How do schools deal with headlice?

[Fluffymonster]

Apologies if this has been done to death, but this isn't so much about treatment as how to spot the buggers. And how do the schools manage it.

I'm getting a bit paranoid as dd2 has just started Reception and has already brought home a generic letter about a case of headlice found in her class - asking parents to check, provide necessary treatment etc.

I think school has been checking her head, as she has long hair, and when she comes out, her plait is looser etc. Do teachers check every day/week?

I always thought that if your dc has them, the teachers would notify the parents of the child in question, but from reading a recent thread, it seems this isn't always the case. It seems odd to me for a school not to speak to the parents involved...

I've looked at her scalp, around the neckline and on the crown, but don't see any tiny specs, or anything moving - but then am quite shortsighted, so keep wondering every time she scratches her head if it's her.

Would it be obvious?

Get yourself a nitty gritty and comb once a week - if there any lice or nits you will see them. If you see them comb more often and you're rid of them swiftly.

IME schools don't do anything. They definitely don't check children's hair - just send a letter home if they become aware of lice in the class.

Teachers won't be checking heads. The plait will have loosened all by itself.

If staff are notified of an infestation, or if one is so noticeable that they're seen without rummaging (or perhaps if teacher gets the little buggers fom a pupil), then they'll put out a nit notification - eg by note or pinned up notice by classroom door or in a newsletter - to ask parent's to check and treat if necessary.

in our school, we let the teacher know if we have found nits in our DC's hair. They then send out the generic letter.
They certainly don't check hair any more. They might notice if a child was particularly scratchy but IME, there's no shame or anything - it's just one of those things

Schools don't have time to check heads. They send out a letter and it's down to parents to deal with it.

When DD started reception with bought a nitty gritty comb and started combing with conditioner once a week.

DD is in year one now and still comes out looking like she has been through a hedge backwards, good luck to any teacher that tries to nit check her without treats, iPad AND the TV to distract her

Right. Thanks for clarifying - I'm obviously an old gimmer, as still recall the school nurse going around checking heads in my day.

Will use the Nitty Gritty comb to check once a week then.

I would love to have a nit nurse back in school. The little girl that sits next to DD has them and constantly scratches, she must be uncomfortable

Our HT checks the whole school's heads periodically and then texts or phones parents if anything is found. Parents can opt their children out if they choose (only one person ever has) and any child can refuse if they wish. It's very anonymous because dd is always happy to report that no one has nits in her class in fact I think parents tend to keep on top of things more because they know there will be spot checks done in school.

Getting rid of nitty Nora was a mistake imo. I never got lice until I had kids.

We don't check the children's hair - a lot of parents would complain if we did. If someone tells us, then we send the letter. If we spot children doing the tell tale scratch, we send the letter. On one occasion, a child was seen flicking hers across the table so we sent the letter and told the Mum as it was a definite case.

We check with the comb twice a week or at the first sign of DD scratching away.

Unfortunately, leaving it once a week can be too late. If they've had a full grown one donated to them by a kindly friend, then it's been busy laying LOTS of eggs by the time even a few days has passed.

2kidsintow Ewww at the 'flicking across the table'! So they are quite visible then. Would they be about as big as a full stop on a pc screen? That size, I could see quite easily if they had any.

It does make sense to check twice a week, I suppose. What a pain lol. There's me blissfully unaware all this time, and only doing the occasional check by hand. We do use Vosene Kids 3 in 1 shampoo, so maybe just been lucky (so far).

I think most schools would love it if the school nurse could check hair regularly

The eggs are white and the "nits" tend to be the egg cases which tend to be at the roots of the hairs. The lice are fairly big, not quite flea size but probably about 1-2mm long.

Thing is, nits are pretty much inevitable and nothing to be ashamed or worried about. They are irritating and annoying and relatively easy to treat.

The fact you are sending her to school with her hair in a plait is good, as it is harder to transfer when the hair is tied back. Maybe get some tea tree shampoo - although make sure you find one that is not too astringent as this will dry the hair/scalp.

I think a nit nurse in school would be a waste of resources!

Babies are as large as the full stop on the keyboard - adults are more the size of the ! on the keyboard - and a similar long shape. They are usually described as 'about the size of a sesame seed'.

It's not as easy to spot them as you think, unless they are in the fringe area or where the scalp is easy to see on the parting, for example. The combing is a more reliable method.

If your DD is in a group of children who have vigilant parents then great - you could be lucky and she could get them rarely. My DD1 only had them a couple of times through all of primary school.

DD2 was in a class with a few children who were often rife with them and she brought them home at least once a month for a few years - it was the bane of my life. Her school even sent TAs on 'special training' and told the parents that they would check hair if they felt the needed to. And they were phoning parents of children who had them to ask if they could collect the child and return them once treated.

I didn't mind them checking the hair.

I've had parents of children in my own class livid that their child has 'brought them home 13 times since Christmas' demanding to know what school is going to do, when really they'd never managed to break the cycle of nits that their own child had in the first place.

We do tend to have a check of children who are very itchy. My TA can spot lice at 50 paces. We also have a word with parents if we see that their child is affected.

Surely you would notice your child scratching and can take a look?

It's impossible to get a comb through my girls hair let alone a nitty gritty. I have one here, in case I need it, but doing a weekly comb isn't an option.

I spray hair with dilute tea tree oil, tie it up and hope for the best.

Dds school isn't allowed to check. But if a decent parent checks and finds them, then teachers (and siblings teachers) are notified and generic letter goes out.

Some slatternparents don't bother checking or doing anything. Which is why they keep bloody coming back.

I've taught children who have never been free of head lice from nursery to Y6 it's a nightmare for the school and responsible parents whose children are continually reinfected.

At one time if a child was seen to have nits they were sent home and parents told to bring them back when treated, but that doesn't seem to be the case now.
The problem is that whilst some parents are fastidious, others are less so and their kids keep re-infecting the others.

I can see eggs on dark hair and would have a quiet word with the parent. The school would probably send out a letter too.

Try putting a couple of drops of tea tree oil in shampoo or conditioner. Some parents use hairspray too as prevention.

A generic note goes home if a parent tells us about their child having them and sometimes we can actually see the little blighters on a child in which case the parent is informed. No physical rummaging is allowed!! Also a quick inspection does not always work so
its another vote for the Nitty Gritty comb!!

Sometimes the nit cycle continues in a family because no one suspects grandma and granda!! All the family need to be checked and treated if necessary!!