02/05/2026
IS YOUR SCHOOL ready for BENEDICTS LAW?
From Guidance to Obligation
Until now, guidance on schools stocking spare adrenaline pens was non-statutory, meaning schools could choose whether to follow it.
That’s about to change. The new guidance will be statutory, meaning schools are legally required to comply with it rather than merely advised. These expectations will be supported by inspection frameworks and accountability structures embedded within the broader split of education law.
Experts and campaigners are clear: this isn’t just best practice, it’s basic safeguarding. Reports cited that as many as half of the schools had no spare adrenaline pens and that many lacked training or written allergy policies before this reform.
What’s striking about Benedict’s Law isn’t just its practical requirements, but the culture it aims to instil: allergy awareness as an integral part of school wellbeing.
On the evening of 3 February 2026 at 5,45pm, peers in the House of Lords voted in favour of an amendment that effectively gave birth to Benedict’s Law:
This statutory guidance will make key allergy safety measures mandatory in all schools in England by September 2026.
The agreed measures mean that within a year of the new law passing:
It reframes allergic reactions from being a personal or family issue to a collective responsibility for educational settings. In the words of those who spoke in the Lords, it’s about protecting pupils wherever they are – in the playground, on a school trip, or in the lunchroom – and ensuring that the first response is always fast, informed, and capable.
Every school must have a comprehensive allergy and anaphylaxis policy
This policy isn’t just a paper on a shelf – it’s a living framework covering prevention, awareness, and response to allergic emergencies.
Individual Healthcare and Anaphylaxis Action Plans must be in place
For any pupil with a known allergy, schools must have personalised medical guidance prepared and updated in partnership with families and healthcare providers.
Schools must hold in-date adrenaline auto-injectors on site
Known commonly as adrenaline pens or AAIs, these life-saving devices must be purchased and stored at each school – not on a whim, but as a core part of emergency readiness.
Mandatory training for all staff
Teachers and adult staff will be required to understand allergy risks, recognise signs of anaphylaxis, and be competent in administering adrenaline in an emergency.
Reactions must be logged and reviewed
Every allergic incident or near-miss must be recorded in the child’s healthcare plan and used to continually improve safety procedures.
Get ready to ensure your students safety contact us and book onto a course.
