The training is practical and designed around the realities of a busy school environment.

Is a basic EpiPen session enough?

This is where schools need to think carefully about what their training actually provides.

For years, schools have often provided short sessions showing staff how to administer an EpiPen to a child with a known allergy. That’s useful, but allergy safety is about much more than knowing where to put an EpiPen.

Can your staff recognise the signs of anaphylaxis?

Do they know what to do if a child has a serious allergic reaction but doesn’t have a previously diagnosed allergy? Can they confidently identify and use the different adrenaline devices they may encounter? Do staff understand which children have allergies? Do they understand the school’s procedures for preventing accidental exposure? And if a child has an anaphylactic reaction in the playground, dining hall or classroom, would the person nearest to them know what to do? That’s the purpose of whole school allergy and anaphylaxis training.

Does first aid training cover Benedict’s Law?

No.

The DfE’s allergy safety guidance makes clear that first aid training on its own is not sufficient to provide the allergy awareness and emergency response arrangements schools need.

Designated first aiders will still need their appropriate first aid qualifications. But first aid training should not be treated as a replacement for specific allergy awareness and anaphylaxis training for school staff. In other words, having trained first aiders is important, but it doesn’t mean the rest of the school doesn’t need to understand allergy safety.

Is online allergy training enough?

Online training can be useful and can form part of a school’s approach to allergy awareness. However, the important question isn’t simply whether staff have completed an online module. Do they understand the information? Do they know the school’s emergency procedures? Do they know where emergency medication is kept? And are they confident about what to do if a child develops anaphylaxis?

At First Aid Schools, we believe hands-on training is the best way to prepare staff for an emergency. Being told how an adrenaline auto-injector works is one thing. Actually practising with a trainer device is another. Our practical sessions give staff the opportunity to do just that.

Annual allergy awareness training

The DfE guidance places an emphasis on regular allergy awareness training and says staff should receive annual allergy awareness training so that they remain familiar with the school’s allergy safety arrangements. The Government also intends to introduce further statutory requirements around regular allergy awareness training for all school staff through forthcoming regulations. That means allergy training shouldn’t be treated as a one-off tick-box exercise. It should become part of the way your school manages allergy safety.

At First Aid Schools, our training can be adapted year on year so that staff continue to engage with the subject rather than simply repeating exactly the same session every time.

What about spare adrenaline auto injectors?

Schools in England have been able to purchase spare adrenaline auto injectors from a pharmacy without a prescription since 2017. The DfE guidance also sets out expectations around schools having appropriate arrangements for emergency medication. The Government intends to introduce further statutory requirements around spare adrenaline devices through forthcoming regulations. For schools, it’s therefore worth considering whether you have appropriate emergency medication available, where it is stored, who knows where it is and whether staff know how to use it.

Training and preparation go hand in hand.

Allergy safety is about prevention too

Anaphylaxis training is only one part of keeping children with allergies safe. Schools also need to consider how allergens are managed throughout the school day. That can include food served in school, packed lunches, school trips, celebrations, visitors, classroom activities and other situations where accidental exposure could occur.

The DfE guidance encourages schools to consider allergy safety in their everyday arrangements rather than treating it as something that only matters during an emergency. For example, what happens when a visitor comes into school? Are staff aware of relevant allergies? Are preventative measures consistently followed? Does everyone understand their responsibilities?

These might sound like small details, but allergy safety is often about getting the small details right every day.

Not every child with anaphylaxis has a diagnosed allergy

One of the reasons whole school allergy awareness matters is that a serious allergic reaction can happen to a child who has never previously been diagnosed with an allergy. Staff therefore can’t rely on knowing which pupils have an allergy. They need to be able to recognise the signs and symptoms of anaphylaxis and understand what to do when it happens. That means the person who responds first could be anyone.

Hands-on whole-school allergy and anaphylaxis training

At First Aid Schools, we provide practical whole school allergy awareness and anaphylaxis training for schools.

Our approach is straightforward.

• We don’t just want staff to sit through a presentation about allergies and tick a box.
• We want them to understand what anaphylaxis looks like, know how their school should respond and have the confidence to act if an emergency happens.
• We can deliver training for your whole staff team in one session, arrange twilight sessions after school or split the training into several sessions throughout the day.
• We’ll work around your school and your staff numbers.

Are you ready for Benedict’s Law?

Ask yourself: Are your staff confident recognising anaphylaxis? Do they know what to do in an emergency? Do they know where emergency medication is kept? Are they familiar with the different adrenaline devices they may encounter? Do they understand your school’s allergy safety policy? Are allergy prevention measures understood and followed by everyone? And, most importantly, would the person nearest to a child experiencing anaphylaxis know what to do?

If the answer to any of those questions is no, now is the time to address it.

Arrange whole school anaphylaxis training

Tell us how many staff you need to train and when you’d like the training to take place.

We’ll help you arrange practical, hands-on allergy awareness and anaphylaxis training that works for your school.

First Aid Schools – providers of practical whole-school allergy awareness and anaphylaxis training.