24 hours sick policy

[CaesarSaladNoDressing]

DS was refused entry to school this morning because he was sick once in school at 2pm yesterday afternoon. I picked him up, he wasn't sick again, ate his tea, slept fine and seemed totally recovered this morning. DH was doing drop and and was accosted by HT who said DS couldn't come in as was less than 24 hours since he was sick.

I am annoyed, not because of the policy to keep kids off, I do understand re infection spreading etc.. but the fact that I didn't know about this rule. DH had arranged day off today when I got the phonecall so it was all sorted but then as he was better, DH cancelled his cover at work.
I just don't know how they thought we would automatically know this without being told...ever!
I actually checked the website and DD nursery info pack (she is starting in Jan) to see if there was anything mentioned about this but not a thing anywhere.

Is this common practice? I am amazed it isn't in attendance policy if it's a school rule.

mrz I can see that, and I understand the reasons for the rule. But at the same time I am wondering (admittedly a year in advance) what the implications of the rule will be for DD who will miss a great deal of school as a result. I suppose that preschool has a higher staff ratio and is better able to deal with "mess". They tend to change her clothing, mop up and carry on. Clearly primary school is unlikely to have the same attitude because of ratios and being geared up for older and more continent children.

Until I saw this thread, I had not really considered the implications of a strict 48 hour rule on DD. She was sick this morning at preschool (too much playing on the slide, said preschool), Sunday morning and evening (in car to and from Grandma's house), Saturday afternoon (coughing from biscuit eaten too fast and going down wrong way) and several other times last week as she had a runny nose so takes too much air in when eating and that sets it off too. I suppose I will just have to raise it with the school when she starts. But I wondered whether exceptions are made, or whether she just has to miss the majority of her schooling with the academic and social implications that that will inevitably bring.

Sorry to hijack your thread OP!

Hijack away!

I have heard of rule, as I said CM has this as her policy but I just thought it was for her setting and that school would be different. No idea where I got this logic from!!

Anyway am just glad it's 24 hours at DS school not 48 or he would miss the Xmas concert tomorrow.

Crikey I have just had visions of whole class vomiting mid carol!

We had Joseph throw up in the manger at school a few years ago... That was one to remember - DS retells the story every Christmas with great delight.

(It was not my DS btw, before I get a reputation for recklessly vomiting children.)

A bit aside,mI had a random vomiter, he used to cough a lot and would sometimes vomit and would often vomit for no obvious reasonn when he was not otherwise ill. It turns out a food allergy was causing it. He has a number of food allergies and intolerences and excluding these, has halted the random vomiting.

OddBoots Soz, missed your message. Thanks - that does give me some hope. I suppose I'll just have to contact school once she gets a place - I have a whole folder of letters on the subject as we have done the rounds of referrals. But knowing that at least one school has taken a reasonable approach is reassuring!

MistyB That's very interesting! I will look into that, as the vomiting is getting rather boring and we have hit a dead end with ENT not wanting to do anything until she is 8. Did your chap miss a lot of school or was he younger?

souperb, it sounds like your dd's condition causes her to 'have a physical or mental impairment that has a ‘substantial’ and ‘long-term’ negative effect on your ability to do normal daily activities.' (the legal definition of a disability for the Equality Act) so a school would have to make reasonable adjustments - how graciously and easily they would do that is possibly up for question though.

He was a preschooler at the time and didn't go every day so didn't miss too much. I am glad we excluded the food before he started school.

OddBoots That's useful to know, but hopefully it won't come to that. I wouldn't class her as disabled by any stretch and wouldn't want to demean legislation intended for people with a proper need. But if it came to the crunch, good to know. And you are right about graciousness and ease! I am very lucky with preschool and reading this thread has reinforced that! Hopefully school will be just as accommodating. Thanks!

What proof is asked for at schools can you just ring in and say child is sick?

DD has just been diagnosed with migraine - which makes her nauseous, during which she may (hasn't yet, but it has been close) throw up.

Doctor has advised that if she is sick once, in combination with a migraine, she does not need to be kept off school for 48 hours (It is possible that she may never have a migraine again. Or one a month for the next few months. Or weekly / more frequently forever, or at random intervals). School is happy with this BUT we have agreed with them that if there is any doubt that it is the migraine (for example if there is a sick bug going round, or if she is sick more than once) then we will observe the 48 hours strictly.

We had to document this, in combination with a general care plan, administration f medicine form and a whole host of other palaver. But it has been possible.