Pupils at Hunnyhill Ormiston Academy on the Isle of Wight recently spent the day at Newport Fire Station learning lifesaving CPR skills to mark Restart a Heart Day.
Around 60 Year 6 pupils visited the station where they met with members of the Isle of Wight Ambulance and 111 services. Throughout the day, pupils learnt about the important skills of CPR and had the opportunity to put these into practice on a resuscitation manikin, using songs including “Baby Shark” to keep the correct rhythm. Pupils were also taught what to do if they found someone unconscious and how to use a defibrillator.
Restart a Heart Day, which took place on 16 October 2026, is an annual initiative by Resuscitation Council UK which aims to improve cardiac arrest awareness and CPR education, ultimately aiming to increase the number of people surviving out-of-hospital cardiac arrests. Currently, fewer than one in ten people survive a cardiac arrest outside hospital. Restart a Heart events take place throughout October, with Restart a Heart Day itself happening on October 16th.
Hunnyhill is one of 17 schools on the Isle of Wight, and many more across the UK, which took part in Restart a Heart Day activities, and pupils came away from the day having gained important knowledge and life skills that will support them both at school and when out in the community.
Lisa Steedman, Principal at Ormiston Hunnyhill Academy, said:
“Spending the day learning about lifesaving skills from emergency services workers was a great opportunity for our pupils to engage with the wider community and learn invaluable life skills. We are grateful to Newport Fire Station for hosting us, and to the Isle of Wight Ambulance and 111 services for a fantastic, informative day.”