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Benedict's Law: What Does It Mean for Schools?
Benedict Blythe was five years old when he died from anaphylaxis at school in December 2021. His death led to new legal protections – now widely known as Benedict's Law – introducing statutory allergy safety requirements for schools in England.
So, what happened to Benedict, what does Benedict's Law actually require, and what does it mean for your school?
In this article we'll explore:
What Happened to Benedict Blythe?
Benedict had known food allergies, including a severe allergy to cow's milk. His death led his parents, Helen and Peter Blythe, to campaign for stronger, more consistent allergy safety measures in schools – highlighting a "postcode lottery" in how different schools managed allergy risk. Benedict's Law was created in his memory, to make sure children with allergies are protected wherever they go to school.
What is Benedict's Law?
Benedict's Law is the name commonly used for new legal protections around allergy safety in schools, introduced under the Children's Wellbeing and Schools Act 2026 and supported by new Department for Education statutory guidance on allergy safety in schools.
What Does Benedict's Law Mean for Schools?
In practice, allergy safety now needs to be considered across the whole school, not left to individual staff members. Schools must have an allergy safety policy, review it regularly and publish it on their website. The new requirements include:
Allergy safety policies
Allergy awareness training for all staff
Individual Healthcare Plans (IHPs) for pupils who need them
Recording and learning from serious incidents and near misses
Access to spare adrenaline auto-injectors for use in an emergency.
The aim: staff should know what to do before an emergency happens, not work it out when a child is already reacting.
Which Education Settings does Benedict's Law apply to?
The statutory guidance currently applies to maintained schools, including special schools, academies, free schools, alternative provision academies and pupil referral units in England.
It's not yet a statutory requirement for independent schools or non-maintained special schools, though the Government intends to introduce equivalent requirements through relevant regulatory standards.
The guidance may also be useful for early years settings, further education colleges and other post-16 institutions, even where they are not currently covered by the statutory requirements.
When Does Benedict's Law Start?
The Department for Education published its final statutory guidance on 6 July 2026, and the new requirements came into effect in September 2026. Allergy safety should now be a standard part of how every school manages medical conditions and keeps pupils safe.
How Can Your School Protect Pupils?
A school allergy policy on your website is the starting point, not the finish line. Schools should also make sure:
All staff receive appropriate allergy awareness training
A named member of staff has responsibility for allergy management
Pupils with allergies have up-to-date Individual Healthcare Plans
Spare adrenaline auto-injectors are accessible and in date
Catering and trip procedures account for allergen risk
Incidents and near misses are recorded and reviewed, not just serious reactions.
Getting all of this right comes down to one thing: staff who are properly trained and know the procedures cold.
Allergy Training for Schools
flick learning's Allergies in Education training course has been designed specifically to help schools meet the requirements of Benedict's Law. In around 20 minutes, it covers allergic reactions and anaphylaxis, the new statutory duties, IHPs, spare adrenaline devices and incident reporting – CPD certified, with a built-in assessment.
It's included with a flick subscription alongside 160+ other courses across Safeguarding, Health & Safety, Childcare & Education and more. Already have your own LMS? You can license the course to host there instead.
Don't wait for an incident to find the gaps in your allergy training. Get in touch with flick learning today and help your staff meet the new allergy safety requirements.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do schools need to have an allergy policy?
Yes. Under Benedict's Law, schools covered by the statutory guidance must have an allergy safety policy, review it regularly, and publish it on their website.
Do the Government provide free allergy training?
There's no single free, government-mandated allergy training programme covering all school staff. Schools are responsible for arranging appropriate training that covers the knowledge and skills set out in the statutory guidance. Free allergy resources are available from organisations including the NHS and allergy charities.
Does the NHS offer EpiPen training for schools?
Some NHS trusts and adrenaline auto-injector manufacturers provide device-specific training resources, but availability varies by region. Schools shouldn't rely on this alone to meet their Benedict's Law training duties – it's worth checking directly with your local NHS trust for what's currently on offer.
Is Benedict's Law in effect in Wales?
Not currently. The statutory requirements apply to schools in England. The Benedict Blythe Foundation continues to campaign for equivalent protections to be introduced in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.
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