DfE issues guidance on allergy safety

From September, all schools, colleges and early years settings are required to have and publish a dedicated allergy safety policy, which will need to be reviewed at least annually.

The policy should set out:

• How the school or college will identify children and young people with allergies and minimise the risks of exposure to known allergens, including food

• How staff will be trained in allergy awareness and emergency response

• How individuals at risk of anaphylaxis will have access to their prescribed adrenaline devices, alongside “spare” adrenaline devices

• How children and young people with allergies will be able to participate in visits and trips

• How Individual Healthcare Plans will capture specific arrangements (including any Allergy Action Plan and/or Asthma Plan)

• How the wellbeing and inclusion of children and young people with allergies will be promoted

Individual Healthcare Plans

Individual Healthcare Plans will set out what needs to be done to support a specific child or young person with an allergy, how, when and by whom, including in an emergency. They should be developed in collaboration with the child or young person and their parents, taking account of any advice received from healthcare professionals.

Incidents or “near misses”

Where serious incidents or “near misses” occur involving a child or young person with an allergy, the incident should be recorded, reported to the child or young person’s parents and the governing body alongside any statutory reporting.

Following investigation, lessons should be learned from any serious incident or “near miss”, prompting a review of the relevant policies and arrangements.

Stephen Barnfield, Regulatory Law specialist at Forbes Solicitors, commented: “With the publication of the statutory guidance on allergy safety in schools arriving just weeks before the end of term, there will inevitably be a sense of urgency among school leaders and governing bodies to ensure compliance ahead of the new academic year. However, schools should view this as an extension and formalisation of existing legal responsibilities rather than a completely new framework.

“Schools are already under duties to support pupils with medical conditions and make reasonable adjustments for disabled pupils where appropriate. This isn’t a new set of rules; the guidance builds on the foundations of good practice in managing allergy risks in schools.

“Schools should use these last few weeks of term to review their existing allergy arrangements and identify any gaps. This means ensuring that they can identify pupils with allergies, have effective measures in place to minimise the risk of exposure to allergens, and have emergency adrenaline devices, including spares, accessible. Individual Healthcare Plans should be updated and consistently implemented. They should also consider whether allergy arrangements support pupils to fully participate in all aspects of school life, such as educational trips.

“While the timeframe to September is short, the steps required are largely about reviewing, evidencing and tightening existing practice rather than building entirely new allergy management systems. Schools that get ahead of this now will be well placed to meet expectations, but most importantly will be providing the safest possible learning environment for pupils with allergies.”

The full statutory guidance can be viewed here: Allergy safety in schools statutory guidance

Our team of experts are well placed to support with the implementation and review of your  statutory policies, including your allergy safety policy ahead of September 2026.

Schools and colleges should also keep in mind that other statutory policies will also require review ahead of the start of the new school year, including for example child protection policies. Our School Policies Package can support in this respect.