New allergen guidance for schools: why leadership on allergy safety can’t wait
The Government has confirmed that new mandatory statutory guidance on allergy safety in schools will come into force from September 2026. Developed by the Department for Education, this allergen guidance marks a significant step forward in protecting children and young people with food allergies and reducing the risk of life-threatening incidents in educational settings.
While the formal implementation date may still feel some way off, the direction of travel is clear. Allergy safety is no longer viewed as a niche or operational issue confined to the dining hall; it is being recognised as a whole school responsibility, embedded into policy, culture, training, and leadership.
In March 2026, the Department for Education released draft statutory guidance on allergy management in schools, marking a significant step towards strengthening allergy safety across the education sector.
The guidance is currently open for consultation until 1 May 2026, allowing schools, caterers, and stakeholders to review the proposals and submit feedback. The final guidance is expected in June or July, with implementation planned for September, likely with a grace period to allow schools time to embed the changes.
The draft guidance proposes several key measures, including:
- A named allergy governor responsible for oversight
- A named allergy lead within the senior leadership team
- Annual allergy training for all staff
- A stand-alone allergy policy (separate from health and safety or catering policies)
- Individual healthcare plans for all pupils with allergies, including an allergy action plan
- Spare adrenaline pens available in every school
Schools and stakeholders can view the consultation and draft guidance, here.
What the new statutory allergen guidance means for schools
The forthcoming statutory allergen guidance has been released in draft form by the Department for Education, highlighting the increasing importance of robust allergy safety leadership in education settings.
These include the requirement for clear, consistent, whole school allergy policies, robust individual care plans and allergy action plans for students with diagnosed food allergies, and comprehensive training for staff to recognise and respond to allergic reactions and anaphylaxis. Access to spare emergency adrenaline auto-injectors will also be a critical element, ensuring schools are prepared to act swiftly when every second counts.
Why schools should act now - not in September
For many schools, these changes will formalise good practice that is already in place. For others, they will require a step change in how allergy management is approached. Either way, waiting until September 2026 to take action would be a missed opportunity. Allergy incidents do not operate on policy timelines, and near misses today are often the warning signs of more serious events tomorrow.
Embedding allergy safety as a whole-school responsibility
Strong leadership on allergy safety starts with seeing it as a whole-school issue. Policies should reflect the full student journey, from classrooms and extracurricular activities to catering, trips, and events.
Training should extend beyond catering teams to include teaching staff, support teams, and senior leaders, ensuring everyone understands both the risks and their role in managing them. Individual healthcare plans must be living documents, understood and accessible, not paperwork filed away and forgotten.
Creating accountability, oversight and continuous improvement
There is also an important learning culture element. Recording allergy incidents and near misses, and taking the time to review them, allows schools to continuously improve their controls and processes. Appointing a named senior member of staff to lead on allergy management helps ensure accountability, consistency, and visibility at leadership level.
Building confidence with parents, students and staff
Allergy safety is ultimately about trust. Parents and carers need confidence that their children are protected throughout the school day. Students need to feel safe, included, and supported. Staff need clarity, training, and reassurance that they are equipped to respond effectively in an emergency.
How allmanhall support schools with allergen management
allmanhall work closely with schools and academy trusts to provide allergen guidance and strengthen allergen management as part of a wider commitment to health, wellbeing, and compliance. Our nutrition and dietetics consultancy supports schools with practical, proportionate allergen policies, on-site allergen audits, and tailored training programmes. We also deliver webinars and accredited allergen training, including courses endorsed by the Royal Society for Public Health (RSPH), helping schools build confidence and competence across their teams.
The new statutory allergen guidance is a welcome and necessary development. The most effective schools, however, will be those that view it not as a future obligation, but as a prompt to lead now, putting robust allergy management in place today to protect students, support staff, and create safer learning environments for the long term.
Immediate actions school leaders should take
Don’t wait until September to:
- Write/update your allergy policy (for the whole school, not just the lunch service)
- Train all staff on allergies and how to use an adrenaline auto-injector
- Ensure you have spare adrenaline pens on site and check their expiry dates
- Have an individual health care plan for every student who has allergies
- Appoint a named senior member of staff as the allergy lead
- Record incidents and near misses so you can improve
Contact allmanhall now if you need additional support and guidance on allergen management.