01293 525449
01293 525449  

Medical Matters

Children often complain of minor injuries and in the majority of cases, we can deal with this in school without needing to telephone you. In some cases we will need to either telephone you to let you know of the injury or advise you that further medical treatment may be needed. It is therefore very important that we have a list of adults who parents would like us to use as emergency contacts, legally at least two, ideally up to four people.  In the case of an accident or illness, we use the list of contacts in order of the priority indicated  and it is helpful if the emergency contacts are someone who can reach the school reasonably quickly and who is regularly available.  

We have first aid provision available at all times whether your child is onsite or offsite on an educational visit. All our First Aiders have attended a recognised First Aid Course and attend refresher courses every 3 years. If your child has any medical needs, it is your responsibility to inform school staff of these needs. This includes medication prescribed by the doctor / hospital, any allergies they may suffer from and any short term or long term physical disability they may have.


Illness



Unless your child has had sickness or diarrhoea (in which case they need to have 48 hours off school to avoid the spread of nasty bugs) or there is a good chance that they may be positive for Covid-19, please make every effort to bring your child into school every day. Typically, mild colds should not prevent a child from attending school.

If your child is too ill to attend school, please

OR

  • ring us on 01293 525449 and choose option 1, before the start of the school day.

If your child is absent and booked into Breakfast Club or Cygnet Crew, please remember to email childcare@gossopsgreen.org.uk to let them know that your child will not be at the club.  

Please do NOT email the office to say that your child will be absent.


Covid-19


Please note that this information is subject to change. We will make every effort to keep this up-to-date but please check government guidance if you are unsure (last updated April 2022). 

  • Pupils who are unwell with a high temperature must stay at home and ideally, should not come onto the school site, if possible. They can return to school when they no longer have a high temperature, and they are well enough to attend
  • Pupils with a positive COVID-19 test result must stay at home and avoid contact with other people for 3 days, which is when they are most infectious. They can return to school after day 3, when they no longer have a high temperature and they are well enough to attend
  • If adults have a positive Covid test result, please do not enter the school building and try to avoid entering the school site, for 5 days after the positive result. If you need to enter the site to drop off or collect your child, please observe social distancing at all times and wear a mask if possible.

We no longer require evidence of 2 negative lateral flow tests before a child returns to school. 


Medication


Members of staff are only permitted to administer short term medicines in school if parents sign a consent form at the school office.  If possible, short term courses of antibiotics or medicines should be given before children arrive, on their return home and before bedtime.  

If a child is on maintenance drugs i.e. those which must be taken every day to stabilise a chronic condition, guidance does allow staff to administer these on completion of a disclaimer form which is available from the school office or can be printed from the link HERE. Parents will need to provide prescribed medicines in their original container with a personalised prescription label and this will be kept securely in school.  It is the parent’s responsibility to inform the school about any changes in administration of maintenance drugs.


Asthma



Any child with asthma is able to have their pump in school, which should be clearly labelled and kept in the class First Aid box so that it can be taken with the child for learning activities outside of the classroom e.g. PE. Parents must fill in a specific asthma form to let us know of any treatment or preventative measures which need to be taken for your child; these can be collected from the office or downloaded HERE. Parents are asked to provide a second inhaler to be kept in the medical room as an emergency backup, and to ensure inhalers are in date.  The school does have inhalers that can be used in an emergency, but only if parents have completed a disclaimer in advance.


Allergies


Any allergies, especially serious ones, need to be reported to us and we may ask parents to complete an allergy form so we are able to administer the correct treatment if they come into contact with any substance they are allergic to. Any child who suffers from anaphylaxis will be given a more in-depth form and their auto-injector will be kept in the class First Aid Box so that it is always available. A second epi-pen will be kept in the school office. Again, it is the parent’s responsibility to ensure that these are in date. 

The school and Diner is compliant with Natasha’s Law on food-allergy labelling and takes our responsibility towards safeguarding children with allergies very seriously. 

Please note that children are not allowed to administer any medication themselves,  including cough sweets. 


First Aid


A child who has any of the above will receive first aid treatment. We do not always use a plaster for every injury. We only use a plaster to help stem bleeding and to prevent blood going onto a child’s school uniform or to keep the wound clean until they get home. If your child is allergic to plasters it is very important that you inform us of this and provide alternative coverings as we may need to use them. Serious cuts and lacerations are initially bandaged and covered before further medical advice is sought. We will always telephone home if we think a child needs to visit the doctors or hospital. If we are not able to make contact with you, we will take them there ourselves and await your arrival.

We take head injuries very seriously. Children do sometimes bang or bump their head during playtime. This is often the result of running around and bumping into someone or something. Some children may bump their heads more than others for different reasons but it does not mean they are not safe. Any child who has a significant bump to their head is given a red band to wear around their wrist so that everyone who comes into contact with them is aware and can watch them more closely. Children are also given a note to take home with them so that you are aware of what has happened. If there is a noticeable bump to a child’s head, we will always telephone you to let you know. A telephone call does not mean your child needs to be picked up immediately. If we think your child needs to be collected we will discuss this with you and make the decision together.

Any injuries to the eyes are washed out using water. If a child is not able to see clearly as a result of this injury we will telephone you so that you are able to seek immediate medical attention.

On rare occasions a child may have suffered a more severe injury which could have resulted in them breaking a bone. If we suspect that there is a broken bone, we will immobilise it comfortably, keeping it as still as possible and telephone you so that you are able to take your child to hospital for an x-ray. If we cannot contact you, then we will take them to hospital ourselves or call an ambulance and wait for you to meet us there.

If your child has suffered a broken bone and is wearing a cast then usually we can approve their return to school. However, anyone who is wearing a plaster or is recovering from surgery which means they are not as mobile as usual will need a risk assessment in place to ensure their safety and the safety of everyone else in the building. This is particularly important if there is a fire and we need to evacuate. Please either telephone or come the Office so that we can make a decision together about a risk assessment. It is very unusual for us to say that a child is not able to come to school but when we do we will explain to you our reasons why.


Swimming


Swimming is an important part of the school curriculum and all children are required to participate. If children are deemed to be well enough to be in school on their swimming day, then they are expected to go swimming unless they have a doctor’s note.

School Nurse


The school nurse can be contacted directly on 01293 600300 extn 1725/1723.  Pupils may also be referred to the school nurse by school staff. 


Head Lice


Head lice and nits are a recurring problem for all schools, and they are very difficult to eradicate.  Parents of any child found to have head lice will be asked to treat them that evening.  Once treated, children can be returned to school the following day.  If, at home, parents find that they need to treat their children, they are asked to inform the school so that we can try to restrict the spread.  Parents of other pupils in the relevant class will be advised to be particularly vigilant.