Medicine/Illness Guidance

Administering Medicine at School

If you child requires any medication during the school day, please speak to one of the admin team in the school office. 

All medication need to be signed in at the school office and a parental agreement form will need to be completed. All prescribed medicines must be in the original packaging with a prescription label stating the child's name and dosage. The parental agreement form must be completed before we are able to administer medicine in school.

The school office will administer antibiotics which are required to be taken 4 times a day, however on the instruction of the school nurse, if your child only requires 3 doses a day this medication should be given at home.

Please do not send your child into school with medication, including cough sweets, in their school bags. All medication with the exception of asthma inhalers must be kept by the school office.

Illness

If you child is unwell and you decide to keep them at home, please phone the school by 9am on each day of absence to inform us your child is unwell. Please leave a message on the absence line stating their name, class and the reason they won’t be in.  If your child is well enough to be in school but has a condition such as head lice or a cold sore which could be passed onto others in the class, please inform their class teacher.

Please see below for guidance on common childhood illnesses and absence requirements.  

Bumped Head

In the event of a bumped head, parents/carers will be contacted by telephone if there is a concern or a note will be sent home in your child's book bag if there are no concerns.

Sickness & Diarrhoea

If you child has been sick and/or has diarrhoea, the advice is that your child MUST remain at home for 48 hours AFTER the last episode before returning to school. If you have any questions about when your child can return to school, please contact the school office.

Head Lice (Nits)

These are small insects, usually greyish brown in colour which live in the hair and can be difficult to see. They cannot jump, fly or swim but spread by crawling from head to head. 

Please check your child’s hair thoroughly on a regular basis and treat as necessary. If your child has a head lice infection you are advised to treat them and the whole family with an “over the counter” head lice treatment. 

If your child is in school and we notice a severe infestation of head lice, you will be contacted, asked to come and collect them and treat the head lice before they return to school. 

Threadworm

Threadworm are small, white, thread-like creatures that may cause itching or discomfort around the anal region particularly at night. Treatment is required from your GP and the whole family may need to treated. Although threadworms are unlikely to spread from child to child in school, encouraging good personal hygiene is the best prevention. 

Tonsillitis

Tonsillitis is a common ailment in children usually treated with pain medication such as paracetamol and ibuprofen. Your child can come back to school when their temperature returns to normal and they are feeling well.

Impetigo

Impetigo is caused by a bacterial infection of broken skin, usually on the face around the mouth. Your child must remain at home until all the lesions have “crusted over” and are fully healed.

Scarlet Fever

Scarlet fever has several early symptoms including a sore throat, headache, fever, nausea and sickness. A red, pinhead rash then develops, typically first appearing on the chest and stomach, before rapidly spreading to other parts of the body.

A visit to the GP is usually necessary for them to prescribe a course of antibiotics and we advise children stay at home for the first 24 hours after treatment commences. 

Guidance of recommended absence from school with other illnesses

• Athletes Foot: No absence required.
• Chickenpox and shingles: Chickenpox is contagious until all of the blisters have scabbed over (usually around 5 – 6 days after the rash appeared. Please keep your child at home until all of the blisters have scabbed over.
• German measles: Children should be kept away from school for five days after the onset of the rash.
• Hand, Foot & Mouth: Seek medical advice and keep child off school until they feel better.
• Measles: Children should remain at home until five days after the start of the rash, and if they feel well enough after the 5 days can then return to school.
• Slapped Cheek: No absence required.
• Flu: When the child feels better.
• Whooping Cough: Children should remain at home and be treated with antibiotics. If you child feels well enough they can return to school five days after antibiotics have begun.
• Conjunctivitis: Children can come into school once they have been treated.
• Mumps: Children should remain at home for five days from the onset of swollen glands but may then return as soon as they feel well enough.