Running a nursery is as rewarding as it is demanding. Between juggling staffing, safeguarding, parent communication and ever-evolving regulations, there’s little room for error, especially when it comes to child safety.
First aid training is a legal requirement for nurseries in the UK. With the EYFS framework tightening its guidelines once again in 2025, it’s more important than ever to ensure your team is trained, confident, and compliant.
That’s why nurseries need safety training that can tick all the boxes. So, if you’ve been looking for first aid training that meets UK standards, you might have come across Blithfield Safety Training.
Are they the right fit for you? We take a closer look at their offer, pros and cons, and whether they live up to the promise. Here’s the honest review of Blithfield Safety Training.
Who Are Blithfield Safety Training?
Blithfield Safety Training is a Staffordshire-based provider offering workplace safety courses across England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland. They have a strong focus on first aid and health and safety training.
Founded in 2003, Blithfield Safety Training has spent over two decades delivering hands-on, accredited training to businesses of all sizes and across many sectors of activity. They have been training nurseries, but you can also find them training schools, hospitality venues, construction companies, etc. So, when you are talking safety training, they have a broad offering that meets the different UK sector standards.
They are generally renowned for their practical and people-focused approach. That’s because Blithfield delivers in-person or blended courses that are designed to fit around real working schedules. You won’t find online modules among their training services.
They cover a broad range of safety topics. But it’s worth noting that paediatric first aid training has been one of their core service since the start, with a focus on compliance with EYFS and Ofsted standards.
Why Paediatric First Aid Training Is Non-Negotiable
First aid training is already an established legal requirement in nursery setups. However, from September 2025, the Early Years Foundation Stage statutory framework (EYFS for short) is strengthening its regulations.
Nurseries will now need a paediatric first aid-certified staff member present during mealtimes. For clarification, students or trainees can now only count in staff-child ratios if they have completed certified training.
In other words, this means more staff will need compliant first aid qualifications. Besides, you need to keep qualifications up to date if you want to carry on meeting your daily ratio requirements.
With little room for flexibility, having a trusted training partner on hand is essential for nurseries starting September 2025.
What’s The Nursery Offering From Blithfield Safety Training?
Blithfield Safety delivers a blended paediatric first aid course tailored to early years settings. The course awards a full 12‑hour paediatric first aid certificate, meeting Ofsted and EYFS compliance, but it’s delivered as 6 hours of in-person practical training, alongside an online learning portion of 3–6 hours.
What this means for nurseries is convenience without compromise.
Staff complete the theory at their own pace online, then spend just a single day (or split session) with a trainer. Blithfield brings this right to your nursery, on days and at times that fit your team, including weekend or twilight timings.
They cap group sessions at about 12 people, making it cost-effective and suitably sized for most nursery teams. Trainers guide participants through real-world scenarios, like choking or CPR, ensuring confident, hands-on learning, not just ticking a compliance box.
The Pros of Blithfield Safety Training
Blithfield’s biggest strength is how easy they make things for nursery teams. Their training is flexible, straightforward, and built around how early years settings actually work.
First of all, their training is designed to help you stay compliant with the EYFS regulations.
Courses can be delivered in one of Blithfield’s training locations, on a date that suits you, with the option of choosing weekends. So, you don’t have to choose between running the nursery and training your staff.
Besides, the paediatric first aid course combines both online and offline. Your staff only needs to spend one day on the in-person session. The rest is completed online in their own time, meaning less disruption to your nursery.
The content is designed with nursery teams in mind. It focuses on the real situations, like choking, allergic reactions or bumps in the playground. So, your staff is better prepared to react.
Trainers are experienced, friendly and know how to put people at ease. This makes a big difference for staff who might feel nervous about dealing with emergencies.
The Cons
Blithfield is a small, independent provider. That’s a strength in many ways, but it might not suit larger nursery groups that need to roll out training across multiple sites at once. Their setup is best for individual nurseries, small teams or childminders who want a more personal, flexible approach.
They also don’t offer a full learning management system. Staff can complete the online portion of the training with ease, but there’s no central dashboard to track who’s completed what or when certificates expire.
If you’re managing training at scale, this might be a consideration. For most smaller settings, though, it’s unlikely to be a problem.
Other Things To Consider
Blithfield has been running training courses for over 20 years, and that experience shows. Their website includes a long list of testimonials from nurseries and childminders who’ve used their services more than once and keep coming back.
Because they’re a smaller provider, communication tends to be quick and personal. You’re not dealing with a call centre or a generic booking system. If you have questions about tailoring a session or scheduling something unusual, there’s a good chance they’ll be able to work with you.
While their focus is on paediatric first aid, they also offer food safety and general health and safety training, which can be helpful if you want to keep all your staff development under one roof.
The Verdict: Is Blithfield Right for Your Nursery?
If you’re looking for first aid training that meets UK requirements and works around your team’s schedule, Blithfield is a solid choice. They know how nurseries operate and offer a service that’s both flexible and relevant.
Their blended format makes it easier to keep your staff compliant without pulling them away for full days, and their trainers know how to deliver sessions that are clear, calm, and hands-on.
Blithfield won’t be the right fit for larger organisations that need to manage training across multiple sites. But for smaller nurseries, childminders or preschool teams, they offer a reliable, straightforward service.
With the EYFS updates landing in September, having a training partner you can count on matters more than ever. If you need something that’s practical, professional, and built for early years, Blithfield is definitely to go-to training provider.
