LOOKING after your heart is a top priority at Shipston High School.
Students at the school recently received a potentially life-saving defibrillator to potentially.
Cala homes – which is working on the Cotswold Gate development near the school – donated the equipment as part of their work with national charity Hand on Heart. They also provided training to eight members of staff and 30 pupils, showing them what to do in the case of a cardiac arrest.
More than 600 young people die each year from sudden cardiac arrest, with 270 incidents happening in schools.
The only treatment for a victim of cardiac arrest is early CPR and defibrillation. This must be administered within five minutes following collapse to give the person the best chance of survival, making it imperative to have a defibrillator on site.
Headteacher Gavin Saunders said: “Sudden cardiac arrest among children is rare but the defibrillator gives us extra assurance that we are ready to do all we can to help should the worst happen.
“We are extremely grateful to Cala for supplying the equipment and training to help us keep our pupils, staff and local people safe.”