100 students from Ark Oval Primary Academy take part in life saving skills course in front of the Houses of Parliament

Nearly 100 students from Ark Oval Primary Academy took part in a lifesaving skills course in front of the Houses of Parliament on Thursday, ahead of World First Aid day which took place on Saturday.

The course will be part of the national curriculum in 2020.

It gave students the opportunity to become first aid experts and learn how to respond to emergencies.

Toby Martlew, headteacher at Ark Oval Primary Academy, said: “It’s really positive news that first aid is becoming part of the school curriculum.

“We’ve recently had an inspiring pupil who used their first aid knowledge to help an adult by providing first aid and calling the emergency services.

“This really highlights how important it is for even younger children to learn basic first aid skills such as getting help or calling 999.”