England to introduce mandatory allergy training in schools
The UK government has announced new statutory guidance requiring all schools in England to provide allergy awareness training for staff and keep spare adrenaline auto-injectors for emergency use, even for children without a prior allergy diagnosis. The measures follow cross-party support for Benedict’s Law, a campaign to improve allergy safety in schools.
England to introduce mandatory allergy training in schools
The UK government has announced new statutory guidance requiring all schools in England to provide allergy awareness training for staff and keep spare adrenaline auto-injectors for emergency use, even for children without a prior allergy diagnosis. The measures follow cross-party support for Benedict’s Law, a campaign to improve allergy safety in schools.
The campaign is named after five-year-old Benedict Blythe from Lincolnshire, who died from an anaphylactic reaction at school in 2021 after being given milk despite his allergy being recorded. An inquest found that his symptoms were not recognised quickly enough and he did not receive medication in time. His mother, Helen Blythe, welcomed the announcement, calling it a significant step to prevent similar tragedies.
According to BBC, the Department for Education says the changes aim to save lives and reduce learning disruptions, noting that about 500,000 school days were lost last year due to allergy-related illnesses or appointments. The reforms are also part of broader plans to improve the school food system and expand free school meals to another 500,000 children from September.
While many schools already have allergy policies, the new guidance will make such precautions compulsory nationwide. A 2024 Freedom of Information request by the Benedict Blythe Foundation found that 70% of schools lacked recommended allergy safeguards and half did not have adrenaline pens on site.
School leaders have welcomed the guidance but warned about funding pressures. Paul Whiteman of the NAHT union said the requirements should be properly funded rather than taken from existing school budgets. However, Early Education Minister Olivia Bailey said most schools already carry out similar measures and the costs are reasonable to cover from core budgets.
Some schools have already introduced strong allergy management systems. Warter Primary School in East Yorkshire, where around 5% of pupils have allergies, invests in staff training, emergency equipment and personalised medical plans for affected children. Head teacher Helen Houghton emphasised the importance of creating a culture of awareness and ensuring school resources and activities are allergy-safe.
Parents, teachers and experts are now being consulted on the proposals before the guidance becomes mandatory in September. Campaigners hope the changes will make schools safer and prevent other families from experiencing similar tragedies.
