Does Ofsted approve first aid courses?
Ofsted does not approve, accredit or endorse first aid courses. It inspects early years settings, and part of that inspection checks whether staff hold valid paediatric first aid certificates.
The criteria a course must cover are set out in Annex A of the Early Years Foundation Stage statutory framework, which is the document to look for when you book.
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Why do so many courses advertise as Ofsted approved?
Because that is the phrase settings search for. It is a description of what the buyer wants rather than a status any course holds.
No provider has been approved by Ofsted, because Ofsted has no approval scheme for training.
The thing that matters is whether the course covers the Annex A criteria and runs for the required length. A provider who cannot tell you that plainly is worth a second question.
What does the EYFS framework actually require?
Annex A sets out the content a paediatric first aid course must cover, from infant and child resuscitation through to anaphylaxis, choking, febrile convulsions and the treatment of burns.
It also sets the certificate length at three years and requires the full course to run for a minimum of 12 hours.
The Annex A criteria are word for word identical between the 2025 and 2026 versions of the framework, so a course meeting the earlier version still meets the current one (Department for Education).
Who in the setting needs a paediatric first aid certificate?
The requirement varies by setting type and is worth checking against your own registration.
In group settings, at least one person with a full paediatric first aid certificate must be on the premises and available at all times when children are present, and must accompany children on outings.
Newly qualified entrants to the workforce with a relevant level 2 or level 3 qualification must hold either a full or an emergency paediatric first aid certificate within three months of starting work, in order to be counted in ratios.
Can paediatric first aid be completed entirely online?
No. The practical skills have to be assessed in person, so a course delivered wholly online does not satisfy the framework.
Anything advertised as a free online Ofsted approved paediatric certificate will not stand up at inspection.
The workable format is blended.
Our Blended Paediatric First Aid course runs to 12 hours in total, made up of an eLearning element completed before the course and a classroom day covering the practical skills and the assessment.
The eLearning has to be finished before the classroom day.
What age range does paediatric first aid cover?
The qualification covers infants under one year and children from one year to the onset of puberty.
Infant and child techniques differ, particularly for resuscitation and choking, which is why the course teaches and assesses them separately.
Adult first aid is a separate qualification.
A setting that also needs workplace first aid cover for staff will usually add Emergency First Aid at Work alongside.
How long does the certificate last, and what happens when it expires?
Three years. There is no grace period in the framework, so a member of staff whose certificate has lapsed cannot be counted towards the paediatric first aid requirement from the day it expires.
Renewal means taking the course again rather than a shorter refresher. Diary the expiry date at the point of booking rather than at the point of inspection.
What does an inspector actually ask to see?
Certificates, and enough of them to cover the setting at all times.
Inspectors check dates, check that the certificate is paediatric rather than workplace first aid, and check that cover holds during staff absence and on outings.
A single certificate held by one person is the most common gap.
If that person is on leave, the setting is uncovered.
Why do early years settings book Paediatric First Aid course with Safe Haven Training?
The course covers the Annex A criteria in full, across 12 hours split between eLearning and a classroom day.
The classroom element is where the practical skills are taught and assessed, because that is the part the framework will not accept online.
Delegates leave with a certificate valid for three years.
Group sizes are capped at 12 delegates per trainer, set by the awarding body so every person is assessed individually on infant and child resuscitation rather than watched in a crowd.
A setting training 20 staff runs either two dates or one date with two trainers working in parallel.
This course is accredited by the First Aid Industry Body (FAIB) as standard.
If you need an Ofqual-regulated qualification, we can deliver it through Qualsafe Awards on request, so tell us at the booking stage.
The practical detail behind that:
- Trained by trainers who deliver paediatric first aid as their main work, not as an add on to workplace courses
- 95+ venues across the UK, with dates running at most of them every week
- 200+ trainers, which is why the schedule is wide enough to absorb a late booking
- Nearly 80,000 delegates certified since 2012, with a 99% pass rate
- All equipment provided, including infant and child manikins and trainer auto-injectors
- Certificates issued within 48 hours of the classroom day
References
1. Department for Education: Early years foundation stage statutory framework
2. Resuscitation Council UK: Paediatric basic life support guidelines