Health Needs Guide
My Child's Health Needs Affect Education
When a child's health needs affect their ability to attend school, learn, communicate, manage daily activities or participate in school life, it can sometimes be difficult for families to know what support should be available.
Health needs and educational needs can overlap, and effective support often depends on good communication between families, education settings and health professionals.
Your pathway
Where to Start
If your child's health affects their education, these steps may help you plan with school.
What this might mean
- Health needs may affect attendance, energy, mobility, medication or how a child accesses learning.
- Some children need health-related adjustments without having special educational needs.
- Support usually works best when school, family and health professionals share information.
What you can do
- Share relevant health information with school, where appropriate.
- Agree practical adjustments and who is responsible for each one.
- Agree how information will be shared if things change.
What to think about / record
- Appointments, absences and how they affect learning.
- Adjustments agreed with school and how well they are working.
- Your child's own views about what helps.
Who you can talk to
- Your child's class teacher or SENCo.
- The school's designated lead for medical conditions, where there is one.
- The health professionals involved in your child's care.
What to do next
- If learning is also affected, read about support at school.
- Use the Starter Pack to prepare for meetings with school.
This is general information to help you think about next steps. It is not legal advice, and every child's situation is different — where appropriate, consider seeking further advice.
When Can Health Needs Affect Education?
Health needs may affect areas such as:
- Attendance
- Energy and fatigue
- Concentration and attention
- Physical access and mobility
- Communication
- Emotional wellbeing
- Learning and progress
- Participation in activities
- Managing medication or treatment
- Managing appointments or periods of absence
- Returning to school following illness, treatment or hospitalisation
Every child's circumstances are different
A health condition does not automatically mean that a child has SEND or requires an EHCP. The important consideration is how the child's individual needs affect their access to education and what support they require.
Collaboration
Working Together With School
Share Information
Provide relevant information about your child's health needs and explain how these affect them in school.
Identify Adjustments
Discuss practical adjustments that may help your child access learning, routines, activities and the wider school environment.
Agree Communication
Where appropriate, agree how school and home will communicate about changes in your child's health, attendance or support.
Review What Is Working
Support should be reviewed when your child's needs change or when existing arrangements are not working effectively.
Practical examples
What Might Support Look Like?
Flexible Approaches
Where appropriate, flexibility around attendance, arrival times, breaks or workload may help a child manage their health needs.
Access to Learning
Consider how learning can remain accessible when a child is absent, fatigued or temporarily unable to participate in the usual way.
Physical and Environmental Access
Consider access to classrooms, toilets, equipment, seating, movement around school and other aspects of the physical environment.
Medication and Healthcare Needs
Where appropriate, schools may need agreed arrangements for medication, healthcare procedures or responding to health needs during the school day.
Emotional Wellbeing
Children living with health needs may also need support with anxiety, confidence, emotional regulation or the impact of missing school.
Return and Reintegration
Following significant illness, treatment or hospitalisation, a carefully planned return to education may help the child rebuild confidence and access learning.
Examples, not a standard package
These are examples rather than a standard package of provision. Support should be based on the individual child's needs and relevant professional advice.
Understanding the overlap
When Health Needs and SEND Overlap
A child may have health needs and special educational needs at the same time. Health needs can sometimes create barriers to learning, communication, participation or wellbeing.
Where a child's health needs have a significant impact on their access to education, it may be appropriate for education, health and other professionals to work together to understand their needs and identify appropriate provision.
An EHCP is not automatic
Having a health condition does not automatically mean that an EHCP is required. The focus should remain on the child's individual needs, the impact on education and the provision required.
Keep track
Keeping a Health & Education Record
- Keep copies of relevant medical and educational reports.
- Record important appointments, periods of absence and changes in your child's health where useful.
- Note how health needs affect your child's participation in education.
- Record strategies or adjustments that appear to help.
- Share relevant changes with the school or setting.
- Keep notes of important meetings and agreed actions.
Conversations with school
Questions You Could Ask School
- How are my child's health needs currently being supported in school?
- What adjustments are currently in place?
- How will we know whether those adjustments are helping?
- Who should I contact if my child's health needs change?
- How will school support my child's learning if they need to be absent?
- What support will be available if my child becomes unwell during the school day?
- How will school and relevant professionals communicate about my child's needs?
When Might More Support Be Needed?
If your child's health needs continue to have a significant impact on their access to education, learning, attendance, wellbeing or participation despite appropriate support, it may be appropriate to seek further advice or consider whether additional educational provision is required.
Need More Help?
Understanding the relationship between your child's health needs and education can be complicated. You may need help preparing for a meeting, understanding what support could be considered or thinking through your next steps.