Supporting Pupils with Medical Conditions
Policy

Document Type Policy
Title of document Supporting Pupils with Medical
Conditions Policy
Policy Reviewed: 1
st September 2023
Policy Amended: 1
st September 2023
Policy seen by all Staff: 12th September 2023
Maintained By Deputy Head teacher
Next Review Date 1st September 2024
Copy held Policy folders
SUPPORTING PUPILS WITH MEDICAL CONDITIONS POLICY
BASED ON THE DONCASTER LOCAL AUTHORITY APPROVED POLICY
This policy has been adopted to support the welfare and safety of the children
attending Sycamore Hall School. Sycamore Hall School complies fully with the
statutory guidance outlined in ‘Supporting Pupils at School with Medical Conditions’
and the legislation outlined in the Children and Families Act 2014, section 100.
Definition
Pupils’ medical needs may be broadly summarised as being of two types:
(a) Short-term, affecting pupils’ participation in school activities whilst they are on a
course of medication.
(b) Long-term, potentially limiting pupils’ access to education and requiring extra care
and support (deemed special medical needs).
Rationale
Local Authorities and schools have a responsibility for the health and safety of pupils
in their care. The Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 makes employers responsible
for the health and safety of employees and anyone else on the premises. In the case
of pupils with special medical needs, the responsibility of the employer is to make
sure that safety measures cover the needs of all pupils at the school. This may mean
making special arrangements for particular pupils who may be more at risk than their
peers. Individual procedures may be required. The employer is responsible for
making sure that relevant staff know about and are, if necessary, trained to provide
any additional support these pupils may need.
The Children and Families Act 2014, section 100, places a duty on schools to make
arrangements for children with medical conditions. Pupils with special medical needs
have the same right of admission to school as other children and cannot be refused
admission or excluded from school on medical grounds alone. Teachers and other
school staff in charge of pupils have a common law duty to act in loco parentis and
may need to take swift action in an emergency. This duty also extends to teachers
and school staff leading activities taking place off the school site. This could extend
to a need to administer medicine.
Key Points
 Pupils at school with medical conditions should be properly supported so that
they have full access to education, including school visits and physical
education.
 The Head Teacher must ensure that arrangements are in place in schools to
support pupils at school with medical conditions.
 The Head Teacher should ensure that teachers consult health and social care
professionals, pupils and parents to ensure that the needs of children with
medical conditions are properly understood and effectively supported.
The prime responsibility for a child's health lies with the parent/carer who is
responsible for the child's medication and should supply the school with all the
necessary information. The school takes advice and guidance from Doncaster Local
Authority where self- administration of medication is encouraged when possible. Our
School Nurse is available to give support and guidance as necessary.
Introduction
The aim is to ensure that all children with medical conditions, in terms of both
physical and mental health, are properly supported in school so that they can play a
full and active role in school life, remain healthy and achieve their academic
potential.
Parents of children with medical conditions are often concerned that their child’s
health will deteriorate when they attend school. This is because pupils with long-term
and complex medical conditions may require ongoing support, medicines or care
while at school to help them manage their condition and keep them well. Others may
require monitoring and interventions in emergency circumstances. It is also the case
that children’s health needs may change over time, in ways that cannot always be
predicted, sometimes resulting in extended absences. It is therefore important that
parents feel confident that schools will provide effective support for their child’s
medical condition and that pupils feel safe. In making decisions about the support
they provide, schools should establish relationships with relevant local health
services to help them. It is crucial that schools receive and fully consider advice from
healthcare professionals and listen to and value the views of parents and pupils.
In addition to the educational impact, there are social and emotional implications
associated with medical conditions. Children may be self-conscious about their
condition or develop emotional disorders such as anxiety or depression around their
medical condition. In particular, long-term absences due to health problems affect
children’s educational attainment, impact on their ability to integrate with their peers
and affect their general wellbeing and emotional health. Reintegration back into
school should be properly supported so that children with medical conditions fully
engage with learning and do not fall behind when they are unable to attend. Shortterm and frequent absences, including those for appointments connected with a
pupil’s medical condition (which can often be lengthy), also need to be effectively
managed and appropriate support put in place to limit the impact on the child’s
educational attainment and emotional and general well-being.
Some children with medical conditions may be considered to be disabled under the
definition set out in the Equality Act 2010. Some may also have special educational
needs (SEN) and may have an Education, Health and Care (EHC) plan which brings
together health and social care needs, as well as their special educational provision.
For pupils who have medical conditions that require EHC plans, compliance with the
SEND code of practice will ensure compliance with this guidance with respect to
those children.
.
Policy Implementation
At Sycamore Hall, Mrs Susan Nicklin has overall responsibility for the
implementation of the school’s policy for supporting pupils with medical conditions.
Mrs Susan Nicklin is responsible for:
 ensuring that sufficient staff are suitably trained;
 ensuring that all relevant staff will be made aware of the child’s condition;
 arranging cover arrangements in case of staff absence or staff turnover to
ensure someone is always available;
 briefing supply teachers;
 risk assessments for school visits and other school activities outside the
normal timetable; and
 monitoring of individual healthcare plans.
Procedures for when notification is received that a pupil has a medical
condition
For children joining Sycamore Hall, arrangements will be put in place in time for the
start of the relevant school term. In other cases, such as a new diagnosis or children
moving to Sycamore Hall mid-term, every effort will be made to ensure that
arrangements are put in place within two weeks.
Schools do not have to wait for a formal diagnosis before providing support to pupils.
In cases where a pupil’s medical condition is unclear, or where there is a difference
of opinion, judgements will be needed about what support to provide based on the
available evidence. This would normally involve some form of medical evidence and
consultation with parents. Where evidence conflicts, some degree of challenge may
be necessary to ensure that the right support is put in place.
Individual healthcare plans
The Head teacher and Inclusion leader work in liaison with class teachers, medical
professionals and parents to ensure a healthcare plan is put in place as is
appropriate to meet the child’s medical needs.
Health care plans are reviewed at least annually, or earlier if evidence is presented
that the child’s needs have changed. Health care plans are developed with the
child’s best interests in mind and ensure that the school assesses and manages
risks to the child’s education, health and social wellbeing.
Individual healthcare plans help to ensure that the school effectively supports pupils
with medical conditions. They provide clarity about what needs to be done, when and
by whom. They will often be essential, such as in cases where conditions fluctuate or
where there is a high risk that emergency intervention will be needed, and are likely
to be helpful in the majority of other cases, especially where medical conditions are
long-term and complex.
However, not all children will require a healthcare plan. The school, healthcare
professional and parent should agree, based on evidence, when a healthcare plan
would be inappropriate or disproportionate. If consensus cannot be reached, the
Head teacher is best placed to take a final view.
The format of individual healthcare plans may vary to enable school to choose
whichever is the most effective for the specific needs of each pupil. The plans will be
easily accessible to all who need to refer to them, while preserving confidentiality.
Healthcare plans capture the key information and actions that are required to support
the child effectively. The level of detail within plans will depend on the complexity of
the child’s condition and the degree of support needed. This is important because
different children with the same health condition may require very different support.
Individual healthcare plans (and their review) will be initiated, in consultation with the
parent, by a member of school staff or a healthcare professional involved in
providing care to the child. Plans should be drawn up in partnership between the
school, parents, and a relevant healthcare professional, e.g. school nurse, specialist
or children’s community nurse or paediatrician, who can best advise on the particular
needs of the child. Pupils should also be involved whenever appropriate. The aim
should be to capture the steps which a school should take to help the child manage
their condition and overcome any potential barriers to getting the most from their
education and how they might work with other statutory services.
Where the child has a special educational need identified in a statement or EHC
plan, the individual healthcare plan will be linked to or become part of that statement
or EHC plan.
When deciding what information should be recorded on individual healthcare plans,
the school will consider the following:
 the medical condition, its triggers, signs, symptoms and treatments;
 the pupil’s resulting needs, including medication (dose, side effects and
storage) and other treatments, time, facilities, equipment, testing, access to
food and drink where this is used to manage their condition, dietary
requirements and environmental issues, e.g. crowded corridors, travel time
between lessons;
 specific support for the pupil’s educational, social and emotional needs – for
example, how absences will be managed, requirements for extra time to
complete exams, use of rest periods or additional support in catching up with
lessons, counselling sessions;
 the level of support needed (some children will be able to take responsibility
for their own health needs) including in emergencies. If a child is selfmanaging their medication, this should be clearly stated with appropriate
arrangements for monitoring;
 who will provide this support, their training needs, expectations of their role
and confirmation of proficiency to provide support for the child’s medical
condition from a healthcare professional; and cover arrangements for when
they are unavailable;
 who in the school needs to be aware of the child’s condition and the support
required;
 arrangements for written permission from parents for medication to be
administered by a member of staff, or self-administered by the pupil during
school hours;
 separate arrangements or procedures required for school visits or other
school activities outside of the normal school timetable that will ensure the
child can participate, e.g. risk assessments;
 where confidentiality issues are raised by the parent/child, the designated
individuals to be entrusted with information about the child’s condition; and
 what to do in an emergency, including whom to contact, and contingency
arrangements. Some children may have an emergency healthcare plan
prepared by their lead clinician that could be used to inform development of
their individual healthcare plan.
Supporting a child with a medical condition during school hours is not the sole
responsibility of one person. Sycamore Hall School will provide effective support by
working co-operatively with other agencies. Partnership working between school
staff, healthcare professionals (and, where appropriate, social care professionals),
local authorities, and parents and pupils is valued and supported by the school to
ensure that the needs of pupils with medical conditions are met effectively.
The Role of Parents/Carers
Parents should provide the school with sufficient and up-to-date information about
their child’s medical needs and provide medical evidence in support of this. They
may in some cases be the first to notify the school that their child has a medical
condition. Parents are key partners and should be involved in the development and
review of their child’s individual healthcare plan, and may be involved in its drafting.
They should carry out any action they have agreed to as part of its implementation,
e.g. provide medicines and equipment and ensure they or another nominated adult
are contactable at all times.
The Role of Pupils
Pupils with medical conditions will often be best placed to provide information about
how their condition affects them. They should be fully involved in discussions about
their medical support needs and contribute as much as possible to the development
of, and comply with, their individual healthcare plan. Other pupils will often be
sensitive to the needs of those with medical conditions.
The Role of School Staff
Any member of school staff may be asked to provide support to pupils with medical
conditions, including the administering of medicines, although they cannot be
required to do so. Although administering medicines is not part of teachers’
professional duties,
they should take into account the needs of pupils with medical conditions that they
teach.
School staff will receive sufficient and suitable training and achieve the necessary
level of competency before they take on responsibility to support children with
medical conditions. Any member of school staff should know what to do and respond
accordingly when they become aware that a pupil with a medical condition needs
help.
The Role of School Nurses
Every school has access to school nursing services. They are responsible for
notifying the school when a child has been identified as having a medical condition
which will require support in school. Wherever possible, they should do this before
the child starts at the school. They would not usually have an extensive role in
ensuring that schools are taking appropriate steps to support children with medical
conditions, but may support staff on implementing a child’s individual healthcare plan
and provide advice and liaison, for example on training.
School nurses can liaise with lead clinicians locally on appropriate support for the
child and associated staff training needs. Community nursing teams will also be a
valuable potential resource for a school seeking advice and support in relation to
children with a medical condition.
The Role of other Healthcare Professionals
Other healthcare professionals, including GPs and paediatricians, should notify the
school nurse when a child has been identified as having a medical condition that will
require support at school. They may provide advice on developing individual
healthcare plans. Specialist local health teams may be able to provide support in
schools for children with particular conditions (e.g. asthma, diabetes, epilepsy).
Staff training and support
Sycamore Hall School will ensure that school staff will feel well- supported in
carrying out their role to support pupils with medical conditions. Training needs will
be assessed in line with the medical needs of pupils and will be reviewed annually.
All members of school staff providing support to a pupil with medical needs will
receive suitable training, either through Local Authority training or training led by
nurse specialists for specific conditions e.g. epilepsy, diabetes, leukaemia.
The relevant healthcare professional will normally lead on identifying and agreeing
with the school the type and level of training required to best meet the needs of the
child.
Training should be sufficient to ensure that staff are competent and have confidence
in their ability to support pupils with medical conditions, and to fulfil the requirements
as set out in individual healthcare plans. They will need an understanding of the
specific medical conditions they are being asked to deal with, their implications and
preventative measures.
The school will ensure that all staff have an appropriate understanding of all medical
conditions affecting pupils. This includes preventative and emergency measures so
that staff can recognise and act quickly when a problem occurs.
The child’s role in managing their own medical needs
After discussion with parents, children who are competent should be encouraged to
take responsibility for managing their own medicines and procedures e.g. use of
inhalers. This should be reflected within individual healthcare plans. Sycamore Hall
uses a specific inhaler healthcare plan for this purpose.
Wherever possible, children should be able to access their medicines for selfmedication (e.g. an inhaler for asthma) quickly and easily. Children who can take
their medicines themselves or manage procedures may require an appropriate level
of supervision. If it is not appropriate for a child to self-manage, relevant staff should
help to administer medicines and manage procedures for them.
If a child refuses to take medicine or carry out a necessary procedure, staff will not
insist upon this, but will follow the procedure agreed in the individual healthcare plan.
Parents should be informed so that alternative options can be considered.
Managing medicines on school premises
Sycamore Hall School’s ‘Managing Medicines’ policy sets out the detailed
arrangements that are followed if children require medicines or pain relief in the
school day or on school visits out of hours. The appendices to the Medicines policy
detail the school’s procedures for ensuring written records are kept of all medicines
administered to children. Records offer protection to staff and children and provide
evidence that agreed procedures have been followed.
Emergency procedures
As part of general risk management processes, Sycamore Hall’s Emergency Plan
details the arrangements in place for dealing with emergencies for all school
activities wherever they take place, including on school trips within the UK.
Where a child has an individual healthcare plan, this will clearly define what
constitutes an emergency and explain what to do, including ensuring that all relevant
staff are aware of emergency symptoms and procedures. Other pupils in the school
should know what to do in general terms, such as informing a teacher immediately if
they think help is needed. If a child needs to be taken to hospital, staff should stay
with the child until the parent arrives, or accompany a child taken to hospital by
ambulance.
Day visits, residential visits and sporting activities
Sycamore Hall School is committed to supporting pupils with medical conditions to
participate in school day and residential visits and sporting activities.
Teachers will make themselves aware of how a child’s medical condition will impact
on their participation, as advised by the appropriate medical professionals, but
Sycamore Hall will offer flexibility for all children to participate according to their own
abilities and with any reasonable adjustments. The school will make arrangements
for the inclusion of pupils in such activities with any adjustments as required unless
evidence from a clinician such as a GP states that this is not possible.
Sycamore Hall School will consider what reasonable adjustments might be made to
enable children with medical needs to participate fully and safely on visits. A risk
assessment will be carried out so that planning arrangements take account of any
steps needed to ensure that pupils with medical conditions are included. This will
require consultation with parents and pupils and advice from the relevant healthcare
professional to ensure that pupils can participate safely.