Benedict's Law: New Allergy Safety Rules for Schools in England
From September 2026
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR Anna-Maria Holt RD is a Registered Dietitian with more than 20 years' experience supporting schools and catering teams with allergen management, school food regulation and allergen awareness training. She works as both an NHS and freelance dietitian. 2 Benedict's Law: New Allergy Safety Rules for Schools in England
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From September 2026, schools in England must meet new statutory requirements1 to strengthen allergy safety and better protect pupils living with food allergies. Known as Benedict’s Law, the changes follow the death of five-year-old Benedict Blythe from an allergic reaction at school and the campaign led by his family to make schools safer for every child living with an allergy.
Schools this applies to ✓ State-maintained primary and secondary schools, including special schools
✓ Pupil referral units ✓ Academies and free schools
Independent schools should also prepare, as equivalent requirements are expected through updated regulatory standards.
What schools must have in place from September 2026 ✓ Create and publish a wholeschool Allergy Safety Policy ✓ Provide allergy awareness training for all staff ✓ Put Individual Healthcare Plans (IHPs) in place for pupils with allergies
✓ Stock spare adrenaline auto-injectors (AAIs) for emergency use ✓ Record serious incidents and near misses to support learning and improvement
Note: This guidance applies to schools in England. Schools in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland operate under separate legislation. 1. Allergy safety in schools (Statutory Guidance) available at: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/ media/6a4b8f49045e1108aaa5ebbc/allergy_safety_in_schools_statutory_guidance_June_2026.pdf
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Responsibility sits with the whole school Allergy safety requires a wholeschool approach. Staff including teachers, catering teams, lunchtime supervisors and support staff must have the awareness and training needed to recognise anaphylaxis (a serious allergic reaction) and respond appropriately. Ultimate accountability sits with governing bodies, management committees and proprietors. The guidance recommends that a named senior leader takes day-to-
day responsibility for allergy safety, ensuring the whole-school Allergy Safety Policy is implemented, reviewed annually and published. While catering teams play an important role in managing foodrelated allergen risks, responsibility for allergy safety should not sit solely with the catering manager. School inspectors will look for evidence of how allergy safety policies are understood, implemented and monitored - not simply whether a policy exists.
Safe catering and daily management Schools should ensure: ✓ Accurate, accessible allergen information is available for all food served
✓ Menu or ingredient changes are communicated and allergen risks reassessed before serving
✓ Pupils with allergies are safely identified at mealtimes and catering teams understand their IHP requirements
✓ Cross-contact risks are minimised through safe food preparation, storage and serving procedures
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Four steps to prepare now 1
Create your Allergy Safety Policy Use the Department for Education template to develop your wholeschool approach. https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/6a4b63d1045e1108aaa5eb84/Allergy_safety_policy_template.pdf
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Create Individual Healthcare Plans Put IHPs in place for pupils whose allergies require additional support at school. An editable template is available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/allergysafety-in-schools
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Organise allergy training for all staff Ensure teachers, catering teams, lunchtime supervisors and other relevant staff know how to recognise and respond to allergic reactions. For caterers: allergytraining.food.gov.uk For teachers and support staff: theallergyteam.com/schools-training
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Order and manage spare adrenaline auto-injectors Ensure devices are correctly stored, accessible and staff know how to use them.
Existing responsibilities remain. Schools must continue to provide accurate allergen information for all food served, meet School Food Standards, and support pupils with allergies and other medical dietary needs. 6 Benedict's Law: New Allergy Safety Rules for Schools in England
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How Avendra can help Avendra can support schools and catering teams with the practical implications of the new guidance across food procurement, allergen management and catering operations, including: ✓ Allergen awareness training and resources ✓ Supplier and product allergen information ✓ Reviewing processes for menu and product changes
✓ Strengthening communication between school leaders, catering teams and suppliers ✓ Digital allergen management through the Pi eProcurement system (Piranha)
Get in touch with the Avendra team Contact your Avendra International account manager or email News_Europe@avendra.com Benedict's Law: New Allergy Safety Rules for Schools in England 7
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