Starting school for the first time, or moving up to middle school or high school, can be a testing time for children and parents alike. And if your child has been diagnosed with coeliac disease, it can be even more challenging. But don’t worry; by planning ahead and taking a few simple steps, you can work together with your child, and their school, to ensure they’re safe, and can still play a full part in all school activities.

Talking to your child

Before you can start working with the school, it’s important to establish how much your child knows about their condition, and how well they understand the importance of following a strict gluten free diet. The older they are, the better they will understand what it means to be diagnosed with coeliac disease. You and their teachers need to know where they’re up to, in order to provide the support your child needs.

1. Does your child know which foods contain gluten and should be avoided?
2. Do they understand ‘hidden’ forms of gluten that are less obvious?
3. Do they know not to trade food with their friends at lunchtime?
4. Do they recognise the symptoms associated with a gluten reaction?
5. Do they know how to communicate when they are feeling unwell?
6. How comfortable / confident are they in discussing their condition with other children?

Talking to the teachers

Once you’ve established your child’s level of understanding, you need to educate the school too. Many people don’t know that much about the condition, so it’s important to explain what it means to be diagnosed with coeliac disease and the importance of following a strict gluten free diet.

You can contact the school directly and arrange a meeting with the staff who will be caring for your child, such as their form teacher, the head of year, the school nurse and the catering team. Alternatively, you can write a letter to the school outlining everything that they need to know. You can find a handy letter template on the Coeliac UK website. We also have handy tear-out information sheets for schools and other care providers at the back of our ‘Coeliac Disease and Me’ booklet. These information sheets are ideal for taking along to any meetings you may have with your child’s school.

You may also wish to show teachers  where they can find more information about coeliac disease in children, such as the Glutafin and Coeliac UK websites.

Talking to the catering team

In England, there is no obligation for the school to provide gluten free school meals beyond reception and years 1 and 2. The rules of provision are different in the other home nations.

If gluten free school meals are an option, then you should talk to the catering team to ensure that they fully understand what this means. They need to know the risks of cross contamination and they need to establish a way of identifying your child to make sure that they get the right meal at lunchtime.

If a gluten free school meal option is not available, or you’re not confident in the provision, you can send your child to school with a packed lunch. You’ll find lots of exciting gluten free packed lunch ideas for school on our website.

Keep talking

Having worked together with the school to establish a safe and inclusive environment for your child, it’s important to keep the lines of communication open. Teachers are very busy with lots of responsibilities, so it helps to ask them how, and when, they’d prefer to be contacted if you have any concerns. This may be by phone, email or in person. You should also provide your contact details so they can get in touch if they have any questions or concerns.

Keeping your child safe at school when they’ve been diagnosed with coeliac disease takes teamwork. By communicating and collaborating with the school, not just before term starts but throughout the year, you can make sure everyone understands their role and works together to make your child’s school days the best they can be.

Share this now: