Health and First Aid

The School Health Service provides care throughout the primary years, checking height, weight, sight and hearing. It is essential that you tell the school of any medical problem concerning your child before they start.

You will be asked to provide an emergency telephone number. If a child is too ill to stay in school, they must be sent home since this is the best place for them. To prevent the spread of infection, if children are particularly ill during the night or feel unwell, especially if they have a high temperature they should not be sent to school. Except in exceptional circumstances, parents should not request that children stay in at playtime. If they are too ill to play outside, they should be at home. If your child is sick (vomiting), please allow a clear 24 hours before they return to school, to avoid spreading any virus.  

A child with a more minor illness or in the final stages of recovery can be given prescribed medicines if:

• it would be detrimental to the pupil’s health or school attendance not to do so and 
• school has the parents’ written consent 

Please complete a medicine form (available at the school office) and hand it it, together with the medicine to office staff.  Please consider the disruption to your child's class when working out the timings of dosage.  An antibiotic that needs to be given three times a day can be given before school, immediately after school and before bed.  If you have given your child paracetamol liquid so that they feel well enough to come to school, please bear in mind that as the dose wears off, the child will begin to feel ill again and we will have to telephone you to collect the child.  A child who is this ill should not be in school.

Asthmatics using inhalers should always have them with them, including during playtime and sports lessons.  Younger children's inhalers should be handed to the class teacher so that they can be stored safely in the classroom where they are readily available to the child. Inhalers must be clearly labelled with the child's name and class and checked by parents every half term to ensure they are in date and fit for use.

The most important personal hygiene skill you can teach your child before they start school, is to wash their hands thoroughly after using the lavatory and before food.

When sneezing or coughing children should be taught to use a tissue, throw it away and if possible wash their hands. If a tissue is not available they should use the crook of their elbow.