Managing migraine in education

How you can manage the impact of migraine on education

The impact of migraine on education

Migraine can have a significant impact on a child’s attendance and performance in school. Chronic migraine attacks can disrupt a child’s ability to go to school. A child should not have to miss out on school due to their migraine.

It can also impact the education of adults living with migraine, making it harder for them to learn and study.

Support from schools, colleges and universities can be decisive in enabling them to successfully learn with migraine.

32 days Children with migraine take on average between 32 days and three months off from school due to their migraine compared to the general population who take between three and 13 days off per year


“My first memory of having a migraine attack was of holding my head at primary school, it was all I could do to stop it dropping and hitting the old wooden desk”


"My hemiplegic migraine was the worst throughout sixth form and as a result my performance and attendance at school weren’t great"


How we can help

The Migraine Trust has produced a toolkit: Migraine: Help in school for parents and carers to enable them to get support for a child whose migraine is impacting on their education. Our toolkit provides information on how to manage migraine in school and a schools’ statutory responsibilities, including forms and template letters to help parents or carers advocate for their child. The toolkit is useful for teachers, schools and health professionals when supporting children with migraine.

We have produced a guide: Migraine: Help in further and higher education for students and those working in education to learn more about managing migraine within an educational setting. Information is included on student rights in education, understanding and explaining migraine as a disability, managing migraine and getting support.

This covers frequently asked questions such as:

  • How can I get support from my education provider?
  • When problems occur, what should I do?
  • What support is there for students in placement or training?