Schools* are busy, shared environments where pupils move between classrooms, dining areas and activities throughout the day. Food is part of that environment, and many foods contain allergenic ingredients that can be a threat to allergy sufferers.
*This course also refers to all settings for pupils and students of compulsory education age, including sixth forms, academies and educational aspects of apprenticeships.
Food is brought into school in packed lunches, from shops, prepared food, snacks, and lessons. It is important to stress that food is not contained to one part of the school, and as a result, responsibility for managing the risk posed to food allergy sufferers is not confined to one individual or one staffing team.
| Location / Activity | Allergen Risks | Staffed by |
|---|---|---|
| Classrooms | Craft materials (egg cartons, milk cartons), shared reward snacks, unlabelled birthday treats. | Teachers, teaching assistants, volunteers |
| Playground & Corridors | Food sharing from packed lunches, discarded snacks, tuck shops. | Lunchtime supervisors, break-time staff |
| Handovers / After-school | Lack of communication when shifting from main teacher to club staff. | All handovers, club leads |
Food allergies can be serious. For some pupils, even a very small amount of a food allergen can cause a severe reaction. These situations can develop quickly, and what can appear minor at first can rapidly become life threatening if not recognised and responded to.
In the UK, there have been cases where a lack of understanding and delayed response to an allergic reaction to food has had fatal consequences.
Case study: Karanbir Cheema (13yrs) Location: William Perkin Church of England High School, Greenford, London Date: 28 June 2017
11:30 AM - The Exposure
What Happened: 13-year-old Karanbir, with known allergies and asthma, is hit with a piece of cheese thrown down his collar.
The Critical Moment: He immediately alerts staff. The countdown begins.
The Escalation - Initial Response
What Happened: He was sent to the school welfare area. His body begins an immediate immune overreaction.
Symptoms Observed: Severe distress, scratching, panic, and rapidly collapsing breathing capacity.
The Emergency - The System Failure
What Happened: As his condition deteriorates, emergency services are called. He suffers severe anaphylaxis and cardiac arrest before the ambulance can transport him to A&E.
The Outcome
What Happened: Sadly, Karanbir passed away in hospital.
The Coroner’s Warning: The school system failed on recognition of early signs, communication, emergency response speed, and the proactive tracking of emergency medication such as EpiPens.
You do not need to be an allergy expert to help keep pupils safe. But you do need a basic understanding of food allergies and appropriate emergency response to understand how your actions (or inaction) fit into the wider picture. Allergy safety depends on this.
In many situations, you may be the first person to notice that something is not right. This could be when the wrong food is handed to a pupil with known allergies, when foods are shared, or when a pupil begins to show early signs of a reaction.
This may involve:
These moments can feel routine, but they are often where pupils either stay safe or a chain of events begins that end in a serious health emergency. Waiting for a first aider or a specialist response (e.g. paramedic) can end in delayed treatment and a high risk of death.