Benedict’s Law – New Allergy Safety Requirements for Schools in England

Benedict’s Law – New Allergy Safety Requirements for Schools in England

What is Benedict’s Law?

Benedict’s Law is the name commonly used for new legal protections designed to improve allergy awareness and safety in schools in England.

The Department for Education published its new statutory guidance, Allergy safety in schools, in July 2026. The guidance sets out what schools must do to support pupils with allergies.

From September 2026, this guidance applies to most state-funded primary, secondary and special needs schools, academies, free-schools, pupil referral units and attached nurseries.

Why was Benedict’s Law introduced?

Benedict’s Law follows years of campaigning by the family of Benedict Blythe, who tragically died from anaphylaxis in school in 2021, aged 5.

His family, together with allergy charities, campaigners, clinicians and policymakers, worked to improve allergy awareness and make schools better prepared to respond to potentially life-threatening allergic reactions.

Statistics from the Benedict Blythe Foundation tell us that;

• Around 2 children in every classroom have an allergy.

• Up to 30% of severe reactions occur in children who have no previous allergy diagnosis.

• A school or educational setting is one of the most common locations for a severe allergic reaction outside of the home.

What does Benedict’s law mean for schools?

The new allergy safety requirements place greater emphasis on having consistent procedures, appropriate staff training and emergency arrangements in place.

Schools must now have arrangements covering areas including:

• A whole-school allergy policy, which sets out how schools manage allergies and respond to emergency situations.

• Staff training so that teaching and non-teaching staff can recognise the symptoms of anaphylaxis and respond quickly and effectively.

• Access to emergency adrenaline auto-injectors (AAI’s), sometimes known as Epipens.

• Individual healthcare plans for pupils with diagnosed allergies.

• Improved communication and record keeping around allergies and allergic reactions.

What is anaphylaxis?

Anaphylaxis is a severe and potentially life-threatening allergic reaction.

It can develop very quickly and may affect breathing, circulation and consciousness.

Possible signs and symptoms include:

• Swelling in the face, mouth, neck and tongue

• Swelling of the hands and feet

• Difficulty in breathing

• Anxiety and distress

• Flushed or pale skin

• Confusion, dizziness, feeling faint

• Pain, swelling, redness or rash around the area of the contact

Anaphylaxis requires urgent emergency treatment.

This is why allergy awareness training is so important. Staff need to be able to recognise that someone may be experiencing anaphylaxis and know what action to take without any delay.

Read more about signs, symptoms and treatment of anaphylaxis in our blog.

Learn how to be prepared for emergency situations with Help! First Aid Training.

Our courses include hands-on, practical training with experienced, qualified instructors who are there to support and guide you.

We cover anaphylaxis and use of an adrenaline auto-injectors in the following courses:

• Emergency First Aid at Work

• First Aid at Work

• Re-qualification First Aid at Work

• Paediatric First Aid

You’ll leave feeling confident and ready to act in a first aid situation — whether at work, at home, or out in public.

We can also deliver anaphylaxis and adrenaline auto-injector training to groups of staff at your premises. Please contact us for a quote.

Book Your Training Today

Want to learn more or book a course? We’d love to hear from you!

We run regular open courses at our Shildon Business Centre in County Durham, and we can also deliver onsite training at your location. We cover Newcastle to Newton Aycliffe, Darlington to Durham, Hartlepool to Houghton le Spring and everywhere in between.

Email: info@helpfirstaidtraining.co.uk

Call us: 01388 417303

Website: www.helpfirstaidtraining.co.uk