Asthma Friendly Schools

Asthma Friendly Schools is open to all schools across the Hampshire, the Isle of Wight area and Dorset and the award is renewed every 3 years. Schools will be awarded a certificate, logo for website and letter to be sent to students and parents/carers to explain the Asthma Friendly School status.  

Why become an Asthma Friendly School?

• Schools are equipped with the knowledge and skills to support children with Asthma.
• Children and Young People with Asthma will feel empowered to reach their potential in this supportive environment.
• Parents/carers can be reassured that staff have training and processes in place to support their child who has Asthma.
• Schools can contact a healthcare professional (School Nurse or Specialist Asthma Nurse) to answers questions and work as a team to support a child/family. 

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

• Asthma Champion - Schools must identify a member(s) of staff to co-ordinate Asthma within the school. This role will be supported by the schools Senior Leadership Team. 
• Asthma Policy - Schools must have an Asthma Policy that is up-to-date and can be viewed by children, young people, parents/carers, school staff and governors/trustees. 
• Asthma Register - Schools must keep a register of all children who have a diagnosis of Asthma or Suspected Asthma at School. This should be reviewed regularly. 
• Emergency Medication Kit - Schools must have an emergency reliever inhaler with an appropriate spacer.
• Personalised Asthma Action Plan (PAAP) - Schools should request a PAAP from parents/carers for all children on the School Asthma Register. This PAAP will be completed by a healthcare professional, usually at a child's Annual Asthma Review appointment.
• Recording and Sharing Information - Schools will record when children use medication (whenever possible) and share this information with parents/carers. 
• Training - Schools will access Children and Young People's Asthma Training (minimum of every two years). 85% of staff will have received training for a school to be awarded Asthma Friendly status. Free NHS England approved CYP Asthma E-Learning is available to all schools. In some areas schools can access face to face CYP Asthma Training by local health teams.  Contact the Asthma Care Bundle Team in your area for more information.

For more information please contact your regional team:

Hampshire and the Isle of Wight: [email protected]

Dorset: TBC

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.