First aider says every child should be given the skills
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An Ealing teacher has scooped the Silver Teaching Award in the prestigious BBC Teacher of the Year Awards.
Pupils at the Featherstone High School in Southall nominated John Andrews for his groundbreaking work training over 200 year 9 students in life saving skills every year.
He received his accolade at the school from editor and broadcaster Ian Hislop, who was visiting as part of the Speakers for Schools initiative.
Ian Hislop said: “I am delighted to present an award to such a deserving candidate who tirelessly teaches first aid skills to his pupils.”
Finalists were selected from over 20,000 nominations made this year and John joins a list of exceptional teachers who are the stars of the education profession.
John has a life-long passion for health and life-saving skills, born from his early years as a ten year old cadet in Belfast which continued through to his training as a nurse and subsequent teaching career. Throughout this time John has continued his volunteering for SJA and has passed on his skills or hundreds of school children.
John is delighted to be nominated for teacher of the year and hopes to use this to bring the issue of life saving skills to the fore for schools.
"I think every child should be taught life saving skills," says John.
"It's so rewarding when the pupils tell me ‘Sir, I saved my little brother’s life yesterday after he was choking’, or ‘I phoned an ambulance and made sure the person stayed still until an ambulance came’."
Teachers interested in following in John’s footsteps can sign up to St John Ambulance’s latest schools training scheme: Student first aid. The programme offers school staff the flexibility to choose first aid training that’s right for their students, and fit it around the demands of a busy school day.
Suitable for young people aged seven and over – and aimed at both Primary and Secondary students: www.sja.org.uk/sja/training-courses/school-student-training/student-first-aid-programme.”
May 7th 2014