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Health and Well-Being
All families are required to provide the school with their child’s most recent health information, including current medical conditions, allergies and any other health-related concerns. This information is kept for use during the year, should your daughter become ill while on campus or during a school-related activity. Your child’s health records must be updated whenever there is a change to their health status. The Student Health Information Form is accessible on the Portal, under Files and Forms.
Learn more about masks at Branksome, ventilation and cleaning, illness management protocols, international and interprovincial travel and resources for additional support.
Health & Safety Practices
Health Centre Access
Branksome Hall health services are delivered from the Ainslie House Health Centre, which is under the supervision of our Head Nurse and School Nurse. A nurse is on duty from 7:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m. daily.
The Health Centre is available to assist individuals with musculoskeletal concerns or injuries, pre-existing chronic conditions or allergies, illness and social-emotional support.
The Health Centre can be reached at 416-920-6265, ext. 229 or healthcentre@branksome.on.ca.
If a student is injured or not feeling well, she should tell her teacher, who will send her to the Junior School Office. Basic first aid may be provided within the office. If this is not possible, the student will be signed out at the office and sent to the Health Centre. The School Nurse will assess the student and determine next steps. If the student can return to class, she must notify the Junior School Office before doing so.
The Health Centre will also have a separate space to care for those with possible or confirmed communicable illnesses. This space will provide a location for the temporary isolation of students and employees until departure from campus is arranged.
If a student is injured or not feeling well, they should inform their teacher and proceed to the Middle or Senior School Reception. Basic first aid may be provided at Reception. If this is not possible, the student will sign out and request a permission slip to go to the Health Centre. The School Nurse will assess the student and determine the next steps. If the student can return to class, they must sign back in with Reception before doing so.
New Boarding families and those who were not on campus in 2025–26 are required to visit their doctor to complete their child’s annual physical examination form and to collect immunization records (download and print forms from the Portal, to be completed by your doctor). Returning families (those who were on campus in 2025–26) need to declare if there are any changes or updates to their daughter’s physical and mental health. All Boarding families are required to complete the health-related forms provided through the Portal. It is strongly recommended that students complete all preventative health-related appointments (i.e., dentist, orthodontist, optometrist) before attending school or on extended breaks.
All Boarding students will meet individually with the School Nurse during the first week of school to review medical records. Please send all completed documents to the Health Centre: healthcentre@branksome.on.ca.
If a Boarding student is unable to attend class for health reasons, the School Nurse will arrange for the student to spend additional time in the Health Centre and/or Boarding House and be seen by a doctor off-site if required. Students may be required to stay with a local parent or guardian while recovering from an illness or injury at the discretion of the Director of Boarding and Head Nurse.
Health Centre Policies
Ontario’s Immunization of School Pupils Act (ISPA) requires that students be vaccinated against nine designated diseases or have a valid exemption. Toronto Public Health (TPH) reviews immunization records of students attending school in Toronto in accordance with the ISPA. Toronto Public Health requires that your child’s immunization records be kept up-to-date. Should Toronto Public Health contact you regarding any missing information, immunizations or records, please heed their requests. TPH has the legal right to suspend students from school who violate these rules, and the school must comply.
If you are unsure of your daughter’s vaccination status, check her yellow card (Ontario Immunization Record), TPH’s Immunization Connect Ontario (ICON), or speak with their primary health care provider. If you have any trouble accessing the online record or have any questions or updates, please contact immunization@toronto.ca.
Branksome Hall is a scent-free environment, and we request that all students, parents, visitors and employees not wear perfume or scented cosmetics when coming to the school.
We are also nut-aware, as many students live with life-threatening or serious allergies. We do not host bake sales or permit foods that contain nuts or traces of nuts to be brought in. Please ensure that snacks, packed lunches or treats for celebrations are nut-free and sourced from nut-free facilities. Items that do not meet these requirements will be sent home. We thank you for helping to protect members of our community who have allergies.
To promote the safety and well-being of students, the Ministry of Education requires that all schools have guidelines in place to support students with anaphylactic allergies, asthma, diabetes and seizure disorders, all of which can result in a medical occurrence or emergency requiring immediate response. In addition to the annual health update, students with a diagnosed prevalent medical condition are expected to have a completed Individualized Care Plan to outline the details around condition management at school. Using the information provided in the annual update, a blank copy of the plan will be shared with identified families and must be completed annually before the start of the school year.
The Ministry of Education requires all schools to have concussion management protocols in place to protect their students. Students, parents and educators must follow their school’s concussion policy.
If the school suspects a concussion at any point, the parent/guardian is required to have their child picked up from school and assessed by a third-party medical professional. The Health Centre requires written medical documentation to confirm whether or not a concussion has been diagnosed by a third-party doctor or nurse practitioner. If a concussion is diagnosed, Return to Learn and Return to Physical Activity plans will be implemented. Additionally, final medical clearance will need to be documented for concussed students to return to full physical activity on campus.
To ensure community awareness, Branksome Hall will provide access to resources on concussions and their management. The Code of Conduct must be signed by both the student who is engaging in physical activity at school (i.e., physical education classes, athletic teams) and by their parent/guardian.
All international students attending Branksome Hall must have medical insurance while in Canada. If the student is not an Ontario resident covered by the Ontario Health Insurance Plan (OHIP), they must obtain coverage from Branksome Hall’s insurance provider, Johnson Fu Insurance Agency. The coverage will begin on August 1, 2026, to cover their arrival in Toronto. The annual cost of this coverage is approximately $900, charged to your school account in the fall.
Other forms of medical insurance, excluding OHIP, are not accepted unless approved by the Business Office. The Johnson Fu health insurance plan provides comprehensive coverage for your child’s medical needs, and the Boarding Administrative Coordinator will help to submit all medical claims to the provider.