New Statutory Allergy Guidance for Schools published
From September 2026 schools in England will be required to follow new statutory guidance which sets out clear responsibilities around managing allergies on and off the school site, including on educational visits.
The new guidance Allergy Safety in Schools is the first part of a wider guidance document on supporting pupils with medical conditions to be finalised. It will become a legal duty on schools from early 2027.
The guidance is the result of a long running campaign by the families of children affected by allergy, including the Blythe family whose son Benedict tragically died after an allergic reaction at school. These families have been supported by policymakers and a coalition of organisations working in the allergy and education sectors – together they have succeeded in developing robust guidance to support children and young people at school and when learning outside the classroom.
Research undertaken by the Benedict Blythe Foundation revealed that many schools are not currently well-prepared to support children with allergies:
50% of schools in England do not have any spare medication;
a third do not have an allergy policy;
70% do not have all the measures now being introduced.
What does the guidance say?
The statutory guidance, now published in its final form by the Department for Education, is wide ranging and requires schools to prepare now for its implementation. It closely resembles draft guidance published earlier this year, with some amendments following consultation.
Key points to note are:
Schools must have a dedicated allergy safety policy, separate from their general medical conditions policy. This must be published online.
Schools are required to have a named senior leader overseeing allergy.
All staff must be trained in allergy and anaphylaxis. This training must go beyond basic first aid training and should include understanding allergy, how to reduce risk, recognising and responding to allergic reactions and supporting the wellbeing of pupils with allergies.
All schools must purchase spare adrenaline devices (these must be held in addition to pupils having their own prescribed devices).
Individual Healthcare Plans must be created for all pupils whose allergies require “active management”. This is in addition to their Allergy Action Plan, if they have one.
Allergy incidents and near-misses must be recorded, reported and learnt from.
What does the allergy guidance mean for schools planning educational visits?
An emphasis on inclusion
The guidance says schools should proactively support participation in trips and visits and set out in their policies that they do this.
It also describes the following as unacceptable, “preventing children and young people from participating, or creating unnecessary barriers to them participating in any aspect of school, college or setting life, including external visits and trips, e.g. by requiring parents to accompany the child.”
Specific risk assessment
The draft guidance says that anyone planning a school trip or visit should carry out a specific risk assessment to manage the risk of allergen exposure. A separate risk assessment is also needed for any child or young person at risk of anaphylaxis who will be leaving the premises.
Visits and trips are also included in the guidance where it describes what should be included an Individual Healthcare Plan. In particular, it highlights the importance of giving
“details of any arrangements or procedures which may be required for school trips or other activities outside of the normal timetable that will ensure the child can participate.
“Note any requirement for a risk assessment and prompts for specific issues which should be considered.”
Access to spare adrenaline on trips and visits
Although it will be mandatory for schools to hold spare adrenaline devices, there is no statutory requirement for them to be taken on trips. The guidance says, “Schools, colleges and settings may wish to consider whether it may be appropriate, under some circumstances, to take “spare” adrenaline devices in case of emergency use on some trips. However, this should not cause a lack of “spare” adrenaline devices on school/college premises”
You should consider where you are going and access to emergency care, the pupil cohort on the trip and whether taking devices from your setting will reduce the protections in place for students remaining on site. Students with prescribed adrenaline should always have two of their own devices with them on a trip or visit.
Jake Wiid of EVOLVE Advice, educational visits advisers says,
“All children and young people should be able to confidently enjoy the full school experience, including enrichment activities and educational visits, which offer such important benefits for learning and development.
“We welcome this guidance, and its emphasis on inclusion. Measures within the guidance such as individual plans and risk assessment, all-staff training and senior leadership accountability are important steps that will support teachers taking children outside of the classroom.”
Sarah Knight, of The Allergy Team says,
“As a parent of two school-aged children with allergies and co-founder of The Allergy Team, I know how much trust families place in schools every day. This guidance is an important step forward, giving schools greater clarity about how they can better protect children with allergies.
“Since the consultation began, we’ve supported thousands of teachers and school leaders through free webinars and training, and we’ll continue that work through the summer to help schools prepare for September’s guidance and the legislation that follows next year - building a safer, more inclusive environment for pupils with allergies and greater confidence for school staff.”
Read EVOLVE Advice’s AdviceONLINE article for more detail and actions you need to take to align your educational visits policy and processes with this new guidance.
Further support:
OEAP National Guidance 6o FAQ Allergy and anaphylaxis
With thanks to The Allergy Team for their support with this article.