A guide for parents
School, learning and attendance
01
Make the plan specific
Children with heart conditions have different needs at school. Little Hearts Matter offers school resources and healthcare-plan materials. These are particularly for children whose heart has one main working pump, called a single ventricle. Ask your team which information applies to your child. A healthcare plan can organise contacts, medicines, symptoms, rest and activity advice.
The names and types of school support differ across the UK.
02
What happens next
Beyond emergency instructions
A planning meeting can cover lessons, PE, trips, missed appointments and returning after hospital. Discuss who will update the plan and how substitute staff can find it. Ask what help is available if tiredness, time away from school or learning needs make schoolwork harder. The heart diagnosis alone does not tell the school what educational support is needed; your child’s actual experience matters.
Include your child’s voice
Ask what your child wants classmates to know and how they would prefer to request a break or visit the school office. Protect privacy while ensuring the staff responsible for care have necessary information. Discuss ways to keep friendships going during absence and a manageable return rather than expecting instant catch-up.
Ask the school to record concerns about learning and wellbeing so they can be discussed with relevant professionals. A new school year, move to secondary school or medical change is a useful moment to revisit arrangements. The plan should help your child learn and join in, as well as explain what to do if they become unwell.
03
Questions to ask
Save the questions you want to take to your next appointment. You can edit them in your Journal.
- Who is responsible for keeping our child’s healthcare plan up to date, and how should school contact the heart team?
- What support is available for missed learning or tiredness, and how can we arrange it with school?
- What adjustments could help our child feel included in lessons, activities and time with friends?
Sources and review
Sources checked 9 October 2026. Independent clinical review pending.
- Little Hearts Matter: Education resources
Accessed 9 October 2026
- Children’s Heart Federation: Caring for heart children
Accessed 9 October 2026
- Great Ormond Street Hospital: Helping your child with congenital heart disease stay healthy
Accessed 9 October 2026