YOUNGSTERS at Silks Farm Nursery School, in Somersham, have been given some essential skills after taking part in a first aid course. They were presented with certificates by Jo Murray of First Aid is Fun. Mrs Murray teaches paediatric first aid to nurser

YOUNGSTERS at Silks Farm Nursery School, in Somersham, have been given some essential skills after taking part in a first aid course.

They were presented with certificates by Jo Murray of First Aid is Fun.

Mrs Murray teaches paediatric first aid to nursery nurses, childminders and teachers at Huntingdonshire and Cambridgeshire regional colleges.

She has also developed a course suitable for children.

The older children at the nursery were taught how to deal with an emergency at home, which included placing an adult in the recovery position, bandaging cuts and phoning for the emergency services.

Nigel Swaby, director at Silks Farm Nursery School, said: 'When Jo first approached me, I was a little sceptical about teaching basic first aid skills to children as young as three and four. However, having observed one of these sections, I was amazed how much the children had absorbed."

A former nursery nurse, Mrs Murray decided to branch out and teach first aid to young children just over a year ago.

She said: "Having a childcare background I was confident these sessions would be successful. The children learn some of the same basic skills as I teach the adults, while having lots of fun.