On this page you will find a number of links to a set of documents which are statutory guidance from the Department for Education. The main document you should refer to is called ‘Supporting pupils at school with medical conditions‘ and you should keep an eye on Gov.UK for any updates. This guidance is for:

a) Governing Bodies of maintained schools (and therefore for the direction of all staff in maintained schools)

b) Proprietors of academies

c) Management committees of PRUs.

The documents are also relevant for any member of staff supporting children with medical conditions.

Statutory guidance sets out what schools and local authorities must do to comply with the law. You should follow this guidance unless you have a very good reason not to.  The templates give example text that schools can use to:

1) Create and invite parents to contribute to a child’s individual healthcare plan

2) Ask for parental agreement for administering medication

3) Keep a record of medicine administered to children

4) Keep a record of staff training in administration of medication  

Information can also be sought from your school nurse, or from relevant professionals involved in the child’s care (such as Occupational Therapists, etc).

Keep an eye out for any updates on the main Gov.uk website which is detailed at the end of the resources document.  Some documents on the Gov.uk website state that they were due a review in the Autumn of 2017, however, they have not been replaced yet so use them as current guidance. 

Please make a space on the SHaW section of your staff notice board for any of the posters or information below.

Adrenaline auto-injectors – spare – emergency Epi-pens

Anaphylaxis Campaign FAQ for schools

Anaphylaxis guidance for early-years settings

Asthma Guidance for Schools from Public Health

Exclusion table – list of infections and timescales HPA (part of Health Protection in Schools)

Guidance on the use of adrenaline auto-injectors in schools

Health Protection in Schools and other childcare facilities

Keeping children safe in education

Mental Health and Behaviour in Schools

PHE / NHS Infection Control poster (1)

PHE / NHS Infection Control poster (2)

PHNI poster – Infection Control Action for Schools

Spare / emergency inhalers in schools

TIME – guidance on managing asthma attacks in schools

16 March 2020:  Emerade 150mcg auto injector: Patient Recall

There is guidance about the recall on gov.uk and the official recall from the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency. There is useful guidance for schools in both documents.

The recall also applies to any Emerade 150mcg devices held within schools and therefore these devices will need to be returned to pharmacies and replaced with alternatives. Also to highlight that Emerade 150 microgram pens in schools should only be returned to the pharmacy once they have a replacement device. Further advice is available within the alert.

General, non-urgent queries can be emailed to Nina Bickerton (Schools’ H&S Advisor).