Student Health Management Policy

SCHOOL AIMS:

• To ensure a supportive, happy and secure environment for learning.
• To encourage the physical and emotional wellbeing of each individual.

RATIONALE:

Discovery Bay International School (DBIS) recognises its duty of care to safeguard the health and wellbeing of all students. This policy outlines clear procedures for managing student illnesses, injuries, and medical needs to ensure a safe and supportive learning environment.

We understand that:

• Balancing health risks with educational needs is crucial. Whilst preventing the spread of infectious diseases is a priority, we also acknowledge the importance of minimising unnecessary absences and supporting students' social and emotional wellbeing.
• Many common childhood illnesses share similar symptoms. This policy provides guidelines to help parents and staff make informed decisions about when students should stay home or return to school.
• Collaboration is key. By working together with parents, staff, and health authorities, we can create a healthy and safe environment where all students can thrive.

PURPOSES:

• To provide appropriate, adequate facilities and trained personnel to address student accidents and illnesses.
• Maintain up-to-date medical information for every student and ensure that this information is accessible to staff who require it to support students.
• To establish a contact database for all parents and emergency contacts so that attention, including doctors, can be given to all students without undue delay.
• To maintain an accurate and up-to-date database record of all injuries and the attention provided to students.
• To stop the spread of infectious illnesses amongst staff and students.
• To raise awareness and provide clear guidelines for parents, students, and staff.
• To minimise unnecessary student absence.

When to stay at home:

1. Students exhibiting symptoms of illness, including but not limited to fever greater than 38 degrees Celsius tympanic (or 37.5 temporal and oral), persistent cough, and runny nose with fever, vomiting, diarrhoea, or significant fatigue.
2. See Appendix 1 for a list of common childhood illnesses.

GUIDELINES FOR MANAGING ILLNESSES, ACCIDENTS AND EMERGENCIES:

When to Return to School:

Students may return to school when:

1. They have been fever-free for 24 hours without the aid of fever-reducing medications.
2. Symptoms have improved or resolved.
3. They have been cleared by a physician for any specific illness, injury, etc, if necessary.

REPORTING ILLNESSES

Parents or carers must notify the school office as soon as possible if their child is unwell. This can be done via JotForm on the Parent Hub. Parents should provide updates regarding the child's condition and expected return date for prolonged illnesses.

A doctor's note is required for absences exceeding three consecutive days due to illness.

Students diagnosed with an infectious disease, such as chickenpox, measles, or mumps, must stay home. They can return to school after being assessed by a healthcare professional who confirms they are fit to return. Parents should provide evidence of this assessment.

The school adheres to the guidelines and directives set by the Centre for Health Protection (CHP) regarding infectious diseases.

Medication Administration:

• The school nurse can administer medication to students with a valid Doctor’s prescription and parental consent. Parents are required to fill out a Prescribed Medications JotForm located on the Parents Hub.
• The school’s health coordinators will only administer over-the-counter medication with prior consent from a parent obtained over the phone or in writing.
• Any medication brought to school must be delivered personally to our medical staff by the parent or carer. Medication will be kept in a secure, locked space.
• Medication must be contained in the original container displaying a pharmaceutical label, the patient’s name, the name of the medication, dosage, time, physician’s name, expiry date and the date the prescription was issued.
• The school does not accept responsibility for any reactions that may occur following the administration of medication sent from home.
• The school does not accept responsibility for any reactions that may occur due to insufficient medication quantities being sent to school.

First Aid and Medical Support

• The school employs qualified Nurses who are available throughout the school day to provide consultation, treatment, and advice to students.
• First Aid supplies are adequately budgeted for and stored safely according to established procedures.
• Other staff members with First Aid training may provide support on school trips or camps.

Communication with Parents

• The school will communicate any outbreaks of contagious illness to parents.
• Parents will be contacted promptly in the event of an accident or injury requiring their attention.

Communication with Staff

• The school will communicate any outbreaks of contagious illness to staff.
• Classroom teachers will be notified when students are being treated for injuries or illnesses.

Accident and Injury Reporting

• The First Aid / Accident Register / Database records all accidents and injuries.
• Nurses will use their professional judgment to determine when to contact parents, such as for head injuries, significant bleeding, or possible fractures.

Encouraging Healthy Practices:

• We will teach, model, and promote healthy handwashing and the use of hand sanitisers.
• Students will be encouraged to cover their mouths when coughing or sneezing.
• Mask-wearing is a personal choice.
• The school will maintain a regular cleaning and disinfecting schedule.

School Closure

The school will monitor the number of confirmed cases of specific illnesses and follow guidance and directives from the CHP regarding the need for deep cleaning or school closure measures. Parents will be informed if individual classes or campuses are required to close due to directives from the CHP.

CONCLUSION:

Discovery Bay International School is committed to providing a safe and healthy learning environment and will administer due care and attention to all students to the best of its ability.

By following this Student Health Management Policy, we can work together to protect our school community and ensure a safe learning environment for all students and staff.

This policy will be reviewed and revised to ensure it remains effective and compliant with local health regulations.

Created: 16.10.2005

Last Reviewed: 05.02.2025

Appendix 1