YOUNGSTERS at a Witney school have been practicing their life-saving skills after receiving a defibrillator donated by a hospital.

The new acquisition for Wood Green School, donated by The Nuffield Health Manor Hospital in Headington, was officially announced at the school’s health and wellbeing day at the end of last month.

On the day on January 25, a team from South Central Ambulance Service (SCAS) gave Year Eight pupils hands-on training in CPR – which one day could help them save a life.

Not-for-profit healthcare provider Nuffield Health has been working in partnership with the school since September 2015 for a two-year wellbeing pilot.

The Manor Hospital donated the automated external defibrillator, which is portable and can be used in an emergency.

Staff at the school will undergo training on the device.

The announcement of the new defibrillator came as students in Year Eight engaged in a number of health-themed topics like mental health, risk behaviours and 'heartstart training'.

A team from SCAS, led by divisional responder manager Dick Tracey – who has long campaigned for more of the life-saving machines to be put in public places – came to the school to train the youngsters.

Though CPR usually stands for cardio-pulmonary resuscitation, on the day it stood for ‘Call-Push-Rescue’.

The event was part of the Heartstart campaign by the British Heart Foundation, which aims to reach thousands of secondary school pupils and turn the younger generation into a nation of lifesavers.

Head of wellbeing at Wood Green Terry Austin, who works on behalf of Nuffield Health, and headteacher Rob Shadbolt thanked The Manor Hospital for their donation on behalf of the school.