Is my child too ill for school? 

 

We understand that it can sometimes be difficult to decide whether your child is well enough to come to school, particularly when they are feeling a little under the weather but are otherwise well enough to manage the school day. We want to work together with families to support good school attendance while making sure children are cared for and are at home or school when appropriate. We know that making this decision is not always easy, so to help us support children in these circumstances, please use ‘Under the Weather’ form.

The form allows you to let us know if your child has been feeling unwell, but you feel they are well enough to attend school. It gives us important information about how they are feeling, any symptoms they may have and any medication they have taken before arriving at school.This helps our staff to keep an eye on your child throughout the day, offer reassurance and support, and contact you if their symptoms worsen or they become too unwell to remain in school. We can also ask Mrs Yeomans, our Pastoral Lead, to check in with your child and give you a reassuring call to let you know how they are doing.

How does it work?

•If your child is feeling a little under the weather but is well enough to attend school, please complete an ‘Under the Weather’ Form and send it in with them. 

•Please provide as much information as possible about their symptoms and how they have been feeling.

•If your child becomes more unwell during the school day, we will use the contact details you provide to get in touch with you.

•If your child is too unwell to attend school, please keep them at home and follow the relevant NHS guidance.

When should my child attend school?

The NHS advises that children can usually attend school with mild common cold symptoms, such as a sore throat, runny nose or slight cough, provided they are otherwise well and do not have a high temperature. If your child has a high temperature, they should stay at home until it has gone and they are well enough to return. Other illnesses may have specific guidance about when children should stay away from school.If you are unsure whether your child is well enough to attend, please check the NHS guidance: Is my child too ill for school?

If your child needs to stay at home, please let the school know as soon as possible, following our usual absence reporting procedure.Please remember that the ‘Under the Weather’ Form is not a substitute for medical advice and does not mean that a child who is too unwell to attend school should be sent in.We hope this simple approach will help us work together to maintain good attendance while ensuring that every child feels supported, safe and cared for when they are not quite at their best.

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