A POTENTIALLY lifesaving defibrillator is to be installed at Carterton Community College after pupils showed a healthy interest in leaning first aid.

All 220 pupils in the school's Key Stage One and Two classes have achieve junior medic first aid qualifications.

The students showed such enthusiasm for learning how to save lives that staff at the school snapped up an offer from heart charity Arrhythmia Alliance (AA) to provide the school with a defibrillator at a discounted price.

Pupils helped raise £400 for AA in return for the defibrillator, which would normally cost double that.

Year Eight achievement support officer Patsy Moore, who helped train the pupils in first aid, said: "It all started when AA contacted us and said they were putting defibrillators into schools and asked us if we would be interested.

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"We were because in PSHE classes we have trained our pupils in first aid and they are really keen on it.

"It's become apparent that people are sometimes walking around with heart defects that are undiagnosed and we had a surgeon come in and talk to the children recently who said they are the most important piece of equipment in helping to save lives."

The funds were raised by charging parents and pupils for family first aid courses run by Mrs Moore, and her husband Vic Moore, the school's student development manager.

The school aims to train all its 500 pupils in basic first aid in the coming months.

When the defibrillator is installed outside the school reception, it will be available for the community to use from 8am to 5pm on week days, and staff will be trained on how to use it.

The Oxford Mail is backing a campaign led by Dick Tracey of South Central Ambulance Service to install 300 defibrillators across Oxfordshire so everyone is within 10 minutes of one.

Mr Tracey said [on Thursday] more than 200 have now been installed in schools, villages and community groups across the county.

Arrhythmia Alliance founder and trustee Trudie Lobban MBE, said: “Carterton Community College is leading the way in securing this important provision to help protect students and staff in the event of emergency.

“Sudden cardiac arrest does not discriminate against age, gender or personal fitness. Although I hope it will never be used, every member of the school must now be safe in the knowledge they have access to this lifesaving device.”

The pupils are also raising money by taking part in the British Heart Foundation's Dodgeball challenge, where teams from each tutor group sign up to play matches in return for making donations to the BHF.