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Should my child go to school/nursery today?

Regular attendance at school helps your child to build skills and life-long friendships and prepares them for future success. It can be difficult to know whether your child is too ill or too anxious to attend school. The advice below can support you in making a decision about when to send your child to school/nursery.

By law if your child is aged 5 to 16 years old they must be in full time education (at school or at home). It's important to phone school or nursery the first morning and let them know if you are keeping your child at home and the reason they won’t be in.

Missing a lot of school because of ill health can have a big impact not only on your child’s education, but also on how they feel about school. It may affect their confidence, make them feel socially isolated and they may feel nervous about going back to school.

If your child is well enough to go to school but has an infection that could be passed on, such as worms or head lice, let their teacher know.

The advice below is based on government guidelines. Some schools and nurseries may have their own rules. If these rules are causing problems and are different to those below then it may be worth directing your child's school or nursery to the official guidelines by the UK Health Security Agency.

Your child can go to school or nursery with the following illnesses:

  • Worry and mild or moderate anxiety, whilst sometimes difficult emotions, can be a normal part of growing up for many children and young people.
  • Children can sometimes feel a little bit worried about going to school, but prolonged periods of absence are likely to make them worry more.
  • Being in school with the support of their friends and teachers are likely to make them feel less worried than letting them stay at home.
  • For more information go to Anxiety (worry) and talk to your child’s school about how they can support you.

  • Children should be able to go to school
  • They should be encouraged to wash their hands to prevent further spread of infection

For more information go to conjunctivitis.

  • Children with headache, earache or stomach ache should be able to go to school - just let the staff know they have felt unwell
  • Give paracetamol and plenty of fluids to drink
  • If headache, earache or stomach ache persist... seek advice

For more information go to Headache, Earache and/or Tummy Ache.

  • Itchy scalp (may be worse at night).
  • Children can go to school with head lice but they must be treated for the condition to prevent further spreading.
  • Parents should treat their children and other family members by wet combing with a nit comb and conditioner

  • Hand, foot and mouth disease generally causes a mild illness such as fever, sore throat and small painful blisters inside the mouth, tongue and gums, which may also appear on hands and feet. Children can go to school or nursery as soon as they are feeling better - they do not need to stay off untill all the blisters have healed. Hand, foot and mouth disease is most contageous in the 1st 7 days of the illness - young children are more at risk of catching it as they tend to play closely with other children. 
  • Verrucae should be covered in swimming pools and changing rooms.
  • Athletes foot is spread by direct contact with infected people or prolonged indirect contact with contaminated floors including showers. Visit your pharmacist for advice on treatment, take care to dry between the toes after bathing and wear shoes that allow feet to breathe.
  • If your child thas molluscum, they can continue to attend school or nursery, and continue doing activities such as swimming. Children should continue to attend school / nursey but should cover the affected foot with a rubber sock when going swimming.

For more information go to Hand, foot and mouth, Warts and Verrucae, Athletes Foot, Molluscum Contagiosum.

  • Associated with intense itchiness around the bottom.
  • Children should go to school when they have started their treatment
  • Everyone at home should be treated

Your child may be able to to go school or nursery with the following illnesses (if they are well enough):

  • Children and young people with mild symptoms such as a runny nose, sore throat, or slight cough, who are otherwise well, can continue to attend their education setting. However, if your child has a high temperature or is unwell, they should stay at home and avoid contact with other people, where they can. They can go back to school or childcare, and resume normal activities when they no longer have a high temperature and they are well enough to attend.

  • Children should be given paracetamol, plenty of fluids to drink and can be sent to school.
  • Ensure good hand hygiene – dispose of tissues and regularly wash hand with soap and water.
  • If your child is asthmatic, remember they may need their blue inhaler more often.

For more information go to cough and cold.

  • Children should be given paracetamol, plenty of fluids to drink and be sent to school.
  • Glandular fever often associated with high temperature, sore throat (usually more painful than any before) and swollen glands. Child needs to be well enough to concentrate at school.

For more information go to sore throat.

  • Children should go back to school once the rash has stopped weeping and is covered up

Your child will need to stay off school or nursery with the following illnesses:

  • Give paracetamol and plenty to drink
  • Children and young people who are unwell and have a high temperature should stay at home and avoid contact with other people, where they can. They can go back to school or childcare, and resume normal activities when they no longer have a high temperature and they are well enough to attend.
  • If the child's high temperature continues for five days or more, seek advice

For more information go to For more information go to high temperature/fever.

 

  • Often associated with fever, cough, sneezing, runny nose, headache, body aches, exhaustion and sore throat.
  • Ensure good hand hygiene – dispose of tissues and regularly wash hand with soap and water.
  • Children and young people with mild symptoms such as a runny nose, sore throat, or slight cough, who are otherwise well, can continue to attend their education setting. However, if your child has a high temperature or is unwell, they should stay at home and avoid contact with other people, where they can. They can go back to school or childcare, and resume normal activities when they no longer have a high temperature and they are well enough to attend.
  • Vaccinations are the most effective way to prevent infectious diseases. It is important that vaccines are given on time for the best protection. For more information on the NHS vaccination schedule for children please visit NHS vaccinations and when to have them
  • Not sure? seek advice.

Find out more about the flu vaccine for children.

For more information go to For more information go to high temperature/fever.

  • Children should be able to return to school 48 hours after the last episode of diarrhoea or vomiting

For more information go to diarrhoea and vomiting.

  • Itching and rash may be all over the body but is commonly between the fingers, wrists, elbows and arms.
  • Children should go back to school after the first treatment
  • Others at home should be treated

  • Children should go back to school when their lesions are crusted or healed, or two days after starting antibiotics

For more information go to impetigo.

Measles

  • Associated with fever, cough, runny nose, and watery inflamed eyes. Small red spots with white or bluish white centres in the mouth, red blotchy rash. Let your GP surgery know (by telephone) if you think that your child has measles.
  • Children should go back to school four days after the rash has started.
  • Measles can make children extremely poorly and a significant proportion of children end up being admitted to hospital. The the most effective way of stopping your child getting measles is for them to have 2 doses of the MMR vaccine - this is almost 100% effective at preventing measles. 

For more information go to measles.

Chicken Pox

  • Rash begins as small, red flat spots that develop into itchy fluid-filled blisters.
  • Cases of chicken pox are generally infectious from 2 days before the rash appears to 5 days after the onset of the rash.
  • Although the usual exclusion period is 5 days, all lesions should be crusted over before children return to nursery or school.

For more information go to chickenpox.

German Measles

  • Children should go back to school four days after the rash has started. Please let the school know, as pregnant members of staff may be affected

For more information go to German measles (Rubella).

Note: Measles, Mumps and German Measles (Rubella) (MMR) is a notifiable disease and you may get a ring from a public health professional. 

Vaccinations are the most effective way to prevent infectious diseases. It is important that vaccines are given on time for the best protection. For more information on the NHS vaccination schedule for children please visit NHS vaccinations and when to have them  

  • Severe sore throat and painful glands in neck. No runny nose or cough. Associated with sandpaper-like pink/red rash in scarlet fever. If you think that your child has scarlet fever, please contact your GP practice.
  • Children should go back to school 24 hours after starting appropriate antibiotic treatment

For more information go to Scarlet Fever or Strep.

  • Painful swellings in the side of the face under the ears (the parotid glands), headaches, joint pain, high temperature. Let your GP surgery know (by telephone) if you think that your child has measles.
  • Children should go back to school five days from the start of swollen glands.
  • Vaccinations are the most effective way to prevent infectious diseases. It is important that vaccines are given on time for the best protection. For more information on the NHS vaccination schedule for children please visit NHS vaccinations and when to have them

For more information go to mumps.

  • Children should go back to school five days after starting antibiotics. Non-infectious coughing may continue for many weeks.
  • Vaccinations are the most effective way to prevent infectious diseases. It is important that vaccines are given on time for the best protection. For more information on the NHS vaccination schedule for children please visit NHS vaccinations and when to have them

For more information go to whooping cough.

Other information

Medicines in school

  • Children can come to school even if they are taking medicines, as staff are able to give them prescribed medicine in school.
  • Please make sure the bottle has a pharmacy label detailing your child's name, dosage and how frequently they should have it.
  • Please discuss with the head teacher.

School nurse drop-in session

  • Your school nurse is available to meet with you in school. Please ask reception for the school nurse's contact details

Further advice

  • You can also contact NHS 111
  • Local pharmacy - see your local pharmacist for help and advice. In some areas there is a new minor ailment service available (check with your GP for details) called Pharmacy First. If your child has certain minor ailments or conditions you may be eligible for the 'Pharmacy First' service which enables those who get free prescriptions to go straight to their pharmacist for a consultation, instead of going to their GP for a prescription
  • Vaccinations are the most effective way to prevent infectious diseases. It is important that vaccines are given on time for the best protection. For more information on the NHS vaccination schedule for children, click here.
  • Caution needs to be taken with children who are more susceptible to severe infection due to an underlying long term medical condition or being immunocompromised. These children are more likely to require medical review when unwell and are less likely to be able to attend school/nursery

If your child's school or nursery says that they are unable to give any medication without a prescription, this is incorrect. Over the counter medications, such as hay fever treatment or simple pain relief may be given as long as dosing instructions are clearly written on the medication.  Please do not make a GP appointment to obtain over the counter medications with a prescription, you will be advised to get this from the pharmacy directly.

  • Whenever possible, try not to book medical appointments during the school day.
  • If you can’t avoid it, ask your child’s school in advance for a leave of absence and collect your child as close to the time of the appointment as possible and return them to school for the rest of the school day afterwards.

  • Being in school and having the highest attendance possible is one of the best ways to guarantee that your child gets the most out of school, including good wellbeing.
  • For some children, attending school every day will be harder than for others. Schools and local councils have a responsibility to work together with families to solve problems and support your child’s school attendance.
  • If your child is struggling to attend school, the first step is to talk with their school about why they are missing school and what support they can offer.
  • For more information see guidance for parents on school attendance.

Information in this guide is taken from the UK Health Security agency guidelines “Health protection in children and young people settings: A practical guide for staff on managing cases of infectious diseases in schools and other childcare settings.

For more information on if your child is too ill to go to school click on this link.