East Leeds schoolchildren learn life-saving skills at St James’s

Year 6 pupils from a primary school near St James’s University Hospital were given a hands-on introduction to healthcare during a visit to the hospital site, as part of an interactive education programme led by doctors.

More than 30 pupils aged 10–11 from Shakespeare Primary School took part in a series of practical sessions delivered by Clinical Teaching Fellows from Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, offering them insight into hospital care and medical careers close to home in East Leeds. Clinical Teaching Fellows are qualified doctors who take time out of their medical training to focus on education. 

The visit took place across three rooms in the Undergraduate Hub at St James’s University Hospital and was structured around three activity stations. These included an introduction to basic life support, a handwashing escape room focused on infection prevention, and a session linked to the pupils’ classroom learning on the heart and circulatory system.

Dr Sarah Campion, Lead Undergraduate Medical Educator, said: “We were delighted to be involved to work with pupils from our local school to give them a really refreshing and interesting hands-on day learning more about healthcare. The children were so enthusiastic and keen to learn. CPR is a vital skill and giving them the chance to practise it at such a young age helps build confidence and awareness of how they can help others.

“Children often see us when they’re unwell, so it was fantastic to meet them in a different setting and show them how simple steps like handwashing can protect patients and staff. Their energy and curiosity made the sessions really enjoyable.”

The sessions were designed to help children understand what it is like to be a patient in hospital, while also encouraging curiosity about how healthcare works and the range of roles within the NHS.

Staff from Shakespeare Primary School said the experience helped pupils connect classroom science to real-life healthcare settings.

Poppy Cartwright, Subject Lead at the school, said: “We had a really great day on the hospital site and this was a brilliant opportunity to show our pupils some practical activities, which I am confident they will take home with them and remember for a long time. Experiences like this bring science to life and show children how their learning connects to real careers and we are grateful to Leeds Teaching Hospitals for giving our pupils such a memorable opportunity.

“The transplant journey is a powerful way to show how many different roles exist within the NHS. It was wonderful to see the pupils connect their science lessons with real-life patient care.”