Parents of children with allergies have welcomed new Government guidance requiring every school in England to carry EpiPens and ensure all staff receive allergy training, saying the measures will save lives.
The statutory guidance, called Benedict’s Law, is due to be published by the Department for Education on Monday. It follows years of campaigning by the family of Benedict Blythe, who died from anaphylaxis aged five in 2021, only months after beginning primary school.
Seen as a major step forward for schools, families and pupils, the guidance will outline the practical actions all 25,000 schools must take before the new term begins in September, as the number of children with serious food allergies continues to rise sharply.
The Mail understands the rules will require schools to keep emergency adrenaline auto-injectors, commonly known as EpiPens, on site for use during an anaphylactic reaction. Staff across the school community — including supply teachers, visiting tutors and lunchtime supervisors — will also have to be trained to spot and respond to allergic reactions.
Schools will further be expected to maintain clear allergy policies and individual healthcare plans, so that “no parent feels worried that their child may not be safe”, the DfE is expected to say.
Benedict’s mother, Helen Blythe, who founded the Benedict Blythe Foundation in her son’s memory, said: “There will be children who we will never know, who will never know us, whose lives will be saved by Benedict’s Law. We are immensely proud of that, and it’s a legacy for our little boy that will last for generations.
“The guidance will make England among the best education systems in the world for children with allergies, and is the result of a campaign hard fought, but achieved only by the wonderful generosity of others who supported us along the way.”
The announcement comes as potentially life-threatening food allergies — including reactions to nuts, cow’s milk, eggs and fruit — have increased dramatically among children over the past 20 years.
Benedict’s Law will be published on Monday and follows campaigning by the family of Benedict Blythe (pictured) who died aged five from anaphylaxis just months after starting primary school
The guidance sets out new steps that schools will take amid a huge increase in children suffering life-threatening allergies to food (Pictured: Benedict’s mother, Helen Blythe)
Figures from the Department for Education reveal pupils lost more than 500,000 learning days last year due to allergy-related illness or medical appointments.
Sarah Knight, founder of The Allergy Team, which has already provided support and allergy training to thousands of teachers and which worked closely with the DfE and the Benedict Blythe Foundation on the development of the guidance, said it would ‘make a huge difference’ to parents, children and teachers.
‘As a parent of two children with allergies this is honestly amazing,’ she said. ‘I know how daunting it can be to navigate these allergies, and for that responsibility to sit on other people is a lot.
‘This guidance will give people the tools to support children or fellow staff members with allergies. And the fact that it requires all staff to have allergy training – from the music teacher to an extra member of the catering team – will reduce those vulnerabilities in the system.
‘People don’t just have allergic reactions at convenient times or in front of people with the right training.
‘My eldest son was turned down for a preschool place because they were worried they couldn’t keep him safe. Now, we’re about to apply for a secondary school place and that worry will be much further down my list. It should be reassuring for all parents.’
Benedict suffered from asthma and had a number of allergies including eggs, kiwi fruit, nuts and milk. But despite his parents, Helen and Peter, helping his primary school in Stamford, Lincolnshire, to put together an allergy plan to cope with his needs, he was accidentally exposed to cow’s milk in December 2021 when the plan wasn’t followed.
An inquest heard there were delays administering an adrenalin pen, which was a factor in his death.
The new guidance will also be written into legislation in the form of the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Act. Its allergy provisions will come into force in 2027.
