Allergy Awareness and Anaphylaxis

You'll explore the story behind Benedict's Law and why it now applies to anyone deployed into a school, not just permanent staff. The course covers the six duties Benedict's Law places on schools, including the allergy safety policy, the designated allergy lead, and the requirement to stock spare adrenaline devices. You'll learn how to read food labels correctly, understand what "free from" and "may contain" really mean, and recognise the risks of cross-contamination. On the practical side, you'll be taken step by step through using both an EpiPen and a Jext, and shown what to do immediately after giving adrenaline, including when a second dose is needed. Finally, you'll learn what to check for and ask about on your first day at any placement, so you're ready to take responsibility for a class with confidence.

Module One explores where Benedict's Law comes from, the duty it creates for schools, and why it applies to anyone deployed into a school setting. It covers the story of Benedict Blythe and how his death led to the campaign behind the law, before setting out its legal basis within the Children and Families Act 2014 and the Children's Wellbeing and Schools Act 2026, and confirming when and to which settings it applies. The module also looks at the scale of allergies in schools, the six core duties Benedict's Law places on schools, and why the training requirement extends to all staff on site, including supply, peripatetic and agency staff, not just permanent teachers.

Module Two builds on Module One by explaining what allergies actually are, how they differ from food intolerance and coeliac disease, and how to recognise a reaction from mild signs through to anaphylaxis. It covers common allergens beyond just food, including airborne, medicinal and chemical triggers, and how to read food labels correctly, including what "free from" and "may contain" actually mean and the risks of cross-contamination. The module also explains how asthma relates to allergy and anaphylaxis and why it's treated differently, before setting out how to recognise mild reactions and use the ABC method to identify anaphylaxis, and closes with the concept of biphasic reactions and why a child must always be seen at hospital even after adrenaline appears to have worked.

Module Three explores medication and adrenaline auto-injectors (AAIs), covering how mild allergic reactions are managed with everyday medicines and when they can tip into anaphylaxis. It walks through how to correctly administer both an EpiPen and a Jext, as well as an intranasal adrenaline spray, and sets out when and how to use an AAI in an emergency, including what to do if there's no improvement within five minutes. The module also looks at spare adrenaline devices and the requirements introduced under Benedict's Law, how adrenaline should be stored safely, and the purpose of regular anaphylaxis drills in building staff confidence and readiness.

Module Four covers what a school must have in place for allergy safety, including the policy, the plans and the key people, and what you should ask for and be given on your first day at a placement. It sets out the whole school approach to allergy safety, the role of the designated allergy lead, and the allergy safety policy itself, before explaining the individual healthcare plan and allergy action plan and where copies of each should be kept. The module also looks at where allergy risks arise beyond the classroom, including on trips, around food and during activities involving animals or shared equipment, and covers wellbeing, inclusion and allergy-related bullying. It closes with how incidents and near misses should be recorded, reported and reviewed, and a day-one checklist to help you get up to speed quickly on arrival at any placement.