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Medical Advice

Supporting Pupils with Medical Needs

At Huntingdon Academy, the health, safety and wellbeing of every child are at the heart of everything we do. We are committed to providing a safe, nurturing and inclusive environment where all pupils, including those with medical conditions, feel supported and empowered to thrive.

Our Supporting Pupils with Medical Needs Policy outlines how we work in partnership with families and healthcare professionals to ensure children’s individual medical needs are understood and appropriately supported throughout the school day.

Every child deserves to feel safe, included and confident in their ability to participate fully in school life.

Administration of Medication in School

At Huntingdon Academy, the health, safety and wellbeing of every child are our priority. We work closely with parents and carers to ensure medication is managed safely and appropriately throughout the school day.

Where possible, we encourage parents and carers to administer medication outside school hours. This may involve arranging doses around the school day, where medically appropriate, or visiting school to administer medication.

However, we understand that some children require medication during school hours, and we are committed to supporting their individual medical needs.

If Your Child Requires Medication During School Hours

  • Bring medication to the school office. Medication must be handed directly to office staff by a parent or carer, not given to class teachers or brought in by children themselves, unless an agreed individual healthcare plan specifies otherwise.
  • Complete a permission form. Parents and carers must complete and sign an Administration of Medication Permission and Record Form before staff can administer medication.
  • Ensure medication is correctly labelled. All medication must be supplied in its original container, clearly labelled with the child’s name, dosage and administration instructions.
  • Collect any remaining medication. For short-term medication, parents and carers must arrange to collect any unused medication from the school office when it is no longer required.

Medication will only be administered by authorised staff once the necessary consent and information have been received, in accordance with our Supporting Pupils with Medical Needs Policy.

Need Further Information?

If you have any questions or would like to discuss your child’s medical needs, please contact Mrs Sally King, our Attendance and Medical Officer, who will be happy to help.

Our aim is to ensure every child receives the care and support they need to feel safe, included and ready to learn.

Antibiotics in School

At Huntingdon Academy, we understand that children may occasionally require antibiotics during the school day. Our priority is to ensure medication is administered safely while minimising disruption to children’s learning.

Where medically appropriate, we encourage parents and carers to speak with their GP or pharmacist about arranging antibiotic doses outside school hours.

  • Twice-daily antibiotics can usually be given before school and in the evening.
  • Three-times-daily antibiotics may be given before school, after school and at bedtime, where this follows the prescribed instructions.
  • Four-times-daily antibiotics may require a dose during the school day.

If Antibiotics Are Required During School Hours

To ensure children’s safety, parents and carers must:

  • Complete a consent form authorising school staff to administer the medication and confirming any known allergies.
  • Provide medication in its original, clearly labelled packaging, showing the child’s name, medication name, dosage and dispensing details.
  • Bring medication to the school office and arrange for its collection when required.
  • Administer the first dose at home, wherever possible, so any immediate adverse reactions can be monitored.

All antibiotics will be stored securely and refrigerated where required, following the instructions on the medication label.

Medication will only be administered in accordance with the prescribed instructions, parental consent and our Supporting Pupils with Medical Needs Policy.

If you have any questions, please contact Mrs Sally King, our Attendance and Medical Officer, who will be happy to support you.

Over-the-Counter Medication

For the safety and wellbeing of our pupils, school staff are unable to administer non-prescribed, over-the-counter medication, such as Calpol, paracetamol or ibuprofen.

If your child requires this type of medication during the school day, parents or carers are welcome to arrange to visit school at lunchtime to administer it themselves.

If your child is unwell and requires regular pain relief, we encourage you to consider whether they are well enough to attend school.

If you have any questions or concerns, please contact our school office for further guidance.

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