Benedict’s Law: What schools need to know for September 2026
Overview
From September 2026, academies and maintained schools across England will be expected to have comprehensive allergy management systems in place as part of new statutory guidance commonly referred to as Benedict’s Law.
For education settings, this marks a major shift in responsibility. No longer viewed as an operational issue confined to the dining hall, allergy safety is being recognised as a whole school responsibility, embedded into policy, culture, training, and leadership.
While equivalent requirements are not yet statutory for independent schools, the Government has confirmed its intention to introduce comparable allergy safety requirements through the relevant regulatory standards. This means independent schools should also begin preparing for the changes.
And for many families, it could be life changing.
Why is it called Benedict's Law?
The legislation follows the tragic death of five-year-old Benedict Blythe, who suffered a fatal allergic reaction at school in 2021 after exposure to cow’s milk despite having known multiple allergies.
Investigations found that although systems existed, critical failures in communication, awareness, training, and emergency response contributed to the tragedy.
Benedict’s parents have since campaigned tirelessly for national reform.
“Gaps in allergy communication, medication and education are putting children at risk of severe illness or death. Measures need to be put in place to keep children with allergies in England safe – what is in place now is not good enough. Pupils and their families deserve better”.
– Helen Blythe, Founder and Director, Benedict Blythe Foundation
Why Benedict’s Law is needed
The statistics surrounding allergies in schools are sobering.
According to the Benedict Blythe Foundation’s REACT report:
- 680,000 pupils in English schools have one or more allergies
- 1–2 children in every classroom has a food allergy
- 18% of allergic food reactions happen in school settings
- Half a million school days are missed each year due to allergy-related issues
- Anaphylaxis happens more in school than in any other setting
Despite this, allergy management standards have varied significantly between schools.
The same report highlighted that:
- Around 70% of schools lacked key allergy safety measures
- Almost half of schools did not hold their own emergency adrenaline medication
- 40% of teachers did not feel confident managing allergies
- 1 in 5 teachers had never been trained to use an adrenaline auto-injector (AAI)
These findings helped drive the Government’s decision in February 2026 to commit to mandatory statutory allergy guidance for schools.
A major cultural shift for schools
One of the most important aspects of Benedict’s Law is that it reframes allergy management as a whole-school safeguarding responsibility.
Historically, allergies may have been seen as primarily the responsibility of catering teams, first aiders, or school nurses. Under the new guidance, that approach is no longer considered sufficient.
The expectation is now that all staff will have a role to play in allergy safety.
That includes:
- Teaching staff
- Catering teams
- Support staff
- Breakfast and after-school club teams
- School transport staff
- Supply staff
- Senior leadership teams
- Governors and trustees
This is a significant culture change.
Allergy management can no longer be treated as a “tick-box exercise.” Instead, schools will be expected to demonstrate that allergy awareness is embedded into everyday operations, decision-making, training, and safeguarding practices.
What schools will need to have in place
The draft statutory guidance outlines several key requirements schools will need to implement ahead of September 2026.
A dedicated allergy policy
Schools will be expected to have a standalone allergy policy available on the school website, with evidence that staff have read and understood it.
Importantly, the policy must include:
- Procedures for managing allergies safely
- Emergency response protocols
- Arrangements for induction and training of new staff
- Guidance for supply and cover staff
- Reporting systems for incidents and near misses
For multi-academy trusts, this may involve an overarching trust-wide policy with site-specific adaptations.
The government has produced a template policy for schools to use so teams should wait to use this template.
Mandatory allergy & anaphylaxis training
Annual allergy and anaphylaxis training for all staff is expected to become mandatory.
The training must go beyond basic first aid and cover:
- Understanding allergies and intolerances
- Recognising symptoms of anaphylaxis
- How to administer adrenaline auto-injectors
- Risk reduction and allergen avoidance
- Emergency procedures
- Incident reporting
Catering teams will require additional specialist allergen training focused on:
- Cross-contamination prevention
- Ingredient management
- Food labelling
- Safe food preparation procedures
Training should not be viewed as a one-off exercise. Schools should ensure new staff receive allergy awareness training as part of their induction, with refresher training provided regularly to maintain confidence and competence across the workforce.
allmanhall’s allergy awareness training has been designed to cover the knowledge and competencies outlined within the draft statutory guidance, including recognising allergic reactions, emergency response, the use of adrenaline auto-injectors, risk reduction, and reporting procedures.
The training can be delivered directly to your team or supplied for upload into your own Learning Management System (LMS), allowing schools to embed allergy training within their existing staff development programme.
The growing importance of emergency preparedness
One of the strongest themes within Benedict’s Law is preparedness.
Anaphylaxis is time-critical, and delays in administering adrenaline are associated with fatal outcomes. Schools will be required to hold spare adrenaline auto-injectors (AAIs) in accessible locations and ensure staff know how and when to use them.
The guidance also recommends:
- Clear storage and access procedures
- Annual anaphylaxis drills
- Staff awareness of emergency equipment locations
- Improved recording of incidents and near misses
Importantly, schools are being reminded that severe allergic reactions can occur even in children without a previous diagnosis – making preparedness essential for every setting.
You can download a free template from Spare Pens in Schools to take to your local pharmacy.
IMPORTANT: allmanhall’s clients can benefit from a discounted price for AAIs, if purchased from Kitt Medical. For more information, click here.
Inclusion matters too
While much of the focus is rightly on safety, the guidance also emphasises inclusion.
Children with allergies should not be excluded from activities unnecessarily. Instead, schools are encouraged to adapt activities to ensure all students can participate safely.
This includes reviewing risks associated with:
- Cooking lessons
- Science experiments
- Art projects
- Themed lunch days
- School trips
- Craft materials and packaging that may contain allergens
Similarly, pupils with allergies should not be segregated at mealtimes. Schools are encouraged to develop discreet but robust identification systems that maintain both dignity and safety.
Inclusion matters too
Another important development is the expectation that schools identify clear leadership for allergy management.
Schools are expected to appoint a designated Allergy Lead to coordinate allergy management arrangements and ensure policies, training and communication remain effective.
While schools do not need to have a named governor overseeing allergy safety, some schools choose to identify a governor with responsibility for allergy oversight as a matter of good governance and safeguarding practice.
This reflects the increasing recognition that allergy management is a governance and safeguarding issue, not simply an operational matter.
What about independent schools?
While the current statutory guidance applies to maintained schools, the Government has stated its intention to introduce equivalent allergy safety requirements through the relevant regulatory standards for independent schools, including independent special schools.
Independent schools may therefore wish to begin reviewing their allergy policies, staff training and emergency procedures now, so they are well prepared when these requirements are introduced.
What schools should be doing now
The statutory guidance has now been published and schools shouldn’t wait until September 2026 to act.
Recommended next steps include:
- Conducting an allergy management audit
- Reviewing all Individual Healthcare Plans and Allergy Action Plans – templates available here
- Implementing whole-school staff training
- Purchasing spare AAIs
- Reviewing incident reporting systems
- Appointing a designated Allergy Lead
- Considering whether to identify a governor to oversee allergy safety as good practice
Early preparation will help schools avoid last-minute compliance pressures and, more importantly, create safer environments for pupils and staff alike.
Whether you’re reviewing your allergy policy, preparing staff training or strengthening emergency procedures, allmanhall’s nutrition and dietetics team can support your school in preparing for the new expectations.
Our allergy awareness training aligns with the areas covered in the draft statutory guidance and can be delivered live or uploaded into your school’s own Learning Management System (LMS), making it easy to incorporate into your existing staff training programme.
In the meantime, you can watch this insightful webinar from Tess Warnes, allmanhall’s Head of Nutrition & Sustainability, which explores the upcoming legislation and practical steps schools can take now.
A defining moment for school safeguarding
Benedict’s Law represents one of the most significant changes to school safeguarding and medical management in recent years.
At its heart is a simple but powerful message: allergy safety cannot depend on luck, individual awareness, or inconsistent systems.
Every child deserves to feel safe at school.
For education providers, September 2026 is not just a compliance deadline. It is an opportunity to build a stronger culture of awareness, preparedness, inclusion, and care that could ultimately save lives.
allmanhall are here to support schools through these changes, helping education settings build practical, effective allergy management systems with confidence through expert advice, nutrition and dietetics consultancy, and allergy awareness training.