Many schools work hard to make the best provision they can for young people with medical needs, but it is not always easy. Jackie Wheatley highlights key areas of best practice, considers some of the legal requirements placed on schools, and offers her advice

All children and young people with medical conditions are entitled to the fullest possible access to education, including the whole curriculum and special trips and visits. Only if it is not in the best interests of the pupil should they be doing less.

In my experience, most young people with a medical condition want to be treated “normally”. For a young person undergoing treatment, especially when that treatment extends over many months or even years, it is vital to hang on to as much normality as possible. This includes the expectation of regular school attendance and participation in all the social and broader aspects of school life as well as lessons whenever possible.

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