Health policies
On this page, you'll find important information about our health, nursing, and School Clinic. The job of the School Clinic is to:
- Provide first aid or emergency care to sick or injured students.
- Assess students and detect early signs and symptoms of health problems that affect their learning.
- Monitor and maintain our students' growth and development.
- Administer nursing care that meets our students' needs.
- Plan, implement, and evaluate our health education programme for students.
- Plan, implement, and evaluate our vaccination programmes for students, under the supervision of SEHA.
- Maintain and submit records and reports in line with Department of Health guidelines.
Accident and Emergencies Policy
- The school nurse or school staff will notify parents or guardians in the event of an accident and/or case of emergency. Please make sure that your contact details are up-to-date so that we can get in touch with you.
- The school nurse will ensure that parents or guardians have authorised the administration of emergency medical treatment for sick or injured students, prior to transferring them to the emergency care facility.
Medication Policy
- Medication brought in from home will not be administered without a written prescription from the doctor and a completed Consent for Prescription Medication Form. This includes all over-the-counter medication such as paracetamol.
- All medications shall be stored in their original pharmacy or manufacturer-labelled containers, and in a way that renders them safe and effective.
- A parent or guardian must deliver prescription medications to the school nurse. Please do not leave medication with the class teacher or place them in your child’s bag.
- A student will only take medication under the supervision of the school nurse.
Illness and Sickness Policy
- Should your child become sick at school or need home or doctor care, the school nurse will assess and contact you directly, as well as providing guidance on healthcare needs. Please collect your child as quickly as possible (i.e. within one hour). It's important that parents collect sick children in person from the School Clinic so the school nurse can explain information regarding their care.
- It's school policy that students who have a fever measuring 37.5 and above - or who are vomiting or diagnosed as clinically unwell by our school nursing team - will not, under any circumstances, be allowed to travel home by school bus. You'll be asked to come and collect them. This policy must be adhered to under all circumstances.
- Our policy also states that students should remain at home for 24 hours post-discharge from the school with a fever of 37.5 or higher. To return to school, your child must remain fever free for 24 hours without the use of fever-reducing medications, i.e. paracetamol or Brufen.
- Our policy states that students should remain at home for 48 hours from their last episode of diarrhoea or vomiting. A doctor’s note saying that it is safe for your child to return to school must be provided if they are to return any earlier.
- If your child has a suspected or confirmed diagnosis of an infectious illness (i.e. influenza, measles, mumps, chicken pox, meningitis, scarlet fever, etc.), please contact the school nurse as soon as possible and provide a medical report. They'll then be able to alert the school community, if needed, and put in place measures as mandated by the Department of Health.
- Please let the school nurse know (and forward a copy of the doctor’s discharging report which provides diagnosis and care needs) if your child has a broken bone and/or reduced mobility. The nurses can then offer the right support and care. Identifying children with reduced mobility is important during times of emergency (i.e. fire drills) and all students with limited mobility must have a PEEP form in place. School wheelchairs are for emergency use only and parents are advised to provide their own wheelchairs, walking sticks and/or crutches as needed.
Immunisation Policy
- Scheduled vaccination programmes are in place for students in Year 1, Year 8 (females only) and Year 11 in line with SEHA guidelines. Consent forms will be given to those wishing to take part. Vaccinations are provided free of charge to all students in these year groups.
- Parents need to send applicable vaccination documents to the school nurse for our records. Vaccination records must be in English (or officially translated into English).
- The school nurse will maintain your child's School Health Records and enforce Department of Health regulations and guidelines on vaccinations.
Referral to Health Care Provider Policy
- For students who need further medical support, the school nurse will provide you with a referral notification document.
Confidentiality Policy
- Information in your child's School Health Record will not be released to third parties, except with written permission from parents or guardians, or a directive from the Department of Health or other ministries.
Forms and declarations
The following forms, documents and declarations need to be sent to the School Clinic, through the Admissions Office, before your child starts at BIS Abu Dhabi.
- Annual Student Medical Trip Clearance Form
- Personal information.
- Vaccination details (including a photocopy of your child’s current immunisation record in English).
- School Health Screening Consent Form.
- Child’s medical history.
- Consent for the Administration of Medications and Emergency Treatment Form.
If your child needs regular medication, a Consent for Prescription Medication During the School Day or Related School Activities Form must be completed, signed and stamped by a licensed doctor and a parent or guardian.
If your child has a chronic medical condition (i.e. asthma, diabetes, emergency allergy/anaphylaxis or seizures), a you must fill out a Completed Individual Care Plan.
Communications and updates
As and when it's appropriate, you may receive the following notifications from the school nurse:
- Notification of headlice.
- Notification of communicable diseases.
- Vaccination information.
- Other general illness or injury notifications.
Nut-free
We're a nut-free school, and ask that you don't send your child to school with any nuts in their lunch or snacks. This is because we have many students with severe nut allergies.
Forms and policies
Annual Student Trip Medical Clearance Form
