Children and young people with asthma are more likely to be absent from school than those with no health conditions.
NHS Kent and Medway has launched the Asthma Friendly Schools scheme, in partnership with Medway and Swale Health and Care Partnership, to improve asthma awareness and management in schools across Kent and Medway.
Promoting an asthma friendly environment through training and the adoption of asthma focused policies and procedures will help keep children safe while they are in school.
Benefits of becoming an asthma friendly school:
- improve asthma awareness and management in the school
- encourage a supportive and inclusive school environment
- support responsibilities for the health, safety and wellbeing of students and staff
- enable the promotion of the school’s self-evaluated status to the community.
Get involved
To join the Asthma Friendly Schools scheme, you will need to have the following in place:
- an asthma register, of all children and young people with asthma in the school
- an asthma policy
- a named individual responsible for asthma in the school
- a school salbutamol inhaler for use in emergencies when a child with asthma cannot access their own inhaler
- staff training on asthma
- a management plan for each child with asthma (or a school wide emergency asthma plan).
Practical support including templates and checklists to help your school become asthma friendly is available. Download the guide for schools to find out more.
To sign up or find more information about the programme, please contact kmicb.asthmafriendlyschools@nhs.net
This is the same programme which has been launched in Medway and Swale. If you have already started the programme, please continue to follow the plan you have in place.
Think anaphylaxis
Asthma and anaphylaxis, a severe and often sudden allergic reaction, frequently occur together and poor asthma control is associated with more severe anaphylaxis reactions.
The NHS has advice on food allergies. It contains information on symptoms and treatment. They also have more detailed advice on the treatment of anaphylactic reactions.
The Anaphylaxis UK Campaign has advice to help schools manage severe allergic conditions.
It’s important that every child who has an adrenaline auto-injector (AAI) has an allergy action plan and always has two pens accessible to them.
Consider purchasing an AAI for the school. Primary and secondary schools can buy AAIs from a pharmacy, without a prescription, for use in emergencies. Read guidance from the Department of Health and Social Care.
Access free training from NHS England to improve your knowledge and help care for children and young people with asthma.
NHS England and NHS Improvement have developed a framework for the care of children and young people with asthma. Read the National Capability Framework for guidance on which tier is most appropriate for an individual to safely carry out their role caring for a child or young person with asthma. The ‘tier one’ training takes about 45 minutes to complete and is suitable for anyone who supports children and young people, including teachers and school support staff.
Beat Asthma and Asthma and Lung UK have a variety of resources to support schools.
For children aged seven and over, access Moggy’s New Medicine lesson plan and story, developed by the Dog, Duck and Cat Trust.
Asthmanauts is an interactive space themed booklet aimed at improving children's understanding of their asthma.
The Asthma Friendly Schools logo, inspired by children at White Cliffs Primary School in Dover.