Following the release of the new DfE allergy safety guidance linked to Benedict’s Law, SkillBase First Aid is encouraging schools to think carefully about what allergy and anaphylaxis training needs to achieve.
Because this is not just about knowing the information.
It is about being ready to act when a child needs you.
Benedict’s Law was created following the preventable death of five-year-old Benedict Blythe, who died after an allergic reaction at school. His family’s campaign has helped bring national attention to the need for stronger allergy safety, clearer policies and better emergency preparedness in schools.
The new guidance makes clear that schools need to take a whole-school approach to allergy safety. It also states that first aid training alone is not sufficient.
That matters, because the adult closest to a child in an allergy emergency may not be the designated first aider.
It could be a teacher, teaching assistant, lunchtime supervisor, office team member, kitchen team member, sports coach, caretaker, supply teacher, regular volunteer or another member of school staff.
The key question for schools is:
Would the adult closest to a child know what to do in an allergy emergency?
Online training can help people hear information.
But allergy emergencies are fast-moving, frightening and time-critical. Staff need more than awareness. They need the confidence to recognise what is happening, respond quickly, ask questions, understand the school’s procedures and feel familiar with adrenaline devices before they are faced with a real emergency.
Trainer-led learning gives staff something a video alone cannot: the chance to pause, ask, practise and build familiarity.
When staff see, hold and practise with trainer adrenaline auto-injectors in a calm learning environment, they are not just learning what a device looks like. They are reducing hesitation. They are building confidence. They are connecting the information to a real action they may one day need to take.
Tracey Dangerfield, Director at SkillBase First Aid, said:
“Online awareness has its place, but confidence in the moment needs more.
In a real allergic reaction, staff may have minutes to act. That is not the moment to be wondering which end of the device is live, where to place it, or whether you are doing the right thing.
A trainer-led session gives staff the chance to ask questions, talk through real school situations and practise with trainer adrenaline auto-injectors before they ever face the real thing.
That confidence matters.”
SkillBase First Aid is supporting schools with a dedicated 1-hour Allergy and Anaphylaxis Course for Schools, designed for INSET days, twilight sessions and all-staff updates.
The course helps schools support the key staff training expectations within the new guidance. It covers allergy and anaphylaxis awareness, emergency response, adrenaline devices, acute asthma awareness, and whole-school readiness.
It also gives staff the chance to see, hold and practise with trainer adrenaline auto-injectors in a calm learning environment.
Because the first time someone handles an adrenaline auto-injector should not be during a real emergency.
Alongside staff training, we also believe pupils should be supported to understand emergencies in an age-appropriate way where possible.
For primary schools, our Mini Heroes programme can help KS2 pupils build simple first aid confidence, including age-appropriate awareness around allergies and getting help quickly.
Most importantly, this campaign is about helping staff move from:
“I think I know what to do”
to:
“I feel more confident to act.”
That is the heart of our message.
Confidence, not just awareness.
Schools can click here to find out more about the 1-hour Allergy and Anaphylaxis Course for Schools.
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