Allergy safety in schools is under sharper national focus than ever before. Following high-profile cases and growing concern about inconsistent practices, new statutory guidance – widely referred to as Benedict’s Law – is set to strengthen expectations around how schools manage allergies and anaphylaxis.
For school leaders, this is not just another policy update. It signals a clear shift towards tighter governance, stronger accountability, and safer systems for managing pupil dietary requirements.
What is the New Allergy Legislation?
The government has committed to introducing mandatory statutory guidance for schools in England from September 2026, designed to improve how allergies and medical dietary needs are managed in educational settings.
The key themes include:
- whole-school allergy policies
- clear individual
- healthcare plans improved staff training
- clarity around emergency medication access
- stronger communication between schools, parents and catering teams.
Why Schools Need to Care
Many schools still rely on paper lists, MIS notes or informal communication to manage dietary requirements. These approaches are open to human error, difficult to audit, and can become outdated quickly.
As expectations tighten, schools must demonstrate that allergy information is accurate, parent-verified, embedded in daily processes, and supported by a clear audit trail.
The operational challenge
Managing dietary requirements in a busy school environment is complex. Schools often juggle multiple allergies, medical diets, religious requirements, ethical choices and special event menus.
Without a centralised system, unusual or complex requirements can be missed, increasing risk and administrative burden.
How are we helping schools to prepare
Our School Dietary Requirements module has been developed to provide a structured, school-managed system for managing allergies and dietary requirements safely and efficiently.
The module creates a single source of truth for allergy information, reduces reliance on manual checks, and provides a clear audit trail.
Parents must review and approve the allergy information held by the school before placing meal orders. If details are rejected, ordering is temporarily blocked until resolved, helping to prevent unsafe selections.
Menus are automatically tailored to each pupil’s approved dietary profile, ensuring safety while preserving choice. Special event menus follow the same allergy protection rules as standard menus.
Each day, kitchens receive clear meal numbers alongside dietary requirement information, supporting safe service at the point of delivery.
Preparing for September 2026
Schools should begin reviewing their allergy processes now. Consider whether your current systems are auditable, parent-approved, and fully embedded into your meal ordering workflow.
Need help preparing for the changes?
If your school is preparing for upcoming allergy legislation changes, we can help. Contact our team for a demonstration of the Dietary Requirements module and discover how we can support a safer, more compliant transition.
