Asthma
The board of St Joseph's School is responsible for providing a physically and emotionally safe place where risks to health and safety are eliminated or minimised (Health and Safety at Work Act 2015, Education and Training Act 2020). We aim to provide a safe environment for students, and staff, and others with asthma at school or school-related activities by identifying and eliminating (or minimising) risks, being prepared to respond if needed, and raising awareness about asthma. Asthma is a respiratory condition that can vary in severity and frequency and results in difficulty breathing, tightness in the chest, coughing, or wheezing. We support students with asthma to participate school activities.
We assess potential asthma triggers (e.g. allergens, pollen, mould) within the school environment and work to eliminate or minimise them. St Joseph's School is smokefree and vapefree and we aim to promote a school environment that is safe for everyone.
School responsibilities
To safely manage asthma at school and school-related activities, we carry out the actions below. In the event of a severe asthma attack, we follow student individual plans and our school response to injuries and illness procedures. See Managing Injuries and Illness.
- We keep a record of student health information in our student management system. We inform relevant staff about specific student needs. Staff have access to specific student health information as appropriate and are familiar with the medical needs of students they have regular contact with.
- We communicate with the parents/caregivers of a student with asthma to create an
individual plan. An individual plan outlines any health conditions a student has and the support they need to manage it. These plans are usually referred to as health, management, or action plans. Students may need a plan if their condition requires regular medication, monitoring, management, adaptation of the learning environment, and/or hospitalisation.
Plans are developed collaboratively, and generally involve the student, parents/caregivers (whānau), and a health professional. The principal and other staff members may also provide input during this process. The plan should be reviewed regularly to ensure it is kept up to date.
An individual plan considers the needs and situation of an individual student and their whānau. This may include assessing expectations around care, supervision, and treatment (e.g. medication), potential barriers to learning, procedures to follow in an emergency, and communication methods. The plan includes student details, information used to develop the plan, agreed processes to support the student, and written agreement from parents.
Action Plans 
(Allergy New Zealand)
Asthma Action Plans (Asthma Respiratory Foundation NZ)
Diabetes in schools (The Paediatric Society of New Zealand)
- We consider the needs of students with asthma when planning EOTC events, including bringing asthma medication, planning for any possible medical help required, and having the appropriate emergency contact numbers.
- We ensure staff working closely with a student with asthma are trained to recognise and respond appropriately in the case of an asthma attack.
- We inform parents/caregivers if their child has an asthma attack at school, or if asthma is affecting the student at school. We may ask parents/caregivers to collect their child from school if they need to use their medication more often than every four hours as this may indicate a need for medical attention.
- We have clear processes for managing asthma medication at school. Asthma medication is stored appropriately so students have access to their inhalers when needed. The school maintains an up-to-date asthma emergency kit with clear instructions for its use.
Also see Medicines.
We record any asthma attacks that require emergency medication or first aid. We report any incidents as appropriate. See Recording and Reporting Injuries and Illness.
Responsibilities of others
We expect everyone at school or school-related activities to take care of their health and notify school staff if they need support.
In order to ensure the safe management of student asthma, we expect students and parents/caregivers to take the actions below.
Parents/Caregivers are expected to:
- advise the school, at enrolment or any time after, if the student has asthma
- communicate with the school to create an individual plan and keep this up to date
- follow school processes for managing medicines including supplying and replacing any necessary asthma medication (e.g. reliever and preventer inhalers, spacers)
- provide written consent for the school to store and/or administer medication, including emergency treatment
- help the student to understand and manage their asthma as appropriate.
We expect students to tell a staff member if they are feeling unwell and/or if their experiencing an asthma attack.
Students inform the teacher if they use their asthma reliever medication.
Related topics
Legislation
- Education and Training Act 2020
- Health and Safety at Work Act 2015
Resources
: Term 3 2025, Term 3 2022, Term 4 2020, Term 2 2017
The release history is a record of changes made to a SchoolDocs Core topic as the result of an internal or scheduled review. The date indicates when a change was made. If you have a customised topic, it may not have received the updates described. Release history links are kept for five years, then archived.
