The School and Public Health Nurses Association (SAPHNA) announced the launch of its Best Practice Guidance: Employment of Nurses by Schools on Friday 13 June, 2025. This new resource is aimed at supporting nurses employed by independent (fee-paying) schools and state-funded schools that directly employ a nurse.
Nurses in these settings play a crucial role in supporting students with various health conditions, administering medicines, providing first aid, safeguarding, and promoting emotional wellbeing and mental health. They also contribute to the Personal, Social, Health, and Economic (PSHE) curriculum.
Their practice is centered around public health, regardless of their possession of the Specialist Community Public Health Nurse (SCPHN) qualification. As such, these nurses have the potential to positively influence the health and wellbeing of individual students and entire school communities.
Recognizing the diverse needs of school settings, SAPHNA’s new guidance offers a flexible and best-practice framework to help schools establish high-quality and safe nursing provision. It aims to support headteachers, governors, and school leaders in developing or reviewing their nursing provision, as well as nurses working in or considering roles within independent and directly-employed school settings. It also promotes the effective planning and delivery of safe, professional, and cost-effective school nursing services, ultimately leading to improved health, wellbeing, and educational outcomes for children and young people.
Sallyann Sutton, Professional Officer for SAPHNA, stated, “We recognize the crucial role that nurses working in schools play for many children and young people – providing them with care, compassion, and clinical expertise in complex and often isolated roles. We hope that this guidance will serve as a valuable tool for both schools and nurses in shaping services that are safe, effective, and truly centered on the needs of pupils.”
While not mandatory, the guidance draws on professional standards from the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) and expert consensus from nurses working in the sector. It can also be used to inform recruitment, role development, contractual considerations, and quality assurance.
For nurses working in these settings, as well as the schools that employ them, SAPHNA offers further support through its membership. This includes access to advice, professional development opportunities, and a national peer network.
The Best Practice Guidance: Employment of Nurses by Schools is now available at https://saphna.co/independent-school-nursing/.
