Accidents
If your daughter has any accident which results in an injury that may require her to use crutches, a risk assessment must be completed by the School Nurse before her return to school. Please contact the School Nurse before sending your daughter to school so she can discuss a time for her return and arrange for the risk assessment to be completed.
If your daughter is unwell in School and needs to go home
If a student is unwell and wishes to go home she must see the School Nurse first. She will need to sign in and out at Reception.
If a student is too unwell to remain in school then the School Nurse, her deputy or Reception will contact parents so that they may take her home, or can be informed if the student needs to be taken to hospital.
Parents who are aware that their daughter is unwell are requested not to send her to school: germs spread quickly in a school environment affecting both students and staff.
Prescribed Medicines
Medicines should only be taken to school when essential. Usually this is when it would be detrimental to the child’s health if the medicine were not administered during the school day. We will only accept medicines that have been prescribed by a doctor, dentist, nurse or pharmacist prescriber and accompanied by a signed parent request form. These forms are available from the School Nurse, Reception or the School Office and are also available to download. Medicines should always be provided in the original container as dispensed by the pharmacist and include the prescriber’s instructions for administration. The School Nurse or deputy will not accept medicines that have been taken out of the container as originally dispensed nor make changes to dosages on parental instructions.
Self-management for Emergency Medicines
Students should not carry medicines whilst at school. However, students who have been prescribed medication such as an asthma inhaler or epipen will be encouraged to carry and be responsible for their own emergency medicines in school. These may be kept with the student, provided she is deemed to be responsible in the way she uses and handles the medication.
Senior School students who are prescribed an inhaler or epipien should keep a spare inhaler/epipen in the assigned cupboard in the reception area of the Health Centre. This cupboard is unlocked and can be accessed during school hours. In the Prep School, inhalers/epipens are kept on a clearly marked shelf in the Medical Room at both sites. Inhalers should be clearly labelled and Epipens should be in their original packaging with the dispensing label visible.
Non-Prescription medicines
Parents are able to consent for their daughter to have paracetamol and/or piriton as simple emergency measures within school or for trips.
Parental Responsibilities – Inhalers
Parents have a responsibility to:
- Inform the school if their daughter has asthma
- Ensure the school has a complete and up to date school asthma card for their daughter
- Inform the school about the medicines that their daughter requires during school hours
- Inform the school of any medicines their daughter requires while taking part in visits, outings or field trips and any other out of school activities such as school team sports
- Tell the school about any changes to their daughter’s medicines, what they take and how much
- Tell the school about any changes to their daughter’s asthma (for example, if their symptoms are getting worse or they are sleeping badly due to their asthma)
- Ensure their daughter’s reliever inhaler (and spacer where relevant) are labelled with their name
- Provide their daughter with a spare reliever inhaler, labelled with their daughter’s name
- Ensure that their daughter’s reliever inhaler and the spare are within its expiry date
- Keep their daughter at home if they are not well enough to attend school
- Ensure their daughter has regular asthma reviews with their doctor or asthma nurse (every 6-12 months or as directed).
- If your daughter does not have an inhaler with her and is due to go on a school trip she will not be allowed to attend as we do not always know what will trigger an asthma attack.
Parental Responsibilities – Epipen
An “Epipen” is an easy to use, pre-filled syringe containing adrenaline that is administered by intramuscular injection, and is prescribed to people who have had severe allergic/anaphylactic reactions. Such reactions can be fatal if not treated immediately. Common allergens causing these symptoms are nuts, eggs, rubber, kiwi and strawberries.
It is the parents responsibility to ensure all Epipens kept at school are the correct dosage and within their expiry dates. Parents must inform the School Nurse of any relevant changes in their daughter’s recommended use of Epipen.
No nuts and no sesame policy
Oxford High School enforces a strict policy of no nuts and no sesame in school, including nut and sesame based foods. We ask this is respected at all times and foods containing these substances are not permitted to be eaten in school. We are aware of the impact of nuts and sesame as allergens and take precautions in our catering operations to prevent the occurrence of allergic reactions by the inadvertent consumption of these products.