Head lice are a common part of primary school life. They are not linked to poor hygiene and can affect anyone. While they can be frustrating, they are straightforward to manage with prompt treatment at home.
Our School Approach
- We do not routinely send letters home about individual cases.
- If a member of staff sees live head lice on a child, we will contact parents and ask for the child to be collected, treated, and returned to school once treatment has begun.
- We encourage families to check hair regularly so that cases are identified and treated quickly.
- Children should not miss extended time in school because of nits alone.
Our aim is simple: minimise disruption to learning while ensuring prompt treatment.
What Parents Should Do
- Check regularly – especially if your child is scratching or you’ve been told there are cases in their class.
- Use the wet-combing method with conditioner and a fine-toothed nit comb, checking every few days for two weeks.
- Use a pharmacy treatment if live lice are found, following the instructions carefully.
- Check the whole household and treat anyone with live lice at the same time.
- Send your child back to school once treatment has started.
Nits (eggs) alone do not always mean there is an active infection - only live lice require treatment.
NHS Guidance
We follow guidance from the National Health Service.
Parents can read the current advice here: https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/head-lice-and-nits/
This page explains:
- How to check for head lice
- The recommended wet-combing technique
- Treatment options
- What does and doesn’t work