Safeguarding - Keeping Our Children Safe

St. Martin at Shouldham is committed to safeguarding and ensuring the welfare of all pupils. We have a detailed Safeguarding Policy that details the procedures staff follow to protect children from harm and promote their welfare.

Pupil Welfare

Parents are asked to keep us informed of any changes to their child's health that might affect their well-being at school. It is important that we are aware of conditions such as asthma, epilepsy, allergies, hearing or sight impairments, diabetes or eczema.

Norfolk Community Health and Care NHS Trust promotes and supports the health needs of children in our school through its school nursing services. School Nurses are responsible for screening children at school entry, checking vision, hearing, weight and height. Parents can access the school nurse at any time, if they have any concerns. In school, school nurses may work alongside teachers in a health promotion role.

Medicines

We will supervise the administration of prescribed medication when it needs to be taken more than three times a day. Medication should be clearly labelled with the child's name, dosage, method of administration, and timing of dose. Parents/carers are required to complete an administration of medicines form at the school office.

Medicines should be delivered to the school by the parent / guardian - never the child.

Children who use inhalers to control asthma may do so and will be supervised at school.

In all cases, parents are welcome to administer medicines whenever possible, or if they prefer to do so.

Norovirus (Winter Vomiting Bug)

Norovirus is a highly contagious virus that causes vomiting and diarrhoea. It is easily spread by contact with an infected person, and outbreaks in schools are common.

If your child develops symptoms of norovirus, they should avoid direct contact with others until 48 hours after the symptoms have gone. They should not be sent back to school until this symptom free time has elapsed, as they may still be able to pass the virus to others. Following these precautions will help to limit the spread of the virus around the school. For more information on the symptoms, treatment and prevention of norovirus, click here to follow a link to NHS Choices.

Head Lice and Threadworms

Unfortunately, all schools experience head lice and threadworm outbreaks from time to time. We ask all parents to remain vigilant, performing checks at home regularly (especially at the beginning and end of terms), encouraging good hand washing habits at home (after using the toilet and before eating), and making arrangements for treatment quickly in order to minimise spread.

To help prevent outbreaks, longer hair should be tied back at school, and children are asked to wash their hands before eating and after using the toilet. Although we have hand gel available at school, this is not a substitute for good hand washing habits, and will not remove threadworm eggs from little hands!

These links to NHS Choices provide further information about head lice and threadworms.