Paramedic parents teach lifesaving skills to primary school pupils for Restart a Heart Day

Aaron Taylor and Sadie Smart led interactive sessions at Summercroft Primary School in Bishop’s Stortford, where their twin boys Beauden and Locksley, aged 4, are pupils.

The initiative aimed to equip over 360 children with essential skills to respond confidently in a cardiac arrest emergency, tailored to suit the age range of pupils from four to eleven. The sessions covered how to recognise an emergency, call for help, and perform CPR.

The hands-on approach helped demystify lifesaving techniques and encouraged active participation from all year groups.

Aaron and Sadie have both been in the ambulance service for 15 years and have seen on countless occasions the lifesaving effects of bystander CPR.

Aaron Taylor, a Specialist Paramedic in Urgent Care, said:

“We feel the day was a great success – both pupils and staff were fully engaged and enthusiastic throughout.

“Learning CPR and knowing what to do in an emergency is something everyone should be taught, and Restart a Heart Day is a fantastic opportunity to bring these skills into the community.

“Hopefully, the children will go home and share what they’ve learned with their families and friends, inspiring even more people to learn CPR.”

Sadie Smart, a Senior Paramedic in emergency operations, added:

“Research shows that countries who have introduced CPR education from a young age experience increased survival outcomes from cardiac arrest by creating more confident and well-prepared CPR providers of the future. This evidence encouraged us to offer CPR training to primary school children.

“The children at Summercroft primary school all worked very hard to listen and learn these skills and then apply their knowledge in a practical hands-on session. We were highly impressed by their commendable level of helpfulness and eagerness to learn.

“We are proud to have contributed towards the development of our community’s future life savers”

Emily Richardson, Deputy Headteacher at Summercroft Primary School, said:

“It was a brilliant opportunity for our pupils to learn such important skills in a fun and age-appropriate way.

“Aaron and Sadie made the sessions engaging and accessible, and the children were all really enthusiastic.

“We’re incredibly grateful to them for giving their time and helping to empower our school community with knowledge that could one day save a life.”

Restart a Heart Day is a nationwide initiative that promotes CPR education and aims to increase survival rates from out-of-hospital cardiac arrests.