|lIf your child is about to start a new school, its important to know their allergies will be understood and handled appropriately.
We know that the fear that your child having serious allergic reactions and how they will be handled in schools, can cause parents and guardians a great deal of stress. It can also lead to a breakdown in the trust and confidence between schools and parents and may lead to parents invoking the school’s complaints procedure.
The Department for Education states that one in five children with an allergy will have their first allergic reaction whilst in school. Therefore, it is not sufficient only to organise allergy safety measures around children and young people with known allergies. Schools must now ensure that they consider the whole environment.
The effects of schools failing to understand children’s allergies and to act appropriately can be devastating.
What You Need to Know
Section 34 of the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Act 2026 places a requirement on Local Authority maintained schools, academies and Pupil Referral Units to have allergy safety policies, publish them and keep them under review. This requirement, sometimes known as “Benedicts Law” comes into effect from September 2026.
If your child does not attend one of these types of schools but does attend an Independent School or a non-maintained special school then the Guidance will be updated shortly that will apply to them.
Allergy safety policies
A model Allergy Safety Policy has been set out by the Government.
The allergy safety policy should set out:
- how the school, college or setting will identify children and young people with allergies and minimise the risks of exposure to known allergens
- how staff will be trained in allergy awareness and emergency response
- how individuals at risk of anaphylaxis will have access to their prescribed adrenaline devices, alongside “spare” adrenaline device
- how children and young people with allergy will be able to participate in visits and trip
- how Individual Healthcare Plans will capture specific arrangements (including any Allergy Action Plan and/or Asthma Plan
- how the wellbeing and inclusion of children and young people with allergy will be promoted.
All staff in schools, colleges and early years settings must be able to recognise anaphylaxis and know how to treat it. Schools, colleges and early years settings must have robust emergency response plans. This should include being able to administer adrenaline while awaiting the arrival of emergency services. Schools (though not colleges or early years settings) are permitted to stock “spare” adrenaline devices for emergency use and should do so.
The School’s Allergy Safety Policy should be published on their website and be overseen by a named member of the senior leadership team. This is in recognition that allergy issues are a whole school issue and not for certain departments, such as Catering and Food Technology.
What you can do
- Make the school aware of your child’s allergies as soon as possible in clear detail.
- Ask the school how they keep records of all pupils with allergies and how all staff members are aware of what to do should your child have an allergic reaction.
- If your child’s allergies have a functional impact on them in their school, they are at risk of harm as a result of their allergy and they require arrangements to be made which are different from those generally made to pupils, then ask the school to work with you to draw up your child’s Individual Health Plan.
- When there are planned visits and trips, ask the school what arrangements and adjustments need to be put in place, so that your child can participate and whether risk assessments have been undertaken.
- If necessary, ask how the school administer, store and understand the use of adrenaline devices, such as EpiPens and where the school keep their spare ones and whether all staff know how to find and use them.
If you require any further information and advice or have a complaint with your child’s school regarding this or any other issue, please contact the Education Team.
