Teaching children first aid
Getting started with First Aid Champions
Whether you’ve taught first aid before or are completely new to it, First Aid Champions will help you confidently deliver first aid learning sessions at your school or youth group. Through easy- to-follow activities and a variety of engaging and impactful supporting materials, the resources are simple to teach and easy to learn. You don’t need any formal first aid training to deliver effective sessions.
How to use First Aid Champions
As you work through First Aid Champions, your learners will follow six relatable characters and learn about first aid in realistic everyday situations. Children will also learn about kindness, coping and keeping calm, as well as how to stay safe when helping. Each module has accompanying films, photos, illustrations, activities, PowerPoint presentations and quizzes to support your sessions. There is also a module with ideas for children to share what they have learned with others.
Home learning pathway
We have created some guidance for educators on how to use the website for home learning, with suggested routes of learning for primary-age learners.
Teacher and educator guidance and support
For more information on how to use First Aid Champions, download the teacher and educator guidance.
Curriculum links
You can find full details of how activities are mapped to the primary curriculums in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland in the following documents to help with teaching first aid in schools:
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Guidance Support - England
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Guidance Support - Scotland
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Guidance Support - Northern Ireland
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Guidance Support - Wales
Suggested sequence for primary educators
This document aims to support primary school teachers to sequence the content in First Aid Champions across year groups. This is a suggested approach –once you become familiar with the toolkit you can structure lessons based on the needs of your class, school and curriculum.
My groups and evaluation
Use My Groups to create groups and track your learners’ progress. My Groups will track quiz results and young people’s confidence to use first aid skills. When you create a group, a unique code will be generated for each young person. You can then monitor their progress without having to register any personal data. Have a look at our guidelines under Educator Zone! Not able to use My Groups? Download the quiz questions and a certificate of participation for young people using First Aid Champions as a PDF.
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Primary certificate
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Primary quiz questions and answers
Creating a safe, inclusive and supportive learning environment
This guidance and activity document will help you create a safe, inclusive and supportive learning environment. Use it when exploring the topics and concepts in this resource with children. Creating a safe, inclusive and supportive learning environment teaching guidance
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Creating A Safe Inclusive And Supportive Learning Environment
Download Creating A Safe Inclusive And Supportive Learning Environment (DOCX)
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Creating a safe, inclusive and supportive learning environment - Powerpoint
Download Creating a safe, inclusive and supportive learning environment - Powerpoint (PPTX)
FAQs
Have a question? You’ll find the answer to the most commonly-asked questions about First aid champions here:
The learning objectives throughout First Aid Champions are linked to the curriculum of all UK nations, including the compulsory guidance for health education in England.
Through taking part in the activities in First aid champions, children will:
- Understand what first aid is
- Learn about the Red Cross
- Learn first aid skills
- Learn how to safely get help in an emergency, including calling 999
- Feel confident to help someone who needs first aid
- Feel able to help someone who needs first aid
- Practise using first aid skills
- Learn about kindness and helping others
- Learn about coping skills
- Practise coping skills
- Learn how to care for themselves and others
- Learn how to keep themselves and others safe
- Practice how to keep themselves and others safe
The toolkit is broken down into four modules:
Modules one to three - First aid skills, Kindness and coping, and Safety. These are divided into “Learn” and “Practise” activities, so that children learn new skills and feel empowered to use them.
Module four – Share. This module suggests ways in which children can take their learning further by sharing it with others.
For more information on how First aid champions is structured, download the teacher and educator guidance: how to use the resource
No. The resources are designed to show you and your learners how to act to help an ill or injured person, using simple language and supporting photos, illustrations and films. If you choose to you can give demonstrations to support your sessions. Ensure that you use a manikin for any actions that involve force, such as back blows.
No first aid kit is needed to deliver first aid sessions. This is because you may not always have access to a first aid kit in an emergency. There are many alternative ways you can give first aid using everyday items. The activities, photos and films in this resource include ideas for everyday items which could be used in a first aid emergency.
We’d love to hear about your real-life first aid stories. Email us at youtheducation@redcross.org.uk
First aid skills
Learn and practise eight different first aid skills primary school children can use to help others.
Kindness and coping
Learn about kindness and practise how to cope and keep calm.
Safety
Learn and practise how to keep safe when helping others.
Share
Share what you’ve learned with others.