Your child’s school should keep in touch and send work home if your child is off for more than a day or two. Some schools have activities that can be downloaded from their website. Others may provide some outreach support. For instance if your child has a support assistant, they may come and do some work with them at home. While your child is off, the school should help them keep in touch with classmates, for example by writing, over the phone, through photos or class newsletters, over Microsoft Teams or Zoom etc.

If your child is admitted to hospital and they are well enough to do so, they will attend the hospital’s school, where there will be lessons on the ward or in a separate schoolroom. The hospital education team should liaise with your child’s school.

The local authority must provide alternative education – either full time or as much as your child can manage. It can be provided in a number of different ways, including:

• A home tutor
• Online learning
• A small unit for children with medical needs

Before arranging alternative education, the local authority may need a referral from your child’s school or a letter from a consultant stating that your child is not well enough to attend school. The teams coordinating alternative education have different names in different areas. Common names are ‘home and hospital tuition’ or ‘EOTAS’ (Education Otherwise Than At School).

If your child is in England and has an Education Health and Care Plan, it can include what will be set up when your child is absent from school.

It may be possible for your child to have a gradual return, for instance through part-time attendance for a limited time. You can discuss what will work best with the school and the services that have been providing education and care for your child. You may also want to agree with school what information is shared with other children – depending on what your child and you prefer.