Managing Epilepsy and Seizures in Victorian Schools: A Practical Guide for Staff

In any Victorian school, there’s a chance that a student or staff member will experience a seizure. Epilepsy affects roughly one in 26 Australians at some point in their lives, and it is one of the most common neurological conditions seen in school-aged children. For school staff, knowing how to respond — quickly, calmly, and correctly — can make the difference between a manageable incident and a traumatic one.

The good news is that most seizures are not medical emergencies in the immediate sense. They are self-limiting, meaning they stop on their own, usually within one to three minutes. What makes them dangerous is when people don’t know what to do — or worse, do something that causes harm.

What Happens During a Seizure?

Seizures occur when electrical activity in the brain is disrupted, causing sudden changes in movement, behaviour, sensation, or awareness. They can look very different depending on the type. Tonic-clonic seizures (previously called grand mal) involve loss of consciousness and rhythmic jerking of the limbs — these tend to look the most alarming. Absence seizures, more common in children, look like a brief staring episode or momentary “blank out” that can be mistaken for daydreaming. Focal seizures affect only part of the brain and may cause unusual movements, sensations, or confusion without full loss of consciousness.

Epilepsy Australia notes that children with epilepsy often have documented seizure types and management plans. Staff who are familiar with a student’s specific pattern are better placed to respond appropriately.

What DET Victoria Requires for Students with Epilepsy

The Department of Education and Training Victoria requires schools to have an individual healthcare plan for any student with a known medical condition that may require emergency management, including epilepsy. This plan, typically called an Epilepsy Management Plan or Individual Healthcare Plan, should document the student’s seizure type, known triggers, usual duration, what a seizure looks like for that specific child, and the steps staff should take to respond.

A copy of the plan must be accessible to relevant staff, particularly those who supervise the student during class, recess, sport, and excursions. Under DET Victoria’s guidelines, schools must also ensure that staff who work with that student are trained in how to implement the plan, and that rescue medication (if prescribed) is stored correctly and accessible within a safe and timely timeframe.

If a student has been prescribed emergency rescue medication such as midazolam for prolonged seizures, the school must have at least one trained staff member available to administer it. This is a specific competency that requires separate training beyond standard first aid.

First Aid Response for Seizures — The Key Steps

For most tonic-clonic seizures, the first aid response follows a clear and straightforward sequence.

Stay calm and stay with the person. Panic makes the situation harder to manage and frightens other students. Keep calm, and if possible ask a colleague to manage bystanders or call for backup.

Protect from injury. Clear away any hard or sharp objects from the immediate area. Do not restrain the person — this can cause injury. If possible, cushion their head with something soft.

Time the seizure. Note when it started. Most seizures resolve within one to three minutes. If a seizure lasts longer than five minutes, or if the person does not regain consciousness after it stops, call 000 immediately.

Do not put anything in their mouth. This is a common myth — people cannot swallow their tongue during a seizure, and placing objects in the mouth can cause injury to the person or the rescuer.

After the seizure stops, place them in the recovery position. Most people are confused and disoriented after a seizure (this is called the postictal phase). Keep them comfortable, reassure them calmly, and stay with them until they are fully recovered. For a child with a known plan, follow its specific instructions.

Call 000 if: the seizure lasts more than five minutes, another seizure follows without recovery in between, the person is injured, or the person does not return to consciousness.

Epilepsy Australia and St John Ambulance Australia both provide consistent guidance along these lines, which is also reflected in first aid training curricula registered with the Australian Resuscitation Council (ARC).

Absence Seizures: Easy to Miss, Important to Recognise

Absence seizures are particularly common in primary-school aged children and are frequently mistaken for daydreaming, inattention, or behavioural issues. A child may suddenly stop what they are doing, stare blankly for five to thirty seconds, then resume as if nothing happened, often without any awareness that it occurred.

If teachers notice this pattern happening repeatedly, it is worth documenting and discussing with parents or guardians. A referral to a GP or paediatrician is the appropriate next step. Staff should not attempt to diagnose but should keep clear, objective records of what they observed and when.

Building Staff Confidence Through Training

Knowledge is only part of the picture. Many school staff who have attended first aid training still feel uncertain when faced with an actual seizure, because reading about it and responding to it in real time are different things. Practical first aid training that includes seizure management scenarios makes a real difference to staff confidence.

Schools are increasingly recognising that training should go beyond a handful of designated first aid officers. When broader staff teams are trained, the school is better prepared for incidents that happen anywhere on the grounds, in the playground, in the classroom, at sport, or during an excursion.

First aid certificates also need to be kept current. HLTAID011 Provide First Aid is valid for three years, and CPR (HLTAID009) requires annual renewal. Schools that let renewals lapse are operating with a gap in their duty of care.

Ready to Train Your School Team?

AB First Aid delivers practical, engaging first aid training for school staff across Victoria, based in Tullamarine. Our courses cover HLTAID011 Provide First Aid, CPR, and condition-specific training including seizure management and anaphylaxis response.

If your school is due for staff renewals, onboarding new teachers, or wants to build broader confidence across the whole team, view our public course schedule or get in touch at abfirstaid.com.au. Booking is straightforward and we will work around your school calendar.

References

• Department of Education and Training Victoria, Students with Health Support Needs: https://www2.education.vic.gov.au/pal/students-health-support-needs/policy
• Epilepsy Australia, Seizure First Aid: https://www.epilepsyaustralia.net.au/seizure-first-aid
• St John Ambulance Australia, Seizures (Epilepsy) First Aid: https://www.stjohnambulance.com.au/first-aid-information/seizures
• Australian Resuscitation Council (ARC), Guidelines: https://resus.org.au/guidelines
• Epilepsy Foundation Australia: https://www.epilepsy.org.au
• Safe Work Australia, First Aid in the Workplace Code of Practice: https://www.safeworkaustralia.gov.au/system/files/documents/1702/first_aid_in_the_workplace_code_of_practice.pdf