What are Medical Needs?

All children will experience illness in the course of their school life, most commonly common colds, ear/throat infections, coughs, viruses etc, but some will have more chronic or longer-term medical needs that will require additional support at school to ensure they have full access to the curriculum and to minimise the impact of their medical conditions.

 Short-term illness

Children who are suffering from short-term ailments and who are clearly unwell should not be in school and head-teachers are within their rights to ask parents/carers to keep them at home. There are recommended times away from school to limit the spread of infectious disease.

Children who have had sickness and/or diarrhoea should be kept off school until 48 hours symptom-free.

 Long-term/chronic illness

Pupils with long-term and complex medical conditions may require on-going support, medicines or care while at school to help them manage their condition and keep them well. Others may require monitoring and interventions in emergency circumstances.

Key points 

• Pupils at school with medical conditions should be properly supported so that they have full access to education, including school trips and physical education. 
• Governing bodies must ensure that arrangements are in place in schools to support pupils at school with medical conditions. 
• Governing bodies should ensure that school leaders consult health and social care professionals, pupils and parents to ensure that the needs of children with medical conditions are effectively supported.

Concerns for parents

Parents of children with medical conditions are often concerned that their child’s health will deteriorate when they attend school. This is because pupils with long-term and complex medical conditions may require on-going support, medicines or care while at school to help them manage their condition and keep them well. Other children may require additional supervision, monitoring and interventions in emergency circumstances. It is also the case that children’s health needs may change over time, in ways that cannot always be predicted, sometimes resulting in extended absences.

‘The aim is to ensure that all children with medical conditions, in terms of both physical and mental health, are properly supported in school so that they can play a full and active role in school life, remain healthy and achieve their academic potential.’

(Supporting pupils at school with medical conditions, Sept 2014)

It is therefore important that parents feel confident that here at Bishop Martin we will provide effective support foryour child’s medical condition and that our pupils feel safe. In making decisions about the support we provide, we work closely with relevant local health services to help us to meet the needs of the individual. We listen to and value the views and advice of the health professionals, parents and pupils. 

Parents should provide the school with sufficient and up-to-date information about their child’s medical needs. They may in some cases be the first to notify the school that their child has a medical condition. Parents are key partners and should be involved in the development and review of their child’s individual healthcare plan (as appropriate), and may be involved in its drafting. They should carry out any action they have agreed to as part of its implementation, eg provide medicines and equipment and ensure they or another nominated adult are contactable at all times.

 

Medical Needs Policy 2020-21