Medical Information
Absence - it is extremely important that the school knows the whereabouts of your child. Where necessary we may need to contact the parents of a child who has failed to arrive at school. Please call the school office on 01273 454470 ring and inform the school office by 9am of any absence. The Education Welfare Officer has informed us that we cannot merely state that a child is unwell so if your child is poorly, please leave details on the answering machine of your child's name, class and reason for absence e.g. temperature, sickness. Alternatively, you can register with StudyBugs (https://studybugs.com/about/parents) and download their app which provides a quick and easy way to report your child's absence due to illness.
Sickness - please do not send your child to school if they are unwell. Although we wish to encourage good attendance, children who are ill must stay at home. Please note in particular that if a child has vomited and/or has diarrhoea they must not come back to school/nursery until 48 hours after the last bout of vomiting/diarrhoea. Please see the Guidance on infection control in schools and other childcare settings issued by Public Health England (link at the bottom of this page) and consult your doctor if you are in any doubt whether to send your child to school or not.
Sickness/Accidents in school - the school has members of staff available to administer first aid. In the event of an injury/illness which requires immediate attention, parents will be informed at once. If you cannot be contacted, the emergency contact numbers you have given the school will be used. If no contact can be made, appropriate action will be taken by the first aider or an appointed person as deemed necessary at the time. In an emergency the emergency service will be contacted. All accidents are recorded in the accident book. We will inform you if your child receives any form of first aid whilst they are in nursery or reception. We will send you a text to inform you if your child bangs his/her head or if we need to let you know about any other accident (you do not need to respond to this text). It is the parents/carers responsibility to share this information with anyone else who may be picking up their child eg childminder. For more serious incidents, we will call you. Please tell the school if your child has banged his/her head elsewhere.
Medicine in School - if your child needs to take any prescribed medicines, it should be delivered to the school office and a ‘Request for the school to administer medicines’ form must be completed. Medicines need to be supplied in a named tupperware box, in the container from the chemist labelled with the child’s name and clear instructions. Children are not allowed to keep medicines in their bags. Parents are responsible for ensuring that medicines are within the use by date. Any medicine that is administered in school is recorded.
Inhalers - for asthmatic children, inhalers are kept in the medical room. Children who need to take their inhaler should report to the office where the dosage taken will be recorded. The schools also has emergency inhalers and permission to give this to your child in an emergency will be requested if our child has asthma.
Epi-Pens - Epi-pens are kept in the school office. Parents/carers must provide the school with 2 epi-pens, piriton, a photograph of the pupil and full details of the allergy. This should be provided in a clear plastic box with a lid, marked with the pupil’s name and photo. The parent/carer also needs to complete a ‘Health Care Plan’ and ‘Request for the school to administer medicine’ form which is available from the school office.
Analgesics and Unprescribed Medicines - we cannot administer analgesics and other unprescribed medicines to children because of possible allergic reactions. The exception to this is that we will administer paracetamol and antihistamine subject to your written permission.
Other Medication - in certain conditions, such as epilepsy, mid-day dosage of medication may be essential for proper management. It is the parents’ responsibility to ensure that the medicine or tablets are clearly labelled with the child’s name, and that instructions (frequency, timing and amount to be given) are provided. A ‘Request for the school to administer medicines’ form must also be completed.
Health Care Plans for Children with Medical Needs - the school is required to use Health Care Plans to identify the level of support needed in school for pupils who have medical needs. It is the responsibility of the parents/carers to inform the Headteacher of their child’s medical needs if treatment or special care is needed at school. Following identification of a child with a medical need the Headteacher will refer to the school nurse for advice on the individual pupil’s care requirements. School nurses will be asked to support the school with the development of health care plans. School nurses may draw upon the expertise of other specialists to assist them in complex cases. If your child requires treatment or special care, please speak to Mr Lincoln.
Lip Salves - Children may bring in a named container of lip salve for their own use. This can be applied at breaktimes, not during class time, and may not be shared with other children. The lip salve will be stored in the child's bag or other appropriate location designated by the teacher. Other personal care products or toiletries should not be brought into school with the exception of sun cream . The school cannot take responsibility for lip salve which is lost or misplaced.
Sun Cream and hats – Be safe in the Sun - parents should apply sun cream to their child before school and children should also have a sun hat and if necessary clothing that offers protection from the sun e.g. long sleeves. Children may bring in a named bottle of sun cream (not aerosol or spray) for their own use. This can be applied at breaktimes and may not be shared with other children. The sunscreen will be stored in the child's bag or other location designated by the teacher. The school cannot take responsibility for any bottles of sun cream which are lost or misplaced. Staff will supervise and assist children in early years to apply sun cream to the face, neck, arms and lower legs only. Also, we recommend that your child brings a named bottle of water to school every day and this is even more important to remember in warmer temperatures.
Head lice – Prevent and treat - please regularly check your child’s hair for head lice. We recommend that long hair should be tied up as it reduces the spread of head lice. It is helpful to let the office know if you find head lice so that we can alert other parents. Staff do not actively check children’s hair for head lice but, when it comes to our attention, we inform parents. Further information about head lice is available on the NHS wesbite:
Threadworms - threadworms are the most common type of worm infection in the UK, and they are particularly common in young children under the age of 10. Threadworms are white and look like small pieces of thread. You may notice them around your child's bottom or in your child's stools. They don't always cause symptoms, but people often notice itchiness around their bottom which can be worse at night. If you think you or your child may have threadworms, you can usually treat the infection yourself with medication available at pharmacies without prescription.
We would like to direct parents to the NHS website: NHS advice about threadworms
Please click on the link below for guidance issued by Public Health England about illness/infections:
Guidance on infection control in schools and other childcare settings