
Restart A Heart Day
Year 8 were supported in their day by the South Central Ambulance Service, Hampshire Constabulary, Hampshire Fire Service, and two trainee doctors from Southampton University, of whom we are very grateful for their time in our school.
Year 8 students experienced different sessions throughout their day:
o Learning hands-on about CPR, led by a First Responder and the trainee doctors
o Experiencing the equipment carried and used in a Fire Engine
o Learning what First Aid apparatus is carried in a Fire Engine, and how this is used
o The structure of the heart, and dissecting a heart
o Learning about what our ‘pulse’ is, and how exercise affects our pulse rates
o Studying all the different factors that can affect our hearts, and what we and our families can do to help keep our own hearts ‘healthy’
We were also very fortunate to have Professor Deakin (Medical Director of South Central Ambulance Service, and Mrs Hodgetts (Director of Communications at South Central Ambulance Service), visit us during the day. Professor Deakin advises the Government on first aid issues, as well as being an anaesthetist, and also flies with the Air Ambulance – he took time out of his day, with Mrs Hodgetts, to help our Year 8 students learn CPR – those lucky students had the perfect ‘teacher’ to teach them CPR! Mrs Hodgetts has led the designing of a free app for smart phones called ‘Save a Life’ – we encourage everyone to download this to your phone, as it had first aid tips in it, and, more importantly, helps inform where the nearest defibrillator is in relation to yourself, should you need to use one.
Mr Jackson also gave House Assemblies in the same week, teaching every Senior Student how to do CPR – remember – 30 compressions to 2 breaths! The week before, Mr Jackson had led CPR training for the staff, so meaning over 1,200 people now know how to administer CPR if they have to. And when these people have told their families and friends, the number who have learnt this vital lesson is way bigger, which is brilliant, as it means that more people are CPR aware and so more people can potentially save a life by restarting a heart.
