As you know only too well, children fall ill from time to time. Children normally like to run about and play, so if your child appears “off colour”, unusually quiet or listless, there is probably something wrong. When a child is obviously unwell, the best place to be is at home.
Do not send an unwell child to school; they will be very unhappy and unable to cope with school work. If the illness is infectious, other children and the teacher may also become ill. Children prescribed antibiotics by their doctor should normally remain at home until they have completed the course.
Occasionally a doctor’s prescription may make it necessary for medicine to be taken at mid-day even though the doctor regards the child as fit to attend school. In these circumstances, please speak to the school office who can answer your questions and give you a consent form to sign.
You must always inform us if your child has any medical condition which may affect them in school, e.g. asthma, epilepsy, diabetes, allergies or sickle cell anaemia. If your child does suffer from asthma, they must have their medication in school at all times and know how and when to use it.
Your child will be offered an examination by the school nurse soon after starting school, and you will be informed, in advance, of the date and time, and asked to be present, if you wish. You will appreciate that it is very much in your child’s interests to have this examination as it forms an essential basis for a continuing pattern of effective health care throughout his or her school life. There may be follow-up examinations from time to time. Hearing and vision checks are carried out every one or two years.
Leaflets are also available from the school office (or click on the link below), explaining how to deal effectively with headlice – a common problem in all schools!
WHEN YOUR CHILD IS HURT
When your child suffers a minor injury – a cut or a bruise – we administer simple first aid. In the event of a more serious injury or the onset of any illness that might require medical attention beyond our scope and ability, we contact you to take him or her to your doctor or to the Casualty Department of the hospital. You or an alternative contact must collect your child as soon as possible when they are hurt or sick.
If, however, we suspect that an accident might have caused the fracture of a bone or some internal injury, we treat the case as an emergency and send for an ambulance to take the child to hospital. When this happens we contact parents immediately, giving full details of the accident and ask them to go at once to the hospital to meet their child.
Physical activity guidelines for children and young people
How much physical activity do children and young people aged 5 to 18 need to do to keep healthy?
To stay healthy or to improve health, young people need to do three types of physical activity each week: aerobic exercise and exercises to strengthen bones and muscles.
The amount of physical activity you need to do each week is determined by your age.
Guidelines for 5 to 18-year-olds
To maintain a basic level of health, children and young people aged 5 to 18 need to do:
-
at least 60 minutes of physical activity every day – this should range from moderate activity, such as cycling and playground activities, to vigorous activity, such as running and tennis
- on three days a week, these activities should involve exercises for strong muscles, such as push-ups, and exercises for strong bones, such as jumping and running
Many vigorous activities can help you build strong muscles and bones, including anything involving running and jumping, such as gymnastics, martial arts and football.
Children and young people should reduce the time they spend sitting watching TV, playing computer games and travelling by car when they could walk or cycle instead.
What counts as moderate activity?
Examples of activities that require moderate effort for most young people include:
- walking to school
- playing in the playground
- riding a scooter
- skateboarding
- rollerblading
- walking the dog
- cycling on level ground or ground with few hills
Moderate activity raises your heart rate and makes you sweat. One way to tell if you're working at a moderate level is if you can still talk, but you can't sing the words to a song.
What counts as vigorous activity?
Vigorous activity is linked to better general health, stronger bones and muscles, as well as higher levels of self-esteem.
There is good evidence vigorous activity can bring health benefits over and above that of moderate activity. A rule of thumb is that one minute of vigorous activity provides the same health benefits as two minutes of moderate activity.
There's currently no recommendation on how long a session of vigorous activity should be for this age group.
Examples of activities that require vigorous effort for most young people include:
- playing chase
- energetic dancing
- swimming
- running
- gymnastics
- football
- rugby
- martial arts, such as karate
- cycling fast or on hilly terrain
Vigorous activity makes you breathe hard and fast. If you're working at this level, you won't be able to say more than a few words without pausing for a breath.
What activities strengthen muscles?
Muscle strength is necessary for daily activities, and to build and maintain strong bones, regulate blood sugar and blood pressure, and help maintain a healthy weight.
For young people, muscle-strengthening activities are those that require them to lift their own body weight or work against a resistance, such as lifting a weight.
Examples of muscle-strengthening activities suitable for children include:
- games such as tug of war
- swinging on playground equipment bars
- gymnastics
- rope or tree climbing
- sit-ups, press-ups etc
- gymnastics
- football
- rugby
- tennis
Examples of muscle-strengthening activities suitable for young people include:
- sit-ups, press-ups etc
- gymnastics
- resistance exercises with exercise bands, weight machines or hand-held weights
- rock climbing
- football
- basketball
- tennis
Children and young people should take part in activities that are appropriate for their age and stage of development.
What activities strengthen bones?
Bone-strengthening activities produce an impact on the bones that promotes bone growth and strength.
Examples of bone-strengthening activities for children include:
activities that require children to lift their body weight or work against a resistance
- jumping and climbing activities, combined with the use of playground equipment and toys
- games such as hopscotch
- skipping with a rope
- walking
- running
- gymnastics
- dance
- football
- basketball
- martial arts
Examples of bone-strengthening activities for young people include:
- dance
- aerobics
- weight training
- running
- gymnastics
- football
- rugby
- netball
- hockey
- badminton
- tennis
- skipping with a rope
- martial arts
Children and young people should take part in activities that are appropriate for their age and stage of development.
