Learning for Life
48 Hour Sickness Rule
It is often not possible to distinguish the causes of sickness and diarrhoea, so the same rule of exclusion applies in all cases.
Infections can be easily spread between children and staff members, therefore, it is advised that any pupil, or staff member, with diarrhoea and/or vomiting symptoms must stay away from school until they have been free of symptoms for 48 hours – the ’48 hour rule’. Eg. if your child is sick on a Monday evening, they should not return to school until the Thursday morning. We appreciate that this is inconvenient and your child may appear well, but this rule is put in place to reduce the risk of infection for all children and staff members within school. Thank you for your understanding.
Public Health England Guidance: Guidance on infection control in schools