A LOCAL school took part in a national initiative today that promotes life-saving training.

The “Restart a Heart Day” is a scheme which allows schools to sign up to provide their pupils with CPR training.

Queensbury Academy are one of over 100 schools that took part across Yorkshire.

Nine paramedics from the Yorkshire Ambulance team came into the school to teach over 200 Year 8 pupils how to do CPR.

Teacher, Frances Hammond, knows only too well how important "bystander CPR", particularly when you least expect it.

She managed to revive a three-year-old girl after she'd fallen in her garden pond.

Mrs Hammond, who is First Aid trained, said: "My neighbour's daughter had drowned in the pond and they ran and grabbed me because they knew I was a teacher.

"Thankfully I know CPR as well and I knew I had to help - the girl was just lifeless."

Yorkshire Ambulance Service said that anyone who suffers a cardiac arrest out of hospital in the U.K. has less than a one in 10 chance of surviving.

In places where CPR is more widely taught, such as Norway, it is as high as four in 10.

A spokesperson from Queensbury Academy said: "It's massively important - every child in senior school should be taught it. Other countries have it as part of their natural curriculum."