CHILDREN at a local primary school learned some valuable skills spending a day with a member of an emergency services team.

All Key Stage 2 children at Marshwood CE Primary Academy enjoyed a day of physical health and wellbeing with Anne-Marie Chapman from the South Western Ambulance Service as they learned the basics of first aid.

As part of their training the children learnt how to contact the emergency services, the location of nearby defibrillators and other emergency health services and how to use the what3words app to identify their location accurately.

Using the resuscitation dummies the children then honed their danger, response, help, airway, breathing and circulation skills before practicing their chest compressions and rescue breaths.

The children also learned how to put somebody in the recovery position and the importance of reassuring and comforting a casualty.

Marshwood headteacher Luke Owen said ''It is so important that our young people learn the basics of first aid, especially, when many of our families live in rural locations, far away from the nearest hospitals and ambulance stations.

"Hopefully, none of the children will ever have to use their new found skills but should the need arise, I am confident that they would know what to do and that they would be able to make a difference.''