school nurses and primary schools which are academies/free schools in bristol area and uk

[uzan]

The school my children attend has 'opted out' of school nurse services and as such does no screening for reception children, and has no point of contact for families re safeguarding issues, health issues etc. I am aware that school nurse services are now offered in 'piece' format being bought in as needed and I am keen to have more information about schools which are not run by local councils and the choices they are making. Please parents and carers help me to build a case to get my childrens' school the school nurse services they deserve and need, when I asked this subject to be raised by the governors the information they received from the vice principal was that 'no schools have school nurses anymore', can this possibly be true? Please help me fellow carers, I would love to share your knowledge and experience

They are not correct. All state run schools have a school nurse service in my area this includes the academies too. The nurses are not usually based at school and one nurse will probably have responsibility for several schools but the service is there.
Private schools have usually got a school nurse directly employed by them who acts as more of a matron type person.

If there is a child at the school with a safeguarding plan who do the school think will be the person responsible for over seeing the health parts of the plan? This would usually be the school nurse who would in turn link into the child's GP as needed.

School nurses are for all school age children, they do not necessarily need to be in school, eg; school nursing service is still available for children who are home ed. I do not see why you couldn't access their services as an individual or how the school could prevent them being involved if that is something that you wanted. They still have to work in partnership with other agencies, free school or not.

Thank you Mrs James Martin, it's very useful to have your knowledge. I rang the school nurse team in shirehampton who informed me that the academy/free school primaries have the option to buy in services and that my childrens' school are currently 'negotiating' to buy in the services in 'pieces' ie pay for reception height/weight/sight/ hearing checks or school nurses to provide allergy plans etc They also informed me that a number of the non local council funded schools ( redland green/ colston) initially opted out of the service ( not wanting to pay for it). The response filtered back to me from the vice principal seemed wrong/inaccurate but the new systems of free/academy schools are not clear to me. My childrens' school is a state school but I think funded centrally. Your comment about safeguarding is very pertinent and useful and I will add that to my armoury I am keen to accumulate as much as possible to ensure that there is a named school nurse at our school, particularly as children between 4 -5 who are in school are in a no mans land in that the health visitors see them as within the 'school nurse' remit. I have a child with severe allergies and so would take great comfort in having a school nurse available, my own difficulties also made me more greatly aware of the needs likely shared by other parents at our school.

I think that the situation is very fluid. The funding which the academy school would have been receiving can be used as how they think best. From April 2013 the funding regime changes. I do not know exactly where this funding is within the DSG for schools but I suspect strongly that it will now be devolved to each school, so that they can buy back the service if they want. I would not hold your breath that all community schools will buy back the service.