Paediatric & Early Years First Aid Ofsted Compliant (2-Day)

Paediatric & Early Years First Aid Ofsted Compliant (2-Day)

---

Course Overview

Children in early years and school settings are active, curious, and unpredictable. They choke. They have allergic reactions. They fall and sustain head injuries. They have seizures. And when any of these things happen, the adult closest to them is the first responder. Not a paramedic. Not a nurse. The nursery practitioner, the teaching assistant, the childminder who has been with that child every day.

What that adult knows, and whether they are genuinely confident to act on it, is what determines the outcome.

This course exists because the gap between holding a paediatric first aid certificate and being ready to act without hesitation in a real emergency is wider than most settings realise. In delivery, the patterns are consistent and concerning. Practitioners who have completed training but have never practiced on infant manikins and do not have the muscle memory for infant CPR. Settings where adrenaline auto-injectors are kept in a drawer, and nobody has ever been shown how to use one. Teams who know a child is having a seizure but have no idea what to do in the minutes between the seizure starting and the ambulance arriving. These are not failures of intention. They are failures of training depth. And this course closes them.

The 2-Day Paediatric First Aid course is the full 12-hour qualification that meets the statutory requirements of the EYFS Statutory Framework (effective 1 September 2025). It is the qualification required for the designated first aider who must be on the premises and available at all times when children are present. It covers the full Annex A criteria, and every learner practices on infant and child manikins with direct trainer assessment throughout both days.

Benedict’s Law makes the stakes of this training even clearer. Benedict Blythe was five years old when he died from an allergic reaction at school. His parents, Helen and Peter Blythe, campaigned for four years for the changes that the government announced in March 2026. From September 2026, all schools in England must stock spare adrenaline auto-injectors, provide allergy awareness training for all staff, and have a comprehensive allergy policy in place. These are the statutory requirements that Benedict’s Law brought into force. They exist because the protections were not in place when they were needed. This course ensures your staff are genuinely prepared to respond to an anaphylactic emergency, not just aware that one might happen. You can read the full government announcement at gov.uk.

This course meets the full 12-hour Annex A criteria of the EYFS Statutory Framework (effective 1 September 2025), reflects the Resuscitation Council UK 2025 Resuscitation Guidelines, the Health and Safety (First-Aid) Regulations 1981, and the DfE guidance on supporting pupils with medical conditions at school.

If you need a more flexible delivery format, the same full 12-hour qualification is available through our Paediatric First Aid Blended course.

Course Details

• Duration: 2 days (12 hours total), delivered face-to-face
• Delivery: In-person at your venue. Face-to-face only
• Certificate: Accredited full Paediatric First Aid certificate, meeting the 12-hour Annex A criteria of the EYFS Statutory Framework 2025
• Awarding organisations: Worksafe, FAIB.
• Validity: 3 years. Annual refresher strongly recommended
• Group size: Up to 12 learners per trainer

Who This Course Is For

This course is right for anyone working with infants and children who must meet the full EYFS PFA statutory requirement, including:

• Nursery practitioners and early years educators
• Childminders and childminding assistants
• Pre-school and playgroup staff
• Nannies and private childcare providers
• School staff working with children in early years provision
• Foster carers and staff supporting children in care settings
• Any staff member who must be included in EYFS staff-to-child ratios and is required to hold the full PFA qualification

Why Paediatric First Aid Training Matters

The EYFS Statutory Framework (effective 1 September 2025) places four specific obligations on early years providers in relation to paediatric first aid.

Paragraph 3.38 requires that all staff who obtained a level 2 or level 3 qualification since 30 June 2016 must obtain a PFA qualification within three months of starting work to be included in the required staff-to-child ratios.

Paragraph 3.63 requires that whilst children are eating, a member of staff with a valid PFA certificate consistent with Annex A criteria must always be in the room. Choking in young children can be completely silent. A practitioner who is not first aid trained cannot recognise it in time.

Benedict’s Law and the September 2026 allergy requirements represent the most significant change to statutory allergy provision in schools in recent years. From September 2026, all schools must stock spare adrenaline auto-injectors, provide allergy awareness training for all staff covering recognition of symptoms, emergency response and use of adrenaline devices, and maintain a comprehensive policy for supporting children with medical conditions. This course ensures staff in early years and school settings are fully equipped to recognise and respond to an anaphylactic emergency, meet the new statutory training requirements, and demonstrate the confidence to act without hesitation when it matters. Read the full government announcement.

The Health and Safety (First-Aid) Regulations 1981 place a duty on all employers to make adequate first aid provision. For early years providers, this obligation sits alongside and reinforces the EYFS statutory requirements.

The Resuscitation Council UK 2025 Resuscitation Guidelines represent the most current evidence on paediatric basic life support and emergency first aid. Every element of this course is built around them.

What You Will Learn

By the end of the course, learners will be able to:

• Assess an emergency situation involving an infant or child and prioritise appropriate action in line with Resuscitation Council UK 2025 guidelines
• Perform CPR on infants and children to the current standard, with correct rate, depth, and compression-to-breath ratio for each age group, assessed on infant and child manikins
• Use an Automated External Defibrillator safely and confidently with infants and children
• Respond to choking in infants and children, including back blows and age-appropriate techniques for each group
• Recognise and manage anaphylaxis, including correct use of adrenaline auto-injectors in line with the September 2026 statutory requirements and individual healthcare plans
• Manage an unresponsive baby or child, including airway management and the recovery position
• Recognise and respond to seizures and febrile convulsions, including what to do in the period between seizure onset and emergency services arriving
• Manage asthma attacks and breathing difficulties in children
• Provide first aid for bleeding, burns, scalds, and shock
• Manage head injuries, suspected fractures, and soft tissue injuries
• Recognise signs of serious illness in infants and children and know when to call 999
• Manage minor injuries and childhood illnesses at an awareness level
• Understand recording, reporting, and escalation responsibilities as a paediatric first aider

Course Content

Content is delivered across two full days and reflects the full Annex A curriculum of the EYFS Statutory Framework 2025 and the Resuscitation Council UK 2025 guidelines. Topics covered include:

• The role and legal responsibilities of a paediatric first aider
• Primary survey
• Infant, child and adult CPR
• AED use with infants and children
• Choking in infants and children
• Anaphylaxis and allergic reactions
• Asthma and breathing difficulties
• Seizures and febrile convulsions
• Unresponsive infant or child: airway management and recovery position
• Bleeding, wounds, shock, and burns
• Head injuries, fractures, and soft tissue injuries
• Recognising serious illness
• Minor injuries and childhood illness awareness
• Recording, reporting, and escalation
• Scenario-based casualty simulations covering real early years and school emergencies
• Continuous practical competency assessment throughout

Benedict’s Law: What Changes in September 2026

From September 2026, following the government’s response to the campaign led by Helen and Peter Blythe after the death of their son Benedict, all schools in England must:

• Stock spare adrenaline auto-injectors for emergency use
• Provide allergy awareness training for all staff, covering recognition of symptoms, emergency response, and use of adrenaline devices
• Maintain a comprehensive policy for supporting children with medical conditions, including Individual Healthcare Plans

These are statutory requirements, not guidance. They come into force in September 2026. This course equips staff to meet the training requirement and to respond confidently and correctly to an anaphylactic emergency. For early years settings, this training has always been part of the full PFA curriculum. From September 2026, it will be a formal statutory obligation for schools too.

Read the full announcement at gov.uk.

How the Course Is Delivered

This course is delivered face-to-face across two full days. The practical elements cannot be assessed remotely, and every learner practices key skills on infant and child manikins with direct trainer observation and feedback throughout both days. This is not a course where manikin time is shared between a large group. Groups are capped at 12 to ensure every learner gets the repetition they need to build genuine confidence, not just knowledge.

Delivery includes:

• Hands-on CPR practice on infant and child manikins across both days, with direct trainer feedback on technique
• Practical AED training with training defibrillators
• Anaphylaxis response, including adrenaline auto-injector demonstration and practice
• Choking response practice for infants and children of different ages
• Scenario-based casualty simulations covering the full range of paediatric emergencies your team is likely to face
• Direct discussion of the September 2026 Benedict’s Law requirements and what they mean for your setting
• Continuous competency assessment throughout both days

Certification and Validity

On successful completion, learners receive an accredited full Paediatric First Aid certificate valid for 3 years, delivered through Worksafe or FAIB. Nuco is available on request.

The EYFS Statutory Framework recommends that providers consider whether annual refresher training is needed during the three-year certification period. Given how quickly CPR technique deteriorates without regular practice, annual refreshers are strongly recommended for any setting where staff may need to use these skills. Our Basic Life Support and AED Training course provides a focused annual skills update between full requalification cycles.

Prefer a More Flexible Format?

The same full 12-hour Paediatric First Aid qualification is available through our Paediatric First Aid Blended course, combining six hours of structured online theory completed at each learner’s own pace with a full day of face-to-face practical training and assessment. The qualification is identical. The delivery is more flexible, and the two elements do not need to be completed consecutively.

In-House and Bespoke Training

We adapt every session to your setting, your safeguarding procedures, and the ages of children you care for.

We can tailor content and delivery to include:

• Your internal incident recording, reporting, and escalation procedures
• Your safeguarding policies and Individual Healthcare Plans for children with allergies, epilepsy, diabetes, or other medical conditions
• The September 2026 allergy policy and training requirements, and how to embed them in your setting
• Scenarios drawn from your specific environment, whether nursery, school, childminder, or community provision
• Scheduling around ratios and shift patterns to minimise disruption to the setting

Course Location and Service Areas

We deliver in-house training at your workplace or chosen venue across Manchester, Greater Manchester, and the wider North West. We also deliver nationally across England, including North England, South England, London, and Surrey.

For schools and early years settings across Greater Manchester and the North West, we offer a dedicated programme. Visit our First Aid Training for Schools in Greater Manchester and the North West page for full details.

All sessions are led by experienced Prima Cura Training instructors. Every trainer holds an Enhanced DBS certificate. Groups are capped at 12 per trainer.

FAQs

Related Courses

You may also be interested in:

• Emergency Paediatric First Aid (1 Day)
• Emergency First Aid for Schools
• First Aid at Work (3 Day)
• Anaphylaxis Awareness Training
• Basic Life Support and AED Training
• Safeguarding Children Training

Book or Enquire

To book Paediatric First Aid Training or request a quote for your setting, use the enquiry form on this page or contact us directly. If you are unsure whether the 2-day classroom course or the blended option is better for your team, or whether this course or the Emergency Paediatric First Aid course meets your statutory requirement, get in touch, and we will help you work it out before you commit.

Our Commitment to Quality and Compliance

At Prima Cura Training, all courses reflect current UK guidance and best practice.

All trainers are experienced professionals with relevant qualifications and ongoing CPD. Because many of the organisations we support work with children and vulnerable individuals, all trainers hold Enhanced DBS checks.

This course is reviewed against updates from the Department for Education, the Resuscitation Council UK, and current UK legislation, including the EYFS Statutory Framework (effective 1 September 2025), the Health and Safety (First-Aid) Regulations 1981, and the Childcare Act 2006. All CPR and resuscitation content reflects the Resuscitation Council UK 2025 Resuscitation Guidelines. Course content reflects the September 2026 statutory allergy requirements introduced following Benedict’s Law.

You can read more on our Quality Assurance and Compliance page.

Reviewed by Stephanie Austin, Owner and Lead Trainer, Prima Cura Training | 25+ years in health and social care | 15+ years as a trainer | Last reviewed: April 2026 | Next review: April 2027

This page is for general guidance only and reflects the EYFS Statutory Framework (effective 1 September 2025), current UK health and safety legislation, Resuscitation Council UK 2025 guidelines, and the statutory allergy requirements coming into force in September 2026 at the date of review. It does not constitute legal advice. This 2-day course meets the full 12-hour Paediatric First Aid qualification criteria set out in Annex A of the EYFS Statutory Framework 2025 and satisfies the statutory requirement for the designated first aider who must hold a full PFA qualification consistent with those criteria. Early years providers and schools remain responsible for ensuring their first aid arrangements, allergy policies, Individual Healthcare Plans, and staff training comply with the EYFS Statutory Framework, the Health and Safety (First-Aid) Regulations 1981, the DfE guidance on supporting pupils with medical conditions, and all applicable legislation including the statutory allergy requirements effective September 2026. Where compliance advice is needed, providers should seek independent guidance.

< back