This page contains the following information;
I am Jenny, the School Community Specialist Nurse for Dronfield Henry Fanshawe School. The core of my role is to ensure that children and young people make a consistent effort to reach optimal health and can achieve in their studies and interests to the best of their abilities. As your School Nurse I look at young people holistically and aim to address any issues that may be affecting their health, whether that is physical, social or environmental. Pupils can approach me for advice on alcohol, drugs, smoking, healthy eating and with any other health-related queries.Teen Drop-In
For confidential advice and a friendly face to talk to, come and see the school nurse at "Teen Drop-In", which is held upstairs in A-Block on Monday lunchtimes, for students of all ages.
TeenHealthSmart
The TeenHealthSmart website is for young people aged 12-19 years. It enables you to access the School Nurse and signposts you to local and national links to support services for all young people in North Derbyshire.
Answer questions on the following subjects, get results and find out what you know about:
- Exercise and healthy eating
- Drugs, solvents and smoking
- Bullying, feeling stressed or under pressure
- Personal safety and crime
- Body image
- Relationships
There are no right or wrong answers and all your answers are confidential, so be honest. When you have your results get top tips and follow links to find out more about topics relating to teen health and lifestyle choices.
General health advice for families
Some common health conditions affecting young people are listed below.
Impetigo
- Symptoms: Starts as small blisters, commonly occuring around the nose, mouth, hands and forearms, that form yellow/brown crusts
- Very infectious: Use separate towels and face cloths
- Attendance: Exclude from school until healed or 48hrs after starting treatments
- Treatment: Cream or antibiotics from GP
Diarrhoea and/or vomiting
- Can be infectious
- Attendance: Exclude from school until child has no more symptoms for 48 hours
Colds and Flu
The Difference:
- Flu comes on very quickly with a fever of 38-40 degrees Centigrade, headache, severe joint pain, chest discomfort, tiredness and weakness. Sometimes involves a runny nose, sneezing and sore throat
- Highly infectious
- Attendance: Children should be excluded from school with flu and if they have a high temperature
- Colds primarily cause a runny nose, sneezing, headache, sore throat and mild fever
Conjunctivitis
- Symptoms: Red, itchy, hot eyes, swollen eyelids, yellowish discharge
- Very infectious: Should not share towels or face cloths
- Attendance: Do not need to be excluded from school
- Treatment: A cool, damp cloth over the eyes will ease symptoms. Antibiotic eye-drops from GP
Chickenpox
- Symptoms: Chickenpox starts like a common-cold. A rash with spots 0.5-1cm in diameter, each with a fluid-filled blister, appears all over the body three to five days later
- Infectious: Until blisters have crusted over
- Attendance: Exclude from school for five days from the onset of the rash
- Treatment: Calamine lotion on itchy areas. Cool baths
- Guidance on infection control in schools at the GOV.uk website
- Download the "Public Health - Meningitis and Septicaemia - Factsheet" (.pdf | 149kb)
Families and Parenting
As a parent you may be presented with a number of challenges and want advice on a range of issues, including parenting, finances and what options are available to your child once they leave school.
The Dronfield Multiagency Team consists of a team of professionals who offer support to families in the Dronfield area. The team comprises of Family Support Workers, Youth Workers, Children's Centre workers and an Education Welfare Officer. Contact the team on 01246 296010 for advice and help.
The websites and helplines below may also be of interest to you.
- www.familylives.org.uk Family Lives helpline offering parenting advice. Tel: 0808 800 2222
- www.onespace.org.uk (for single parents)
- www.actionforchildren.org.uk/ Action for Children offer a range of services for children and families
Do you want to give up smoking?
If you want to give up smoking, you can contact the Derbyshire Stop Smoking Service for help and advice on 0800 0852299.
If you are a young person you can receive confidential support for stopping smoking from the Derbyshire Stop Smoking Service.
You can also see me at the drop-in session on Monday lunch time.
Alternatively, see your House Manager who will sign post you to me and I can provide support to help you stop.
- Visit the Smoke Free NHS website
- Call the NHS helpline on 0800 0224332
- See what harm smoking is doing to your body? (.pdf | 43kb)
Alcohol and Drugs
Consuming alcohol can significantly affect the decisions you make. Drinking a lot of alcohol in a short space of time is unsafe and some drinks contain more alcohol than others.
Both illegal and legal drugs can be particularly harmful and should be avoided. The Talk to Frank Website has an A-Z of drugs, their slang names and explains their effects, risks and the law.
If you are concerned about a young person who may be taking drugs or alcohol you can encourage them to seek help from a health professional, such as their GP or School Nurse. You can also visit the Talk to Frank website which has useful advice for young people, friends and parents.
Space 4 U is a service offering support for children and young people who have been seriously been affected by somebody else's substance misuse. For more information contact Space 4 U;
- Call Space 4 U on 01246 277422
- Email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
- Visit the Talk to Frank website
- Visit the Change4Life - Cutting Down On Alcohol website
- Visit the DrinkSmarter website
Coping with exam stress
Helpful hints for parents at exam times
- Encourage your teenager and listen to what they say.
- Be interested in their exams but do not criticize their work
- Give them a bit of space and privacy, and allow them to have some time out.
- Encourage them to eat well, (breakfast is especially important to maintain blood sugar levels and improve concentration) as is fluid intake, approx 1.5 to 2 litres of fluid a day is what is expected to maintain health.
- Think about maybe allowing them a little "slack" from other pressures.
- If you think your teenager is reacting badly to exam stress, seek professional help early. (GP, teacher, school nurse.)
Emotional Health
You may be concerned about your own or your child's emotional health.
- Anxious or worried
- Low in mood
- Self harming
- Eating difficulties
- Suffered difficulties at home or school which may cause stress
- Suffered a bereavement
- Bullying
Your child may need to talk to someone, whether it is a parent, trusted adult or professional. They could make small changes that have a positive effect on the way they feel.
If you require further support please contact your School Nurse or GP, or see the resources below;
- Further information on emotional health during exams and coping with exam stress
- Mental health support at DHFS
Emotional Health websites
- Visit the Young Minds website
- Visit the Kids Health - What To Do If You Don't Like School website
- Visit the ChildLine website
Anti-Bullying websites
Diet and Exercise
It is important that young people eat a balanced diet. Their daily diet should ideally consist of all the food groups below and in the proportions represented on the plate. This is not in reality always easy to achieve!
- Try new foods
- Eat at least 5 portions of fruit and vegetables. Tinned, frozen fruit and vegetables and fruit juices all count towards 5 a day
- Eat breakfast
- Don't skip meals
- Involve your teenager in food preparation and choosing foods to buy
- Prepare healthy snacks instead of snacking on foods high in fat and sugar
- Grill foods instead of frying them. Trim fat off meats or buy lean varieties
- Swap foods and drinks with added sugar for low sugar and sugar-free varieties
- Choose foods with reduced salt
- Drinking plenty is also important. We should aim to drink around 6 200ml glasses of water per day. All drinks count towards this but try to avoid fizzy drinks and drinks high in sugar.
Keeping active helps to prevent young people developing diseases, such as type 2 diabetes, and also helps them to sleep better. Try incorporating exercise into daily routines, for example by walking to school instead of travelling by car. Limiting the amount of time spent on the computer may also be beneficial.
- Active Derbyshire
- NHS information about food and diet
- Change4Life
- BBC Science - Healthy Eating
- NHS Eatwell Guide
Immunisations
Your teenager will receive their immunisations through school, including the HPV vaccine for girls, the 3-in-1 teenage booster (tetanus, diphtheria and polio) and the Men ACWY vaccine. If you have any queries about the immunisations delivered in school please contact the School Immunisation Team;
- Call the School Immunisation Team on 01283 707170
Your child's immunisation record is held with your GP so please contact your GP practice if you are concerned your child may have missed an immunisation.