Secondary Schools

First Aid Training for Secondary Schools
 

The DfE expects every secondary school to have trained first aiders ready when minutes matter.

Discover accredited first aid, allergy safety and mental health courses designed for secondary school staff.
 

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First Aid in Secondary Schools UK | Training, Standards & Requirements

Every secondary school in the UK has a duty to provide first aid for staff (Department for Education, 2022). The DfE strongly encourages schools to extend that cover to pupils and visitors.

A pupil collapses in a PE lesson. Someone reacts to a hidden allergen at lunchtime.

A Year 10 student has an asthma attack on the way to class. In every one of these moments, your trained staff make the difference.

Safe Haven Training delivers nationally accredited courses built for real secondary school life. Our trainers are NHS professionals and emergency care specialists.

They know what a busy secondary school day looks like, from science labs and D&T workshops to sports fixtures, off site trips and exam halls.

Our courses are FAIB certified as standard. Ofqual regulated qualifications are available on request.
 

What Does the DfE Expect from Secondary Schools?
 

The Health and Safety (First Aid) Regulations 1981 apply to every employer, including schools.

You must provide enough first aid equipment, facilities and trained people for your staff (Department for Education, 2022).

The DfE strongly recommends extending that cover to pupils and visitors. Most schools do this as standard. In practice, that means:
 

• Carrying out a first aid needs assessment
• Appointing trained first aiders or an appointed person
• Stocking first aid kits and putting up clear signage
• Keeping a written record of every incident
• Reviewing arrangements after any major changes to staff or premises
   

Headteachers and principals usually lead on first aid arrangements.

Day to day responsibility sits across the wider team, from science and D&T technicians to PE staff, pastoral leads and the school office.
 

Do Secondary Schools Have to Teach CPR and Defibrillator Use?

Yes. All state funded schools in England must teach Health Education.

For secondary schools, this includes further first aid, specifically how to administer CPR and the purpose of defibrillators and when to use them (Department for Education, 2022).

Resuscitation Council UK recommends CPR teaching for students aged 12 and over (Resuscitation Council UK, 2026).

In countries where basic life support is taught in schools, survival rates from sudden cardiac arrest are significantly higher.

Many secondary schools bring in trained first aid professionals to support this teaching.

We can shape staff training around your curriculum plans, so the same messages reach pupils, parents and the staff room.

 

Should Secondary Schools Have an AED?

Yes, and every state funded secondary school in England already has one. In 2023, the DfE delivered over 20,000 defibrillators to state schools across England.

Secondary schools with two or more AEDs were provided with an internal cabinet, encouraged to be placed near sports facilities, since physical activity is linked to an increased risk of cardiac arrest (Department for Education, 2025).

Every secondary school site should have:
 

• At least one fully stocked first aid kit
• A travelling first aid kit for trips, sports fixtures and off site activities
• Clear signage marking first aid points
• An AED that is checked regularly and registered on The Circuit
• Staff who are trained and confident using it
   

Our Basic Life Support & Automated External Defibrillator course covers CPR and AED use in a half day session.

It works well for PE staff, sports coaches, site managers and pastoral teams.

 

Does Benedict's Law Apply to Secondary Schools?

Yes. Benedict's Law is the new statutory duty requiring schools in England to keep children with allergies safe (Department for Education, 2026).

It applies to every school in England, including secondary schools, from the start of the September 2026 school year.

The guidance is explicit on one point that surprises many school leaders. First aid training alone no longer meets the requirement.

Allergy awareness training is expected for every member of staff present when pupils are on site (Department for Education, 2026).

For a secondary school, that is a large number of adults to train, including:
 

• Teachers across every subject
• Teaching assistants and cover supervisors
• Catering staff, cleaners and site staff
• Reception and admin teams
• Peripatetic staff, supply and agency workers
• Coaches, tutors and regular volunteers

Training must be refreshed at least once a year. A statutory duty to provide it is expected through forthcoming Regulations.
 

 

For more detail on the new guidance, read our full explainer: Benedict's Law Is Here: A School's Guide to the 2026 Allergy Safety Guidance.

 

Do Secondary Schools Need Mental Health First Aid Training?
 

Secondary schools sit at a critical point in young people's mental health. Anxiety, self harm, eating disorders and low mood become more common in the secondary years. Staff are often the first to spot the signs.

Mental Health First Aid training gives pastoral leads, safeguarding staff, form tutors and senior leaders the confidence to have supportive conversations and signpost pupils to professional help.

Safe Haven Training offers three levels:
 

• Level 1 Award in Awareness of First Aid for Mental Health
  a foundation for any staff member
   
• Level 2 Award in First Aid for Mental Health
  for pastoral, safeguarding and form tutor teams
   
• Level 3 Award in Supervising First Aid for Mental Health
  for senior mental health leads and DSLs

DfE guidance encourages secondary schools to identify a senior mental health lead with strategic oversight of the whole school approach (Department for Education, 2022).
 

Can First Aid Training Take place at our Secondary School?

Yes. We deliver onsite first aid training at secondary schools across the UK. If you would rather come to us, we have over 80 venues to choose from.
 

Onsite training:
 

• Fits around the school day, INSET days, twilight sessions or weekends
• Suits the realities of your school environment
• Saves staff time and travel
• Lets your whole team train together
• Works well for larger cohorts, when a group of staff need training at once
   

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References
 

1. Department for Education (2022): First aid in schools, early years and further education

2. Department for Education (2025): Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs) Guidance for schools

3. Department for Education (2026): Allergy safety in schools: statutory guidance

4. Resuscitation Council UK (2026): CPR in Secondary Schools

5. Health and Safety Executive (2022): First aid at work: The Health and Safety (First Aid) Regulations 1981

 

First Aid Courses for Secondary Schools
 

Pick a course based on each role and what your school's first aid needs assessment shows.