Management Information Sheet
Revised Statutory Guidance - Supporting pupils at school with medical conditions (September 2014)
In September 2014, the DfE published 'Supporting pupils at school with medical conditions', this is statutory guidance for governing bodies of maintained schools and proprietors of academies in England.
It replaces previous guidance on 'Managing medicine in schools and early years settings' (March 2005)
The new guidance sets out the responsibilities on schools and governing bodies in line with Section 100 of the Children and Families Act 2014. This places a duty on governing bodies of maintained schools, proprietors of academies and management committees of PRUs to make arrangements for supporting pupils at their school with medical conditions.
This guidance should be read in conjunction with 'Guidance for Norfolk schools on making referrals for medical needs'.
A related MI paper on supporting pupils with medical conditions and the use of emergency inhalers in schools has also been published.
Please use this link for Health homepage/Supporting Pupils with Medical Conditions
A link to the DfE guidance was included in the Autumn 2014 governor briefing issued by Norfolk Governor Services since there are significant responsibilities placed on governors with reference to pupils with medical conditions
What this means for schools
- Pupils at school with medical conditions should be properly supported so that they have full access to education, including school trips and physical education
- Governing bodies must ensure that arrangements are in place in school to support pupils at school with medical conditions
- Governing bodies should ensure that school leaders consult health and social care professionals, pupils and parents to ensure the needs of children with medical conditions are effectively supported
- Governing bodies should ensure that the school develops a policy for supporting pupils with medical conditions that is reviewed regularly and is readily accessible to parents and school staff
Some children with medical conditions may be disabled; where this is the case governing bodies must comply with their duties under the Equality Act 2010
At all times, the focus should be on the needs of the child and the arrangements should give parents and pupils confidence in the schools ability to provide effective support in school.
Governing bodies should ensure that the school policy sets out the procedures to be followed whenever a school is notified a pupil has a medical condition and includes the role of Individual Healthcare Plans and the persons responsible for their development
Where a pupil is certified as medically unfit, the LA will make alternative arrangements in accordance with the statutory and Norfolk County Council guidance. The school remains responsible for ensuring educational provision whilst the referral is ongoing.
A child who is unable to attend school because of health needs must not be removed from the school register unless:
- The pupil has been certified by the school medical officer as unlikely to be in a fit state of health to attend school, before ceasing to be of compulsory school age, and;
- Neither the pupil nor the parent has indicated to the school the intention to continue to attend the school, after ceasing to be of compulsory school age.