Concussions continue to be a major focus for Ontario schools, affecting students’ health, learning, and well-being. Since 2008, Ophea has led the way by including concussion safety information in the Ontario Physical Activity Safety Standards in Education (OPASSE). The updated concussion information aligns with the latest research and provides school boards with information and tools they need to meet the policy requirements outlined in School Board Policies on Concussion (PPM 158).
Ophea’s History of Concussion Safety
Concussion guidance first appeared in the OPASSE in 2008, this guidance was updated and expanded in 2014 to align with the newly released requirements of PPM158 and reflect evolving research and best practices. The Ministry of Education, through PPM 158, recognizes the OPASSE Concussion Protocol as the minimum standard for school boards when developing concussion policies. School boards may exceed these standards but must not lower them, ensuring consistency across Ontario while allowing local adaptation.
Partnership and Collaboration
The updated Concussion Protocol reflects strong partnerships and collaboration with leading concussion organizations in Ontario and Canada, as well as Ophea’s Safety and Injury Prevention Advisory Committee (SIPAC). Over the past two years, the SIPAC has reviewed the latest international consensus statement, updated guidelines, and current practices to ensure all protocol components – including tools, resources, and visual guides – are consistent, clear and easy to implement.
Two partnerships central to the shaping of the updated Concussion Protocol, were Parachute Canada and the Living Guideline for Pediatric Concussion (PedsConcussion.com). Parachute Canada, whose release of the Canadian Guideline on Concussion in Sport – 2nd Edition (2024) provided a critical reference point for the revisions. Ophea worked with Parachute to increase alignment between the school-based Concussion Protocol and community sport practices. This collaboration focused on providing consistent guidance for students, whether participating in physical activity at school or in community-based sports programs.
The Living Guideline contributed extensive technical expertise guiding the updates to the Return to Learn (RTL) and Return to Physical Activity (RTPA) stages. By incorporating the most current pediatric concussion research, the PedsConcussion team helped ensure that the Concussion Protocol reflected the best available evidence for supporting students through recovery in both classroom and physical activity settings.
Ophea and PedsConcussion also worked collaboratively to ensure the voice and perspectives of educators and students from across Ontario were present in the updated information. Educators shared practical insights from classrooms and school boards, while students contributed their experiences navigating recovery in daily school life. This combination of expert knowledge, internal review, and lived experience helped to ensure the updated Concussion Protocol was both scientifically rigorous and grounded in the realities of Ontario schools.
The combined input from Parachute Canada, PedsConcussion, Ophea’s SIPAC, educators, and students ensured that the 2025 Concussion Protocol is a robust, evidence-based resource that is practical, actionable, and centered on student safety.
What’s New in the 2025 Protocol
The new protocol aligns with the Parachute’s Canadian Guideline on Concussion in Sport (2024) which was based upon updated guidance shared in the 6th International Consensus Statement on Concussion in Sport (2022), and recommendations in the updated Living Guideline for Pediatric Concussion.
Key updates include:
- Simplified Recovery Stages – Early stages of RTL and RTPA are now merged, reducing confusion and better aligning learning and physical activity recovery.
- Earlier Return to School – Students can now return to school as early as Stage 2 (24 hours after initial injury), supporting social, emotional, and cognitive recovery.
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Recognition of Mild, Brief Worsening of Symptoms When Returning to Lower-Risk Components of the Activity – Brief worsening of symptom is common and OK when returning to school activities and when resuming low-risk physical activities such as walking, jogging, or rolling.
- Medical Clearance to Return to Physical Activity with a Risk of Contact (contact sports, scrimmages) – Clearance is required after Stage 3, ensuring students are recovered and assessed by a medical doctor before resuming higher risk components of activities like multiplayer game-play.
- Reassessment if Symptoms Recur After Clearance – If symptoms return after being medically cleared while participating in higher risk components of activities during Stages 4-6, students must go back to participating in Stage 3 activities (activities with no risk of a hit to the head, neck, or body) and be reassessed by a medical doctor.
For more details on these updates, visit the Concussion Protocol, September 2025 Bulletin.
Tools, Resources, and Next Steps for School Boards
Ophea has developed several tools and resources to support school boards in implementing the updated Concussion Protocol, including:
- Updated Concussion Protocol landing page - that includes links to all the updated protocol and the tools and resources.
- Updated Concussion Prevention, Identification, and Management for Schools e-Learning Module - Launched in August, the module is aligned with the revised protocol, and is designed to build confidence for educators, administrators, and coaches.
Staying Current
To stay current on the updates to OPASSE school board leaders and educators should check safety.ophea.net periodically throughout the school year. While most updates are released in September, some occur throughout the year. When updates and changes are of an urgent nature the information is communicated directly to the school board’s safety contact to ensure timely awareness.
The 2025 updates to Ophea’s Concussion Protocol strengthen student safety by simplifying recovery stages, encouraging earlier return to school, embedding the latest research, and aligning with the Ophea protocol steps with National protocols used in hospitals and by sports organizations. With refreshed tools and resources, professional learning opportunities, and strong partnerships, Ontario school boards are well-equipped to implement the changes. These efforts will help students recover safely, return to learn and physical activity confidently, and thrive in both learning and physical activity.