St Philip’s Catholic Primary School Asthma Policy Mission Statement The child is the focus of the school and is valued as an individual and as one of God’s children.The school therefore aims to provide a Catholic, Christian setting where he or she feels loved and secure. The school should seek to build upon the teaching started by the parents and through this partnership tocontinue the process of education.The curriculum should provide the development of skills, knowledge, understanding and values. The child’snatural curiosity and powers of learning should be developed and fostered by everyone in the schoolcommunity.
This policy supports the mission of the school and should be read along with the Behaviour, ChildProtection, Asthma and Drugs policies. A Positive Approach Pupils with asthma are welcome in the school. They will be encouraged to take a full part in all activities of the school. Asthma Education The School has a responsibility to advise all its staff on practical asthma management. The School Nursing Service can play an important role here and its involvement should be encouraged. Parents The school will ask all parents/carers whether their son/daughter has asthma (or is ever wheezy). A record of all pupils with asthma will be maintained. Details of treatment will need to be obtained from parents together with clear guidance on correct usage. A pupil who is noted to be over-reliant on his/her reliever inhaler has poorly controlled asthma and parents are advised that the doctor may need to be consulted. Access to inhalers Pupils will need to have one reliever inhaler to be kept at home and an additional one to take with them to school for use there. Inhalers will be kept in the School Office. Common reliever inhalers are Ventolin, Bricanyl and Salbutamol.
Pupils may also need two preventer inhalers (eg Intal, Becotide, Pulmicort) if these have to be taken during the schoolday or on residential trips.
Reliever inhalers are of particular importance. It is essential that the pupil has immediate access to their inhaler at all times; in the classroom, on the sports field, at the pool, at breaktimes, and on school trips. Delay in taking reliever treatment can lead to a severe attack and, in rare cases, could even prove fatal. Sports The aim of total normal activity should be the goal for all but the most severely affected pupil with asthma. However, nearly all young people with asthma can become wheezy during exercise. Teachers should be aware that a number of pupils with asthma will take a dose of their reliever inhaler and/or Intal roughly 15 minutes before exercise. This helps to prevent exercise-induced asthma. If the pupil does become wheezy or breathless a further dose of the reliever inhaler should be taken.
Pupils who are normally active should not be forced to participate in games if they say they are too wheezy to continue. Nebulisers Some children with severe asthma may use an electric device called a nebuliser to deliver asthma drugs. In such cases the school would need to liaise with the GP/nurse on correct management if they are unsure. The National Asthma
Campaign also publishes a Nebuliser pamphlet. Pets If pets are to be invited into school teachers must check that this will not cause discomfort to any pupil, especially those who are asthmatic. The Asthma Attack - What to Do A pupil having an asthma attack will normally respond well and quickly to his/her reliever treatment. However, severe attacks of asthma need urgent medical attention.
In rare cases, asthma can prove fatal and so it must never be
All school staff need to know how to help in an attack and what to do in an emergency. A copy of the procedure for thetreatment of an asthma attack is displayed in the medical room. Useful Contacts 1. National Asthma Campaign Asthma UK
LU4 0BJ Tel: 01582 598876 www.asthma.org.uk
What Is Molluscum? Molluscum lesions affect as many as 20 percent of children over the course of childhood. This common condition is caused by the Molluscum contagiosum virus (MCV), a highly contagious poxvirus easily passed from child to child. Mollusucm is an annoyance for many children and parents because of how long the lesions take to disappear. Left alone, molluscum lesions do disa
St Philip’s Catholic Primary School