Two Ron Dearing UTC students hope to become Community First Responders after completing an advanced first aid course during their spare time.

Six Year 13 students achieved the Level 3 Certificate in First Response Emergency Care (FREC3) through training provider Source Solutions UK as part of the professional qualifications the UTC offers in addition to its main curriculum.

They learnt various life-saving skills, including CPR, how to treat burns, crush and spinal injuries, how to administer oxygen and use a defibrillator, and more.

Now, student Marcus Swaby, 18, has applied to become a Community First Responder in the East Riding and fellow student Isabella Acaster, 17, plans to do the same when she turns 18, which is the required age to take up the voluntary role.

Community First Responders aim to reach a potential life-threatening emergency in the first critical minutes before an ambulance crew arrives. They help to stabilise the patient and provide the appropriate care until the more highly skilled ambulance crew arrives to take over the treatment.

 

Marcus, who is also Chair of the Ron Dearing UTC Student Board and plans to go to university in September, said: “I absolutely loved the course. It was informative, the teaching was outstanding and the facilities were brilliant. If someone was unconscious in front of me, I feel equipped to save their life.

“I’ve applied to become a Community First Responder and I’m waiting to find out if I’ve been successful.

“Ron Dearing’s massive selling point is giving you the edge and nothing looks better on your CV than being first aid trained. You have the edge if you’re coming into the workplace with these skills.”

All six students have also completed the first aid at work course through Source Solutions UK, which enabled them to move onto the advanced qualification.

Isabella, who plans to begin a degree apprenticeship in September, said: “It was good to build on what we learnt on the first aid at work course and feel confident about stepping in if something to happened to someone.

 

“It has inspired me to help other people. You can use these skills in the real world and they could be really useful in the future.

“Ron Dearing UTC offers students so many opportunities and they’re there for the taking if you want them.”

Student Lewis Hudson, 18, who also completed the course, is a first aider and fire marshal at the MKM Stadium in Hull and recently offered assistance at the scene of a road traffic accident, while student Robert Kearton, 18, supported a fellow Ron Dearing student who fainted at school.

Fellow students Freya Ilyas and Amarni Welton, both 18, also successfully completed the course.

Lisa Regan, Assistant Principal – Horizons Professionalism, at Ron Dearing UTC, said: “We’re so proud of all the sixth form students who completed the course and delighted to know it inspired them to put their life-saving skills into action.

“We offer lots of additional qualifications and development opportunities to our students and this is just one excellent example of how these opportunities can add to their CVs and skills.”

Ron Dearing UTC students have launched their first podcast capturing a host of interviews, songs and book reviews in a 35-minute episode.

Twelve Year 10, 11 and 12 students have taken up various roles including interviewing, producing, writing, recording and presenting to create the first Radio Ron podcast, supported by artist and West Hull FM Drive Time radio presenter Andy Pea.

The first episode includes the students’ top six favourite songs, an interview with Mark Ollerenshaw, Ron Dearing UTC’s Vice Principal for Personal Development, Behaviour and Welfare, about the school’s extensive enrichment programme, and a chat with Year 11 student and Hull’s Young Mayor, Amaya Newman.

It also incudes an interview with Brandon Hunt, who appeared on ITV1’s hit TV show Starstruck and speaks to students about mental health and online safety.

Additional content covers book reviews, interviews with former Ron Dearing students who are now graduate apprentices at UTC Founding Partner Reckitt, and an interview with Year 11 student Brad Taylor, who has recently celebrated success in major trampoline competitions.

 

Year 12 student Imogen Connolly, 17, who is studying Double Engineering and Maths at Ron Dearing UTC’s sixth form, is an interviewer and producer on the Radio Ron podcast team.

She said: “It’s been a fun and interesting experience and something completely different to what I’m studying.

“I was interviewed on BBC Radio Humberside and BBC Look North when I was younger and I enjoyed the experience, so I put myself forward to get involved in Radio Ron.

“I’m really pleased with the first episode and I’m most proud of the amount of content included and the number of people we were able to interview. I’m really looking forward to everyone hearing it and making future episodes.”

Radio Ron is part of Ron Dearing UTC’s Horizons Cultural Capital programme which promotes culture and creativity and broadening students’ horizons beyond the classroom.

 

It is available to listen to via the West Hull FM and Ron Dearing UTC websites.

Chris Berry, Assistant Principal – Horizons Cultural Capital at Ron Dearing UTC, said: “I’m really proud of the work the students have done on this. With great support from Andy, they’ve owned it and it’s a brilliant creative outlet for our students.

“They’re learning additional skills to add to their CVs and gaining confidence along the way. We’re looking forward to Radio Ron becoming a regular feature at Ron Dearing UTC.”

The next episode of Radio Ron will again be created by current students and aimed at the school’s new Year 10 and Year 12 cohort joining Ron Dearing UTC in September.

It will offer advice to new students about making the most of their time at the UTC, how to settle in quickly, equipment needed and more.

Listen to the first episode of the Radio Ron podcast here from 00:01:49: https://www.mixcloud.com/ATP_Productions/radio-ron-podcast/