Can a child attend school or nursery with a cough, fever or infection?

Katerina Galkina · EN · 07/10/2026

A mild cough or runny nose does not always require a day off school. Consider how the child feels overall, whether they have a fever and the guidance for their particular infection. Assess any need for medical help before deciding about attendance. The guidance below applies to England. NHS: too ill for school ↗.

Assess your child in the morning

Check their temperature and whether they can drink, eat, interact and manage a normal day. NHS guidance allows attendance with a slight cough or cold if the child is otherwise well and has no high temperature. With a fever, keep them at home until it has gone. NHS: attendance when unwell ↗.

Do not send an obviously unwell child simply because nursery has been paid for. Plan backup care in advance: the setting may ask you to collect your child if they become unwell during the day.

Check the exclusion period

After vomiting or diarrhoea, wait at least 48 hours without those symptoms. With chickenpox, wait until all spots have crusted over. With scarlet fever, return is possible 24 hours after starting antibiotics prescribed by a doctor. Head lice alone do not require exclusion. These examples do not replace the guidance for other infections. NHS: illness-specific guidance ↗.

Ask the setting whether additional UKHSA instructions apply during an outbreak. Share a confirmed diagnosis and relevant clinical advice. Do not identify an infection from a photograph in a parents' chat. UKHSA: health protection in education ↗.

Notify the school or nursery

On the first day, telephone or use the setting's specified reporting channel. Explain the reason for absence and when you will next update them. Ask about return arrangements, administering medicines and any required documentation. Check the nursery contract for fees during absence: illness does not automatically mean a refund.

Know when to seek medical help

Call 111 for a baby under three months with a temperature of 38°C or above, or a baby aged three to six months with a temperature of 39°C or above. Seek advice for dehydration, a fever lasting five days or more, or worrying deterioration. Call 999 for difficulty breathing, a child who is hard to wake, or a rash that does not fade when pressed with a glass. NHS: fever in children ↗.

If anxiety is causing absence, talk to the school and, if problems persist, a GP or school nurse. Checked on 7 October 2026.