Supporting Children / Young people with medical needs in school
Key points
Pupils at school with medical conditions should be properly supported so that they have full access to education, including school trips and physical education.
Governing bodies must ensure that arrangements are in place in schools to support pupils at school with medical conditions.
Who is this guidance for?
This statutory guidance applies to:
- governing bodies of maintained schools (excluding maintained nursery schools)
- management committees of PRUs
- proprietors of academies, including alternative provision academies (but not including 16–19 academies)
Please see the MK Statutory Guidance for supporting pupils in school with medical conditions below:
MK Statutory Guidance for supporting pupils in school with medical conditions
The full Department for Education Guidance can be found in the link below:
Supporting pupils at school with medical conditions (publishing.service.gov.uk)
Children / Young people with health needs who cannot attend school
Key points
Local authorities must:
- Arrange suitable full-time education (or as much education as the child’s health condition allows) for children of compulsory school age who, because of illness, would otherwise not receive suitable education.
Local authorities should:
- Provide such education as soon as it is clear that the child will be away from school for 15 days or more, whether consecutive or cumulative. They should liaise with appropriate medical professionals to ensure minimal delay in arranging appropriate provision for the child.
- Ensure that the education children receive is of good quality, as defined in the statutory guidance Alternative Provision (2013), allows them to take appropriate qualifications, prevents them from slipping behind their peers in school and allows them to reintegrate successfully back into school as soon as possible.
- Address the needs of individual children in arranging provision. ‘Hard and fast’ rules are inappropriate: they may limit the offer of education to children with a given condition and prevent their access to the right level of educational support which they are well enough to receive. Strict rules that limit the offer of education a child receives may also breach statutory requirements.
Who is this guidance for?
Local authorities, though it may also be of interest to all those supporting the educational attainment of a child with health needs, including all types of schools, providers of alternative provision, parents and providers of health services.
Education for children with health needs who cannot attend school - Statutory guidance for local authorities and departmental advice for others ensuring children with health needs receive education.
Children and Young People Unable to Attend School because of Health Reasons Policy
This policy document should be read alongside the statutory guidance produced by the DfE: ‘Ensuring a good education for children who cannot attend school because of health needs.
This policy currently under review, new policy due to be shared in January 2025.
Mental health issues affecting a pupil's attendance: guidance for schools
The Department for Education have produced a summary of responsibilities where a mental health issue is affecting attendance and examples of effective practice.
Summary of responsibilities where a mental health issue is affecting attendance
Support for pupils where a mental health issue is affecting attendance Effective practice examples
