Health & Wellbeing

We take great care to ensure that all children at our school are happy and healthy. To ensure that we respond appropriately to your child’s needs, we would appreciate being told of any medical condition that your child has suffered from or is currently experiencing. The same applies to anything that might affect their wellbeing, e.g. issues with sleep, behaviour, or significant changes in the family.

Sickness

Any illness that requires your child to stay at home should be reported to the school office by 9am, each day that your child is unwell. Children must be kept at home for 48 hours after the last instance of any vomiting or diarrhoea, in order to prevent other children and staff being infected.

Medicines

We do not normally administer medicine to children in school, unless it is required as part of their daily life, e.g. allergy / asthma medication. If this applies to your child please contact the school office. If your child is prescribed medicine that needs to be given during school time, and you are unable to attend the school to administer this yourself, please speak to the school office. You will need to complete a consent form giving full details of dosage, frequency and storage. Medicine should always be handed to a member of staff and collected again by an adult, even if the container is empty.

Medical appointments

Wherever possible, please try to make medical or dental appointments out of school time. If your child does have a medical appointment during school hours, please contact the office.

First aid

Children who have minor accidents in school receive immediate treatment. All staff are qualified First Aiders. In more serious cases parents will be contacted. It is essential that your emergency contact information is up to date at all times.

Personal care

Occasionally we may have to change a child’s clothing or clean a child due to soiling etc. We always ensure that there are 2 members of staff present and that the child is in agreement with our actions. If a child refuses to let staff assist them we will contact the parent/carer to attend to the child. If you do not want school staff to change your child’s clothing etc. please contact the school office.

School Nurse

Our school nurse can be contacted for advice regarding childhood illnesses or other health concerns, including mental health issues. Please contact the school office for her direct phone number or call the Essex Child and Family Wellbeing Service on 0300 247 0014.

Healthy Schools Status

Essex Healthy Schools is a school health improvement strategy to better the health and wellbeing of children and young people. Writtle Infant School holds Healthy Schools status.

In September 2021 the new Essex Healthy Schools programme was launched. This approach allows schools to focus on the specific needs of their school community around 6 key expectations: trauma informed and trauma reducing practice, PSHE education, mental health and emotional wellbeing, physical activity, food and nutrition, and pupil voice.

Further details of the Healthy Schools Programme can be found by on the Essex Family Wellbeing website.