Schools should have a written policy on supporting pupils with medical conditions. This page sets out what the policy should cover.
Putting a written policy in place
- All schools should have a written policy on supporting pupils with medical conditions.
- It’s best practice to publish your medical conditions policy on the school’s website.
The policy explains the arrangements you have in place to make sure young people with medical conditions are safe and included in all areas of school life, including sports, break times, day visits and residential visits. Schools should communicate with families and healthcare professionals to put the right support in place.
Schools should take into account how a young person’s condition might affect their learning. For example, research shows that a significantly high proportion of young people with epilepsy have difficulty in at least one area of cognition or behaviour.
Click here to find out more about this in Young Epilepsy’s CHESS (Children with Epilepsy in Sussex Schools) report.
If your school has specific policies relating to young people with epilepsy, you may find it helpful to include these as appendices to the main policy.
You may also find it useful to include in the policy a link to this guide: www.youngepilepsy.org.uk/guideforschools
The Health Conditions in Schools Alliance has produced a template medical policy that you can download for free.