Is my child too ill for School?

We know it can be tricky deciding whether or not to keep your child off school when they’re unwell – a simple way to decide could be this: if your child is well enough to get out of bed, and can walk and talk, they are probably fit enough to put their uniform on and attend school.

We will endeavour to look after them in school and will make reasonable adjustments, wherever possible, to make them comfortable. School staff are available to help administer medication as long as it brought to the school office by a parent or carer.

Long-term illnesses

For long term or repeated illness, it may be necessary for us to request medical evidence advising that your child is unfit to attend school. This is a key part of our safeguarding duties. Please note that the Education Act 1996 places the responsibility on parents/carers to provide medical evidence when requested by the school. There is an ‘Information Sharing Consent Form’ available from GP practice where a parent can give consent for the GP to share information about their child.

The NHS has produced some guidance to help parents understand when their child can and cannot attend school which you may find useful: https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/is-my-child-too-ill-for-school/