Health & Welfare
Health Care
The school is under the care of a community nurse, who is based at a local Health Centre and who can also be contacted via the school office.
Emergency contact
In the event of illness or accident, the school requires a point of contact to be given to us either at home or at work and details of any other responsible adults to be contacted. A form will be sent out to all parents in September. Please ensure that changes of telephone numbers and addresses are always given to the school secretary.
The appropriate measure may be first aid at school (by qualified members of staff) or treatment at a local hospital if we are unable to contact parents or in case of an emergency. The school does not have the facilities for looking after sick children. Please inform us if children need treatment during the school day and collect and return them via the secretary’s office so that registers are accurate.
Qualified first aiders:
All of the school’s support staff have been trained in first aid.
Medicines in School
School staff cannot administer routine medication, such as antibiotics and paracetamol, during the school day. If medication has to be administered at midday then it is the parent’s responsibility to make arrangements for the administration of medication by either coming to school and giving it personally to his/her child or by delegating that responsibility to another named adult (relative, childminder).
Medication can only be administered by school staff in the following circumstances:
- that it is necessary to preserve life e.g. in the case of allergic reactions, asthma attacks, diabetes and all life threatening illnesses.
- that it is an ongoing illness/health problem which needs to be treated immediately before the condition worsens e.g. migraines, hay fever.
In both cases the medication can only be administered if:
- the medication is accompanied by a doctor’s/parents note.
- the parent takes responsibility for the delivery of the medicine to school, its replacement if out of date/finished and for the collection as necessary.
Parents will be required to fill in a consent form, which is available from Mrs. Bacon who is based in the office. For further details please see the school’s policy on medication available from the Headteacher.
Health Education
All children participate in a health education programme during their years at Bar Hill School. This is part of the Personal, Social, Health and Citizenship programme that we follow.
The governing body has a responsibility to ensure that sex and relationship education take place. This takes place within a broad health education programme, which include input from the school nurse. For younger children it takes place within projects on topics such as growth, ourselves etc. and incidentally as opportunities arise e.g. the arrival of a new baby, responding to questions.
A more formal approach is included in the work of years 5 and 6 and is supported by the use of three video programmes and involvement of the school nurse. Parents are informed when the work takes place and are invited to preview the programmes if they so wish.
A copy of the school’s policy is available on request. Parents may withdraw their children from these sessions after informing the headteacher.
Locality Team
As a school we receive the support services of a Locality Team which is based in Swavesey Village College. The main aim of the Locality Team is to work in partnership with schools, parents and other services to work in a preventative way and to share information in order to enable every child to reach their full potential. If, therefore, you have particular concerns about your child e.g. about health, emotional, social or learning needs please contact the Headteacher who will then make an assessment as to whether a referral to the locality team is appropriate. A key post in the Locality Team is that of the Education Welfare Officer.
The primary function of the Education Welfare Officer is to support the school in ensuring that all children attend regularly and punctually. The EWO monitors late arrivals and occasionally conducts audits in liaison with the school. The EWO may also act in a liaison capacity building up relationships between the school, family and child and education department. He will support, explain and advise on many of the issues that may prevent a child enjoying or attending school.
Guidance and advice may also be given in respect of free school meals, uniform grants, and maintenance grants.
Child Protection
It may be helpful for parents/carers to know that the law (Children Act 1989) requires all school staff to pass on information which gives rise to a concern about a child’s welfare, including risk from non-accidental injury, neglect, emotional or sexual abuse. The staff will seek, in general, to discuss any concerns with the parent / carer, and where possible seek their consent to a referral to social services.
This will not be done where such discussion and agreement-seeking will not place the child at increased risk of significant harm.
Schools are encouraged to take the attitude that where there are grounds for concern they should be very cautious and seek advice from Social Services, rather than to risk a child’s safety. Occasionally, this duty on head teachers means that a concern is passed on which is later shown to be unfounded. It is hoped that parents/carers will appreciate how difficult it is for schools to carry out this delicate responsibility, and accept that the head teacher was acting in good faith and in the best interests of all children.
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