Overview
Allergy safety is now part of every school’s duties
Since 1 September 2026, section 34 of the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Act 2026 has required local authority-maintained schools, academies and pupil referral units in England to have an allergy safety policy, review it at least once a year, publish it, and have regard to the Department for Education’s statutory guidance, “Allergy safety in schools” (July 2026). These duties are known as Benedict’s Law. Benedict Blythe was five years old and had a cow’s milk allergy. He died after an allergic reaction at school in December 2021, and his family campaigned for the change in the law.
The guidance expects more of schools now: “spare” adrenaline devices, allergy awareness training at least once a year for all staff, including supply staff and volunteers, and a named senior leader responsible for allergy safety. The guidance is clear that first aid training on its own is not enough. Regulations are planned to make these expectations legal requirements, but none had been made by 21 October 2026.
This course gives every member of staff that allergy awareness training. Six narrated modules cover how to recognise a reaction, what to do in an emergency and which adrenaline device to use, how to prevent exposure while keeping pupils included, and how policies, healthcare plans and records work. The sixth module is for the named allergy lead and senior leaders. It is fully online and self-paced, and when staff pass the final assessment their NFAQ certificate is generated straight away.
What you’ll learn
What you’ll be able to do
By the end of this course you will be able to:
Explain what Benedict’s Law requires, and tell legal duties apart from what the guidance expects and what is still only planned.
Recognise a mild to moderate allergic reaction and the airway, breathing and circulation signs of anaphylaxis, including anaphylaxis without a rash.
Follow the emergency steps in the right order: adrenaline without delay, call 999 and say “anaphylaxis”, and never let the person stand or walk.
Choose the right adrenaline device, including when to use the school’s “spare” device.
Reduce the risk of exposure in lessons, crafts, trips and mealtimes while keeping pupils with allergy fully included.
Explain the allergen information rules for school food, including the 14 regulated allergens and Natasha’s Law.
Tell an Individual Healthcare Plan apart from an Allergy Action Plan, and describe how plans are shared and reviewed.
Keep allergy and incident records, and handle pupils’ health information safely.
Course content
Six narrated modules to work through
Each module is a narrated presentation with a written lesson to read at your own pace, followed by a five-question knowledge check. Modules 1 to 5 are for every member of staff; Module 6 is for the allergy lead and senior leaders. A 20-question final assessment follows the last module.
1Benedict’s Law and Your School’s DutiesWhy the law changed, what schools in England must now do, and what it means for every member of staff.⌄
- Why the allergy safety duties carry Benedict Blythe’s name
- What section 34 of the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Act 2026 requires
- Legal duties, guidance expectations and planned regulations, and how to tell them apart
- Which schools and settings the duties cover
- Your part as a member of staff, and the guidance’s reassurance for anyone who acts in good faith to save a life
2Understanding Allergy and AnaphylaxisWhat allergy is, and how to recognise a reaction that is becoming life-threatening.⌄
- What allergy and anaphylaxis are, and the allergic conditions you will meet in school
- The foods and other triggers behind most reactions
- Food allergy, coeliac disease and food intolerance: the differences
- Mild to moderate signs, and the airway, breathing and circulation signs of anaphylaxis
- How quickly a reaction can move, and why asthma raises the risk
3Emergency Response and Adrenaline DevicesWhat every member of staff must do, in the right order, when someone has anaphylaxis.⌄
- The emergency steps, in order, and why you never wait before giving adrenaline
- Positioning someone safely, and why they must not stand or walk
- Making the 999 call and supporting the ambulance crew
- The two types of adrenaline device, and which one to use, including the school’s “spare”
- How “spare” devices are stored, checked and replaced, and what happens after an emergency
4Prevention and InclusionReducing the risk of exposure, while keeping pupils with allergy part of everything.⌄
- Hidden allergens in lessons, crafts and activities
- Why schools should be “allergy aware” rather than “nut-free”
- The 14 regulated allergens, Natasha’s Law and the allergen information rules for school food
- Safe mealtimes without separating pupils from their friends
- Unacceptable practice, allergy bullying, and planning for trips and visits
5Policies, Healthcare Plans and RecordsThe allergy safety policy, Individual Healthcare Plans, Allergy Action Plans and the records behind them.⌄
- What the law requires of the allergy safety policy, and what the policy should cover
- Individual Healthcare Plans and Allergy Action Plans: who writes which
- Which pupils need an Individual Healthcare Plan, and how plans are drawn up, shared and reviewed
- The allergy records your school keeps, and recording an incident
- Health information, UK GDPR and sharing safely
6Leading Allergy Safety: The Allergy Lead’s RoleFor the named allergy lead and senior leaders: running the policy, “spare” devices, training, drills and learning.⌄
- The named senior leader’s role, and the allergy lead’s year
- The legal route for obtaining “spare” adrenaline devices, how many to hold and which dose
- Storage, the emergency kit, monthly checks and replacement
- Training records and running anaphylaxis drills
- Reviewing incidents and near misses, reporting them correctly, and working with caterers and parents
Who it’s for
Is this course a good fit?
The guidance expects allergy awareness training for all staff who are present when pupils are on site, whatever their role. This course is written for all of them.
Teachers
In classrooms, on trips and on duty, often the first adult to notice a reaction.
Teaching assistants & support staff
Working closely with individual pupils, including those with Individual Healthcare Plans.
Lunchtime & catering staff
Serving and supervising food, where allergen information and safe mealtimes matter most.
Office & site staff
Reception, administration and premises staff who may need to act, call 999 or fetch a device.
Supply staff & volunteers
Temporary, supply and agency staff and regular volunteers, all included in the guidance’s expectation.
Allergy leads & senior leaders
The named senior leader responsible for allergy safety, with a dedicated module on the role.
Buy for your school
Two ways to train your staff
Buy places for individual members of staff, or cover the whole school with one licence. Either way, every learner gets the full course, the final assessment and an NFAQ certificate.
Individual places
Whole-School Licence
With the Whole-School Licence, your school assigns places to staff from its NCT organisation dashboard, so new starters and supply staff can be added during the year.
Assessment
How it’s assessed
Each module ends with a five-question knowledge check, and the course closes with a single online multiple-choice assessment. It can be retaken as many times as you need at no extra cost.
Final assessment
Study details
You can pause and resume at any point, your progress is saved automatically. Every module has a written lesson as well as the narrated presentation, so you can read the content as well as listen to it.
Certification
Your NFAQ certificate
Benedict’s Law: Allergy Safety in Schools, NFAQ Certified
On passing the final assessment, your NFAQ digital certificate is available to download and print immediately, with your name, the course title and completion date. For schools, a dated certificate for each member of staff is a clear record of allergy awareness training. The guidance expects that training to happen at least once a year, so we recommend staff retake the course every twelve months, and that new staff and supply staff complete it as part of their induction.
FAQs
Questions people often ask
Who needs this training?⌄
Is allergy training now required by law?⌄
Is this the training the guidance expects?⌄
How long does it take?⌄
What certificate do staff get?⌄
How does the Whole-School Licence work?⌄
Does it cover “spare” adrenaline devices?⌄
How often should staff retrain?⌄
Train your staff in allergy safety
Six narrated modules, a written lesson for every module, a final assessment and an NFAQ certificate. Choose individual places or cover the whole school.
+ VAT · Whole-School Licence · Up to 100 staff for 12 months · Managed from your organisation dashboard
Buy the whole-school licence →
