Starting this autumn, managing pupil allergies is shifting from an optional best-practice recommendation to a strict legal obligation for schools across England.
What is Benedict's Law?
A major shift in school safeguarding is coming this autumn. Following a successful campaign to amend the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill, the government is introducing mandatory statutory allergy guidance for all state-funded schools, academies, independent schools, and colleges in England.
Known as Benedict’s Law, the new rules come into full effect in September 2026.
This replaces the old, non-statutory advice with an enforceable legal standard. Until now, schools could essentially decide how much attention to give to allergy safety. This created an inconsistent approach across the country - a gap the new legislation is designed to close.
Why Does It Exist?
The law is named after five-year-old Benedict Blythe, who died in December 2021 after suffering an allergic reaction to milk at school. Following his death, his parents, Helen and Peter Blythe, set up the Benedict Blythe Foundation. Alongside charities like Anaphylaxis UK and Allergy UK, they spent more than four years campaigning for stricter, legally binding safety measures in education.
The numbers show just how widespread the issue is:
Allergies are currently the most common chronic childhood condition in the UK.
Department for Education (DfE) data indicates that around 500,000 school days are lost each year to allergy-related illnesses and medical appointments.
Before this law, Freedom of Information data revealed that roughly 70% of schools lacked basic allergy safeguards.
When schools aren't fully prepared, children miss out on learning, and parents are left carrying an enormous amount of anxiety.
What Schools Must Do?
The updated DfE guidance, “Supporting children and young people with medical conditions and allergy,” sets out four specific things every school must do:
1. A Standalone Allergy Policy: Schools can no longer bury allergy procedures inside a generic medical conditions document. Every school needs a dedicated, separate allergy policy that details risk reduction, cross-contamination rules, and emergency steps. This must be published publicly on the school website.
2. Whole-Staff Training: Allergy awareness is no longer just a job for the school nurse or a few designated first aiders. Every single member of staff—including teachers, lunchtime supervisors, caretakers, supply staff, and minibus drivers must be trained to recognize the signs of allergic reactions and know how to use an adrenaline pen.
3. Spare Emergency AAIs: Schools are required to buy and keep unassigned Adrenaline Auto-Injectors (AAIs) on site. These are kept separate from any child’s personal prescription and act as a backup if a pupil's own pen fails, is forgotten, or if they experience a severe, first-time reaction at school.
4. Individual Healthcare Plans (IHPs): Every pupil with a diagnosed serious allergy needs a personalized IHP created in partnership with their parents. The plan must clearly outline their exact triggers, specific symptoms, and immediate emergency steps.
What Schools Need to Do Now?
With the spring consultation wrapped up and the final frameworks set, schools need to prepare before the new term begins.
Before September 2026
Audit student records: Check existing medical files and make sure every child with an allergy has an updated, co-signed Individual Healthcare Plan.
- Staff training: Schools are expected to use the remaining summer months, training days, or late-August/early-September INSET days to get all staff trained before pupils return. HealthCore can help you provide nurse-led allergy and anaphylaxis training to your staff.
Draft the new policy: Write your standalone allergy policy and get it approved by governors. Organizations like The Allergy Team offer templates to help schools get started.
Order backup medication: Purchase spare, unassigned AAIs from a pharmacy to stock your emergency kits.
From September 2026 Onward
Publish and share: Make sure the new policy is live on your website and communicated clearly to parents.
Onboard and drill: Include allergy safety in inductions for new staff, run annual refresher training for everyone, and practice emergency response drills.
- Staff training: Training becomes a continuous requirement. Schools must build allergy awareness into the induction process for any new staff members who join mid-term, and run annual refresher training for the entire team.
Check equipment: Put a system in place to regularly check the expiration dates on your spare AAIs.
How First Aid Training Fits In
While anaphylaxis recognition has always been a part of standard first aid, Benedict’s Law changes the scale of training required.
The difference now is that training is mandatory for every member of staff, not just qualified first aiders. Standard paediatric first aid already covers anaphylaxis, but schools need to check they've got recognition across age groups, correct use of AAIs, post-emergency procedures, and the difference between mild reactions and anaphylaxis.