School Nursing

Our school nursing teams help young people through childhood as they transition into adulthood by monitoring their health and promoting informed health choices throughout their school years.

School nurses work with young people and their families from when they start school at 4 up until 19 years, working with them through key transition points like starting secondary school. They provide a link between school, home and the community working across education and health. Their aim is to help young people to improve their health and wellbeing through health promotion, advice and guidance.

School nurses are usually linked to a school or group of schools they are not based in the school. The School Nurse works in partnership with their linked schools and other professionals to ensure young people’s health needs are met. This may include signposting or referring to other services. 

Your school might also have a welfare officer/first aider who is in school every day to help if you are injured or unwell. Their role is very important but is different to that of the school nurse. 

Long term health needs

Our school nurses are experienced in supporting young people with health conditions so that they can make the most out of their education. We’ve identified the most common conditions below and explained how the school nurse can help, along with advice and guidance for how you can work most effectively with your school.

Each school has a named school nurse who you can speak to if you have any worries.

Asthma 

As part of school admission process all schools (mainstream and special schools) should complete a health check. If it is determined that a child has asthma, parents should be able to share the asthma care plan with the school, or the GP can be contacted directly for a copy of the asthma care plan. GPs are responsible for providing an asthma health care plan (unless the child has more significant asthma difficulties where they are seen by specialist services

Epilepsy

For children with epilepsy, parents should have a letter from the consultant. The school nurses will support the school and the parents to write a care plan. Children who require Epipens will receive ongoing prescriptions from their GP. Epipens last for 18 months. Schools are able to purchase emergency Epipens if additional Epipens are required.

Each school has a named school nurse who you can speak to if you have any worries.

Promoting Healthy Lifestyles 

Your school nurse can work with teachers to plan Personal, Social & Health Education (PSHE). In some schools the school nurse may run PSHE sessions.

PSHE education is a school subject and part of the national curriculum. It helps children and young people develop the knowledge and skills to make choices to keep themselves healthy and safe.

Supporting Health Needs

School nurses are qualified nurses who work with children, young people and their families. When a child or young person has a health condition they can provide advice and support acting as a link between health and education.

If you have a health condition your school will need to have a health care plan for you. This covers information about any medications you have and how to look after you if you become unwell. While this is the responsibility of your school they may ask the school nurse to help by looking at the health care plan as a health professional, this is more common if this is your first health care plan.

If you need to go to A&E the school nurse will usually be informed. The school nurse may contact you or your parents/carers to find out how you are and give any relevant health advice.

“I have found the School Nursing team beneficial as they have the right amount of time for me and the School Nurse gives me more information regarding my health and how to manage my health in school and home. I feel this is helpful as I learn more about what I can do to manage my health”. Young person

Advice and Support

Your school nurse is available for you to talk to if you have any concerns about your physical or emotional health.

They are able to refer you to other professionals where a need is identified and can provide you with advice and support including how you can access other services.

You can self-refer to the school nursing service by contacting the single point of access number on the ‘I'm concerned, who can I talk to?’ section. Or you can ask your teacher who the school nurse is and/or to refer you to the school nurse.

Topics you might talk to the school nurse about include:

• Emotional and behavioural concerns
• Eating or weight concerns
• Sleep concerns
• Sex and relationships
• Your mental health
• Difficulties at home that may be affecting you

"I felt able to ask her (the school nurse) some questions about my eating and sleeping. She suggested that I did some reading before going to sleep as well as not looking at my phone. She also gave me the idea of having a hot bath or hot drink before I went to bed. She was nice. I found her easy to talk to." Young person

Working with vulnerable children

The school nursing team have a key role in working with children and their families when a child is identified as being vulnerable.

Their role includes completing health assessments and supporting the child and family to manage any identified health needs.

They can also work with other professionals including your family GP, hospital departments, social services and voluntary organisations acting as the health link between the school, your parents/carers and relevant organisations.

For children or young people who are not in school the school nurse can work with the child or young person, their family, school and other professionals to ensure their health and education needs are being met.

“Over a period of time I found it easier to open up. Speaking to the school nurse made it easier to cope. I felt emotionally supported because I was listened to as I was socially isolated.” Young person

Providing feedback on our services

It is important for us to hear what you think of our services so that we know what we are doing well and where we need to make improvements. Whether you wish to pay us a compliment, raise a concern or make a formal complaint, our patient advice and liaison service (PALS) team are here to help and all feedback given will be kept confidential.

You can find out more about how to provide feedback here.

If you would like to complete a patient story please speak to the team CLCH health team. Patient stories are a chance for you to share more information about your experiences of being cared for by our services. We collect patient stories in multiple different ways including videos, written stories, pictures and conversations with you that we then type. 

Contacting our PALS team

• Telephone: 0800 368 0412
• Email: clchpals@nhs.net
• Post: PALS team, Central London Community Healthcare NHS Trust, 5-7 Parsons Green, London, SW6 4UL

Providing feedback on this website

We want this website to be helpful to you and your family and welcome feedback on how we can improve it. If you spot anything that's incorrect, confusing or have suggestions for how we can make it better please email us on clcht.health.matters@nhs.net this mailbox will be checked weekly and should not be used for urgent or clinical requests.