Medicines
Short-term medications
During their time in school, your child may occasionally need to take prescribed medication during the school day. This will usually be for a short period, for example to complete a course of antibiotics, helping to minimise any time away from school.
Antibiotics prescribed three times a day can be taken outside school hours. The school will support children who have been prescribed antibiotics that must be taken four times a day.
It is the parent’s responsibility to bring the prescribed medication to school each day and collect it at the end of the day. The required forms must be completed before any medication is administered. All medicines must be signed in and out by an adult. If the after-school club will be collecting the medication, parents must inform the school of this arrangement.
We can only accept prescribed medicines that are in date, clearly labelled, and provided in the original container as dispensed by the pharmacist. The medication must be accompanied by instructions for administration, dosage, and storage. The only exception is insulin, which must still be in date but may be supplied in an insulin pen or pump rather than its original packaging.
Please download and complete the medicines permission form if your child needs to take prescribed medication for a short period.
Long term medical conditions and medications
If your child has medication for a long term condition and needs medication such as an inhaler or auto-injector pen, please contact Miss Goddard in the school office. An Individual Healthcare Plan will also need to be completed.
The responsibility of parents and carers:
- Bring their child’s medication and any equipment into school at the beginning of the school year.
- Replace the medication before the expiry date
- Take expired items to a pharmacy for safe disposal.
- During periods of high pollen count, encourage their children, who have been prescribed antihistamines, to take their medication before school so that their condition can be better controlled during the school day.
Non-prescription medications
Non-prescription medication will only be administered in exceptional circumstances and only with the explicit permission of the Headteacher. An exception may be made for school residential trips.
The school does not administer Calpol or hay fever medication on an ad‑hoc basis during the school day. If a child develops a fever, parents will be contacted, as the child will most likely need to go home to rest and recover.
Pain relief will only be given with the explicit consent of the Headteacher, for example for pupils returning to school after a fracture, following dental treatment, or for older girls experiencing dysmenorrhoea (painful periods).
Hay fever medication will only be administered with the explicit consent of the Headteacher, for example for pupils with severe hay fever or allergies that are not controlled by once‑daily antihistamines.
In very specific circumstances, such as during an event like Young Voices, Calpol may be offered. In these cases, parents will be asked to sign a consent form or email the school to confirm their permission, to state that the medicine has previously been given without adverse effects, and to agree to inform the school immediately if this changes.
