Is my child too ill for school?
Advice on managing child sickness and school absence
The NHS website offers useful advice on when your child could be too ill to attend school, including for common, infectious illnesses such as chickenpox, and how to manage these conditions.
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.
As well as physical health conditions, some children may experience symptoms of anxiety which may cause them to be absent from school.
- Worry and mild or moderate anxiety, whilst sometimes difficult emotions, can be a normal part of growing up for many children and young people. There is a range of services available for children and young people who require extra support.
Advice & Support Links
Visit the Waiting Room website for more information about mental wellbeing services for children and young people in Barnet, Camden, Enfield, Haringey and Islington.
The Healthier Together website also provides lots of advice and resources for parents, carers and young people to support their health and wellbeing.
Additionally, you can visit the NHS website for more advice on the mental health support available for children and young people.
If your child is unwell and it’s not life-threatening, NHS 111 online or calling NHS 111 offers quick advice on the best option for you to get the care you need. Pharmacists can also help for minor illnesses such as coughs and colds or you can contact your GP.