EYFS paediatric first aid requirements for nurseries
If you run a nursery or pre-school in England, paediatric first aid (PFA) is not optional. It is a hard requirement of the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) statutory framework, and one of the first things an Ofsted inspector will check. This guide sets out exactly what your setting must have in place: who must be trained, how long the course must be, how often certificates renew, and who has to be present when children are on the premises or on a trip.
Paediatric first aid is mandatory, not "nice to have"
The EYFS framework requires early years providers to have at least one person with a current, full paediatric first aid (PFA) certificate on the premises and available at all times when children are present. That person, or another PFA-qualified colleague, must accompany children on all outings. There is no exemption for small settings, quiet sessions or short trips.
Because the requirement is "at all times when children are present," you cannot rely on a single trained member of staff. Holidays, sickness, training days, lunch breaks and staggered shifts all have to be covered, so most settings need several trained people with enough overlap to absorb absences. The framework also expects you to consider the number of children, staff and the layout of your premises so a first aider can reach an emergency quickly.
The full PFA course: 12 hours and a set syllabus
The full paediatric first aid qualification is a minimum of 12 hours, normally delivered over two days. It covers the situations you are most likely to face with babies and young children, including:
- ✓an unresponsive infant or child, and paediatric CPR
- ✓choking, one of the most common early years emergencies
- ✓serious bleeding, shock, burns and head injuries
- ✓febrile seizures, allergic reactions and anaphylaxis
- ✓managing chronic conditions such as asthma and diabetes
The shorter Emergency Paediatric First Aid (EPFA) course is 6 hours (one day) and covers only the urgent life-saving basics. For lead practitioners and anyone you count in your ratios, assume the full 12-hour course is what you need.
Certificates last three years
A PFA certificate is valid for three years from the course date, then must be renewed by completing the full course again. Letting a certificate lapse, even by a few days, can leave you without the qualified cover the framework demands. Keeping on top of expiry dates across a whole team is where many settings slip up, particularly as staff join and leave. This is exactly what AidReady tracks for you, so you get notice well before a certificate expires rather than discovering a gap on the morning of an inspection.
First aid and your staff ratios
This is the area that catches managers out. To be counted in your ratios at level 2 or level 3, staff who gained their qualification on or after 30 June 2016 must hold a full or emergency PFA certificate. They have three months from their start date to obtain it, and until they do, they cannot be included in ratios. The same applies to students on long-term placements, apprentices aged 16 or over and volunteers aged 17 or over. The practical takeaway: paediatric first aid belongs in your recruitment and induction planning, so book training as soon as someone starts.
Choosing a compliant provider
You will still see courses advertised as "HSE approved," but the HSE stopped approving first aid providers and courses in October 2013. No provider today is genuinely "HSE approved," and the phrase should be treated as a red flag. What you actually want is training from verified, insured, awarding-body-checked trainers, following a recognised paediatric syllabus, with certificates that satisfy the EYFS 12-hour requirement. AidReady books exactly that onsite for nurseries, with an instant flat price and an audit-ready evidence pack you can hand straight to Ofsted.
In short
Your nursery must always have someone with a current 12-hour paediatric first aid certificate on site and on outings, renew every certificate every three years, and treat PFA as part of recruitment so trained staff can count in your ratios.
Frequently asked questions
- How many first-aid-trained staff does a nursery need?
- There is no fixed number. The framework requires a PFA-qualified person on the premises whenever children are present and on every outing, so you need enough trained staff to cover all shifts, breaks and absences without ever leaving a gap. Most settings find this means several people, not one.
- Is the 6-hour Emergency Paediatric First Aid course enough on its own?
- For lead practitioners and anyone you count in ratios, assume the full 12-hour PFA course is required. EPFA covers only urgent life-saving basics and is best used to boost overall cover, not as your main qualification.
- How long is a paediatric first aid certificate valid?
- Three years from the date of training. To stay compliant you must complete the full course again before it expires, as there is no shorter renewal that keeps the qualification current for EYFS purposes.
- Can a brand-new member of staff count towards our ratios immediately?
- Not if they qualified on or after 30 June 2016 and do not yet hold a PFA certificate. They have three months from their start date to obtain full or emergency PFA, and until then cannot be included in your level 2 or level 3 ratios.
This guide is general information, not legal advice, and does not replace your own first-aid needs assessment or the current statutory framework. AidReady is not HSE-approved (no provider is since 2013); we book verified, insured, awarding-body-checked trainers.
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