Allergies/Medicines
Allergies, Medical Conditions & Medicines
At Thorngumbald Primary School, we want every child to feel safe, known and cared for.
We know that children have different medical needs, and we work closely with families and healthcare professionals to make sure children can participate fully in school life wherever possible.
If your child has a medical condition, allergy, asthma, diabetes, epilepsy or another health need, please tell us. Even if we have previously been told about a condition, please let us know if anything changes.
The information you give us helps us to understand your child, put the right arrangements in place and make reasonable adjustments where needed. Where appropriate, we will work with you and relevant healthcare professionals to develop an Individual Healthcare Plan (IHP).
Please let us know if:
* Your child has a new or changing medical condition or allergy;
* Their medication or dosage changes;
* They are prescribed an inhaler, adrenaline auto-injector or other medication;
* They have been admitted to hospital or there has been a significant change in their health;
* You have concerns about how their medical needs are being supported.
Allergies & Anaphylaxis
We take allergies seriously. Some allergic reactions can be severe and develop very quickly, so knowing our children, communicating well and being prepared to respond are really important.
For children with diagnosed allergies, we will work with families to understand their individual needs and, where appropriate, put an Individual Healthcare Plan in place. Relevant staff receive allergy-awareness training, including recognising the signs of an allergic reaction and knowing what to do in an emergency.
We also hold spare adrenaline auto-injectors in school for emergency use, in line with national requirements.
If your child has been prescribed an adrenaline auto-injector, please make sure it is provided to school, clearly labelled, in date and replaced before it expires.
Food Allergies
Our school meals arrangements include procedures for managing food allergens, and allergen information is available for families.
We ask families not to send food containing peanuts or nuts into school to be eaten, particularly because we have children with severe allergies.
We cannot guarantee an allergen-free environment, but we take proportionate steps to reduce avoidable risk and follow individual healthcare plans and our allergy safety procedures.
Birthdays & Celebrations
We love celebrating children's special occasions. However, because of allergies and other dietary needs, we ask families not to send food into school as birthday treats unless this has been agreed with us in advance.
Where birthday treats are brought into school, they will normally be sent home rather than eaten in school.
This helps us to keep celebrations inclusive and safe for everyone.
Asthma & Inhalers
If your child has asthma or has been prescribed an inhaler, please let us know and provide an up-to-date inhaler for school.
Inhalers need to be in date, clearly labelled and readily accessible. If your child uses a spacer, please provide this too.
Where appropriate, children can be supported to carry and use their own inhaler in line with their age, needs and individual arrangements.
We also have emergency asthma inhalers in school for use where appropriate.
Medicines
If your child needs medication during the school day, please speak to the school office before bringing it into school.
The school will only administer prescription medication if this needs to be taken four times a day. Medicines that are prescribed three times a day can be spaced out and given outside of school hours (morning, immediately after school and bedtime).
We can only administer one dose during school hours.
Parents/carers must fill in a medication consent form which specifies the dosage and the time that this is required.
Medicines should normally be provided in their original packaging, clearly labelled and in date, with the necessary consent and instructions.
We will consider each child's needs individually and work with families to make safe arrangements where medication or treatment is needed during the school day.
Please do not send medication into school in your child's bag unless this has been specifically agreed with us.
Other Medical Conditions
Children with diabetes, epilepsy, severe migraines and other medical conditions may need additional support or adjustments.
Where appropriate, we will work with families and healthcare professionals to develop an Individual Healthcare Plan setting out what a child needs, including medication, emergency arrangements and support for activities and trips.
Our aim is always to enable children with medical conditions to take part fully in school life, including PE, educational visits, residentials and other activities, wherever it is safe and appropriate to do so.
Keeping Information Up to Date
Medical information can change, so please tell us promptly about:
- New diagnoses;
- Changes to medication or dosage;
- Changes to allergies or known triggers;
- New emergency plans;
- Hospital admissions or significant changes in your child's condition;
- Advice from healthcare professionals.
If you are unsure whether we need to know something, please tell us. It is always better for us to have the information and work out together what is needed.
If you have any questions about your child's medical needs, allergies, inhalers, adrenaline auto-injectors or medication, please contact the School Office.
Illness
We would expect parents/carers to inform the school by 9.00am by phone or in person, if their child is unwell and unable to attend school. We would also expect to be notified if a child has a medical appointment.
First Aid
All members of staff have current First Aid training which is updated every 3 years. All minor accidents are logged in the Accident Book.
A letter/email is sent to parents to inform them if their child has sustained a bump to the head or has had a nose bleed. In the case of an injury which causes concern, parents/carers are contacted immediately and offered the option to assess the injury personally or to allow staff to judge.
It is important that we have at least two contact numbers for each child in case of illness or accident.
Find Out More:
Our detailed arrangements are set out in our:
- Supporting Pupils with Medical Conditions and Administration of Medicines Policy
- Allergy Safety Policy
|
Allergy Safety Policy | [pdf 231KB] |
|
|
|
First Aid supporting Pupils with Medical Conditions and Administration of Medicines Policy | [pdf 307KB] |
|