School didn't contact me about DD being ill

[Rosiesmama2016]

So I picked my DD up from school yesterday and she looked absolutely terrible, I asked her teacher about it and was told she had been ill all day, she was complaining of feeling faint, her eyes were going dizzy and when we got home she had a temp of 40.2°c.
Needless to say we ended up in hospital and found out she had a severe water infection, they wanted to keep her in overnight but luckily her temp eventually came down. My problem is that the school didn't contact me at all (they know fine well that she has a low immune system and is very prone to infections) I rang the head teacher this morning who claims to know nothing about it.

My question is, are schools obligated to let you know if your child is ill? We have had problems over her attendance (she has been in hospital quite a lot) and I think this is why I wasn't told. I have a meeting with the head teacher after school about it and I'm not sure what my rights as a parent are when it comes to this. Thank you for reading!

Given she has low immunity, I'd say in this case they absolutely should have rang. I would be asking if anyone took her temp whilst in school also as that's usually the main indicator of Illness and should have been acted on.

Ordinarily though, unless the child is vomiting or has loose bowels etc I guess it's easy to assume they are not "that ill" that it warrants being sent home.

I would be livid my ds has a primary immunodeficiency and they know they have a low threshold for sending him home. His attendance is very very low but he has a chronic health condition what your describing is discussing they have a right to safeguard your child and leaving a Child with a 40 plus temp and a raging infection is a safeguarding issue. I’m so sorry to hear this and I hope your Dd is better soon you have every right to be angry and they are very much In the wrong.

At our school a child with a recognised health issue would have a care plan drawn up in consultation with the parents.

It's a document that sets out what to do if the child has any signs that something is amiss (coughs, wheezing, seizures, temperature etc) and when the parents should be contacted. If your DD doesn't already have one, as if one can be written for her.

At our school we would have checked a child's temperature if they showed the same signs as your DD did.

I hope she's feeling more comfortable soon.