The full Managing Illness and Medicines Policy can be found on our policies page
This Policy adheres to Government guidance and recommendations from the following publications -
Supporting pupils with medical conditions at school. Ref DFE-003393 2014. Published 1st September 2014. Last updated 16 August 2017.
First aid in Schools. Ref DFEE-20025-2000.Published 15th August 2000. Last updated 14th February 2022.
Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 2013 (RIDDOR).
The policy will be reviewed annually by Cambourne Village College First Aid Support Co-ordinator who will liaise with the Health & Safety and Disability Leads.
If a pupil is unwell, they should not be in school. Please do not send your child to school if he or she is ill, including having a raised temperature. If you consider your child is well enough to be in school, we will support your assessment and encourage them to stay for the whole day. If they require any medication, please refer to the relevant paragraphs below. Any pupil who vomits and or has diarrhoea will be sent home. Pupils who have vomited and or had diarrhoea within the last 48 hours should not be sent to school, in accordance with DfE guidelines. Parents/carers should contact the Pupil Absence Line or send an email to cam-absence@cambournevc.org, on each day of absence to inform the school if their child is going to be off school due to illness.
If your child becomes unwell or is injured whilst at school, they should inform their teacher. The teacher will then notify the first aid room and ask for them to be assessed by a first aider. If the first aid room is closed, the pupil will access first aid from the main reception. Pupils will be examined and assessed by a first aider and an appropriate triage of symptoms undertaken. If it is considered that a pupil needs to go home, then a parent/carer will be contacted by the first aid team and asked to collect their child. If a pupil decides they do not feel well enough to be in school and contacts their parent/carer direct to be collected, this absence will be unauthorised.
Parent/carers should ensure contact details are current and that they always have arrangements in place for their child to be collected from school should the need arise. A responsible adult must collect them and if this is not a person with parental responsibility, we will require written permission from the registered email address of a parent/carer with details of the authorised person collecting. A pupil is generally not allowed to walk or cycle home alone if unwell.
If a pupil has an accident at school, they will be examined by a first aider. The first aider will follow guidance and training received on their first aid course and take appropriate action. If there are concerns about the injury, parents/carers will be contacted and asked to refer the child to their GP or Accident/Minor Injuries Department at the local hospital.
If a parent/ carer cannot be contacted and it is felt the pupil requires emergency medical attention, an ambulance will be called. If a parent/carer cannot be contacted, then an appropriate staff member will accompany the pupil in the ambulance and remain with the child until a parent/carer arrives. Staff will notify parents/carer as soon as reasonably possible about the incident.
The school will follow internal procedures for contacting emergency services.
Parents/carers will be notified if their child sustains a minor head injury which gives no immediate cause for concern so they can monitor their child for any developing signs of delayed concussion. An email will be sent from Medical Tracker to the registered email address of the priority contact to give further details of symptoms that need to be observed for and recommended action to be taken.
There are regulations regarding medicines in a school setting. By law, parents/carers must give written consent for their child to carry their own medication and/or to be given medication by the school. Only certain medication for conditions, such as an allergy which causes anaphylaxis, asthma, or diabetes, will be allowed to be carried by pupils whilst in school. For other recognised and diagnosed medical conditions, there is provision for the school to store and dispense medication to the pupil when necessary, following receipt of written consent.
Unless it is deemed essential for their condition, pupils are not allowed to carry their own medication. This includes over the counter and prescription medications for pain relief.
All relevant consent forms must be completed by the parent/carer. It is the parent/carer’s responsibility to ensure that medication is handed to the main office or direct to the first aid team. Medication must be in date, in its original packaging, and clearly labelled with pupil’s name.
Parents/carers are responsible for ensuring that the medication held by the school is in date and remains appropriate for their child’s condition. They are also responsible for notifying the school of any changes to the administration protocol for the medication. Any out-of-date medication will be disposed of. It is NOT the school’s responsibility to notify parents/carers if medication is out of date.
There is no legal duty requiring school staff to administer medication. This is a voluntary role. If teaching/support staff wish to administer medication, they will receive appropriate training and guidance and follow the school policy on administering medicines.
Medicines should only be taken at school when essential; ie, where it would be detrimental to a child’s health if the medicine were not administered during the school day. We would encourage parents/carers to ask the prescriber to consider the use of medicines that only need to be taken outside school hours. If medication were required three times a day, it could be taken before school, after school and before bedtime, thereby removing the need to bring medicines into school.
If non-routine medication is administered, an email will be sent to the registered email address of the priority contact to give details of the time and dosage given, and details of the pupil's symptoms. This is to ensure that administration guidelines can continue to be followed once the pupil returns home.
Each medication requires a completed consent form. For emergency medications, such as asthma inhalers or autoinjectors, please see the separate section below.
Parents/carers should complete Form 1 for medication that has been prescribed by the doctor, or for analgesics/allergy relief bought over the counter. A trained first aider can administer the medication to the pupil in the first aid room. It is the pupil’s responsibility to present to the first aid room, with their class teacher’s permission, if their medication needs to be taken at a specific time.
Form 3 requires completion if a parent/carer wishes their child to be allowed to carry their own medication at school. Medicines should always be provided in the original container or box as dispensed by pharmacist or as purchased from a shop, and clearly marked with the child’s name. For their own safety, and for that of other persons, pupils should not be carrying their own pain relief medication in school. Parents/carers will need to confirm that their child is responsible enough to understand the administration requirements of their medication and that their child has taken the medication previously without experiencing any side effects.
Separate consent forms will be required for autoinjectors and inhalers (see below). Please complete the Inhaler Consent or Autoinjector Consent form as appropriate.
No child under 16 will be given medicines without their parent’s/carer’s written consent unless exceptional circumstances apply.
Medicines will be stored in a locked cupboard in the first aid room except for emergency medication, such as adrenaline auto-injectors, which are stored in the emergency cupboard in the main reception office. Medicines requiring refrigeration will be stored in the first aid room fridge. Keys for the first aid room are held with the first aid support coordinator and first aid pastoral support. In the event of neither being available, the site team, SLG, Year Teams and Centre Manager can access the first aid room.
All medication brought into school must be accounted for, stored in the correct conditions, and recorded when given to the pupil. Each medication requires a completed consent form.
Any medication that is prescribed for pupils that is controlled by the Misuse of Drugs Acts will be stored as per guidance and kept in a locked cupboard in the first aid room. The administration of this medication to a pupil requires the signature of two members of staff.
Cambourne Village College believes in promoting equal opportunities for all pupils in every aspect of school life. The school will assess each individual pupil’s needs, as young people vary in their ability to cope with health inequalities or a particular medical condition. Parents/carers have a responsibility for their child’s health and should provide the school with information about their child’s medical condition. Parents/carers must update the school regarding any changes to their child’s health or medical condition throughout their time at the school.
There are disabled toilets throughout the school. There is a lift at the school entrance and lift keys are available when required, such as wheelchair usage.
Emergency boxes are stored in the emergency cupboard in the servery behind the main reception office and are accessible at all times.
An emergency cupboard is located in the servery behind the main reception office and contains:
Links to this guidance can be found in our full Managing Illness and Medicines Policy.
All emergency medication, such as adrenaline auto injectors and asthma inhalers, can be carried by the pupil and/or kept immediately accessible in the school’s reception. There are separate consent forms to cover autoinjectors and inhalers to ensure it is clear whether emergency medication is carried on the pupil or held by the school, and that we have the appropriate authority to administer the school’s spare if necessary.
Please complete the Inhaler Consent and/or Autoinjector Consent form as appropriate.
Emergency boxes are stored in the emergency cupboard in main reception. Medication to be held by the school should be placed in a plastic box with the student’s name on all sides, with a recent photograph of them attached. Individual protocols (eg Allergy Action Plan or Asthma Action Plan), together with signed consent forms, should be inside the box.
Emergency information that is pertinent to administering emergency medication, (such as known potential anaphylaxis), or to conditions requiring immediate treatment (such as epilepsy), is shared with all staff. Electronic information is held on Bromcom and Medical Tracker and hard copies of all emergency protocols are kept in the first aid room & in the pupils’ emergency boxes.
Details of pupils' food allergies, intolerances and restriction/preferences will be shared with our caterers, Innovate, via the shared Point of Sale software, Vericool.
All other medical information is documented on Bromcom and Medical Tracker. All medical information is treated in the strictest confidence.
All attendances to the first aid room will be documented by the first aid team using Medical Tracker, an online reporting and recording system to which only limited, relevant staff have access.
Any medication, whether routine or ad hoc, given to a pupil by staff will be documented on Medical Tracker. Parents/carers will be notified by email from Medical Tracker of any ad hoc medication doses given to their child.
If a pupil refuses to take medication, staff will not force them to do so but will inform parents/carers by phone or email.
Staff will not administer medication unless suitably trained. If there is any doubt about procedures, staff will check with parents/carer or a healthcare professional before taking further action.
In addition to the procedures outline in the above Accidents and Emergencies section if a pupil has an accident in school, this will be recorded on the central spreadsheet and, if appropriate, parents/carers will be notified. If the accident is reportable, following guidance from Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 2013 (RIDDOR), the form is completed online and returned to the Health and Safety Executive. All accidents will be audited each term and reviewed on a termly basis within the Health and Safety meetings. This is to assist with improving the health, safety and welfare of all pupils and staff at Cambourne Village College.
Training needs will be assessed to ensure the school provides adequate first aid cover throughout the school.
First aid awareness training is provided to all staff on joining and refreshers are given annually on training days within school or another suitable time for existing staff. Catch-up sessions are held for any member of staff not able to attend. Additional training to meet individual students’ additional specific requirements is arranged as and when required.
More detailed training for anaphylaxis/epilepsy/asthma/diabetes is offered to all staff via online training and from the first aid team.
The school follows all procedures as set out in the County School Visits guidance. The rules on administration of medicine are concordant with those above.
The school trips policy can be viewed on the Policies Page.
Most pupils with medical conditions can participate in physical activities and extra-curricular sport. Some pupils may need to take precautionary measures before or during exercise and may need immediate access to their medicines such as asthma inhalers and/or auto injectors. Staff and pupils should make sure such medication is accessible.
If it is not possible for the pupil to carry their own medication during the activity, they should make sure it is given to the staff member in charge of the sport or activity. This should be labelled clearly with the pupil’s name, to avoid any confusion, as there may be several medications handed in. Parents/carers have a responsibility to name medication clearly. Staff cannot be held responsible if unable to give medication because it is not correctly named.
If a pupil has an emergency box, this will accompany them on all offsite trips and activities.
Cambourne Village College
Sheepfold Lane, Cambourne
Cambridge CB23 6FR
Tel: 01954 284000
Email: thecollege@cambournevc.org
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Cambourne Village College is an academy of The Cam Academy Trust, a company limited by guarantee and registered in England and Wales with company number 0749 1945.
The registered office is at Comberton Village College, West Street, Comberton, Cambridgeshire, CB23 7DU
