If you work in a school, run a school, or are a parent with an allergic child, you'll want to read this. Something significant is coming into force this September — and if your school isn't prepared, it could have serious consequences.
The Story Behind Benedict's Law
In 2021, five-year-old Benedict Blythe tragically died from anaphylaxis at school after accidentally being given milk, despite staff knowing about his allergy. He was just five years old. His mother, Helen, refused to let his death be in vain. She launched a campaign — Benedict's Law — calling for every school in England to have proper, mandatory allergy safety protections in place.
After years of campaigning, cross-party support in Parliament, and a commitment from the Department for Education, that change is finally happening. Mandatory statutory guidance on school allergy safety comes into force from September 2026.
What Will Schools Be Required to Do?
Under the new guidance, schools in England will be legally required to:
- Have a clear, published whole-school allergy policy
- Ensure all staff receive allergy awareness and anaphylaxis training — not just the designated first aider
- Hold spare emergency adrenaline auto-injectors (AAIs) — such as EpiPens — accessible on the premises
- Maintain individual allergy action plans for every pupil with a known food allergy
This is a major shift. Previously, provision varied wildly from school to school — a postcode lottery that left many children at unnecessary risk. From September 2026, that inconsistency won't be acceptable.
Why This Matters for Every Member of School Staff
The key word here is all staff. This isn't just a job for the school nurse or the designated first aider. Teaching assistants, lunchtime supervisors, PE staff, office staff — everyone who has contact with pupils needs to understand the signs of anaphylaxis and know how to respond.
Allergic reactions can escalate very quickly. The difference between a good outcome and a tragedy is often how fast someone recognises the symptoms and acts. Awareness training for all staff isn't a nice-to-have — under Benedict's Law, it becomes a legal requirement.
How We Can Help
At Livius Training, we've been delivering Paediatric First Aid and Emergency First Aid training to schools across Yorkshire and the North East since 2009. We know schools, we understand their pressures, and we make training as straightforward as possible.
Our Paediatric First Aid course covers anaphylaxis recognition and response, how to use an adrenaline auto-injector, and what to do while waiting for emergency services. It's practical, hands-on, and delivered by experienced trainers who have worked in real-world emergency settings.
We offer:
- On-site training at your school — we come to you, minimising disruption to your school day
- Open courses at our training centre in Boroughbridge, North Yorkshire
- E-learning options for allergy awareness, ideal for all-staff training at scale
Don't Leave It Until the Last Minute
September 2026 sounds like a while away, but school calendars fill up fast. If you're planning to train all your staff before the guidance comes into force, you need to be booking now — especially if you're looking at whole-staff training or multiple sessions.
We're already taking bookings from schools across North Yorkshire, Leeds, Bradford, Harrogate and beyond. Give us a call or drop us a message and we'll help you put together a training plan that works for your school and your budget.
Benedict's Law is named in memory of a five-year-old boy. Let's make sure his legacy is a generation of school staff who know exactly what to do when a child needs them most.
📞 Contact us today to discuss your school's training needs ahead of September 2026.
