Rugby's Avon Valley pupils learn life-saving skills in the wake of famous footballer's collapse on the pitch

A senior nurse has instructed Year 10 pupils at Rugby's Avon Valley School in both CPR and the use of a defibrillator after the collapse of a famous footballer propelled the importance of emergency first aid to the fore.

The importance of CPR was highlighted recently when football player Christian Eriksen collapsed with heart problems as he played for the Danish national team in their game against Sweden.

He died briefly on the pitch but was brought back to life with the use of CPR.

This saw Anneke Gyles, an advanced nurse practitioner at Birmingham Children’s Hospital, visit Avon Valley to teach pupils about emergency first aid - including CPR.

She also instructed the Year 10s on how to use the school's automated external defibrillator (AED), as well as informing them of other AEDs in the community.

Pupils also honed their skills by practising on a manikin.

Lisa Owen, achievement leader and careers lead, said: “We are really grateful to Anneke for visiting us to share her lifesaving knowledge with our students.

"We hope to invite her back to AVS in September to work with more of our students.”

Headteacher Alison Davies said: “We are fortunate to have our own AED, which can be accessed quickly in an emergency situation.

"However, it is important that as many people as possible know how to respond in an emergency.

"We look forward to continuing this in September and hope our whole school community will have the right knowledge and confidence to act in an emergency."