Medical Information

Medical Information for Thomas A Becket Infant School: We aim to support children’s health and wellbeing by working closely with parents and carers. If your child has a medical condition, allergies, or requires medication during the school day, please inform the school as soon as possible and provide up-to-date medical details. Where medication is required, it must be supplied in the original packaging with clear instructions, and the appropriate consent forms should be completed. Staff will follow agreed care plans and any relevant medical guidance to ensure your child is safe and comfortable. If your child becomes unwell at school, we will contact you without delay and, where necessary, seek urgent medical advice in line with our safeguarding procedures. Please keep emergency contact details accurate and let us know promptly about any changes to your child’s health.

Sickness/Diarrhoea

Please do not send your child to school if they have vomited and/or has diarrhoea. They must not come back to school until 48 hours after the last bout of vomiting/diarrhoea.

Sickness/Accidents in School

Staff in possession of a valid First Aid Certificate will treat injuries or accidents. All injuries and medicines are recorded in medical logs.

Head Injuries in School

If a child bumps their head whilst at school, the school are required to notify parents/carers. The shcool will contact you by phone to ensure you are fully informed and that the appropriate action is taken. Your child will be issued with a head bump sticker to ensure all staff members in school are aware of the bump. Extra vigilance will be taken throughout the day to watch for any symptoms. Please be assured that if your child experiences a more serious head injury, or if they display symptoms such as dizziness, nausea or discomfort after a minor head bangs swift action will be taken and contact by phone made immediately. For more advice, please visit the below link;

NHS Head Injury and Concussion

Prescription Medicines

Medicine should only be brought into school when it is essential to administer it during the school day. In the vast majority of cases, doses of medicine can be arranged around the school day thus avoiding the need for medicine in school. Antibiotics for example are usually taken three times a day, so can be given with breakfast, arriving home from school and then at bedtime. 

Occasionally, a GP may prescribe a medicine or antibiotics that has to be taken four times a day and during the school day. Parents may call into the school and administer the medicine to their child, or they may request that a member of the school staff administers the medicine. When school staff administer medicines, the parent or guardian must supply the medicine in the original pharmacist's container and box, clearly labelled including details of possible side effects to the school office and must complete a 'Parental agreement for school to administer medicine' form. On no account should a child come to school with any medicines in their bag for personal use if they are unwell. 

Link Parental agreement for school to administer medicine

Non-Prescription Medicines

Occasionally, liquid paracetamol will be administered to pupils in all year groups suffering with acute pain such as migraines, stomach pains, ear aches etc. The school will call before administering liquid paracetamol to ensure your consent and to clarify if the child has had already had a dosage at home before school. The school will administer the age appropriate dosage advised on the bottle of the liquid paracetamol. The school will also carry out the same process when administering Antihistamine.  If your child requires long term pain relief from an accident or ongoing illness, the school are able to provide pain relief for two days. After this it must be prescribed by a doctor and all relevant documentation completed. 

All other non-prescription medication will not be administered at school and pupils should not bring them to school for self-administration. The majority of medication lasts 4 to 6 hours, therefore non-prescription medication can be administered at home prior to the start of the school day and it will last the duration of the school day. A parent or guardian may attend school to administer additional doses if necessary. 

Storage and Access to Medication

All medicines apart from emergency medicines (inhlaers, epipens, etc.) are kept in a locked store cupboard. Medicines are always stored in the original pharmacist's container. 

Risk Assessments

If your child has an injury and they are unable to weight bare, require crutches, a sling, additional support then they must be seen by a medical practitioner at a hospital. On their return they will need to report to the Main Office at 9am to complete and individual risk assessment with a member of the welfare team. The risk assessment will be to review additional requirements or adaptations to the school day that are required. This risk assessment will then be reviewed periodically if required. 

Headlice

The school asks parents/carers to regularly check your child's hair for head lice. We recommend that children with long hair should wear it tied up as it reduces the spread of head lice.