Essential Information

Should children be sent home?

There is no reason why this should happen as, although head lice are a nuisance, they are completely harmless.

• Sending a child home from school doesn’t ensure they will be cleared of head lice. Contract tracing and weekly detection through a wet combing regime using a Full Marks Detector Comb will help reduce the risk of re-infestation.
• A head lice infestation shouldn’t be treated as a public health threat as they are completely harmless and cause no harm other than inconvenience.
• It’s likely the child has been with classmates with head lice for days or weeks already.

What else can the school do?

Continual communication with parents is key - supplying information and reminders to check their children on a regular basis.

It’s also important to point out to parents that most children will experience head lice at some stage of their life and that it’s nothing to be ashamed of. Head lice are not harmful and can be treated quickly, and easily.

• Education is the key to controlling head lice. Downloadable leaflets, posters and training material are all available below
• Consider regular talks for parents, teachers and children.
• Reminders to parents on the need to regularly carry out ‘detection combing’ to catch head lice early and avoid a widespread outbreak.
• Reminders can be sent in the school ‘newsletter’, recommending key times to check and giving information and tips for detection and removal
• Information to new starters, with downloadable leaflets