School Allergies: Navigating UK Safeguarding & Support

This episode covers how UK schools safeguard children with allergies. We explore legal duties, like Section 100 of the Children and Families Act 2014 requiring support for pupils with medical conditions. Discover nation-specific guidance from England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland on food standards and allergy management. Learn about allergen labelling for school food and the provision of emergency adrenaline auto-injectors (AAIs), highlighting joint efforts for a safe environment.

Key Takeaways:

• UK schools have a legal duty to support allergic pupils (e.g., England's Section 100 Children and Families Act 2014).
• Each UK nation provides specific statutory guidance for schools on food and allergy management.
• Staff training to recognise symptoms and respond to anaphylaxis is crucial.
• Schools can purchase emergency AAIs without prescription; these are spare devices, not pupil replacements.
• Prepacked for direct sale (PPDS) foods require clear labelling of 14 key allergens.

Important Definitions and Concepts:

• Section 100 of the Children and Families Act 2014: English law mandating schools support pupils with medical conditions.
• Adrenaline Auto-injectors (AAIs): Emergency devices for anaphylaxis treatment. Schools can stock spares.
• Prepacked for Direct Sale (PPDS) Foods: Food packaged on-site, requiring ingredient and allergen labelling.

Discussion and Reflection Question: Considering varied UK guidance and 'shared responsibility', what are key challenges for consistent allergy safety, and how can collaboration address them?

Source: Safeguarding children with allergies at school
Research Briefing
Published Tuesday, 24 June, 2025

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No outside chatter: source material only taken from Hansard and the Parliament UK website.

Contains Parliamentary information repurposed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0....