Sickness and Medication

 Sickness

If your child is unwell and needs to stay at home, please contact the school office by 9.30am at the latest.  This can be done by telephone (0208 304 0242) or email (admin@barrington.bexley.sch.uk). 

If your child has sickness and/or diarrhoea, you must have 48 hours clear of these symptoms before the child returns to school, as they can be infectious.

Parents are requested to send a letter or email to the school when their child returns explaining the reason for absence.  These are held on file and each child’s attendance is monitored for patterns of absence or other concerns the school may have.

Medicine

Children who need any sort of medication in school time should take it to the school office on arrival at school, together with written instructions from a parent or doctor. If a child requires medicine during the school day, parents can come in to school to administer it, or staff can oversee older children administering their own medicine. If your child requires medicine during the day, and you are unable to come in to school, please discuss this with the school office staff who will do their best to help.

Asthma inhalers are kept in the school office and are available any time children need them. Parents are responsible for making sure that the inhaler held at school remains ‘in date’.

For children with an Epipen, diabetes or other ailments that require a regular preventative treatment, plans will be drawn up between healthcare providers, parents and the Headteacher; these are reviewed regularly.

Information for parents about head lice

Head lice are very common, particularly among primary age children. They are very small greyish parasitic insects that live only on human scalps. They cannot fly, or jump, or burrow into the scalp, but they cling firmly onto hair. Having head lice isn't the result of dirty hair or poor hygiene. All types of hair can be affected, regardless of its length and condition. Head lice are usually picked up from someone who has them by head-to-head contact; it takes about 30 seconds for an adult louse to transfer from one scalp to another.

Parents are advised to check their children’s hair regularly for signs of head lice.  Treatments are available from pharmacies or parents may prefer to use the wet-combing method.  We have combs available from the school office – please ask if you would like one.  There is no need for children to be kept away from school if they have head lice, but we would ask you to treat them and keep the child’s hair tied back if possible.  

More information about head lice is available from the NHS website:

http://www.nhs.uk/conditions/head-lice/pages/introduction.aspx

Information for parents about threadworm

Threadworms are tiny parasitic worms that are common in primary age children.  They are white and look like small pieces of thread.  There are usually no obvious symptoms of an infection, but your child may have an itchy bottom, particularly at night.  

Chemists sell effective treatment for threadworm over the counter, but good hygiene is very important to avoid reinfection.  There is no need for children to be kept away from school due to threadworm.  

Parents can find more information on the NHS website http://www.nhs.uk/Conditions/Threadworms/Pages/Introduction.aspx