All children and young people are entitled to receive a full-time education offer or as much as they are well enough to receive. Having a medical need or health condition should not mean that they miss out on their education. Many children with medical and health needs manage well in those schools and settings who closely follow the statutory guidance set out by the Department for Education (DfE).
The two key DfE documents are:
Supporting pupils with medical conditions at school
Education for children with health needs who cannot attend school
This guidance sets out how schools and settings are expected to help children and young people manage their medical condition and plan strategies which will ensure pupils continue to make good progress and achieve well. Each school should have a policy on how they meet the needs of children and young people with medical conditions published on their website.
Keep the school/setting informed
Parents and carers should provide the school or setting with detailed and up to date information about medical conditions and their impact and continue notifying school of any changes including any hospital admissions. If a child is in hospital for any significant length of time, they are entitled to receive their education and their usual school should liaise with the hospital school based in the hospital where the child is an inpatient.
For more information please look at the website for the National Association for Hospital Education - nahe.org.uk.
Home and hospital tuition
Some children are not well enough to be in school after they have been discharged from hospital or unable to be in their usual school. These children may receive their education through the Home and Hospital Tuition Team which is run by the Pupil Referral Service. Or they may be allocated the use of an AV1 Robot so that they can access their learning remotely from their usual school. To apply for an AV1 robot schools should contact the Educational Psychology Team.
Hospital schools, usual schools and parents/carers should complete a referral form requesting that the child be taught by the Home and Hospital Tuition Team. This must include information from a medical professional confirming that the child or young person is too unwell to attend school. A multi-agency panel meets every 3 weeks during term time and considers these referrals. Schools are told the outcomes soon after the panel meeting and will liaise with parents and carers about next steps.