Asthma Friendly Schools

By becoming an asthma-friendly school you will be able to support pupils with asthma specifically, provide better support and lessen the impact on the education of these children and young people.

Schools across Lincolnshire can now complete a self-assessment checklist and provide evidence to be awarded Asthma Friendly School accreditation 2 yearly.

Why become an Asthma Friendly School?

The benefits of becoming an ‘Asthma Friendly School’ include:

Improving asthma awareness and management in the school
Improving support to students with asthma encouraging an inclusive environment
Supporting responsibilities for the health, safety and wellbeing of students and staff
Ensures the school is implementing current and best practice asthma management strategies
Enables the school to promote its self-evaluated status to ensure that the community is aware of the school’s commitment to ‘Asthma Friendly’ strategies.

Pathway to becoming an Asthma Friendly School

1. Access and read the Asthma Friendly school Guidance document

Please see a link to our guide below:

Lincolnshire schools’ guide for the care of children and young people with asthma
2. Asthma Champion identified

Asthma Champion delegated by headteacher will ensure that the guidance is followed and take responsibility for maintaining responsibility for being an asthma friendly school.
3. Self assessment evidence and checklist completed

The check list is available in the guidance, this should be fully completed and include copies of documents, such as the register, emergency kit checklist, asthma/medical policy etc.
4. Self Assessment checklist submitted

The self assessment form should be returned to licb.cyp@nhs.net.
5. Receive accreditation certificate

The self assessment form will be assessed and once completed the school will be sent their accreditation certificate.
6. Communicate you are an asthma-friendly school

Share your success with staff, pupils/parents/carers, local community etc.
7. Maintain accreditation (every 2 years)

To maintain accreditation you will need to submit an updated self assessment form every 2 years.
8. Quality Assurance visit (a small selection of schools annually)

A selection of schools will be audited annually by a member of the ICB Children and Young People team or the Children and Young People Respiratory nurse.

To achieve Asthma Friendly Schools status schools must meet a set of standards;

Schools that are accredited as an Asthma Friendly School need to:

Have a school Asthma Champion who are delegated responsibility by the head teacher and school governors/ trustees to co-ordinate asthma principles in school.
Have an up to date Medical/Asthma Policy
Have an Asthma Register for all children and young people who have an asthma diagnosis, this should be reviewed and updated regularly
Have an Emergency Inhaler Kit which includes a compatible spacer.
Personalised Asthma Action Plans should be requested from parents/carers for each child with asthma.
Record and Share information with parents/carers about the child’s asthma whilst in school.
Training- 85 % of staff and all PE staff will have completed Tier 1 asthma e-learning.

Preventable is a film made by school-aged children as their way of try to address the gap between what we know, and we do. Watch it. Think about it. Then do it.

You never know this might save someone’s life, from being yet another preventable asthma death.

News/updates on asthma friendly schools in Lincolnshire

Tower Road Academy first to gain ‘Asthma Friendly School’ accreditation in Lincolnshire. Find out more.

Resources
Lincolnshire schools’ guide for the care of children and young people with asthma
Example School Asthma Policy