Next review September 2026

Frenchwood Community Primary School: 

  • recognises that asthma is a widespread, serious but controllable condition and the school welcomes all pupils with asthma; 
  • ensures that pupils with asthma can and do participate fully in all aspects of school life, including art lessons, PE, science, visits, outings or field trips and other out-of-hours school activities;
  • recognises that pupils with asthma need immediate access to reliever inhalers at all times;
  • keeps a record of all pupils with asthma; 
  • has an emergency salbutamol inhaler and spacer available for emergency use only in the school office.  

We ensure that the emergency inhaler is only used by children with asthma with written parental consent for its use. (The draft letter for consent at Annex A will be used for this), but will be used at the first aider’s discretion if contact is not possible and patient’s health deteriorates. In the event that the school emergency inhaler is used, parents will be contacted immediately and asked to bring medication to school the next day.  Please read use of emergency salbutamol inhalers in school at the end of this policy.

Asthma medicines

  • Immediate access to reliever medicines is essential. Pupils with asthma are encouraged to carry their reliever inhaler as soon as the parent/carer, doctor or asthma nurse agrees they are mature enough. 
  • All inhalers must be labelled with the child’s name by the parent/carer.
  • School staff are not required to administer asthma medicines to pupils (except in an emergency), however many of the staff at this school are happy to do this.  School staff who agree to administer medicines are insured by Zurich Insurance when acting in agreement with this policy.  All school staff will let pupils take their own medicines when they need to.

School policy guidelines

Record keeping

  • At the beginning of each school year or when a child joins the school, parents/carers are asked if their child has any medical conditions including asthma on their enrolment form. When this has been established an agreement will be sent to the parent/carers regarding the guidelines for asthma pumps in school.  Appendix 1 will be used to notify parents.
  • This information is then added to the Children’s Health Lists which includes all of the pupils in each class of any Medical conditions or Individual Healthcare Plans that they have. Copies of these are kept in each classroom, staffroom and the main office.  The sports coaches also have a copy with them when they are in school.

Exercise and activity – PE and games

  • Taking part in sports, games and activities is an essential part of school life for all pupils.  All teachers know which children in their class have asthma and all PE teachers at the school are aware of which pupils have asthma from the school’s asthma register.
  • Pupils with asthma are encouraged to participate fully in all PE lessons. PE teachers will remind pupils whose asthma is triggered by exercise to take their reliever inhaler before the lesson, and to thoroughly warm up and down before and after the lesson. It is agreed with PE staff that each pupil’s inhaler will be labelled and kept in a box at the site of the lesson. If a pupil needs to use their inhaler during a lesson they will be encouraged to do so.
  • Classroom teachers follow the same principles as described above for games and activities involving physical activity.

Out-of-hours sport

  • There has been a large emphasis in recent years on increasing the number of children and young people involved in exercise and sport in and outside of school. The health benefits of exercise are well documented and this is also true for children and young people with asthma. It is therefore important that the school involve pupils with asthma as much as possible in after school clubs.
  • Classroom teachers and out-of hours school sport coaches are aware of the potential triggers for pupils with asthma when exercising, tips to minimise these triggers and what to do in the event of an asthma attack. 

Staff also are aware in particular of the difficulties very young children may have in explaining how they feel.

School environment

The school does all that it can to ensure the school environment is favourable to pupils with asthma. The school has a definitive no smoking policy. As far as possible the school does not use chemicals in science and art lessons that are potential triggers for pupils with asthma. Pupils with asthma are encouraged to leave the room and go and sit in the school office if particular fumes trigger their asthma.

When a pupil is falling behind in lessons

  • If a pupil is missing a lot of time at school or is always tired because their asthma is disturbing their sleep at night, the class teacher will initially talk to the parents/carers to work out how to prevent their child from falling behind. If appropriate, the teacher will then talk to the school nurse and special education needs coordinator about the pupil’s needs.
  • The school recognises that it is possible for pupils with asthma to have special education needs due to their asthma.

 Asthma attacks

  • All trained first aid staff who come into contact with pupils with asthma know what to do in the event of an asthma attack.
  • There is a copy in each classroom of: - ‘How to recognise an asthma attack’ and ‘What to do in the event of an asthma attack’
  • Each classroom has a red card for a child (if there is not another adult in the classroom) to take into the next classroom or the school office to summon first aid help in the case of any emergency.

Also another adult would lead the rest of the class away from the situation.

Next review August 2026

1. Aims

The Aim of this Policy is to set out guidelines for all Staff in school in the administering of First Aid, and to determine whether or not the child is in need of ‘First-Aid’ or merely ‘Pastoral Care’.  Having such clarity will help us to ensure we are providing the best possible provision for safeguarding our pupils.  This is in line with the DFE document ‘Guidance for Safer Working Practice for Adults who Work with Children Young People (page 22, DFE, 2007)

2. Legislation and guidance

This policy is based on the Statutory Framework for the Early Years Foundation Stage, advice from the Department for Education on first aid in schools and health and safety in schools, and the following legislation:

 3. Roles and responsibilities

Frenchwood Primary School are fortunate to have ten members of Staff with designated responsibility for administering First-Aid in school and at least three Paediatric first aiders.  These members of Staff operate on a rota basis which is displayed in the staffroom and First-Aid room (The Hive). If members of staff are not able to cover, it is up to that member of staff to swap or inform a member of SLT.

3.1 Appointed person(s) and first aiders

The school’s appointed persons: - Cathryn Antwis, Steven McLoughlin & Annamarie Tegland. They are responsible for:

  • Taking charge when someone is injured or becomes ill
  • Ensuring there is an adequate supply of medical materials in first aid kits, and replenishing the contents of these kits
  • Ensuring that an ambulance or other professional medical help is summoned when appropriate

First aiders are trained and qualified to carry out the role (see section 7) and are responsible for:

  • Acting as first responders to any incidents; they will assess the situation where there is an injured or ill person, and provide immediate and appropriate treatment
  • Sending pupils home to recover, where necessary
  • Filling in an accident report on the same day, or as soon as is reasonably practicable, after an incident (see the template in appendix 2)
  • Keeping their contact details up to date

Our school’s first aiders will be displayed prominently around the school.

3.2 The local authority and governing board

Lancashire County Council has ultimate responsibility for health and safety matters in the school, but delegates’ responsibility for the strategic management of such matters to the school’s governing board.

The governing board delegates operational matters and day-to-day tasks to the headteacher and staff members.

3.3 The governing board

The governing board has ultimate responsibility for health and safety matters in the school, but

delegates’ operational matters and day-to-day tasks to the headteacher and staff members.

3.4 The headteacher

The headteacher is responsible for the implementation of this policy, including:

  • Ensuring that an appropriate number of appointed persons and/or trained first aid personnel are present in the school at all times
  • Ensuring that first aiders have an appropriate qualification, keep training up to date and remain competent to perform their role
  • Ensuring all staff are aware of first aid procedures
  • Ensuring appropriate risk assessments are completed and appropriate measures are put in place
  • Undertaking, or ensuring that managers undertake, risk assessments, as appropriate, and that appropriate measures are put in place
  • Ensuring that adequate space is available for catering to the medical needs of pupils
  • Reporting specified incidents to the HSE when necessary (see section 6)

3.5 Staff

School staff are responsible for:

  • Ensuring they follow first aid procedures
  • Ensuring they know who the first aiders in school are
  • Completing accident reports (see appendix 2) for all incidents they attend
  • Informing the headteacher or their manager of any specific health conditions or first aid needs

 4. First aid procedures and equipment

4.1 In-school procedures

In the event of major injury, a designated member of First-Aid staff should be sent for immediately.  An informed assessment will be carried out and the appropriate treatment given. 

Should the injury require medical assistance (i.e. Parent called into school/hospital visit/ambulance/), a member of the office staff should be contacted immediately to seek urgent authorisation from the Head/Deputy Head Teacher (injury type permitting) and the relevant action taken.

In the event of minor injury, once treated, the class teacher or teaching assistant must be informed so that they can liaise with Parents/Guardians/Out-of-school club/Carer at the end of the school day. 

Should the child be feeling unwell or have been sick in school, the class teacher must be notified so that an informed decision may be made.

Should the decision be that Parents be notified/the child needs to go home, the office should be contacted to confirm authorisation with the Head/Deputy Head Teacher, and Parents contacted.

EPIPENS: 

There are a number of pupils in school requiring ‘Epipens’.  The administering of epipens must be carried out by the nearest member of staff in the event of an emergency and/or when anaphylactic shock is apparent irrespective of whether Piriton has been administered first.  Please ensure you are familiar with the use of epipens and/or symptoms of anaphylactic shock.  

PUPILS WITH SPECIFIC NEED:

Details of Pupils with specific need i.e. diabetic/severe allergies/epipens etc may be found at the front of each register, staff room wall and 1st Aid room ( The Hive)(Please also see Appendix D).  Please take time to familiarise yourself with the pupils concerned and their individual potential need.

INCIDENT REPORTING:

All incidents requiring first-aid (whether minor or major) must be recorded in the school First-Aid book.  This is situated in the First Aid room (The Hive).

TREATMENT:

School has a ready supply of minor first aid equipment. These may be found in the First Aid room. 

The administering of items such as antiseptic creams etc are not permitted in case of allergic reaction.  Cuts and grazes should be treated with gauze and clean water and Elastoplast/Micropore applied where applicable.

There are buckets in the First Aid room (The Hive) for pupils who feel sick.  Please place a vomit bag inside the bucket before use.  Sawdust, mops and buckets may all be found in the Cleaner’s store.

4.2 Off-site procedures

When taking pupils off the school premises, staff will ensure they always have the following:

  • A school mobile phone
  • A portable first aid kit
  • Information about the specific medical needs of pupils
  • Parents’ contact details

Risk assessments will be completed by the teacher leading the visit and approved by the EVC (John Moore) prior to any educational visit that necessitates taking pupils off school premises.

There will always be at least one first aider with a current paediatric first aid certificate on school trips and visits, as required by the statutory framework for the Early Years Foundation Stage.

There will always be at least one first aider on school trips and visits.

5. Record-keeping and reporting

5.1 First aid and accident record book

  • An accident form will be completed by the first aider/relevant member of staff on the same day or as soon as possible after an incident resulting in an injury
  • As much detail as possible should be supplied when reporting an accident, including all of the information included in the accident form at appendix 2
  • A copy of the accident report form will also sent home to parents/carers
  • Records held in the first aid and accident book will be retained by the school for a minimum of 3 years, in accordance with regulation 25 of the Social Security (Claims and Payments) Regulations 1979, and then securely disposed of

5.2 Reporting to the HSE

Records will be kept of any accident which results in a reportable injury, disease, or dangerous occurrence as defined in the RIDDOR 2013 legislation (regulations 4, 5, 6 and 7).

The Head will report these to the Health and Safety Executive as soon as is reasonably practicable and in any event within 10 days of the incident.

Reportable injuries, diseases or dangerous occurrences include:

  • Death
  • Specified injuries, which are:
    • Fractures, other than to fingers, thumbs and toes
    • Amputations
    • Any injury likely to lead to permanent loss of sight or reduction in sight
    • Any crush injury to the head or torso causing damage to the brain or internal organs
    • Serious burns (including scalding)
    • Any scalping requiring hospital treatment
    • Any loss of consciousness caused by head injury or asphyxia
    • Any other injury arising from working in an enclosed space which leads to hypothermia or heat-induced illness, or requires resuscitation or admittance to hospital for more than 24 hours
  • Injuries where an employee is away from work or unable to perform their normal work duties for more than 7 consecutive days (not including the day of the incident)
  • Where an accident leads to someone being taken to hospital
  • Near-miss events that do not result in an injury, but could have done. Examples of near-miss events relevant to schools include, but are not limited to:
    • The collapse or failure of load-bearing parts of lifts and lifting equipment
    • The accidental release of a biological agent likely to cause severe human illness
    • The accidental release or escape of any substance that may cause a serious injury or damage to health
    • An electrical short circuit or overload causing a fire or explosion

Information on how to make a RIDDOR report is available here:

How to make a RIDDOR report, HSE
http://www.hse.gov.uk/riddor/report.htm

5.3 Notifying parents

The first aider will inform parents of any accident or injury sustained by a pupil, and any first aid treatment given, on the same day, or as soon as reasonably practicable.

5.4 Reporting to Ofsted and child protection agencies

The Head will notify Ofsted of any serious accident, illness or injury to, or death of, a pupil while in the school’s care. This will happen as soon as is reasonably practicable, and no later than 14 days after the incident.

The Head will also notify LA of any serious accident or injury to, or the death of, a pupil while in the school’s care.

6. Training

All school staff are able to undertake first aid training if they would like to.

All first aiders must have completed a training course, and must hold a valid certificate of competence to show this. The school will keep a register of all trained first aiders, what training they have received and when this is valid until (see appendix 3).

Staff are encouraged to renew their first aid training when it is no longer valid.

At all times, at least 1 staff member will have a current paediatric first aid (PFA) certificate which meets the requirements set out in the Early Years Foundation Stage statutory framework and is updated at least every 3 years.

7. Links with other policies

This first aid policy is linked to the

  • Health and safety policy
  • Risk assessment policy

8. Information

  • List of appointed persons is displayed in the medical room/Hive
  • Accident books are kept in the medical room/Hive and EYFS
  • First Aid training log is kept in the medical room.

Next review August 2026

CONTENTS

1. Introduction

2. The Role of Parents/Carers

3. Prescription Medication

4. Long Term Medical Needs

5. Controlled Drugs

6. Non Prescription Medication

7. Administering Medicines

8. Emergency Inhalers

9. Self Management

10. Refusing medication

11. Offsite visits

12. Disposal of Medicines

1.  Introduction

Most pupils will at some time have a medical condition that may affect their participation in school activities and for many this will be short-term. Other pupils have medical conditions that, if not properly managed, could limit their access to education. Most children with medical needs are able to attend school regularly and, with some support from the school, can take part in most normal school activities. Arboretum Primary School is committed to ensuring that children with medical needs have the same right of access as other children.

There is no legal duty that requires schools and staff to administer medication, this is a voluntary role. The ‘duty of care’ extends to administering medication in exceptional circumstances, and therefore it is for schools to decide their local policy for the administration of medication.

2.  The Role of Parents/Carers

Parents/carers should, wherever possible, administer or supervise the self-administration of medication to their children. This may be by spacing the doses so that they are not required within school hours, or by the parent/carer coming in to school at lunch time to administer the medication. However, this might not be practicable and in such a case parents/carer may make a request for medication to be administered to the child at school.

If medicine needs to be administered during school time, then a parent or carer must bring it to the school office and fill in the Administration of Medication Permission and Record form (Appendix 1). Medication must not be given to the class teacher, or brought into school by the child themselves. If medication is for a short term condition, any remaining medication must be collected from the office by a parent or carer at the end of the school day.

3.  Prescription Medication

Prescription medicines should be administered at home wherever possible, for example medicines that need to be taken 3 times a day can usually be taken before school, after school and at bed time. Parents are encouraged to ask the GP to whether this is possible. Prescription medicines will only be administered by the school where it would be detrimental to a child’s health if it were not done.

Medicines should always be provided in the original container as dispensed by a pharmacist and include the prescriber’s instructions for administration. The exception to this is insulin which must still be in date, but will generally be available to school inside an insulin pen or a pump, rather than in its original container. Schools should never accept medicines that have been taken out of the container nor make changes to dosages on parental instruction.

In all cases it is necessary to check:

• Name of child

• Name of medicine

• Dosage

• Written instructions provided by prescriber

• Expiry date

An Administration of Medicine Permission & Record form (Appendix 1) must be completed and signed by the parent / carer. No medication will be given without the parent’s written consent.

Prescribed medication, other than emergency medication, will be kept in the Medical Room, either in the cupboard or the refrigerator as appropriate. All emergency medicines (asthma inhalers, epi-pens etc.) should be kept in the child’s classroom and be readily available. A second Epi-pen for each child who requires one will be kept in the Medical Room, in a box clearly labelled with the child’s name and photograph.

4.  Long Term Medical Needs

It is important for the school to have sufficient information regarding the medical condition of any pupil with long term medical needs. The school will draw up a health care plan for such pupils, involving the parents and the relevant health professionals. Refer to the “Supporting Pupils at School with Medical Conditions Policy” for more information.

Appropriate training will be arranged for the administration of any specialist medication (e.g. adrenaline via an epipen, buccal midazolam, insulin etc.) Staff should not administer such medicines until they have been trained to do so.

5.  Controlled Drugs

Controlled drugs, such as Ritalin, are controlled by the Misuse of Drugs Act. Therefore it is imperative that controlled drugs are strictly managed between the school and parents. Ideally controlled drugs are only brought in on a daily basis by parents, but certainly no more than a week’s supply and the amount of medication handed over to the school should always be recorded.

Controlled drugs should be stored in a locked non portable container, such as a safe, and only specific named staff allowed access to it. Each time the drug is administered it must be recorded, including if the child refused to take it. If pupils refuse to take medication, school staff should not force them to do so. The school should inform the child’s parents as a matter of urgency. If necessary, the school should call the emergency services. The person administering the controlled drug should monitor that the drug has been taken. Passing a controlled drug to another child is an offence under the Misuse of Drugs Act.

As with all medicines any unused medication should be recorded as being returned back to the parent when no longer required. If this is not possible it should be returned to the dispensing pharmacist. It should not be thrown away.

6.  Non Prescription Medication

Where possible, the school will avoid administering non-prescription medicine. However, we may do so, if requested by the parent, if it will facilitate the child attending school and continuing their learning. This will usually be for a short period only, perhaps to finish a course of antibiotics, to apply a lotion or the administration of paracetamol for toothache or other pain. However, such medicines will only be administered in school where it would be detrimental to a child’s health if it were not administered during the day, and must be reviewed no more than 5 days after the initial authorisation.

A child under 16 should never be given aspirin-containing medicine, unless prescribed by a doctor.

If non-prescription medication is to be administered, then the parent/carer must complete an Administration of Medicine Consent form (Appendix 1), and the same procedure will be followed as for prescription medication. The medicine must be provided in its original container, with dosage information on it. The parent’s instructions will be checked against the dosage information, and this will not be exceeded.

7.  Administering Medicines

Medicines will only be administered by members of staff who have been trained in the safe administration of medicines. This will usually be the first aider or member of the office staff, but in their absence another appropriately trained member of staff may carry it out. Appropriate training will be arranged for the administration of any specialist medication (e.g. adrenaline via an epipen, Buccal midazolam, insulin etc.) Staff should not administer such medicines until they have been trained to do so. A list of all staff trained in administration of medicines will be maintained by the Welfare Assistant. The SENCo will maintain a record of staff trained in specialist medication for children with Health Care Plans.

When a member of staff administers medicine, they will check the child’s Administration of Medication Permission and Record form against the medication, to ensure that the dose and timing are correct. They will then administer the medicine as required, and record this on the form. For long-term medication, an Administration of Medication Continuation Sheet (Appendix 2) will be used as necessary.

8.  Emergency Inhalers

In line with “Guidance on the use of emergency salbutamol inhalers in schools” March 2015, the school will keep emergency reliever (blue) inhalers for the emergency use of children whose own inhaler is not available for any reason. They will be stored in the Medical Room, along with appropriate spacers. Parents must sign a “Consent form: use of emergency salbutamol inhaler” (Appendix 4) to consent to their child being allowed to use the emergency inhaler. These will be kept in the Asthma file in the Medical Room.

9.  Self Management

It is important that as children get older they should be encouraged to take responsibility and manage their own medication. This should be clearly set out in the child’s health care plan in agreement with the parents, bearing in mind the safety of other pupils.

Staff should be aware of the need for asthmatics to carry medication with them (or for staff to take appropriate action). Children should know where their medicines are stored.

10. Refusing medication

If a child refuses to take medication staff should not force them to do so, but note this in the records and inform parents of the refusal. If the refusal leads to a medical emergency, the school will call the emergency services and inform the parents.

11.  Offsite visits

It is good practice for schools to encourage pupils with medical needs to participate in offsite visits. All staff supervising visits should be aware of any medical needs and relevant emergency procedures. Where necessary, individual risk assessments will be completed. A member of staff who is trained to administer any specific medication will accompany the pupil and ensure that the appropriate medication is taken on the visit. Inhalers must be taken for all children who suffer from asthma.

Travel Sickness - Tablets can be given with written consent from a parent but the child’s name, dosage, time of dose and any possible side effects (the child must have had the travel sickness preventative at home before the trip in case of side effects) should be clearly marked on the container, which must be the original packaging. Parents will need to complete an Administration of Medication Permission and Record form.

Residential visits – All medicines which a child needs to take should be handed to the teacher in charge of the visit. The only exception are asthma inhalers, which should be kept by the child themselves. The parents will sign a consent form for any medicines which they need to take during the visit, plus consent of emergency treatment to be administered – see example form in Appendix 3.

12.  Disposal of Medicines

The Welfare Assistant will check all medicines kept in school each term to ensure that they have not exceeded their expiry date. Parents/carers will be notified of any that need to be replaced. Parents/carers are responsible for ensuring that date-expired medicines are returned to a pharmacy for safe disposal. If parents do not collect all medicines, they should be taken to a local pharmacy for safe disposal.

Sharps boxes should always be used for the disposal of needles. There is a sharps box in the Medical Room. If any child requires regular injections (eg. Insulin), they will have their own sharps box which can be taken offsite with them on trips etc. The parents will be notified when the box is almost full so that they can bring in a new box and take the full box for disposal.

Next review August 2026

Policy statement

No child is excluded from participating in our setting who may, for any reason, not yet be toilet trained and who may still be wearing nappies or equivalent. We work with parents towards toilet training, unless there are medical or other developmental reasons why this may not be appropriate at the time. We provide nappy changing facilities and exercise good hygiene practices in order to accommodate children who are not yet toilet trained. We see toilet training as a self-care skill that children have the opportunity to learn with the full support and non-judgemental concern of adults.

Procedures

  • Key persons are aware of the young children in their care who are in nappies or ‘pull-ups’ and those children who have occasional accidents.
  • We have a changing station in our EYFS unit which may be used to lay young children down on if they need to be changed. Our changing area is away from the main classroom area and is in a well ventilated. Older children are supported in a separate area to respect privacy.
  • Each child’s bag is collected before changing so their nappies, pull ups and changing wipes are to hand.
  • Staff and children are to wash hands thoroughly before changing.
  • Our staff put on gloves, aprons and facemasks before changing starts and the areas are cleaned before and after use. New protective equipment are used each time a new child is changed.
  • Staff and children are to wash hands thoroughly after changing process.
  • All our staff are familiar with our hygiene procedures and carry these out when changing nappies.
  • Our staff never turn their back on a child or leave them unattended whilst they are on the changing mat.
  • We are gentle when changing; we are positive with children while changing.
  • In addition, we ensure that nappy changing is relaxed and a time to promote independence in young children.
  • We encourage children to take an interest in using the toilet.
  • Children access the toilet when they have the need to and are encouraged to be independent.
  • We dispose of nappies and pull ups hygienically in a sealed bag. Other items of clothing are bagged for parents to take home.

 

Next review August 2026

Aims 

This policy aims to ensure that: 

  • Pupils, staff and parents understand how our school will support pupils with medical conditions 

  • Pupils with medical conditions are properly supported to allow them to access the same education as other pupils, including school trips and sporting activities  

The governing board will implement this policy by:  

  • Making sure sufficient staff are suitably trained 

  • Making staff aware of pupils’ conditions, where appropriate 

  • Making sure there are cover arrangements to ensure someone is always available to support pupils with medical conditions  

  • Providing supply teachers with appropriate information about the policy and relevant pupils 

  • Developing and monitoring individual healthcare plans (IHPs)  

Roles and responsibilities 

The governing board 

The governing board has ultimate responsibility to make arrangements to support pupils with medical conditions. The governing board will ensure that sufficient staff have received suitable training and are competent before they are responsible for supporting children with medical conditions.  

The headteacher  

The headteacher will:  

  • Make sure all staff are aware of this policy and understand their role in its implementation 

  • Ensure that there is a sufficient number of trained staff available to implement this policy and deliver against all individual healthcare plans (IHPs), including in contingency and emergency situations  

  • Ensure that all staff who need to know are aware of a child’s condition 

  • Take overall responsibility for the development of IHPs  

  • Make sure that school staff are appropriately insured and aware that they are insured to support pupils in this way  

  • Contact the school nursing service in the case of any pupil who has a medical condition that may require support at school, but who has not yet been brought to the attention of the school nurse  

  • Ensure that systems are in place for obtaining information about a child’s medical needs and that this information is kept up to date 

Staff 

Supporting pupils with medical conditions during school hours is not the sole responsibility of one person. Any member of staff may be asked to provide support to pupils with medical conditions, although they will not be required to do so. This includes the administration of medicines.  

Those staff who take on the responsibility to support pupils with medical conditions will receive sufficient and suitable training, and will achieve the necessary level of competency before doing so.  

Teachers will take into account the needs of pupils with medical conditions that they teach. All staff will know what to do and respond accordingly when they become aware that a pupil with a medical condition needs help.  

Parents 

Parents will: 

  • Provide the school with sufficient and up-to-date information about their child’s medical needs 

  • Be involved in the development and review of their child’s IHP and may be involved in its drafting  

  • Carry out any action they have agreed to as part of the implementation of the IHP, e.g. provide medicines and equipment, and ensure they or another nominated adult are contactable at all times  

Pupils 

Pupils with medical conditions will often be best placed to provide information about how their condition affects them. Pupils should be fully involved in discussions about their medical support needs and contribute as much as possible to the development of their IHPs. They are also expected to comply with their IHPs.   

School nurses and other healthcare professionals  

Our school nursing service (Virgincare) will notify the school when a pupil has been identified as having a medical condition that will require support in school. This will be before the pupil starts school, wherever possible. They may also support staff to implement a child’s IHP.  

Healthcare professionals, such as GPs and paediatricians, will liaise with the school’s nurses and notify them of any pupils identified as having a medical condition. They may also provide advice on developing IHPs. 

Equal opportunities 

Our school is clear about the need to actively support pupils with medical conditions to participate in school trips and visits, or in sporting activities, and not prevent them from doing so.  

The school will consider what reasonable adjustments need to be made to enable these pupils to participate fully and safely on school trips, visits and sporting activities.  

Risk assessments will be carried out so that planning arrangements take account of any steps needed to ensure that pupils with medical conditions are included. In doing so, pupils, their parents and any relevant healthcare professionals will be consulted. 

Being notified that a child has a medical condition 

When the school is notified that a pupil has a medical condition, the process outlined below will be followed to decide whether the pupil requires an IHP.   

The school will make every effort to ensure that arrangements are put into place within 2 weeks, or by the beginning of the relevant term for pupils who are new to our school.  

See Appendix 1. 

Individual healthcare plans 

The headteacher has overall responsibility for the development of IHPs for pupils with medical conditions. This has been delegated to Steven McLoughlin, DHT. 

Plans will be reviewed at least annually, or earlier if there is evidence that the pupil’s needs have changed. 

Plans will be developed with the pupil’s best interests in mind and will set out: 

  • What needs to be done 

  • When  

  • By whom  

Not all pupils with a medical condition will require an IHP. It will be agreed with a healthcare professional and the parents when an IHP would be inappropriate or disproportionate. This will be based on evidence. If there is no consensus, the headteacher will make the final decision.  

Plans will be drawn up in partnership with the school, parents and a relevant healthcare professional, such as the school nurse, specialist or paediatrician, who can best advise on the pupil’s specific needs. The pupil will be involved wherever appropriate.  

IHPs will be linked to, or become part of, any education, health and care (EHC) plan. If a pupil has SEN but does not have an EHC plan, the SEN will be mentioned in the IHP.  

The level of detail in the plan will depend on the complexity of the child’s condition and how much support is needed.  

Considerations when deciding what information to record on IHPs: 

  • The medical condition, its triggers, signs, symptoms and treatments 

  • The pupil’s resulting needs, including medication (dose, side effects and storage) and other treatments, time, facilities, equipment, testing, access to food and drink where this is used to manage their condition, dietary requirements and environmental issues, e.g. crowded corridors, travel time between lessons 

  • Specific support for the pupil’s educational, social and emotional needs. For example, how absences will be managed, requirements for extra time to complete exams, use of rest periods or additional support in catching up with lessons, counselling sessions 

  • The level of support needed, including in emergencies. If a pupil is self-managing their medication, this will be clearly stated with appropriate arrangements for monitoring 

  • Who will provide this support, their training needs, expectations of their role and confirmation of proficiency to provide support for the pupil’s medical condition from a healthcare professional, and cover arrangements for when they are unavailable 

  • Who in the school needs to be aware of the pupil’s condition and the support required 

  • Arrangements for written permission from parents and the headteacher for medication to be administered by a member of staff, or self-administered by the pupil during school hours 

  • Separate arrangements or procedures required for school trips or other school activities outside of the normal school timetable that will ensure the pupil can participate, e.g. risk assessments 

  • Where confidentiality issues are raised by the parent/pupil, the designated individuals to be entrusted with information about the pupil’s condition 

  • What to do in an emergency, including who to contact, and contingency arrangements 

Managing medicines 

Prescription and non-prescription medicines will only be administered at school when it would be detrimental to the pupil’s health or school attendance not to do so and where we have parents’ written consent 

  • Pupils will not be given medicine containing aspirin unless prescribed by a doctor.  

  • Anyone giving a pupil any medication (for example, for pain relief) will first check maximum dosages and when the previous dosage was taken. Parents will always be informed.   

  • The school will only accept prescribed medicines that are: 

  • In-date 

  • Labelled 

  • Provided in the original container, as dispensed by the pharmacist, and include instructions for administration, dosage and storage 

  • The school will accept insulin that is inside an insulin pen or pump rather than its original container, but it must be in date.  

  • All medicines will be stored safely. Pupils will be informed about where their medicines are at all times and be able to access them immediately. Medicines and devices such as asthma inhalers, blood glucose testing meters and adrenaline pens will always be readily available to pupils and not locked away.  

  • Medicines will be returned to parents to arrange for safe disposal when no longer required.  

Controlled drugs  

Controlled drugs are prescription medicines that are controlled under the Misuse of Drugs Regulations 2001 and subsequent amendments, such as morphine or methadone.  

All controlled drugs are kept in a secure cupboard in the school office and only named staff have access. 

Controlled drugs will be easily accessible in an emergency and a record of any doses used and the amount held will be kept.  

Pupils managing their own needs 

Pupils who are competent will be encouraged to take responsibility for managing their own medicines and procedures. This will be discussed with parents and it will be reflected in their IHPs.  

Pupils will be allowed to carry their own medicines and relevant devices wherever possible. Staff will not force a pupil to take a medicine or carry out a necessary procedure if they refuse, but will follow the procedure agreed in the IHP and inform parents so that an alternative option can be considered, if necessary. 

Unacceptable practice 

School staff should use their discretion and judge each case individually with reference to the pupil’s IHP, but it is generally not acceptable to: 

  • Prevent pupils from easily accessing their inhalers and medication, and administering their medication when and where necessary 

  • Assume that every pupil with the same condition requires the same treatment 

  • Ignore the views of the pupil or their parents 

  • Ignore medical evidence or opinion (although this may be challenged) 

  • Send children with medical conditions home frequently for reasons associated with their medical condition or prevent them from staying for normal school activities, including lunch, unless this is specified in their IHPs 

  • If the pupil becomes ill, send them to the school office or medical room unaccompanied or with someone unsuitable 

  • Penalise pupils for their attendance record if their absences are related to their medical condition, e.g. hospital appointments 

  • Prevent pupils from drinking, eating or taking toilet or other breaks whenever they need to in order to manage their medical condition effectively 

  • Require parents, or otherwise make them feel obliged, to attend school to administer medication or provide medical support to their pupil, including with toileting issues. No parent should have to give up working because the school is failing to support their child’s medical needs 

  • Prevent pupils from participating, or create unnecessary barriers to pupils participating in any aspect of school life, including school trips, e.g. by requiring parents to accompany their child  

  • Administer, or ask pupils to administer, medicine in school toilets  

Emergency procedures 

Staff will follow the school’s normal emergency procedures (for example, calling 999). All pupils’ IHPs will clearly set out what constitutes an emergency and will explain what to do.  

If a pupil needs to be taken to hospital, staff will stay with the pupil until the parent arrives, or accompany the pupil to hospital by ambulance.  

Training 

Staff who are responsible for supporting pupils with medical needs will receive suitable and sufficient training to do so.  

The training will be identified during the development or review of IHPs. Staff who provide support to pupils with medical conditions will be included in meetings where this is discussed.  

The relevant healthcare professionals will lead on identifying the type and level of training required and will agree this with Mr McLoughlin. Training will be kept up to date.  

Training will: 

  • Be sufficient to ensure that staff are competent and have confidence in their ability to support the pupils 

  • Fulfil the requirements in the IHPs 

  • Help staff to have an understanding of the specific medical conditions they are being asked to deal with, their implications and preventative measures  

Healthcare professionals will provide confirmation of the proficiency of staff in a medical procedure, or in providing medication.  

All staff will receive training so that they are aware of this policy and understand their role in implementing it, for example, with preventative and emergency measures so they can recognise and act quickly when a problem occurs. This will be provided for new staff during their induction.  

Record keeping 

The governing board will ensure that written records are kept of all medicine administered to pupils for as long as these pupils are at the school. Parents will be informed if their pupil has been unwell at school.  

IHPs are kept in a readily accessible place which all staff are aware of. 

Liability and indemnity 

The governing board will ensure that the appropriate level of insurance is in place and appropriately reflects the school’s level of risk.   

The details of the school’s insurance policy are:  

Lancashire CC - all inclusive, Property Insurance and Employers Liability/Public Liability (EL/PL) and miscellaneous other Insurance 

This is renewed annually 

Complaints 

Parents with a complaint about their child’s medical condition should discuss these directly with the deputy headteacher in the first instance. If the deputy Headteacher cannot resolve the matter, they will direct parents to the school’s complaints procedure.  

Monitoring arrangements 

This policy will be reviewed and approved by the governing board annually.  

Links to other policies 

This policy links to the following policies: 

  • Accessibility plan 

  • Complaints  

  • Equality information and objectives 

  • First aid 

  • Health and safety 

  • Safeguarding 

  • Special educational needs information report and policy 

Appendix 1: Being notified a child has a medical condition 

Next review January 2026

1. Policy statement

At Frenchwood Community Primary School, we are committed to supporting the emotional health and wellbeing of our pupils and staff. We have a supportive and caring ethos and our approach is respectful and kind, where each individual and contribution is valued.

We know that everyone experiences life challenges that can make us vulnerable and at times, anyone may need additional emotional support. We take the view that positive mental health is everybody’s business and that we all have a role to play.

At Frenchwood, we:

  • help children to understand their emotions and feelings better;
  • help children feel comfortable sharing any concerns or worries;
  • help children socially to form and maintain relationships;
  • promote self-esteem and ensure children know that they are valued;
  • encourage children to be confident and believe in themselves;
  • help children to develop emotional resilience and to manage setbacks.

We promote a mentally healthy environment through:

  • promoting our school values and encouraging a sense of belonging;
  • promoting pupil voice and opportunities to participate in decision-making;
  • celebrating academic and non-academic achievements;
  • providing opportunities to develop a sense of worth through taking responsibility for themselves and others;
  • access to appropriate support that meets their needs;

 We pursue our aims through:

  • universal, whole school approaches;
  • support for pupils going through recent difficulties including bereavement;
  • specialised, targeted approaches aimed at pupils with more complex or long term difficulties including attachment disorder.

2. Scope

This policy is intended to:

Provide guidance to school staff on our school’s approach to promoting positive mental health and wellbeing across the school

Inform pupils and parents about the support that they can expect from the school in respect of supporting mental health and wellbeing 

Read this policy in conjunction with:

  • SEND policy
  • Behaviour policy
  • Anti-bullying policy
  • Safeguarding policy

3. Legal basis

This policy was written with regard to:

The Equality Act 2010 

The Data Protection Act 2018

Articles 3 and 23 of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child

4. Roles and responsibilities

Whilst we all have a responsibility to promote positive mental health, staff with a specific, relevant remit include:

  • Cathryn Antwis - Designated Safeguarding Lead/ Designated Mental Health Lead/ Adult Mental Health First Aid Trained 
  • Steve McLoughlin - DSL Deputy/Prevent
  • Tom O’Beirne - DSL Deputy/Lead for Children Looked After and Post-Looked After, Youth Mental Health First Aider, StaffWell Being Lead
  • Sue Watson - DSL Deputy/Child Protection/ELSA/Youth Mental Health First Aider
  • Jacqui Hobson - DSL Deputy/Attendance
  • Susan Wilkinson- SENDCo/Youth Mental Health First Aider
  • John Moore- Health and Safety Lead
  • Lisa Robinson and Laila Ali – Lead First Aiders
  • Alia Hamid - Wellbeing Governor

5. Teaching about Mental Health

The skills, knowledge and understanding needed by our pupils to keep themselves mentally healthy and safe are included as part of our developmental PSHE curriculum - Jigsaw. We also use the NHS promoted scheme, My Happy Mind, which has resources for pupils, staff and parents. 

We have a relational approach to behaviour management through our use of Emotion Coaching throughout school.

6. Identifying needs and Warning signs

All staff will complete termly Barriers to Learning trackers on their pupils aimed at identifying a range of possible difficulties including:

  • Attendance
  • Punctuality
  • Relationships
  • Approach to learning
  • Physical indicators
  • Negative behaviour patterns
  • Family circumstances
  • Recent bereavement
  • Health indicators

7. Supporting pupils

Universal support for all pupils

As part of our school’s commitment to promoting positive mental health and wellbeing for all pupils, we support by:

  • raising awareness of mental health during assemblies, PSHE and awareness weeks;
  • having weekly ‘My Happy Minds’ sessions;
  • signposting all pupils to sources of online support on the school website;
  • undertaking termly wellbeing survey for all pupils Year 3 – 6;
  • making classrooms a safe space to discuss mental health and wellbeing through interventions such as:
    • Regulation Station – pupils have a space to reflect on their feelings and use strategies to self-regulate when required;
    • Worry boxes – sharing concerns.

Targeted Support

We offer support through targeted approaches for individual pupils or groups of pupils which may include:

  • Targeted use of ELSA (Emotional Literacy Support Assistant) resources.
  • Managing emotions resources  at the Regulation Station
  • Socially Speaking groups
  • ELSA support groups.
  • Therapeutic activities including music, lego and relaxation and mindfulness techniques.

At Frenchwood we make use of resources to assess and track wellbeing as appropriate including:

  • Strengths and Difficulties questionnaire
  • The Boxall Profile
  • Emotional literacy scales
  • Other tools on ‘Bounce Together’ website

Internal mental health interventions

Where appropriate, a pupil will be offered support that is tailored to their needs as part of the graduated approach detailed above. The support offered at our school includes:

  • nurture time (toast time);
  • personalised timetable;
  • sensory activities
  • sensory pod time
  • weekly session with specialist trauma counsellor/play therapist. 

Making external referrals

If a pupil’s needs cannot be met by the internal offer the school provides, the school will make, or encourage parents to make, a referral for external support. 

A pupil could be referred to:

  • GP or paediatrician 
  • CAMHS
  • Mental health charities (e.g. Action North West, Kooth, Barnardos
  • Foxton Centre

8. Signposting

We ensure that staff, pupils and parents are aware of what support is available within

our school and how to access further support.

9. Working with Parents

In order to support parents we will:

  • highlight sources of information and support about mental health and emotional wellbeing on our school website
  • ensure that all parents are aware of who to talk to, and how to get about this, if they have concerns about their child.
  • share ideas about how parents can support positive mental health in their children.
  • keep parents informed about the mental health topics their children are learning about in PSHE and share ideas for extending and exploring this learning at home.
  • share links to access to ‘My Happy Minds’ for parent/carers;
  • Emotion Coaching sessions for parents.

10. Working with other agencies and partners

As part of our targeted provision the school will work with other agencies to support

children’s emotional health and wellbeing including:

  • The school nurse
  • Educational psychology services
  • Behaviour support through Goldenhill pupil referral unit
  • Paediatricians
  • CAMHS (child and adolescent mental health service)
  • Family support workers
  • Therapists

11. Training 

All staff receive regular training about recognising and responding to mental health issues as part of their regular child protection training in order to enable them to keep students safe. We have regular Emotion Coaching training and are a Trauma Informed school.

The Educare learning portal provides online training suitable for staff wishing to know

more about a specific issue.

Training opportunities for staff who require more in depth knowledge will be considered as

part of our appraisal process and additional CPD will be supported throughout the year where it becomes appropriate due to developing situations with one or

more pupils.

12. Support for staff

We recognise that supporting a pupil experiencing poor mental health can be distressing for staff. To combat this we:

  • treat mental health concerns seriously;
  • provide external supervision sessions for mental health team;
  • support staff experiencing poor mental health themselves
  • provide external wellbeing support for all staff;
  • create a pleasant and supportive work environment.

Thanks to those parents who completed our baseline Mental Health and Wellbeing Survey in September 2022, we can create a plan to make improvements to our school offer.

Mental Health and Wellbeing Parent Survey September 2022 (only in PDF - sorry!)

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