Should a child go to school/nursery today?

  • Give paracetamol and plenty to drink.
  • After paracetamol, if your child feels better, bring them into school.
  • If the child's high temperature continues for three days or more, seek advice.

For more information go to Fever/High Temperature.

  • Children with headache, earache or stomach ache can go to school - just let the staff know they have felt unwell.
  • Give paracetamol and plenty of fluids to drink.
  • If headache, earache or stomach ache persist... seek advice.

For more information go to Earache and/or Tummy Ache.

  • Children should be given paracetamol, plenty of fluids to drink and can be sent to school.
  • If your child is asthmatic, remember they may need their blue inhaler more often.

For more information go to Cough and Cold.

  • Children should go back to school when recovered - this is usually about five days.
  • Not sure? seek advice.

For more information go to Fever/High Temperature.

Find out more about the Flu Vaccine for Children.

  • Children should be given paracetamol, plenty of fluids to drink and be sent to school.

For more information go to Sore Throat.

  • Children can return to school 48 hours after the last episode of diarrhoea or vomiting.

For more information go to Diarrhoea and Vomiting.

  • Children can go to school with head lice but they must be treated for the condition to prevent further spreading.
  • Parents should treat their children and other family members by wet combing with a nit comb and conditioner.

  • Children can go back to school after the first treatment.
  • Others at home should be treated.

  • Children can go to school when they have started their treatment.
  • Everyone at home should be treated.

  • Children can go to school.
  • Verrucae should be covered in swimming pools and changing rooms.

For more information go to Hand, foot and mouth, Warts and Verrucae, Athletes Foot, Molluscum Contagiosum.

  • Children can go to school.
  • They should be encouraged to wash their hands to prevent further spread of infection.

For more information go to Conjunctivitis.

  • Children can go back to school when their lesions are crusted or healed, or two days after starting antibiotics.

For more information go to Impetigo.

Measles

  • Children should go back to school four days after the rash has started.

For more information go to Measles.

Chicken Pox

  • Children should be kept off school for 5 days after the onset of the rash. It is not necessary for all of the spots to have healed or crusted over because the risk of transmission to other children after 5 days is minimal.

For more information go to Chickenpox.

German Measles

  • Children should go back to school four days after the rash has started. Please let the school know, as pregnant members of staff may be affected.

For more information go to German Measles (Rubella).

  • Children should go back to school 24 hours after starting appropriate antibiotic treatment.

For more information go to Scarlet Fever or Strep.

  • Children should go back to school five days from the start of swollen glands.

For more information go to Mumps.

  • Children should go back to school five days after starting antibiotics. Non-infectious coughing may continue for many weeks.

For more information go to Whooping Cough.

Medicines in school

  • Children can come to school even if they are taking medicines, as staff are able to give them prescribed medicine in school.
  • Please make sure the bottle has a pharmacy label detailing your child's name, dosage and how frequently they should have it.
  • Please discuss with the headteacher.

School nurse drop-in session

  • Your school nurse is available to meet with you in school. Please ask reception for the school nurse's contact details.

Further advice

  • You can also contact NHS 111.
  • Local pharmacy - see your local pharmacist for help and advice. In some areas there is a new minor ailment service available (check with your GP for details) called Pharmacy First. If your child has certain minor ailments or conditions you may be eligible for Pharmacy First, a service which enables those who get free prescriptions to go straight to their pharmacist for a consultation, instead of going to their GP for a prescription.

Information in this guide is taken from the Public Health England South West Health Protection Team 'The Spotty Book: Notes on infectious diseases in Schools and Nurseries' - October 2017

https://www.england.nhs.uk/south/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2017/09/spotty-book-1.pdf

Improving the physical and emotional health and wellbeing of expectant mothers, infants, children and young people throughout Aneurin Bevan University Health Board Area.

(N.B: The Family and Therapies team at ABUHB is NOT responsible for the content on the webpage links that we refer to in our resource sections and linked information to external sites. All information was accurate and appropriate at the time the webpage was created.)

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