Allergy safety in schools has taken an important step forward.
Following the publication of the Department for Education’s new statutory guidance on allergy safety in schools in England, GOV.UK has also published two practical templates to help schools put the guidance into action:
For schools, these templates provide a useful starting point for strengthening allergy procedures and making sure responsibilities are clear.
For parents and carers, they offer reassurance that schools are being given clearer tools to support children and young people with allergies.
Useful GOV.UK link
If you are looking for the guidance and templates on GOV.UK, you can find them here:
Why is this linked to Benedict’s Law?
Benedict’s Law is named in memory of five-year-old Benedict Blythe, who died following an anaphylactic reaction at school in 2021.
Benedict’s family have campaigned tirelessly for stronger and more consistent allergy safety measures in schools.
The new guidance and supporting templates are an important step towards improving allergy awareness, prevention and emergency response in schools, not only here in Norfolk but across England.
What does the new allergy guidance mean for schools?
Allergy safety should be treated as a whole-school responsibility, not simply a catering or first aid issue.
Schools should review:
- their allergy safety policy
- responsibility for allergy safety
- staff allergy awareness training
- identification of pupils with allergies
- Individual Healthcare Plans
- access to prescribed adrenaline devices
- spare adrenaline auto-injectors
- emergency procedures
- school trips and activities
- incident and near-miss reporting
The allergy safety policy template provides a useful starting point, but policies should reflect the individual needs of each school and its pupils.
A policy should not simply sit on a shelf. All staff need to understand it and know how to put it into practice.
Individual Healthcare Plans for pupils with allergies
The new Individual Healthcare Plan template helps schools record the specific support required by pupils with allergies.
An IHP should clearly explain:
- what support the child needs
- what needs to happen
- when support is required
- who is responsible
- what should happen in an emergency
Plans should be developed with the child or young person and their parents or carers, taking account of advice from healthcare professionals.
For parents, this is an important opportunity to share your knowledge of your child’s allergy and ensure the school understands their individual needs.
An example plan written by Anaphylaxis UK can be found here: https://www.anaphylaxis.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/Individual-healthcare-plan-completed-example.pdf
Allergy awareness training for school staff
The guidance states that schools should have arrangements for whole-school allergy awareness training, with staff receiving training regularly and at least annually.
This should include teaching and support staff, temporary and supply staff, agency workers, regular volunteers, catering staff and staff supervising breakfast or after-school clubs.
Importantly, the Department for Education guidance states that first aid training alone is not sufficient.
Staff need to understand allergies, recognise an allergic reaction and anaphylaxis, and know how to respond quickly in an emergency.
Recognising anaphylaxis and acting quickly
Anaphylaxis is a potentially fatal allergic reaction affecting the Airway, Breathing or Circulation – the ABC symptoms:
- Airway – Swelling in the throat, tongue or upper airways, hoarse voice, difficulty swallowing
- Breathing – Sudden onset wheezing, breathing difficulty, noisy breathing, persistent cough
- Circulation – Dizziness, feeling faint, sudden sleepiness, confusion, pale clammy skin, loss of consciousness or collapse
It can progress rapidly.
In an anaphylaxis emergency, staff need to recognise the symptoms, administer adrenaline promptly and call 999. If a reaction seems minor, treatment should not be delayed.
The guidance is clear that help and medication should be brought to the child, the child should not be sent to the school office or medical room.
If there is no improvement after five minutes, a further dose of adrenaline should be given.
This is why effective anaphylaxis training for school staff is so important. In a real emergency, staff need the knowledge and confidence to act without unnecessary delay.
What about spare adrenaline auto-injectors?
Schools in England are already permitted to purchase spare adrenaline auto-injectors for emergency use without a prescription.
However, a spare device is not a replacement for a child’s own prescribed adrenaline.
Children and young people at risk of anaphylaxis should have access to both of their two prescribed adrenaline devices at all times.
The Government has also stated that it intends to introduce a statutory duty requiring schools to stock spare adrenaline devices through forthcoming regulations.
An “allergy aware” approach in schools
The guidance also raises an important point about “nut-free” policies.
A nut-free environment may create a false sense of security. Nuts are only one possible allergen, and other foods can also cause serious allergic reactions.
Instead, schools are encouraged to take an “allergy aware” approach; identifying risks, reducing exposure to known allergens and ensuring robust emergency procedures are in place.
Children with allergies should also be supported to participate as fully as possible in school meals, classroom activities, sport, extracurricular activities and school trips.
What can parents ask their child’s school?
If your child has an allergy, you may want to ask:
- Does the school have an allergy safety policy?
- Who is responsible for allergy safety?
- Does my child need an Individual Healthcare Plan?
- How are staff trained to recognise and respond to anaphylaxis?
- How quickly can my child’s adrenaline devices be accessed?
- How are supply and temporary staff informed?
- How are allergies managed on school trips?
- How are allergic reactions and near misses reviewed?
Open communication between schools, parents and children is an essential part of effective allergy safety.
First aid and anaphylaxis training for schools in Norfolk
The publication of the new statutory guidance and supporting templates is an important step for schools and families living with allergies.
Policies and plans matter. Emergency medication is essential.
But staff also need to recognise anaphylaxis and know what to do when faced with a real emergency.
When anaphylaxis occurs, prompt recognition and early administration of adrenaline can save a life.
At First Class First Aid Ltd, we provide practical, friendly and professional first aid training for schools in Norwich and across Norfolk. There is an option to deliver the 1 hour long Anaphylaxis Awareness training as a stand alone course for larger groups of staff members, or bolted on to regulated first aid training courses. If your school is reviewing its first aid and anaphylaxis training following the publication of the new allergy safety guidance, please get in touch to discuss your training requirements First Aid Courses and Classes in Norfolk | First Class First Aid
Source: Department for Education – Allergy safety in schools statutory guidance and supporting templates on GOV.UK.
