MEDICAL INFORMATION AND GUIDANCE
Medical Matters
Collection of Children for Clinic/Doctor Visits
It would be helpful if you could let the school know in advance if you will be collecting your child for any appointment during school hours. Please bring the appointment letter to the school office if you have one. When you do collect your child please come to the school office. You will be asked to sign your child out of school and on your return sign to say that they are back in school.
Medicines
We do not generally give medicines to children in school and you are always welcome to come in with medication to give your child the necessary dosage. In cerrtain exceptional circumstances we will agree to give medication depending on those cirumstances and need.
Any child needing precribed medication will be given it , however you should make an appointment to collect the "medical care plan- 3A " form and to discuss details of dosage and timings with the school office.
If your child needs an epipen in school please provide two, one for the classroom and one for the office. (In these circumstances there would be a health care plan arranged between the school and a healthcare professional attached to the school to ensure the correct care is given) If children with need of an epipen go off site both epipens go with the first aider/ desigated adult off site.
Inhalers are kept in the classroom and children can have use of these whenever they need them. Please make sure that all inhalers are clearly named and labeled with any specific instructions. You should also fill out an asthma card for our records (available from the office). Please also supply the office with a spare inhaler in case the classroom one runs out.
If your child has any specific medical needs we will always endeavor to help in any way we can.
Please ensure any medication that you want us to keep in school , for example epi-pens and inhalers, is in date.
Sickness and upset tummies
From time to time children are sick (vomit) either at home or at school. Unfortunately it is not possible to distinguish between the causes, and therefore it is essential that the same rule of exclusion applies in all cases of vomiting or Diarrhoea.
In the Health Protection Agency document, “Guidelines for the Control of Infection and Communicable Disease in School and Early Years Settings”, the guidance is:
Diarrhoea and Vomiting exclusion
Diarrhoea and/or vomiting commonly affects children and staff and can be caused by a number of different germs, including viruses, parasites and bacteria. Infections can be easily spread from person to person (by unwashed hands), especially in children. In general, it is recommended that any staff member or child with diarrhoea and/or vomiting symptoms must stay away or be excluded from the school or early years setting until they have been free of symptoms for 48 hours (the ‘48 hour rule’) and feel well. Personal hygiene whilst ill must be very strict.
If your child is sick at school, we will ask you or your emergency contact to take your child home. They should not return for 48 hours. We appreciate that this is inconvenient in many cases, and you may not believe your child is ill, but you will appreciate that we do this in all cases and it should reduce the risk of infection for all children in school.
As an example, if your child is sick at lunchtime on a Tuesday, they should not return to school until after lunch on Thursday, provided there have not been any further episodes of vomiting.
Thank you for your understanding with this. Further guidance on infection control may be found on the Public Health England Website.
If your child suffers from what we might describe as anxiety or a worry tummy out of school please let us know then we can make better, more accurate decisions if your child says they feel ill or sick.
If your child is sent home because they feel unwell but they are not sick then of course they may return to school as normal on the following day.
Useful guidance related to infection control and absence due to various infections.
Bumped head and injuries in school.
When your child is in school they may have the odd bump or tumble. A first aider will intially look at this and make an immediate assessment. Where it is necessary to give first aid treatement the child will be given a coloured wrist band to alert you to the level of injury. Where there is a head injury you will be informed if it warrants a " red band". In this case you will also be contacted. With any head injury however minor we follow the Child paediatric procedures set out by the NHS. If a parent does not wish us to follow these guidelines such as the use of an ice pack, they will need to come and collect their child from school and arrange their own medical treatment.
(Please see head injury document below )
Other issues
If you have any concerns about your child's wellbeing then please do discuss it with us straight away. If Your child is suffering from worries or fears let us know about them so we can support you and your child in school. If there are any changes that might affect your child, let your child's teacher or Learning Support Assistant as soon as possible.