It can be tricky deciding whether or not to keep your child off when they're unwell. Please see the below guidance from the NHS
High temperature
If your child has a high temperature, they will not be able to attend until it goes away.
Coughs and colds
It's fine for your child to attend our after-school clubs, wraparound clubs and holiday camps with a minor cough or common cold. But if they have a high temperature, they will need to be kept off until it goes.
Chickenpox
If your child has chickenpox, they will not be able to attend until all the spots have crusted over.
This is usually about 5 days after the spots first appeared.
Cold sores
There's no need to keep your child off if they have a cold sore.
Conjunctivitis
You don't need to keep your child away from our clubs if they have conjunctivitis, unless they are feeling very unwell.
Do get advice from your pharmacist. Encourage your child not to rub their eyes and to wash their hands regularly.
COVID-19
If your child has mild symptoms, such as a runny nose, sore throat, or slight cough, and feels well enough, they can still attend our clubs.
Your child should try to stay at home and avoid contact with other people if they have symptoms of COVID-19 and they either:
- have a high temperature
- do not feel well enough to go to do their normal activities
What to do if your child has tested positive
Your child is no longer required to do a COVID-19 rapid lateral flow test if they have symptoms. But if your child has tested positive for COVID-19, they should try to stay at home and avoid contact with other people for 3 days after the day they took the test.
Ear infection
If your child has an ear infection and a high temperature or severe earache, they can not attend until they're feeling better or their high temperature goes away.
Hand, foot and mouth disease
If your child has hand, foot and mouth disease but seems well enough to go to our club, they can still attend.
Encourage your child to throw away any used tissues straight away and to wash their hands regularly.
Head lice and nits
There's no need to keep your child off school if they have head lice.
You can treat head lice and nits without seeing a GP.
Impetigo
If your child has impetigo, they'll need treatment from a pharmacist or GP, often with antibiotics.
Keep them off until all the sores have crusted over and healed, or for 48 hours after they start antibiotic treatment.
Encourage your child to wash their hands regularly and not to share things like towels and cups with other children at school.
Measles
If your child has measles, they'll need to see a GP. Call the GP surgery before you go in, as measles can spread to others easily.
Keep your child off for at least 4 days from when the rash first appears.
They should also avoid close contact with babies and anyone who is pregnant or has a weakened immune system.
Ringworm
If your child has ringworm, see your pharmacist unless it's on their scalp, in which case you should see a GP.
It's fine for your child to go to our club once they have started treatment.
Scarlet fever
If your child has scarlet fever, they'll need treatment with antibiotics from a GP. Otherwise they'll be infectious for 2 to 3 weeks.
Your child can go back to our club 24 hours after starting antibiotics.
Slapped cheek syndrome (fifth disease)
You don't need to keep your child off if they have slapped cheek syndrome because, once the rash appears, they're no longer infectious.
But let us know if you think your child has slapped cheek syndrome.
Sore throat
You can still send your child to our club if they have a sore throat. But if they also have a high temperature, they should stay at home until it goes away.
A sore throat and a high temperature can be symptoms of tonsillitis.
Threadworms
You don't need to keep your child off school if they have threadworms.
Speak to your pharmacist, who can recommend a treatment.
Vomiting and diarrhoea
Children with diarrhoea or vomiting should stay away from our clubs until they have not been sick or had diarrhoea for at least 2 days (48 hours)
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There are government guidelines for schools and nurseries about health protection and managing specific infectious diseases at GOV.UK. These say when children should be kept off school and when they shouldn't.
If you do keep your child at home, it's important to phone us on the first day. Let them us know that your child won't be in and give us the reason.
If your child is well enough to go to school/our holiday camp but has an infection that could be passed on, such as a cold sore or head lice, please let us know.