Why Infection Control in Schools Matters
As a former headteacher, I can be frank, schools are often lively and chaotic places. Children spend their days learning, playing, and interacting closely, often sharing everything they touch, from pencils and snacks to stories and, alas, germs. The speed with which an illness spreads through a class is familiar to anyone who has ever worked in a school.
That’s why controlling infection is so important. It’s not just about following health guidelines. It’s also about keeping the school running, ensuring everyone feels safe, and caring for the well-being of the entire community. For school staff and leaders, understanding how infections spread and how to manage them isn’t a ‘nice-to-have’. It’s essential to maintaining a functioning order.
Why Schools Are Naturally Prone to Infections
Imagine a typical school day. Children are always on the move, sharing tables, books, toys, and sometimes even their lunch. Handwashing, let’s face it, doesn’t always come naturally, especially not for younger students. In early years settings, hygiene is an emerging skill, which is completely typical for their developmental stage. However, it does mean we have to be ahead of the curve. Without clear routines, supervision, and some degree of education about germs, it doesn’t take much for bugs to spread through a class or even an entire year group. Bacteria, viruses, fungi, and parasites thrive in these frenetic, communal spaces, and therefore, schools must be prepared.
Infection Control as a Safeguarding Issue
Sending a child home when they feel unwell often seems like a straightforward, sensible decision, and in many cases, it is. However, for some children, the time outside school poses extra dangers. Home may not necessarily be a safe or supportive place. That could mean skipping meals, not receiving critical care, or being alone during the day.
That’s the point where infection control and safeguarding cross. We can’t view exclusion as solely a health issue, we must consider it in a broader context. If there is a concern that a child may be at increased risk if temporarily excluded on health grounds or during a school closure, the DSL should be involved to risk assess and ensure additional measures are in place to ensure the child’s safety. Decisions like these must always be made with caution, compassion, and the child’s best interest at heart. As with any type of exclusion, should children registered with a child protection plan be affected, then their social worker must be notified.
Keeping Classrooms Open and Learning Ongoing
When a school runs well, it’s often when everyone is healthy and present. However, when illness ripples out and staff or pupils miss days off school, then learning is rapidly disrupted, sometimes for whole year groups, which is why these kinds of infection control practices are so important. Explicit guidelines on when to stay at home and when it’s safe to return help provide stability in the classroom. For school leaders, it’s not just a health issue, it’s about ensuring that teaching and learning can continue uninterrupted.
Building Trust Through Clear Communication
Communicating with parents during an illness outbreak may be one of the more challenging components of managing infections in schools. Families understandably need clear answers. They need to know what’s going on, how serious it is, and that their child is being kept safe. This is where it is helpful if staff know how infections spread, what to look out for, and can communicate the steps being taken to mitigate risk. With this knowledge, it becomes a lot easier to respond calmly, to build trust, and reassure families that schools have this under control.
Responding Quickly When Illness Spreads
When a handful of children start developing the same symptoms, things can progress quickly, and so must the response from the school. Leaders must act quickly, and this may include contacting the Health Protection Team, increasing cleaning in areas of concern, and limiting access to specific parts of the school or implementing your school’s remote learning plan.
Being prepared helps. A straightforward checklist, a list of who to call, and a clear plan to isolate sick students will help make what is often a stressful situation much easier to manage. Some preparatory work beforehand can avoid a lot of chaos later on.
The Importance of Vaccination in Schools
Vaccines are crucial for maintaining the safety of school communities. When enough people are vaccinated, it protects those who cannot receive particular vaccines, such as very young children, individuals with weakened immune systems, or those with certain medical conditions.
School staff and leaders don’t need to become health experts, but they can help by offering clear information about how to promote vaccine uptake in their communities. It’s about helping families understand that vaccination isn’t just about individual protection. It’s about protecting the whole community.
Sadly, vaccine hesitancy and misinformation have caused the reemergence of diseases, including measles. With support for vaccines and open communication with parents, schools can become a strong and trusted ally in the broader effort to prevent these diseases from spreading.
Building a Caring School Community
Ultimately, infection control isn’t only about preventing germs from entering the school; it’s about creating a school culture in which people are vigilant of one another. When pupils become accustomed to basic routines like washing their hands, covering their coughs, or staying home when they’re sick, this is an integral part of how an entire school takes care of each other.
What I learnt as a headteacher is that there’s no need for anything fancy. Staff awareness and training is key. Some gentle reminders, visible signs in communal areas, and staff leading by example can make a significant difference. It’s these little gestures that set the tone, and over time, they create a culture of care and responsibility that flows naturally.
Although it may not be the most frequently discussed aspect of school life, infection control is crucial. It helps keep learning on track, protects those who are more vulnerable, and prevents unnecessary disruptions for everyone.
At its core, it’s about care; ensuring our schools are safe, supportive environments where both pupils and staff can thrive. With careful planning, clear communication, and proper training, schools can effectively manage illness calmly and confidently, regardless of the challenges that arise.
Sara Spinks
SSS Author & Former Headteacher
7 April 2025
