Health benefits of regular school attendance
Date: 6 Sep 2023
Head Teachers will have received a letter from DfE on 5 September, setting out the health benefits of regular school attendance and providing reassurance that it is usually appropriate for parents to send their children to school with symptoms of mild respiratory illness or anxiety. The letter has been published at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/letter-to-school-leaders-on-mild-illness-and-school-attendance
The letter includes the encouragement to share the NHS ‘Is my child too ill for school?’ guidance with parents and carers, which includes the reminder that it is usually appropriate for parents and carers to send their children to school with mild respiratory illnesses. This would include general cold symptoms: a minor cough, runny nose or sore throat. However, children should not be sent to school if they have a temperature of 38°C or above. It also includes guidance on mental health issues affecting a pupil’s attendance and a reminder, that as we head into winter, to encourage high uptake of seasonal flu vaccination and routine immunisations for eligible children and young people.
