Cromer Pupils Become Lifesavers with Air Ambulance Training 

Pupils at Cromer Academy were given the chance to learn how to save a life this week, thanks to the East Anglian Air Ambulance (EAAA). The charity’s community team visited the school to deliver whole school CPR and defibrillator training, ensuring that every pupil from Year 7 upwards, along with staff had the opportunity to gain hands on experience in response to an emergency. 

The one-hour sessions covered the DRSABC first aid acronym, the difference between a heart attack and cardiac arrest, and practical CPR techniques. Pupils also learned how to use a defibrillator, with all equipment supplied by EAAA to make the training realistic and engaging. 

Principal, Mr Vincent said: “Our pupils now feel confident they could step in during an emergency. It’s empowering to know they have the skills to save a life.” 

Air Ambulance CPR Instructor, Don Meechan explained the importance of the initiative: “Survival rates from cardiac arrest are only around 8% if CPR alone is attempted. But when CPR is combined with defibrillation within the first 3–5 minutes, survival can rise to between 40–70%. By teaching these skills in schools, we’re building a generation of lifesavers.” 

The Cromer training is part of EAAA’s wider mission to improve survival rates across East Anglia. Since launching its community programme in 2018, the charity has trained over 100,000 people in CPR, many of them schoolchildren. 

With rural areas often further from hospitals, early intervention by bystanders is critical. Training young people ensures that lifesaving action can begin immediately, even before paramedics arrive. 

Cromer Academy is able to provide a whole host of opportunities for students to try things out of their comfort zone, building life skills in pupils and giving them experiences beyond the classroom.