From September 2026, under new statutory guidance announced by the Department for Education, schools in England must provide allergy awareness training for all staff, maintain records for students’ allergic conditions, and keep adrenaline auto-injectors on-site. It follows cross-party support for Benedict’s Law, championed by the Benedict Blythe Foundation and National Allergy Strategy Group (NASG).
When people talk about keeping children safe at school, most think of the obvious things — bullying policies, or playground supervision. But for many families, safety means something far more immediate: allergies. From September — and thanks to the tireless campaigning of the Benedict Blythe Foundation, in step with the NASG’s alliance of UK allergy charities — a major change is going to reshape how schools protect children with allergies right across England.
The UK Government has committed to introducing Benedict’s Law in England via the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill. Campaigning continues for Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland to benefit from similar statutory guidance, or pass their own legislation.
From September 2026, all of England’s schools will be required to follow mandatory and statutory guidance on allergy safety. This is not optional advice — it’s a legal expectation and for parents, that distinction really matters.
First, every school will need to have a clear, robust allergy policy. That means written procedures for prevention, communication, and emergency response. No more relying on informal arrangements or individual staff knowledge — this becomes embedded in the way a school operates.
Second, there will be a strong focus on training. Right now, research suggests that a significant number of teachers have little or no formal allergy training. Under the new guidance, school staff will be expected to understand allergies, recognise symptoms, and respond quickly in an emergency. That’s a huge step forward for peace of mind.
Third — and this is potentially life-saving — schools will be required to hold spare adrenaline auto-injectors (AAIs) on site. These are the devices used to treat anaphylaxis, a severe and rapid allergic reaction. Until now, access to these in schools has been inconsistent. From September, it becomes standard practice.
Linked to the above, each child with an allergy should have an individual healthcare plan — a clear, personalised document that tells staff exactly what to do in an emergency.
It’s a clear and timely intervention and one that reflects a wider truth: around two children in every classroom are affected by allergies, and an estimated fifth of allergic reactions will happen in school.
One case in point became a focal illustration, catalysing the change. It was the tragic loss of a five-year-old boy, Benedict Blythe and his parents’ determination that lessons should be learned to protect other schoolchildren. It is now enshrined as Benedict’s Law.
Benedict Blythe from Stamford in Lincolnshire passed away in December 2021 after an anaphylactic reaction that happened at his junior school. His parents, Helen and Pete, later discovered from the long-awaited inquest that a catalogue of errors had led to his death. He had consumed milk containing cow’s milk protein in an apparent mix-up, with staff unaware of the risks to his health, and this was despite a draft plan for his condition being submitted. As he deteriorated with anaphylaxis, the school failed to identify and treat his mounting symptoms, calling the family to advise that he was sick. His father arrived and performed CPR, and paramedics worked on him, but Benedict couldn’t be saved.
Helen and Pete founded the Benedict Blythe Foundation to campaign for a safer school environment and their efforts — along with those of the NASG — have been rewarded with this watershed framework for enforcement.
A freedom of information request sent by the Benedict Blythe Foundation in 2024 found that 70 per cent of schools in England did not have the recommended allergy safeguards in place, and half of all schools did not have adrenaline auto-injectors on site.
Parents might wonder what Benedict’s Law will mean for their child day-to-day. It begins with fewer grey areas. Their child’s allergy needs should be recognised, documented, and understood by the adults responsible for them and, should something go wrong, staff are better prepared to act quickly and confidently. Access to an in-date AAI is an essential part of this new provision.
To support and align with this new practice, from the planned September implementation, parents might therefore:
- Talk to the school about their allergy policy
- Make sure their child’s care plan is up to date
- Encourage awareness among other parents and children
Of course, laws and guidance only go so far. The spirit behind this change is about creating a culture of awareness, inclusion, and shared responsibility. As Helen Blythe told All About Allergy: “Benedict’s Law is a hugely significant step forward for families, because all schools will now be required to put allergy safeguards in place. For us, it feels like a fitting legacy for Benedict, built through years of hard work and a determination that no other child should be put at the same risk. But safety should never come at the expense of inclusion. For parents, the risk is always a worry, but it is seeing your child excluded from ordinary school life that truly breaks your heart. The guidance rightly makes clear that schools must create safer environments while ensuring children with allergies are still able to participate, belong and be included. It means for the first time a new generation of children will start school into a system much safer for them.”
Helen and her husband are now fulfilling their mission to protect children with allergies in the school setting. Benedict’s short life has become a lasting gift to others with Benedict’s Law a permanent safeguarding wi
For more information, visit: benedictblythe.com
The Benedict Blythe Foundation and NASG’s alliance of UK allergy charities includes Allergy UK, Anaphylaxis UK, the Natasha Allergy Research Foundation, and the British Society for Allergy and Clinical Immunology.
