Managing Allergies in Schools: Updated Statutory Guidance

Schools have long supported pupils with medical conditions, but increasing awareness of severe allergies has prompted renewed attention to how education settings manage health risks during the school day.

The Department for Education are consulting on updated statutory guidance, signalling stronger requirements and expectations for schools from September 2026.

The proposed changes are designed to reinforce the current legal duty placed on schools under section 100 of the Children and Families Act, which requires governing bodies and school proprietors to ensure that arrangements are in place to support pupils with medical conditions.

Training

Effective management of medical conditions such as severe allergic reactions requires clear policies, trained staff, robust procedures and careful planning across everyday school life. An allergic reaction occurs when the immune system mistakenly identifies a normally harmless substance as dangerous, causing symptoms that may range from mild irritation to severe reactions. In some cases, an allergic reaction may develop into anaphylaxis, a life-threatening condition affecting the airway, breathing and circulation.

Whole school systems

Whilst recognising the symptoms of allergic reactions and responding quickly is essential, the updated guidance emphasises that effective allergy management should not rely solely on emergency response. Schools will have a statutory duty to implement whole-school systems that prevent risks, support pupils safely and ensure all staff are prepared to respond if incidents occur.

The proposed guidance also places stronger governance expectations. Every school will be required to dedicated allergy safety policy in addition to a comprehensive policy for supporting pupils with medical conditions. The allergy policy must set out risk assessment, how allergen exposure is managed and how emergency procedures are implemented. These policies must be accessible to staff and parents and regularly reviewed by school leaders and governing bodies.

Under the proposed arrangements, governing bodies and academy trusts retain responsibility for monitoring how policies are implemented and ensuring arrangements remain effective but must also ensure that a senior leader has clear oversight of arrangements for supporting pupils with medical conditions, including allergy safety.

Governance oversight includes reviewing policies regularly, ensuring staff receive appropriate training and monitoring incidents to identify learning and improvements.

Training

A key tool in supporting pupils with medical conditions is the Individual Healthcare Plan (IHP), developed collaboratively with parents, healthcare professionals and the school. They should clearly describe the pupil’s condition, potential triggers, early warning symptoms, medication requirements and emergency procedures. For pupils with severe allergies, the Individual Healthcare Plan will effectively function as the statutory allergy management plan, ensuring staff understand what support the pupil requires and how to respond if symptoms occur.

Arrangements for support should be implemented promptly, including when a child joins the school mid-year or receives a new diagnosis. Clear procedures must be in place when schools are notified that a pupil has a medical condition. Schools must also ensure that transitions between schools are managed safely so that medical information and support arrangements follow the pupil.

Allergy awareness training

One of the most significant changes signalled in the consultation is the expectation that all school staff receive allergy awareness training. This represents a shift from previous arrangements where knowledge of medical conditions might have been limited to a small number of trained staff or first aiders. Ensuring that all staff have this awareness is particularly important because allergic reactions can occur in many everyday situations across the school day. Under the updated guidance, allergy awareness will become part of whole-staff safeguarding and health training. Training should enable staff to recognise symptoms of allergic reactions, identify signs of anaphylaxis and understand how to respond in an emergency.

Staff must also understand how and when to administer adrenaline using an auto-injector device. Adrenaline is the first-line treatment for anaphylaxis and must be administered quickly in an emergency. Many pupils with severe allergies carry their own adrenaline auto-injectors, usually two devices in case a second dose is required.

Administering adrenaline using an auto-injector device

In addition to the auto-injectors prescribed for a pupil, the updated guidance reinforces expectations that schools should hold spare adrenaline auto-injectors. This is intended as an additional safeguard, for use in emergency situations where a pupil’s own medication is unavailable or additional treatment is needed.

Supporting pupils with medical conditions

Although allergies are a key focus within the consultation, the statutory guidance applies to all pupils with medical conditions. The updated guidance includes strengthened expectations around supporting pupils with conditions such as diabetes and epilepsy, recognising the increasing use of medical monitoring technology in schools. Although many pupils use devices such as glucose monitors or insulin pumps to manage their health, schools must ensure that staff understand how these technologies work.

Food allergies

Food allergies are particularly relevant in school environments. Pupils bring packed lunches from home, food may be used in classroom activities, and schools often organise events such as cake sales, charity fundraisers, cultural celebrations and school fairs. In addition, food is frequently used within the curriculum during cooking lessons or classroom activities.

These situations can introduce allergen risks if ingredients are not clearly understood or if food hygiene standards are not followed. Schools, therefore, need to consider how food is handled and shared across the school environment. Where food is served or distributed, staff and volunteers should understand basic food hygiene principles and the importance of preventing cross-contamination. This is particularly relevant where volunteers help distribute food during events such as bake sales or fundraising activities.

Food safety and hygiene training

Food safety and hygiene training can help ensure that staff and volunteers understand these responsibilities. Level 1 Food Safety and Hygiene training supports staff and volunteers who serve or handle food, providing an understanding of safe handling practices and allergen awareness. Where individuals prepare food, Level 2 Food Safety and Hygiene training provides a deeper understanding of food safety, including preparation standards, storage and cross-contamination risks.

Food is also used regularly within teaching and learning activities. Understanding the core principles of food safety in the classroom is therefore important when food is used in lessons such as food technology, cultural education activities or other curriculum-based projects involving ingredients.

These practical considerations highlight the importance of forward planning so that risks are managed safely while pupils remain fully included in school activities.

The guidance also highlights the potential social risks faced by pupils with medical conditions. Some children with allergies report experiences of bullying where peers deliberately expose them to allergens. As allergic reactions can be life-threatening, this behaviour must be treated as a serious safeguarding concern rather than simply poor behaviour. Schools should ensure that allergy-related bullying is addressed within safeguarding and anti-bullying policies.

The updated guidance makes clear that supporting pupils with medical conditions is not simply a clinical responsibility. It requires leadership oversight, trained staff, clear policies and thoughtful planning across the school environment. By ensuring compulsory allergy awareness training for all staff, maintaining Individual Healthcare Plans, planning for food safety across everyday school activities and ensuring robust incident reporting systems, schools can create environments where pupils with medical conditions, including severe allergies, are protected and able to participate fully in school life.

SSS Learning

10 March 2026