Benedict’s Law and the new Allergy Safety in Schools statutory guidance introduce stronger expectations for schools in England, including allergy safety policies and allergy awareness training for staff. The Department for Education guidance covers recognising allergic reactions, emergency response, staff training and learning from incidents and near misses.

What is Benedict’s Law?

Benedict’s Law, named in memory of five-year-old Benedict Blythe who died following an allergic reaction at school, aims to improve allergy safety and create a more consistent approach across schools.

From September 2026, schools will need to consider allergy safety as part of their wider responsibilities for supporting pupils with medical conditions. This includes ensuring staff have appropriate allergy awareness and emergency response training.

Why is allergy training so important?

An allergic reaction can happen anywhere and at any time - not just in the classroom. A pupil could experience a reaction in the playground, dining hall, on a school trip or during an after-school activity.

That’s why allergy awareness shouldn't sit solely with a designated first aider. Everyone working with children should understand the signs of an allergic reaction and know how to respond appropriately.

• Free allergy training can help education professionals:
• Recognise the symptoms of an allergic reaction and anaphylaxis
• Understand what to do in an emergency
• Know how adrenaline auto-injectors are used
• Understand their role in keeping pupils with allergies safe
• Support a more inclusive and allergy-aware school environment

Allergy awareness at Smile Education

At Smile Education, safeguarding is at the heart of everything we do.

That's why every candidate registered with Smile Education undergoes allergy awareness training as part of our commitment to preparing education professionals to work safely in schools.

This means our schools can have greater confidence that the candidates we place understand the importance of allergy awareness and have received relevant training before entering the school environment.

However, allergy safety is a shared responsibility. We encourage all school staff to take advantage of the free training and webinars available through Allergy School to build their knowledge and confidence.

Take the free Allergy School training

The Allergy School programme provides free allergy and anaphylaxis training and resources specifically designed for education professionals. It also offers free webinars covering Benedict’s Law and the new statutory guidance.

Taking the time to complete this training could help you feel more confident recognising and responding to an allergic reaction and ultimately help create a safer environment for every child.

At Smile Education, we believe every member of the school community has a role to play in keeping children safe.

Find out more and access the free training and webinars at Allergy School: https://allergyschool.org.uk/allergy-anaphylaxis-training-for-schools/

Further guidance

The Department for Education's Allergy safety in schools statutory guidance provides further information for schools on allergy policies, staff training, Individual Healthcare Plans, incident reporting and emergency preparedness.

Please note: This article is intended as general information for education professionals and should not replace the Department for Education's statutory guidance or specialist medical advice.