In February 2026, the Government formally passed Benedict’s Law, committing to introduce mandatory, statutory allergy guidance for schools in England through the Department for Education.

Schools are now expected to take clear, demonstrable action to improve allergy awareness, prevention, and emergency response. This represents a major step toward consistent, life-saving protections in every school, not optional best practice but expected compliance for all schools in England.

The new statutory guidance is being consulted on and published in summer 2026 ahead of wider implementation in September, bringing schools closer than ever to formalising the core aims of Benedict’s Law.

We recommend bookmarking and sharing the Anaphylaxis UK website page with your colleagues as it has everything you need to prepare for the new law.  It will be updated with the latest information, so check back regularly.

What the New Law Means for Schools

From September 2026, schools are expected to implement and maintain these requirements annually across all maintained and academy schools in England:

1. Whole-School Allergy Policy

Develop and publish whole-school allergy policies. Note – allergy policy is not medical conditions policy, and it will need to be displayed on the school website.

2. Staff Training

Ensure comprehensive allergy awareness and emergency response training for all staff (including caretakers, mini-bus drivers, lunchtime supervisors, etc).  

3. Emergency Medication

Hold spare in-date adrenaline devices (AAIs) on site. Note – they are not a second set of devices prescribed for an individual child, they can be used on any child or adult experiencing anaphylaxis.

4. Individual Care Plans

Implement individual healthcare and action plans for pupils with serious allergies (including food, animal and venom allergies).

Click here to visit the Anaphylaxis UK website and their Benedict's Law Guidance page.