A group of students in shirts and ties sit on a wall smiling to camera.

Back to school checklist

Back to Your education

Along with the usual checklist of uniform and equipment, children and young people with epilepsy and their parents will be thinking about the support they will get from the school or college at the start of the new academic year.

In September you or your child may be starting a new school, college or university, or a new year group. Whether or not you have a new teacher and a new peer group or you're going back to familiar faces, there are a few things to think about before starting back:

Your Individual Healthcare Plan

An Individual Healthcare Plan (IHP) is a detailed document created for school-age students with medical conditions, such as epilepsy. It describes your seizures, how your condition is best managed, and the impact it has on your learning and behaviour, including any anti-seizure medication side effects.

Do you have one?
Is it up to date?
Has your new school and teacher had a copy?

You can find out more information and Individual Healthcare Plans and what is included here.

Do the school know about any changes in your condition?

Have you had a change in seizure type or activity?
Have you had a change in medication?
Have you had a change of diagnosis?

Are all members of staff who will be responsible for you aware of your condition?

Do they know how to help you if you have a seizure?
Do they know how to support you in the classroom?
Do they know how to support you at social times in school eg. break time, dinner time, in the playground?

Do you have Emergency Rescue Medication?

If you have emergency rescue medication, have the appropriate members of staff been trained?
Do all members of staff know who can administer the emergency medication?
Do all members of staff know where the emergency medication is stored?
Is it stored safely rather than locked away?

Do all the staff have access to our Guide for Schools?

Our Guide for Schools is for people who work in schools or other educational settings. It provides information on supporting young people with epilepsy to ensure they are safe and included in all aspects of school life.

Did you know?

We offer FREE online training for educational professionals in schools, colleges and universities.

You can find out more about our training offer to educational professionals here. Refresher courses are also available, which we recommend taking annually.

Find out more