A primary school in Oldham has become the first in the area to receive asthma friendly school status. Corpus Christi have been working closely with Northern Care Alliance NHS Foundation Trust (NCA) community colleagues in Oldham to create a safer and environment for pupils living with asthma.
Asthma is one of the most common long term health conditions in childhood and affects one in eleven children in the United Kingdom. England continues to experience high rates of emergency department attendances for asthma, with the North West being one of the highest regions.
To gain asthma friendly status, the school introduced a range of measures including appointing an asthma champion and asthma lead, developing a full school asthma policy, and ensuring that staff completed asthma training. They have also introduced emergency asthma kits and established a full school asthma register.
Victoria Abbott, asthma nurse specialist said: “It has been a pleasure to work with such a proactive and dedicated team. The changes they have put in place mean children with asthma can feel safer, take part in school life more easily, and get the help they need when they need it. The staff have been amazing and their hard work will really benefit the children every day.”
Jane Gifford, deputy head at Corpus Christi, added that the accreditation has already improved communication with parents about their children's asthma symptoms. She praised the training for increasing staff confidence when managing the condition safely.
Poorly controlled asthma can disrupt sleep, reduce concentration, cause daytime tiredness, and lead to children missing out on activities. Becoming asthma friendly helps schools to reduce these risks and improves the overall well-being of pupils.
The school now joins a growing number across the region, including a primary school in Bury, that achieved asthma friendly status last year.
