Is my child too ill for school?

We understand that children from time to time can become ill and it is a tricky decision whether to send them into school. Please see below a guide to help you decide whether to send your child to school.

Coughs and colds

It’s fine to send your child to school with a minor cough or common cold. But if they have a fever, keep them off school until the fever goes.

Encourage your child to throw away any used tissues and to wash their hands regularly.

High temperature

If your child has a high temperature, (high temperature is 38C or more) keep them off school until it goes away.

Chickenpox

If your child has chickenpox, keep them off school until all the spots have crusted over. This is usually about 5 days after the spots first appeared.

Cold sores

There’s no need to keep your child off school if they have a cold sore.

Encourage them not to touch the blister or kiss anyone while they have the cold sore, or to share things like cups and towels.

Conjunctivitis

You don’t need to keep your child away from school if they have conjunctivitis.

Do get advice from your pharmacist. Encourage your child not to rub their eyes and to wash their hands regularly.

Coronavirus (COVID-19)

If your child tests positive for Coronavirus they must remain at home for the first three days, after this time they can return to school if you feel they are well enough to do so.

Ear infection

If your child has an ear infection and a high temperature or severe earache, keep them off school until they’re feeling better or their high temperature goes away.

Hand, foot and mouth disease

If your child has symptoms of hand, foot and mouth disease please take them to the GP to be checked.  After this, if they seem well enough to go to school, there is no need to keep them off.

Encourage your child to throw away any used tissues straight away and to wash their hands regularly.

Head lice and nits

There’s no need to keep your child off school if they have head lice.

You can treat head lice and nits without seeing a GP.

Impetigo

If your child has impetigo, they’ll need treatment from a GP, often with antibiotics.

Keep them off school until all the sores have crusted over and healed, or for 48 hours after they start antibiotic treatment.

Encourage your child to wash their hands regularly and not to share things like towels and cups with other children at school.

Ringworm

If your child has ringworm, see your pharmacist unless it’s on their scalp, in which case you should see a GP.

It’s fine for your child to go to school once they have started treatment.

Scarlet fever

If your child has scarlet fever, they’ll need treatment with antibiotics from a GP. Otherwise they’ll be infectious for 2 to 3 weeks.

Your child can go back to school 24 hours after starting antibiotics.

Slapped cheek syndrome (fifth disease)

You don’t need to keep your child off school if they have slapped cheek syndrome, because once the rash appears, they’re no longer infectious.

If you suspect your child has slapped cheek syndrome, take them to see a GP and let their school know if they’re diagnosed with it.

Sore throat

You can still send your child to school if they have a sore throat. But if they also have a high temperature, they should stay at home until it goes away.

A sore throat and a high temperature can be symptoms of tonsillitis.

Threadworms

You don’t need to keep your child off school if they have threadworms.

Speak to your pharmacist, who can recommend a treatment.

Vomiting and diarrhoea

Children with diarrhoea or vomiting should stay away from school for 2 days after their symptoms have gone.

Information taken from NHS Website https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/is-my-child-too-ill-for-school/

Our aim as a school is for every child to achieve at least 96% attendance and, whilst we appreciate that sickness is unavoidable, we do have a duty of care to report persistent absences (below 90%) to our Education Welfare Officer.