Buttsgrove Way Huntingdon

PE29 1PE

Headteacher: Mr D Jones

www.thongsleyfields.org

Tel: 01480 375321 Email: office@thongsleyfields.org Follow: @thongsleyfields

Thongsley Fields Primary & Nursery School is an academy of The Cam Academy Trust, a company limited by guarantee and registered in England and Wales with

company number 0749 1945. The registered office is at Comberton Village

College, West Street, Comberton, Cambridgeshire, CB23 7DU

Thongsley Fields Primary & Nursery School

Head Lice Information & Procedures

Inclusion

Version: 1

Reviewed: September 2019

Approved: Date: Autumn 2019

Thongsley Fields Primary & Nursery School Head Lice Information & Procedures

Head Lice Information & Procedures September 2019

1. Context

Head lice are a wider societal problem and contrary to popular belief, research shows that

transmission of lice within the classroom is relatively rare. When it does occur, it is usually from a close

or ‘best’ friend.

What we know:

You can only get head lice through direct head-to-head contact with a person that has them.

Head lice can’t jump, hop or swim.

There is no evidence that head lice have a preference for either clean or dirty hair.

It is extremely rare to get head lice by sharing hats, combs or pillows.

You also don’t need to wash clothing or bedding, because head lice that fall off your head (e.g. onto

hats or pillows) are likely to die soon after.

Studies of school children indicate that approximately 4% of the population at any one time has head

lice - at Thongsley Fields, this would be approximately 12 children across the school. Outbreaks are

very rare and there is usually a perception of an outbreak rather than a reality.

2. Life span & diagnosis

The life span of a head louse is short. The adult will lay 5-6 eggs a day, glued to the base of a hair near

the scalp. The egg will take 7-10 days to hatch. The empty white egg case is often called a ‘nit’. It takes

a further 6-14 days for the louse to mature and begin to reproduce. The whole cycle takes between 2-

3 weeks.

Finding a living, moving louse on a head is the only sure way to diagnose the presence of head lice.

There are different ways of treating an infection including, many lotions and the wet combing method.

However, in order to be effective the treatment needs to be correctly applied and repeated as

directed.

3. What the research says

Recent national and international research and guidance is clear about what actions schools should

and should not take when dealing with incidents of head lice.

At Thongsley Fields, we:

• will NOT send out blanket warning letters

• will NOT routinely send children home

• will NOT routinely inspect children’s hair i.e. ‘nit nurse’.

Thongsley Fields Primary & Nursery School Head Lice Information & Procedures

Head Lice Information & Procedures September 2019

4. What the school will do

If a member of staff sees a live, moving louse in a child’s hair they:

• will consult with a member of the Leadership Team and

• will inform parents or carers preferably via a telephone call or if that is not possible, by text

message or in person at the end of the school day to inform them that a live louse has been

seen.

This will allow parents time to organise appropriate treatment for later that same evening and before

the child returns to school the following day.

Only if a child is in distress or very uncomfortable will the school recommend that the parent or

carer collect their child from school early. This decision will only be made by a member of the school’s

Leadership Team in conjunction with the child’s class teacher.

If a child is repeatedly suffering from head lice then, with the parent or carer’s agreement, we will

contact the school nursing service to seek further advice.

5. Proactive monitoring

Head lice will not be eradicated in the foreseeable future, but a sensible, informed approach, based

on fact not mythology, will help to limit the problem.

There is no good way of preventing head lice.

The best way to prevent them spreading is to check your whole family’s heads for lice regularly. You

can do this by detection combing on a weekly basis. This will help you find any lice before they have a

chance to breed and lay nits. You can then treat them quickly to prevent them from spreading to other

people.

6. Useful websites

NHS UK

https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/head-lice-and-nits/

Community hygiene concern

http://www.chc.org

Once a week – take a peek campaign

http://www.onceaweektakeapeek.com

For more information and advice, please see our school website.

AN EASY-TO-USE GUIDE FOR PARENTS TO FIGHT BACK AGAINST HEAD LICE

The national parents campaign to beat school bug bullies

Produced by:

In association with:

Head Lice – Together We Can Fight Them!Head lice are a normal part of childhood

- surveys among primary school children

have found that nearly 1 in 10 have head

lice at any one time.

If you’re a parent you probably know

what a hassle it is to treat head lice and

just how frustrating it can be when your

child comes home scratching their head

yet again. But parents, you’ve got the

power to stop head lice in their tracks!

By following a simple three step process,

Check-Treat-Complete, you can fi ght

back against these bug bullies.

The Impact of LiceAnyone can get head lice although they are most common amongst children aged 4-11 who spend more time in close contact with friends and siblings. The best known symptom is itching but this is not the best indicator as many people may not itch with lice at all. Leaving lice untreated can lead to a loss of self esteem and confi dence and a general feeling of being unwell.

MYTH:

FACT:Having head lice has nothing to do with personal hygiene

Only dirty children get head lice

NIT KNOWLEDGE: 1 in 4 parents believe schools check for lice – WRONG!

Checking for head lice shouldn’t be considered a big deal, it is just a normal part of a family’s personal hygiene routine like brushing teeth or washing hair

It is best to check for head lice using a comb made for the purpose, ideally white so they can be easily seen and with teeth no more than 0.3mm apart in order to trap head lice

Combing through the hair when wet, or after applying a conditioner, may make the process more comfortable

Good lighting is important and so is comfort

How to Check

How Do You Find Head Lice?To diagnose a case of head lice you need to fi nd them alive. This is when you need to use a treatment. They move fast and are small – so they can be hard to fi nd!

Sizing Up Head LiceHead lice range in size from a full stop to a sesame seed.

Actual size in stages of growth.

Where to Peek Close to the scalp

Behind the ears

The back of the neck

The top of the head

Under the fringe

What to Peek forAdult lice are 2-4 mm long

Immature lice are even smallerLive lice remain close to the scalp Nits are dead or empty egg shells -

simply remove these by hand or by combing

CHECK You should check your children’s hair regularly, ideally once a week – a good way to remember this is ONCE A WEEK, TAKE A PEEK

CHECK...If head lice are spotted, take a close look at all the family,

including yourself, and ask close

family and friends to check as wellConsult a pharmacist

for treatment advice

The Hedrin Head Lice Detection Comb is ideal for effective checking.

Advertisement

How to get rid of head lice?

If you fi nd live lice, fi rstly, don’t worry. Head lice are a normal part of life and are nothing to be embarrassed, panicked or ashamed about.

There are FOUR types of head lice treatment:

Non-pesticide treatments

Pesticide lotions and liquids

Wet combing with conditioner

Alternative treatments

NON-PESTICIDE treatments work in a different way from conventional pesticide treatments. They kill the lice by coating and either stripping away their waxy coating, causing them to dehydrate or blocking the opening to their air tubes, disrupting their ability to manage water. These physical mode of actions mean there is theoretically no chance for the lice to build up a resistance. There are three main active ingredients currently in use, dimeticone, isopropyl and activdiol.

PESTICIDE based treatments have been around for many years but there is now evidence that head lice already have, and continue to, develop resistance to some of them. There are two main types which work by poisoning the lice but evidence suggests that levels of resistance to these treatments are rising.

WET COMBING removes lice and nits but does take time and patience to ensure a thorough job is done. It’s quite easy to miss a few and needs to be done twice a week for at least two weeks.

ALTERNATIVE TREATMENTS and herbal options are available – although their effectiveness varies.

TREAT

Go to your local pharmacy for information and advice on which treatment is right for you.

Treatment should only be applied if a living, moving louse is found – never ‘just in case’

When applying treatment, cover the full length of hair and ensure treatment is left on for the recommended time – following on-pack instructions carefully

Keep lotion out of eyes and off the face – do not use the hair dryer and keep away from fl ames, stoves, cigarettes and other sources of heat

Applying treatment

Check your child’s hair a couple of days after treatment to ensure that all the headlice have been killed

If the pack instructions specify that a second application is required, repeat the treatment for a second time seven days after the fi rst to kill lice that may have hatched from the eggs during that time

Continue to check for head lice on a regular, weekly basis – ONCE A WEEK, TAKE A PEEK

COMPLETEThe treatment has been applied but there is one fi nal step, it is time to repeat the checking process.

Your Home is a Nit Free ZoneHead lice do not live away from the head.

There’s no fear of lice spreading to clothes,

furniture or bedding so excessive cleaning

is not needed. If live lice are found on

one member of your family, simply check

everyone’s hair and then treat as necessary.

Should Your Child Stay Home? If your children are checked for head lice

on a weekly basis and treated straight

away when live lice are found then they

can attend school, child care and all other

activities just as usual. But remind them

to avoid head-to-head contact with other

children until all the lice are gone.

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If the problem won’t go away If you still fi nd live lice after you fi nish the treatment either it’s failed or there has been a re-infestation. If the treatment failed you’ll usually fi nd lice of all life stages but a re-infestation will usually consist of a few adult lice. You’ll need to treat again so make sure:

You read the instructions carefully and follow them exactly You use enough treatment to cover the whole head and

full length of hair You leave the treatment on for long enough You complete the treatment course If you’re using a pesticide change to a different type

of treatment You use a good quality comb if you’re using the

‘Bug Busting’ method

To avoid inappropriate use of head lice treatments, it is worth considering whether there is in fact a true current infection. In some cases, an itchy scalp can be due to other skin problems such as eczema or other conditions such as dandruff can be mistaken for head lice. Care must be taken to accurately identify live lice and treatments should only be used when this is defi nitely the case. Speak to your healthcare professional if you are unsure.

THERE IS A REASON WHY HEDRIN IS THE NO.1 SELLING HEAD LICE BRAND

1

Hedrin 4% Lotion The Original Hedrin productContains dimeticone - always read the label

Hedrin Once A fast acting solution that takes only 15 minutes to work

Hedrin Treat & Go A fuss-free solution great for children that just want to get out and play

Reassurance ConvenienceSpeed

ALL HEDRIN BRANDED TREATMENTS: Are shown to be effective in clinical trials Have physical modes of action to

which lice cannot develop resistance Do not require laborious combing in

order to work Are skin-friendly Have no unpleasant odours and

contain no known asthma triggers

All it takes is three simple steps:

If you fi nd live lice tell your school, friends and family straight away so they can check as well.

So just remember:

Once a Week,

Take a Peek!

What to do Next“We can fi ght the spread of head lice but we need to work together.”

Ask your school to get involved with the ‘Once a Week, Take a Peek’ campaign

Tell your friends and family about the campaign

Go to the web site below for copies of

this leafl et as well as further information and sources of help:

www.onceaweektakeapeek.com

CHECK Your child’s hair once a week Use a proper detection comb to trap head lice,

preferably white in colour so they can easily be seen

If you fi nd live lice, consult a pharmacist for treatment advice

If head lice are spotted, take a close look at all the family, including yourself, and ask close family and friends to check as well

TREAT Only treat if live lice are identifi ed Use a clinically proven treatment, ideally with

a physical mode of action to which lice are very unlikely to build up resistance

Leave the treatment on for the recommended time for maximum effect – leaving it on for longer will not make it more effective

COMPLETE Check that all head lice have gone within 2-3

days of the fi nal application to complete the treatment

If the pack instructions specify that a second application is required, repeat the treatment for a second time seven days after the fi rst to kill any lice that may hatch from eggs during that time

Continue to check for head lice on a regular, weekly basis