Health & Wellbeing
Is my child too ill for school?
Please do not send a child who is unwell to school, as germs spread very fast. If a child becomes unwell during the day we shall contact the parent as soon as possible.
When your child is unwell, it can be hard deciding whether to keep them off school.
These simple guidelines should help (info source NHS Choices):
Use common sense when deciding whether or not your child is too ill to attend school. Ask yourself the following questions:
- Is my child well enough to do the activities of the school day? If not, keep your child at home.
- Does my child have a condition that could be passed on to other children or school staff? If so, keep your child at home.
- Would I take a day off work if I had this condition? If so, keep your child at home.
Common Conditions - info source below from NHS Choices:
If your child is ill, it's likely to be due to one of a few minor health conditions.
Whether you send your child to school will depend on how severe you think the illness is. Use this guidance to help you make that judgement.
Remember: if you're concerned about your child’s health, consult a health professional.
Vomiting and diarrhoea
Children with diarrhoea or vomiting should stay away from school until they have not been sick or had diarrhoea for at least 2 days (48 hours).
Coughs and colds
It's fine to send your child to school with a minor cough or common cold. But if they have a fever, keep them off school until the fever goes. Encourage your child to throw away any used tissues and to wash their hands regularly.
High temperature
If your child has a high temperature, keep them off school until it goes away.
Chickenpox
If your child has chickenpox, keep them off school until all the spots have crusted over. This is usually about 5 days after the spots first appeared.
Cold sores
There's no need to keep your child off school if they have a cold sore. Encourage them not to touch the blister or kiss anyone while they have the cold sore, or to share things like cups and towels.
Do tell the teacher.
Conjunctivitis
You don't need to keep your child away from school if they have conjunctivitis. Do get treatment from your pharmacist. Encourage your child not to rub their eyes and to wash their hands regularly.
Do tell the teacher.
COVID-19
If your child has mild symptoms, such as a runny nose, sore throat, or slight cough, and feels well enough, they can go to school.
Your child should try to stay at home and avoid contact with other people if they have symptoms of COVID-19 and they either:
- have a high temperature
- do not feel well enough to go to school or do their normal activities
Ear infection
If your child has an ear infection and a high temperature or severe earache, keep them off school until they're feeling better or their high temperature goes away.
Hand, foot and mouth disease
If your child has hand, foot and mouth disease but seems well enough to go to school, there's no need to keep them off. Encourage your child to throw away any used tissues straight away and to wash their hands regularly.
Do tell the teacher.
Headlice
In an effort to keep the incidents of head lice down, it is the school’s policy that if live head lice are seen on a child’s head we ask that the child be removed immediately. Children can be returned to school as soon as they have received treatment.
NHS Choices Headlice Treatment information
School Nursing ChatHealth service & Website
Impetigo
If your child has impetigo, they'll need treatment from a GP, often with antibiotics.
Keep them off school until all the sores have crusted over and healed, or for 48 hours after they start antibiotic treatment.
Encourage your child to wash their hands regularly and not to share things like towels and cups with other children at school.
Ringworm
If your child has ringworm, see your pharmacist unless it's on their scalp, in which case you should see a GP. It's fine for your child to go to school once they have started treatment.
Do tell the teacher.
Scarlet fever
If your child has scarlet fever, they'll need treatment with antibiotics from a GP. Otherwise they'll be infectious for 2 to 3 weeks.
Your child can go back to school 24 hours after starting antibiotics.
Slapped cheek syndrome (fifth disease)
You don't need to keep your child off school if they have slapped cheek syndrome because, once the rash appears, they're no longer infectious.
But let the school or teacher know if you think your child has slapped cheek syndrome.
Sore throat
You can still send your child to school if they have a sore throat. But if they also have a high temperature, they should stay at home until it goes away.
A sore throat and a high temperature can be symptoms of tonsillitis.
Threadworms
You don't need to keep your child off school if they have threadworms.
Speak to your pharmacist, who can recommend a treatment.
Do tell the teacher.
Medication in School
The school policy for Medical Needs can be obtained from the office. It explains that if a child needs medication during the school day that it is administered by a parent/guardian personally.
Where children need regular medicine, such as for Asthma, or emergency medication for allergies, the school will need to know this information. In Foundation & KS1 Asthma medication is kept by the class teacher and in KS2 they can be kept by the child or the teacher. Individual Health Care Plans are put in place for children with complex needs.
Allergy Emergency Medicine in School Form
Emergency Contacts
In case of illness or accident parents/carers are asked to supply home, mobile and emergency contact numbers.
It is also necessary to know which doctor your child is registered with. In certain cases of accidental injury an immediate approach to the doctor may be made, though parent/guardians will be contacted as soon as possible.
No Vaping on the school site
Please can we inform parents that the school has a no smoking and no vaping policy on the school site – this includes the playgrounds, staff car park and school field.
Other Health & Wellbeing Links
For ways to contact the School Nursing Service please see this video link
Please see our Mental Health Support page for support links for children, parents & families.
Government advice on Coronavirus
Please keep yourself updated with the latest Government advice on Coronavirus about staying at home.