Health advice from boarding school parents needed

[Dwafffamily]

Evening,
Really hoping some current parents could offer me some advice? My DS will be entering boarding school for yr9 this Sept and he has asthma, eczema and hay fever. I am wondering how parents felt a child health condition was looked after or managed? Is the child completely responsible or do you find housemaster and matron/nurse team, will be on top of and actively helping the children manage?
Do they make sure games teachers and the like are also fully informed?

[Habanero]

It depends on the school, and the age of the child. You need to talk to the Matron about how your child’s condition needs to be managed.

[worstwitch18]

Will depend on your particular school policy you would be better to ask them.

In general we had two nurses: the official one and the one who was employed as a deputy house parent. There were medication rounds for oral medication and everything except epipens and inhalers were removed and locked away to prevent misuse. (This was for yr 7-11).

But your child's school may manage things differently.

[DancingLedge]

Absolutely will depend on school.
Matrons we encountered were very good at this stuff.Gave out meds.Kept an eye out. Refilled prescriptions. Sent to Dr if necessary.
Good to have Matrons mobile number.Make a point of this. You'll need , at the very least, to be aware /coordinate what meds you're collecting at start of each hols, so you don't run out.

When returning to School, meds had to be signed over to Matron. Giving chance for update.
And signed out for hols.


Plus one of huge benefits of boarding school was, rock up at the San at the right time, say 8.30 = automatic Dr consultation. That day . Rarely available elsewhere in NHS. And Dr would speak to parents on phone.( No idea if this is common).

Whatever your DCs needs are, the school will have seen them before. Just be very clear .

[sendsummer]

IME what worstwitch says. No self medication for younger years at senior school. Matron or equivalent is in charge of storage and dispensing. Some DCs find this annoying when they are used to managing their own medication.

[GinAndToast]

Ask your school. My teen isn't even allowed to take an ibuprofen without her matron knowing though 😂. I like it, although I can appreciate it's weird if a child has been used to managing it all. Obviously inhalers and epipens are carried by students. I also know of a school that has stashes of things all over the school for a child with severe diabetes and who organised whole staff training so everybody knew what to do in an emergency.

I feel reassured to know there are other adults who care what they take, and when, and who will work with you to be the best support to the student.

[hertsandessex]

For serious potentially life threatening conditions like asthma, or say diabetes, matrons and boarding staff are all over it like a rash, so to speak. For less serious issues like eczema and hay fever a lot more of the responsibility on the child.

[Michaelahpurple]

At DS1 school (year 9 upwards) he is allowed his own acne cream and practiced vitamin D but his antihistamine, nasal inhaler , and antibiotics etc are held by the matron. Now he is in year 10 I think he might be allowed his nasal inhaler but there seem to be occasional crackdowns and then it is gathered in again. They are great about filling prescriptions etc

[Michaelahpurple]

Another comment though. My son had probably missed only about three days sick from years 4-8. Since being at boarding school he has been really unwell once every term (nothing serious , just really bad vomiting bugs or colds etc temps over 38.5) once very term, with him being sent hime early for expats or just in normal term time once very term until this one when instead he was sent home 12 hours early and then ill in bed for the first 5 days if the hols. It is just germ o rama, and they aren’t even in dormitories. While houses have been evacuated quite regularly.

Brace yourself.

[GinAndToast]

@Michaelahpurple it can work the other way. Teen hasn't missed a single day of school since she started boarding and has never been sent home early.

I think it varies child to child.

She has had nits though a few times 😩 All that hugging teenage girls do!!!! The matron has been all over it though and does the whole friendship group at once and sticks bedding through an extra wash, etc.

[GinAndToast]

Actually, your school needs to do more cleaning if it's happening regularly!

[Michaelahpurple]

It always seems to be different bugs but possibly yes. Or perhaps bouabare wimps!

[houselikeashed]

Ds has migraines, and he had to give his medication over to the house matron. However, he is a sensible boy so he was also allowed a small amount locked in his safe, just in case he couldn't find the matron in time. He has to tell matron he has taken some, so they know in case of an emergency.
He has spent one night in the med centre so he got some quiet, the others he has managed in his own room.

Just ask what the school procedure is. He won't be the first or last there with these problems.