Under the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) framework, every nursery and childminding setting must have at least one person with a current paediatric first aid certificate on the premises at all times when children are present.* If you're bringing new staff on board for September, August is the last practical month to get them trained. This post covers who needs the qualification, what the regulations require, and how Cumbria settings can book before term begins.
The EYFS statutory framework sets a clear expectation: at least one person who holds a full paediatric first aid (PFA) certificate must be on site whenever children are in your care.* For childminders working alone, that means you personally need the certificate. For nurseries, you need enough qualified staff to maintain coverage across shifts, rooms, and holidays.
The qualification must be a full 12-hour course, delivered over a minimum of two days. Emergency paediatric first aid (a shorter six-hour course) can supplement your team, but it does not replace the full PFA requirement for your designated first aider.*
The Health and Safety (First-Aid) Regulations 1981 place a duty on employers to provide adequate first aid provision based on the nature of their workforce and the risks involved.^ In an early years setting, those risks include choking, allergic reactions, febrile seizures, and head injuries. The paediatric first aid course is built around the kinds of incidents that happen with babies and young children, not just adults in a workplace.
September is the busiest intake month for nurseries in Penrith, Carlisle, Kendal, and across the county. New children arrive, new staff start, and ratios change overnight. If a new team member isn't PFA-certified before their first day, you may find yourself unable to meet the EYFS staffing requirement.
Training providers run fewer courses in September because demand for venues spikes and trainers are stretched. August still has availability. It also gives you a buffer. If a staff member is ill on the course date or a session needs to be rescheduled, you still have a week or two before term starts.
There's a practical side to this too. New staff who complete their PFA training before they start working with children arrive on day one feeling more confident. They've already practised infant CPR, used a training defibrillator, and worked through choking scenarios. That confidence matters when you're responsible for a room full of toddlers.
If your designated PFA holder leaves, goes on maternity leave, or retires over summer, you must have a replacement trained before children return. The EYFS framework does not allow a gap in coverage.* Check your team's certificate expiry dates now.
The full 12-hour PFA course is required for at least one person on site at all times. In practice, most Cumbria nurseries train more than the minimum so they can maintain coverage when staff are absent. These are the people who should hold the certificate:
The Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 places a general duty on employers to protect the health and safety of employees and anyone else affected by their work, which in a nursery includes every child in attendance.† Paediatric first aid training is one of the most direct ways to meet that duty.
The requirement sounds simple: keep a qualified person on site. But settings regularly get caught out in three ways.
Relying on a single certificate holder. If your only PFA-qualified staff member calls in sick, goes on annual leave, or leaves for another job, you have no coverage. Ofsted inspectors look at this. Training two or three team members spreads the risk.
Forgetting expiry dates. PFA certificates last three years.^ Many settings train staff when they join and then lose track. Set a calendar reminder for six months before each certificate expires so you have time to book a refresher.
Assuming emergency PFA is enough. The six-hour emergency paediatric first aid course is a useful addition, but the EYFS framework is clear that your designated first aider needs the full 12-hour qualification.* The shorter course alone does not satisfy the requirement.
CFST runs paediatric first aid courses from our Penrith training centre, and we can also deliver on-site at your nursery or school anywhere in Cumbria. The full course runs over two days and covers infant and child CPR, choking, burns, seizures, meningitis awareness, and anaphylaxis management. All delegates receive a CPD-accredited certificate valid for three years.
To see available dates and book your team's places, visit our upcoming courses page. If you need a course at your own premises for four or more staff, get in touch and we'll arrange a date that works around your summer schedule.
August fills quickly. Nurseries and childminders across Kendal, Barrow-in-Furness, and Whitehaven book early to avoid a scramble in the last week before term. If you're reading this and haven't checked your team's PFA status yet, now is the time.
A full paediatric first aid certificate is valid for three years from the date of issue. After that, you need to complete the full two-day course again to renew it. There is no top-up or refresher shortcut for the full PFA qualification.
No. The EYFS framework requires a full 12-hour course that includes practical, hands-on elements such as infant CPR and choking response. An online-only course does not meet this requirement. The course must be delivered face-to-face by a qualified trainer.
Childminders must hold the full 12-hour paediatric first aid certificate if they are the sole carer on the premises. The six-hour emergency paediatric first aid course is only acceptable for assistants or additional staff, not for the registered childminder themselves.
CPD accredited fire safety and first aid training delivered online or at your premises anywhere in Cumbria.
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