Health conditions
This page provides information on health conditions that may require health support planning for students.
IN AN EMERGENCY, CALL 000 IMMEDIATELY.
An Health support plan must be created for any student who:
- has a condition that may need an emergency response
- requires health support, which may include administration of medication
- has severe asthma, Type 1 diabetes, epilepsy, or anaphylaxis.
Asthma
Asthma is a life-long condition that makes breathing hard due to inflammation and excess mucus in the airways. Asthma makes the airways sensitive and inflamed, which makes breathing more difficult. It can affect anyone, though it is more common in children. Students with asthma need quick access to their reliever medication when they have an asthma attack.
The role of the parents/carers
Parents/carers must inform the school if their child has asthma. If the student is young or needs help using their asthma medication, the principal will work with parents/carers and staff to determine the best arrangement.
Parents and carers should inform the school principal before enrolling their child in Kindergarten. This is also advised when considering enrolment in a government pre-school, as it gives the school enough time to develop and implement an educational/transition plan.
If your child is moving to a secondary school, inform the new school about their health condition during the enrolment process and arrange a meeting with the principal.
Required documentation for health support
The school will provide the following forms for parents/carers to complete:
- Request form - student health support: Parents/carers must complete the form based on information provided by the child’s medical practitioner.
- Request for student to carry their own asthma reliever (if applicable)
If the student does not have severe asthma, the school principal will provide to parents/carers:
- Confirmation letter- student health support: this letter confirms the administration of medication and health support arrangements made for your child.
If the student has severe asthma and/or complex health needs, the school principal will provide to parents/carers:
- A letter to the parents/carers requesting a meeting to plan how to manage your child’s health support needs at school.
- Confirmation letter- student health support: this letter confirms the administration of medication and health support arrangements made for your child.
The school will develop an Health support plan with information provided by the parent/carer. Each school has staff members trained in the administration of prescribed medications. To find out more about the administration of medication, including your requirements as a parent/carer, please visit the Administration of medication webpage.
Asthma support resources
Asthma FAQ's
There should be an asthma reliever inhaler, asthma first aid chart, and an asthma spacer device in every first aid kit in the school.
An asthma diagnosis, regardless of how severe, should be supported with medical documentation and could include an Asthma Action Plan.
When schools receive advice from a parent or carer about their child’s specific health support needs, they must initiate health support planning procedures.
Parents/carers are responsible for the supply of medication and any 'consumables' necessary for its administration in a timely way. This includes providing the school with reliever medication and spacer device (where the medication is administered by a puffer), that are current and not expired. If the parent has requested for their child to carry their own medication and this has been agreed to by the principal, the inhaler carried by the child meets the requirement for supplying the medication. Parents/carers may supply an additional inhaler to be held by the school if they choose to do so.
Diabetes
Diabetes is a chronic disease characterised by high blood glucose levels resulting from the body not producing insulin or using it properly. There are two major types of diabetes, Type 1 and Type 2. To find out more about Diabetes, please visit .
The role of the parents/carers
Parents and carers must inform the school as soon as possible if their child has diabetes. The principal will work with parents, carers, and staff to plan how to support your child’s health support needs.
Parents and carers should inform the school principal at least 6 months before enrolling their child in Kindergarten. This is also advised when considering enrolment in a government pre-school, as it gives the school enough time to develop and implement an educational/transition plan.
If your child is moving to a secondary school, inform the new school about their health condition during the enrolment process and arrange a meeting with the principal.
Required documentation for health support
The school will provide the following forms for parents/carers to complete:
- Request form - student health support: Parents/carers must complete the form based on information provided by the child’s medical practitioner. This also informs the school of a parents consent for a student to carry their own diabetes medication.
The school principal will provide to parents/carers:
- A letter to the parents/carers requesting a meeting to plan how to manage your child’s health support needs at school.
- Confirmation letter- student health support: this letter confirms the health support arrangements made for your child.
The school will develop a Health support plan with information provided by the parent/carer. Parents/carers are asked to liaise with the principal to find out the best point of contact for the staff member who will be responsible for supporting their child to have their medications provided as directed.
Diabetes support resources
Epilepsy
Epilepsy is a disruption in brain function that results in recurrent seizures. Most children and young people with epilepsy are able to take part in the full range of school activities.
Epilepsy is the name used for a range of conditions where a child has repeated seizures that are not caused by fever or illness. Epilepsy is not a condition that you can catch, and many children can grow out of the condition as they get older.
Seizures are when electrical impulses to the brain are interrupted, causing changes to your child's movement and behaviour. Epilepsy covers a range of conditions that cause ongoing, frequent seizures.
The role of the parents/carers
Parents/carers must inform the school if their child has epilepsy. Parents/carers work alongside the school principal to support the student and manage any seizures that may occur at school.
Parents and carers should are recommended to contact the school principal at least 6 months before enrolling their child in Kindergarten or pre-school as it gives the school enough time to develop and implement an educational/transition plan.
If your child is moving to a secondary school, inform the new school about their health condition during the enrolment process and arrange a meeting with the principal.
Required documentation for health support
Parents/carers must provide the following:
- Request form - student health support: Parents/carers must complete the form based on information provided by the child’s medical practitioner (the template form will be provided by the school).
- A First Aid Seizure Management Plan: this plan must be completed by your child's medical practitioner.
The school principal will provide to parents/carers:
- A letter to the parents/carers requesting a meeting to plan how to manage your child’s health support needs at school.
- Confirmation letter- student health support: this letter confirms the health support arrangements made for your child.
Epilepsy support resources
Other health conditions
Please visit the for an A-Z index of all health topics and conditions.
Related policies and procedures
Contact details
If you have any questions or require further information, please contact correspondence-studenthealthandwellbeing@det.nsw.edu.au.