The Department for Education’s statutory guidance Allergy safety in schools – widely known as Benedict’s Law – was published on 6 July 2026. Schools in England should have regard to it now, including allergy-awareness and anaphylaxis training for all staff, and the legal duty to hold and publish an allergy safety policy is expected from September 2026. Here is what your school needs, and how we make it simple.
Benedict’s Law is named after Benedict Blythe, a five-year-old who died from anaphylaxis at school. The statutory guidance is now published and schools in England should have regard to it; the legal duty to hold, review and publish an allergy safety policy is expected from September 2026, with hard duties on spare adrenaline and staff training to follow through forthcoming regulations. Under the guidance, schools should:
The Department for Education’s final statutory guidance, Allergy safety in schools, was published on 6 July 2026. Schools should have regard to it now; the binding policy duty is expected from September 2026 (commencement regulations awaited), and hard duties on spare adrenaline devices and staff training will come through forthcoming regulations. Requirements differ in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, which follow their own national guidance. Our training reflects the published guidance.
Answer a few simple questions about your policy, training, adrenaline devices, record-keeping and drills. In around 10 minutes you get a personalised action plan and a policy checklist mapped to the new DfE statutory guidance – free, no sign-up needed.
Start the Free Readiness Check →A free starting point to help you prepare — it is guidance, not advice, and does not replace your school’s own allergy safety policy, risk assessment or professional and clinical advice.
Good allergy training has two parts – the knowledge and the hands-on skill. You need both.
Our free online course covers recognising an allergic reaction and anaphylaxis in children, giving adrenaline (auto-injectors and the new EURneffy nasal spray), and the school’s emergency response and systems. Ideal for your whole team to complete each year, with a certificate for your records.
Launching soon — register interestThe DfE guidance does not specify how training must be delivered, but hands-on practice with adrenaline devices is strongly recommended good practice: the Department of Health’s 2017 guidance on spare adrenaline describes “practical instruction in how to use the different AAI devices”, and the Anaphylaxis UK / BSACI model school policy says allergy training “should include a practical session”. The online course does not replace this – a short onsite session handling a trainer auto-injector and the EURneffy nasal spray completes the picture and builds real confidence to act.
Book Onsite TrainingIn an emergency, never wait. Under Regulation 238 of the Human Medicines Regulations 2012, any member of staff may give adrenaline to a child they believe is having anaphylaxis – you do not need a formal qualification first, and you must never delay treatment while waiting for a trained person.
Free tool – the Allergy Drill Log. The DfE guidance says it is good practice to run allergy safety drills “in the same way as fire drills” and record the results like a near miss. Log your termly drills – scenario, time to adrenaline, outcome and follow-up actions – free with a semseo.training account: open the Allergy Drill Log.
The regulatory summaries on this page reflect the Department for Education’s statutory guidance Allergy safety in schools, published on 6 July 2026, and are provided for general guidance only — not legal advice. Always check the current requirements that apply to your school. The free allergy readiness check is a screening and preparation aid: it supports but does not replace your school’s own allergy safety policy, risk assessment or professional and clinical advice. The online course provides awareness/knowledge training and does not replace hands-on practical training or a formal first-aid qualification.