Is My Child Too Ill for School?

It can be difficult to decide whether or not to keep your child off school or nursery when they're unwell. There are Government Guidelines for school and Nurseries about managing infectious diseases at Gov.uk

These guidelines detail when children should be kept off and when the shouldn't. If you do keep your child at home it is important to contact school before 9.20am giving a clear reason for the absence.

If your child is well enough to come to school but has a minor illness such as a cough or cold staff will always monitor their well being and will contact parents during the day if necessary.

Please follow this advice for other illnesses - guidance taken from the NHS.

NHS Website - Is my child too ill for school?

Illness	Time to be kept away from school	Comments
Cough and Cold	Your child can come to school with a minor cough and cold	If they have a high temperature (above 38°) keep them home until this goes.
High Temperatures	Keep at home until temperature goes
Chickenpox	Keep at home until all the spots have crusted over	Usually after 5 days first appear
Cold Sores	No need to keep your child at home	Encourage children not to touch the blister or kiss anyone while they have the cold sore, or to share things like cups and towels.
Conjunctivitis	You don't need to keep your child away from school if they have conjunctivitus unless they are feeling very unwell.	Encourage children to not rub their eyes and wash their hands regularly
Covid -19	If your child has mild symptoms, such as a runny nose, sore throat, or slight cough, and feels well enough, they can go to school.	Your child is no longer required to do a COVID-19 rapid lateral flow test if they have symptoms. But if your child has tested positive for COVID-19, they should try to stay at home and avoid contact with other people for 3 days after the day they took the test.
Ear Infection	If your child has a severe earache, keep them off school until they're feeling better	Also, if they have a high temperature keep them off school until it goes away
Hand, Foot and Mouth	If they are feeling well in themselves there's no need to keep them off school.	Encourage your child to throw away any used tissues straight away and to wash their hands regularly.
Head Lice and Nits	No need to keep our child off school.	Treat the headlice.
Impetigo	Speak to GP or pharmacist. Keep them off school until all the sores have crusted over and healed, or for 48 hours after they start antibiotic treatment.	Encourage your child to wash their hands regularly and not to share things like towels and cups with other children at school.
Ringworm	Your child can attend school once they have started treatment.	See GP or pharmacist for treatment.
Scarlet Fever	Your child can attend school 24 hours after starting antibiotics.	They will need treatment with antibiotics from a GP.
Slapped Cheek Syndrome	No need to keep your child off school	Once the rash appears, they are no longer infectious but advise school.
Sore Throat	There is no need to keep your child off school unless they have a high temperature.	Please keep your child off school if they have a high temperature until it goes away.
Threadworm	There is no need to keep your child off school.	Speak to a pharmacist who can recommend a treatment.
Vomting and Diarrhoea	Your child should stay off school for 2 days (48 hours) from the last episode of sickness.