Medical Needs

Administration of Medicines

The administration of medicines is not a statutory duty and as such a member of staff may volunteer to fulfil this role but cannot be directed to do so. In the event that no member of staff is willing to administer medication, the Headteacher will do so. In the absence of the Headteacher, the parent will be required to come into school to give the medication at the appointed time.

Short Term Prescribed Medication

If your child has had an illness/operation and is taking prescribed medication for a short period of time, feels well enough to attend school and a dose needs to be administered during school time, the office staff will ensure that the correct administrative procedures are followed.

  • Staff will only administer medicines which have been prescribed for that child by a doctor.
  • Parents must complete a Medication Form (see above) for the prescribed medication indicating they give permission for the school to administer the dose.
  • All medicines must be brought to the school office and not given to the child to take to class.
  • All medicines must be in the original container.
  • All medicines will be stored in the designated cabinet clearly labelled with the child’s name. If the medicine needs to be kept refrigerated, it will be stored in the fridge in the Staff Room.

Non-prescription Medicines

In recognition that, in the short term, a dose of ‘over the counter’ medication may increase the chances of school attendance if a child is mildly unwell and to see a doctor for such a prescription is time consuming, the school is willing to administer one dose of eg Calpol or similar paracetamol suspensions between the times of 1.00pm and 1.30pm only. This ensures it is manageable for the school and both school and parents can be assured of a four-hour time span between any previous dosage. School will only enter into this agreement with a parent on a short-term basis and a Medication Form must be completed for the relevant medicine. No flexibility is available on the dosage; we will adhere to the instructions printed on the box/bottle. If parents wish other arrangements, this should be administered at home or on the advice of a GP through prescription. Parents should supply this medicine as per the arrangements for any other medicine.

Long Term Medical Conditions

If a child has a serious medical condition, where they may need to take medication on a daily/adhoc basis, they are placed on the Medical Vulnerable List. Each child has an individual care plan which details the condition, prevention if possible, treatment and guidelines for staff. This must be updated annually or sooner if circumstances change by the parent, SENCo and/or relevant Medical Practitioner.

Asthma

If a child has asthma, the parent should make the school office aware so the Medical Conditions List can be updated. Parent should supply the relevant inhaler and any additional equipment needed eg volumatic spacer device, clearly marked with the child’s name. These will be kept in the designated box in each classroom so they are readily available for use when required.

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