Medicines
Short-term medications
Many children will need to take medicines during the day at some time during their time in the school. This will usually be for a short period only, perhaps to finish a course of antibiotics, which will minimise the time that they need to be absent.
Antibiotics prescribed three times a day can be taken out of the school day. The school will support children who have been prescribed antibiotics that need to be taken four times day.
It is the parent’s responsibility to bring and collect the antibiotic each day and to complete the necessary forms prior to medicine being administered. All medicines must be signed in and out by a parent.
If the medicine is to be collected by the after-school club, the parent must make the school aware of the arrangement.
We can only accept prescribed medicines that are in-date, labelled, provided in the original container as dispensed by a pharmacist and include instructions for administration, dosage and storage. The exception to this is insulin which must still be in date but will be available inside an insulin pen or a pump, rather than in its original container.
Please download and complete this medicines permission form if your child is required to take prescribed medicines for a short period of time.
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 so that an Individual Healthcare Plan can be completed.
The responsibility of parents and carers is to:
- Bring their child’s medication and any equipment into school at the beginning of the school year.
- Replace the medication before the expiry date.
- As good practice, take into school the new asthma reliever inhaler when prescribed.
- 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.
- Keep their children at home when they are acutely unwell.
Non-prescription medications
Non-prescription medication will only be given in exceptional circumstances and only with the expressed permission of the Headteacher. An exception may be made for school residential visits or a specific event such as Young Voices.
The school does not keep Calpol or hay fever remedies to administer on an ad-hoc basis during the school day. However, these may be given in exceptional circumstances. Parents will be contacted if their child has a fever, as it is most likely that the chlid will need to go home so that they can rest and recover.
Pain relief will only be given with the expressed consent of the Headteacher for example, for pupils returning to school after sustaining a fracture, dental treatment or older girls with dysmenorrhoea (painful periods).
Hay fever relief will only be given with the expressed consent of the Headteacher for example, for pupils with severe hay fever/allergy which is not controlled by once-a-day antihistamines.
In a very specific circumstance, Calpol may be offered. In this case, parents will be asked to sign a consent form or email the school confirming their permission and to say that the medicine has been administered without adverse effect to the child in the past and that they will inform the school immediately if this changes.
