PLANS are taking shape for a primary school to buy a defibrillator after a teacher collapsed during a lesson.

St Andrew's Primary School in Halstead launched a fundraising effort to buy the life saving piece of equipment after Year One teacher, Georgina Eade, collapsed in class.

It was only the staff's ability to give her CPR that kept her alive until the ambulance service arrived and she was flown to hospital in March.

An attempt to borrow a defibrillator from the nearby Halstead Leisure Centre, operated by Fusion on behalf of Braintree Council, was turned down with the centre citing health and safety legislation.

However, the Health and Safety Executive said that there were no reason for the leisure centre not to lend the school its defibrillator.

Headteacher Bridgette Gough said: "We are organising a meeting with SASHA and other interested parties within the community with all information offers and received to discuss which options will have the most far reaching impact on the community.

"We have been amazed at the kind offers of help and thank everyone for their generosity."

St Andrew's School Helpers Association has already raised £572 to buy a defibrillator.

The group organised a cake sale and has also been taking in donations from people.

Chairman Michele Skeet said: "That is a really good total.

"We have had a lot of support from outside the school and the school itself is going to make this happen.

"We are very pleased by how much we have raised in a couple of weeks.

"It has really shown how the community has come together."

The cake sale took place on March 24.

The school has been inundated with promises of donations towards the cost of buying a defibrillator and staff training, which is about £2,000.

Miss Eade's father, John Eade, said that she was still being treated in Barnet General Hospital.

She had been due home at Easter, but has had to remain in hospital.

He said: "She is definitely on the road to recovery.

"She will hopefully be allowed home in the next few days.

"They are still carrying out tests to find out what caused her to collapse."