Medical Information
If your child is unwell
We would expect a parent/carer to telephone the school on the first day of absence preferably by 9.30am by calling 01449 613541 and selecting Option 1. If you do not telephone us, we will contact you. If we do not receive an explanation, or if the explanation is unsatisfactory, we will not authorise the absence.
If your child becomes unwell or is injured whilst at school
Your child would need to let a member of staff know. The procedure would be for the member of staff to then call patrol if they felt the student needed first aid or medical attention. Patrol may be able to assist the student or may then escort them to first aid/medical for further treatment or assessment. The first aider would either treat or advise the student and if necessary call parents/carers to inform or collect.
If your child has a medical condition
All medical information should be shared with school to enable us to support your child. If needed a Health Care Plan can be written detailing any special requirements or actions. If you wish to discuss any medical needs further, please get in touch with the Medical Administrator Louise Millerchip on 01449 613541 or alternatively via email l.millerchip@stowhigh.com
If your child requires medication in school, there are two options:
Parents/carers can give their permission for their child to carry and administer their own medication whilst in school, for example painkillers. Also it is advised that emergency medication and equipment is carried on the student for example inhalers, diabetic equipment and supplies, Adrenaline Auto-Injectors.
Considerations before consenting to your child carrying their own medication:
- Ensure your child is aware that they must not give any other students any medication in school under any circumstances and that they are mature and responsible enough to undertake the responsibility of carrying their own medication.
- It is your (parents/carers) responsibility to send only the appropriate amount of medication in to school with your child and to inform the medical administrator and sign the correct paperwork to consent
Alternatively, medication can be handed in to reception for staff to administer as needed once parents/carers have filled out a form to give their permission, medication such as antibiotics and painkillers. Both forms can be found below, please fill them in and return to Main Reception for the attention of the Medical Administrator.
Please click the links below to access the relevant medication permission forms:
Form 3A – Parental agreement for school to stock medicine
Form 7 – Parental agreement for child to carry medicine on them whilst in school grounds
As we have a number of students in our school who suffer from severe nut allergies and require emergency medication. For those who have severe nut allergies, coming in to contact with a nut product, can cause life threatening consequences. It can be easily contracted from a simple handshake or touching of a pupil’s table who may have had some nuts in their food. For this reason, it has been agreed that as of the 2nd September 2019 students and parents must not bring any products that contain nuts as a main ingredient in to school. We are also aiming to raise awareness within school regarding allergies and severity it poses to some students. We would appreciate parents and carers supporting us with the awareness and impacts of allergy, by sharing information with your child/children at home.
We do not claim to be a ‘nut-free’ school. As The Anaphylaxis Campaign advises that this is not a pragmatic approach, for the following reasons;
It would be impossible to provide an absolute guarantee that the school is nut free
Pupils regularly bring in food from home and food bought on the way to school
There would be a risk that children with allergies might be led into a false sense of security
There is a strong case to be argued that children with food allergies will develop a better awareness and understanding of how to manage their allergies if they grow up in an environment where allergens may be present.
However, despite being unable to guarantee a nut free school environment we would like to promote a restriction on these products, as much as is reasonably possible.
We ask that you or your child do not bring any products containing nuts in to school. Some examples are:
- Fruit and cereal bars that contain nuts
- Chocolate bars or sweets that contain nuts
- Nutella
- Peanut butter
- Cakes made with nuts
- Museli bars
- Baklava
- Any loose nuts
Our school caterers provide us with nut-free products, however, they cannot guarantee freedom from nut traces. For more information please see caterers website https://www.vertas.co.uk/company/vive/
Spare Emergency Medication
From the 1st October 2017, the Human Medicines (Amendment) Regulations 2017 has allowed schools in the UK to buy adrenaline auto-injector devices (known as AAIs) without a prescription to use in an emergency on children who are at risk of a severe allergic reaction (known as anaphylaxis) but whose own device is not available or not working.
Also from 1st October 2014 the Human Medicines (Amendment) (No. 2) Regulations 2014 allowed schools to buy salbutamol inhalers, without a prescription, for use in emergencies. The emergency salbutamol inhaler should only be used by children, for whom written parental consent for use of the emergency inhaler has been given, who have either been diagnosed with asthma and prescribed an inhaler, or who have been prescribed an inhaler as reliever medication.
Stowmarket High School now holds a spare Asthma inhaler and Adrenaline Auto-Injector for use in school and on trips in accordance with the above regulations.
In addition to this; the devices could be used in an emergency on students displaying life threatening symptoms but with no previous history or diagnoses of an allergy or asthma. As stated in guidance from the Department of Health published 15th September 2017- Guidance on the use of adrenaline auto-injectors in schools.
Many thanks for your support on this matter.
