Back in May, we shared some exciting news about our new Allergy & Anaphylaxis Awareness training and the changes coming to schools through Benedict’s Law.

At the time, we were still waiting for the final guidance.

Well… it’s here! The guidance was released in July, and we have been working hard to create a playful, interactive course that sticks! 💚

With September just around the corner, now is the time for schools to make sure they are Allergy Ready.

So, what’s changed?

Benedict’s Law has brought allergy safety firmly into the spotlight, with new statutory guidance for schools in England.

This isn’t simply about making sure your first aiders know what to do in an emergency.

It’s about creating a whole-school approach to allergy safety.

Schools need to think about things including:

🟢 A dedicated whole-school allergy policy

🟢 Allergy awareness and emergency response training for staff

🟢 Access to emergency adrenaline medication

🟢 Individual Healthcare Plans and Allergy Action Plans

🟢 Clear procedures so staff know how to prevent, recognise and respond to an allergic reaction

And one of the really important points for schools is this:

Allergy awareness isn’t just for your first aiders.

A serious allergic reaction could happen in the classroom, playground, dining hall, corridor, on a school trip… anywhere.

The adult who is there when it happens might be a teacher, teaching assistant, lunchtime supervisor, caretaker, office team member or another member of the school community.

That’s why allergy awareness needs to reach the wider school team.

What should staff know?

The new guidance places much greater emphasis on staff being able to recognise and respond to allergies and anaphylaxis confidently.

That includes understanding:

🧡 What allergies are and how reactions can happen

🧡 The signs and symptoms of an allergic reaction

🧡 How to recognise anaphylaxis

🧡 What to do in an emergency

🧡 How and when adrenaline medication is used

🧡 Allergy Action Plans and individual arrangements

🧡 How to reduce the risk of allergen exposure

🧡 Their role in keeping children with allergies safe and included

What about adrenaline?

Another important part of the guidance is emergency adrenaline.

Schools need clear arrangements around adrenaline devices, including where they’re stored and how they can be accessed quickly.

And staff need to understand how adrenaline is administered.

This now includes not only adrenaline auto-injectors such as EpiPen and Jext, but also newer forms of adrenaline medication such as EURneffy® nasal adrenaline spray.

For many members of staff, the thought of having to give emergency medication can feel pretty scary.

We get it. That’s exactly why good training matters.

Seeing the devices, understanding how they work and having the opportunity to practise can turn:

“Oh no, I couldn’t do that!”

into:

“OK. I know what I need to do.”

First aid training alone isn’t the whole answer

Your school may already have fantastic Paediatric First Aiders.

They’re still incredibly important.

But the new approach to allergy safety is about ensuring awareness reaches across the school, rather than relying solely on designated first aiders.

After all, an allergic reaction isn’t going to politely wait until the first aider arrives!

The person closest to the child needs to recognise what’s happening, raise the alarm and know how to respond.

Our Allergy Ready Training is ready + waiting 💚

When we wrote our first blog, we told you we were developing our new training while waiting for the final guidance.

Now the guidance is here, we’re ready to help schools put that knowledge into practice.

As always, our approach is:

Serious Skills, Taught Playfully.

Allergy and anaphylaxis are serious subjects, but that doesn’t mean training needs to leave staff frightened or overwhelmed.

Our aim is for people to leave feeling:

💚 More knowledgeable

🧡 More reassured

💜 More prepared

💛 And much more confident about what they would actually do in an emergency

We’ll help your team understand the important stuff, ask the questions they’re worried about asking, get familiar with emergency adrenaline devices and turn the guidance into something that makes sense in the real world.

September is nearly here…

If you’re a school preparing for the new academic year, now is a really good time to ask:

Are we Allergy Ready?

Schools need to be Allergy Ready by the end of the Autumn Term 2026.