As parents and carers of school-aged children will know, cold and flu season is well and truly upon us.
You may, however, also know from reports in the media that there have been large increases in school absence post-pandemic. And a lot of this absence is caused by illness.
It can sometimes be difficult for parents and carers to know when a child is well enough to go to school, or whether they need to stay at home. But school attendance is vitally important for children and young people.
Evidence shows that when a pupil’s attendance improves, the likelihood of achieving good qualifications at the end of school increases.
The NHS has a great guide to help you make judgements about illness and school attendance.
As the ‘Is my child too ill for school?’ guidance sets out, when it comes to common illnesses like coughs and colds, if it’s mild, sending your child to school is generally okay.
If, however, they’ve got a temperature of 38°C or above, it’s best to keep them home until their temperature returns to normal and they feel well enough to attend. Encouraging good hygiene practices, like regular handwashing and disposal of used tissues, helps prevent the spreading of germs.
For some infectious illnesses, there is specific advice for how they should be managed. For example, children with chickenpox should stay at home until the itchy rash has crusted over, usually around five days after its appearance.
Cold sores and conjunctivitis, although contagious, need not keep children from school, but precautionary measures like not sharing items or touching affected areas help prevent spread.
Vomiting and diarrhoea means staying home until a full 48 hours have passed since the last episode to prevent spread.
The guide provides more detailed information on various illnesses beyond the ones mentioned above.
What health experts are advising
Christina Gray, Director for Communities and Public Health, Bristol City Council said: “It’s really important for children to be in school if they are well enough. School attendance is vital for children’s progress and development. School is important for learning, but also for their social, and emotional wellbeing.
“I hope that this guidance, developed by health and educational professionals, will help parents and carers have the confidence to know when to send children to school. Please do share it and support all of our children to have the best possible start in life.”
Government health leaders, including the Chief Medical Officer, have also issued a letter to school leaders to help them to support parents to make these decisions.
You can read the full statement here.
How teachers and school staff are supporting parents
Kirsty McLeod-Hughes, Vice Principal and Attendance Lead at Summerhill Academy in Bristol said: “At Summerhill Academy, we want and expect our pupils to attend school on time, every day unless they are really not well enough. In our termly attendance communication to families, we are explicit in our message that minor ailments need not be a reason for staying at home, especially during the winter months.
“These include tummy ache, headache, runny nose and a slight cough. When a member of our Attendance Team makes contact with the family of a child who is reported as not in school due to a minor illness, if appropriate, they are encouraged to come into school if they feel better as the day goes on.
“Families are reassured that if their child attends school feeling slightly under the weather, but feels worse during the school day, they will be contacted if we think they need to go home. This is all part of our ‘kind and clear’ approach.”
To find out more information about keeping your child off school when they’re ill click here.
