The Department for Education has opened an eight‑week consultation on draft statutory guidance to strengthen how schools in England manage medical conditions and allergies. For the first time, schools would be required to hold ‘spare’ adrenaline auto‑injectors (AAIs), deliver allergy awareness training to all staff, and maintain a whole‑school policy supported by Individual Healthcare Plans (IHPs). The measures are intended to replace previous non‑statutory advice and take effect from September 2026; the announcement was published on 4 March 2026. (gov.uk)
The proposals sit within existing law. Under section 100 of the Children and Families Act 2014, schools already have a duty to support pupils with medical conditions and to have regard to accompanying statutory guidance. The new document would supersede the earlier non‑statutory allergy advice so that expectations are consistent and enforceable across settings. (gov.uk)
The consultation launched on 4 March 2026 and will run for eight weeks. Based on the publication date, Policy Wire calculates a closing date of 29 April 2026. Stakeholders-including school leaders, governors, classroom staff, parents and health professionals-are invited to comment on the draft before final guidance is issued for the 2026/27 school year. (gov.uk)
Procurement is expected to be straightforward. Since 1 October 2017, schools in England have been permitted to buy AAIs without a prescription for emergency use where a pupil’s own device is unavailable or not working. The new requirement to stock spare devices would formalise that practice and place routine checks on location, maintenance and expiry within standard first‑aid governance. (gov.uk)
Training expectations are explicit. All staff-teaching and non‑teaching-would be trained to recognise allergy symptoms, respond in an emergency and use AAIs correctly, with improved incident recording and ‘lessons learned’ processes. For workforce planning, this implies coverage at induction, refreshers for existing staff and clear delegation where staff undertake specific clinical tasks. (gov.uk)
IHPs remain central to day‑to‑day support. The draft indicates that plans should capture triggers, medications, roles and escalation steps for each child, and it highlights condition‑specific content. Examples include seizure types and emergency procedures for epilepsy, and support for pupils using continuous glucose monitors or insulin pumps, including integration via mobile phone applications. (gov.uk)
The Department for Education cites the impact on attendance as a justification for standardising practice. Analysis referenced by government indicates pupils in England collectively miss around half a million school days each year due to allergy‑related illness or appointments, underscoring the case for consistent policies and emergency preparedness. (benedictblythe.com)
Funding pressures are acknowledged indirectly. The department signals an open call to businesses to help with costs such as AAIs, while schools will still need to plan for device replacement ahead of expiry dates, paid time for staff training, strengthened record‑keeping and updates to risk assessments and trip procedures. (gov.uk)
Officials frame the allergy package alongside wider food‑system reforms. Ministers have linked the guidance to revisions of the school food standards and a planned extension of free school meals from September 2026, expected to reach an additional 500,000 children. Taken together, the changes align health protection measures with inclusion and access to school meals. (gov.uk)
For school leaders, the timeline is tight but workable. Over the next six months, priorities include auditing current arrangements for allergy management; mapping AAI procurement, placement and expiry cycles; scheduling whole‑staff training and emergency drills; reviewing IHPs with clinicians and parents; and updating the medical conditions policy and incident logs so governing bodies can evidence compliance from September 2026.