Paracetamol in high schools

[DumpedByText]

If your high school child has a headache/toothache or other pain and needs paracetamol how do the school go about giving it to them.

Do they phone home each and every time they need it or do you agree to it at the beginning of the new school year, or do you agree for the duration of their time at the school (unless circumstances change).

The teens have their own in their back packs.
Dd has her own Ibuprofen for period pains.

My DD has some in her backpack. The school called me when she had a headache and asked me to drop some in for her.

I had to sign a consent form and had a phone call every time until y11 I think.

When I was at school we just carried paracetamol in our bags like you would as an adult.

The school will have a policy on it but some will only give prescribed medication.

They have their own. Although they can go to the medical room and ask for some. We gave blanket permission before they started school in year 7.

Dd has some in her bag, she can just take it herself if needed.
I wouldn't expect school to ring me if she needed it now.
(Dd said apparently you aren't supposed to take it into school and only prescribed meds are allowed)

My DD has a strip in her bag, I don’t think she’s ever been given any by the school.
DS2 carries his own inhaler as well, school don’t have a spare for him.

DS has his own in his bag but it’s only because I trust him to take them correctly, As he’s had them quite often due to injuries

I imagine an awful lot of secondary school children won't like to go and ask. Hence having their own makes sense.

Mine takes his own. Only a couple at a time though

My yr8 DD12 carries it with her and, as far as I know, takes it unsupervised at break/lunch.
Never even thought to tell school, I've discussed dosage and dangers with her and I trust her to take it properly. She takes antihistamine under her own steam too. School are aware of her allergies but have no input in her med management

If they need any I give them a couple and they put them in their lunch box or blazer pocket to take later. School has no input

Our school gives out consent forms at the start of the year, for various things including paracetamol. They will only give paracetamol out at lunchtime, to avoid overdosing if the student took paracetamol at home in the morning.

Not allowed their own-I thought that was standard.
But you can sign their planner at the start of the year and they will give it when asked. If you want them to have ibroprofen then you send some in named to be held at the medical room for them.

My secondary school allowed you to carry some for personal use until one girl in my year went round a good number of people asking if they had any then took an overdose. Thankfully she survived. The policy changed after that (and the school came down very hard on anyone found to be carrying any).

Dd's secondary only allows paracetamol if a parent/guardian comes in to administer it, no pre- signed consent and no permission to administer by staff allowed.

School phone to ask permission each time. Only happened maybe twice in the nearly 5 years she’s been there.

We sign a consent form every September to last for the whole academic year.

The school have a prescribed bottle for ds (severe headaches). DD just manages .

DD has ibuprofen and paracetamol in her bag and takes them if necessary. Usually only for period pains.

@MargaretThursday

Not allowed their own-I thought that was standard. But you can sign their planner at the start of the year and they will give it when asked. If you want them to have ibroprofen then you send some in named to be held at the medical room for them.

This all changed in my children's school with covid and it was suggested they have a plaster etc on them.

Mine always had paracetamol anyway as I can trust them not to abuse them but think it's ok for them to be self sufficient

Our son’s school didn’t allow students to take in anything but prescribed medication and if they needed paracetamol the parents would be called and asked to take some in to give it to their child (who would be waiting in the reception area with a glass of water).
Luckily the only time I was called in was when I was just five minutes away from the school.

They just keep it in their bag. I have no idea if it’s ‘allowed’. Wouldn’t occur to me to ask.

@MadisonAvenue

Our son’s school didn’t allow students to take in anything but prescribed medication and if they needed paracetamol the parents would be called and asked to take some in to give it to their child (who would be waiting in the reception area with a glass of water). Luckily the only time I was called in was when I was just five minutes away from the school.

Thankfully my school have never had an issue but I feel for other parents like us, if that's the case, as she's a bit of a sickly kid and I absolutely could not just drop out of work at a moments notice to drive 35mins (one way!) to give her a paracetamol or an antihistamine every time she needs it. I simply wouldn't be able to work as she needs AH 1-3 times a day and takes paracetamol for the headaches that her allergies/AH sometimes cause.
I trust my DD to take her meds, we've had lengthy conversations about them and the dangers.

My eldest had her own in her bag. She suffered migraine, and the school were shambolic in all regards so I didn’t trust them to call me if she started to have an aura.

Middle is at specialist provision, they ring if he is in pain, and they’re good at making him have lots of water to try fend off his headaches.

Smallest at primary, so nothing permitted unless prescribed.