SCHOOL dinner ladies in York are signing up to first aid training after the death of a six-year-old girl.

Lunchtime supervisors and teachers from schools across the city will be attending classes next month.

It follows six-year-old Shannon Louise Hennessey's tragic death by choking as she ate her dinner at a school in Castleford, West Yorkshire, last week.

The first classes will be held on December 14 and 15 at Headlands Community Primary School, in Haxby, York.

On the evening of December 14 there will also be an event for teachers, which will be held at Oaklands School, from 4pm to 8pm.

Headlands head teacher, Mike Schofield, said: "We have two members of staff, two midday supervisors and myself already trained up in first aid and it's something which we as a school take very seriously.

"We will have lunchtime supervisors from our school attending the course as they look after pupils in the dining hall and while they are out on the playground where accidents can happen.

"We have never had an accident like the one in Castleford in our dining hall, but you can't throw caution to the wind on something like this."

The courses are being run by York and Market Weighton-based firm, Essential First Aid Training (EFAT), and there are 20 spaces available on each.

They will include training in how to manage a first aid incident and how to recognise and treat choking, cuts and bruises and a range of childhood illnesses such as asthma, diabetes and epileptic seizures.

Training director Clare Adrian said: "As parents, this terrible accident brought home the need for EFAT to try and offer to help all schools in making sure that they all have up-to-date first aid training throughout their schools.

"Children spend so much time in school that if an incident occurs, I would like to think staff know how to deal with it."

Ian Parnaby, the community sports officer at Oaklands School, said: "What we are really trying to do is enable more teachers to be qualified in first aid and raise awareness in the light of the recent tragic incident in which a girl died."

Anyone wanting to sign up can phone EFAT on 0845 257 7099.

A City of York Council spokeswoman, said: "In line with DfES guidance, head teachers carry out risk assessments of their school environment and activities.

"The number of first aiders is based on the outcome of the risk assessments and can vary depending on the activities e.g. sport sessions or science lessons."