School Liability Policy

The school does not replace clothing or property that is either lost or damaged by children at the school. Please ensure that children do not bring expensive items to school in order to prevent loss or damage.

Furthermore it is important to remember that children are not covered automatically by any kind of insurance during the hours they spend at school. The school does not accept liability for accidents unless there is a proven case of negligence. The provision of personal accident insurance is the responsibility of the parents. Parents who are interested in this form of insurance can contact a local insurance broker or may be interested to know that the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents and the National Confederation of Parent Teacher Associations support a policy which gives 24 hour accident insurance for children for around £21 per year at the time of writing. Further details regarding this insurance are available by ringing 0800 318 312.

Medicine

Different schools have different policies about administering medicines when children are still taking prescribed medicines but are otherwise fit to return to school. At Beckstone Primary the Headteacher is happy to give medicine under the following circumstances:

• The parent signs an indemnity form – available from the School office.
• We give one dose of medicine and this has to be during the lunch break.
• It is not the first two days of antibiotic treatment.
• The child is well enough to take part in the school day including PE and playtimes.
• The chemist’s printed instructions clearly state that the child have a dose four times a day. (If the dosage is three times a day then please administer the dose before school, immediately after and before bedtime).

Please do not allow your child to carry medicines around school in their bag.

In the case of asthma children may carry their inhalers in secure pouches or give them to the teacher to look after. Please ensure they have your child’s name on them.

Without a doctor’s note we are unable to let children take cough sweets/throat lozenges in school for health and safety reasons.

In addition we do not have the staff or facilities to look after children inside during play or lunchtimes unless it is wet. Again for health and safety reasons the children cannot be left unsupervised and the school staff use their time away from the children for marking and meetings.

Mobile Phones/Electronic Equipment

Pupils are not allowed to bring mobile phones or any other sort of electrical equipment into school (e.g. tablets or Ipads). Any equipment will be found and will be confiscated and the Head will return it to the parent.

In exceptional circumstances parents can complete a form to apply for dispensation of this rule when needed.

Use of Social Media

Pupils should not be using Social Media sites until they are 13 so we expect parents to ensure their children do not enrol onto such sites as they do not have the maturity to understand the potentially dangerous or difficult situations they could find themselves in. We also request that school issues are not discussed on these sites by parents and any concerns or issues are brought into school and resolved that way.

Accidents & First Aid

Minor injuries are dealt with quickly by a responsible adult (the vast majority of school staff have a current first aid certificate). In the case of a serious accident we will contact you immediately. Please ensure the school has at least two emergency telephone contacts, we may need to contact you for medical advice or in an emergency, it is very distressing for children if they have to be sent to hospital without a member of their family.

Illness at school

If your child presents symptoms of illness or is physically sick at school then we will contact you or an emergency contact immediately and request that you collect your child from school. If your child is ill then please do not send them to school in order to prevent infection to others. Certain diseases have certain time periods for which children should be kept off school. If your G.P. has not informed you of this then please contact the School office for further information.

Head Lice

Sadly in the 21st Century this is still a problem which affects school children and indeed adults nationally. The problem is one of society at large not of the school's. In addition the regular ‘Nitty Nora’ check some of you may remember from your own school days no longer occurs. The responsibility for head lice now rests with the family. At the school we will not actively ‘look’ for head lice but when they are noticed we have a policy where home will be contacted and you will be requested to take your child home immediately to prevent further spread and for treatment. Such action is taken discretely and there should be no stigma attached to head lice as they often prefer clean hair. On occasions where there are a number of cases in any one class the whole class will take a note home and request parents to check and treat hair.

Leaflets regarding how to treat head lice and giving further information are freely available from school and Workington Infirmary, who will also give advice and prescriptions for treatment shampoos when needed.