Back to school

Key health matters for parents and carers

For many of us, September means one thing, back to school. Back to the school run, preparing packed lunches and organising school uniforms. It can also mean supporting your child's emotional wellbeing as they navigate change, making sure they're up to date with vaccinations and watching out for headlice.

Here are some of the key points you need to know for the school year ahead.

Vaccinations

Young children

Before your child starts school, please ensure they have received their routine pre-school booster jab. This includes immunisation against diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis (whooping cough), polio (dTaP/IPV or DTaP/IPV), measles, mumps and rubella (MMR).

The risk of measles outbreaks in the new school year remains a concern across Surrey. If you think your child has missed their pre-school booster, it's never too late to catch up. Contact your GP to book an appointment.

Older children

In the autumn term, primary and secondary school age children between 4 to 16 years old (Reception to Year 11) will be offered a vaccination against flu.

In the spring or summer term, young people between school age 12 to 14 years will be offered vaccinations to protect them from:

• Human Papillomavirus (HPV)
• Tetanus, Diphtheria and Polio (Td/IPV)
• Meningococcal groups A, C, W and Y (MenACWY)

Vaccinations for children and young people of school-age are planned and delivered by local immunisation teams who will visit schools and education settings. If your child is home educated, you can contact the team in your area to arrange their vaccinations. Find out more about the teams, and how to contact them via the Children and Family Health website.

Find out more on the Healthy Surrey vaccinations website.

Mental wellbeing

The new school year, returning to school or starting a new school can sometimes be a worrying time for children and young people. Some may need to access some support. Mindworks Surrey has recently developed a Mindworks Map to show all the available services and how you can access them. There are also lots of great resources and strategies for children, young people and their families on the Mindworks website.

Head lice

Head lice and nits are very common in young children. While they can be difficult to prevent, you can help stop them spreading by wet combing regularly, using a detection comb. If wet combing has not worked or is not suitable, you could try a medicated lotion or spray. These are available from pharmacies, supermarkets or online.

School meals

All children are entitled to receive a free school meal, regardless of household income, providing they are in a government-funded school and in Reception, Year 1, or Year 2. You'll need to let your school know that you'd like to take advantage of this entitlement. Older children may be entitled to free school meals if you get certain benefits.

The British Nutrition Foundation also has advice about healthy packed lunches.

School uniforms

Some families may struggle with the cost of school uniforms. Many schools have secondhand items for sale and there are some charities and organisations that can help with the cost. Find out more on our paying for school uniforms webpage.

More general information

We would also like to remind parents of children due to start secondary school in September 2025 that the closing date for on-time applications is 31 October 2024. For information on how to apply, see our secondary school admissions webpages.

For more information, visit the schools section on our website.