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Resources for Schools

We believe everyone can learn CPR. It’s not just for grown ups.

Save a Life for Scotland is committed to providing people living in Scotland with the opportunity to learn the lifesaving skill of CPR and empower them to realise that they have the power to save a life in their hands. We want everyone in Scotland to feel able to say ‘I’ll do it’ should they ever find themselves in a position where someone is having a cardiac arrest and needs help.

Primary schools

We believe that everyone can learn CPR. Even little ones can learn to call for help, ask an adult to start CPR and direct them what to do. We believe that learning CPR should start with Primary 1 and if you’re wondering if they could understand the message then watch the video.

Partner Programmes

There are a few approaches you can take to helping your kids learn CPR. Partners may have primary schools projects running in your area so contact us hello@savealife.scot to find out.

Alternative resources

Where no formal local programmes exist, we can work with and support teaching staff to help them deliver CPR sessions to their classes at a time that suits. We can provide you with a selection of videos, activities and resources.

School events

Get your whole school CPR ready in a day and make it an event! We can work with teachers and staff in schools or leaders in youth groups to plan a whole school or group CPR day and enlist support from our partners local to you.

Preston Street Primary, Edinburgh

This is a primary school of 271 pupils. Members of our partner and supporter groups spent a day at the school teaching CPR, class by class. We set up in the main hall, kids brought their teddies to practice on, each session took 30 minutes, and by the end of the day, everyone had learned CPR. The kids also had the opportunity to meet our partners on the day who included, Scottish Fire and Rescue Services, The Scottish Ambulance Service, NHS Lothian Emergency Department, Basics Scotland and the Resuscitation Research Group.

Westquarter Primary School, Falkirk

Driven by the teachers, this school have self taught themselves in CPR, class by class. EVERY child and teacher in this school is now equipped with the lifesaving skill of CPR, and here’s the bigger picture. Then they invited family and friends to the school on a Friday afternoon and the children taught the adults CPR. Now that’s something really special!

We supported them with equipment and a few vehicles with flashing lights!

Secondary schools

So many of our partners are currently working in Secondary Schools either through the Heartstart Course, Lucky 2 B Here, Royal Life Saving Society, St. Andrew’s First Aid or using resources from Chest Heart and Stroke Scotland and the British Red Cross. There are so many options and we can help you find your best local support.

If you require any kit, EVERY fire station in Scotland holds CPR equipment gifted from the British Heart Foundation – feel free to get in touch with them to borrow the kit. The Scottish Ambulance Service can help with equipment too, so you won’t be stuck.

Heartstart – Information for Schools
Find out about having Hartstart in your school.

The Community School of Auchterarder

We supported the Community School of Auchterarder to teach over 500 pupils in one day. Organised by the schools Janitor, a Community First Responder, over 20 of our partners came to support this entire school to learn CPR. Watch the video to learn how the day went. You can also read coverage by the BBC of the day here. 

Video Resources

Our partners include: