School Sores and Sniffles: A Back-to-School Survival Guide

In some Australian primary schools, up to 60% of children may have head lice at any one time. Add in that impetigo (“school sores”) is the most common bacterial skin infection in children, especially in schools and childcare, and it’s no wonder that the first few weeks of term often feel like a revolving door of sniffles, rashes and “Please collect your child” calls.

If you’re a parent or carer, that can mean late-night Googling of rashes, panicked nit-combing, juggling work meetings with school pick‑ups, and trying to work out when to keep your child home (and how on earth to sort out sick leave or a carer’s leave certificate).

This back‑to‑school health survival guide is for you.

We’ll walk through:

• How to spot school sores (impetigo) and key impetigo symptoms
• What effective head lice treatment really looks like (and what’s just marketing)
• Which common “back to school” bugs actually need time off school (and how long)
• How sick leave for parents and carer’s leave work in Australia, and when a carer’s leave certificate or online medical certificate makes sense
• When telehealth (including our team at NextClinic) can help, and when your child really needs in‑person care

We’ll draw on Australian resources like Healthdirect, the NHMRC Staying Healthy guidelines, state health departments and the Fair Work Ombudsman, as well as our own experience providing telehealth and online medical certificates across Australia. This article is general information only and not a substitute for personalised medical advice—but by the end, you should feel far more confident facing the next note home about nits, coughs or crusty sores.

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1. Why “Back to School Health” Hits So Hard in Australia

When kids go back after the holidays, two things happen:

1. They’re suddenly in close contact with dozens (or hundreds) of other children for hours a day.
2. Many of those kids are carrying viruses or bacteria they picked up over the holidays.

Crowded classrooms, shared sports equipment, swapping hats or hair accessories and the occasional forgotten hand‑wash are the perfect conditions for germs and parasites to spread.

Some patterns are very predictable:

• Colds and coughs spike in the cooler months. Children can have 6–8 colds a year, especially in the early years of school or childcare.
• Gastroenteritis tends to spread rapidly through classrooms and childcare, particularly when hand‑washing and bathroom hygiene slip.
• Head lice are “hyperendemic” in some primary schools, with Australian studies and government data showing very high rates in certain classes and schools.
• Impetigo (school sores) thrives where skin is often grazed, bitten by mosquitoes or scratched—exactly what happens in Australian playgrounds.

For families, this doesn’t just mean sick kids; it means work disruption. Under the National Employment Standards, full‑time and part‑time employees (other than casuals) are entitled to 10 days of paid personal/carer’s leave per year, pro‑rata for part‑timers. That leave covers both your own illness and caring for a sick household or immediate family member—like a child with school sores or gastro.

The catch? Employers are allowed to ask for evidence, such as a medical certificate or statutory declaration, even for just one day off. That’s where planning ahead, and knowing when to use telehealth and online medical or carer’s certificates, can make life a lot smoother.

Let’s start with one of the most common, and most misunderstood, school infections: school sores.

2. School Sores (Impetigo): Spotting It Early and Stopping the Spread

What are school sores?

Impetigo, commonly called school sores, is a highly contagious bacterial skin infection. It’s caused by Staphylococcus aureus and/or Streptococcus pyogenes—bacteria that often live harmlessly on the skin or in the nose, but can cause infection when they get into cuts, insect bites or other breaks in the skin.

It’s:

• Most common in children aged 2–6, but can affect all ages
• One of the most common bacterial skin infections in children and a frequent cause of school exclusion

Impetigo symptoms: what to look for

Early impetigo symptoms can be subtle, so they’re easy to miss at first. Typically you’ll see:

• Small flat red or brown spots or tiny blisters, often:
  • Around the nose and mouth
  • On the arms and legs
  • On hands or other exposed areas
• These quickly become:
  • Blisters that burst and weep
  • Yellow‑gold, “honey‑coloured” crusts over a moist, red base
• The area is often itchy or a bit tender, but many kids don’t complain much

In more severe cases, you might also notice:

• Fever
• Swollen lymph nodes
• Your child seeming generally unwell

Because the classic “golden crust” is so distinctive, doctors often diagnose school sores just by looking at the lesions.

How school sores spread

Impetigo spreads very easily, especially in warm, humid weather and crowded settings like schools and childcare. The bacteria live in the fluid and crusts of the sores, so infection spreads via:

• Direct skin‑to‑skin contact (e.g. holding hands, rough play)
• Scratching the sores then touching another part of the body
• Shared items: towels, bedding, clothing, toys

That’s why repeated reminders to “stop scratching!” are about more than just comfort—they’re also about stopping the infection from spreading further.

When to see a doctor about school sores

Because impetigo is bacterial and contagious, it’s important to see a doctor early if you suspect school sores. A GP or telehealth doctor can:

• Confirm the diagnosis (sometimes by taking a swab)
• Prescribe appropriate antibiotics:
  • Often a topical antibiotic cream or ointment for mild/localised sores
  • Oral antibiotics for more widespread disease or where cream isn’t enough

You should seek urgent in‑person care (or call 000 in an emergency) if:

• Your child is very unwell, unusually drowsy or difficult to wake
• There is rapidly spreading redness, warmth or swelling around the sores
• They have high fever, vomiting, or signs of dehydration
• The child is a young baby, especially under 3 months

These can suggest complications such as cellulitis or more serious infection and need immediate attention.

Treating school sores at home (after seeing a doctor)

Once you’ve seen a doctor and started the recommended treatment, home care makes a big difference:

• Keep the sores clean
  • Gently wash with mild soap or an antiseptic wash as advised by your doctor
  • Soak off crusts in warm water and pat dry with a clean towel each time
• Apply antibiotic cream exactly as prescribed
• Cover sores with waterproof dressings, especially if they’re weeping, and change them regularly
• Trim fingernails short and encourage your child not to scratch
• Don’t share towels, face washers, bedding or clothing
• Wash clothing, towels and bedding in hot water (around 60°C) and dry thoroughly

Most children improve quickly once antibiotics start working, but it’s important to finish the full course, even if the skin looks better earlier.

School sores and school attendance: when to keep them home

This is the big practical question for parents: “When can my child go back to school?”

Australian guidance (Healthdirect and state health departments) generally recommends:

• Keep children with impetigo away from school or childcare until:
  • At least 24 hours after starting appropriate antibiotic treatment, and
  • Any exposed sores are covered with a dressing
• If antibiotics aren’t used, many guidelines say children should stay home until all sores are dried and crusted (no weeping)

Because rules can differ slightly between states, it’s wise to:

• Check your school or childcare’s illness policy
• Confirm with your GP or telehealth doctor if you’re unsure

Preventing school sores from spreading at home

If one child has impetigo, the goal is to prevent a family outbreak. Tips:

• Give each child their own towel and face washer and keep them separate
• Regularly wash frequently touched surfaces (light switches, bathroom taps, shared toys)
• Teach good hand hygiene:
  • Wash hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds
  • Especially after touching sores, dressings or tissues
• Keep siblings from sharing clothing, hats or sports gear until the infection has cleared

If another family member develops suspicious sores, get them checked early rather than waiting—it can save weeks of passing the infection back and forth.

3. Head Lice: The Back-to-School Guest No One Invited

Few emails strike fear into a parent’s heart quite like: “There has been a case of head lice in your child’s class.”

Head lice are extremely common in Australian schools:

• Victorian health data notes that the prevalence in primary‑school children can be as high as 60% in some areas.
• NSW’s Nitbuster program has found that more than 23% of primary school‑aged children in some samples had head lice.

So if your child hasn’t had them yet, it’s statistically likely they will at some point.

What are head lice and nits, really?

Head lice are tiny, wingless insects that live on hair and feed on blood from the scalp. They:

• Are about the size of a sesame seed
• Are greyish‑brown and move quickly
• Cannot jump or fly – they only crawl, usually via head‑to‑head contact

Nits are the lice eggs:

• Very small, oval, yellowish‑white dots
• Firmly glued to the hair shaft, usually near the scalp
• Commonly seen behind the ears and at the nape of the neck

They’re often mistaken for dandruff—but unlike dandruff, nits don’t brush or shake off easily.

Importantly, head lice:

• Do not indicate poor hygiene – they’re just as happy in clean hair as in dirty hair
• Don’t spread disease – they’re a nuisance, not a serious health threat

Signs and symptoms of head lice

You might notice:

• Itchy scalp, especially around the nape of the neck and behind the ears
• A sensation of something moving in the hair
• Red, irritated spots on the scalp from scratching
• Sometimes sleep disturbance, as lice can be more active at night

Some children have lice with very little itching, so a regular check is important even if they aren’t scratching.

How to check for head lice (the wet‑combing method)

The gold standard for finding live lice is wet‑combing:

1. Wash your child’s hair and apply plenty of conditioner.
2. Use a fine‑toothed nit comb, starting at the scalp and pulling through to the ends.
3. Comb through small sections of hair at a time.
4. Wipe the comb on a tissue or paper towel and look closely for lice or nits.
5. Rinse and repeat until you’ve checked the entire head.

You may need good light and sometimes a magnifying glass for thick or curly hair.

Head lice treatment: what actually works

You have two main evidence‑based options for head lice treatment:

1. Mechanical removal (conditioner and combing)

This is safe, chemical‑free and suitable for all ages, including babies and pregnant women:

• Do the conditioner + nit comb routine as described above.
• Repeat every 2–3 days for at least 3 weeks—a full life cycle—to ensure you catch newly hatched lice.

Pros:

• No insecticides
• Very low risk of irritation or side effects

Cons:

• Time‑consuming
• Requires persistence and good technique

2. Chemical treatments

Pharmacies sell various head lice products—lotions, sprays or shampoos—containing ingredients such as permethrin, malathion or newer agents.

Key points:

• Read the label carefully to ensure the product is appropriate for your child’s age.
• Many products require a second treatment 7–10 days later to kill newly hatched lice.
• Always follow the instructions exactly; don’t leave the product on longer than recommended.
• You still usually need combing to remove dead lice and nits.

Avoid:

• Home remedies like kerosene, petrol or other harsh substances – these are dangerous and not recommended by health authorities.
• Over‑using chemical treatments “just in case” if no live lice are seen. This can contribute to treatment resistance.

If you’re unsure which product is best, talk to your pharmacist or doctor.

Do kids with head lice need to stay home?

Policies differ slightly, but common Australian guidance is:

• If head lice are detected at school, children usually don’t need to be sent home immediately.
• They can often stay until the end of the day, provided:
  • Their hair is tied back and
  • You start treatment that evening.
• Children can usually return to school once effective treatment has started and there are no live lice.

Your school may ask you to keep your child home until treatment begins; always check the local policy.

Unlike school sores, head lice are more of a social and comfort issue than a strict health risk—but managing them promptly helps everyone.

Preventing re‑infestation (and family stress)

You can’t completely “lice‑proof” a child, but you can reduce the risk:

• Check your child’s hair weekly during term.
• Keep long hair tied back or braided.
• Encourage children to avoid head‑to‑head contact during play.
• Discourage sharing hats, brushes, hair ties and headphones.
• If you find lice, notify the school and any close contacts.

Most importantly, ditch the shame. Head lice are incredibly common; treating them calmly and correctly is far less stressful than pretending they’re a moral failing.

4. “Sniffles” and Other Back-to-School Bugs: When to Send, When to Stay Home

Besides school sores and head lice, the main back‑to‑school culprits are:

• Colds and coughs (URTIs)
• Influenza
• COVID‑19
• Gastroenteritis (“gastro”)
• Other viral illnesses like hand‑foot‑and‑mouth or chickenpox

It can be confusing to know when your child is well enough for school. Always follow current public health advice and your school’s policies, but here’s a broad, evidence‑based overview.

Colds, coughs and mild “sniffles”

Colds are usually mild but highly contagious. Children can have many colds each year, especially in early school years.

According to national guidance on school exclusion:

• Children with a common cold who otherwise seem well generally don’t need to be kept home.
• However, consider keeping them home if they:
  • Have a fever
  • Are too tired or unwell to participate in normal activities
  • Have difficulty breathing, are very distressed, or you are worried (in which case, seek medical advice)

For more detail, Healthdirect has a handy page on coughs and colds in children and a school exclusion periods guide.

If you’re an adult dealing with the same sniffles, you may not feel fit for work even when your child is well enough for school—that’s where a simple sick leave certificate via telehealth can help (more on that shortly).

Gastroenteritis (gastro)

Gastro is extremely contagious and spreads through contact with vomit, diarrhoea or contaminated surfaces and food.

Australian guidance is very clear:

• Children and adults should not return to school or work until at least 48 hours after the last episode of vomiting or diarrhoea.

That 48‑hour window is important—even if your child seems better, they may still be shedding large numbers of viruses.

Seek urgent medical help if your child shows signs of significant dehydration (very drowsy, dry lips and tongue, reduced wee, sunken eyes, or fast breathing) or is very young (especially under 6 months).

Flu and COVID‑19

For influenza and COVID‑19, follow up‑to‑date advice from your state health department and your school, as guidance can change.

In general, children should stay home while:

• They have fever
• They are significantly unwell, or
• They are advised to isolate or stay home by public health recommendations

Vaccination (where eligible) is still one of the best defences against severe flu and COVID‑19, so check your family’s vaccination status before the school year starts.

When should parents seek help for “just a cold”?

See a doctor (in person or via telehealth) if:

• Symptoms are not improving after a few days, or are getting worse
• Your child is drinking poorly, breathing fast or with effort, or seems unusually lethargic
• You’re worried, or your child has underlying health issues like asthma or immune problems

For adults, if you’re not sure whether to see a doctor or ride it out at home, our blog post “Home Remedies or Doctor’s Visit? Self-Care vs Seeking Help” walks through common scenarios and red flags.

5. Sick Leave for Parents and Carer’s Leave: Knowing Your Rights

When your child is sick, your stress isn’t just about their health. It’s often:

• “Can I afford to take the day off?”
• “Will my boss accept a last‑minute absence?”
• “Do I need a carer’s leave certificate or will a text do?”

Understanding your rights makes it easier to act quickly and fairly.

Personal/carer’s leave in Australia: the basics

Under the National Employment Standards:

• Full‑time and part‑time employees (not casuals) are entitled to 10 days of paid personal/carer’s leave per year, pro‑rata.
• This covers:
  • Sick leave for parents (your own illness or injury)
  • Carer’s leave to care for an immediate family or household member who is sick, injured, or facing an unexpected emergency (for example, a child with school sores or gastro)

Casual employees don’t get paid sick or carer’s leave but do have rights to unpaid carer’s leave in certain circumstances.

Evidence: do you always need a certificate?

The Fair Work Ombudsman explains that employers can request evidence that would convince a reasonable person you were entitled to leave—most commonly:

• A medical certificate, or
• A statutory declaration

Key points:

• Employers can ask for evidence for any length of absence, including one day.
• If you don’t provide evidence when reasonably asked, you may not be entitled to paid leave.
• Awards or enterprise agreements may set more specific rules about when evidence is required, so it’s worth knowing your workplace policy.

In practice, many workplaces expect at least a doctor’s certificate after a certain number of days, or for repeated absences.

If you’re unsure about the legal side, our blog “Are Online Medical Certificates Valid in Australia?” explains how telehealth certificates fit into Fair Work rules and what makes them legitimate.

When a carer’s leave certificate helps

If your child is home with school sores, gastro or another illness, your employer might reasonably ask for evidence that you needed to stay home to care for them.

This is where a carer’s leave certificate (sometimes called a carer’s certificate) comes in. It’s similar to a regular sick note, but it states that:

• You are unfit for work because you need to care for an immediate family or household member (your child), or
• You’re absent due to an unexpected emergency affecting that person

At NextClinic, for example, we provide online carer’s certificates issued by Australian‑registered doctors. You complete a secure questionnaire about your child’s illness and your caring responsibilities, and if appropriate, we issue a carer’s leave certificate you can send to your employer—often within an hour. You can read more about how this works on our Online Carer’s Certificates page.

How telehealth fits in for parents

When you’re juggling pickups, sick kids and deadlines, taking yourself to a clinic just to get a note can feel impossible. For parents and carers, telehealth can help in a few ways:

• If you’re sick (e.g. with a nasty cold, flu or migraine), a telehealth consultation can:
  • Provide medical advice and treatment
  • Issue a medical certificate for work if you’re unfit to attend

See our blog “Online Medical Certificate” for how this works.

• If you’re otherwise well but caring for a sick child, you can request a carer’s leave certificate online, so you don’t need to drag a contagious child into a waiting room.
• If you’re a remote or hybrid worker, our article “Medical Certificates for Remote Workers” explains how online certificates fit into flexible work arrangements.

At NextClinic, our doctors consult with adults (18+). We don’t replace your child’s GP or paediatrician, but we can help you, as the parent or carer, manage the paperwork side of illness—so you can focus on caring for your child, not fighting the printer.

6. A Practical Back-to-School Health Checklist for Aussie Families

To pull all of this together, here’s a practical checklist you can use at the start of term—and refer back to whenever “something’s going around” at school.

1. Know your school’s health and exclusion policies

• Ask for (or download) your school’s illness and exclusion guidelines.
• Keep a link handy to Healthdirect’s school exclusion periods and your state health department’s advice.
• Make a quick note of:
  • How long to keep a child home with gastro (usually 48 hours after last vomiting/diarrhoea)
  • Exclusion rules for school sores
  • What your school expects for head lice (e.g. stay until end of day vs immediate collection)

2. Set up a simple home hygiene routine

• Hand‑washing before meals and after the toilet (kids often need reminders and practice).
• A small bottle of hand sanitiser in your child’s bag (where age‑appropriate).
• Teach your child to:
  • Cough or sneeze into their elbow.
  • Use tissues once and then throw them straight in the bin.
• For older kids, talk about not sharing drink bottles, cutlery or lip balm.

These basics go a surprisingly long way in reducing spread of colds, flu and gastro.

3. Build head lice checks into your week

• Choose a “nit check night” once a week (e.g. Sunday evening).
• Keep a good nit comb and cheap conditioner in the bathroom.
• Do a quick conditioner‑and‑comb check, even if no one is scratching yet.
• Talk openly with kids so they understand lice are common and not shameful.

Regular checks mean you’ll find lice early, before they spread through the whole household or class.

4. Have a “sick day plan” for your household

Before term starts, it can help to plan:

• Who can work from home or adjust hours if a child is sick.
• Which grandparents or relatives are realistically available (if any).
• How much personal/carer’s leave you and your partner have banked.
• Your employer’s policy on evidence for sick or carer’s leave.

Knowing this upfront makes it easier to make a calm, fair decision at 7am when a child wakes up with a fever or vomiting.

If you know your workplace usually wants a certificate even for one day off, it may be worth bookmarking services like:

• NextClinic’s Medical Certificates Online (for your own sick leave or carer’s certificates)
• Our Doctor’s Certificate Online page, if you often need single‑ or two‑day certificates quickly

5. Know when telehealth is appropriate—and when it’s not

Telehealth can be brilliant for:

• Mild to moderate adult illnesses where examination is not critical (e.g. simple colds, migraines, period pain, mild URTIs) and you mainly need advice, a prescription, or a medical certificate.
• Carer’s leave certificates when your child’s illness has already been assessed or is clearly within common territory (e.g. gastro that’s settling, confirmed school sores already being treated, head lice).

But telehealth is not suitable for:

• Seriously unwell children (e.g. difficulty breathing, extreme lethargy, severe pain, signs of dehydration)
• Situations needing urgent physical examination, tests or procedures

If you’re unsure, many parents use a mix:

• Check general guidance on sites like Healthdirect
• Use telehealth for their own needs (advice, certificates, scripts)
• See the child’s usual GP or local urgent care when hands‑on assessment is needed

At NextClinic, our doctors are AHPRA‑registered Australian GPs who can help adults with many common conditions via telehealth and can also provide online medical certificates and carer’s certificates when clinically appropriate.

7. Bringing It All Together (and Your Challenge for This Week)

We’ve covered a lot, so here are the key takeaways from this back‑to‑school survival guide:

• School sores (impetigo) are a very common, highly contagious bacterial skin infection in school‑aged children. Look for small spots or blisters that quickly become honey‑coloured crusts, especially around the nose and mouth. See a doctor promptly; treatment usually involves antibiotics, cleaning, and keeping sores covered. Kids generally need to stay home until 24 hours after starting antibiotics and with sores covered (or until sores are dry, if antibiotics aren’t used).
• Head lice are a near‑universal childhood visitor. They don’t mean poor hygiene and don’t spread disease, but they do require meticulous combing and sometimes chemical treatments. Kids usually don’t need long exclusion from school—often they can return once treatment has started and no live lice are seen.
• The “sniffles” can be anything from a simple cold to flu, COVID‑19 or early pneumonia. Mild colds in children who otherwise seem well don’t usually require staying home, but gastro always does—for 48 hours after the last vomiting or diarrhoea. Follow current public health and school policies, and seek medical advice for severe or worrying symptoms.
• As a working parent, knowing your rights to sick leave and carer’s leave—and when you might need a medical certificate or carer’s leave certificate—can save stress. Australian law allows employers to request reasonable evidence, but also clearly recognises your right to personal and carer’s leave.
• Telehealth services like ours at NextClinic can make back‑to‑school illness more manageable by providing:
  • Online medical certificates for your own sick days
  • Online carer’s certificates when you need to stay home with a sick child
  • Telehealth consultations for many adult conditions, so you can get assessed, treated and documented without a waiting room

Your challenge for this week

To turn all of this into real‑world benefit, pick one of the strategies below and actually do it this week:

• Choose a regular nit‑check night and put a reminder in your phone.
• Sit down with your child and practise proper hand‑washing (20 seconds with soap).
• Print or bookmark your school’s illness and exclusion policy and Healthdirect’s school exclusion guide.
• Review your personal/carer’s leave balance and workplace policy on medical certificates, so you’re not caught out.
• Save the link to our Online Medical Certificate article or Carer’s Certificates Online page somewhere easy to find for the next inevitable bug.

Which one will you choose—and how did it go?

If you’re reading this on the NextClinic blog, we’d love to hear from you in the comments. Share the strategy you tried or a tip of your own for surviving school sores, sniffles and nits. Your experience might be exactly what another Aussie parent needs to read at 11pm the night before school.

References

• Pediculosis (head lice)
• Impetigo
• Colds | healthdirect
• Gastroenteritis | healthdirect
• Impetigo (school sores)
• Paid sick and carer's leave - Fair Work Ombudsman
• Notice and medical certificates - Fair Work Ombudsman
• Impetigo (school sores) fact sheet | NHMRC
• Impetigo or school sores: kids & teens | Raising Children Network
• Head lice
• Impetigo - treatments, symptoms and causes | healthdirect
• Impetigo - school sores | Better Health Channel
• Head lice - frequently asked questions
• Head lice and nits in children | healthdirect
• School exclusion periods - infections, colds, COVID-19 | healthdirect
• Coughs and colds in children - treatment, prevention, causes | healthdirect
• Gastroenteritis | healthdirect
• Sick and carer’s leave and compassionate leave fact sheet - Fair Work Ombudsman
• NextClinic: Online Medical Certificates, Instant Scripts and Telehealth Consults

FAQs