Is my child too ill for school?

The NHS Website is a useful website to refer too when deciding if your child is too ill or not to attend school.

https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/is-my-child-too-ill-for-school/

Supporting Children with Medical Needs

As part of our Health & Safety responsibilities it is important for us to work together with parents and carers to ensure we are fully aware of any conditions (both short and long term) your child may have

Important documents to refer to are:

Administration of Medication and Medical Needs Policy 2026-2031

Anaphylaxis and Allergy Policy 2026-2027

Supporting Pupils with Medical Conditions

Medication in School

As per our policy, should your child require medication during the school day the medication, must be prescribed, have a label on it detailing the child’s name and dosage level, and be required to be taken four times a day, one of those being during school time.

If your child has prescribed medication to be administered three times a day, we would expect those doses to be given before school, after school and at bedtime.  If you feel that your child requires medication that is not prescribed, you can arrange to attend school at lunchtime to administer the medication yourself. One example of such an instance would be if your child suffers with severe hay fever which could impact their learning.

All medications must be handed to either a member of the office team before the start of the school day. Medications must not be brought into school with the child, and please do not hand them in at the classroom door.

Individual Health Care Plans

At The Drive Primary School, we use an Individual Health Care Plan (IHCP) to record important details about individual children’s long-term medical needs at school, their triggers, signs, symptoms, medication and other treatments. Further documentation can be attached to the IHCP as required.

A Healthcare Plan, accompanied by an explanation of why and how it is used, is sent to all parents of children with a long-term medical condition. This is sent at the start of the school year, at enrolment or when a diagnosis is first communicated to the school.

Parents, healthcare professionals and, in some cases children, with long-term medical condition are asked to complete the IHCP together and once completed return to school.

If required, an appropriate member of our school team will support the family in completing the IHCP for children with complex healthcare or educational needs. 

Asthma

If your child has a diagnosis of asthma we require to see their Asthma Plan.  We will require your child to have their inhaler with them at school and on any school trips they attend.