Good practice when a pupil has a medical condition
Where a child or young person has a medical condition that affects their physical or mental health, they should be supported to:
- Attend school
- Access the curriculum
- Join in with other school activities and social opportunities
Pupils who have a medical condition may need reasonable adjustments to help them access these.
School procedures
Each school should have a policy and procedure for supporting pupils with medical conditions. This procedure should be active after notification of needs, admission or diagnosis. The details should be within their Supporting Pupils with Medical Needs Policy. We encourage families to speak to their child’s school as soon as possible about this. They should also maintain open and up to date discussions about their child’s medical needs.
National guidance states: "Schools do not have to wait for a formal diagnosis before providing support to pupils. In cases where a pupil’s 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 sort of medical evidence and consultation with parents. Where evidence conflicts, some degree of challenge may be necessary to ensure that the right support can be put in place."
Support should concentrate on meeting the needs of your child. It should not be subject to blanket decision-making policies.
Procedures within a school’s Supporting Pupils with Medical Needs Policy should include:
- How to respond to a notification that a pupil has a medical condition, including developing an Individual Healthcare Plan (IHP)
- Who develops the IHP
- Who should contribute to the IHP
- Who to consult e.g. parents and medical professionals
- Arrangements for monitoring and reviewing IHPs
- Managing medicines on school premises
- Transitional arrangements between schools
- The process for reintegration or for when the pupil needs change
- Staff training arrangements
Schools should be creative and flexible in meeting needs. A school must choose how to meet these needs and should be able to show how they are doing this.
In some circumstances it will be suitable for a pupil’s needs to be met in the short-term through a part-time timetable. You can find more information at (Part-Time Timetables).
Schools should inform us of any part-time timetables, or extensions to part-time timetables, using our contact form.
If a pupil is expected to be absent from school for 15 consecutive or cumulative days, the school must tell us using our contact form. Next steps will be guided by the needs of the pupil.
Other services
There are times when other services are likely to be involved. For example, the Child & Adolescent Mental Health Service (CAMHS) or Children and Families First (once known as Early Help).
It is better to provide focussed support when problems first emerge. The right early help services can prevent emerging problems from getting worse.
Children and Families First Services provide support to those needing extra help. The Early Help Assessment ensures they receive all the support they deserve. This builds on a One Family, One Worker, One Plan principle. For further information and contact details see Children and Families First (once known as Early Help).
The Southampton Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) encourage self-referrals from young people and families. For further information, including their referral criteria and referral form please visit Solent NHS Trust.
Some pupils with medical needs may also have special educational needs. They and the school may need to work towards an Education Health and Care Plan. Discuss this with the Special Educational Needs and/or Disabilities Coordinator (SENDCo) of your child’s school. The SENDCo will tell you if it is appropriate for your child.
The Health Conditions in School Alliance is made of over 30 organisations, including charities, healthcare professionals and trade unions who work collaboratively to make sure children with health conditions get the care they need in school. Their site includes:
- An example school policy
- Condition specific Individual Healthcare Plan templates
- Information on specific health conditions
