Parent Medical Support
Billing Brook is committed to meeting and managing the medical needs of pupils to enable them to attend school.
If your child complains of feeling unwell or is obviously unwell, we will notify you at home or work to see if there have been any concerns. Depending on the time of the day and how unwell your child is, you may be asked to come and collect them.
If your child has had an accident at school we will inform you as soon as possible. It is school policy that should a child receive a serious bump on the head, then it is likely they will be taken to hospital after discussion with you and you will be expected to attend. However, we always err on the side of caution and if we cannot contact you, medical advice or action will be taken.
Sickness and Diarrhoea
If your child has sickness or sickness and diarrhoea they should remain at home
until 48 hours after the last bout of sickness or loose motion.
This is in accordance with Public Health England Guidelines and prevents transmission within school.
Administering Medication
No child under 16 will be given prescription or non-prescription medicines without their parent’s written consent. A template for obtaining parental agreement for the school to administer medicine is provided below – short-term and long-term medication.
The school only accepts 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. There are some exceptions. Insulin must still be in date but will generally be available inside an insulin pen or a pump, rather than in its original container. Paracetamol and Ibuprofen can be administered as long as consent has been given by a parent / carer outlining dosage and frequency and the medicine is provided by parents.
All medicines are stored safely. Medicines and devices such as asthma inhalers, blood glucose testing meters and adrenaline pens are always readily available to children and not locked away.
Non-prescribed pain relief -Parents can provide PRN medication for pain relief such as headaches, period pain etc These will need to be in their original box with a clear label with the child’s name and dose. A child under 16 will never be given medicine containing aspirin unless prescribed by a doctor. Medication, e.g. for pain relief, will never be administered without first checking maximum dosages and when the previous dose was taken. Parents will be informed.
The school keeps a record of all medicines administered to individual children, stating what, how and how much was administered, when and by whom. Any side effects of the medication to be administered at school should be noted.
When no longer required, medicines will be returned to the parent to arrange for safe disposal. Sharps boxes will always be used for the disposal of needles and other sharps.
Please note the procedure for Administering Medications whilst at school including trips and residentials:
Medication should be prescribed by a medical professional; it must be in its original packaging with a pharmacy label attached.
- Parents/Carers must also complete an Administering Medication Consent form authorising the school to administer the medication.
- Any Controlled Medication must not travel to school in pupils’ bags or be given in by pupils. This medication must come in via the parent directly or via the adult/escort on the transport. This should be handed to the member of staff meeting the bus or taxi.
We have a Healthcare Assistant who makes sure medical needs are looked after. Billing Brook follows the guidance outlined by the DfE "Managing Medicines in School."
The Healthcare Assistant's role includes:
· Supporting the development and review of Individual Health Care Plans for pupils that have medical conditions or illness’ that require medication in school.
· Liaison with external medical practitioners i.e. School Nurses
In addition to the Healthcare Assistants, we have several First Aiders in each department and a number of staff have completed the NHfT competency framework training to enable them to administer medications.
General Information for Parents and Carers
Emergency Salbutamol Inhaler Use - 2024-2025
Short Term Medication Form - Sept 2023
Long Term Medication Form - May 2025
Sudocrem Vaseline Letter - 2024-2025