Education Action Plan
Schools and teachers can go the extra MILE for young people with epilepsy by:
Monitoring achievement and behaviour
Keep careful and appropriate records of students with epilepsy Changes in behaviour or levels/rates of acheivement can be due to epilepsy and should be recorded Tackle any problems earlyIncluding the child in activities and providing a 'buddy'
Offer support in school with a mentoring or 'buddying' system to help broaden understanding of the condition Avoid isolation and stigma - allow students to take a full part in all outings and activities Make necessary adjustments e.g.exam timings, coursework deadlines, timetablesLiaising fully with parents and health professionals
Let parents know what is going on in school - good information sharing is vital Ask for information about a student's health care - it helps you to fully meet their needsEnsuring staff are epilepsy aware and trained to deal with a seizure
Know exactly what to do if a student has a seizure Raise awareness across the whole school community - provide information to students, parents and staffThe Champions for Childhood Epilepsy Campaign has worked in collaboration with a group of local schools to develop a model of good practice which supports schools and teachers to improve the support they are able to give to students with epilepsy.
The Education Pilot
The Tandridge Confederation in Surrey were the first schools to engage with us on this work and we remain extremely grateful to them for their commitment. The project quickly extended through 'word of mouth' to encompass a variety of other schools in the local area.
We worked with a full range of schools to ensure we developed a truly 'fit all' model of practice. Our education pilot partner schools included:
Infant Junior Primary Secondary Special - residential and day Indepedent Confederation of schools Rural Inner city Boarding Academy schools
We trained 31 Epilepsy Champions from 21 schools (7,000 pupils).
Training was extremely well received with feedback ratings showing 86% and 90% satisfaction.
The Epilepsy Champion model
Schools nominate a staff member to be their Epilepsy Champion The nominated Epilepsy Champion receives awareness training The Epilepsy Champion returns to school and reviews policy to ensure the Education Action Plan and the role of Epilepsy Champion are incorporated in the schools policy framework The Epilepsy Champion thereafter acts as a resource for all school staff The Epilepsy Champion identifies opportunities to raise awareness across the school community The Epilepsy Champion links with the NCYPE to access advice and support as and whenever necessaryFollowing their training, our Epilepsy Champions consulted with colleagues to developing enhanced practice and draw up new policy. This provided opportunities for greater awareness across the school community and ensured policies were appropriate for each school and clearly understood by staff.
We have also been meeting with all the main teaching unions and professional associations who have expressed their support for this work.
If you would like to register an interest in being part of this campaigning work please email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .