Information for schools and school nurses
Online school nursing referrals
Parents, teachers, GPs and other healthcare staff can refer a child to our school nursing service online.
School Nursing Service online referral form and criteria
School nurse contact details
Please find below a list of school nurse team leaders with contact details. Should you wish to contact your school nurse you can do this via the school nurse team leaders.
Updates
Signs and symptoms of scarlet fever
Scarlet fever is a common childhood infection caused by Streptococcus pyogenes, or group Astreptococcus (GAS). The early symptoms of scarlet fever include sore throat, headache, fever,nausea and vomiting. After 12 to 48 hours the characteristic red, pinhead rash develops, typically first appearing on the chest and stomach, then rapidly spreading to other parts of the body, and giving the skin a sandpaper-like texture. The scarlet rash may be harder to spot on darker skin,although the 'sandpaper' feel should be present. Patients typically have flushed cheeks and pallor around the mouth. This may be accompanied by a ‘strawberry tongue’. As the child improves peeling of the skin can occur.
Infection control advice
In schools and nurseries it is recognised that infections can be spread through direct physical contact between children and staff and through shared contact with surfaces such as tabletops, taps, toys and handles. During periods of high incidence of scarlet fever there may also be an increase in outbreaks in schools, nurseries and other childcare settings.As per national Guidance on Infection Control in Schools and other Child Care Settings, children and adults with suspected scarlet fever should be excluded from nursery / school / work for 24 hours after the commencement of appropriate antibiotic treatment. Good hygiene practice such as hand washing remains the most important step in preventing and controlling spread of infection.
Recommended actions if you suspect an outbreak at your school or nursery:
- Contact the UKHSA Health Protection Team for advice Email: eoe.crc@phe.gov.uk Phone: 0300 3038537
- Your Health Protection Team will provide you with a letter and Frequently Asked Questions to cascade to staff and parents if appropriate.
Although scarlet fever is usually a mild illness, patients can develop complications and if you have any concerns please contact your local Health Protection Team for advice.
Useful resources
Gov.uk: Scarlet fever FAQ: Scarlet fever: symptoms, diagnosis and treatment
Gov.UK: Guidance on infection control in schools and other childcare settings: Health protection in education and childcare settings
e-Bug: Hand hygiene resources for schools
Please find below an update about the School Nursing services which Hertfordshire Community NHS Trust will be delivering in schools from September 2023.
The flu vaccination programme will start again in the autumn term. This year it is more important than ever to help protect against flu.
A Public Health England briefing for headteachers about this year’s seasonal flu vaccination programme in schools is available.
It is important that your school staff receive specialist training with administering insulin and monitoring blood glucose levels. The Specialist Paediatric Diabetic Nurses (SPDNs) will be involved with the family and will come into school to do this training and assist with writing a care plan for individual children with Type 1 Diabetes. Please contact the SPDNS on 01438 285000. If they don’t cover your area, they will give you the contact details of your local SPDNS team.
Health Conditions Training
Please see the below links to training from recommended organisations. Some providers charge a fee.
Anaphylaxis: Allergy information for schools
Epilepsy: Professionals - Epilepsy Action
Diabetes: Type 1 Diabetes Management in Children and Young People
Auto injector trainer pens can be obtained direct from the manufacturer. If you hold training devices on school premises they must be stored in a clearly marked box in a locked location.
This is to avoid the training devices being mistaken for live devices containing medication.
The Department for Education and the Department of Health have a shared programme of work to improve children’s health and wellbeing.
Promoting healthy weight in children is an important part of this programme. As part of this programme, the National Child Measurement Programme (NCMP) requires all children in Reception and Year 6 to be weighed and measured.
The School Nursing Service at Herts Community NHS Trust are responsible for submitting the measurements electronically to a central database, adhering to the Data Protection Act.
This programme does not include Special Schools.
Herts for Learning Data Management Services have prepared a report that will extract the required information from SIMS into the new version of the template. To download this report go to the DMS portal:
A practical guide for staff on managing cases of infectious diseases in schools and other childcare settings. This updated guide published in 2017 provides advice on: preventing the spread of infections, which diseases to vaccinate for, how long to keep children away from school, managing infectious diseases and cleaning the environment.
DfE: Health protection in schools and other childcare facilities
Guidance and resources for schools and parents on minimising exam stress for pupils in Hertfordshire.
Just Talk Herts: Healthy coping strategies, self help tools and mental health support
A quick guide for parents for schools and settings to display with what to do if their child is unwell.
HCT Children’s Universal School Nursing service has developed the following health care plans for use by Hertfordshire schools:
The following health care plans were designed to support schools in the implementation of the Department of Education (2014) Guidance on Supporting Pupils with Medical Conditions which has clarified the key responsibility for schools in managing medical conditions in school settings. The plans are designed to be used by school staff in partnership with parents and pupils. If you are unsure how to use these plans or have a child with a complex medical condition requiring health intervention, please contact your Named School Nurse or the School Nurse team Leader for your area – details available on the Grid. If you have a pupil with a medical condition not covered by these plans, including diabetes, please contact your school nurse for advice.
Norovirus, also known as the winter vomiting bug, is the most common stomach bug in the UK. NHS Choices, in collaboration with the Food Standards Agency, has put together this useful guide and print-out to help schools and parents understand Norovirus, from detection to prevention.
With a new academic year about to start we would like to highlight the importance of the childhood immunisation programme and the vital part schools play in supporting this essential element of public health.
Pre-school immunisation
Our data shows that many children starting school are not fully immunised and therefore not protected against serious childhood diseases. We would be grateful if you could remind parents of the need to visit their GP practice if their child is starting school without the pre school booster. These immunisations are due three years after those completed when the child was 2, 3,and 4 months old and offer protection against diphtheria, tetanus, whooping cough, polio, measles, mumps and rubella.
Immunisations at secondary school
For many years Secondary and Middle Schools have enabled pupils to access their immunisations in school. This is a highly effective way of ensuring good uptake of these vaccination programmes which has a significant impact on the long term health of pupils. Last year saw the introduction of Meningitis C vaccination in schools. This year the HPV Programme is reduced from three injections to two. We recognise the impact of these immunisation sessions on your school day and would like to thank you for your invaluable support .
To view the two leaflets shown here in full please visit:
Department of Health & Social Care
If you have further questions please contact your School Nurse.
The document provides guidance for schools and other childcare settings, such as nurseries, on infection control issues.
Prevent the spread of infections by ensuring:
- routine immunisation
- high standards of personal hygiene and practice, particularly handwashing
- maintaining a clean environment
For further information and advice visit:
PHE: Health protection in schools and other childcare facilities
Please visit the following page for the referral forms: