(2) how many (a) primary and (b) secondary schools in each local education authority area taught first aid to their students in each of the last 10 years.
The Department does not collect information on when schools cover first aid teaching with pupils.
The Department’s Safety Education: Guidance for schools DFS/0161/2002 provides information on how the framework for personal, social and health education (PSHE) can address the issue of accidental injury in children and young people. The framework includes teaching young people at primary school level about school rules relating to health and safety issues, and at secondary school level to develop skills to cope with emergencies, including first aid and resuscitation techniques. Beyond this, the guidance also highlights how other parts of the national curriculum can be used to develop children's ability to recognise hazards and respond appropriately to risky situations.
The Department encourages schools to develop strategies that are effective at a local level in raising the profile of safety education and dealing with medical emergencies, working with suitable partners where appropriate to do so. We are aware of the valuable support that organisations such as the British Red Cross offer individual schools or groups of schools at a local level to enrich curriculum work in this area.
Advice on first aid training for school staff is included in the Department's Guidance on First Aid for Schools by means of which we encourage first aid provision for schools and their pupils.