{"id":6952,"date":"2026-03-20T13:36:12","date_gmt":"2026-03-20T13:36:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.eakinostomy.com\/GB\/?p=6952"},"modified":"2026-03-20T13:36:14","modified_gmt":"2026-03-20T13:36:14","slug":"preparing-a-child-for-secondary-school-with-a-stoma-by-rachel","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.eakinostomy.com\/GB\/blog\/preparing-a-child-for-secondary-school-with-a-stoma-by-rachel\/","title":{"rendered":"Preparing a child for secondary school with a stoma | by Rachel"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Preparing a child for secondary school with a stoma | by Rachel<\/h1>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n
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Each milestone feels like another mountain to climb, and your child with medical challenges going to secondary school would certainly count as one. I am giving my perspective as a parent of a child with a stoma, and appreciate that the situation would be very different if there are other medical needs involved. As always, this is my life experience and should be taken as such.<\/h4>\n\n\n
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Do your research<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Deciding which school your child will attend is one of the most important decisions you will make. There is a lot of pressure to get it right and even with all the research in the world, until they attend, you won\u2019t truly know. As a minimum, visiting the school and getting a feel for the place is a priority for me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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If a school wants to learn and hear everything about your child, that\u2019s a great sign. If they are open and willing to learn, even if they have not had a child like yours before, that\u2019s exactly what you want. For me, unless the attitude is like this, the school doesn\u2019t deserve my child attending.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Toilet key\/pass<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Whether your child has a plan in place or not, if they have needs centered around toileting, a disabled toilet key (if needed) and a pass are essential. All staff should be aware of the children who have these on their registers. Your child should be able to use this subtly to maintain as much dignity as possible.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Disabled toilet access<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Unfortunately, I have worked in and visited many schools that use the disabled toilets as a storage room. This makes me extremely frustrated, as my mind goes first to visitors. What do they do if they need access on site? I have often been told that it is because they don\u2019t have anyone who needs it. For me, this is no excuse, and shame on them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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When visiting a school, I will always make a point of checking the disabled toilets to see if they are fit for purpose. Taking their word for it is not good enough, and they will rarely admit if it is used for storage. By seeing it yourself, you can be sure.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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If a change of stoma bag is needed on school premises, check that the disabled toilet has the appropriate space and accessibility to do this. Is there somewhere to lay out the items needed? If it is not suitable, let them know and hope they will work with you to make it suitable. It is your child\u2019s right to have somewhere safe and accessible.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Emotional support<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Attending school with medical needs should mean your child is eligible for emotional support during school hours. This type of support will look different across schools. Things to bear in mind and discuss would be:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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