Each school has a named school nurse who gives advice and support on a wide range of health topics - including menstruation. She is known to both staff and pupils and is certainly not “fearsome”. All our school health nurses in this area give well-balanced, sensitive and caring puberty talks in primary schools at Year 6, and Year 5 if appropriate, to both boys and girls. We work in co-operation with schools and their sex education policy.

School nurses are unique in being health personnel who regularly work in educational settings. Education and health need to collaborate at every level - especially higher up - to give children the right messages for healthy minds and bodies.

J NGUYEN

Senior school health nurse Higher Kinnerton, Chester