Medicines and Illness

Medicines and Illness

From time to time children are sick (vomit) either at home or at school. Unfortunately it is not possible to distinguish between the causes, and therefore it is essential that the same rule of exclusion applies in all cases of vomiting or Diarrhoea.

In the Health Protection Agency document, “Guidelines for the Control of Infection and Communicable Disease in School and Early Years Settings”, the guidance is:
‘Diarrhoea and/or vomiting commonly affect children and staff and can be caused by a number of different germs, including viruses, parasites and bacteria. Infections can be easily spread from person to person (by unwashed hands), especially in children. In general, it is recommended that any staff member or child with diarrhoea and/or vomiting symptoms must stay away or be excluded from the school or early years setting until they have been free of symptoms for 48 hours (the ‘48 hour rule’) and feel well. Personal hygiene whilst ill must be very strict.’

If your child is sick at school, we will ask you or your emergency contact to take your child home. They should not return for 48 hours. We appreciate that this is inconvenient in many cases, and you may not believe your child is ill, but you will appreciate that we do this in all cases and it should reduce the risk of infection for all children in school. As an example, if your child is sick at lunchtime on a Tuesday, they should not return to school until after lunch on Thursday, provided there have not been any further episodes of vomiting.

If your child returns to school while still needing medicine we ask that you complete a medication form to accompany your medicine. This needs to be handed to the school office who will then ensure that the medicine is stored correctly and is given at the appropriate time.

If your child keeps medication permanently at school (such as an asthma inhaler, an epipen etc.) it is the parent’s responsibility to ensure the medication is in date and replace once it has expired.

Click here for a copy of the Medication Form

Head Injuries

If your child bumps their head during the school day, an email will be sent to inform you.  We will continue you to keep a close watch on them for the rest of the school day and will contact you by phone if there are any signs of concussion.  If the head injury is deemed to be more than a 'bump' you will be informed of the incident by phone in the first instance.  However, should you be concerned, we advise you to seek medical advice from a doctor or hospital.

The following is issued by Croydon University Hospital for patients who suffer head injuries:

  • An injury or blow to the head may mean that the person who received such an injury might have sustained concussion.
  • Most cases of injury to the head with or without concussion will probably have a headache for a period of about 48 hours.
  • The person concerned may feel out of sorts and irritable during this time.
  • Children tend to react by feeling sick and may even vomit and appear sleepy.  This lasts between 12 and 24 hours.

The child person should be brought to hospital if:

  • The headaches are persistent and severe.
  • The child vomits repeatedly over a long period of time.
  • The child becomes drowsy and finds it difficult to talk.
  • The child becomes very irritable.
  • The child finds it difficult to look at a bright light or the TV.