Benedict's Law to overhaul school allergy training

Life-saving allergy pens will be stored in all schools in England from September following a campaign by the parents of a five-year-old boy who died after drinking cow's milk.

Schools will also need to have a whole-school allergy policy, provide training to all staff and ensure individual healthcare plans for pupils with allergies, in line with statutory guidance published on Monday.

Benedict Blythe died after accidental exposure to cow's milk protein while at Barnack Primary School, between Stamford and Peterborough, in December 2021.

His mother, Helen Blythe, said Benedict's Law meant children would be "stepping into an education system far safer than the one that has come before".

She added: "We think this is something that will keep not just children safe, but people who work in schools as well. It will give them [staff] the confidence to know what to do in an emergency."

Benedict, from Stamford, Lincolnshire, had asthma and a number of allergies, including eggs, nuts and milk.

His mother said she had worked with the school to put together an allergy action plan, but an inquest heard that process had not been followed.

She added that there was a "significant gap" in schools' preparedness for children with allergies that would be addressed by Benedict's Law.

"It became really clear this wasn't something that, parent by parent and school by school, we could close the gap quickly enough," she said.

"Parents and children were living in fear of going to school and that absolutely should not be the case."

According to research by Benedict Blythe Foundation, 50% of schools in England do not have any spare medication, a third have no allergy policy and 70% do not have all the measures now being introduced.

The statutory guidance, which sets out what schools must do to adhere to the law, will come into force in September.

From 2027, the same measures will be made into statutory duties and will apply to state schools, independent schools and fee-paying special schools. This means schools will be legally required to implement these changes.

Blythe said: "Had Benedict's Law and this guidance been in place when he'd been at school, he almost certainly would still be with us.

"We hope, although it won't make any difference to us and our family, that we will protect any other family from having to go through what we have."

Education minister Olivia Bailey said: "Every child deserves to feel safe and included, but too many families have had to fight for basic protections that should simply be there."

She added: "This change is thanks to the tireless efforts of Helen and Peter Blythe, who have turned unimaginable tragedy into lasting change that will protect thousands of children for generations to come."

Blythe described the change in the law as "Benedict's legacy".

"For us, we know that there will be people out there who we will never know, who will never know us and their lives will be saved as a result of this measure that's been brought in. I don't think we could ask for anything more, " she said.

"He was a little boy who was incredibly kind and cared for others and so being able to carry that forward in how we remember him is the most fitting legacy I can think of."

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