Medical

Keeping Our Children Safe: Benedict’s Law & Allergy Awareness

As you may know, new statutory allergy safety requirements, commonly referred to as Benedict's Law, have come into effect for schools across England. This important guidance is named in memory of five-year-old Benedict Blythe, who tragically died from an allergic reaction at school. It mandates that schools maintain strict allergy policies, hold emergency medication, and train all staff to recognise and manage severe allergic reactions.

While South View is working hard to ensure a safe environment, allergy safety is a community effort. On average, food allergies affect 1-2 children in every classroom. We kindly ask for your vital support at home by adopting these daily habits:

- Screen Packed Lunches: Please check ingredients carefully before sending food to school. Avoid packing items that contain common severe allergens like nuts or dairy, or any specific allergens flagged by your child's class teacher.

- No Food Sharing: Talk to your children about why they must never share, trade, or accept food or snacks from friends at lunchtime or break. What is perfectly safe for one child could be life-threatening to another.

- Promote Hand Washing: Encourage your child to wash their hands with soap and water before and after eating. Hand sanitizer does not effectively remove food allergens, but thorough washing prevents cross-contamination on playground equipment and desks.

- Alternative Birthday Celebrations: We love celebrating your children, but please do not send in sweets, cakes, or food treats for the class. Instead, we encourage non-food alternatives to ensure everyone is safely included. Great ideas include sending in a favourite book for the teacher to read to the class, or small treats like stickers, fun pencils, or bubble pots.