Prime Highlights:
- All school staff in England will soon receive mandatory allergy awareness training to keep children safe.
- Schools must now have spare adrenaline auto-injectors to treat severe allergic reactions, even for undiagnosed cases.
Key Facts:
- The new rules follow Benedict’s Law, a campaign launched after the death of five-year-old Benedict Blythe from an allergic reaction at school in 2021.
- Officials say the measures will help prevent life-threatening incidents and protect students during school activities.
Background:
Schools in England will soon be required to give allergy awareness training to all staff, following new guidance from the Department for Education. The aim is to make schools safer for children with food allergies and to ensure quick action during medical emergencies.
The guidance also says schools must keep spare adrenaline auto-injectors to treat severe allergic reactions, even for children who have no known allergies. Officials say this will help prevent serious incidents and protect students during school activities.
The rules follow support for Benedict’s Law, a campaign started in memory of five-year-old Benedict Blythe from Stamford, Lincolnshire, who died from an allergic reaction at school in December 2021. Campaigners have pushed for consistent safety measures across schools to prevent similar tragedies.
Early education minister Olivia Bailey said many schools already have strong allergy policies and are taking steps to manage risks. She added that the government believes the new requirements are reasonable for schools to cover within their existing budgets, while officials will continue to work with schools to make implementation easier.
However, concerns about funding have been raised by Paul Whiteman, general secretary of the National Association of Head Teachers. He welcomed the guidance but warned that any additional responsibilities should be supported with proper funding. According to him, schools cannot be expected to absorb every new requirement within already stretched budgets.
The announcement forms part of the government’s broader effort to improve the school food system and expand free school meals to around 500,000 more children starting this September.
Advocates say stronger allergy policies are urgently needed. A 2024 freedom of information request by the Benedict Blythe Foundation found that about 70% of schools in England lacked recommended allergy safeguards, while nearly half did not keep adrenaline pens or spare injectors on site.
Campaigner Helen Blythe, Benedict’s mother, described the announcement as a significant step toward safer schools. She said the new guidance could help ensure that future generations of children learn in environments that are better prepared to manage severe allergies and protect students’ health.
