Mild illness and attendance
The DfE recommends that parents/carers can send their child to school if they have a mild respiratory illness. This includes general cold symptoms such as a minor cough, runny nose or sore throat.
However, a child shouldn’t be sent to school if they have a temperature of 38°C or above.
Follow government ‘exclusion’ guidance for infectious illnesses
Please note: this guidance uses the term ‘exclusion’ in a different sense to an educational exclusion.
This table lists the most common illnesses affecting schools and includes advice on how long affected pupils should be absent.
Pupils who are close contacts of people who are unwell with an infectious disease or an infection don’t usually need to be excluded.
