QuickRead: Benedict's law (allergy safety requirements)

Find out what the new allergy safety requirements mean for your school. Download a copy our QuickRead as a ready-made resource to share with colleagues.

New
on 3 June 2026
School types: AllSchool phases: AllRef: 53594
Contents
  1. What is Benedict's Law?
  2. When does it come into effect?
  3. The requirements haven't been finalised yet
  4. What changes should we expect to make?
  5. Will all staff be expected to administer AAIs to pupils?
  6. Next steps

What is Benedict's Law?

It's new legislation that requires your school to put safety measures in place to protect pupils with allergies.

It applies to all schools in England, including independent schools.

The requirements were introduced as part of the Children's Wellbeing and Schools Act 2026.

When does it come into effect?

You must comply with Benedict's Law from September 2026.

The requirements haven't been finalised yet

The DfE has published a draft version of the statutory guidance. However, this was under consultation and might change.

We expect a finalised version to be published by July. This will replace the current guidance on supporting pupils with medical conditions.

We'll update this article when this happens. To receive a notification, select 'save for later' at the top of the page.

If your school has been following best practice recommendations for allergy awareness, you might already be meeting most of the new