Keeping Healthy and Safe

By Abi, Gracie & Izzy

We decided to focus our BBC School Report on keeping healthy and safe. We have been investigating how first aid is used in Penrice Academy and interviewing teachers and students regarding how importance this is.

Our research led us to find out that 80% of heart problems happen when you people are at home with, unfortunately, no supply or help such as a defibrillator. Now however, schools are being advised to have a defibrillator because this device can save the life of children within minutes of their collapse.

A defibrillator is an apparatus that is used to control heart fibrillation and start an electric shock to try and start the heart pumping again. We decided to speak with Mrs McGrath, Penrice’s Emergency First-Aider, about first aid and keeping safe. Mrs McGrath stated that first aid is “essential” adding that “13% of people under the age of 35 die of heart problems. 210 children die on school premises. Only 40% of people help the other 60% that don’t have the training.” She also stated if you needed help:” Go to the Medical Room!”

We were also finding out about first aid in school and what to do. We asked Mrs Taylor, Head of Year 7, why first aid was so important and she voiced that first aid is a “skill for life” and that you can “never know you can save a life.” We also asked where students should go if they wanted or needed first aid: “Go to a teacher and see a first aider.”

Currently, only 24% of people in schools are taught first aid despite the overwhelming requests from parents, teachers and students themselves. Penrice therefore, have introduced the Mini Medics programme, whereby groups of students take part in a day’s training on basic first aid. Hannah, Y7 student, said about the programme that is was, “a fun day, where you learnt loads and went away knowing you could help someone in need, and maybe even save a life.”

Energy Drinks

Recently there has been a ban on energy drinks for people under the age of 16 in many stores like ASDA, Tesco, ALDI and Lidl. Experts say the amount of sugar in a 500ml energy drink has 12 tbs worth of sugar and 2 shots of espresso. This is more than the advised amount of sugar intake. But also this amount of sugar is leading to one of the UKs biggest problem which is obesity.

We spoke to Mr Jenkin on how he felt about energy drinks. He told us: “I feel very uncomfortable that young people are drinking them and how shops and the company advertise it. They advertise it like it will improve sports performances though it definitely will not.”

One of the biggest problems the UK is facing is child obesity. Child obesity has more than tripled in the last 30 years. It’s estimated that by 2030, 74% of men will be overweight, 64% of women will be overweight. Right now 36% of men are overweight and 33% of women are overweight.

Penrice have looked to to combat this problem through providing, sugar-free, fizzy alternatives to energy drinks.