Medical Information for Parents
The following information relates to the medical needs of pupils at Ysgol y Deri. If there is anything in this information that you would like to discuss or have queries about, please don’t hesitate to get in touch.
Please follow these guidelines to help us ensure that your child’s needs are met as smoothly as possible.
If your child has a medical condition, it is very helpful to us if you could:
- Keep your child’s teacher informed about anything that has happened at home that may affect your child during their day in school e.g. a broken night’s sleep, seizures etc
- Inform the school if any medication has been administered at home that may affect the pupil during the school day.
- Keep your child’s teacher informed regarding any changes to your child’s health, new/existing diagnoses or medication that is required during the school day (including asthma pumps).
If your child becomes ill during the school day, we will contact you if the decision is made that they are too unwell to remain in school.
The school has to follow national guidelines in relation to certain illnesses in order to prevent the spread of infection. In particular, pupils should stay home from school for 48 hours following sickness or diarrhoea. (We are aware that a small number of our pupils have medical conditions that result in these symptoms but are not contagious and therefore in this situation the recommended time off school would not apply. In these situations, you must inform us).
If your child has been ill with an infection and you are unsure as to whether it is safe for them to return to school, please contact us and we can provide guidance.
If you feel your child is unwell in any way, PLEASE DO NOT SEND THEM INTO SCHOOL. We try to keep everyone safe from illnesses and your cooperation in this matter is much appreciated.
- If your child requires medication to be administered in school, you will be required to complete a Parents ‘Request to Administer Medication form’ providing all the information we require for a Medication Co-ordinator to agree to the administration and to set up the correct paperwork.
- Please inform you child’s class teacher every time you send medication into school so that we know to expect it.
- Prescription medication can only be administered if it is in its original packaging with the prescription label attached. The label must clearly show the child’s name, the medication name, the expiry date and the dose.
Short term prescription medication
- If your child requires prescribed medication for a short period of time – e.g., antibiotics – please consider if it is possible to time the doses around the school day e.g., if the prescription is for 3 doses these could be given before school, as soon as the child gets home from school and at bedtime.
- If the medication must be given during the school day, you must complete a parental ‘Request to Administer Medication’ form (available on request) and send it into school with the medication. We are not able to administer any medication without a completed parental consent form.
Long-term medication
If your child needs to take medication regularly in school on a long-term basis this will be administered by either the school nurses or school staff, depending on the medication and the complexity of your child’s health needs. You will be informed who will be giving your child their medication. Please could you:
- tell the school about the medicines that your child needs to take and provide details for the nursing staff/school staff on a ‘Request to Administer Medication’ form (available on request)
- keep school staff and nursing staff up to date with any developments or changes in your child’s condition or medication.
- contact your child’s class teacher when you are sending medication into school so that staff know to expect it.
School trips
- When a pupil goes off-site for a trip, medication that is usually administered by the school staff can be taken off-site and administered during the trip by a trained member of staff.
- Pupils with complex health needs When a pupil goes off-site for a trip, medication that is usually administered orally by the school nurses can be administered by appropriately trained school staff. We are unable to use the medication that the nurses keep in the health suite for school trips because their protocols do not allow them to dispense medication. Therefore, parents will be asked to complete a consent form and send in a dose of medication for the day of the trip, or if a pupil is regularly off-site parents may be asked to send in a separate prescription to be stored specifically for trips. You will be contacted individually if your child is in this situation in order to establish the best system for them. If your child requires medication via their gastrostomy this requires an additional level of risk assessment and training and again this will be managed on an individual basis. Medication sent in for trips must be in the original packaging with a prescription label clearly visible.
Emergency medication
If your child has emergency medication that is kept in school (e.g. asthma inhalers, buccal that could be used in the event of a seizure), it is your responsibility to ensure that the medication stored in school for your child is within the expiry date.
Non-prescription medication
If your child requires a barrier cream as part of their personal care this can be bought over the counter, and you will be asked to complete a specific consent form.
All other non-prescription medication will be considered on a case-by-case basis at the headteacher’s discretion. If it is agreed that school staff will administer non-prescription medication you will be asked to complete a ‘Requestion to Administer Non-Prescription Medication’ form.
