Benedict's Law

Keeping Our Pupils Safe: Benedict’s Law and Allergy Safety

At our school, the safety and well-being of your children is our absolute priority. We want to share some important updates regarding Benedict’s Law, a new piece of national legislation that came into effect on September 1, 2026.

This law transforms school allergy guidance into a strict legal duty. It is named in memory of five-year-old Benedict Blythe, who tragically suffered a fatal allergic reaction at school. The law ensures that all schools across England maintain the highest, most consistent standards of allergy management.

What We Are Doing to Keep Children Safe

To fully comply with Benedict’s Law and ensure a safe environment for every child, our school has implemented the following measures:

• Comprehensive Allergy Policy: We have published a strict, transparent allergy management plan that outlines exactly how we prevent exposure to allergens and respond to emergencies.
• Whole-Staff Training: Every member of our school team - including teachers, teaching assistants, lunchtime supervisors, office staff, and site managers - receives regular training to recognise the signs of anaphylaxis (a severe allergic reaction) and confidently administer emergency medication.
• Backup Emergency Medication: The school holds spare, back-up adrenaline auto-injectors (AAIs, such as EpiPens) on-site. These are safely stored and can be used in an emergency if a child's prescribed device fails or is unavailable.
• Individual Healthcare Plans (IHPs): We work closely with parents and healthcare professionals to create a detailed, personalised care plan for every child with a known allergy.

How Parents Can Help Us

Allergy management is a partnership. To help us protect your children, we ask all parents to take the following steps:

• Share Medical Information: Please inform the school immediately if your child develops a new allergy, or if an existing allergy changes.
• Provide In-Date Medication: If your child is prescribed an adrenaline auto-injector (AAI), you must provide the school with two in-date devices. Please check expiration dates regularly.
• Support Our Safe Spaces: We aim to minimise allergen risks in school. Please be mindful of our allergy guidelines when sending in packed lunches, snacks, or treats for celebrations.

Where to Find More Information

• You can read our full, updated School Allergy Policy on our Policies Page
• For national guidance and support for families, visit Allergy UK.

If you have any questions or need to update your child's medical records, please contact the school office as soon as possible.

Thank you for your continued support